Teammates!

I'm currently snuggled in on my couch, with a cat curled up next to me, watching USA battle Canada for the Olympic Gold Medal in hockey. I had a thought about the Olympics, albeit the summer ones (which I prefer). The events in both the summer and winter games include individual and team sports, but only ONE includes a teammate with four legs. I think it speaks volumes to the human/equine connection that equestrian events have been in every summer olympic games since 1912. They aren't the most-watched events, to be sure, but they're my favorite. For the uninitiated, I will provide a brief description of the three equestrian events at the sumer Olympics.

The most intricate of the three events is dressage; a precise, complicated style of riding where seemingly invisible aids from the rider cause the horse to exhibit highly athletic movements. One of the most important things a dressage judge looks for is the appearance of effortless movement and the horse's willingness to perform. So while the rider is the wizard behind the curtain, the horse's performance is what is heavily judged.

My favorite event, show jumping, consists of riders guiding their horses through courses with 10 - 16 jumps, measuring up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) in height and width. The horse must clear the obstacles without any penalties (knocked down rails or refusals) within the allotted time to win. The horses are magnificent athletes, and the riders are absolutely fearless.

The third event is a combination of the other two events, with an added element of cross-country, a jumping course set on a natural surface over a long distance (2 3/4 - 4 miles) with 24 - 36 intricate, natural-looking obstacles. One rider competes in all three elements on the same horse, so the animal must be an incredible athlete with all-around knowledge.

Generally speaking, the order of events is dressage, cross-country, and finally show jumping. Don't worry, the horses are thoroughly examined by a veterinarian before the final event to ensure that he or she is fit to continue. It's a grueling competition that takes place over the course of several days, and it's a thrill to watch the relationship between horse and rider as they compete for their country.

There are some pretty bizarre and obscure competitions in the Olympics (hello, curling, anyone?) but they all seem to involve humans and their high-tech tools. I love that my favorite animal, the horse, is the only four-legged creature to compete in the great battle of nations. Maybe someday they'll include Canine Freestyle, or Frisbee Dog competitions. Not sure what you could do with a cat... power nap competitions? If that ever happens, Fiona and I will be competing for sure.

I'm Tired. Enjoy.

Today was a snowy, wintry wonderland. Yes, I braved the flakes and walked all my dogs in the city today, despite my general aversion to inclement weather. I must say, today's precipitation was much more tolerable than yesterday's, and I rather enjoyed myself playing in the snow with my pups! What follows are some pictures from today's festivities!

Free Willy? It's Not That Simple.

So the whole 'educated' part of the title of my blog refers to my Master's Degree in Animal Behavior and Conservation (still in progress, of course). I reiterate this because I want to, for the first time, emphasize the conservation aspect of my studies. While my main focus is behavior, it's important to understand the relevance of conservation because there are so many species on this earth today that we may never be able to study, thanks to the disturbing rates of extinction. I bring this up in response to the recent ordeal at SeaWorld involving the death of an experienced trainer. There are varying depictions of the scene, but the general idea is that she was killed by Tillikum, a massive bull Orca, after a show. Responses to this event have been varied as well, and I've seen a lot of comments saying that zoos and aquariums are cruel and ought to be closed. Comments along the lines of 'wild animals are wild' and whatnot. While I don't necessarily disagree entirely, I would like to speak out in defense of these incredibly important establishments.

The last course I took for my degree was also my favorite, entitled Applied Animal Behaviour (my professor was British...) and Welfare, and the main focus of this course was the study of animal welfare in the captive environment. We learned appropriate methods of determining welfare in various environments, including farms, zoos and the average household, as well as methods of improving welfare in these places. While it may be hard to think about the mighty rhinoceros or the majestic elephant pacing in an enclosure for lack of stimulation, it's also critical to remember the status of these animals in the wild. Thanks to human overpopulation and the ravaging of natural resources in the habitats of many wild animals, the only chance we have of preserving some species is by maintaining breeding stock in zoos and aquariums with the eventual hope for reintroduction into the wild. It has worked with species such as the California Condor and the Black Footed Ferret, and we hope it will help save dwindling populations such as tigers and red wolves.

