Category Archives: Animals

Serving fish milkshakes to elephant seals at The Marine Mammal Center

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Animals, Marine Mammals, Nonfiction

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elephant seal headshotLike many, I’ve paid my dues as a waitress. I have to say that of all my customers, the ones I loved serving were the elephant seal pups at The Marine Mammal Center.

In the early 1990’s, I spent a year volunteering at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) in Sausalito, California. Being a part of an organization that rescues and rehabilitates marine mammals (of all kinds), then releases them back into the wild, was nothing short of life changing.

I was a member of the Sunday night crew responsible for animal care. Each Sunday night we fed and treated a wide range of marine mammals. My favorite were the doe-eyed elephant seal pups. (Yes, I still have our squad sweatshirt!)

Marine Mammal Center Sunday Crew sweatshirt logo

The elephant seal pups in our care had been separated from their mothers, and as a result were undernourished. Our job was to get them healthy enough to release back into the ocean. That meant they had to gain weight. A lot of it.

What do you feed an elephant seal so it packs on the pounds…but is also nutritious and tasty? You might be sorry you asked. I can’t reveal the “secret-recipe“, but it involves whipping together (literally) frozen fish, heavy cream, and a mix of nutritional supplements. A delectable milkshake! Kind of (?) gross, but it works!

The Marine Mammal Center elephant seal

The pups needed to be fed every 3 or 4 hours, and some nights during the El Nino year we had 200 elephant seal pups to feed. This required multi-gallon batches of fish-mash (secret fish milkshake), and three people to tube-feed a single elephant seal pup. One to straddle and restrain the 100+ pound pup, another to guide the tube down its throat and into the abdomen (not the lungs!), and a third to pour the fish mash into a funnel and work it down the tube. *Current pictures and videos show they’ve streamlined the tube feeding procedure so it only requires two people.*

There were some long nights, but it didn’t faze us. I loved the direct Tube feeding an elephant seal pupcontact that came with restraining the elephant seal pups for tube feeding. When I was in a place of calm, the pup responded with trust. Experiencing that type of connection with a wild animal is everything.

You can visit The Marine Mammal Center and see the amazing work they do up close. The center is just North of San Francisco in the Marin Headlands. Check the web site for visiting hours. (PC: The Marine Mammal Center, except the photo of the sweatshirt which I took myself)

The Marine Mammal Center
2000 Bunker Road | Fort Cronkhite | Sausalito, CA 94965-2619

What’s on the menu at The Marine Mammal Center?

 

Literary Lepus ~ Rascally rabbits & their hare raising tales

13 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by in Animals, Children's Literature, Fiction

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Bunnies are synonymous with new beginnings. They symbolize the start of Spring, and heralded the beginning of children’s literature as we know it today. A rascally rabbit named Peter was responsible for opening the door for the children’s book market, at the hand of Beatrix Potter.

The misadventures of rascally rabbits enthrall young readers just as much today as they did in Beatrix Potter’s time, as is proved by just a few of the current popular children’s book titles mentioned below.

Beatrix Potter’s rascally rabbit

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was a trailblazer for children’s literature, women, and the environment. Her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (published by Frederick Warne in 1902) established the genre of fiction for young readers. As if that wasn’t enough, she pulled off this groundbreaking achievement in the late 19th century, when it wasn’t proper for women to work, especially in a professional field. Miss Potter (the 2006 film) provides endearing insights into the whimsical imagination of Beatrix Potter and the societal pressures of her times. It is delightfully inspiring. You can watch the trailer for the film below.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, coverBorn in Kensington, London, Beatrix later moved to Hill Top Farm in Cumbria. A biologist and naturalist at heart, she bequeathed her beloved far, along with 13 other farms and over 4000 acres of land, to the National Trust on her death.

Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated 28 books that have been translated into more than 35 languages and sold over 100 million copies. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is still Potter’s most popular and well-loved tale. It’s the story of a mischievous rabbit and the ensuing trouble he finds in Mr McGregor’s vegetable garden!

The Black Rabbit

Rabbit has a problem. He’s got a creepy companion he just can’t shake.cover art

There’s a large black rabbit chasing him.

No matter where he runs—behind a tree or over the river—the shadowy rabbit follows.

Finally in the deep, dark wood, Rabbit loses his nemesis—only to encounter a real foe!

