My passion for animals began long ago.. Before I can even remember. All that I can recall is me being a small child and constantly concerning myself with the animals of my little world. I was fascinated that birds flew, cats could balance themselves and run along the edges of fences and never fall over, and dogs were always so excitable and wagged their tails. My heart sank when I saw animals in trouble; and I was devastated when I discovered dogs or cats that had been killed from the road, just lying on the shoulder, never even knowing what was coming. I wanted to bring home every animal I could, stray or not. I was obsessed with animal shows, movies, or cartoons. I can remember thinking from a small age that I wanted to have a million pets when I grew up. At my ripe age of 26, I've only managed to gather up three, so I've got 999,997 to go still I suppose. The only thing stopping me is my small apartment but that will change once I have my big ranch house and a ton of land.
Growing up, my family was not health conscious what-so-ever. We ate Big Mac meals, fried chicken, ice cream, and everything in between. I didn't know then what I know now, and then I didn't know what was going in my body was actually terrible for me, nor did my parents. Too many Americans are ignorant to what eating healthy really means. When I did start learning that fast food was actually bad for me, I started to eat "healthier". To me, this meant Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, glasses of cow's milk, and meats. At this point, I still was under the belief that animal meats were good for me and my body needed it to survive, and from the "got milk" campaign brainwashing, I thought cow's milk was a MUST. There are advertisements out there that preach humans should be drinking three glasses of milk a day, three!
It wasn't until I watched the documentary "Food, Inc." that I really started thinking about my diet, and more importantly, the animals that suffer due to this American greed. 10 billion animals suffer every year just to feed Americans. 10 billion! That's insane to me. Not only that, what they endure is just horrid. I became a vegetarian instantly after the film. It didn't take me a while to wean into it either, all it took was that documentary, the images, my heart sinking for those animals. I immediately decided that I would not eat a cow, chicken, pig or fish again for the simple fact of being selfish. I didn't need to, so why would I only think of myself in choosing to eat the meat? Also, I quickly became disgusted by the fact that I had been eating dead, decaying carcasses my whole life, and that repulsed me. Following the documentary, I immersed myself in research of the vegetarian diet. It turned out that humans didn't need animal meat to survive; we are actually designed to be herbivores. We chose meat as a part of our diet due to the fact that we were able to invent tools and weaponry to kill. Natural carnivores have no tools, they rely on their size, strength, speed, teeth and skill they are designed with to capture their meal and devour it. Their stomachs are made to digest raw meat. They have giant paws and long, strong claws to grab onto their prey and take them down. They have huge razor sharp teeth and long, strong fangs to tear into the flesh. We humans have to cook the meat in order to somewhat digest it and season it for an appealing taste. We use utensils to cut up the meat down to a size where we can chew it. If we were designed to eat meat, we'd be built like lions and tigers. Can you picture a human running after a zebra and killing it in such manners as a lion would? It sounds pretty absurd and hilarious to me, not to mention it could never be done. Ok, so humans don't eat zebras anyway and that's probably because they are hard to come by and would be ridiculous and expensive to produce and manufacture. But think of cows, pigs, and chickens. Without tools, our speed can probably allow us to catch any of those but our strength would not allow us to take down a 1500 pound cow or a feisty, strong pig, nor kill them with our bear hands. One swift blow to the head from their hooves would knock us out, or possibly kill us. Our teeth would not be able to rip into the flesh of a pig or a cow alone. And lets face it, none of us want to sink our teeth into a feathery, squawking chicken. Or get pecked and bloodied up by their sharp beaks. Anyway, we humans would vomit at the amount of blood and guts involved to begin eating our meat. Instead, we contribute to the billions of dollars meat-packing companies make to over-breed, over-feed, unnecessarily inject with hormones, steroids, and antibiotics, torture, skin, bleed-out, decapitate, and package the good parts of these animals only to satisfy our stomachs momentarily for one good meal. How is that right or humane? It seems entirely unfair and selfish to me, and I refuse to participate.
