Schipperke

I have two of these wonderful dogs called Schipperke's, Trooper and Tami. Both are Show Dogs. They are sometimes called 'the little captain' as the name is often mistranslated into Skipper Key, as in boat skipper. The legend has it they are Flemish or Belgian Barge Dogs.

The reality is somewhat different. They look like small version of the Belgium Sheep Dog though they are not directly related, and they too are a sheep dog.


The Schipperke (pronounced: skipper-key) has been known for centuries in the Flemish Province of Belgium where he was bred as a watchdog and hunter of vermin.

He is a bright, active and inquisitive dog that makes an excellent family companion. He is very good with children and suspicious of strangers, making him a good watchdog. Smart, loyal and loving, the Schip needs attention and companionship. He is active and loves to learn, and will excel in such activities as obedience, agility, flyball, tracking and herding.

Peasants in the Flemish Low Countries were not allowed large dogs, like horses and swords these were the symbols of the ruling classes and their Knights. So the peasants bred a small dog called the Schipperke to act as a shepherd, and the name means shepherd in Flemish. The peasants were Flemish Weavers and they brought their dogs with them when they traded with England and Europe.

THE WEE DOG FROM WALES
 By Sharon Pflaumer
 As with most breeds, there are a number of theories concerning
 the origins of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi in addition to the
 fanciful tale (about the fairies leaving two children wee dogs
 as a gift). This sturdy, all-around worker may have come
 from Schipperke-like dogs introduced to the British Isles
 by Flemish weavers in 1107. These weavers settled in Wales,
 where their canine companions evolved into cattle dogs.
 Another theory maintains the Pembroke is descended from
 the Swedish Vallhund, which may have been introduced to
 Wales by the Vikings.

Sumptuary Laws of Edward III's Reign

In 1337 when war was again declared with France, the English Parliament enacted
 a law intended to restrain  extravagance in dress and to promote the consumption 
 of English manufacturers. The 1337 act dealt with furs, limiting the wearing therof 
 to persons of gentle birth (or persons with annula incomes of 100 pounds or more). 

 The Black Death reached England in 1348 and the end of the following year had spread
to the north of the  country. It was estimated at least 20% of the population died.
This led to the  imposition in 1351 of the Statute of Labourers which fixed wages to
pre Black Death  levels and prevented mobility of labour in an attempt to restore stability
at a timewhen demand for workers was much greater than the supply (Pearsall, 1996).

People were often paid in apparel and foodstuffs. In 1355 an act was passed concerning the 
  dress of prostitutes. This related to restrictions of wear with the purpose of 
  distinguishing prostitutes from  respectable women. The parliament of 1363 passed an 
  act regulating both apparel and consumption of foodstuffs. This act amended the 1337 
  act and reduced the threshold for permissible wearing of furs to any non-peasant 
  with annual income of 40 shillings or greater. The legislation had two objectives 
  i.e.. protectionism i.e. only members of the royal family could wear cloth of 
  non-English manufacture and partly as an anti-inflationary  measure. Prior to this,
   Flemish weavers were taking English cash out of the country,  restriction to the 
   royals, was an economic means of keeping English money in the country. 

The Schipperke look more like foxes when they are mature, and like little bears when they are young pups. They are bright, intelligent, and obstinate hence the designation Little Captain, they push their way around. They are the perfect anarchist dog and the perfect dog for an anarchist.

They were later adopted by the Flemish Tailors Guild sometime in the late 15th Century or early 16th Century, because of their beautiful ruffs. The Tailors would make decorated collars and show them off on the ruffs of their Schipperke's in local competitions, walking them through the streets, and thus the origin of the dog show begins with the Flemish Tailors and their Schipperke's.

uring the 15th Century, Brussels became the tapestry capital. The extravagant use of gold thread in these works, inspired the name Tapis D'Or (cloth of gold). The most prominent weaver, Pieter Van Aelst, was responsible for creating "The Acts of the Apostles" which was commissioned for the Sistine Chapel. And in the 1500's Queen Elizabeth made the weaving industry the basis of England's trade. William Sheldon designed a series of county maps which were a charming mixture of geographical representation and decorative design. Mary, Queen of Scots, employed 2 Master Embroiderers for the Crown: Pierre Oudray and Charles Howart. The first embroidery book published in England was "A Schole House for the Needle" by Richard Schorleyker in 1624. It illustrated most of the usual motifs of the time, and also some lace and cut work. Embroiderers were also influenced by the designs from a manuscript by Thomas Trevellyan. These may be seen in many variations of Elizabethan Age embroidery.

