Back to basics: cats & dogs (& elephants) in brief

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Those who love cats, both in person
and in print, will be delighted to learn about the Anna Marble Pollock Memorial Collection of books about cats, housed in
the Beinecke Library of Yale University. With over 1,000 books, the collection was named for a serious cat lover and much-loved
friend of Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964), the cat-devotee and specialist behind
the library. 


(More later on VV’s own cat
opus, The Tiger in the House, 3^rd
ed., c. 1936.)

This
cat-book collection in Connecticut cries out for a library-sponsored field trip
to New Haven.  Cat-lovers could fill at least one bus. 

The dog’s great; the novel, less so

Essentially a monologue, The Friend (Sigrid Nunez, 2018) tells
the story of a man, a woman and a Great Dane. 
Named Apollo, the dog attracted me to the novel, even though of course
he doesn’t have a speaking role.  He is
the grieving pet of a man who committed suicide. 

The woman narrates the story of
how she had been mentored by the man, a writer, professor and womanizer.  Of necessity, flash-backs abound, allowing
the woman (also grieving) to look back at her long, literary and personal
relationship with the man, wonder about his suicide and agree to take in his
giant harlequin Dane.  

Harlequin Great Dane

Also a literature prof, the
narrator’s musings are replete with allusions to other writers and their works
— if you don’t like this stuff, you’ll never get through the book!  Only gradually does the Dane grow in
importance as the woman becomes attuned to his feelings and grows increasingly
protective of him — her companion in mourning — as he ages.

As for the title?  Reader’s choice.  

  

In
Nosey’s name

Nosey’s Law, a bill named for
Nosey, a long-abused elephant, has been released from the Senate Economic
Growth Committee.  If passed, this law
would make New Jersey the first state in the country to ban the use of wild
animals in circuses: an historical humane event!

Please help make it happen by asking your state senator and
two assembly members to vote YES when Nosey’s Law reaches them for a full vote.
 You can find your legislators’ contact
info here.   

Worth knowing  

“Catio”: for a while, this was the word to conjure with
when it came to cats and the great outdoors.  In myriad shapes, sizes and materials, catios
are designed to let indoor cats go outside, protected from the hazards that abound
there.  This overview from Adventure Cats
is the most comprehensive I’ve seen.  Some
of them look so easy, and all are so tempting.

http://www.adventurecats.org/pawsome-reads/catio-hacks-every-cat-owner-should-know/?ct=t(Webbys4_6_2016_COPY_01)&mc_cid=428f96b805&mc_eid=2273adc69f

Cynthia Fuller image

Yes, cats definitely have, and exhibit, feelings that include grief (after the
death of a feline or human housemate, for instance).  This article, with links to still others, spells
out ways to help a grieving cat.

http://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/how-to-help-a-grieving-cat?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Catster%20Ful%20List+All%20Subscribers&utm_campaign=CED20180530

Maybe you decided against pairing rugs and cats a long time
ago.  OK, but once rug-free, what’s the
best flooring in households with cats? 
Here’s the (surprising-to-me) answer.

http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/the-best-flooring-for-cats?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Catster%20Ful%20List+All%20Subscribers&utm_campaign=CED20180502

FYI, Readers:  I’m taking a “blog break” till after the summer solstice!  To assure you don’t miss anything once these posts
resume, why not subscribe right now?  That’s
always easier than remembering to check in.

And please don’t forget to spend some time
with the Animal Protection League of NJ’s new website:  www.aplnj.org.      

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