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May 04, 2006 - From a cat's point of viewThe Suffolk Times • May 4,2006 - 17A From a cat's point of view THIS is AN UNUSUAL place to start an article as I'm doing it from our bedside where I keep my tape recorder. It has to do with our cat, who is sitting on our windowsill. We got her from the local pound. It took us three visits to decide on one that appealed to both of us The one we finally picked out from the large selection was just a plain ordinaq cat about a year old. When we brought her home and let her out of the carrier, she took off and hid from us for Focus two days. Gradu- ON ally she made her appearance, NATURE but ever so cau- tiously.Today by pallid she's a joy to Stoutenburgh have around. Her favorite spot is an old rocking chair that she's claimed as hers. You know, I never thought I'd enjoy having a cat around, but Snoopy has given us much pleasure in so many different ways. Whether it's when she greets us at the door after we've been away, or just watching her as she plays with a pen she's knocked off the table, or watching her now sitting on the windowsill, she's been a wonder- ful addition to our home. I think of all the people out there who could add much to their lives by having a cat for company. She's really clever in taking advan- tage of every opportunity to try to get out. If our bedroom window didn't have a screen on it, she'd jump out, and we'd have a devil of a time getting her back in. One time when she got out she followed her archenemy, the squirrel, up a tree. That's when she found out she didn't have her adversary's abil- ity to jump from limb to limb, nor did she know how to get down from her high perch in the top of a tree. We tried everything to get her down, but to no avail. We left her overnight, thinking she'd know how to get down by herself; but no, there she was in the morning, meowing in the most pitiful way. We had to call in help in the form of a long extension lad- It's a der to get her down. As I write this it's about six o'clock and she's sitting on the windowsill, saying in her cat way, "Why don't you guys get up?" We wonder what she sees. Every once in a while her head turns quickly one way and then the other. Something catches her eye, and again she moves her head. Her ears twitch and her tail swishes back and forth as she looks down. It's a cat's world, and only she knows what's going on out there. She cheeks every movement; nothing goes unnoticed. Perhaps it's a vole or a shrew scurry- ing from under the leaves as it makes its way from one hole to another. She does love to get hold of a small rodent and play with it. She's proven her abil- ity to catch mice from down in the cellar, and always presents the catch of the day to us. No matter how we try to tighten the house up so no mice can get in, they seem to get in and gnaw away at our boxes of Saltines or other goodies on the stairway shelves What else could she be seeing? It could be one of those pesky squirrels that come to feast on the sunflower seeds we put out on the patio for the birds. They eat their fill right under her nose and it drives her crazy. Her frustration sometimes results in her leaping up on the sliding glass door in an attempt to get out and chase those rascals off, but no, this morning she is content to sit on the windowsill and just look out. A bird passes close by and her head twitches. Perhaps there's movement in the leaves; it's a garter snake that has just come out from its long cat's winter's sleep. Then there are those roaming cats that make their daily rounds and also drive her crazy. She just goes berserk; she'll run from at s one end of the house to the Ut other looking out whatever window she can to get a glimpse. It could be the top of a bureau or the top of the piano, any viewpoint just so she can keep her eye on that cat. This is her turf, and I'm sure she'd show that cat who's boss if only she could get out, but she's a house cat and that's the way it is. Snoopy will often sit at her window and watch the deer pass through the yard. She pays little attention to them; to her they're just a curiosity. There's not much room on the windowsill, so she'll often give up her post to jump down on the bed. She knows I don't care for her early - morning shenanigans, so she goes over to Barbara for attention. She'll sit near her and gently put out her paw and tap her head. "Come on there. Give me some attention." I must admit it's comical to watch the world, and only she knows wh going on o there. Suffolk Times photos by Barbara Stouienburgh Left: Snoopy came from the local pound and has brought much joy to our household. She never gives us any trouble so long as we keep her In. doors. If she slips by us and gets out, then it's another story. Above: This squirrel teases our cat by enjoying the sunflower seeds we put out for the birds on the patio. Only the glass of the big sliding doors separates the two. Often frustration takes over and the cat leaps up on the window while the squirrel pays little attention to the shenanigans going on inside. cat coax Barbara until she finally breaks down and reaches out and pets her, and then the purring begins, There are good and bad points about cats. A true lover of cats will un- derstand the following and the reason why cats should be kept inside. If you were asked what's respon- sible for killing 38 million song birds, four million cottontail rabbits and one hundred million small mammals annually in the state of Wisconsin (it could as well have been New York State), where they did a study on "the silent wildlife killer," which would you choose? (a) skunk (b) fox (c) rac- coon (d) all of the above (e) none of the above. If you said "(e) none of the above," you'd be correct. Then who might be responsible for this loss of wildlife? If your answer was "cat" you would be one of the few who realize the damage these free -roam- ing cats do. The study's purpose was to determine the impact of "free- ranging" domestic cats on rural wildlife.A free - ranging cat is defined as a feline that lives in a house, barn or other structure but is free to roam at will. This startling information about cat predation came from studies under- taken by the Department of Wildlife Ecology, Russel Labs, University of Wisconsin. I have a copy of the very elaborate study that tells the unbeliev- able damage free - roaming cats do. It has been said that free - ranging cats are the greatest threat to wildlife, the exception being the destruction of habitat. And so our cat Snoopy is a house cat, and will have to be content to watch the wildlife go by from her win- dowsill. �V BEAUTY SALON Hf ft Mother's Dory Mary Mother's Day Gift Certificates Available Lisa Call us for an appointment. We offer artificial nails Dareehe & manicures in addition to cuts, colors & peons. KaE/iy Tues. and Wed. 8:30 am. -5 p,m. • Thurs. 