Comments on: Update: Seattle City Light rescues cat from Genesee power pole http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area West Seattle news, information, and discussion, updated multiple times daily, 24/7/365 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:52:25 +0200 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Vicki Hamilton http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963708 Vicki Hamilton Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:39:36 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963708 The patches of fur that might be missing may be due to whatever tussle that had her run up the pole in the first place. The patches of fur that might be missing may be due to whatever tussle that had her run up the pole in the first place.

]]> By: Vicki Hamilton http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963667 Vicki Hamilton Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:34:32 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963667 Snookie has not been fed on our back porch. Water only and a place to curl up if she wants. This is not her real name - just something we call her, I do not know who she belongs to. I suspect we are but one stop on her neighborhood rounds. I have seen her hunt successfully. I would not consider us to be her caretakers and would really like to know who she belongs to. Snookie has not been fed on our back porch. Water only and a place to curl up if she wants. This is not her real name – just something we call her, I do not know who she belongs to. I suspect we are but one stop on her neighborhood rounds. I have seen her hunt successfully. I would not consider us to be her caretakers and would really like to know who she belongs to.

]]> By: Brooke http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963519 Brooke Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:13:15 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963519 Observer: I love your idea of the pressure washer. I hope you'll volunteer next time. Observer: I love your idea of the pressure washer. I hope you’ll volunteer next time.

]]> By: KD http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963507 KD Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:51:39 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963507 Anyone notice if you zero in closer on the still photos of the cat especially the daylight photo, it has missing fur over its left eye and a big spot on its right side. Could be a slightly diluted torti, or ringworm, or the patches could be from the poor cat being unhealthy in general. Does 'Snooki' fit the description of the fur? Yes, call FCAT, FAF, or F3 for trapping help, get the cat altered and a basic health check-up. Are 'Snooki's' caretakers still reading this post this far down? Your cat will be returned as long as there is consistent caretakers and safe comfy shelter if said cat is not adoptable and feral. Don't let it go on too long 'just feeding.' Anyone notice if you zero in closer on the still photos of the cat especially the daylight photo, it has missing fur over its left eye and a big spot on its right side. Could be a slightly diluted torti, or ringworm, or the patches could be from the poor cat being unhealthy in general. Does ‘Snooki’ fit the description of the fur? Yes, call FCAT, FAF, or F3 for trapping help, get the cat altered and a basic health check-up. Are ‘Snooki’s’ caretakers still reading this post this far down? Your cat will be returned as long as there is consistent caretakers and safe comfy shelter if said cat is not adoptable and feral. Don’t let it go on too long ‘just feeding.’

]]> By: F http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963461 F Tue, 05 Feb 2013 01:40:41 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963461 Unfortunately, anonyme, the continuation of the current trap-and-kill approach used by animal control agencies in the U.S. is the specific public policy goal of the groups who are attacking Trap-Neuter-Return by publicizing "studies" about cats. Trap-and-kill is mass killing, regardless of how many times the anti-cat groups used the term "humane removal." . I agree with you that species should not be pitted against one another. If only the anti-cat groups agreed with the two of us. Unfortunately, anonyme, the continuation of the current trap-and-kill approach used by animal control agencies in the U.S. is the specific public policy goal of the groups who are attacking Trap-Neuter-Return by publicizing “studies” about cats. Trap-and-kill is mass killing, regardless of how many times the anti-cat groups used the term “humane removal.”
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I agree with you that species should not be pitted against one another. If only the anti-cat groups agreed with the two of us.

]]> By: elaine http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963447 elaine Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:56:04 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963447 Some cats are just not made to be indoor only -- and it is cruel to have them exist as indoor only -- not all cats, but some. Some cats are purrfectly satisfied to remain fat and happy indoors and bored out of their gourds. Do not dismiss the fact that cats are good at rodent control. Cats are one of natures most magnificent and aesthetically pleasing creatures. If cats should be indoor only, then dogs should too because dogs poop and pee everywhere in the neighborhood -- even if you pick it up, it still leaves 'residue'. But still, how many times have YOU brought dog poo in the house on your shoe? I am sure it has happened to the best of us. Not to mention some dog attacks/bites that increase insurance premiums and such. Oh yes, and think of all the dog food that has to be made to feed the dogs -- what kind of environmental footprint does that leave???!! Not to mention all those doggy doo plastic bags... teach your dogs to use the toilet for God's sake. I love dogs and cats for the record, don't get me wrong. So... the intolerant line of thinking that is displayed in some of these comments is ridiculous. that cats should just be indoors is ridiculous silly. A short life is much preferred to a caged life. Humans would probably live a lot longer if they were relegated to the indoors only as well... and it would help control over population to have humans sequestered in such a way... because it is so cruel when a human dies in pain in a car accident or homicide, or other illness or accident that might befall them in the "wild"..... keep all humans indoors people. Save them from an untimely and painful death in the wild! Not to mention the rather nasty human decimates wildlife and let off a lot of poisonous gas which kills the ozone. Some cats are just not made to be indoor only — and it is cruel to have them exist as indoor only — not all cats, but some. Some cats are purrfectly satisfied to remain fat and happy indoors and bored out of their gourds. Do not dismiss the fact that cats are good at rodent control. Cats are one of natures most magnificent and aesthetically pleasing creatures. If cats should be indoor only, then dogs should too because dogs poop and pee everywhere in the neighborhood — even if you pick it up, it still leaves ‘residue’. But still, how many times have YOU brought dog poo in the house on your shoe? I am sure it has happened to the best of us. Not to mention some dog attacks/bites that increase insurance premiums and such. Oh yes, and think of all the dog food that has to be made to feed the dogs — what kind of environmental footprint does that leave???!! Not to mention all those doggy doo plastic bags… teach your dogs to use the toilet for God’s sake. I love dogs and cats for the record, don’t get me wrong. So… the intolerant line of thinking that is displayed in some of these comments is ridiculous. that cats should just be indoors is ridiculous silly. A short life is much preferred to a caged life. Humans would probably live a lot longer if they were relegated to the indoors only as well… and it would help control over population to have humans sequestered in such a way… because it is so cruel when a human dies in pain in a car accident or homicide, or other illness or accident that might befall them in the “wild”….. keep all humans indoors people. Save them from an untimely and painful death in the wild! Not to mention the rather nasty human decimates wildlife and let off a lot of poisonous gas which kills the ozone.

