Even though cats have a reputation for being independent, at times they interact with others and humans in a social way. My cat for example, makes her needs and wants known to my family without the benefit of being able to speak. Cats use behaviors such as vision, touch, voice, body language, and actions to facilitate communication. Cappy, which is my cats name, uses her vision and sense of smell very well when there is food for the dogs around. If I bring my puppy over for a weekend stay at my parents, that cat is hiding in my sister’s room because she wants nothing to do with the new puppy. However, when the pup goes outside to play her sense of smell will lead her into a zipped duffel bag to find the dog food.
Cappy has tremendous hearing. She can hear a container of cottage cheese opening from the kitchen even if she is on the other side of the house. My mother and sister give her cottage cheese for a treat sometimes and she has learned to love it! She also communicates to us at about 6am every morning when she is hungry. She will knock things off the dresser to make noise and get our attention. She will also chew on loud objects such as balloon strings, loud rappers, or a fake flower pot to grab our attention as well. She has literally knocked over glasses of water onto the floor as to say “feed me.” These are all senses and behaviors my cat uses to communicate with our family.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Peacocks
Animals communicate in many different ways for many different reasons. One animal that has a flashy way of communicating are Peafowl. Peacocks come equipped with long prominently colored tail feathers that are used to make them look larger in size when threatened as well as display their genetics in an attempt to attract a potential mating partner.
Many animals have rituals that signal it’s time for mating. Peacocks (male Peafowl) use their colored feathers to attract Peahens (female Peafowl) during mating. Peahens do not have the colorful tail feathers that the males do. During the mating ritual, the Peacock exposes his tail feathers in the hopes that it will attract a compatible Peahen to mate with. Peacocks have an average of 200 tail feathers that are re-grown annually. Of the 200 feathers about 170 of them are ‘eye’ feathers and 30 are ‘T’ feathers. When a Peacock exposes his tail feathers to a Peahen he is communicating that he is a male and he is interested in mating. Studies have shown that not only the coloring of the males feathers play a role in being selected as a mate by the Peahen, but the pattern on and the length of the feathers also indicate desirable genetics that Peahen may be interested in. Studies have shown that just like humans, Peahens have preferences in size, color, and symmetry of the Peacocks they are willing to mate with.
Like most other animal species, Peafowl use aesthetic features as one way to communicate with one another. In this case the Peacocks tail feathers are put on display to show the female that he is ready, willing, and able to mate.
Many animals have rituals that signal it’s time for mating. Peacocks (male Peafowl) use their colored feathers to attract Peahens (female Peafowl) during mating. Peahens do not have the colorful tail feathers that the males do. During the mating ritual, the Peacock exposes his tail feathers in the hopes that it will attract a compatible Peahen to mate with. Peacocks have an average of 200 tail feathers that are re-grown annually. Of the 200 feathers about 170 of them are ‘eye’ feathers and 30 are ‘T’ feathers. When a Peacock exposes his tail feathers to a Peahen he is communicating that he is a male and he is interested in mating. Studies have shown that not only the coloring of the males feathers play a role in being selected as a mate by the Peahen, but the pattern on and the length of the feathers also indicate desirable genetics that Peahen may be interested in. Studies have shown that just like humans, Peahens have preferences in size, color, and symmetry of the Peacocks they are willing to mate with.
Like most other animal species, Peafowl use aesthetic features as one way to communicate with one another. In this case the Peacocks tail feathers are put on display to show the female that he is ready, willing, and able to mate.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Humane Society
The Humane Society of the United States is the nations largest and most effective animal protection organization. They confront animal cruelty issues and target issues such as: dogfighting, puppy mills, factory farming, canned hunts, horse slaughter, and commercial fur trade. The Humane Society is a non profit organization and they work to protect all animals.
The Wisconsin Humane Society is a non profit organization as well and works to build a community where people value and treat animals with kindness and respect. They have a tremendous adoption program where they adopt animals out to families for companionship and care. They also work with wild animals and have a spay/neuter clinic for low income families. The Wisconsin Humane Society offers education to children and adults to teach about the care for animals and to inform about the neglect and violence against animals. They offer dog training classes for puppys and even adult dogs so they can learn manners and behave well. The Humane Society rescues thousands of animals annually.
The Humane Society is a great place to adopt a pet. The majority of the time, adopted pets are the best pets. Im sure if you ask anyone who rescued a pet from the Humane Society, they will tell you it was one of the best things they ever did. The Humane Society even offers a website where you can go online if you are interested in adopting a pet and view the animals and read about them before you even go. This is a great way for people to fall in love with a pet and save a life.
The Wisconsin Humane Society is a non profit organization as well and works to build a community where people value and treat animals with kindness and respect. They have a tremendous adoption program where they adopt animals out to families for companionship and care. They also work with wild animals and have a spay/neuter clinic for low income families. The Wisconsin Humane Society offers education to children and adults to teach about the care for animals and to inform about the neglect and violence against animals. They offer dog training classes for puppys and even adult dogs so they can learn manners and behave well. The Humane Society rescues thousands of animals annually.
