Music and Cats: Purrfect Together

Two years ago, I posted the article “Books, Kids, and Cats—Purrfect Together.” The cat-centric word purrfect seems, well, perfect for this post as well.

Whenever I write, I listen to music. For my novels, I create playlists that my characters might enjoy. Lily, from my ballet-themed novel Finding Giselle, listens to music from the great ballets. Abi Rose, the heroine of my work-in-progress Halfway to Nowhere, favors Celtic fiddle music.

When I’m listening to music for my own enjoyment or while working on editing projects for my business clients, I play whatever suits my mood at the moment. Classical music and movie soundtracks make the top of my list.

But what type of music do my cats enjoy? After all, they are my near-constant companions as I work. Maia tries to snuggle on my lap, while Luna and Guinness typically settle either on the desk next to my iMac or on the floor at my feet.

As befits our enigmatic cat friends, the answer to my question turns out to be quite complicated. Some people assert that cats love classical music, while others say cats respond only to cat-inspired music. Some cats don’t respond to music at all.

Guinness demonstrating his opinion of my taste in music.

Scientists Have Their Say
Although several scientific studies and “hearsay” articles have confirmed that cats and other animals benefit from hearing music, some researchers contend that they do not enjoy human-created music.

So, of course, scientists created a Frankenstein-like concoction of notes they thought might appeal to our feline friends.

In 2015, for example, scientists from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of Maryland composed something they termed “cat-centric” music. You can check out a sample of their compositions here. Lead author Charles Snowdon wrote, “We looked at the natural vocalizations of cats and matched our music to the same frequency range, which is about an octave or more higher than human voices.”

In human music, the drumbeat often mimics our heartbeat. So in the cat music, the team drew on the tempo of things that cats would find interesting. One song featured a purring tempo, while another mimicked a kitten suckling.

With 47 domestic cats as their subjects, researchers first played two classical pieces— Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air on a G String” and Gabriel Fauré’s “Elegie”—and then the cat-centric compositions. They compared the reactions of the animals to the two types of music.

Publishing in the journal Applied Animal Behavioural Science, the team reported that the cats didn’t respond at all to the human music. But when the cat music started up, they became excited and started approaching the speakers, often rubbing their scent glands on them, which means they were trying to claim the object.

Painting of cats who seem very interested in music.

Frankly, when I play music, my cats don’t seem to take notice. The only exception is the album entitled “Classical Cats,” which begins and ends with cats meowing. Maia, Luna, and Guinness usually perk up when they hear those sounds. Most likely they’re wondering what stray cat has the nerve to trespass on their territory.

I think we may be looking at this the wrong way. We see music as entertainment. Cats see catnip toys as entertainment.

Veterinarians Have a Different Perspective
While composing music to entertain cats may turn out to be pointless, perhaps the right kind of music can help keep cats calm during vet visits and while staying at shelters and boarding facilities.

According to research published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery by veterinary clinicians at the University of Lisbon and a clinic in the nearby town of Barreiro in Portugal, music may benefit cats facing medical visits or surgical procedures. Miguel Carreira, the lead author, noted, “During consultations I have noticed, for example, that most cats like classical music, particularly George Handel compositions, and become more calm, confident and tolerant throughout the clinical evaluation.”

The team’s results showed that the cats had a lower respiratory rate, indicating lower stress, if classical music was played in the background during their visits. They concluded that calming music played in the surgical theatre also could allow vets to administer lower levels of anesthesia. This would ease the recovery process and ensure patient safety.

I feel it’s only fair to report that when I recently played Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks,” neither Guinness nor Maia had any reaction. Of course, they were relaxing in my office at the time. Perhaps I should try this experiment again during their next visit to the vet.

A Musician Chimes In
Since we’re talking about music and cats, why not see what a cat-loving musician thinks?

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, music director of both the Philadelphia Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera, and violist Pierre Tourville share their home with three cats. They noticed that Rodolfo, Melisande, and Rafa enjoyed listening to them practice. Since they travel a great deal, they came up with the idea of leaving music on in the background for the cats whenever they were away. Yannick believes that his cats now seem happier and less stressed during these separations. This realization inspired him to create a playlist of music for cats waiting for their “furever” homes in shelters.

Yannick tested his playlist on the cats living at the Pennsylvania SPCA in North Philadelphia. The experiment went so well that the shelter now uses the playlist to create a soothing environment for the animals while they wait to be adopted.

Check out Yannick’s “A Cat’s Music Playlist” here, along with the personal note he included with each selection to explain why he chose the work. You can stream it online or download the playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.