Kids who love to be in on the secret will revel in this humorous look at shadows and friendship. (Synopsis)

Written and illustrated by Philippa Leathers, this charmingly adventurous tale will capture your heart.

WANTED! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar

cover artSome rabbits dream about lettuces and carrots, others dream of flowering meadows and juicy dandelions.

NOT Ralfy! He only dreams of books.

In fact, he doesn’t just dream about them, he wants to read them ALL THE TIME—even if it means he has to STEAL them. Soon his obsession sends him spiraling into a life of crime! (Synopsis)

Written and illustrated by Emily MacKenzie, this heisty hare will have you laughing out loud!

Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover

Meet the newest early-reader odd couple: fussy, compulsive Rabbit and overly logicalcover art Robot.

The hearty ridiculousness of a machine and animal hanging out together provides plenty of laughs as Rabbit tops his pie with carrots and lettuce, while Robot prefers bolts and screws.

Let’s not forget Rabbit telling Robot to turn down his Volume Knob anytime he yells, and the sight of Rabbit and Robot both wearing Rabbit-shaped pajamas, because Robot forgot his and had to borrow a pair. (Synopsis)

Written and illustrated Cece Bell, this delightful story of friendship is destined to be an all-time favorite.

Miss Potter ~ The inspirational life of Beatrix Potter

NASA cats are a thing!

03 Saturday Feb 2018

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Humor

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Cats have sailed the seven seas (like Hemingway’s polydactyl cats), managed libraries (Dewey and Max the library cat), and supervised the United States Postal System (USPS). So why not NASA? There are theories that cats came from outer space. Which seems highly unlikely, if only for lack of kitty treats. But with cats, nothing is ever what’s likely.

NASA cats logo

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

And…they have cats!  Why am I surprised?

The CATS space program

NASA created a Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) that launched in 2014. CATS is a remote sensing instrument to provide range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS). In simple English, it’s technology that interprets (and helps us predict) the weather.

Does anyone else smell something fishy about all this? The CATS program could quite possibly be the brain child of ingenious interstellar felines. After all, cats are extremely finicky about exposure to rain, sleet, and snow!

cat-in-rain

Here’s the official NASA CATS brochure. Though, it might have been humanized, so we won’t realize just how in control felines are of NASA…and the world.

The REAL NASA cats & the Ames Cat Network

There are plenty of real cats roaming the grounds of NASA, at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California. Sadly, many were abandoned without even being fixed. Left to reproduce uncontrolled, the cat population boomed.

The kind folks at NASA partnered with the Palo Alto Humane Society to trap, spay and neuter, and find homes for these cats in need. The Ames Cat Network was created, and each cat is tested, altered, and inoculated before being offered for adoption.

If you or someone you know in the San Francisco area is interested in fostering or adopting a NASA cat, please contact the Palo Alto Humane Society at 650.424.1901.

Other organizations in the San Francisco Bay area that help homeless animals, and have many wonderful pets available for adoption:

Undercover Cats: The TRUTH about Disneyland’s Secret Cast Members

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Disneyland

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The cats are out of the bag. And to think it happened in Fantasyland… There’s more to their covert kitty fluff than gratuitous sass and snark, though. Disneyland cats are working cats-members that provide a valuable function in the Happiest Place on Earth.

Covert Kitties Turned Social Media Mavens

Several years ago Taylor Roberts, a freelance writer, glimpsed a cat darting across a path in Fantasyland and snapped a picture.

That night he started the Cats of Disneyland Twitter account with tweets voiced by the witty cats. A web site soon followed: Cats of Disneyland.

With Roberts’ dry humor combined with photos of the covert cats, Disneyland’s secret cats-members skyrocketed to social media stardom. Articles about Disneyland cats were featured in the Los Angeles Times and KTLA. Blog posts were written about them, like my 2015 post, The Cats Behind the Mouse. (Giovanni, Disneyland California Adventure, PC:Elizabeth Fais)

NOTE: Taylor Roberts started the Disneyland Cats accounts on Twitter and Instagram, but it now appears those accounts were taken over by someone else. It’s not uncommon for popular accounts to be purchased and transferred to new owners.

In a theme park inspired by the world’s most famous mouse, it’s the cats of Disneyland who have the run of the place. —Los Angeles Times

As Becky so proudly flaunts, atop the roof of the Mexican eatery in Frontierland, Rancho del Zocalo (PC:Elizabeth Fais).