For a year, I lived by these standards of choosing to just not eat meat. I didn't realize until recently that even dairy products of milk, cheese and eggs also contribute to the inhumane treatment of animals. Well, I knew it was inhumane, but I always told myself that the animals went through less torture than the ones killed for meat when in all reality, the same animals used for these dairy products are the same ones just later killed for their meat after their use of dairy was satisfied. Cows are locked into place all day while machines are hooked up to their udders constantly sucking their milk supply dry. Chickens are stuffed in cages and have their beaks cut off. The chickens that are allowed to hatch eggs, only the female chicks are saved for egg-hatching purposes. The male chicks just get tossed in a big barrel where they are left to die since there is no use for them. Not only are these dairy products a contribution to the inhumane treatment, I have learned more and more that dairy just isn't good for you, as I always believed otherwise. Human babies drink their mother's breast milk, yes? Well, baby cows drink their mother's "breast" milk as well. Why are humans drinking cow's breast milk? Why are we on the same diet as a large animal who increases their weight eight times in their first year? Cow's milk contains a ton of fat and calories in order for these baby cows to grow so big so fast. Human babies grow three times their weight their first year. It doesn't seem natural or healthy that this milk is a good choice for slow-growing toddlers and fast-growing calves. With that, I realized my diet should not mirror that of a cow, who happens to have four stomachs, when I only have one. What is more preposterous to me is that adult humans are drinking cow's breast milk yet we laugh at the idea of drinking human breast milk at that age. As a side note, most humans can't even properly digest dairy, and we think of people being "lactose-intolerant" as unnatural as someone being diabetic. Humans aren't meant to digest dairy, and the people who can't are in fact normal. We should all be lactose-intolerant, really.
Well, that's basically the gist of why I chose to go forward with this lifestyle choice. It started out as me being extremely passionate about animals and wishing they didn't have to suffer in such conditions only to feed Americans, but it became more than that. It became a matter of my health and wanting to live as long as I can, and never having to worry about doctor appointments, or getting diabetes, clogged arteries, or heart disease and wanting to lower my risk of cancer and cholesterol levels. People question me all the time of my choice and I will just say this simply: "For animals rights and for my health", but in case you want the longer, more in-depth explanation here it is. I don't expect anybody to understand me or accept my beliefs. I choose this for me and me alone. And for the animals. People also ask me where I get my protein, calcium, iron, etc. Once again, humans were never designed to live off of animal products so at one point those necessary nutrients had to come from somewhere, right? Right. They come from all the natural plant-based foods all over the earth. Nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains. All I have left to note is that I couldn't be happier with the choices I have made and I will continue living my life as nature intended and never have to worry that I will single-handedly be the cause of animal suffrage. And with myself alone becoming a vegan, I can happily report that I will save about 100 animals a year! It's better for the environment as well.
(I do not intend to offend anyone, this is just my opinion and mine alone. I have no judgment on other's choices, nor do I hope to persuade. This is just intended to share the reasons for my own beliefs. Thank you.)
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The good and the bad
So my job sucks. Been looking for a new one recently. Hopefully I can get into a place soon, or I'm going to go crazy if I'm stuck in that dump for too long. I can't take it anymore. And they wouldn't give me the days off for Christmas that I needed so looks like I'll be spending the holidays alone, lovely.
I've been alone a lot lately. It's driving me crazy, I really want to be with someday, and with the holidays here it just makes it worse. Oh well, my time will come I suppose.
Some good news is that I finally paid off that car. It took me forever but now it's done and I can relax a little and stress less about my finances.
This Sunday I am taking holiday photos with my dogs to send out with Christmas cards and I'm excited about it. I'm going to have my friend who is a really great artist draw a portrait of my dogs for me.
The other day I pulled eight gray hairs out of my head. And while I was in the grocery store the other week, waiting in line to pay, an old man from behind me decided to tap on my shoulder and point out to me that I had a gray hair in the back of my head. Like I didn't already know, and who does that? Would you tell the person in front of you they had a gray hair on their head? My life is awkward.
