Companion animals blessed by religious leaders on Long Beach

NEWS AND COMMENT: This event presented the world with some nice photographs of, for example, Reverend Ava Park of Orange County's Goddess Temple who you see blessing a much-loved dog on the beach. You see Pamela Reilly of West Hollywood holding Harley, her 12-year-old wire-haired dachshund miniature poodle mix. This was an interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Belmont Shore. The photograph is by Howard Freshman.

Companion animals blessed by religious leaders on Long Beach. Photo: Howard Freshman.

I like this sort of event because although I am an atheist I see a lot of companion animal owners taking a lot of benefit and emotional warmth from the priests and other religious leaders blessing their animals. It's very comforting it seems to me. That is the impression I get from the images.

Of course cats and dogs were the most common animal there and I'm sure that there was a huge preponderance of dogs but there were also guinea pigs and bearded dragons including a corgi in a stroller. It would have been an ideal situation to use a cat stroller by the way. It would be a good way to keep a cat safe in such a situation.

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Picture of a cat stroller with cat by a river.

The event was part of the 19th Interfaith Blessing of the Animals. It was hosted by the Community Action Partnership, a non-profit run by Justin Rudd who is a long-time Long Beach event organiser.

There are about 200 companion animals at the blessing. The best photograph for me is of the priestess from Orange County's Goddess Temple. She looks interesting and you can almost feel the love delivered by Pamela to her dog Harley.

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Cats and dogs and other pets blessed by priest at festival of Francis of Assisi.

Some people brought the ashes of their companion animal to be blessed. I like that too. A lot of people gain a lot of emotional benefit from having the ashes of their companion animals, who've passed over the rainbow bridge, with them in their home at all times. To bless the ashes as an added bonus.

Tiger King star Joe Exotic threatens to sue BBC over copyright

The BBC used a song created by Joe Exotic on their BBC 2 documentary Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic. They used a short snippet of the song Here Kitty Kitty, which the BBC claim is permitted under UK law. 

Joe Exotic. Photo: Mail Online.

Joe Exotic's lawyer, Brad Small, from the top US firm Fox Rothschild explained to The Mirror newspaper that their client owns the copyright of the song and that the BBC had not acquired a "master and synchronised licence" for its use. 

They further said that their client was unhappy because he was not getting the money for that licence which should have been applied for. They said that they are confident there will be a resolution by the end of the year. Brad Small says that his client was in fact furious and has threatened to sue for compensation.

Joe Exotic, who used to be America's biggest private zoo owner with numerous lions and tigers and other animals, is now serving a 22 year prison sentence for a conviction of murder-for-hire of Big Cat Rescue Owner Carole Baskin. He has appealed his sentence. Apparently, his sentence has been reduced but we have not been told by how much. Joe Exotic appealed to former president Trump for a pardon unsuccessfully. I believe to that he has also appealed to the current president for a pardon without success.

Carole Baskin was upset with the Netflix documentary series because it painted her in an incorrect light she claimed. For many years she fought against Exotic's excesses and abuses of big cats at his zoo.

ASSOCIATED PAGE:  With Doc Antle finished, Carole Baskin can now push on with her Big Cat Public Safety Act

74-year-old man shoots and kills his neighbour's cat

NEWS/COMMENT: The information is skimpy but it comes from the police of Brookville, Pennsylvania, USA. Police were called to a home on Summit Street on Sunday after a neighbour had shot and killed his neighbour's cat. 

We don't have a photo of the man or the cat. Sorry. Photo of police are in the public domain.

It appears that the deceased cat was an indoor cat who escaped and which had made his/her way to inside a neighbour's porch. The neighbour, a 74-year-old man, tried to remove the cat from his porch using a broom. He tried on two occasions which appears to have aggravated the cat causing the cat to become aggressive to him which resulted in the man retaliating by shooting the animal. 

There is no more information. I feel I need to comment. There would appear to be some background antagonism in this story which is not been mentioned. There will also appear to be antagonism towards cats by the person who shot the cat. And, perhaps more importantly, the man who shot the cat aggravated the cat with a broom on two occasions to the point where the cat became aggressive. Yes, I know I am repeating myself but the point needs to be stressed. Although I am guessing as to the cause of the cat's aggression as the story is short on detail.