They were later adapted for use on the Flemish canal barges, as a rat dog, to hunt and kill the scourge of barges and the working class ghetto. Thus the confusion about them being barge or boat dogs and the terms Skipper Keys, or little captains.

My Year of the War Including an Account of Experiences with the Troops
in France and the Record of a Visit to the Grand Fleet Which is Here
Given for the First Time in its Complete Form

When I think of Belgium's part in the war I always think of the little
Belgian dog, the schipperke who lives on the canal boats. He is a
home-staying dog, loyal, affectionate, domestic, who never goes out
on the tow-path to pick quarrels with other dogs; but let anything on
two or four feet try to go on board when his master is away and he will
fight with every ounce of strength in him. 

They are a rare dog breed that has become popular over the last few years. Since we adopted Trooper and Tami, I see more of them around the neighbourhood now. But folks still stop us and ask us what kind of dog they are. Most folks have heard of them as the rare Belgium Barge dog.

Both our dogs are from Diana Kinnear's Majekin line of Schipperke's and we are their adopted guardians. They both still do dog shows and Trooper is a Champion breed stud. This photo is of his winning pose in Camrose, the year we adopted him.

We found them by looking on the net. We had used the net to find rescue animals, in particular cats, we have a long standing tradition of adopting older cats. Since we lived in an apartment for many years. When we moved into our house I began to suggest we get a dog. A small dog, this funny dog with a funny name, we had seen at the dog show, which was just a bit bigger than our cats.

So we were looking for the dog with the funny name Schipperke and looked it up on the Internet. We came across Trooper through Diana who had moved from Calgary to Edmonton and needed to adopt him out to a home since she had another male in her menagerie and Trooper being the Alpha Male he needed a home of his own.

And eventually so did his granddaughter Tami, who really is a a spoiled little princess. She is my partners little girl. She lived with other Julie and the other 'girls' at Diana's house but really needed to be in her own home. And yes it is her home, she bosses Trooper around.

So what started out as a us looking at getting one dog, ended up with us adopting two of these wily intelligent guard dogs. And let me tell you they are better than any alarm system when it comes to protecting 'their home and property'.

Julie at 10 weeks(Mazeru Heavensent to Majekin) bred by Anna Verleg

( Ch Majekin Poetry In Motion x Ch Roetmop Qiwi)

Tami at 4 months(Majekin Talk About Me)

(Ch. Ebonorth Autumn Stormy Boy x Ch Majekin Ombrelle de Orval)

SCHIPPERKE CLUB OF CANADA SPECIALTY WINNER:
AM/CAN CH MAJEKIN NEMESIS DE SANGBLEU (TROOPER)
















Now what prompted me to write about them, which I had been intending on doing for some time actually, was this recent story in the news. If you are a regular reader of this blog, and of course who isn't, you know my position on crimes against animals.

Well this story was in the press recently. It's a terrible case of animal abuse and cruelty and it happened to a Schipperke puppy and it is horrible because the puppy was in the care of this person, totally dependent on them for it's survival. And of course as I have pointed out before if a person can do this to an animal they can do the same to children or even adults.

Three months for puppy drowning

Karen Kleiss, edmontonjournal.com

Published: Friday, November 16

EDMONTON - A man who drowned his friend's four-month-old puppy in a bathtub while she listened on the phone was sentenced today to three months in jail.

Jeffrey Vince, 46, is banned from owning pets for two years after his release, Crown prosecutor Prima Michell said after court.

Vince pleaded guilty in June to causing pain and suffering to an animal in connection with the Sept. 6, 2006 incident.