It seems unlikely that the experts will come to agreement on this question anytime soon. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy spending time with my cats and my music.

A Cat by Any Other Name

A recent scientific study has shown that cats recognize their names, they just prefer to ignore us when we call them.

As a lifelong cat owner, I say, “Well, duh.”

(left to right) Maia, Luna, and Guinness help me work.

Aloofness Is an Art
Atsuko Saito of Sophia University in Tokyo and her team of researchers observed 78 cats listening to recordings of people reciting a list of five words. The cats living in private homes heard recordings of their owners’ voices, while cats living in cat cafés heard other people reading. The first four words were similar to the cat’s name. The final word was the cat’s name.

The team measured the cats’ reactions, including ear twitches, head movements, and tail swishing. The cats usually perked up at the sound of the first word, then lost interest. (Sounds familiar.) Finally, when the person said the cat’s name, the cats visibly responded, although fewer than 10 percent actually got up and moved toward the sound. (Also familiar.)

Some people choose to look on such findings as evidence that cats are less intelligent than dogs. Not true, say the scientists. “Cats are just as good as dogs at learning,” says John Bradshaw, a biologist at the University of Bristol who was not involved in Saito’s study. “They’re just not as keen to show their owners what they’ve learned.”

To be fair to our feline friends, dogs also have a 20,000-year head start. And unlike dogs, cats have not been domesticated to obey humans’ orders.

Some researchers believe that cats’ dismissive attitudes are a product of their evolutionary history over the past 9,000 years. In true cat fashion, it seems that the long-ago ancestors of today’s cats actually took the initiative in human–cat interactions. As early societies developed agriculture, cats moved in to prey on the rodents infesting grain supplies. Soon, the cats chose to live closer to humans, effectively domesticating themselves.

Communication Is a Two-Way Street
Until a decade or two ago, pet cats spent most of their time outside, coming indoors only at night or in bad weather. Now that more cats spend more of their lives indoors, they are developing a better ability to read and respond to human cues.

Personally, I think we humans need to take some of the initiative to learn cat language.

Anyone who lives with cats soon realizes that they use a combination of vocalizations, body language, and scent to communicate. The closer we pay attention to our cats, the better we will become at communicating with them and understanding them. Here are a few cues to get you started. Learn more about understanding your cat here and here.

Vocalizations
People always think of the meow as the basis of cat vocabulary. In fact, although domestic cats often meow at humans, adult cats normally don’t meow at each other. Some scientists think that cats see their owners as kittens, because generally only mother cats and their kittens communicate through meowing.

Kind of puts us in our place, doesn’t it?

Guinness asks, “Is it time for dinner yet?”

Mother cats also give chirps and trills when they want their kittens to follow them. If your cats chirp at you, they probably want you to follow them. If your cats are like my cat Guinness, they probably want you to follow them to the food bowl so you can refill it.

Purring is usually a sign of contentment, although I’ve recently learned that cats sometimes purr when they are anxious. That explains why all my cats purr when they are at the vet’s office!

If you want to stay on your cat’s good side, leave him or her alone when he or she is growling, hissing. or spitting. This vocalization means he or she is annoyed, frightened, or angry. Save the cuddles or grooming for another time.

Body Language: Tail
Also stay away when your cat looks like the classic Halloween cat: arched back, fluffed fur, and upright “bottle-brush” tail. In fact, one of the best ways to gauge your cat’s mood is by looking at its tail.

Cats hold their tails up when they want to be approached. If they are thumping or swishing their tails, you need to keep your distance. If the cat curls its tail around your legs, it signals friendliness. But a cat with its tail tucked below or between the legs is afraid or anxious.

Body Language: Eyes
Philosophers tell us the eyes are the window to a person’s soul. It’s much the same with cats. Wide-open eyes show trust, while eyes narrowed to slits signal fear or aggression.

When a cat greets another cat or a person with slow blinks, it’s communicating affection. Why? Because in the feline world, closing one’s eyes in the presence of another is the ultimate sign of trust.

So if you want to say I love you to your cat, try blinking slowly and see if your cat blinks back.

Maia says, “Get that camera out of my face!”

Body Language: Ears
Most of us know to keep our distance from a cat with a swishing tail, but flattened or back-facing ears also communicate anger and distrust.

Scent
Few things feel more heartwarming than having your cats rub their chins and bodies against yours. That’s the ultimate expression of— Sorry. The answer is not affection. They’re actually marking us as part of their territory. You have noticed they also do this to walls, doors, furniture, and toys, right? But don’t forget those shared eye blinks. They do love us, too.

