and BUDDY'S BUDDIES -- ISSUE #19 -- Summer 1998
© 1998, Presidential Socks Partnership, Inc.
703-920-5193 -- fax: 703-521-6157
email: SOCKSTHECAT@WORLDNET.ATT.NET
http://www.geocities.com/socksthecat.geo
To join SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB / BUDDY'S BUDDIES, CLICK HERE.
For a free copy of SOCKS THE CAT NEWSLETTER,
please send your name and address and two 32-cent stamps to:
SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB, 611 South Ivy Street, Arlington VA 22204-2429
by SOCKS FAN CLUB President Jay Jacob Wind, Arlington VA
Welcome to SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB! Since
the article in PARADE Magazine in August 1997, we now have 5,000
members in all 50 states and 11 countries - Australia, Austria, Canada,
China (Hong Kong), France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, US,
and United Kingdom. We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. We cover
America's First Cat SOCKS, animals, children, politics, and White House
news from a cat's-eye view. Some articles are copyrighted and used by permission,
so please contact us before reprinting. Send us articles and letters by
US Mail or e-mail us at SOCKSTHECAT@WORLDNET.ATT.NET
We
may reprint any letters and photos you send us.
To join SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB or BUDDY'S
BUDDIES, please use our Membership Application.
Every
member gets a SOCKS FAN CLUB or BUDDY'S BUDDIES t-shirt, button, membership
card, and the next newsletter. You can also choose many other SOCKS FAN
CLUB and BUDDY'S BUDDIES gifts. We donate 10% of everything we earn on
SOCKS gifts to Humane Society of the U.S.
and
Children's
Defense Fund
and 10% of everything we earn on BUDDY gifts to National
Children's Hospital in Washington DC.
Wild, exotic cats have intrigued people for thousands of years with their
grace, speed and agility. Even today as America's No. 1 household pet,
the feline maintains its regal stature and independence. In honor of these
captivating creatures, National Geographic Society's Explorers Hall is
hosting Cats! Wild to Mild, an interactive, educational exhibit
tracing the history, biology and evolution of every type of cat -- wild
to mild.
On Friday, June 19, the Friskies Cat Team and their Hollywood trainer appeared at Explorers Hall to demonstrate the intelligence and agility of domestic cats. Stars of commercials, television and film, these famous cats have been trained to jump through a paper cut-out "flaming" hoop, play a cat-certo on the piano and even come when called. The cat jumping on the left above is Friskies Cat Team member Spencer, a brown tabby. The cat posing on the right below is team member Monster, a red tabby.
More than 25 taxidermic specimens of cats (all of which died of natural causes and were not specifically collected for the exhibit) present a realistic sight/sound sensation as pre-recorded roaring greets visitors. Other highlights include modern-day displays such as Cat Woman's mask from the film Batman and Robin and the famous White House holiday card featuring Socks, the presidential cat.
"This exhibit combines education with fun for the entire family," said Barbara Royer, Friskies professional communications manager. "By joining with the Natural History Museum, we enhance our commitment to responsible cat care and to the unique relationship that exists between humans and their pets."
Cats! Wild to Mild teaches endangerment and conservation issues through a computer-based program where families can construct a tiger preserve. Choices in designing the virtual compound directly affect the survival of the endangered Sumatran tiger population featured in the display. In addition, Friskies and the Cat Fanciers Association provide information on responsible cat care, illustrating issues such as nutrition and general health.
"This exhibit uses visitors' familiarity and love of cats to teach history and biology lessons," said Dr. James L. Powell, exhibit founder and director of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. "Like Friskies, we hope to educate museum visitors about responsible cat care, as well as the highly endangered status of most species of wild cats."
Friskies introduced some of the nation's first nutritious foods for pets more than 65 years ago and now is established, not only as a leading manufacturer of quality cat and dog foods, but also as a company concerned with the well-being of cats and dogs.