If I'm correct, and I are almost certainly am correct because domestic cats do not attack people willy-nilly without provocation, this is a case of animal cruelty under the local applicable laws which will not be applied in this instance because they really are.

UK: Empty nest parents adopt pets to fill the void

In the UK, the extensive pandemic lockdowns experienced by citizens has led to parents becoming closer to their teenage offspring who are now being packed off to university. This is creating a strong empty nest syndrome and in response a survey indicates that parents are considering adopting a pet or allowing an existing one to sleep on their bed. Note: there must be some relief, too, with the food guzzling, messy and noisy teenager out of the way. Not all teenagers fit this description however.

Empty nest parents adopt pets to fill the void. Pic in public domain.

Apparently 93% said being closer to their children during the pandemic had made the empty nest syndrome worse. A poll by a provider of purpose-built student accommodation, Unite, who commissioned Censuswide, also found the following:

• A sixth of parents cried uncontrollably when their child or children went to university;
• A fifth said they felt guilty for not making the most of their time they had with their child;
• A fifth said that they wished that they could have that same time again i.e. the period of lockdown when they were closer with their children;
• Some feared depression or had suffered physical symptoms of grief including panic attacks and sleeplessness;
• A third cleaned the house more! This sounds like diversionary tactics or displacement activity;
• Some turned to alcohol!

It wasn't all bad though because a quarter felt excited about what lay ahead without their children being around and one in six enjoyed bragging that their child was going to university. Some were considering allowing a lodger to occupy part of their home to raise some money. Perhaps, too, this was an attempt to fill the void with another body. They should be careful, though, because although rent from lodges is tax-free up to a certain limit you have got a stranger in your home.

Cat health Tip: give this supplement to your old, senile cat

Due partly to improved nutrition, domestic cats are living longer. Some people argue that humans live too long! I am one of those people but this is about cats and as they live longer there is a greater possibility that they will become senile. Feline senility appears to be increasingly common. In many cases this is just a manifestation of old age and not the result of an illness of some sort such as a brain tumour.

Pops an elderly rescue cat. Photo: in public domain. Pops is also partially-sighted.

Incidence of senility

A study found that more than 25% of cats in the age bracket 11-14 had signs of true senility. In cats older than 15, senility affected around half. It's caused by reduced blood flow to the brain and damage caused by free radicals. Arteriosclerosis and other health conditions causing high blood pressure, blood clotting, anaemia or reduced blood flow can contribute to senility.

Aktivait

Aktivait for cats.

A health tip from the esteemed veterinarian and author Dr. Bruce Fogle is to provide your elderly cat with a supplement called Aktivait. He is enthusiastic about it. He said that when it was given to older dogs for two months it resulted in a "significant improvement in signs of disorientation, social interaction and house soiling".

It contains omega-3 fish oils, vitamin E, vitamin C, L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q, phosphotidylserine, and selenium. You can buy Altivait for cats although at the time that he wrote his book Complete Cat Care there were no similar studies on the product for cats. He recommends it nonetheless and he warns cat owners to not give canine Aktivait to your cat as alpha lipoic acid is toxic to cats.

It gets a five star rating from 32 reviews on petdrugsonline.com. I am not being paid to promote this supplement. The information is provided to try and improve the lives of elderly cats.

Signs of senility

Signs of senility can be subtle but when combined they are pretty clear. You might see a combination of the following: a blank expression, repetitive or stereotyped pacing continuously, poor grooming, disorientation, a delay in recognising people they know or places objects they know, becoming lost in familiar surroundings, "going to the wrong side of a closed door when asked to go through" (Bruce Fogle), increased sleeping during the day, decreased night-time sleeping, disturbed sleep, decreased enthusiasm when greeting you, slow responses when you request they come to you for example, decreased interest in playing, increased irritability and incomplete social interactions.

Please tell me in a comment if you are giving your cat Aktivait. I'd be interested in hearing from you.

My elderly cat has dementia and I feel that he is better since taking these. - Lesley Harston Wednesday, 1 September 2021