I need to go snowboarding in my life as soon as possible.
I've been alone a lot lately. It's driving me crazy, I really want to be with someday, and with the holidays here it just makes it worse. Oh well, my time will come I suppose.
Some good news is that I finally paid off that car. It took me forever but now it's done and I can relax a little and stress less about my finances.
This Sunday I am taking holiday photos with my dogs to send out with Christmas cards and I'm excited about it. I'm going to have my friend who is a really great artist draw a portrait of my dogs for me.
The other day I pulled eight gray hairs out of my head. And while I was in the grocery store the other week, waiting in line to pay, an old man from behind me decided to tap on my shoulder and point out to me that I had a gray hair in the back of my head. Like I didn't already know, and who does that? Would you tell the person in front of you they had a gray hair on their head? My life is awkward.
I need to go snowboarding in my life as soon as possible.
Monday, August 16, 2010
New Me
Today I didn't wake up until 1:45 p.m. I can't remember the last time I got up so late. It felt nice, though.
The dogs and I spent a nice, long day together lounging. I love days like this, where you have no responsibilities to worry about and can relax for the day. I have to work the next couple days, which is fine because I am coming up with $300 for a down deposit on this vehicle I am buying from a guy at work. Then he wants me to pay him $100 a week until the $1200 is paid off. I am totally fine with that because I have been in need of a car for the past 6 months and now, its finally happening!
I was going to walk to the Mexican place to get a burrito this afternoon but it was way too hot for me to even walk a short distance so I stayed home and took a nap instead to forget about my hunger. When I woke up several hours later, it was dark outside and a lot cooler so I walked and got myself two burritos and a coke.
I am getting a roommate starting Sept. 1. I'm looking forward to the financial relief as well as having some company in the house for once. I do like living alone but sometimes I feel terribly lonely. So I think it will be a good thing. We shall see.
Well I just spend the past three hours watching Family Guy, and now I am going to find something else to do with the rest of my night.
The dogs and I spent a nice, long day together lounging. I love days like this, where you have no responsibilities to worry about and can relax for the day. I have to work the next couple days, which is fine because I am coming up with $300 for a down deposit on this vehicle I am buying from a guy at work. Then he wants me to pay him $100 a week until the $1200 is paid off. I am totally fine with that because I have been in need of a car for the past 6 months and now, its finally happening!
I was going to walk to the Mexican place to get a burrito this afternoon but it was way too hot for me to even walk a short distance so I stayed home and took a nap instead to forget about my hunger. When I woke up several hours later, it was dark outside and a lot cooler so I walked and got myself two burritos and a coke.
I am getting a roommate starting Sept. 1. I'm looking forward to the financial relief as well as having some company in the house for once. I do like living alone but sometimes I feel terribly lonely. So I think it will be a good thing. We shall see.
Well I just spend the past three hours watching Family Guy, and now I am going to find something else to do with the rest of my night.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Travelling across America
Here is a How To article on driving across the United States alone at a young age...
How to travel across the United States by ar, alone; even at the age of 22
Some of us might wonder what it would be like to just jump in your car and head for that open road, not knowing or caring where you might end up, with no initial planning involved. Just live your life, try something new, experience what its like to live in a strange land. Well, about two years ago, I literally did just that.
I was super stressed about my life. Family issues, relationship issues, all of which I am not going to bore anyone with; it’s pretty much irrelevant. Well something inside me snapped, and I decided to pack up all of my belongings and cram as much as I could into my 1991 Chevy Blazer including my 112-pound Labrador retriever. I hit the road on my way to Texas, which was where I had originally planned on ending up. I guess technically I wasn't "alone" but the only help my pooch could really offer me, beside keeping me company, was straying away potential perpetrators due to his massive size and intimidation. Even if he wasn't there, I don't believe I would have run into any sticky situations with strangers but just in case you don't have a dog the same size as you, pepper spray works just fine!