The National Geographic Society's Explorers Hall houses a permanent geography and science center and exhibits archaeological finds, various species of animals and information on global resource management. More than 450,000 people visit Explorers Hall each year. Admission is free. The museum is open 9-5 Monday-Saturday and holidays; 10-5 Sunday. For more information, visitors can call 202-857-7588.
FAMOUS QUOTES ABOUT CATS
compiled by Clifford E. Reese, contributed by Pamela H. Wusthof
"There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast."
"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods.
Cats have never forgotten this."
"There are many intelligent species in the universe.
They are all owned by cats."
"No heaven will not ever Heaven be; Unless my cats are
there to welcome me." -- Anonymous
"Managing senior programmers is like herding cats." --
Dave
Platt
"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats
to pull a sled through snow." -- Jeff Valdez
"Cats walk around the house with the following attitude:
Ït's nice that those people bought a house for me, but why do
they have to live in it themselves?'" -- Dutch columnist Simon
Carmiggelt, via Frans van de Loo
"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." -- English
proverb
"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." -- Ellen
Perry Berkeley
"Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are G-d.
... One cat just leads to another." -- Ernest Hemingway
"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and
get back to you later." -- Mary Bly
"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject
to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia
... Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask
for what you want." -- Joseph Wood Krutch
"I've never understood why women love cats. Cats are
independent, they don't listen, they don't come in when you call, they
like to stay out all night, and when they're home they like to be left
alone and sleep. In other words, every quality that a woman hates
in a man, they love in a cat." -- Jay Leno
"People that hate cats, will come back as mice in their
next life." -- Faith Resnick
"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The
wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." -- Hippolyte Taine
"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life:
music and cats." -- Albert Schweitzer
"The cat has too much spirit to have no heart." -- Ernest
Menaul
"Time spent with cats is never wasted." -- Colette
"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel.
True, and they have many other fine qualities as well." -- Missy Dizick
"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends
with strange cats." -- Colonial American proverb
"Cats aren't clean, they're just covered with cat spit."
-- John S. Nichols
"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle
and will mess up your computer." -- Bruce Graham
"My husband said it was him or the cat. The cat
was allergic. I got rid of my husband. I miss him sometimes."
-- Anonymous
SOCKS FAN CLUB member Elizabeth Paquette, 9, researched child-friendly websites. We agree these sites are suitable for children of all ages.
- Tic-Tac-Toe
- Stereograms (like Magic Eye ®
- Children's Book Reviews
- National Wildlife Federation's Games
- Auggie's (Doggie) World - loads slowly
by Dorothy J. McLaughlin, Kansas City MO, published in The Kansas City Star, used by permission
What Clinton does, right
or wrong,
the president for his
shorts and sweats,
Chelsea for her mass of
curls
is of interest to the
press
he will take a lot of
knocks.
But please make everyone
aware -
don't pick up their SOCKS.
OUR JUNE CAT OF THE MONTH
My housemates here in Iowa,
Bill and Shirley Homrighausen, share your Fan Club Newsletter with me.
It is always good to hear what life is like in the White House. I recently
learned that you must now share attention with Buddy. Was this a big adjustment?
In conduct and behavior,
we cats have a totally different approach from dogs. Don't you agree that
we prefer to be free thinkers and enjoy our freedom? I resent being told
how to use my time. Why get all stressed out?
My recent photo is enclosed.
We look alike. Could we pass for relatives?
Happy times and lots of
important duties, SOCKS. It is always of interest to read about your "cat-tales"!
-- MEOW, Vanna Homrighausen
by Ann Gerhart and Annie Groer, The Reliable Source, The Washington Post, June 4, 1998
She tried to overhaul the
nation's health care system, spoke out sharply for reproductive rights
in developing nations, campaigned for decent day care, and gave her husband
the benefit of her steely resolve and formidable intellect.
And now, for one of her
next acts, Hillary Rodham Clinton is writing "Dear Socks, Dear Buddy,"
a selection of the many letters children have sent to the White House pets.
The publisher says it
will be a "charming keepsake." Clinton will pen a foreword encouraging
children to write and teaching their parents how to help them.
