That stunning summer hibiscus plant with crimson-centered golden
flowers, is gone now. It was so
beautiful outside all summer that I decided to bring it indoors to winter over
near a south-facing window and bloom again in spring.
Wrong.
What I hadn’t
counted on was Harry, our orange cat, licking the hibiscus leaves whenever I
was in the same room with him and the plant.
What’s with that, I wondered numerous times before googling “cats and
hibiscus” . . . when I learned the two don’t mix, and the cat comes out the
loser, not the plant.
At that, the hibiscus went out with the trash. (But I saved a small branch with a few leaves. Maybe it will root, out of Harry’s reach.)
The hibiscus experience reminded me of earlier ones. Like, when I almost bought a plant with great orange
flowers -- my fave -- but a little voice advised checking it out for pet safety
first. Good thing I listened: it was on
the hazard list.
Then I realized that overall, plant tags at florists, nurseries and even
supermarkets don’t usually include information about possible danger to pets. Of course the goal is to sell plants, but come
on: what nursery rep wants to face a customer
whose pet became sick or died from contact with a plant?
Now, there’s a campaign for an aspiring activist: require that plants be labeled with
pet-safety info as well as growing directions. And till that happens (don’t hold your
breath), would-be consumers should automatically google plant name with cats,
dogs, other pets.
Fido = Faithful
It was a “duh” moment when I read about Madison, the dog who waited weeks
for his family’s return to Paradise, California, after wipe-out wild fires destroyed
the place. A volunteer left food and water, which apparently helped Madison
keep his vigil till he was reunited with his jubilant family. (Miguel, a second family dog, had been
rescued and taken to a shelter; he too was reunited.)
As the story had it, Madison became “one of the many dogs renowned for
their fidelity since ancient times.
After all, Fido means ‘faithful.’”
Well, duh!
Which brought up the ancient story of Odysseus, returning home after years
away. His old dog, Argos, had waited for
him at the front gates, neglected but steadfast. At the sight of his master, Argos wagged his
tail and flattened his ears; he was the only one to recognize Odysseus.
Hunting’s widespread harm
With no word to
the contrary, the deer hunt in Mercer County parks evidently continues. Also euphemistically known as “deer
management,” it will go on till next month.
We can hope only that those who protested this hunt after it began will take action well
before it starts again next time.
Hunting has
lethal results for prey animals of course, and that’s bad enough. What adds to the awfulness, though, is when
the lead bullets used also kill other animals, who may feed on lead-tainted carcasses
and die of lead poisoning. According to
one estimate, between 10-20 million animals (eagles, hawks, bears, vultures,
ravens and coyotes) die that way each year.
Also contributing
to some hunters’ switching from lead to copper bullets is the fact that lead
bullets can also pollute the game meat people eat.
The manager of a sanctuary for birds -- among the species hardest hit by lead poisoning -- says, “. . . we
moved away from lead in gasoline, paint and plumbing and now we need to do the same
with ammunition.” In the interest of
conservation, even some hunters share that view.
A new, and better, year
Despite
continuing divisions and political forebodings for 2019, may this year be a
good one for animals and those who care about and work for them.
#
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