Finally, I just learned about something called the Flehmen response. Have you ever noticed your cats curling back their lips after they sniff you? Don’t take it personally. They’re actually gathering information.

Cats have an extra olfactory organ call Jacobson’s organ. It’s located on the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth, and it’s connected to the nasal cavity.

When your cats smell something really fascinating, they open their mouth and inhale so that the scent molecules flow over the Jacobson’s organ. This intensifies the odor and provides more information about the object the cats are sniffing.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg for cat communications. Learn more by checking out this fascinating e-book called the Cat Language Bible.

Charles Dickens once wrote, “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” I could not agree more. We just need to do our part to be worthy of that love.

You Are Irreplaceable

At this time of year, I love to watch traditional Christmas movies, including A Christmas Carol—the Patrick Stewart and Muppets versions—The Nutcracker ballet, and Love, Actually. I also enjoy Little Women and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe—films with broader themes that embody the true spirit of Christmas.

It’s a Wonderful Movie
But my favorite Christmas movie has to be the 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and directed by Frank Capra.

Donna Reed, Jimmy Stewart, and Karolyn Grimes from It’s a Wonderful Life

Although the hero, George Bailey, isn’t a cardboard saint, he does the right thing time and time again.

He’s a man with plans and dreams that don’t involve staying in his boring hometown of Bedford Falls. Yet he sets those dreams aside when his father dies unexpectedly and someone needs to take over the family savings and loan business to keep it out of the hands of the evil and avaricious banker Henry F. Potter.

Every time George thinks he will be able to resume his plans to attend college and travel to exotic vacation spots, another crisis arises. Every time, he agonizes over his choices and eventually makes the hard decision to remain in Bedford Falls to protect his family, friends, and neighbors.

Life Throws Us Curveballs
Doesn’t that sound like our lives too? We make plans, but life takes us down surprising paths. How we respond to those unwanted detours says a great deal about who we are deep inside.

George Bailey eventually embraces his role in life. He and his wife Mary raise four children, and their kindness and generosity earn them the love and respect of everyone in Bedford Falls.

Yet even George Bailey has his breaking point. In a moment of crisis, he wishes he had never been born.

George then receives a priceless gift: His Guardian Angel Clarence appears and grants his wish.

For George, the stakes are incredibly high. As he watches this alternate world unfold, he realizes how much his actions have influenced the people he loves: He isn’t around to save his brother’s life, so his brother cannot save the soldiers on the sinking transport ship. No one catches Mr. Gower’s error, so the pharmacist spends years in jail for inadvertently poisoning a child. George isn’t around to stand up to Mr. Potter, so the entire town falls under the banker’s influence, and people suffer endless hardships.

Our Own Moments of Truth
Perhaps the stakes in our lives are not as high as they are for George. But I have to believe—I do believe—that we each play a pivotal role as we pass through this world. As Clarence shows George, every person is irreplaceable, and we each have a unique role to play, a unique job to do. If we don’t do it, the job may not be done.

“The Nativity” by Lorenzo Lotto

But we do not face these challenges alone. As much as I love the fanciful worlds of Santa and the Grinch and the Sugar Plum Fairy, I believe in my heart that the reason for the season centers around the birth of Jesus. I believe in my heart that he is the Son of God. So just as he sends help to George in A Wonderful Life, God sends us help when we need it most.

As you leave 2018 and embark into the unknown world of 2019, may your New Year be filled with abundant blessings. As Tiny Tim so memorably puts it: “God bless us, every one.”

The Right Story

I’m a reflective person, taking journeys through my memories to mine them for ideas. These memories tell the story of how I came to think of myself as a writer.

Photo chickalps.com

Photo chickalps.com

— Remembering the day in second grade when I wrote my first story—a retelling of “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse”— in pencil on lined paper.

— Recalling the proud moment in third grade when I started composing my stories on a typewriter.

— Passing stories back and forth in fourth grade during the boring parts of the school day. I guess that was my first critique group.

Mostly these memories make me smile. But sometimes they dredge up moments I’d rather forget.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
I learned a bitter lesson about myself in seventh grade. I had the opportunity to attend enrichment classes after school. We studied advanced math, beginning French, and creative writing. I hated the math, tolerated the French, and lived for the writing.

One day, the teacher announced that she was going to play a recording of a classical composition that told a story. If we knew the piece, we could write that story. If we didn’t know the title, we could make something up.