Hey, this worked for Barbara
Bush. She earned about $1 million for her literacy foundation from "Millie's
Book," the 1991 volume "dictated" by the springer spaniel then living in
the White House. With Clinton already a proven bestseller -- more than
half a million copies of "It Takes a Village" are in print in this country
-- Simon and Schuster happily would have puublished a coffee-table art book
of her headbands.
"Here's a person who could
write a serious policy book and . . . could also put together a book that
is much softer and much more entertaining and [could] appeal to adults
and children," says Bob Barnett, Clinton's personal attorney and a negotiator
of big political book deals. "It's a rare author and rare public figure
who can do both."
Clinton donated her royalties
of nearly $1 million from her last book to children's hospitals. This time
around, Simon and Schuster will donate her earnings directly to the National
Park Foundation to benefit the National Park Service. Linda Kulman of U.S.
News & World Report will help research the book.
Maybe a special section
will be added by that bulldog of a White House counsel, Charles F.C. Ruff-Ruff.
by Ann Gerhart and Annie Groer, The Reliable Source, The Washington Post, April 27, 1998
Rerpinted with permission from Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Company amd The Washington Post
Socks, the First Feline,
did it in 1993. Leader, Bob Dole's miniature schnauzer, did it in 1995.
But it looks as if Buddy,
the White House chocolate lab, won't be allowed to act as honorary "chairpet"
of the Bark Ball, the D.C. Humane Society's annual fund-raiser set for
June 13 at Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel.
Why not?
"President and Mrs. Clinton
didn't want to have the dog used in this kind of way. And for Buddy's part,
Buddy wants to give back to society, but he would like to do it in quieter,
less public ways," said Barry Toiv, a White House spokesman.
So how come Socks ultimately
got to serve in 1993, after the White House initially balked? "That was
sort of a mistake," Toiv explained.
Never mind that the president
and first lady often act as honorary chairmen for various charity galas.
Their cat or dog -- who wouldn't actually have to show up at the ball --
will not be allowed to follow suit.
"These are their pets
and members of the household, and they do not want to have them used in
any other way," Toiv said.
Bark Ball founder and
chairwoman Diana Kaiser was disappointed but undaunted: "As a backup, we
are going to ask Congresswoman Mary Bono to lend us her dog, which I understand
was adopted from the Humane Society of Washington."
But Bono told The Source
that her only dogs live in California.
Maybe independent counsel
Ken Starr has a pet in need of a higher profile.
... READ ON ...
by Mike Gabriel (catyoga1@bellsouth.net)
Hello/Meow,
I am a comedian/actor
(Screen Actors Guild member, the union where Ronald Reagan was once president)
and I pulled off one of the funniest hoaxes ever involving cats.
What does this have to
do with SOCKS? I received a nice letter from The WHITE HOUSE and an autographed
photo of SOCKS.
I hoaxed THE SUN tabloid
into printing a full page story detailing how I spent eight years in Tibet
learning to teach The Ancient Art of Cat Yoga ®, which is Yoga performed
by turban-wearing house-cats who sit in the Lotus Position while they meditate.
I offered to travel to
the White House to teach Cat Yoga(r) to Socks and received a nice letter
thanking me for my generous offer.
I also received letters
from the Governor of Maryland, the Mayor of Baltimore, and other people
like Dear Abby, Wendy The Snapple Lady, and G. Gordon Liddy.
I hope you get a good
laugh from my story. As always ... MEOW FOR NOW.
PS: I have awarded your
SOCKS web site with the Cat Yoga ® Award #60. The Cat Yoga ® Award
is an individually numbered, "Limited-Edition" award presented for Web
Site excellence and a generosity of spirit in humanitarian causes. There
are no strings attached and no link is required.
DISCOVERS TREASURES
AT JUNE CAT COLLECTORS CONVENTION
Cat Collectors International,
an international society of more than 1,000 cat lovers who collect cat
memorabilia, hosted its fifth annual convention Friday-Sunday, June 19-21,
1998, at Hyatt Dulles Hotel, 2300 Dulles Corner Boulevard, Herndon VA,
outside Washington DC.
