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December 22, 2004
White death from the sky.
Well, the way most people in southwestern Ohio act about it, you'd think it was white death from the sky, anyhow. We have about nine inches of snow on the ground, and could get as much as a foot more before it's all over with tomorrow evening. Then, temps are going to drop below zero.
So much for I-75 only going one way. If it's nasty on Xmas, they can forget about it -- we're both off for the next week and a half, our families can wait until the weather is better.
Especially since we don't consider ourselves religious and don't celebrate any so-called holy days as such. But Christmas, however much Shill O'Really screams about it, started out as a pagan holiday and has become one again. If Xtians really want their holy messiah-birth day to be a religious day for them, maybe they should move it to another time of year, or at least another part of December.
S'anyway, looks like we may be weather-bound on the baby Jesus's birthday. I'd like to say we're heartbroken about not having to go through all the doo-dah I posted on Thanksgiving, but we're not especially. We're both off work the following week, so we can go down and visit with all of them on a day when it doesn't dawn ten below zero with two feet of snow on the ground.
Max, I probably don't need to tell you, is ecstatic about the snow. Here's a little Quicktime movie of him flouncing about in it this afternoon -- we've noticed he looks a lot like a float in the Rose Bowl Parade when he moves through, if it's deep enough to be above his legs:
Max flounces about in the snow
In other "news" Gord and Squeek have discovered the joys of camping on the ventilation slits on the top of my computer monitor. I guess they're kinda' screwed if I ever invest in a flatscreen. Here's a shot of Gord enjoying the heat:
He's always been a heat-sink, though. The first winter he was here, he spent a good bit of it lying on the dining room floor directly under a foot-and-a-half high heating vent, stirring himself only to eat and poop. Now, since the floor is cluttered under that particular vent, and the floor now has tile rather than carpet, he crams himself into the gap between two of our bedroom dressers, under one of which is one of the bedroom heater vents.
Tony took this shot -- rather rare, frankly -- of Gord and Tink canoodling on the sofa. Gord had approached Tink and solicited a lengthy grooming, after which they shared the sunny spot on the futon without beating the snot out of each other for some minutes:
Finally, here's the view I frequently get from sitting directly in front of the computer. The small set of drawers is next to the monitor -- presumably, this was on a day when it wasn't cold enough Gord felt he needed the warmth of the monitor parboiling his innards:
Max has been chewing on his leg again -- or, to be more precise, licking it until he licks all the hair off. We've been through this with him before, and we're pretty sure it's idiopathic (nothing tangible or real causing it), though I suppose it's possible a four-year-old dog could have some pain in his leg. He never limps, so I'm guessing the licking thing is just nerves. We've both been home a lot, the past couple of days, and he's used to spending a lot of time under the bed in the master bedroom on the days I work (he goes up there when I go up to take a shower, comes out long enough to take his late-morning constitutional, then gets right back under there until I leave for work and call him down to get in his crate). Maybe he's just unnerved by being out all the time and having us both here, I don't know. It's nervous licking, that much I'm pretty sure of. None of the 'lick-stop' preparations seems to make him stop, so it's obsessive. One of these times, he's not going to stop and he's going to develop a hot spot, and then we're going to have to take him to the vet over it, I'm sure.
Doodle had her teeth cleaned, the other day. Didn't lose any teeth, fortunately, but we need to hit her with the dental gel at least once a day for a week or so, and then make sure we get her once or twice a week. There's no way in hell she'd ever let us brush her teeth every day, she won't even let us touch her head unless she wants us to. We have to put the dental gel on her foot and let her lick it off, she screams like a banshee and tries to bite us if we try to mess with her mouth. Worst of all, she usually manages to eject some 'butt juice' on one or the other of us. If it's butt juice or Doodle becomes a gumby cat, she's gonna have to be a gumby cat.
Posted by Melinda at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2004
Just stuff.
Because that's what a web journal is really about, right? Just stuff. Of course, this isn't literally a 'blog' since I don't do a lot of linking, but I do sometimes link to other sites. There just isn't a lot I find noteworthy in other people's sites.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm not being a shit about it. Well, not a total shit, anyway -- often, they're badly formatted, overly complex, don't have many pictures, don't have good pictures, and generally aren't pleasant to look at. The most annoying thing about personal sites with pet pages? Embedded MIDI files of songs like 'Alleycat.' Like I didn't get enough of that damn thing when I was taking piano lessons.