I inherited a love of classical music from my father, and we attended many concerts together. I was confident I would recognize the music, and I did. The composition was “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas. But the only story I knew was from the Disney film Fantasia, which featured Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer’s apprentice. I did not want to tell that story.

So I made something up.

I gave the apprentice and his master names. I invented a kingdom and a curse. I wish I had that story. But I threw it away. You see, when I told my dad what I had written, he said, “That’s wrong. That’s not the story.” And then he told me the “real” story. I was crushed.

A Very Bad Day
I didn’t think I could feel worse, but I was wrong.

The teacher submitted our stories to a city-wide writing competition, and my story won for the “best retelling of the legend of ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.’” One of my friends won for writing the best original story. The teacher asked us to read our stories in front of the class. I was so ashamed. My story was wrong.

From biography.com

Jane Austen From biography.com

So instead of reading what I had written, I retold the story as my father had related it to me. I told the “right” story. It was only many years later that I wondered where I had come up with the idea of the “right” story. Why did I value that “rightness” over my own creativity? I also wonder why the teacher never said a word to me. Maybe she could have saved me years of doubting myself and my writing.

This painful memory prompted me to think about my current life as a writer. I’m grateful for my wonderful critique group and the community of writers at SCBWI. They keep me sane and writing, even in the face of rejection letters and self-doubt. Most importantly, they encourage me to keep writing my stories. I can’t be Jane Austen or Sarah Dessen or Jandy Nelson. But I can be myself. And I can write my stories.

I hold onto the hope that my stories will turn out to be the right stories for people waiting to read them.

Puppies and Kittens and Donkeys (?!) Finding Homes with Military Families

I recently read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Apollo, a stray dog shot in 2017 and rescued by PAWS of Kurdistan International, a nonprofit animal rescue based in Iraq. Because I am a lifelong animal lover, and my current work-in-progress includes a subplot revolving around a no-kill shelter for cats, I knew I wanted to learn more.

Life in a War Zonesoldier-870399_1920
Life is difficult enough for animals living on the streets in the United States. What happens to abandoned and stray animals living in war zones?

Some of these animals befriend members of the U.S. military. The humans provide food and perhaps shelter, while the animals offer companionship to soldiers who are far away from the people and places they love.

But life in the military is life on the move. When soldiers return home, they often must leave behind a beloved dog or cat.

The soldiers who rescued Charlie could not bear to leave the lovable black and white mutt behind. They had found him when he was only a puppy, and the young dog soon became an integral part of their unit. They reached out to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International (ASPCAI). As a result of their efforts, Operation Baghdad Pups was born, and Charlie became the first Baghdad Pup.

As Charlie’s story spread, more soldiers reached out to the ASPCAI for help bringing their special animals home with them. Since its founding in 2008, Baghdad Pups has reunited 355 dogs, 109 cats, and even a donkey with the people who befriended them in Iraq.

This ASPCAI operation eventually expanded beyond Iraq, reuniting military personnel with companion animals from other Middle East countries, Central Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa—anywhere American military men and women serve. With the help of numerous other organizations, Operation Baghdad Pups continues its work of reuniting military personnel with the animals they befriended while serving overseas. Since its expansion, Baghdad Pups has rescued 640 dogs and cats and hopes to rescue 140 animals by the end of 2018.

Apollo: A Very Special Pup
Apollo, a black mutt with soulful eyes—just look at that picture accompanying Jason Nark’s article!—was not the special friend of a U.S. soldier, but he was a suffering dog that came to the attention of Operation Baghdad Pups.

Apollo was shot in the leg with a 9mm round in Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil, in July 2017. “It’s a terrible, terrible injury for a dog,” said Meredith Ayan, the SPCAI’s executive director. Left behind to suffer by his attacker, Apollo was rescued by members of PAWS Kurdistan and transferred to the care of Operation Baghdad Pups. He arrived in the United States in April 2018.

Veterinarians from the United States and Europe will soon perform a complex surgical procedure to repair Apollo’s mangled leg and, they hope, restore him to a pain-free life. All the veterinarians are donating their services.

For now, Apollo enjoys running free in a beautiful wooded suburb of Philadelphia under the watchful eye of Valerie Ogden, his current caretaker. Ogden believed Apollo only understood commands in Kurdish, but his love of dog biscuits appears to transcend language. The goal, she says, is to get Apollo into a “forever home” after his surgery.

