I can’t say that I’ve seen everything. But sometimes I feel as if I have. For example, the morning after we publish Bob Elton’s piece on Chrysler’s wanton destruction of its historical archives, the Detroit Free Press runs a piece on the future—or lack thereof—for feral cats hanging out on the grounds of Chrysler’s Sterling Heights factory. As a former English resident alien, I know what’s it’s like to live in a country where animal welfare gets more play than the challenges faced by humans. Still, this is one for the record books: “‘We try to help them out a little,’ said Claudia Valentine, 55, a veteran skilled trades worker on the night shift at the plant. She said workers feed the cats nightly and do such things as setting insulated crates outside in winter. But the cats have multiplied and are causing safety problems, a few being run over by workers or caught in the conveyor system.” We also learn, “Feral females spend most of their lives pregnant or nursing. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can yield 420,000 cats.” In the same sense, I suppose, that Chrysler can become profitable. Just sayin’.
Here in New Jersey, it’s easier for a woman to get an abortion than it is to get “animal control” to pick up a feral cat.
Why doesn’t Chrysler just start selling the kittens? It would probably be more profitable than their cars at this point.
Darlene Hokanson of Troy, a member of Alleycat Allies, said feral cats tend to find homes where people feed them or where there are trash bins where they can find food.
“That’s their home,” said Hokanson. “They are just trying to exist like anyone else.”
Is it just me or does anyone else find it very weird that a grown woman would refer to wild animals as if they’re people.
And people wonder why cat overpopulation is a problem.
Spay or neuter your goddamn pets.
And people wonder why cat overpopulation is a problem.
Spay or neuter your goddamn pets.
Bob Barker, everyone!
As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives….
@Rod Panhard: +1
I think Bob Barker’s message would have been more awesome if he had said “goddamn pets” Or he should have had a roving wagon like the Madden Bus going around the country helping to reduce the pet population. I guess Bob’s hypothetical pet-population-bus would have to be converted to run on natural gas or something to be more eco-friendly.
This piece shows the priority of the Free Press. Bob, you have to understand that the average reader of the Freep is probably undereducated and possibly of a blue collar background. This is the group that the Freep caters to uin order to pump up sales.
With all the porblems in Metro Detroit, they run articles about the next Bobby Layne and feral cats.
PeregrineFalcon :
July 27th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
And people wonder why cat overpopulation is a problem.
————————————————-
And people wonder why human overpopulation is a problem.
Meanwhile, in Dearborn:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090727/NEWS02/90727052/Search-continues-today-for-live-Chihuahuas-at-Dearborn-house
derm81, this isn’t a unique condition to Detroit. For two weeks, the country’s attention was focused on the Michael Jackson death story instead of the economy, cap and trade, health care reform, etc.
Country going down the tubes? That’s OK, give me (American Idol or other diversion) and I’ll be happy. Bread and circuses…
The plant cats control the mouse population. Tom cats,being tom cats add to the cat population.
Lift trucks,conveyers, sling shots,and homemade cannons[don’t ask]usually kept the population in check. Sometimes management found it necessary to “cull the herd”. I think I’ll stop now.
This isn’t a message about cats at all. Let me translate the above section for you…
“Runs a piece on the future–or lack thereof–of overpaid executives hanging out on the grounds of Chrysler’s fancy office buildings. … a country where executive welfare gets more play than the challenges faced by the other 99% of the population. We try to help them out a little, and do such things as prop up the dismally run companies so they can continue to collect huge paychecks as a reword for their failure. But the executives have multiplied and caused financial safety problems, a few being run over by angry mobs or caught with their hand in the metaphorical cookie jar actively plundering. Some even need to be “put down” with an 8-figure severance package. Executives spend most of their lives recruiting other executives that will be faithful to them, thus yielding hundreds of offspring “junior” executives during a lifetime of successful empire breeding. In the same sense, I suppose, Chrysler can become profitable–just make every employee and stock holder an executive!
Christmas Bonus: BB guns for everyone!
And here I was thinking that Chrysler are going to the dogs…
Spay or neuter your goddamn pets.
That line always gets me thinking of the Gary Larson carton where a dog is bragging out the window of the car to his dog friend “I’m going to the store now, and then this afternoon, I’m going to the vet to be tutored”.
derm81 :
“This piece shows the priority of the Free Press. Bob, you have to understand that the average reader of the Freep is probably undereducated and possibly of a blue collar background.”
Yes, instead of reading the paper after work, those blue collar undereducated people should be blogging in the middle of the day like highly educated white collar people.
PeteMoran
good one!
The employees that help the cats out are to be commended for their kindness. I am sure if they posed a hazard the company could do something productive like paying someone to trap them and have them spayed and neutered, and perhaps helping to find homes. Or would something like that really be too rational a solution for them. Judging from Mikey’s post, the answer is probably yes.
where animal welfare gets more play than the challenges faced by humans.
They are usually more deserving. Take a look around.