All I had with me was a map quest print-out of directions, a cell phone, and about $1000. I did make sure to have a car charger just in case my phone ran out of battery. It comes in handy.
The first day I drove from Sacramento to just barely Arizona, I stayed at the Super 8 motel off Interstate 10 in Blythe, CA. I remember seeing a sign in the lobby saying that “well-behaved pets were allowed” and that was good enough for me. Buster and I went to bed that night at around 8 p.m. We woke up at 7 a.m. to start our day. Each day we’d fill up the gas tank and buy a breakfast burrito from the closest fast food shop before hitting the road. Buster would always look forward to strips of bacon or sausage patties at these stops.
During my long day trips, I would listen to the country music or often talk to the dog who was sitting in the passenger seat. I would make about two gas stops each day, always making sure to think about stopping for gas whenever the gauge went down to a quarter tank. I would only stop for food the same time I would pull off to stop for gas. I always tried to stay pretty cheap, getting items off the dollar menu. I also kept water bottles, granola bars, and cheez-its next to me for snacks throughout the day.
About once a day I checked under the hood to make sure the water level stayed normal, the oil was good, and that everything else was in place. If something were to go wrong, there is always a Wal-Mart in every town off one of the freeway exits. Just ask a gas station clerk how to get there. Make sure you keep track of the mile markers you pass on the freeway because if you break down, you are able to tell the tow truck driver exactly where you are. For example, you could say, “I broke down on Interstate 10, eastbound, on mile marker 143”. That way, they know exactly where you are instead of them driving up and down the freeway for hours. It is also a nice way to figure out how many more miles you have to travel until the next state.
I usually stayed at the cheapest motel possible. It was a way to save money but also they were the motels that honestly did not care what you brought into your room, so they never cared about my big black lab. I always tried to find a Motel 6, though. If not, it was either an America’s Best Value Inn or a Day’s Inn. I didn’t need to stay in an exclusive motel; all I wanted was a place to sleep for the night, someplace other than my vehicle.
In my opinion, driving across the United States is neither scary nor hard. It is very simple. I always looked at it in a way that it is similar to driving to San Francisco or Tahoe. It is not scary, right? The only difference is you are driving a lot farther and for longer time. It is no more scary then taking a road trip a few hours away. I was worried about being bored driving all day long but it was not boring at all. It was very peaceful and relaxing. You clear your head and enjoy the scenery and the time just passes before you know it.
I think it was an amazing experience and everyone should try it at least once. You get to see all the state welcome signs, see a lot of interesting people everyday, and best of all, you get the experience of driving across the United States. There is nothing to it so what are you waiting for?
How to travel across the United States by ar, alone; even at the age of 22
Some of us might wonder what it would be like to just jump in your car and head for that open road, not knowing or caring where you might end up, with no initial planning involved. Just live your life, try something new, experience what its like to live in a strange land. Well, about two years ago, I literally did just that.
I was super stressed about my life. Family issues, relationship issues, all of which I am not going to bore anyone with; it’s pretty much irrelevant. Well something inside me snapped, and I decided to pack up all of my belongings and cram as much as I could into my 1991 Chevy Blazer including my 112-pound Labrador retriever. I hit the road on my way to Texas, which was where I had originally planned on ending up. I guess technically I wasn't "alone" but the only help my pooch could really offer me, beside keeping me company, was straying away potential perpetrators due to his massive size and intimidation. Even if he wasn't there, I don't believe I would have run into any sticky situations with strangers but just in case you don't have a dog the same size as you, pepper spray works just fine!
All I had with me was a map quest print-out of directions, a cell phone, and about $1000. I did make sure to have a car charger just in case my phone ran out of battery. It comes in handy.