]]> By: anonyme http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963434 anonyme Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:06:47 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963434 Seriously F, listen to yourself. "Anti-cat agenda"? Using your own 'logic', that makes your own spin an "anti-bird agenda". Absurd. Mass slaughter of any species - including birds - is not what is being called for. This is not an issue of one species against another. That type of hyperbole is exactly what makes your argument invalid, regardless of how many times you cut and paste it. Repetition is not the same thing as accuracy, regardless of the source. Seriously F, listen to yourself. “Anti-cat agenda”? Using your own ‘logic’, that makes your own spin an “anti-bird agenda”. Absurd. Mass slaughter of any species – including birds – is not what is being called for. This is not an issue of one species against another. That type of hyperbole is exactly what makes your argument invalid, regardless of how many times you cut and paste it. Repetition is not the same thing as accuracy, regardless of the source.

]]> By: F http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963424 F Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:25:32 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963424 To anonyme and Chuck and Sally's Van Man re: the Smithsonian "study" regarding cats that you are alluding to . . . . Again, this "study" has been discredited. Please read Vox Felina's dissection, posted Friday: . http://www.voxfelina.com/2013/02/garbage-in-garbage-out/ . And Alley Cat Allies' January 30th response to the "study": . http://www.alleycat.org/alley-cat-allies-responds-to-nature-studys-claims-on-cats-and-birds . As Alley Cat Allies notes, "Some of the research they cite is more than a half-century old. They even cite discredited researcher Nico Dauphine, who was convicted by a D.C. jury for trying to poison cats and then fired from her job at the Smithsonian. The researcher convicted of trying to poison cats worked for Marra, one of the authors of this study.” . This "study" is part of a carefully coordinated campaign against feral cats that stretches back more than 15 years, carried out by a specific set of people with an anti-cat agenda: the American Bird Conservancy, The Wildlife Society, the Smithsonian, the Audubon Society, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and assorted academic fellow travelers. . Unfortunately, they are being helped by science "reporters" who have personal and professional ties with the authors of the "study." Please do not help the authors further by implying that their press releases have validity. . By contrast, a recent Maddie's Fund white paper is a rich source of fascinating information about how people and cats interact . . . and why the mass slaughter of cats is a losing strategy: . http://www.maddiesfund.org/Maddies_Institute/Articles/Feline_Shelter_Intake_Reduction_Program_FAQs.html To anonyme and Chuck and Sally’s Van Man re: the Smithsonian “study” regarding cats that you are alluding to . . .
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Again, this “study” has been discredited. Please read Vox Felina’s dissection, posted Friday:
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http://www.voxfelina.com/2013/02/garbage-in-garbage-out/
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And Alley Cat Allies’ January 30th response to the “study”:
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http://www.alleycat.org/alley-cat-allies-responds-to-nature-studys-claims-on-cats-and-birds
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As Alley Cat Allies notes, “Some of the research they cite is more than a half-century old. They even cite discredited researcher Nico Dauphine, who was convicted by a D.C. jury for trying to poison cats and then fired from her job at the Smithsonian. The researcher convicted of trying to poison cats worked for Marra, one of the authors of this study.”
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This “study” is part of a carefully coordinated campaign against feral cats that stretches back more than 15 years, carried out by a specific set of people with an anti-cat agenda: the American Bird Conservancy, The Wildlife Society, the Smithsonian, the Audubon Society, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and assorted academic fellow travelers.
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Unfortunately, they are being helped by science “reporters” who have personal and professional ties with the authors of the “study.” Please do not help the authors further by implying that their press releases have validity.
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By contrast, a recent Maddie’s Fund white paper is a rich source of fascinating information about how people and cats interact . . . and why the mass slaughter of cats is a losing strategy:
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http://www.maddiesfund.org/Maddies_Institute/Articles/Feline_Shelter_Intake_Reduction_Program_FAQs.html