When it comes to animals of the sea, there is a multitude of issues to consider when keeping them in captivity. First and foremost, sea mammals are, for the most part, quite large. When you live in an environment as big as the ocean, you have room to grow. Orcas (killer whales) can grow up to 32 feet in length, and weigh in at up to 6 tons. This is a serious issue when you consider how little space these giant creatures are given when in captivity. Simply put, we don't have enough space on land to comfortably accommodate these giant sea mammals. Does this mean we shouldn't keep them in captivity? That's a tough question to answer for me. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists Orcas as 'Data Deficient' in terms of their conservation status. This means that, though the large dolphins (yes, they are technically dolphins) are extensively studied, scientists are unsure how many 'subspecies' of Orca their are, so it is impossible to assign a level of threat. They do know, however, that the depletion of prey and the level of pollutants in the sea could potentially cause up to a 30% reduction over 3 generations. Whether this means that Orcas wont survive without us keeping a captive breeding population remains to be seen.

My point, through all of this rambling, is as follows. When tragedies such as this happen, the public is quick to blame zoos and aquariums for inhumane treatment, or insufficient care of their wild animals. And while it is fair to say that these are wild animals and should be treated as such, it is not fair to call for the elimination of these institutions. Without them, so many species would no longer exist on this planet. Instead of blaming the programs that work tirelessly to preserve species that we, as humans, have caused to decline, we should blame the lack of funding that prevents these facilities from reaching their true potential. Some zoos, such as the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., do not charge admission, and require donations and memberships to survive. I grew up going to the National Zoo, and I can't imagine life without it. The funds don't just go to support the physical zoo itself, they go toward research projects and missions aimed at conservation. I'm not saying you should become a member, or even donate. I'm simply saying that if money we spent on unnecessary war or wasted in inefficient healthcare systems was redirected towards zoos and aquariums, the animals could live the way they were meant to, and contribute to the conservation of their species in the most humane and natural way possible. Maybe that way, parks like SeaWorld wouldn't have to make money by making giant, majestic Killer Whales jump through hoops for hoards of screaming children.

For an EXCELLENT read about conservation, I recommend 100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth's Most Endangered Species by Jeff Corwin. I saw him speak about it (and met him... swoon) and it's incredibly moving and oh so important.

Guiding Light

Just a quick little ditty tonight before my beloved Dallas Mavericks take on the Los Angeles Lakers...

On my way home from volunteering at the shelter tonight, I watched as a steady German Shepherd Dog led her charge, a vision-impaired older lady, down the stairs into the subway. That dog guided the lady through unbelievable foot traffic and navigated down to the correct platform without so much as a wrong step. Granted, both the dog and the woman were following another vision-impaired gentleman (I say vision-impaired because I have no idea how blind they were) with a guide stick, but it was still a sight to behold. It made me so emotional that I started tearing up. I know that these dogs are rigorously trained before they are given to a disabled person, but guide dogs, assistance dogs and therapy dogs truly are special creatures. They quietly aide their 'masters', without question, for as long as they are able. And best of all, they expect nothing in return except a grateful pat, good food and a warm bed at night. We could all stand to learn a little from their attitudes about life.

Anyone Hiring?

I need a new job. After spending the day walking around in the rain, I've decided I really need an indoor job for a while. Is anyone hiring for animal-related careers? I've almost got my Master's in Animal Behavior and Conservation... just have to finish this darn thesis. I submitted my cover letter and resume to a well-known dog trainer in the city for an apprenticeship, but haven't heard back yet. It sucks that dog walking pays so well... pretty much anything at this point will be taking a pay cut. I guess I could just stick it out until the spring comes...

Scratch That...

My boyfriend and I just finished trimming our cat's nails. Fiona is a 4-year old calico adopted from the ASPCA, where she lived for 2 long years. Miss Fiona was a difficult cat to place because, well, she was a jerk. The day I went to adopt, I naively asked for a cat who was having a hard time finding a home, since I consider myself to be pretty adept at handling/caring for animals. When they told me she'd been there as long as she had, I simply couldn't walk out of the shelter without her. This was despite the fact that the few moments I'd spent with her involved her sniffing and subsequently biting me. She was almost 20 lbs, hefty from inactivity, and her coat was unkempt. With some TLC, and several band-aids for my cat scratches, we slowly turned her into a social, beautiful, healthy cat.