Of course, there are decent sites for companies that serve the animal-owning community. Like Royal Canin, who currently are feeding our cats. Doodle was starting to hork the Iams, and Tink was starting to have hairballs again, so I figured quality control at Iams had fallen off since Procter and Gamble bought them out. Yeah, I know -- I was shocked, too; who could imagine a multinational conglomerate would do quality control less effectively than a small local company? (/sarcasm)
Of course, behemoth Tink grew up on Purina chow -- kitten and cat -- before we found Doodle and started feeding her Iams, so I guess I shouldn't blame all of it on multinational conglomerate quality control. A good bit of it is, of course, a matter of the great lottery of genetics.
Tink's are, quite clearly, impressive. Whereas Gord's:
Not so much. Legs too short, head too big, gingivitis, he's absolutely driven to scrounge food, up to and including climbing up on the stove to lick a greasy frying pan. When he was allowed to free-feed, he made it up to almost eighteen pounds. So did Tink, but she never looked like she was fat like he did.
Doodle is, for that matter, a little on the tubby side these days ... but frankly, we don't figure on her loser genetics maintaining her very long, she's already lost quite a few of her teeth, and one of the vets at the clinic where we take the menagerie said she saw no harm in letting Doodle eat whatever she wanted and be a little on the tubby side, since she has phases where her appetite isn't what it could be. As long as she's eating decent food, being a little poochy won't hurt her any more than her genetics and whatever tough life she lived before we found her did, so we let her have what she wants.
Squeek gets whatever she wants, too, and she really looks quite normal. Not that appearances can't be deceiving -- but she's only got worms in her brain, the kind you can't see, not in her DNA. She's a 3/4 scale Tink, from all indications.
Here's a shot of the girls all sitting still on the back of the sofa in the front room. Rare -- Squeek sitting still, and not bugging the crap out of anybody else:
Speaking of web sites useful to pet owners, Doctors Foster and Smith is one of the better online/catalog retailers. If there's something you can't find, they often have it -- I mean like pet fountains, shampoo, that kind of stuff. They respond fast, and their prices are reasonable.
Another useful site sponsored by Foster and Smith is a searchable encyclopedia of information about animals, called Pet Education. Loads of useful info, I've found it very helpful, especially when I'm sitting at the computer at two in the morning, wondering about something. Not that it's really all that unusual an occurrence, but when it's an animal problem (because Pet Education can't help me stop worrying about the death of our culture, how poorly most people spell, or whether or not the current thieves are going to steal that pittance I've thus far paid into the Social Security fund), it's right there.
Posted by Melinda at 12:20 AM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2004
A local animal shelter and its relevance to social problems ...
I put this text together to have something to read from for the final in my 'modern social problems' night class, though it wasn't required. I didn't actually read the paper -- I didn't even need to go into this much detail -- I just can't leave shit alone. Since it's already written, might as well post it here!
Necessary disclaimer -- nothing expressed in the following text is in any way endorsed or vetted (no pun intended) by SICSA or any of its employees or board members. It's solely my opinion, and while I have an affiliation with the shelter as a volunteer and donor, I have no decision-making or public relations position with the shelter itself or any of its operations.
Anyway, here's the text I put together, from which I read, though I didn't read verbatim (footnotes have been inserted as links):
Archaeological evidence indicates that humans and dogs have lived together in some social arrangement since as long as 12,000 years ago, before humans began to gather in civilizations as we recognize them today. It is not known what the precise relationship may have been, judging from the archaeological evidence, but it’s clear that men and dogs began the long process of partnership as early as this.
The earliest concrete evidence of a domesticated feline dates about 7,000 years BCE, judging from a grave found in Cyprus, where a complete cat skeleton was found in a human grave in a stone age village excavation, apparently posed similarly to the human next to whom it was buried, and intact (indicating the cat wasn’t killed to be eaten, in which case the bones would have been scattered and probably burned from cooking).
In general, the domestication of both cats and dogs probably occurred because the animals were more effective than humans at reducing vermin – especially after humans began to gather in larger groups and agricultural civilizations formed in Mesopotamia. Both cats and dogs have enjoyed waxing and waning positions within human civilizations over the centuries, especially the cat – which appears to have been revered by some, eaten by others, and even killed off because it was believed to be evil in the Middle Ages, which some have theorized may have aggravated the spread of the Bubonic plague (due to a boom in the population of mice and rats, who circulated near enough to humans to spread the fleas and mites that carried the disease).