Becky, Disneyland Cat
All the media hype continued to keep the cats’ indisputable value to the daily operation of the Park a secret, though.

Cats-members with a Cause

Disney parks pride themselves in cleanliness. So it’s a little embarrassing that cats are necessary for the Disney “Mouse” squeaky clean image. In truth, the cats play an important role in keeping rats and other vermin out of the Park.

Disneyland’s cats have been behind-the-scenes cast members since the Park opened in 1955, infiltrating the grounds from the surrounding orange groves of the time.

The cats at Disneyland are feral, which means they are happy living and hunting outdoors, and prefer to stay away from people.

I became interested in the cat population at Disneyland, because of the work I do with feral cats in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve made several trips to Disneyland to research the cats. On one trip, I talked with the manager of the feral cat program and here’s what I learned:

  • Approximately 200 cats live at the Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland California Adventure, the Disneyland Hotel, and the Grand Californian Hotel.
  • The cats have been trapped, spay or neutered, and then released (TNR) back into the park. This is the proven, humane method for managing feral cat populations. For more information, read about Stanford campus’ Feline Friends Network.
  • There are feeding stations for the cats “back stage” to supplement their diet and keep them healthy.(PCs:Elizabeth Fais, Ned, at the Disneyland Hotel)
  • They’ve implemented an ingenious flea management program that is low-stress for the cats and highly effective.
  • The cats are given medical care and attention, as needed. This ensures healthy, long lives for each of the cats.
  • When a cat becomes too friendly with Park guests, they are given a home with a devoted Park employee.
  • Feeding and petting the cats is discouraged at all times. Disneyland cats are wild animals, and must be treated with respect and caution.
  • The best times to get a glimpse the cats are early in the morning (early admission, if possible), or around sunset. Feral cats are nocturnal, and usually sleep out of sight during the day.
  • Ask cast members for tips on where the cats hang out. The evening crew seemed to know the most when I asked, as that’s when the cats are most active.

Disneyland Cats: Unsung Heroes!

Something must be done…I mean sung! The “underdog story” is popular in the Disney Classics library.Francisco, Disneyland Cat It’s time to break old boundaries and blaze new trails. We need an “undercat story” accompanied with terrific songs. Of course!

Disneyland Cats
~
The Musical

Are you listening Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Pixar &
Disney Animation Studios?

Francisco’s already to auditioning!

(PC: Elizabeth Fais, Francisco, Disneyland California Adventure)

 

LED Sheep ~ Ewe light up my life!

08 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by in Animals, Humor, Inspiration

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High-tech sheep herding

Maybe it’s the proliferation of world-wide disasters of late, both natural and man-made, but I’ve been thinking of the Welsh sheep herders and their LED sheep … a lot. Rather timely (but a total coincidence!), with the Blade Runner sequel hitting the theaters this week. The original Blade Runner was based on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

LED sheep herding

What I love about this project is its joyful innocence and whimsy.

A lot of time and effort went into creating an image of the Mona Lisa (credited to Leonardo Baa Vinci!) with sheep wearing LED vests. For the sheer joy of it! If you haven’t seen the video (created in 2009), do it now! If you’ve seen it but need a little light in your life, watch it again. Pronto.

This video makes me wonder: What can we do today to bring a little joy and whimsy into the world around us? (LED sheep are not required, but always welcome). Pay-it-forward, except with fun.

Instigate fun today. It’s contagious!

 

Joyful whimsy and LED sheep herding

Mark Twain and the Kitten that Played Pool

16 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Writing

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Twain’s softer side

Mark TwainThe name Mark Twain is synonymous with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn—rough and tumble boys full of adventure, daring pranksters who were afraid of nothing.

In many ways, the characters an author creates are their reflection. But like Hemingway, Mark Twain had a softer side he hid from the world.

Like so many creative people, Mark Twain was sensitive and more than a little reclusive. People who knew him said he was most comfortable around animals, with a particular love of cats. According the Mark Twain’s daughter, Suzy…

The difference between papa and mama is that mama loves morals and papa loves cats.

Twain loved cats so much he had up to 19 living in his house at one time, according to one source. And that was just at his Connecticut home.