Michell said the incident began when Vince and a female friend got into an argument because the woman had been discussing Vince's mental health with a neighbour.

Vince pointed at the four-month-old puppy, a Schipperke lap dog named Shadoe, and the tiny dog nipped at his fingers. Angry, he grabbed the animal, shoved it into a carrier and drove home to his apartment, Michell said.

A short time later, he called his friend and asked her if she wanted to hear her dog dying. He placed the dog in the carrier in the tub, and ran the water until it died. He then attempted suicide by overdosing on pills, Michell said.

"This is not a case of somebody who might have some weird notions of discipline, and it is not a case of someone who is too poor to feed their pet," Michell said. "This is a deliberate act by someone who is mad at the owner."

Michell said psychological reports entered into evidence during the trial show Vince has a history of mental illness, but that the illness did not prevent him from forming the intention to kill the animal.

In court today, Michell said told the judge he feels bad for killing the dog.

And well he should. But he also needs medical help for his mental condition, which no amount of jail time will address. And it shows the failure of our social system that does not consider mental health as a public health issue. Instead it allows people to suffer alone, as the Klein government did when it closed Alberta Hospital and left the mentally ill to wander the streets homeless. And thus contributes directly to their alienation and subsequent mental illness which they deny they have.

On the other hand here is a story about how important that bond is between us and our animal companions, and no they are NOT pets. It is a bond that is as deep as humankind, since we domesticated wild animals to join us in our communities. And it too is a sad story, because it deals with the death of family member.

Another Sad Day

Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at 3:37 PM

I'm just popping in for a quick minute today. My wonderful, sweet Schipperke, Bear, passed away suddenly and quite unexpectedly yesterday morning. He didn't feel well on Sunday. We just thought his arthritis was bothering him. By 3:00 a.m. yesterday morning, we knew something was seriously wrong. We flew out the door for Dr. K's office, where he was waiting for us. We were all with him, when he crossed the bridge. Dr. K feels that it probably was a blood clot brought on either by an auto immune response or a disease called DIC. He assured us, that there was nothing that we could have done.

Bear was such a bright light in my house. I know that it will be dim for a while, and never quite as bright before. Bear was a friend to everyone who met him, whether it was another pet or person. He became the official greeter of my neighborhood. We made rounds to visit all of the neighbors. He hadn't been getting out quite as much, because of his arthritis, but he still liked to visit.

Casey and I are still in quite a bit of shock. I may not be around for a couple of days, and I hope that you all understand. I'm still processing. This was an exceptionally hard blow, so soon after losing Slate the first of September. Please send good thoughts and prayers this way.

Goodbye Bear. You were a loyal, uplifting friend. You will be terribly missed.

But I will end on a more positive note with this final post I came across while Googling Schipperke's in the news. I have two cats and two dogs, and they all get along well. I will tell you my cat tales in another post. This final post ends with a message about the importance of adopting animals, especially rescued animals, those that have been abandoned by their owners. Often through no fault of their own, because in Alberta with the lack of affordable housing landlords are refusing to accept 'pets' or overcharging for the privilege of living with your companion animal.

Juanita's Juanderings
Claws and Paws
By Juanita Harris

I have two cats, Ebony and Ivory, who are about five years old, and who have become fat, lazy, and quite comfortable in their surroundings. In other words, quite spoiled. Until recently they have been able to lounge anywhere they darn well choose to lounge, be it on the furniture, my bed, or the dining room table. Now there is a battle for �top dog� in the house, and the cats seem to be losing the war. So much so that I haven�t seen much of them in the last two weeks. I think they have taken permanent lodging underneath my bed.

Their calm, cool, complacency has been greatly upset by my bringing home another four-legged fur ball � namely Roxie, a three-year-old Schipperke. Now to picture this. Here�s Roxie, all of seven pounds, and both of the cats are at least 12 to 14 pounds each. You see, Roxie doesn�t much like cats, and my cats don�t much care for dogs as it turns out. I am hoping that things will eventually settle down to a dull roar instead of the growl, bark, chase, and hide routine that now takes place every time the cats appear.
But, have no fear. I have not abandoned the cats. I go into the bedroom every day, shut the door, and spend quality time with them. I don�t want them to feel unloved. In fact, I moved their food into the master bathroom so they would not have to traverse the dog�s line of sight in order to be able to eat. But, they still must do that to get to their litter boxes.