It’s fairly safe to say that cats and dogs both enjoy, relatively, the highest esteem in today’s Western cultures – especially in North America and Europe – that they’ve ever enjoyed. Most pets spend some, if not all, their time sharing the same shelter as the humans they live with. Complete and healthy diets are available on the shelves at the grocery store, along with toys and sanitary products that make it simpler to share one’s life with an animal whose genetics probably would encourage it to do most of its daily business outdoors. A look at the pet department at any grocery store would indicate most dogs and cats are given the same basic dietary and hygienic consideration as humans give themselves – brushes, nail clippers, shampoos, medications, specialized foods for weight control, entertainments – all of which indicates that in some ways, humans see animals as deserving of these treatments.
However, many companion animals still are euthanized at shelters. No firm numbers exist because of the variety of types of animal shelters and the fact that shelters are not required by law to report a raw number of animals euthanized in a given year. The American Humane Association estimates, based on surveys completed by 1,000 animal shelters in 1997, that 64% of the total number of animals entering animal shelters are euthanized. Approximately 15% of dogs and 2% of cats who end up in shelters are returned to their owners; 56% of dogs and 71% of cats are euthanized.
The National Council on Pet Population Studies reports the five most common reasons for owner release of dogs to shelters are: 1) moving; 2) landlord issues; 3) cost of pet maintenance; 4) no time for pet; and 5) inadequate facilities. The top five reasons for cats to be released to shelters are: 1) too many in house; 2) allergies; 3) moving; 4) cost of pet maintenance; and 5) landlord issues.
This only accounts for owner releases, not pets who simply are dumped on the street or ‘out in the country,’ with the rationalization that they can ‘fend for themselves.’ Abandoned animals present a health risk to themselves and other domestic animals, and a drain on community spirit. Often, these animals have not had basic immunizations, and therefore are susceptible to many diseases which can cause epidemics in the stray population and can cross over to the domestic population. The most dangerous disease for which most strays often aren’t immunized is rabies – common in wild animals such as opossums, bats, raccoons and groundhogs – which can be passed on to unvaccinated domestic animals and humans.
Legally, of course, pet owners in Ohio are required to immunize their pets against rabies; proof of rabies immunization is required on demand, and must be available in order to license a dog. However, it would be difficult to say the least to police the entire pet population in North America to ensure each owned pet had received the immunization.
In 1974, a group of private citizens in Kettering began a project to pull some of the animals off the streets, return them to good health, evaluate their condition and behavior and, if possible, match them with appropriate households. The Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals initially consisted of several people’s private homes, and various locations, until 1976 when SICSA purchased a house at 2600 Wilmington Pike, and SICSA began to be a permanent shelter at that address.
From the beginning, SICSA’s goal was not simply to take in any and all animals – public shelters in the area already were serving that purpose. As is the case with most similar limited-acceptance shelters, SICSA has a legal limit of animals it can house, and most of the effort is directed at making good matches between pets and homes, and educating people about coexisting with animals – the demands and responsibilities, of which people often aren’t aware when they first take in a pet. The source of animals at SICSA is, generally, the local community – owners will come with pets and release them to the organization; people will dump duct-taped cardboard boxes in the parking lot full of kittens or puppies; on occasion, the local shelters will offer particularly appealing animals who have reached their time limits. SICSA also sponsors a program called ‘Safe Pets’ that takes in animals on a temporary basis for those who are relocating, who have suffered a loss of housing, or who are on assignments with their jobs or the military; in general, these animals are reclaimed by their original owners, but not always. Additionally, SICSA has taken in adoptable dogs and cats from illegal breeder operations (i.e., puppy/kitten 'mills') and ‘collectors’ who have run afoul of their neighbors.
SICSA sponsors three programs intended to improve the human-animal bond in the community, and reduce the number of animals surrendered to shelters:
Community Education and Outreach
SICSA’s community education programs strive to place animals appropriately with households that are less likely to find the relationship unsatisfactory – and, therefore, unlikely to return the pet. For example, a young couple with a small child living in a small apartment would likely find some difficulty with a large dog; elderly people tend not to deal well with puppies or kittens because they can get underfoot. SICSA encourages good matches because logically, if a household takes in an animal with characteristics inappropriate for its general operation, the animal is likely to wind up on the street or back in the shelter system.
In addition to the adoption process, SICSA also does community outreach to schools and community groups, discussing the importance of things like regular health and immunization visits to veterinarians for pets, spaying and neutering, and other animal-related issues.
