Re: Tom/Zoologist/encironmental1st2003 is a daddy! It's a girl!

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I don't know what the practice is of declaying animals (like domestic

cats etc) is where you are?, but it is certainly frowned upon in the

UK. I think my cats need their claws, otherwise they wouldn't have

them. I am apalled by what some breeders do to animals in vanity for

people who wish to own unusual animals. A recent case I saw was

breeding cats to be extra small, short legs. The complications of

this messing around with genetics means the animals will likely

suffer from complaints with their heart and all because some peoples

vanity regarding the pets they own.

I am against the overuse of chemicals within the enviroment too and

do my best to buy ecological products that will not harm the

enviroment.

Well that's my two peneth for now,

Best Regards,

P.S Marta sounds great, you must be such a proud dad Any photo's?

> If adopted animals count as " babies " that is.

>

> Every year I adopt an animal at my local zoo. The first two years I

> adopted Amur tigers (Sheba and Molly), the next two years it was

> cheetahs (Wart and Cruiser), this year it's Marta, the Zoo's black

> leopard. I just got the materials from the zoo in the mail today

> telling me all about Marta.

>

> I get excited about these things so I suppose those reading this

post

> will have to endure one just like it every year. (Sorry about that).

>

> Being a member and contibutor of Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo I also

> make it a point to " adopt " an animal. ADOPT stands for Animals

> Depend on People Too. By donating an extra bit to my local zoo, I

> ensure that the animals there are fed and cared for.

>

> Marta's story is special. She was once " owned " by a person in New

> York and confiscated and by government authorities and given to the

> zoo. She has been declawed, except the surgeon who did it (at the

> request of the owner) botched the job, so Marta suffers arthritis

in

> her front paws.

>

> I got a close up visit with her a few years back when I went on a

> behind the scenes tour at the Kovler Lion House. While the keeper

> waived a tupperware container full of raw meat around and spoke

about

> the habits of leopards, Marta followed the movement and licked her

> lips. Imagine my surprise when, after poking a bit of meat through

> the wire mesh of the door to Marta's habitat, Marta, after gulping

> down the tasty morsel, licked the keeper's fingers clean.

>

> The cat's toungue is so coarse that it can easily strip the flesh

> from the bone, and her jaws are so powerful and her teeth so sharp

> that she can shear off a finger like pruning shears through a twig.

> But Marta is fairly tame.

>

> She was also neutered by her owner and will never have a mate,

unless

> he is also declawed and neutered.

>

> I just wanted to say that if you want a window into the life of

> Tom/Zoologist/Environmental1st2003, this is it. I LOVE supporting

and

> helping animals. I also donate to PAWS, a no-kill animal shelter

for

> cats and dogs, and I have written letters on behalf of this man:

>

> http://www.garethpatterson.com/

>

> Gareth , who has worked to save the descendants of the Joy

> and on " Born Free " lions. I have written the South

> African government and asked that they stop the practise of " canned

> hunting " (the shooting of game animals in cages). And I have also

> worked with him and a friend of his on other conservation related

> efforts.

>

> While I don't wish to use this forum as a soap box to espouse my

> personal beliefs on issues, I feel that it's worth saying that

Aspies

> can play a role, however small, in the betterment of the world for

> people, animals and the environment, and there are many different

> ways to do it.

>

> Would anyone care to describe their own contributions to

> philanthropic causes? It's important that we all know the

> differences we can make in our world and encourage one another in

our

> endeavors. By doing so, we can demonstrate that Aspies can be

> contributors to a better society, a better fellowship among people,

a

> better environment, and a better world.

>

> Okay. Perhaps I over-stepped myself here. If I did, please

forgive

> me. Time for me to hit the hay! It's nighttime here in America.

>

> Best wishes to all of you!

>

> Tom

[Guest guest]

I think it's really great that you can support animals like that!

Hearing her story, I would very much like to declaw and neuter her ex-

owner too!

>

> > If adopted animals count as " babies " that is.

> >

> > Every year I adopt an animal at my local zoo. The first two years

I

> > adopted Amur tigers (Sheba and Molly), the next two years it was

> > cheetahs (Wart and Cruiser), this year it's Marta, the Zoo's

black

> > leopard. I just got the materials from the zoo in the mail today

> > telling me all about Marta.

> >

> > I get excited about these things so I suppose those reading this

> post

> > will have to endure one just like it every year. (Sorry about

that).

> >

> > Being a member and contibutor of Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo I

also

> > make it a point to " adopt " an animal. ADOPT stands for Animals

> > Depend on People Too. By donating an extra bit to my local zoo,

I

> > ensure that the animals there are fed and cared for.

> >

> > Marta's story is special. She was once " owned " by a person in

New

> > York and confiscated and by government authorities and given to

the

> > zoo. She has been declawed, except the surgeon who did it (at

the

> > request of the owner) botched the job, so Marta suffers arthritis

> in

> > her front paws.

> >

> > I got a close up visit with her a few years back when I went on a

> > behind the scenes tour at the Kovler Lion House. While the keeper

> > waived a tupperware container full of raw meat around and spoke

> about

> > the habits of leopards, Marta followed the movement and licked

her

> > lips. Imagine my surprise when, after poking a bit of meat

through

> > the wire mesh of the door to Marta's habitat, Marta, after

gulping

> > down the tasty morsel, licked the keeper's fingers clean.

> >

> > The cat's toungue is so coarse that it can easily strip the flesh

> > from the bone, and her jaws are so powerful and her teeth so

sharp

> > that she can shear off a finger like pruning shears through a

twig.

> > But Marta is fairly tame.

> >

> > She was also neutered by her owner and will never have a mate,

> unless

> > he is also declawed and neutered.

> >

> > I just wanted to say that if you want a window into the life of

> > Tom/Zoologist/Environmental1st2003, this is it. I LOVE supporting

> and

> > helping animals. I also donate to PAWS, a no-kill animal shelter

> for

> > cats and dogs, and I have written letters on behalf of this man:

> >

> > http://www.garethpatterson.com/

> >

> > Gareth , who has worked to save the descendants of the

Joy

> > and on " Born Free " lions. I have written the South

> > African government and asked that they stop the practise

of " canned

> > hunting " (the shooting of game animals in cages). And I have also

> > worked with him and a friend of his on other conservation related

> > efforts.

> >

> > While I don't wish to use this forum as a soap box to espouse my

> > personal beliefs on issues, I feel that it's worth saying that

> Aspies

> > can play a role, however small, in the betterment of the world

for

> > people, animals and the environment, and there are many different

> > ways to do it.

> >

> > Would anyone care to describe their own contributions to

> > philanthropic causes? It's important that we all know the

> > differences we can make in our world and encourage one another in

> our

> > endeavors. By doing so, we can demonstrate that Aspies can be

> > contributors to a better society, a better fellowship among

people,

> a

> > better environment, and a better world.

> >

> > Okay. Perhaps I over-stepped myself here. If I did, please

> forgive

> > me. Time for me to hit the hay! It's nighttime here in America.

> >

> > Best wishes to all of you!

> >

> > Tom

[Guest guest]

Congratulations, Tom!

Can you put a picture

of Marta in the photo section?

Wendi

[Guest guest]

Within the next couple of days for sure Wendi!

Tom

> Congratulations, Tom!

>

> Can you put a picture of Marta in the photo section?

>

> Wendi