At this time of year, with Christmas rapidly approaching, if you are considering a pet for your family, please consider adopting from the Humane Society as I did. There are plenty of beautiful, loving dogs and cats, puppies and kittens that deserve good, loving homes. But, if you do adopt a pet, please make sure your family is properly educated in the proper care and training of that animal before you bring it home. And, if you decide to get a pet from a private party, please make certain that your pet is properly vaccinated and spayed or neutered at the proper age. It is better for the animal and it avoids the unnecessary euthanizing of unwanted puppies and kittens.

'Til next time, be safe and have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
animal abuse dog shows, Belgium barge dog, animals, Flemish, little captain, cats,Edmonton, animals, dog killers, dogs, pets,
mental illness, Belgium, dogs, animal abuse, schipperke, humans, domestication,

DOMESTICATION TRANSMUTATION INTO DOGS

Foxes Started Eating Human Food Remains as Early as 42,000 Years Ago

Jul 23, 2020 by News Staff / Source

A team of scientists from the University of Tübingen has studied the diet of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) that lived during the Paleolithic period in southwestern Germany.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Image credit: Shorty Ox.

Foxes love leftovers. In the wild, they regularly feed on scraps left behind by larger predators like bears and wolves, but the closer foxes live to human civilization, the more of their diet is made up of foods that humans leave behind.

University of Tübingen researcher Chris Baumann and colleagues hypothesized that if this commensal relationship goes back to ancient times, then foxes might be useful indicators of human impact in the past.

They compared ratios of carbon and nitrogen isotopes between the remains of various herbivores, large carnivores, and red and Arctic foxes from several Paleolithic archaeological sites in the Ach Valley (Hohle Fels, Geißenklösterle and Sirgenstein) and the Lone Valley (Bockstein, Hohlenstein-Stadel and Vogelherd) in Germany.

At sites older than 42,000 years, when Neanderthals sparsely occupied the region, fox diets were similar to their local large carnivores.

“In this study, we were seeking to discover whether human hunting activity may have provided advantages for some animal species,” Baumann said.

“Originally, the main food source for red and Arctic foxes was small mammals, which the foxes hunted. That was the case in the Middle Paleolithic, more than 42,000 years ago.”

“In southwestern Germany that was the time of the Neanderthals and the Swabian Jura was only sparsely populated.”

But in the younger sites, as Homo sapiens became common in the area, foxes developed a more unique diet consisting largely of reindeer, which are too big for foxes to hunt but which are known to have been important game for ancient humans of the time.

The results suggest that during the Upper Paleolithic, these foxes made a shift from feeding on scraps left by local large predators to eating food left behind by humans. This indicates that foxes’ reliance on human food goes back a good 42,000 years.

Summary figure for the commensal fox hypothesis. 

Image credit: Baumann et al, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235692

Fox dietary ecology as a tracer of human impact on Pleistocene ecosystems (plos.org)

“The isotopic data from the fox bones indicate that the composition of several animals’ diets changed,” said University of Tübingen’s Professor Hervé Bocherens, co-author on the study.

“We assume that these foxes now lived mainly on meat waste left behind by humans, or perhaps were even fed by them.”

“The data showed the meat was from large animals that the foxes could not bring down — such as mammoth and reindeer.”

“The humans dragged the whole reindeer into their caves. But the huge mammoths were butchered in the place they were killed.”

The team proposes that, with further studies investigating this fox-human relationship, ancient fox diets may be useful indicators of human impact on ecosystems over time.

“Dietary reconstructions of Ice Age foxes have shown that early modern humans had an influence on the local ecosystem as early as 40,000 years ago,” the authors said.

“The more humans populated a particular region, the more the foxes adapted to them.”