The first day I drove from Sacramento to just barely Arizona, I stayed at the Super 8 motel off Interstate 10 in Blythe, CA. I remember seeing a sign in the lobby saying that “well-behaved pets were allowed” and that was good enough for me. Buster and I went to bed that night at around 8 p.m. We woke up at 7 a.m. to start our day. Each day we’d fill up the gas tank and buy a breakfast burrito from the closest fast food shop before hitting the road. Buster would always look forward to strips of bacon or sausage patties at these stops.
During my long day trips, I would listen to the country music or often talk to the dog who was sitting in the passenger seat. I would make about two gas stops each day, always making sure to think about stopping for gas whenever the gauge went down to a quarter tank. I would only stop for food the same time I would pull off to stop for gas. I always tried to stay pretty cheap, getting items off the dollar menu. I also kept water bottles, granola bars, and cheez-its next to me for snacks throughout the day.
About once a day I checked under the hood to make sure the water level stayed normal, the oil was good, and that everything else was in place. If something were to go wrong, there is always a Wal-Mart in every town off one of the freeway exits. Just ask a gas station clerk how to get there. Make sure you keep track of the mile markers you pass on the freeway because if you break down, you are able to tell the tow truck driver exactly where you are. For example, you could say, “I broke down on Interstate 10, eastbound, on mile marker 143”. That way, they know exactly where you are instead of them driving up and down the freeway for hours. It is also a nice way to figure out how many more miles you have to travel until the next state.
I usually stayed at the cheapest motel possible. It was a way to save money but also they were the motels that honestly did not care what you brought into your room, so they never cared about my big black lab. I always tried to find a Motel 6, though. If not, it was either an America’s Best Value Inn or a Day’s Inn. I didn’t need to stay in an exclusive motel; all I wanted was a place to sleep for the night, someplace other than my vehicle.
In my opinion, driving across the United States is neither scary nor hard. It is very simple. I always looked at it in a way that it is similar to driving to San Francisco or Tahoe. It is not scary, right? The only difference is you are driving a lot farther and for longer time. It is no more scary then taking a road trip a few hours away. I was worried about being bored driving all day long but it was not boring at all. It was very peaceful and relaxing. You clear your head and enjoy the scenery and the time just passes before you know it.
I think it was an amazing experience and everyone should try it at least once. You get to see all the state welcome signs, see a lot of interesting people everyday, and best of all, you get the experience of driving across the United States. There is nothing to it so what are you waiting for?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Town Hall meeting story
This is a current story I just wrote. I went to the Town Hall Meeting and covered it..
Residents of Mather Community Campus fear with the recent budget cuts that Sacramento County will do what they have threatened: shut down the campus that is currently housing over 400 homeless men, women and children.
Mayor Kevin Johnson addressed this issue and his plans to save the campus on Thursday evening, Sept. 24, in a town hall forum located at California Middle School.
“We are trying to figure out a plan,” said Johnson. “Our ultimate goal is that we want to end homelessness.”
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the Board of County Supervisors will be discussing whether or not there will be further cuts to Mather Community Campus or not.
“This is our 2nd chance to make our lives better and if they take this away from us,” said Jacqueline Lester, who lives in the community with her children. “It will tear people up.”
The campus is a safe place for individuals to learn job skills, attend school, and live in a stable environment.
The mayor agreed with speaker Raheal Hezchias, also a resident of the Mather community, that putting these 400 plus people out on the streets will cost the city more money, it will cause more damage, and it is causing the city to take steps backward rather than forward in the fight to end homelessness.
“We are doing everything we can at this point,” said Johnson. “We are all trying to save the campus but all we can do is lobby and advocate.”
Johnson stated that he does not have the overall control of how the campus will be voted on.
“I feel that he has addressed the issue very well,” said Hezchias. “It sounds like he pretty much doesn’t have the control of what happens but I know that if he did, he would do everything he could.”
Clint Bunting, a Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center employee, spoke to Johnson during the meeting. His biggest concern was just making sure Johnson was aware of the fact that in less than forty days, the streets could be filled with 400 more homeless people.