There are SICSA employees available who can help counsel those who are having behavior or socialization problems with a pet, if they are committed to keeping the pet in the house. Such issues as barking, house soiling and destructive behaviors such as chewing and scratching can be addressed, with the proper procedures. In many cases, if these behaviors can be ameliorated or the problems resolved, the pet can stay in its original home, with its original owner, and not wind up at a shelter or on the street.
SICSA employees often also coordinate with breed rescues and refer people with purebred dogs or cats who cannot keep them for whatever reason, so that if an animal must have a new home, it can have a new home with an owner who knows the characteristics and traits of the breed. People often buy or adopt breed animals that have taxing requirements for space or exercise, simply because they are popular; this results in many well-bred, registered animals being surrendered to animal shelters because people did not consider all the requirements. By connecting these people with a breed-specific rescue, it helps the animal to make its transition to a new home that will be permanent.
Training for dogs adopted from SICSA is available for free or at a discount after adoption. The training generally includes basic obedience commands, and establishes the human’s dominance in the relation between pet and owner (a sometimes difficult or impossible transaction if one knows nothing about training a dog).
SICSA also maintains a local lost and found directory, spays and neuters each animal and inserts a tracking microchip before adoption. While it’s not an advertised service, SICSA also will check for a microchip on a found animal to determine whether it’s lost and if the owner can be tracked through the microchip registry.
Low-Cost/Subsidized Spay and Neuter
A subsidized program is available through the shelter to spay and neuter animals owned by the general public. A veterinarian affiliated with SICSA performs the procedures; in the Low-Cost Program, for those with household incomes below $14,000 per year, one animal per calendar year will be neutered at no cost. Spaying or neutering of animals beyond one per year is provided at the same discounted rate as the general rate for the Middle-Income Program – which is designed for individuals with incomes up to $30,000, or families with incomes not exceeding $35,000. Any Ohio resident can take advantage of these programs, but appointment preference is given to Montgomery and Greene County residents.
The fees for the Middle-Income Program (and for additional neuters for those who qualify for the Low-Income Program) are $35 for a male cat, $50 for a female; $50-$60 for a male dog and $70-$85 for a female dog (dog rates are based on weight).
As SICSA performs no other treatment for animals outside the program, animals must be current on their rabies vaccines and dogs must be registered with the county of residence.
Pet Facilitated Therapy
Numerous studies have shown that interaction with animals provides positive physical and psychological results with humans. A recent study goes even farther – a University of Missouri at Columbia study has found that positive interaction with animals encourages serotonin production. The serotonin production and uptake mechanism in humans has been implicated in many cases of clinical depression. The use of pets for therapeutic treatment has a long history, though studies of actual, measurable benefits have only appeared in recent decades.
Pet Facilitated Therapy (PFT) is used in many ways today – prisons, mental health treatment centers, nursing homes, residential treatment facilities and other patient care programs all use PFT in varying ways.
A study by the University of Maryland in 1979, indicating that pet owners enjoyed a lower rate of heart disease and a better survival rate when heart disease was encountered encouraged SICSA to begin a PFT program that year. SICSA’s original intention was to improve human and animal bonds, so a pet therapy program was a natural fit as a community outreach effort.
Trained pet therapists who participate in SICSA’s PFT program – and SICSA volunteers who use PFT animals selected at the shelter – visit nursing homes and other residential treatment facilities in the greater Dayton area regularly. In general, the animals selected at SICSA are puppies and kittens who have come to the shelter very young. These animals generally have been handled and socialized extensively by humans before their habits are fixed, and do not object to being held and stroked by strangers. An added bonus for the animals involved in the PFT program is that they are well-socialized by the time they outgrow the program, and are adopted quickly from SICSA.
SICSA also will schedule PFT sessions in-house, where residents of facilities come in and help care for the animals at the shelter. For residents who participate, this fosters an improved sense of responsibility, better motor skills and opportunities to socialize with others outside their residential programs.
This program benefits practically everybody involved – the animals receive important socialization skills, and are more easily integrated into a new household when they become too large for the PFT program; patients who interact with the animals receive emotional and physical benefits; those who adopt the animals receive a pet who has been handled regularly and who will tend to respond with less annoyance to additional handling.
Posted by Melinda at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
December 03, 2004
Quicktime movie of the battle of the titans.
Well, okay -- not really. Just Gord and Max having at each other on a Friday afternoon. It's pretty entertaining, though.
I may post additional movies -- our newer Olympus Camedia camera does a pretty swift job of making Quicktime movies, so once in a while I may shove one in here on the web journal just for my own entertainment ...
Anyway, here's the movie:
Posted by Melinda at 08:05 PM | Comments (0)