8:30 a.m. -8 p.m. Lee Fri. 8:30 a.m. -5 p.m. • Sat. 8 a.m. -1:30 p.m. BpNNIe Closed Sun, and Mon. earoe Aah 400 Pikc Street, Mattituek • 298 -8962 The Suffolk Times • May 4, 2006 rom a cat's 01 of view S THIS is AN urtusuAL place to start an article as I'm doing it from our bedside, where I keep my tape recorder. It has to do with. our cat, who is sitting on our windowsill. We got her from the local pound. It took us three visits to decide on one that appealed to both of us. The one we finally picked out from the large selection was just a plain ordinary cat about a year old. When we brought her home and let her out of the carrier, she took off and hid from us for FOCUS two days. Gradu- ally she made her appearance, NATURE but ever so cau- tiously. Today by Paul she's a joy to Stoutenburgh have around. Her favorite snot is Suffolk Times photos by Barbara Stoutenburgh Left: Snoopy came from the local pound and has brought much joy to our household. She never gives us any trouble so long as we keep her in- doors. If she slips by us and gets out, then it's another story. Above: This squirrel teases our cat by enjoying the sunflower seeds we put out for the birds on the patio. Only the glass of the big sliding doors separates the two. Often frustration takes over and the cat leaps up on the window while the squirrel pays little attention to the shenanigans going on inside. an old rocking chair that she's claimed as hers. You know, I never thought I'd enjoy having a cat around, but Snoopy has given us much pleasure in so many different ways. Whether it's when she greets us at the door after we've been away, or just watching her as she plays with a pen she's knocked off the table, or watching her now sitting on the windowsill, she's been a wonder- ful addition to our home. I think of all the people out there who could add much to their lives by having a cat for She's really clever in taking advan- tage of.every opportunity to try to get out. If our bedroom window didn't have a screen on it, she'd jump out, and we'd have a devil of a time getting her back in. One time when she got out she followed her archenemy, the squirrel, up a tree. That's when she found out she didn't have her adversary's abil- ity to jump from limb to limb, nor did she know how to get down from her high perch in the top of a tree. We tried everything to get her down, but to no avail. We left her overnight, thinking she'd know how to get down by herself, but no, there she was in the morning, meowing in the most pitiful wa : We had to call in help in the form of a long extension lad- der to get her down. As I write this it's about six o'clock and she's sitting on the windowsill, saying in her cat way, "Why don't you guys get up ?" We wonder what she sees. Every once in a while her head turns quickly one way and then the other. Something catches her eye, and again she moves her head. Her ears twitch and her tail swishes back and forth as she looks down. It's a cat's world, and only she knows what's going on out there. She checks every movement; nothing goes unnoticed. Perhaps it's a vole or a shrew scurry- ing from under the leaves as it makes its way from one hole to another. She does love to get hold of a small rodent and play with it. She's proven her abil- , y to catch mice from down in the ellar, and always presents the catch A the day to us. No matter how we try to tighten the house up so no mice can get in, they seem to get in and gnaw away at our. boxes of Saltines or other goodies on the stairway shelves. What else could she be seeine? It It's a cat's world, and only she knows what', going on out there. could be one of those pesky squirrels that come to feast on the sunflower seeds we put out on the patio for the birds. They eat their fill right under her nose and, it drives her crazy. Her frustration sometimes results in her leaping up on the sliding glass door in an attempt to get out and chase those rascals oft; but no, this morning she is content to sit on the windowsill and just look out. A bird passes close by and her head twitches. Perhaps there's movement in the leaves; it's a garter snake that has just come out from its long winter's sleep. Then there are those roaming cats that make their daily rounds and also drive her crazy. She just goes berserk; she'll run from one end of the house to the other looking out whatever window she can to get a glimpse. It could be the top of a bureau or the top of the piano, any.viewpoint just so she can keep her eye on that cat. This is her turf, and I'm sure she'd show that cat who's boss if only she could get out, but she's a house cat and that's the way it is. Snoopy will often sit at her window and watch the deer pass through the yard. She pays little attention to them; to her they're just a curiosity. There's not much room on the windowsill, so she'll often give up her post to jump down on the bed. She knows I don't care for her early - morning shenanigans, so she goes over to Barbara for attention. She'll sit near her and gently put out her paw and tap her head. "Come on there. Give me some attention." I must admit it's comical to watch the at coax Barbara until she finally breaks down and reaches out and pets her, and then the purring begins. There are good and bad points about cats. A true lover of cats will un derstand the following and the reason why cats should be kept inside. If you were asked what's respon- sible for killing 38 million song birds, four million cottontail rabbits and one hundred million small mammals annually in the state of Wisconsin (it could as well have been New York State), where they did a study on "the silent wildlife killer," which would you choose? (a) skunk (b) fox (c) rac- coon (d) all of the above (e) none of the above. If you said "(e) none of the above," you'd be correct. Then who might be responsible for this loss of wildlife? If your answer was "cat" you would be one of the few who realize the damage these free -roam- ing cats do. The study's purpose was to determine the impact of "free- ranging" domestic cats on rural wildlife. A free - ranging cat is defined as a feline that lives in a house, barn or other structure but is free to roam at will. This startling information about cat predation came from studies under- taken by the Department of Wildlife Ecology, Russel Labs, University of Wisconsin. I have a copy of the very elaborate study that tells the unbeliev- able damage free - roaming cats do. It has been said that free - ranging cats are the greatest threat to wildlife, the exception being the destruction of habitat. And so our cat Snoopy is a house cat, and will have to be content to watch the wildlife go by from her win- dowsill.