But enough of my bragging. Getting back to the topic at hand, claw care for cats! There's a commercial on TV for the Emery Cat, a scratching post made of emery board to keep kitty's claws filed. I personally wouldn't waste my money when a free scrap of old rug would probably appeal to my cat more, but if you have trouble trimming nails, check it out. Cats need to scratch. They have to keep their claws sharp and ready for the kill. Unfortunately for us silly humans who tried to domesticate them, cats will scratch on anything that provides nice resistance, regardless of whether or not that carpet or sofa is priceless. Lucky for me, Fiona doesn't scratch too badly on our couch and carpet, and it helps that the combined cost of both was $150 (the carpet was free from my parents...). But she does occasionally use my leg as a sharpener, so we have to keep her nails as short and harmless as possible.

Somehow, with all her pent up anger and her tendency to stalk me for no reason, Fiona is a dream when it comes to clipping her nails. My boyfriend holds her like a baby while I clip her back claws, and she pulls them a little, but she doesn't struggle or get upset. For her front paws, since they're so much closer to her needle-like teeth, he holds her under the armpits and stabilizes her head so she can't try to bite. In all, it takes us 3 minutes to clip her nails. My sister's cat, Spike, was a different story altogether. I had to scruff him under my arm while she sped through each paw because that cat could turn around inside his own skin, and often did, while we tried to clip him. He'd never had a bad experience- he just didn't like the idea of being restrained.

The other day when I was volunteering at the shelter, a gentleman came in to return the cat he had adopted because "he sheds too much". While the patient employees discussed his unrealistic expectations of what having a cat involved, they mentioned clipping his next cat's nails, and he looked at them incredulously and asked, "can't I bring him here for you to do it?", and I realized further how good we have it here with Princess Fiona. But I also realized how often people buy or adopt pets without really understanding how much time and effort they require. Sure, you can go a whole lifetime without trimming your cat's nails as long as you've provided a good surface for him to maintain them. That is, if you don't mind getting impaled every time the cat jumps off your lap, or gouged when your kitty gets overstimulated while playing. Oh, and for the record, there are few things more cruel than declawing a cat. If they're too difficult for you to trim yourself, make an appointment with your vet or a groomer who will probably do it for a small fee. In the long run, it will save you countless headaches over ruined fabric and painful scratches.

So Long, Daddy

For those of you who watch or have ever watched The Dog Whisperer, you will be sad to know that Daddy, Cesar's right-hand dog, passed away yesterday at the age of 16. That's an incredibly long life for a large dog, and it just goes to show how happy and healthy he was. Aside from being such a helpful dog for Cesar when he rehabilitated other pups, Daddy was a shining example of what a pit bull is supposed to be like. Gentle, quiet, and fiercely loyal. It brings sad memories of the day that my family put our first family dog to sleep. Even now, 13 years later, I still get an empty feeling in my gut when I think about Cindy the Wonder Dog.

Her name was Cinderella because she was all black, and looked like she had rolled in soot. She was half German Shepherd Dog, half Golden Retriever, and all love. You've never met a smarter dog in your life... not only could she understand English, she could speak it. I swear that dog could say 'out' and 'bone'. Ask anyone in my family if you don't believe me. She loved nothing more than to roam around our neighborhood, visiting her dog friends Buck and Buff. If something smelled foul, she'd find it and roll in it to her heart's content. She flunked out of obedience class as a puppy, but was the most well-behaved, civilized dog in her adult years. She was terrified of the car. She trembled for the entire trip, no matter where we were going, but once we got there she was happy to see whoever we were visiting. Except maybe the vet.

She adored our cat, Whiskers (aka Kitty). They were both jet black, and they grew up together. When Kitty would saunter by on her way to her food bowl, Cindy would ambush her with an emergency ear-cleaning. She'd hold Kitty down with her paw and lick her ears until she was sopping wet. And those two loved each other. When Cindy got liver cancer, our family was devastated. Losing a pet is perhaps one of the most important life lessons for a child. Cindy was the first living thing I had been attached to that died, and it was because of her that I was able to deal with the family and friends that I lost later in life. I still have dreams about her, and I miss her with all my heart. So to Cesar, and to anyone who has ever had to say goodbye to a furry friend, I feel your pain. But I also know it eases with time, and the best way to honor their memories is to open your heart to more animals who need your loving care.