“I feel like he skated around the issue,” said Bunting. “I also know that he doesn’t have the control. And this certainly wasn’t the time or place to talk about the issue.”
Homelessness has been the biggest issue Johnson is working on since he became mayor December of last year. He recently brought task forces together to resolve illegal river campers and found shelters and beds for 150 of those people. He said at he has plans to deliver a proposal to the City Counsel that in October they would lay out ideas for safe ground sites for homeless people. He is hoping for a better future for the homeless people of Sacramento, and across the nation.
“Let’s be a national model on how we deal with homelessness,” Johnson said.
Residents of Mather Community Campus fear with the recent budget cuts that Sacramento County will do what they have threatened: shut down the campus that is currently housing over 400 homeless men, women and children.
Mayor Kevin Johnson addressed this issue and his plans to save the campus on Thursday evening, Sept. 24, in a town hall forum located at California Middle School.
“We are trying to figure out a plan,” said Johnson. “Our ultimate goal is that we want to end homelessness.”
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the Board of County Supervisors will be discussing whether or not there will be further cuts to Mather Community Campus or not.
“This is our 2nd chance to make our lives better and if they take this away from us,” said Jacqueline Lester, who lives in the community with her children. “It will tear people up.”
The campus is a safe place for individuals to learn job skills, attend school, and live in a stable environment.
The mayor agreed with speaker Raheal Hezchias, also a resident of the Mather community, that putting these 400 plus people out on the streets will cost the city more money, it will cause more damage, and it is causing the city to take steps backward rather than forward in the fight to end homelessness.
“We are doing everything we can at this point,” said Johnson. “We are all trying to save the campus but all we can do is lobby and advocate.”
Johnson stated that he does not have the overall control of how the campus will be voted on.
“I feel that he has addressed the issue very well,” said Hezchias. “It sounds like he pretty much doesn’t have the control of what happens but I know that if he did, he would do everything he could.”
Clint Bunting, a Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center employee, spoke to Johnson during the meeting. His biggest concern was just making sure Johnson was aware of the fact that in less than forty days, the streets could be filled with 400 more homeless people.
“I feel like he skated around the issue,” said Bunting. “I also know that he doesn’t have the control. And this certainly wasn’t the time or place to talk about the issue.”
Homelessness has been the biggest issue Johnson is working on since he became mayor December of last year. He recently brought task forces together to resolve illegal river campers and found shelters and beds for 150 of those people. He said at he has plans to deliver a proposal to the City Counsel that in October they would lay out ideas for safe ground sites for homeless people. He is hoping for a better future for the homeless people of Sacramento, and across the nation.
“Let’s be a national model on how we deal with homelessness,” Johnson said.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Funny Story...
So my mom is really obsessed with my kitty Tiger.. even though he is my cat, she's crazy about him. And she is really protective over him and never even allows him outdoors even though he is a cat and loves it outside. Well whenever I go over to visit and she's gone at work or somewhere else, I always let my cat outside. I think she thinks the cat is an idiot and won't know how to get back home or will get hurt somewhere, which neither has ever happened so I don't know why she worries. She just can't bear the thought of ever losing him I guess.
Ok, so my point to all this.. Well today I let my cat out as usual. I was visiting over the house with my dog, and my sister came by with her dog and we were going to go to the dog park. Well my dog is pretty calm and laid back and my sister's dog is really neurotic and high-strung and has hunting in his blood. So my sister pulls up, her dog sees the cat, and breaks free from the leash and took charge after poor Tiger. Tiger is freaked out beyond anything, bolts for his life, and goes right up a tree in the backyard. This is not just any tree, its one of those really tall palm trees. He was pretty darn high up there.
We put the dogs away and look up at Tiger, call him and trying to coax him back down. He refuses. Even after two hours, he doesn't budge. At this point, I'm thinking he is too scared to come down and not because of the dog since it had been so long, but just because he is afraid he'll hurt himself or something. He was just way too high.
