Gov. Phil Murphy’s jarring, cruel post-election decision for
a bear hunt after all can’t be ignored here. (That “all” included long, laborious efforts
by the Animal Protection League of New Jersey [APLNJ] – with other animal advocates
as well – to convince the governor and his staff of humane ways to treat NJ
bears.)When
right after his election win Murphy suddenly saw great need for a bear hunt,
his lame excuses and pumped-up rationales drew furious reactions, deservedly so.
I agree with the most vociferous of them,
only starting with “political ploy,” to describe his seeming agreement with those
against the hunt . . . until the election.And now: the hunt: innocent bears’ lives needlessly lost for political
power. https://tinyurl.com/bddkz32c
Ta-da! A happy family announcement
 |
| Jersey (in camera’s tan mode) |
Meet
Jersey, a little cat I recently adopted to join Billy, my dear tuxedo now almost
16 years old, and me. And what an
addition he has become in little more than a month!
Wanting
to provide a warm and loving home to an older cat, the kind I think of as most
deserving, I first met Jersey last summer in a pet store where he was
“displayed” for adoption by an area shelter.
But
then, he needed extensive treatment for a major ear infection, and recovery
time, before being cleared for adoption.
That’s when I came back in.
Jersey
is estimated to be 9 years old. He was
an outdoor cat for most of his life, I was told, and most of his teeth are
gone. He has never lived in a house
before.
 |
| Billy |
From
a cat with Jersey’s age and background, I expected a quiet, retiring guy who
napped even more than the average cat, settled comfortably in a home instead of
a cage or the great outdoors.
But
I’ve quickly learned from Jersey that a 2-in-1 cat — or “elderly kitten”
— has in fact joined Billy and me. He’s
a curious, noisy, hungry, active live wire, whose behavior belies his age,
delightfully.
He’s
low-slung and terrifically cute, I think, with soft fur of many colors – spotted
gray, white, tan – and a fat, striped “raccoon tail” that’s mostly white
underneath, down through his belly. Does
all that make him a “gray calico tabby”?
Jersey’s
winning ways include cozying up when petted around his head, raising his rump
when petted back there, and balletically batting me or the air (with paws, not
nails) to say “enough petting now.”
 |
| Jersey (in true gray) |
On
his own, Jersey looks around, gets into or climbs up everything possible and
often accompanies his explorations with repeated loud cries – I’m guessing for
attention or to signal “Eureka! Look
what I just discovered!” Anyway, there’s
never much doubt about where he is.
He’s
fascinated by the cat (also gray with white paws) reflected in the glass doors
of the fireplace. I haven’t turned it on
yet, unable to guess what Jersey might do on seeing fire there instead of that
cat. Staying nearby and watching may
suffice.
His
gait can be a little stiff when he wakes up, but it quickly smooths out. To see Jersey bat small fabric balls around,
then chase them, and start over till he finally flops on the floor and rolls
over . . . is a happy surprise. I had
wondered whether he would play or even know how to play – but now I know.
As
Jersey is new to a home, I’m new, after nearly 20 years, to introducing a new
cat here. I’m especially intent on his
successfully joining Billy, then both cats living together harmoniously. For me, this holiday season offers a prime
time to focus on feline basic training and the three of us bonding – and relaxing.
So
begins the saga of Jersey, the Summers family’s “senior baby cat.” If you’re guessing you’ll see much more about
all that here, you’re right. And I’ll
welcome your thoughts!
#