]]> By: anonyme http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963420 anonyme Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:00:07 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963420 There are newer, far more comprehensive studies showing that free-roaming domestic cats kill anywhere from 1.4 to 3.7 billion birds per year, and up to 10 million small mammals (that would otherwise be food to other birds, such as raptors). It's not a matter of choosing one species over another, and to frame the problem in that way is ridiculous. We need a different approach to feral colonies, and all pet cats should be indoor only. Better for all species concerned. Of course the original blame goes to the humans who don't neuter their pets. There are newer, far more comprehensive studies showing that free-roaming domestic cats kill anywhere from 1.4 to 3.7 billion birds per year, and up to 10 million small mammals (that would otherwise be food to other birds, such as raptors). It’s not a matter of choosing one species over another, and to frame the problem in that way is ridiculous. We need a different approach to feral colonies, and all pet cats should be indoor only. Better for all species concerned. Of course the original blame goes to the humans who don’t neuter their pets.

]]> By: toodles http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963412 toodles Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:19:16 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963412 Kitty is a rock star.. Kitty is a rock star..

]]> By: WSB http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963405 WSB Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:24:54 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963405 I'm sure City Light's superintendent Jorge Carrasco would be interested in kind words, too - following city e-mail convention, his address should be jorge.carrasco@seattle.gov ... I’m sure City Light’s superintendent Jorge Carrasco would be interested in kind words, too – following city e-mail convention, his address should be jorge.carrasco@seattle.gov …

]]> By: orcmid http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963404 orcmid Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:21:17 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963404 About cats getting down from high places. Cats can't descend backwards the way we do. A cat gets down from a high place by *running* vertically down the vertical surface and then pushing off in order to land upright. It is amazing to watch -- it is a kind of controlled dive bombing. I have seen that done from heights under 10 feed -- our two Bombays did that when they were younger. I can imagine that the technique does not work for greater heights, since gravity wins and the cat simply falls at some point. About cats getting down from high places. Cats can’t descend backwards the way we do. A cat gets down from a high place by *running* vertically down the vertical surface and then pushing off in order to land upright. It is amazing to watch — it is a kind of controlled dive bombing.

I have seen that done from heights under 10 feed — our two Bombays did that when they were younger. I can imagine that the technique does not work for greater heights, since gravity wins and the cat simply falls at some point.

]]> By: WSB http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963396 WSB Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:31:23 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963396 Kravitz and somebody else who asked about where/if it was "taken" - What you see in the video is exactly what happened. Shortly after Aaron gently picked it up and started the slow process of going back down - the kitty jumped in a BIG way - more like flew! - and then our shot shows it bolting down the street. (I'm glad co-publisher Patrick Sand, who does a lot of our photography, did NOT take my advice to take the tripod to videotape the rescue, he wouldn't have been able to spin it to get that part of the "escape"!) - TR Kravitz and somebody else who asked about where/if it was “taken” – What you see in the video is exactly what happened. Shortly after Aaron gently picked it up and started the slow process of going back down – the kitty jumped in a BIG way – more like flew! – and then our shot shows it bolting down the street. (I’m glad co-publisher Patrick Sand, who does a lot of our photography, did NOT take my advice to take the tripod to videotape the rescue, he wouldn’t have been able to spin it to get that part of the “escape”!) – TR

]]> By: Kravitz http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963393 Kravitz Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:14:52 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963393 Thank you Brenda and Seattle City Light - this is a happy ending. I was so worried about the cat. Does anyone know if the cat was just released or was it taken to be checked for a microchip or otherwise? Thank you Brenda and Seattle City Light – this is a happy ending. I was so worried about the cat. Does anyone know if the cat was just released or was it taken to be checked for a microchip or otherwise?

]]> By: WSB http://westseattleblog.com/2013/02/is-this-your-cat-stuck-atop-utility-pole-in-genesee-area#comment-963357 WSB Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:11:17 +0000 http://westseattleblog.com/?p=139610#comment-963357 TV monitors us VERY closely (we know this from our visitor logs, not just from the stories they pick up that they wouldn't have known about otherwise) so they knew already - they have to cover 22 counties so they don't always drop everything and run. City Light does insist, however, that the cat would have come down ... they apparently usually do ... on my part, I am relieved because I didn't want to see anybody get hurt trying to rescue it unofficially. TV monitors us VERY closely (we know this from our visitor logs, not just from the stories they pick up that they wouldn’t have known about otherwise) so they knew already – they have to cover 22 counties so they don’t always drop everything and run. City Light does insist, however, that the cat would have come down … they apparently usually do … on my part, I am relieved because I didn’t want to see anybody get hurt trying to rescue it unofficially.

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