My mom usually comes home on her lunch break around 12:45. When it was about 11:20 I started to panick. Do you realize what my mother is capable of over that cat? She would chop my head off, literally, if she came home to that scene. And it's not like I can just take her mind away from it or avoid the situation at all. The first thing she would ask when walking through that door would be where the cat was. I wish I was exaggerating even a little bit. That cat is her world.
Anyway, so it's 11:20, the cat was still up in the tree. I have tried everything at this point: ladder, way too short; a hose, still wouldn't budge even though I was spraying water at him. So my only option left was to call either animal control or the fire department. I called animal control and they said they didn't have the tools for that kind of situation. Ok. So then I called the non-emergency fire department and they acted as if that kind of call was an everyday occasion. So no more than 10 minutes later, they showed up. We all shared a good laugh as we observed the little cat in the tree. One of the guys even took a snapshot (for the website, he said. Which I should really check that!). Another one of them grabbed their tallest ladder and set to work.
They got him down but as soon as he landed he took off. The fire department left and then I proceded to find my cat. I was running out of time. I eventually found him in the neighbor's yard and snatched him up and took him home. Then I cleaned him and dried him off.
My mom never suspected a thing. And she never found out. Maybe in like 10 years I will tell her this story and get a good laugh at it. I wonder what she would say?!
Ok, so my point to all this.. Well today I let my cat out as usual. I was visiting over the house with my dog, and my sister came by with her dog and we were going to go to the dog park. Well my dog is pretty calm and laid back and my sister's dog is really neurotic and high-strung and has hunting in his blood. So my sister pulls up, her dog sees the cat, and breaks free from the leash and took charge after poor Tiger. Tiger is freaked out beyond anything, bolts for his life, and goes right up a tree in the backyard. This is not just any tree, its one of those really tall palm trees. He was pretty darn high up there.
We put the dogs away and look up at Tiger, call him and trying to coax him back down. He refuses. Even after two hours, he doesn't budge. At this point, I'm thinking he is too scared to come down and not because of the dog since it had been so long, but just because he is afraid he'll hurt himself or something. He was just way too high.
My mom usually comes home on her lunch break around 12:45. When it was about 11:20 I started to panick. Do you realize what my mother is capable of over that cat? She would chop my head off, literally, if she came home to that scene. And it's not like I can just take her mind away from it or avoid the situation at all. The first thing she would ask when walking through that door would be where the cat was. I wish I was exaggerating even a little bit. That cat is her world.
Anyway, so it's 11:20, the cat was still up in the tree. I have tried everything at this point: ladder, way too short; a hose, still wouldn't budge even though I was spraying water at him. So my only option left was to call either animal control or the fire department. I called animal control and they said they didn't have the tools for that kind of situation. Ok. So then I called the non-emergency fire department and they acted as if that kind of call was an everyday occasion. So no more than 10 minutes later, they showed up. We all shared a good laugh as we observed the little cat in the tree. One of the guys even took a snapshot (for the website, he said. Which I should really check that!). Another one of them grabbed their tallest ladder and set to work.
They got him down but as soon as he landed he took off. The fire department left and then I proceded to find my cat. I was running out of time. I eventually found him in the neighbor's yard and snatched him up and took him home. Then I cleaned him and dried him off.
My mom never suspected a thing. And she never found out. Maybe in like 10 years I will tell her this story and get a good laugh at it. I wonder what she would say?!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Pet-Pampering Passion
My idea came to me one day as I was riding my bike downtown. On 57th Street, there is a cute, yet popular doggie day care center and a nice-looking grooming center right next door. I know the pet-pampering craze is getting bigger and bigger these days so I did some more research.
I went inside "Cha Cha's Doggie Daycare". The place is like a house built for dogs. The floor was changed to like this tough, rubber material. The only items in the place are doggie toys so the dogs have plenty of room to run around and play. The door to the outside is left open so they can run in and out. Outside, there are kiddie pools, toys, and various other equipment to play with. The owner's just check-in in the morning, drop their pooch off, and after work, they swing by and pick their pooch up, just like they would if it were their child and day care.
