News Briefs for the Week of June 30, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- British Parliament Needs a Cat
Opting for a natural form of pest control, eight members of Parliament (MPs) introduced a motion in Britain's House of Commons last month to get a Commons cat. John Pugh, one of the MPs who signed the motion, said it was raised after a meal at the members' dining room, when a mouse appeared under the skirting board. "We noticed a little mouse going backwards and forwards -- it was very brave, very bold and it looked extremely healthy," Pugh said.
The motion says it would be "fiscally prudent for the Sergeant at Arms' department to invest in a House of Commons cat to try to tackle this problem." John Barret, the MP who proposed the motion after seeing the mouse, says he's hopeful the plan will be passed, because it is "cost-effective. I appreciate it is not the most serious issue, but we can't always be serious. And the fact is that in an outside restaurant this would be a serious environmental health matter."
- Have a Pet-Friendly Fourth of July
There's nothing quite as thrilling as the loud boom of the rockets' red glare on the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, our cats don't agree; fireworks make them feel like running for dear life. And, in fact, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) recently released a report, Fireworks and Animals: A Survey of Scottish Veterinarians in 2001, that found that approximately 10,000 pets and farm animals were injured or killed by fireworks in Scotland last year. (The Scots, of course, don't celebrate the Fourth of July. But they have their own fireworks-heavy holiday, called Guy Fawkes Day, on November 5th). "More than 90 percent of veterinarians in Scotland treated animals for problems related to fireworks, from stress and anxiety to deliberate attacks," says SSPCA spokesperson Doreen Graham.
Because animals can panic during fireworks, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has suggestions for pet owners. "If the animal is outside, he or she may try to bolt because they're so afraid," says Kate Luse at the HSUS in Gaithersburg, Maryland. "However," she says, even if pets are inside, "they can exhibit signs of distress," such as panting and breathing heavily.
Here's how you can ensure a cat-safe Fourth of July:
- Keep your cat indoors in a safe, quiet place. This is important!
- Make sure the space is cat-proofed, because cats may become destructive when frightened.
- Leave a radio or television on at low volume to create soothing "white noise."
- If you know that loud noises, such as thunder, usually terrify your cat, talk to your veterinarian about ways you can help alleviate any fear your cat may feel during the fireworks display.
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