Support for Pets of Military Families
Sometimes the animals needing help live on military bases right here in the United States. They have loving families and comfortable homes. But, as with soldiers in war zones, the families of military personnel must be ready to move. When that happens, what do they do if they cannot afford the expense of relocating their beloved pets?

210809-A-YG824-074According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.2 million are adopted, while approximately 1.5 million are euthanized because they cannot return to their families or no one adopts them into a new family.

Some of these surrendered animals come from military families.

The military pays for many moving costs, but it doesn’t help military families relocate the family pet. The cost for pet transportation can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Shelters located near military bases report high surrender rates when military families can’t afford to relocate their dog or cat.

Once again, the SPCAI comes to the rescue with Operation Military Pets. Its mission is “to keep military families together by providing financial assistance for pet relocation costs. All branches of the military can qualify for grants. Whether being relocated within the United States or anywhere in the world, SPCAI’s Operation Military Pets is here to keep pets with the ones they love.”

The stories of the many military families helped by Operation Military Pets are enough to bring tears to this animal lover’s eyes.

The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Troy, Michigan, police department’s search for a feline officer took an unexpected and heartbreaking turn.

Officer Badges, who reported for duty on May 1, has been diagnosed with feline leukemia.

Although this serious disease puts the kitten’s life in jeopardy, it can be treated. Officer Badges will remain at the Humane Society until her condition has stabilized. Cats suffering with feline leukemia can live long lives if they receive the proper treatment and have a quiet home life. However, feline leukemia is also contagious, which means Officer Badges cannot live in a home with other cats.

Pawfficer Donut Accepts the Challengekitten-pawfficer-donut-gets-recruited-as-first-kitten-cop-01-13
With heavy hearts, the department chose a new feline officer. On May 4, Pawfficer Donut raised her right paw and swore to be “brave, honest, strong, inquisitive, diligent, and tolerant of the canine unit.” Pawfficer Donut will make public appearances promoting shelter animal adoption, with proceeds benefitting the Michigan Humane Society, and she will serve as a therapy animal for her human colleagues, providing cuddles to officers who need them.

You can follow Pawfficer Donut on Twitter.

Purr-fect Paw Patrol

A shelter for homeless cats serves as one of the key settings in my current work-in-progress, Halfway to Nowhere. Seeking inspiration for my cat characters, I am always on the lookout for a good cat story. (Translation: A good cat story is any cat story.)

Last week, I saw a segment on Good Morning, America about a suburban Detroit police department’s plan to acquire a police cat. We have police dogs and police horses. Why not police cats?

So many reasons. And I say this as a cat lover.

Yet it turns out that Troy, Michigan, will not be the first police department to hire a cat.

Feline Officers in America
Illinois: Mister Meanor
In 2001, the Lindenhurst Police Department adopted a cat that officers named Mister Meanor. (Who says police officers don’t have a sense of humor?) This kitty apparently had a knack for police and community work. “He yells at [bad guys] the whole way down the hallway, giving them the ‘what for’ with a scolding meow,” Officer Rebecca Labb said. “However, if people here need comforting, he jumps up in their lap and comforts them.”

Photo courtesy of the Lindenhurst Police Department

Photo courtesy of the Lindenhurst Police Department

Update: Gina Warda, Community Service Officer at the Lindenhurst Police Department, kindly responded to my e-mail request for an update on Mister Meanor. “We had to say goodbye to Mister Meanor a few years ago.” She adds, “He was an amazing cat! He would greet visitors, pose for photos, delight children.”

RIP, Mister Meanor! From the photos Officer Ward shared, it’s clear you had a fulfilling life as Police Cat.

Massachusetts: SWAT Cat
In Boston, a stray cat stole the hearts of officers when she showed up outside SWAT headquarters in 2013. Named SWAT Cat after her position as feline mascot of the Special Weapons and Tactics unit, the calico cat handled crucial law enforcement duties, such as getting belly rubs and sleeping on officers’ motorcycles. In 2017, SWAT Cat entered a well-deserved retirement, taking possession of her new, fully-insulated Kitty Condo.

Have there been other Kitty Cops in America? Let me know!

Feline Officers Abroad
Canada: C.C.
For more than 14 years, a cat named C.C. helped keep staff at the Victoria Police Department in British Columbia grounded and calm. “Being a 911 centre, we’re often dealing with life and death emergencies or people who are really negative towards us,” said Anna Mickey, a VicPD communications center operator. “But C.C. will show up on your desk, and when she looks at you, it just brings you right back down to reality.”

