Cat Chit Chat

Friday, 11 February 2022

Arizona state legislature is discussing the banning of cat declawing

The legislature of the US State of Arizona is discussing a possible ban on cat declawing. This is reported by Fox News online. They say that an Arizona House committee has approved a bill that would ban cat owners from declawing unless it was for genuinely therapeutic purposes i.e. in the best interests of the cat and for the benefit of the cat's health, which is hardly ever the case.

THERE IS A VIDEO FROM FOX NEWS AT THE BASE OF THE PAGE WHICH REPORTS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT IF YOU'D PREFER TO HEAR ABOUT THIS VISUALLY BUT THERE WILL BE ADVERTS.

The bill is called HB 2224. It provides for fines if any veterinarian performs the procedure unless it is for genuinely therapeutic purposes. A supporter of the bill or perhaps the proposer of the bill, Arizona State Representative Amish Shah, rightly said that: "With all the research and science that we have accumulated on this topic, it is cruel, it is mutilation, and it needs to stop."

The usual counterargument is presented by those who are against a ban, which is this: it is up to the veterinarian in consultation with the cat's owner to decide whether declawing should take place or not. This is a very, very poor argument because veterinarians sometimes actively promote cat declawing against the interests of the cat. They do it for monetary purposes. Therefore, you cannot rely on veterinarians to provide proper advice in line with their oath. Therefore, customers are prevented from making a wise decision as they are in the hands of their vets.

Poster by Ruth aka Kattaddorra.

As for cat owners, often they are indoctrinated with the idea that declawing is okay or that it is simply the removal of the 'nail' when it is actually a partial amputation of each toe. Veterinarians sometimes do not educate cat owners on the topic. They leave them blind and they pull the wool over their eyes. Once again, the purpose is to milk the system and make some money out of this operation which is described as barbaric by Britain's leading veterinarian and author, Dr. Bruce Fogle.

Veterinarians have fought hammer and tong to avoid bans on declawing across the USA because it is a money stream. New York State is the only state in the USA that currently bans declawing. All praise to them. As I recall, there are nine cities, eight of which are in California, which have banned declawing. As I recall, the ninth is Denver.

Arizona State Representative Amish Shah. Pic in the public domain.

It is a slow and long fight to eliminate cat declawing from America. In North America, Canada is beating America hands down in gradually eliminating this operation from the country through piecemeal bans across various territories and provinces.

I would urge Arizona to press on with this and don't be sidetracked by the naysayers who don't understand cat welfare. Declawing is almost universally carried out at the convenience of the cat's owner for non-therapeutic reasons. It's is in direct conflict with the veterinarian's oath which they swear before they practice. It's extraordinary that it is allowed and that the AVMA does not criticise veterinarians who do it.

The oath of American veterinarians is utterly worthless and pointless. It's worse than that because it's a pretence. It gives the impression that the vets generally are concerned about animal welfare whereas they simply can't be if they declaw cats.

Note: This is a video from another website which is embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Thursday, 10 February 2022

Five black cats vanish near Darlington, UK. Is this witchcraft?

Firstly, there are people who practice witchcraft in the UK today, 2022. You don't hear much about them if anything. You don't see them but they are self-proclaimed witches practicing witchcraft. And they perform weird and wonderful ceremonies. We don't know where they are and I don't think that people are much interested in them except for people like me news media reports that five black cats have gone missing from two places: Croft-on-Tees and Dalton-on-Tees, both near Darlington, UK.

Five black cats vanish near Darlington, UK. Is this witchcraft? Image: PoC.

There are two strange facts about the case. There are other indoor/outdoor cats allowed to roam around these towns which are not black cats. Nothing happened to them. Secondly, the five black cats have completely disappeared. There is no trace of them anywhere. It is as if they no longer exist.