Mark Twain biographer, Albert Biglow Paine, revealed that Mark Twain even traveled with cats. Once on his travels, he missed his cats so much he rented a few local kittens for the summer. “He didn’t wish to own them, for then he would have to leave them behind uncared for,” Paine explained, “so he preferred to rent them and pay sufficiently to ensure their subsequent care.”

The kitten that played pool

It’s odd to think that an author as accomplished as Mark Twain suffered from nervousness about his writing. But he did. His cats helped calm him, as did playing billiards. Amazingly enough, there was one special kitten who did double duty by playing pool with Twain. For real. I am not making this up.

Kitten on pool table

When Twain took a break from his writing to blow off nervous energy, he’d pick up the kitten and tuck him into one of the pockets of the billiard table and the game began. The kitten swiped at the balls as they darted by, amusing Twain to no end. Rejuvenated by the kitten’s antics, Twain could then return to his writing.

Twain’s love of animals lives on

Generations of cats have called Nook Farm home—the famous author’s house in Hartford, Connecticut. Dozens of cats still live on the grounds of The Mark Twain House & Museum today, much as they did during the famous author’s lifetime.

When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction. ~ Mark Twain

Many of the staff members at The Mark Twain House are proud owners of Nook Farm cats, continuing Twain’s legacy.

Mark Twain’s love of cats lives on in his writing, as well. Cats stalk, slink, pad, and play their way through many of his best-known books, including The Innocents Aboard, Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Puddn’head Wilson. If that’s not reason enough to read Twain, I don’t know what is. But I’m a hopeless animal lover too. What can i say?

It’s Hard to Be a (Grumpy) Cat at Christmas!

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Giving Back

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Grumpy…For the good of all cat-kind

A couple of years ago Grumpy Cat, Oskar the Blind Cat, Nala Cat, Colonel Meow, and Hamilton the Hipster Cat starred in the following video that helped to feed over 500,000 homeless cats. While the view-and-feed-homeless-cats offer for the video is long past, the sentiment of helping those less fortunate still rings true. Especially at this time of year.

Grumpy Cat at Christmas

You don’t have to sponsor thousands of meals to feed homeless animals in order to make a HUGE difference.

Kindness Comes in Many Flavors

Grumpy Cat and I both have a soft spot in our hearts for animals that have been left to fend for themselves under harsh conditions. Here’s a few things you can do in your local community that will make a significant impact in the quality of life for homeless animals:

  • Donate a bag of cat/dog food to your local Humane Society or animal shelter.HSSV kitten Sometimes there are even “donation” bins at local pet food stores for local shelters and rescue organizations.
  • Give those old towels you were about to throw away to your local animal shelter. They always need towels and other types of bedding material.
  • Shelters always need disinfectant cleaners, bleach, newspapers, and paper towels. Next time you’re out shopping, buy extra to donate to your local shelter.

If you don’t have time to shop and deliver goods to your local shelter and know your way around the internet, you can shop the discount stores, like Costco, and have the items delivered for a small fee.

  • Donate your time. Shelters need volunteers in all capacities.
  • Best of all, open your heart and home to a homeless or rescue animal. They will return the love one hundred-fold.

It’s Hard to Be a Cat at Christmas

Groups with Game ~ Squad Goals … or Not?

17 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Amazing but true!, Animals, English, Writing

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parade of elephants

The English language never ceases to amaze me. Colloquialisms, while wacky, can be explained in most cases. The names given to groups of animals and other living things? Not so much. Seriously.

The following list isn’t exhaustive, but it includes some of the more interesting names for groups of living things. If your squad wanted a mascot, which would you take for a name?

For the record, I asked my boss at the day-job if our team could take pandas as our mascot. When he found out what a group of pandas is called, he wasn’t thrilled with the suggestion…for some reason. 😂

Apes — A shrewdness of apes

Butterflies — A kaleidoscope of butterflies

Crows — A murder of crows

Elephants — A parade of elephants

Foxes — A charm of foxes

Geese — A gaggle of geese

tower of giraffes

Giraffes — A tower of giraffes

Hedgehogs — A prickle of hedgehogs

Hippopotamuses — A crash of hippopotamuses

squad_hippos_crash

Iguanas — A slaughter of iguanas

Kangaroos — A mob of kangaroos

Larks — An exaltation of larks

Pandas — An embarrassment of pandas

squad_pandas_embarrassment

Grumpy Cat Helps #GiveFriskies to Cats in Need

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Holiday, Inspiration

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Grumpy … with a Heart of Gold

Once again, Grumpy Cat (Tardar Sauce) has stepped up to help cats who are far less fortunate than herself.  She’s championing a cause with Friskies to give 150,000 (!!) meals to cats in need, now through December 25th. Here’s how it works:

Each time you use the hashtag #GiveFriskies on Twitter or Instagram Friskies will donate a meal to cats in need across the nation.