An officer found C.C. during a storm in 1999. Officers intended to take the kitten to the SPCA the next day, but she stole everyone’s hearts—except perhaps the police dogs she sometimes tangled with—and became part of the department family.

England: Chief Mouser Tizer
Perhaps they were thinking of T. S. Eliot’s poem “Skimbleshanks: the Railway Cat” when police at a north London railway station recruited a 13-year-old cat to help control their rodent problem. They adopted Tizer from a local shelter in 2007, made him an honorary constable, and gave him the official title of Chief Mouser. Tizer shared an office with Inspector Sloane, one of his human colleagues. Sloane said, “Everyone is always asking after him, and he is probably the most popular member of staff.” He added, “[Tizer] helps other officers ‘de-stress’ and has given a boost to the force’s morale.”

Photo of Israeli Police Cat by zeevveez

Photo of Israeli Police Cat by zeevveez

Japan: Officer Lemon
In 2012, a stray cat living on the streets of Kyoto became the first police cat in Japan. Lemon even has his own uniform. Besides keeping employees at the police station happy, Lemon travels with human police officers when they investigate low-risk situations to help calm the crime victims.

Australia: Troop Cat Ed
This feline officer keeps mice on their toes in Australia. The New South Wales Mounted Police had a terrible problem with rodents overrunning the stables. An officer who rescued a stray early in 2016 wondered if the cat might be the perfect pest control solution. Now Ed keeps the stables free of mice—except when he’s napping, as the video at the end of this article reveals.

South Korea: Molang and Her Kittens
Most of the stories I found involve a single cat. But the Gang-seo police station in Pusan, South Korea, claims to have the world’s first police cat family. Early in 2016, officers responding to an accident also found a box of dead kittens. The mother cat observed from afar as they took the kittens away. A few months later, she showed up at the station where those officers worked. She was pregnant again and this time safely delivered her kittens under the watchful eye of the officers. They named her Molang, which means “don’t know,” since they knew nothing about her. Soon, both she and her kittens became unofficial mascots at the Gang-seo station. Human officers take care of their feline colleagues, and Molang keeps them company.

Although it seems that Police Cats, unlike Police Dogs and Police Horses, do not apprehend bad guys or help control crowds, their contributions as community liaisons and morale officers provide invaluable service to their human colleagues.

Back to Troy
Which brings me back to Troy, Michigan, and its search for a community outreach cat. After a grueling “audition” process, the Troy police department chose its first Police Cat on April 6 from among six candidates. The new recruit, weighing only about one pound, will not assume his duties until he reaches the hefty weight of 2 pounds. In the meantime, Troy students will submit possible names, and the police department will ask its Twitter followers to vote for their favorite.

In addition to his work as community ambassador, the new recruit will spend time posting on the department’s Facebook and Twitter pages and help promote pet adoptions from local shelters.

And don’t worry about the five “runners-up.” They are all available for adoption at the Michigan Humane Society’s Westland shelter.

My cats Luna and Maia have no interest in police work.

My cats Luna and Maia have no interest in police work.

I wouldn’t be surprised to discover stories of many other police cats. I just stopped searching! If you have a police cat in your community or have read stories about other police cats, I’d love to read them.

Despite learning about the many contributions of these impressive feline civil servants, I have no plans to add a Police Cat to Halfway to Nowhere!

God Bless Us, Every One, Every Day!

Christmas is or ought to be the one time of the year when men and women
open their shut-up hearts and think of the people below them as if they really were
fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures altogether.
—Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol 

As 2017 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the events of the past year. With all due respect to Charles Dickens, I wonder why we cannot open our “shut-up hearts” every day. Perhaps that is too much to ask.

Yet people do open their hearts at other times—when they learn about children who have lost their homes or when they read about a handicapped person whose wheelchair has been stolen. People seem to be particularly generous when natural disasters strike.

During the past few months alone, hurricanes, volcanoes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters have affected millions of people around the world. As an animal lover, I find myself wondering about the hurricane-harvey-rescue-boats-ap-jt-170827_12x5_992welfare of the animals with which we share the earth, particularly our pets. How do they cope during natural disasters? What can we do to help them?

All Creatures, Great and Small

Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect
for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.—Pope Francis, Laudato sí

Our pets rely on us for everything from food to shelter to medical care to companionship. As helpless as we are in the face of disaster, we at least have the resources to save ourselves.

• Animals cannot make a phone call or send a text.
• Animals cannot let themselves out of flooded homes, barns, or pastures.
• Animals cannot travel miles to safety.
• Even animals rescued by their owners cannot always take refuge at emergency shelters because not all shelters accept pets.