This would point strongly to the suggestion that a person or persons have simply taken them. They've been removed from the street and taken somewhere. Bearing in mind the association between black cats and witches, and also bearing in mind, as stated above, that witches remain in the UK even today, it is reasonable to suggest that persons engaged in witchcraft have used black cats as some sort of sacrifice.

That sounds horrible and brutal and it conjures up a very unpleasant image. However, my gut feeling is that it is a reasonable and accurate assessment.

Specifically, three black cats on the same street in Croft-on-Tees vanished without trace in a matter of weeks leaving their caregivers bereft and searching for them.

And two black cats have also gone missing in a neighbouring village: Dalton-on-Tees. The matter is being investigated by the police. Mrs Schmidt who owned a black cat called Tom which has gone missing said:

"It is a complete mystery. The cats are chipped and none have been found on the roads. It is like they have just vanished into thin air. There are loads of cats in our village and it is just the black ones which have disappeared."

Anyone with any ideas or information which might help trace the cats can contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101, press 2 and ask to speak to PSCO Helen Sutherland.

Does Keanu Reeves have a dog (or cat)?

My research indicates that Keanu Reeves does not live with a dog or a cat. This may surprise some people because he is a decent bloke who likes animals. In fact, I think that you could argue that he is better than a decent bloke. He is an exceptional individual on my research. He eschews his riches made from his A-list Hollywood ranking and is a generous charitable donor.

He supports PETA, the animal rights organisation. And it is reported that he has spent time talking to a tramp in New York City for hours on end. I mean, the guy doesn't see himself as a Hollywood film star but as an ordinary person who perhaps prefers to live an ordinary life and mix with ordinary people. I love that.

Keanu Reeves takes the subway in NYC like anyone else. Photo: in the public domain (presumed).

Neither is he a vegetarian nor a vegan. In fact, he has talked about his diet and he does eat meat. So, he loves animals but doesn't see the need to become vegan. I guess he has decided that he can help the planet in different ways. Apparently, he has a tradition of eating steak before a fight scene in a film. He said: "The night before a big fight sequence, I still eat a steak. It started on The Matrix. It's totally psychological".

He likes a nice New York cut steak with a little fat on it. There is a very interesting post on the qoura.com website about him. Apparently, according to this person (Manoj Krishna Shrestha), he has no luxury houses and no bodyguards. He lives in an ordinary apartment and likes to wander around New York City and ride on the subway. You might see a photograph of him on the subway with other people (as above).

It is said that when he was filming a movie, he overheard a conversation between two costume assistants. One of them said to the other that they might lose their home if they did not pay $20,000. On the same day, Reeves deposited $20,000 into the person's bank account. He has also donated large sums to hospitals including, astonishingly, $75 million of his earnings from "the Matrix" franchise.

And he is super generous despite some really big setbacks in his life. He was abandoned by his father at three years old. He grew up with three different stepfathers. He is dyslexic. He dreamed of being a hockey player but was injured in a serious accident and could not follow that dream. His wife died in a car accident and his best friend at the time, River Phoenix, died of an overdose. His sister has battled with leukaemia. Note: I have decided that these reports are correct but please bear in mind they come from one source.

To return to the question in the title. I think he has good reasons for not having a cat or dog. Firstly, he lives in an ordinary apartment in New York City which he probably feels precludes him from keeping a companion animal to a high standard. Secondly, I suspect that he believes that his work which takes him away from his home probably for months on end prevents him from properly caring for a companion animal to the standards that he sets himself, which I expect to be high. Therefore, I think he doesn't have a cat or dog for practical reasons.

I guess, you don't need to look after a cat or dog to prove to the world that you are an animal lover. You can do it in other ways. And you don't just have to love animals, you can love vulnerable people and anybody who needs your help. They are all in the same bracket. That is the feeling I get with Keanu Reeves's mentality.