The Humane Society is a great place to adopt a pet. The majority of the time, adopted pets are the best pets. Im sure if you ask anyone who rescued a pet from the Humane Society, they will tell you it was one of the best things they ever did. The Humane Society even offers a website where you can go online if you are interested in adopting a pet and view the animals and read about them before you even go. This is a great way for people to fall in love with a pet and save a life.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Horse Slaughter
Horse slaughter is act of cruelty has been going on for years, and so many people never understood why and how it has been hidden. Horses have never been raised for human consumption in the United States, so why are American Horses being killed to gratify the appetites in other countries (America’s Horses Are Ending Up in Europe’s Restaurant)?
There is no discrimination shown to what kinds of horses are being sent to their untimely death. Innocent horses of all breeds and ages are being killed. Riding school horses, camp horses, and race horses are all types of horses that get sent over the border to be slaughtered. Even the wild mustangs that were once protected by the United States government are being round up and sent to slaughter.
The transportation and equipment involved in slaughtering horses is extremely cruel. The horses are bought by “killer buyers” and transported in cattle trailers with low ceilings where they cannot even hold their head up high enough for balance. They are crammed in theses trailers and many fall due to being unbalanced and get trampled to death. These trips can average over 24 hours where the horses are left without food or water. The Humane Society of the United States released a video of a trailer in route to Mexico broken down on the highway for 6 hours in 102 degree heat. Not at any point were theses horses let out of the trailer for shade or given water to rehydrate themselves. They were left to sit until the truck was fixed and ready to proceed on with the journey.
When arriving at the slaughter house, the horses are herded and beaten into kill boxes where they are left conscious after the use of a stun bolt that is used for cattle. These stun bolts are effective in killing cattle but they are not designed for horses. Because of this, the horses are still alive when slaughtered, afraid and knowing what is going on the whole time. A horse can smell death and their natural instinct is flight. In order for horse meat to be exported for human consumption, the horses must be alive when “bled out”. This is the process in which the horse is hung by one hind leg and having its throat slit after being stunned. This means that the horses are still alive when leaving the “kill box” and know what is going on the whole time. Horses are very smart animals and they smell the blood and death right away. They almost always try to escape before being herded inhumanely into the “kill boxes” (US Slaughter Plants are finally CLOSED, but slaughter remains an issue!).
These animals have played such an important role in our history. The horse provided transportation around the frontier and into war. They provided companionship and relief to the tired farmer. Even though we no longer use the horse for the same jobs as they once performed, they are none the less an animal to be praised not slaughtered. It is so sad how we as a society have become so money hungry that we will torture any living thing for a dollar. It is time for the unfathomable act of murder to be stopped at once. I have recently become aware of this terrible crime that is taking place and I am completely appalled. I am asking for people to stand up against this cruel act and sign the petition to pass the law to end the slaughter of horses.
There is no discrimination shown to what kinds of horses are being sent to their untimely death. Innocent horses of all breeds and ages are being killed. Riding school horses, camp horses, and race horses are all types of horses that get sent over the border to be slaughtered. Even the wild mustangs that were once protected by the United States government are being round up and sent to slaughter.
The transportation and equipment involved in slaughtering horses is extremely cruel. The horses are bought by “killer buyers” and transported in cattle trailers with low ceilings where they cannot even hold their head up high enough for balance. They are crammed in theses trailers and many fall due to being unbalanced and get trampled to death. These trips can average over 24 hours where the horses are left without food or water. The Humane Society of the United States released a video of a trailer in route to Mexico broken down on the highway for 6 hours in 102 degree heat. Not at any point were theses horses let out of the trailer for shade or given water to rehydrate themselves. They were left to sit until the truck was fixed and ready to proceed on with the journey.
When arriving at the slaughter house, the horses are herded and beaten into kill boxes where they are left conscious after the use of a stun bolt that is used for cattle. These stun bolts are effective in killing cattle but they are not designed for horses. Because of this, the horses are still alive when slaughtered, afraid and knowing what is going on the whole time. A horse can smell death and their natural instinct is flight. In order for horse meat to be exported for human consumption, the horses must be alive when “bled out”. This is the process in which the horse is hung by one hind leg and having its throat slit after being stunned. This means that the horses are still alive when leaving the “kill box” and know what is going on the whole time. Horses are very smart animals and they smell the blood and death right away. They almost always try to escape before being herded inhumanely into the “kill boxes” (US Slaughter Plants are finally CLOSED, but slaughter remains an issue!).
These animals have played such an important role in our history. The horse provided transportation around the frontier and into war. They provided companionship and relief to the tired farmer. Even though we no longer use the horse for the same jobs as they once performed, they are none the less an animal to be praised not slaughtered. It is so sad how we as a society have become so money hungry that we will torture any living thing for a dollar. It is time for the unfathomable act of murder to be stopped at once. I have recently become aware of this terrible crime that is taking place and I am completely appalled. I am asking for people to stand up against this cruel act and sign the petition to pass the law to end the slaughter of horses.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Deer Hunting
As many people know, hunting season is coming upon us. The pros and cons of hunting have been a battle for decades. Hunting is a huge wildlife population control method that IS effective. It is also a family tradition for many and it teaches sportsmanship and natural education to the young ones. I have been going hunting with my dad and sisters ever since I can remember. My parents had three girls and we grew up with a father that is huge into hunting. We wanted to make him happy and proud. It is not just because of my father that we hunt, we enjoy the sport also. We were brought up learning and knowing that hunting is a part of life.