The findings were published online in the journal PLoS ONE.

_____

C. Baumann et al. 2020. Fox dietary ecology as a tracer of human impact on Pleistocene ecosystems. PLoS ONE 15 (7): e0235692; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235692

I HAVE POSTULATED BEFORE THAT SOME SPECIES OF DOGS ORIGINATED BY BREEDING FOXES WITH ANOTHER CANID, IN PARTICULAR WITH THE ORIGIN OF THE DOG BREED SCHIPPERKE

IF FOXES WERE EATING OUR GARBAGE, LIKE WOLVES WERE THEN THEN THEY WOULD BE EQUALLY CONSIDERED FOR BREEDING DOGS.

THIS IS OF COURSE HERESY, AND BEING A HERESIOLOGIST I KNOW IT IS, BECAUSE ORTHODOX BELIEF IS THAT ONLY WOLF CANIDS CREATED DOGS. 

A RUSSIAN EXPERIMENT IN SIBERIA OVER FORTY YEARS HAS PROVEN THE FOX INTO DOG HYPOTHESIS TO BE A VALID BIOLOGICAL THEORY.

OF COURSE THE OTHER HERETIC THAT BELIEVES IT IS ALSO AN ANARCHIST BIOLOGIST AND BIOGRAPHER OF KROPOTKIN; LEE DUGIN
AND HE HAS WRITTEN AN ACCOUNT OF THIS ONGOING EXPERIMENT AS WELL AS HAVING BECOME INVOLVED WITH IT IN ORDER TO WRITE THIS ACCOUNT.

First ever dog-fox hybrid discovered in the wild

Joe Pinkstone
Wed, September 13, 2023

Dog-fox hybrid dubbed 'dogxim' had a 'shy and cautious personality' - Flavia Ferrari

The world’s first confirmed dog-fox hybrid has been found in the Brazilian wilderness.

The animal was hit by a car in the area of Vacaria in 2021 and taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment but staff were unable to conclude whether it was a fox or dog they were taking care of.

Unusual physical characteristics, including some dog-like and some fox-like traits, piqued the interest of scientists from local universities who subsequently analysed her genes.

A recently published study revealed the animal’s mother was a pampas fox and her father a domestic dog of an unknown breed. It is the first recorded instance of a fox and dog breeding, experts believe.


It has the same build as a medium-sized dog, large, pointy ears, a long snout with a jet black nose and bulging brown eyes set into a thick, wiry black-brown coat with specks of white and grey throughout.


The animal has the same build and features as a medium-sized dog

The young wild canid was given the names “graxorra” and “dogxim” by carers and researchers.

The first moniker is a portmanteau of “grax”, from graxaim-do-campo, the Portuguese common name for the pampas fox, and “orra” from “cachorra”, which means female dog in Portuguese.

Academics also dubbed the animal “dogxim” as a merger of “dog” and “xim” from graxaim-do-campo.

The dogxim looked like both dog and fox, and also behaved in a strange way akin to both, the team noted. It refused food and ate live rodents; barked like a dog but had a thick, dark coat similar to the fox; and was wary of people but warmed to them over time.

“She was an amazing animal, really a hybrid between a pampas fox and a dog,” Flávia Ferrari, a conservationist that worked with the animal during her recovery, told The Telegraph.

“It was not as docile as a dog, but it also lacked the aggressiveness expected of a wild canid when handled.

“She had a shy and cautious personality, generally preferring to stay away from people. Over the time she was hospitalised for treatment, I believe she started to feel safer.”

Despite its fear of humans, the dogxim over time allowed some to approach if they were cautious and calm, Ms Ferrari said.

“So, in some moments, she allowed herself to be touched and even caressed, also interacting, and sometimes even playing with toys,” she added.

The animal was neutered as part of her treatment so scientists do not know if she would have been able to reproduce, but believe it would have been possible.

Scientists looked at the dogxim’s genes and found 76 chromosomes. Only one canid, the maned wolf, has this amount of chromosomes and it looks so different to the newly-discovered Brazilian animal that the scientists ruled it out.