Wednesday, 9 February 2022

CAT ATTACK West Ham defender Kurt Zouma’s cats ‘will remain in care after being checked by vets’

Kurt Zouma's two cats, one of which is a Bengal cat and the other is probably of the same breed, "will remain in care after being checked over by vets," the RSPCA confirmed. You may remember that the West Ham defender, 27, had his cats seized following the uploading of a video by his brother to social media in which he is seen drop-kicking and slapping one of the cats at his £2 million mansion.

Kurt Zouma. Pic in public domain.

The RSPCA has said that the investigation is continuing and while it does, they will retain the cats. However, they said that they are not up for rehoming. They have embarked on a full and thorough investigation they said.

An RSPCA spokesman said:

"Two cats are in our care, have been seen by a vet and are being well looked after. They will remain in our care while the investigation continues and are not available for rehoming although we have lots of beautiful cats who are looking for new homes. We understand the high level of interest in this incident and can reassure you that our experienced officers are carrying out a full and thorough investigation."

An online petition has gathered 288,000 signatures so far. The petition demands that the RSPCA with the police prosecute him and take his animals to a safe place. I have just learned that the petition now stands at 324,144. The argument is that as Zouma considers cat abuse amusing he has a disdain for animal welfare. The petitioners have speculated as to what has happened in the past and what might happen in the future.

They are hinting at the fact that they believe that there have been other instances of abuse against his cats. For this reason, they believe that it is necessary to remove them from his home and his care permanently.

Also, to not rehome them would be an endorsement, in this high-profile case, that his actions are accepted by society. That would be an unacceptable state of affairs. It would, in fact, encourage further animal abuse by others. This was animal abuse for entertainment by an ignorant but rich footballer. Note: his brother laughed throughout the abuse.

Although he is very remorseful. I think he has learned a lesson already. But he needs to learn about animal welfare and his responsibilities as a cat caregiver.

Shelter says: "The only cat left on our adoption floor is Bell" -video

This is a TikTok video of an eight-year-old shelter cat named Bell. She is female which is unusual for a ginger tabby and she is the only cat at the shelter as you can see when the video camera roams down the aisle of shelter cages with not a cat in sight. By implication, Bell is the only cat left because she is middle-aged in cat years. She looks very cautious when the person making the video enters her cage. This is understandable.

Bell emerges from hiding in her shelter enclosure. Screenshot.

On the outside of her enclosure there is a sign saying "free roaming". I am not sure what that means in this instance. I don't think Bell was free-roaming but she might have been. Perhaps it means that she is able to roam freely in a larger than usual enclosure or area at the cat shelter.

@gcace_rescue The only cat left on our adoption floor is Bell💔 #adoptaseniorcat #foster #rescue #animalshelter #fyp #catsoftiktok ♬ original sound - m.a.r.y s.h.a.n.t.i

Once again, it looks like a very nicely set up cat shelter with great facilities. It is a sad video and it provides an insight into how shelter cats feel.

I wonder if they could have provided a better hiding place for Bell? She hides under what appears to be a plastic stool. A customised hiding place might be better. She needs to hide because she is timid or understandably anxious. That is very clear judging by the video. She is out of her normal environment and in a very strange and rather sterile place.

This shelter cat she needs a nice home where she is loved. It is, of course, sad that she has been rejected by potential adopters. Elderly cats are not infrequently left on the shelf so to speak. This is not only unfair but inadvisable.

Elderly cats make really good companion animals. They know the ropes. They settle into a new home more easily and more quickly. They are more accepting because they have more life experience. They don't chase around the place like kittens do causing a certain amount of mayhem. All-in-all they are an excellent cat to adopt.

The only downside is that they are likely to die before the adopter. In which case you have to be prepared emotionally for that very difficult time in a caregiver's duty when you have to decide if and when you need to euthanise your cat.

It is the toughest time for a concerned cat caregiver. The moment might be protracted because of chronic illness. Not easy to deal with. But the benefits, in my view, of adopting a senior cat far outweigh the negatives.

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