Another pro to hunting is that there are not many natural predators to deer anymore. Cars, on the other had are a huge predator to deer. Many more deer would be dead on the side of the road if it wasn't for hunting.
The meat is naturally healthy food and is also more affordable.
Hunters have great compassion for the animals they kill. Very few hunters take pleasure or enjoyment from the killing of the animals they hunt. Hunting is supposed to be an enjoyable sport. Hunters appreciate and respect the animal they kill and realize that the animal is giving them something in return.
The biggest and most important part of hunting is SAFETY. I remember this all the way back from hunters saftey class and every year from my father. He cannot stress safe hunting enough. You learn all about 'safe hunting' in hunters safety classes and there are many ways to be safe while hunting. The method we find most helpful in our hunting camp is with the use of walkie talkies. We make sure everyone in camp has one of these and notifies each other when they are safe in their stand, when they are safe out of their stand, when they shoot a deer, see suspicous activity, and the list goes on. Obviously, communication is key if you are going to 'hunt safe'.
Overall, hunting is a great outdoor experience for all the reasons I have listed and many more!
Another pro to hunting is that there are not many natural predators to deer anymore. Cars, on the other had are a huge predator to deer. Many more deer would be dead on the side of the road if it wasn't for hunting.
The meat is naturally healthy food and is also more affordable.
Hunters have great compassion for the animals they kill. Very few hunters take pleasure or enjoyment from the killing of the animals they hunt. Hunting is supposed to be an enjoyable sport. Hunters appreciate and respect the animal they kill and realize that the animal is giving them something in return.
The biggest and most important part of hunting is SAFETY. I remember this all the way back from hunters saftey class and every year from my father. He cannot stress safe hunting enough. You learn all about 'safe hunting' in hunters safety classes and there are many ways to be safe while hunting. The method we find most helpful in our hunting camp is with the use of walkie talkies. We make sure everyone in camp has one of these and notifies each other when they are safe in their stand, when they are safe out of their stand, when they shoot a deer, see suspicous activity, and the list goes on. Obviously, communication is key if you are going to 'hunt safe'.
Overall, hunting is a great outdoor experience for all the reasons I have listed and many more!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
K-9 communication
Throughout time we have learned many different types of ways to train and communicate with dogs. The most unique way of dog training today is through the Police Force, which is also known as K-9 Units. You may have seen them on TV or on the news obtaining drugs from the most unthinkable places. I really think it’s amazing that we can’t match their natural gifts/instincts with our most advanced technology.
Did you know that dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells compared to humans which have 5 million? If you motivate the dog to properly maintain focus on a single track such as drugs, ignore any others that might otherwise seem of a higher interest. For example, dogs can be trained to find drugs in the most extraordinary places, such as smelling through a gas tank with ten layers of air tight saran wrap and grease in-between each layer until you hit the main drug.
The usual choice of dog is a German shepherd, which is mostly because they are so intelligent and have the ablility to learn quickly. They are also best for the job because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions. This comes in handy when finding drugs or even people.
Did you know that dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells compared to humans which have 5 million? If you motivate the dog to properly maintain focus on a single track such as drugs, ignore any others that might otherwise seem of a higher interest. For example, dogs can be trained to find drugs in the most extraordinary places, such as smelling through a gas tank with ten layers of air tight saran wrap and grease in-between each layer until you hit the main drug.
The usual choice of dog is a German shepherd, which is mostly because they are so intelligent and have the ablility to learn quickly. They are also best for the job because of their keen sense of smell and their ability to work regardless of distractions. This comes in handy when finding drugs or even people.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Training my puppy
About two weeks ago, I got a puppy. He is a yellow lab and is going on thirteen weeks. I have been working hard to train him. So far we have worked on SIT, COME, WAIT, and lay DOWN. When I have his food, or a treat, or a toy (something that he wants) he will listen more effectively then when I just give him a command. I want to be able to give my dog a command and have him listen reguardless if I have a treat/food/toy or not.
The more time I spend with him and the more I get to know him, he will learn to listen to me and view me as his "master." Trust between us will hopefully build up as he gets to know me. Everything is about having a 'routine' with a puppy/dog. He will eventually learn when it's time to eat, take a walk, or go to sleep.
The communication between us will excel to a higher level everyday that we spend time and get to know each other a little better.
The more time I spend with him and the more I get to know him, he will learn to listen to me and view me as his "master." Trust between us will hopefully build up as he gets to know me. Everything is about having a 'routine' with a puppy/dog. He will eventually learn when it's time to eat, take a walk, or go to sleep.
The communication between us will excel to a higher level everyday that we spend time and get to know each other a little better.
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