A dog has 78 chromosomes and a pampas fox 74 and hybridisation of the two would produce 76 chromosomes. No other interspecies could produce the dogxim’s karyotype, the team says.

Mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down maternally in the cell’s energy-making capsules, revealed fox heritage. However, elsewhere in the genome were clear stretches of dog-like DNA.

“In our study we recorded the first case of hybridisation between one species of wild canid and the domestic dog,” study first author Bruna Elenara Szynwelski, a PhD student in genetics and molecular biology at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, told The Telegraph.

“But, different to cases of hybridisation studied in North America, Europe, and Africa, this hybridisation occurred between species from the distinct genera: lycalopex and canis.”


Scientists found the animal to have 76 chromosomes - Flavia Ferrari

Dr Rafael Kretschmer, a cytogeneticist who ran the genetic analysis, said: “She is not a new species; she is a hybrid individual between two different species: pampas fox and domestic dog.

“We consider her to be unique because it was the first case of hybridisation between pampas fox and domestic dog and the first case of hybridisation between dogs and wild canids in South America.”

The animal was cared for at the veterinary hospital of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, where she recovered fully and was then transferred to a conservation centre called Mantenedouro São Braz in Santa Maria city.

The movement of the rare animal was organised by the region’s government. She died this year of unknown causes.

Hybrids have been seen before of domestic dogs and other wild species including coyotes, wolves and dingos.

Nature’s weirdest mixed species

However, these instances involved interspecific breeding of animals in the same genus (canis). South American foxes, however, belong to the genus lycalopex.

Lycalopex animals, which includes the pampas fox, are genetically different to both dogs and European foxes. The genus name literally means “wolf fox”. This hybrid is believed to be the first time a dog has bred outside the canis group.

“Although the common English name is pampas fox, the species is not closely related to the European foxes,” Dr Kretschmer said.

“The pampas fox is more closely related to dogs. Even so, this hybridisation occurred between two species that are more phylogenetically distant than the previously reported hybridisation reported in other parts of the world.”

Further investigations required

The team published their findings in the journal Animals and believe there may be more dogxims in the wild, with this individual being the tip of the iceberg and the only one to be captured and studied.

“Our findings suggest that this individual represents a first-generation hybrid between a dog and a pampas fox,” the scientists write in their paper.

“This discovery implies that, although these species diverged about 6.7 million years ago and belong to different genera, they might still produce viable hybrids. Further investigations are required to determine the fertility of these hybrids.”

Human activity has pushed the pampas fox into closer contact with people, and therefore dogs, and increased the likelihood of these species mating, the team say.

It remains unknown how common the hybridisation event occurs but the overlap of foxes and dogs increases the chance of them meeting and mating.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for SCHIPPERKE 

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/07/how-to-tame-foxand-build-dog-amazing.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/07/how-do-you-make-fox-your-friend-fast.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/07/review-open-access-published-07.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/07/foxes-started-eating-human-food-remains.html

Merry Christmas, Happy Yule

The First Christmas Card

In the early 19th century it was common practice to hand write seasonal messages on calling cards or in letters. In 1843, in order to save himself having to hand-write dozens of Christmas messages, Sir Henry Cole had his friend, John Calcott Horsley, design and print a batch of cards. The words printed on the card were 'A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year' much the same is still found in cards today.

As Habermas points out in his seminal work on the Public Sphere, the post office and communications are key to not only the development of capitalism but also the concept of public space that is public communications arising out of private communications. This post card reflects the reality making public what had been a private matter, that is letter writing. The result would then be a whole communications industry devoted to greeting cards, which then created the conditions for public holidays and the resulting mass consumer society of department stores and mass advertising.

Donalda and I are taking our dogs; Trooper and Tami, off for a jaunt in the mountains for Xmas. So I won't be blogging for several days.

We are going to Jasper. Like Banff a national park created by slave labour, after WWI, using Ukrainian Internees. I will raise a glass in their memory.

Have a great Yule all. Drink a cup o' cheer to keep away the winter cold.

Here are links to my previous articles for this season.