According to PetPlace.com (http://www.petplace.com/dogs/how-the-other-half-barks-the-ultimate-in-pet-pampering/page1.aspx), the pet industry is at a $36 billion market. And Americans spend almost $500 million a year just in pet fashions. Gucci even offers their own brand of stylish leashes and food bowls. Salvatore Ferragamo offers a fabulous leash at $120, Barker & Meowsky sell $500 pet couches, and Harrod's in the United Kingdom sell handmade Louis XVI-style beds at $12,000. New York City offers a luxury hotel for you and your pooch. It's called the Muse Hotel and the package includes doggie treats and complimentary dog-walking. There is also dog-grooming on site for an additional charge. The rate is $265 a night.
An article on Press Release Newswire said that pets are not only getting human-like spa treatments, but are getting human-like products for their coat and skin. And not just any products, products you find in upscale beauty shops including Avocado, Fennel Extract, Dill Extract, peppermint, comfrey, aloe, jojoba and shea butter.(http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb506218.htm)
At Press Democrat Online, an article talks about an upscale dog-boarding kennel, Tappen Hill. The floors are heated on cold mornings, the dogs have access to two custom-made swimming pools, there are plenty of toys and equipment, and of course there are private beds for each dog at night. The price is $36 a night, where most kennels run between $12 to $20 a night. (http://www.pressdemocrat.com/evergreen/stories/040902_pets.html)
Even after doing this research just proves to me how crazy people go over their pets. I know I can find out a lot more information and I plan to research and check out many local businesses and see what else is out there for Sacramento. I also want to talk to these business owners and of course pet-owners. I am looking forward to meeting with these people and hearing what they have to say.
I went inside "Cha Cha's Doggie Daycare". The place is like a house built for dogs. The floor was changed to like this tough, rubber material. The only items in the place are doggie toys so the dogs have plenty of room to run around and play. The door to the outside is left open so they can run in and out. Outside, there are kiddie pools, toys, and various other equipment to play with. The owner's just check-in in the morning, drop their pooch off, and after work, they swing by and pick their pooch up, just like they would if it were their child and day care.
According to PetPlace.com (http://www.petplace.com/dogs/how-the-other-half-barks-the-ultimate-in-pet-pampering/page1.aspx), the pet industry is at a $36 billion market. And Americans spend almost $500 million a year just in pet fashions. Gucci even offers their own brand of stylish leashes and food bowls. Salvatore Ferragamo offers a fabulous leash at $120, Barker & Meowsky sell $500 pet couches, and Harrod's in the United Kingdom sell handmade Louis XVI-style beds at $12,000. New York City offers a luxury hotel for you and your pooch. It's called the Muse Hotel and the package includes doggie treats and complimentary dog-walking. There is also dog-grooming on site for an additional charge. The rate is $265 a night.
An article on Press Release Newswire said that pets are not only getting human-like spa treatments, but are getting human-like products for their coat and skin. And not just any products, products you find in upscale beauty shops including Avocado, Fennel Extract, Dill Extract, peppermint, comfrey, aloe, jojoba and shea butter.(http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb506218.htm)
At Press Democrat Online, an article talks about an upscale dog-boarding kennel, Tappen Hill. The floors are heated on cold mornings, the dogs have access to two custom-made swimming pools, there are plenty of toys and equipment, and of course there are private beds for each dog at night. The price is $36 a night, where most kennels run between $12 to $20 a night. (http://www.pressdemocrat.com/evergreen/stories/040902_pets.html)
Even after doing this research just proves to me how crazy people go over their pets. I know I can find out a lot more information and I plan to research and check out many local businesses and see what else is out there for Sacramento. I also want to talk to these business owners and of course pet-owners. I am looking forward to meeting with these people and hearing what they have to say.
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