In the United States, although we do not yet know the full consequences of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, or the California wildfires, we do know that during Hurricane Katrina—a benchmark for all natural disasters—approximately 600,000 animals died or were abandoned.

While saving and safeguarding human lives must take precedence in rescue and relief efforts, we cannot forget about the animals.

It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal. —Joaquin Phoenix

cat-face-close-view-115011Organizations such as national and local SPCAs, the Humane Society,  and other shelters do incredible work year-round. During disasters, they often help shelters in affected areas by taking in the overflow of animals.

As critical as these efforts are, it’s often the actions of individuals that make the biggest difference. In many cases, it’s children and teens that lead the way.

Over the past few months, I’ve read many stories about young people giving of themselves to help disaster-stricken animals. The following stories stood out to me because they involve two of my favorite things: Music and Cookies.

Fiddling for the Animals
Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of Texas as a Category 4 storm in August, causing massive flooding and forcing thousands to evacuate. When 10-year-old Jackson Wreden read about the devastation in his home state, he immediately wanted to help. “I really love pets and I really love animals, and I want to help them out.”

Many people saw the same stories and had the same impulse to help. But not everyone took action.

In October, Jackson put his talent as a fiddler to work for the animals. He made homemade signs announcing his intention to donate all proceeds to Austin Pets Alive. Then he stationed himself outside the entrance to the Austin City Limits Music Festival and played his heart out for the animals.

Thanks to his selfless act and the generosity of many concertgoers, Jackson reached his goal of $1,000. I say, “Bravo, Jackson!”

Baking Cookies for the Animals
Declan McWeeny isn’t even from Texas, but when the 8-year-old boy from Bloomfield, Connecticut, saw the stories about Hurricane Harvey on television, like Jackson, he wanted to raise money to help the suffering animals.

Like Jackson, Declan also has a talent—not music, but baking. With the help of his mother, Declan spent many days after school baking and then selling his chocolate chip cookies to family, friends, and others via Facebook and a GoFundMe account.

Declan’s initial goal was to raise $1,000, which he divided equally between his two favorite charities: Austin Pets Alive! and Save the Children. Once he surpassed that goal, Declan sent the additional donations to Americares and the ASPCA. Great job, Declan!

Do not think only of your own joy, but vow to save all beings from suffering. —Dalai Lama

Start with ChristmastimeCharles_Dickens-A_Christmas_Carol-Title_page-First_edition_1843
At the end of The Man Who Invented Christmas, the movie depicting how Charles Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol, producers included the following note: “Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol on Dec. 19, 1843. By Christmas Eve every copy had been sold. Overnight, charitable giving soared.”

What better time of year to start thinking beyond our own joy? We would all do well to open our “shut-up” hearts to all the people and animals that share this world with us.

As Tiny Tim says, “God bless us, every one!”

This Land Is Your Land

I recently finished reading a book about one of my all-time favorite movies—High Noon.  In High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic, author Glenn Frankel chronicles the creation of this film against the backdrop of one of the darkest periods in American history: political inquisitions by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) leading to the Hollywood blacklist and other infringements on civil liberty.

High-NoonAs the story unfolded, I grew increasingly troubled by the correlations to current events. The “threat” today, according to some, resides not in Communism but in the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States. The situation is particularly heart-rending when we speak of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the so-called Dreamers, young people who have come to America with their parents. These young people do not remember any country but America, and they would be strangers in their so-called countries of origin.

As I read and learn more about the plight of the Dreamers, I find myself thinking about my mother and her family. Her parents and oldest sister came to the United States from Italy in the early 20th century. Although my mother, her three other sisters, and a brother were native-born and her parents and oldest sister became naturalized citizens, my mother’s family faced extreme hardships and unimaginable—to me—racism and intolerance.

Sadly, their story was not an unusual one.

As each successive wave  arrived in the United States, all immigrants faced hardships and prejudice. They lived in ethnic communities—partly because they felt comfortable living with people who spoke their language and partly because they were unwelcome elsewhere.

Yet these newcomers, once established, did not welcome those who followed.

Why did the Irish who arrived in the mid-19th century shut themselves off from the Germans and Scandinavians who came around the same time? Why did those people shun the Italians and other southern Europeans who came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries? Why did the Italians not welcome people from Eastern Europe who were fleeing turmoil and repression in their native lands in the mid- to late 20th century?