Fiat Lux

Bad Headline

Virgin Birth Announced

WWI Xmas Mutiny

Christmas In the Trenches

Merry Christmas Red Baron

Merry Christmas

Cat Carol

Santa's Sweat Shop

Tannebaum

Rebel Jesus

Chavez Puts Christ In Christmas

Merry Christmashkah

Keeping the 'X' in X-Mas

Chuck Jones Explains It All





Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Jurgen Habermas,, Frankfurt School, marxism,, Post Modernism, Modernism,, Enlightenment,, Modernism,, internment camps,, , public space, Christmas card,, Jasper,, pluralism,, liberalism,
Belgium, dogs, schipperke,
Christmas, Xmas, war on christmas, Christians
Yule, Yultide, Hanukkah, Hanukka, Solstice, Pagan, Roman, Saturnalia, Winter, Kwanzaa, ChristmasTree,
SaintNicholaus, St.Nick, Santa Claus,

The Magick of Cats

I have cats. Have had for over thirty years. My cat Khan passed on at the fine old age of 25. Now we have two Japanese bob-tails, and two dogs; Schipperke's.
Of them I will blog about later.

For now we are discussing cats. I came across these two interesting tales of cats, witches and politics.

First to Saudi Arabia, again.

Arrest That Cat! Man’s Cruelty to Animals! Roger Harrison, Arab News

JEDDAH, 4 June 2006 — It took five police cars, a limousine and a man pretending to have a firearm to arrest Ms. Eva — who was suspected of witchcraft — and the cat. Ms. Eva was released six hours later after questioning; the cat was detained overnight for inquiries. It reads like an April 1 article in one of the more lurid European tabloids. It is true, however, and it happened in Jeddah. Only the name has been changed. No dewy-eyed animal rights campaigner, Ms. Eva is the soul of practicality. “Cats breed prolifically,” she says. “Neuter them and return them to the streets and, because they are very territorial, the population in that area will quickly come down to controllable levels.” On the night in question, she was trundling her trolley, laden with cat food and water, along one of north Jeddah’s busy main streets. Not only were feline eyes upon her. A Saudi man, pointing what looked like a pistol at her, approached her and demanded to know what she was doing. Not accepting her simple explanation that she was feeding cats, he summoned the police and accused Eva of witchcraft. He had spotted that the cat had been recently sutured after spaying and contended that, “She had opened the cat and taken things out for witchcraft.” Eva is not alone in her passion. There is a group of remarkable women whose passion is animal welfare and who devote a good deal of time and money to healing the discarded and cruelly-treated animals they find in the streets or, if the animals are in extremis, having them humanely put down. The women’s stories are many and harrowing.

And this tail errr tale may be of some import to our Mr. Harper who also is a cat lover and an internationalist.Perhaps he should send his Minister of Foreign Affairs to Jeddah to look into this cat injustice.

Fostering pets

8 June 2006

Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Harper with two foster cats at 24 Sussex Drive.

All too often, family pets such as dogs and cats find themselves in shelters as a result of being abandoned or rescued. The Harpers are proud to support and participate in the Ottawa Humane Society’s Foster Program, which provides temporary homes for pets in the community who are not yet ready for adoption.

And some clever blogger has posted this very funny article on Harper and his cats

Advice to Harper: Beware of cats!

Still there are other more serious aspects to cat symbolism that may be more detrimental to Harper's strategy.

Yep cats represent anarchists and witches points out our friendly blogger Furgaia.

Montague Summers in his turgid tome The History of Witchcraft entitles the first chapter in his book; The Witch Heretic and Anarchist. I know that had an influence on me. So beware of the spell of the cat Mr. Harper.

And lets not forget cats are bravehearted, unlike the Kings who named themselves that and the politician who hides out in the PMO. N.J. cat chases a bear up a tree


Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
cats, witchcraft, animal-abuse, feral-cats, Saudi-Arabia, Canada, animal-adoption, animal-cruelty, animal-abuse, Harper, PM, PMO, Government, Humane-Society, witchcraft, anarchist, heretic, Summers