In the News

Besides the mysterious disappearance of the airplane flight over Malaysia, there were some other very intriguing things in the news this week.  Several of them caught my eye, and I thought I'd share them here.

Cat Traps Family in Bedroom.

Did you hear this one?   A Himalayan cat got upset that his owner kicked him in the rear when he scratched the baby.  As a result, the cat got angry, went after the family, and the family locked themselves in the bedroom and called the police to help them get out.

The following is the release from the police department about their response to this crisis.

"Officers arrived and cautiously opened the door to the residence, where they saw the black and white Himalayan dart into the kitchen, attempting to flee custody. Officers were able to outwit the high-strung Himalayan, who climbed on to the top of the refrigerator, and get a snare around the cat and safely get the cat behind bars in its crate.
"Officers then told the family that it was safe to come out of the bedroom. The cat remained behind bars in the custody of the family and officers cleared the scene and continued to fight crime elsewhere in the city."

(source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/11/289075547/seriously-angry-fat-cat-pens-family-in-bedroom)

I give a lot of credit to the family.  They are not putting the cat down.  They have kept the cat, and are working with a pet therapist to help the cat and the baby get along together.

If you haven't heard the audio yet, follow the link to the NPR article above. 


Abused Animals Relocated

In Hampshire, Ill., animal control was called in to a farm with unsafe conditions.  Several dead animals were on the premises, and the owners had been arrested on animal cruelty charges. 

Animal control was uncertain how to handle the large farm animals.  They didn't have the facilities to deal alpacas and llamas.  They issued a call to the community for help, and 100 people stepped forward to help the animals find safe loving places to be nursed back to health. 

Actually, within hours, lots and lots of people had stepped forward to help with the animals.

It's good to know there are wonderful people out there!

(source: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=9461999)


Ice Caves on Lake Superior

source:http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/02/18/lake-superior-ice-caves/5578095/

For the first time in 30 years, major portions of the Great Lakes have frozen solid. In spite of the huge economic impact, and the potential devastation of the shipping industry early next month, this unique, once in a lifetime event has inspired tourism on an unprecedented scale.

These ice caves are located a mile away from land across the Frozen Lake Superior.  These ice covered caves were formed when water seeped into the cracks in the sandstone and then froze on the walls and ceilings.  Access to these caves is only possible when the surface of the lake freezes enough to safely walk on.

(source: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/lake-superior-dazzling-ice-caves/) You can see some awesome pictures of the ice caves at this link!

Woman Dead for Six Years in Home

This was the saddest article I've seen in a long time.  A woman's dead mummified body was found in her home.  She was sitting in her car.  She had been dead for six years.

Imagine.   Six years.  No one missed her.  No one checked up on her.  The neighbors mowed her lawn and took in the circulars located on her drive, but they never thought it odd that they hadn't seen her.

The auto payments that she had set up at the bank paid her bills on time every month.  When she ran out of money six years later, the bank foreclosed on the house.  They sent a contractor over to fix a hole in the roof last week, and he found the woman sitting in her car.

It gives  you pause, doesn't it?  A moment for deep reflection and thought.  Not only about your own life and how you live it, but also about the people who live around you.  Can you imagine living a life where no one misses you for six years?  Where the neighbors don't even think it's odd that they haven't seen you?  When was the last time you checked on your neighbors?  When was the last time you saw the people who live next door to you?  When was the last time you saw the widow lady who lives down the street?

(source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/03/mummified-woman-in-detroit-suburb-likely-dead-6-years/)

Food for thought.