Photo by Ludovic Bertron

Photo by Ludovic Bertron

Today’s immigrants—both documented and undocumented—face the same barriers. Despite the Statue of Liberty extending her welcome from Liberty Island in New York Harbor, Americans do not always welcome newcomers.

We hear a lot about building walls along our southern border. While it’s true that nearly 80% of Dreamers’ families come from Mexico, the Pew Research Center notes that Asians are the fastest-growing group of undocumented immigrants. Overall, about 20 percent of DACA recipients come from Asia, with the majority from South Korea.

Yet even those coming to the United States from south of the border are doing so out of dire need and not a desire to take advantage of our country’s generosity. Just like my mother’s family and countless immigrants and refugees before them, they are looking for a place where they can live peacefully and raise their families in safety.

The immigrants and refugees coming to the United States from places like El Salvador and Honduras are fleeing terrible dangers posed by gangs, drug traffickers, and human traffickers. Those fleeing to our shores from the Caribbean must leave their homelands to escape continuing hardships due to natural disasters.

When we look at the bounties of America and compare that to what people have in many other nations, we cannot deny that we have much to share. One of my favorite patriotic songs has always been Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” Do we believe this? Or do we want to share America only with those who look like us and think like us?

The word united is part of who we are as Americans. Unity is difficult to find in these troubled times. But it is not impossible.

I am looking for signs of hope.

Mo’ne Davis: Three Years Later

Philly girls rock!

So often, people flash onto the world stage and disappear before we get to know them. One-and-dones. One-hit wonders.

Not Mo’ne Davis. She won’t let us forget her name.

As a 13-year-old member of the Philadelphia Taney Dragons, Mo’ne Davis became the second girl, and the first African-American girl, to appear in the Little League World Series. She is the first girl to pitch and win a game and pitch a shutout in Little League World Series history.

HarperCollins Publishers

HarperCollins Publishers

Mo’ne also amassed an impressive list of honors and achievements in the wake of her World Series performances:

Time magazine chose her as one of 2014’s 25 most influential teens.

— She won the 2014 ESPY award as Best Breakthrough Athlete.

Sports Illustrated named her the 2014 Sports Kid of the Year.

— She recounts the story in her memoir, Mo’ne Davis: Remember My Name, coauthored with Hilary Beard.

— A Spike Lee documentary, I Throw Like a Girl, tells her story with professional polish.

What Have You Done for Us Lately?

Now 15 years old, Mo’ne still plays sports. Four sports to be exact.

A student at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia, Mo’ne plays for the school’s varsity basketball, soccer, and softball teams as well as basketball for Philly Triple Threat on the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball circuit and baseball for the Anderson Monarchs Baseball Club.

Most recently, Mo’ne added another championship to her resume. Playing on the Philadelphia Phillies and representing the Mid-Atlantic region in the 2017 Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) World Series, Mo’ne and her teammates won the Junior Baseball Division Championship.

Although Mo’ne continues to excel in baseball, her first love is basketball, and her ultimate goal is to play in the WNBA. Several prominent colleges—include perennial champions UConn—have been watching her progress. Although she once expressed desire to play at UConn, in a recent interview with Anthony Castrovince of mlb.com, Mo’ne says, “I have a different playing style, an old-school playing style. I like to slow things down if the team’s on the run, get the ball moving a little bit.”

So, She’s a Talented Athlete. Big Deal.

Fine. Mo’ne is an athletic phenom. There’s more to life than athletics.

Absolutely. Mo’ne agrees with you.

“Hopefully, that’s not going to be the peak of my life,” Davis says of her Little League World Series experience in a recent interview with Owen McCue of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I have to keep going up and keep working hard and staying focused and just being myself.”

Photo by Lorie Shaull

Photo by Lorie Shaull

Despite all the accolades, she knows that her successes have come as part of a team, and she’s quick to give credit to her teammates and coaches. The 15-year-old honor-roll student also takes her responsibilities as a role model seriously. She points to hard work and dedication as keys to her success in life, not just in school and sports.

She also looks to the wider community. Mo’ne lent her name and support to M4D3 (Make A Difference Everyday), creating a collection of sneakers for children and women. Proceeds from the sale of Mo’ne-branded sneakers benefit Plan International USA’s Because I Am a Girl initiative, which seeks to aid girls living in poverty in developing countries.

At the 2014 Little League World Series, Mo’ne Davis captured our attention with her poise, charisma, and talent. Three years later, she is determined to prove that she is not a one-hit wonder.

Philly girls rock!