It’s hard to be a cat at Christmas and all cats deserve a good meal. A couple of years ago Grumpy Cat, Oskar the Blind Cat, Nala Cat, Colonel Meow, and Hamilton the Hipster Cat starred in the following video that helped to feed over 500,000 homeless cats.

Grumpy Cat at Christmas

Kindness Comes in Many Flavors

Grumpy Cat and I both have a soft spot in our hearts for cats that have been left to fend for themselves under harsh conditions. If you don’t use Twitter or Instagram, you can help homeless animals in your community in lots of other ways. Here’s a few small things you can do that are not “small” at all:

  • Donate a bag of cat/dog food to your local Humane Society or animal shelter.
  • Give those old towels you were about to throw away to your local animal shelter. They always need towels and other types of bedding material.
  • Shelters always need disinfectant cleaners, bleach, newspapers, and paper towels. Next time you’re at Costco, buy extra and donate some to your local shelter.
  • Donate your time. Shelters need volunteers in all capacities.
  • Best of all, open your heart and home to a homeless or rescue animal. They will return the love one hundred-fold.

MJ Wright did a post on The Missing Spirit of Christmas that caused me to reflect on what the holiday season really means. For me, it’s kindness and generosity—but not the commercial-consumption kind—giving from the heart with random acts of inspired kindness. At the end of the day, true joy comes from helping one another…animals included.

It’s Hard to Be a Cat at Christmas…

The International March for Elephants ~ Ban Ivory, Save a Species

03 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by in Animals, Conservation, Elephants

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October 4th 2013 marked the first International March for Elephants. On October 3rd  and 4th 2015, the march continues.

Thousands of people around the world are marching to raise awareness about the devastating impact of the ivory trade. Unchecked it will wipe out the wild elephant populations by 2025.

Every 15 Minutes an elephant is killed for its ivory…

The International March for Elephants was organized by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) through their iworry campaign, taking place around the globe. If you are unable to join the march, there are other ways you can make a difference. Every day of the year.  [image from DSWT iworry program]

International March for Elephants poster

Launched in September 2012, the iworry campaign has attracted worldwide backing calling for a complete ban on the ivory trade.

It’s simple. When the market for ivory disappears, the killing for it will stop.

Recently, the United States and China laid the groundwork for a ban on all ivory trade. Some states, such as California, have also enacted bans on importing ivory. Progress is being made, but there’s still a long way to go if we are to save these majestic creatures from extinction.

You CAN Make a Difference!

It’s easy to think, “What can I do? I’m just one person.”

DSWT_DaphneScheldrick

The truth is, each of us can make a difference. Supporting an organization that is actively engaged in preventing poaching — one that also rescues orphaned elephant calves that are victims of poaching — is a way those of us who are continents away can make a significant positive impact.

The  The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and returning orphaned elephants to the wild sinceKamok, DSWT 1977. The organization grew out of the family’s passion for Kenya and its wilderness. Today, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. It is also pioneering conservation for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa.

Image of 1 day-old KAMOK ~ September 2013 ~ David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick D.B.E founded the organization in 1977 to honour the memory of her late husband, David Leslie William Sheldrick MBE, the founding Warden of Tsavo East National Park. Since then, the lives they’ve saved is nothing short of astounding.

Backing Words with Action

It’s one thing to bang out a blog post, but my words won’t mean a thing unless I back them with action. I am happy to be fostering KAMOK and SIMOTUA, orphaned baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Fostering is only $50.00 US dollars a year. I know people who spend more than that in a month at Starbucks. It’s rewarding to know that you’re making a difference in a huge way…in the life of an individual elephant, as well as the protection species as a whole.

The following video of Kamok’s rescue demonstrates the level of care this organization extends to each and every animal in its care.

For information on how you can foster an orphaned elephant or rhino at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, go here.

You can also help in the following ways:

Together we can make a difference!