Cat Collectors founder
and president Marilyn Dipboye said, "This was our best and largest conference
ever, welcoming members from the Washington DC area and afar. This was
the first time we have met outside the Detroit area."
Hundreds of people visited
the Vendors' Rooms, discovering collectible treasures. SOCKS FAN CLUB President
Jay Jacob Wind was a featured speaker. He described the selling of SOCKS
THE CAT, including history, trademark issues, and arts vs. crafts vs. commercial
products. Other speakers included stained-glass artist Lorraine Sullo and
Alley Cat Allies founder Louise Holton.
The conference featured
a gift exchange, cat doll exhibits, slides of members' collections, cat
jewelry, artists, craftspeople, appraisers. and cat costumes. On Saturday
afternoon, members visited the exhibit "Cats Wild To Mild" at National
Geographic Society's Explorers Hall.
Many photos of the conference
appear on the previous page.
To join Cat Collectors
International, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Marilyn Dipboye,
33161 Wendy Drive, Sterling Heights MI 48310.
Official Briefing by White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, April 24, 1998
Mr. McCurry: You're not going to ask about Buddy?
Q. Oh, yeah. Why did you do that to poor Buddy?
Mr. McCurry: We did -- April asked this earlier,
and we might as well get that done -- let me find my paper on that.
Q. What are you looking for?
Mr. McCurry: I'm looking for some stuff -- I had
some good stuff here. Just wait.
I just want to say a few
things about this because I know you will report this appropriately. But
the President, believing it was the responsible thing to do, did arrange
to have Buddy neutered last weekend by a qualified veterinarian at a veterinarian
clinic off campus. The veterinarian asked to not be named, or remain anonymous.
(Laughter).
No, I want to say some
things about this. This comes courtesy of the American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I just want to give some statistics here
on some things that are important.
Q. Why was it the responsible thing to do?
Mr. McCurry: Hear me out. Each day in the United
States there are 70,000 puppies and kittens that are born, and there is
clearly not homes for all of those pets. Millions of homeless pets are
euthanized every year in the United States because owners for whatever
reason can't keep them or they are discarded. There are different kinds
of estimates. If you look up on the ASPCA's web page, you can get these
numbers, but I think they're very telling.
There is one estimate
of as many as 5 million pets per year that are euthanized. That's a veterinarian
-- a professor of veterinary medicine at Tuufts who makes that estimate.
The ASPCA themselves, they have an estimate of 5 million to 10 million,
or it could be up to as many as 12 million according to the American Humane
Association -- 12 million pets per year who are euthanized. And there is
also a study from the National Council on Pet Population --a National Council
on Pet Population study policy that finds that an average of 64 percent
of all animals taken into shelter care end up being euthanized because
they can't find a place to take them.
Q. And the fear was Buddy would add to this?
Mr. McCurry: Unwanted animals suffer from disease,
from parasites, from starvation, injury, abuse, and suffer all manners
of cruelty. And the number one goal of many animal welfare organizations
-- I'm citing statistics from the ASPCA, buut we would commend a number
of animal welfare organizations that have contacted the Clintons and said
that it's very important that they make a statement about what is a very
serious problem in our country that they take the step, if they believe
it right, to have their own pet neutered.
All the studies show,
or the latest medical findings indicate, that a pet, male or female, will
be healthier and live longer if it's spayed and neutered, so this is obviously
in the animal's interest as well.
And the President just
felt, based on all that information and based on the likelihood that it
would be reported widely that he had made that decision, he felt it was
the responsible thing to do.
Q. Would you say he's making a statement? He's
being a role model from the standpoint of asking other pet owners to neuter
their pets?
Mr. McCurry: No, he's doing what he felt was the
responsible thing to do, and he acknowledges what he felt were the important
arguments advanced by a number of animal welfare organizations.
Q. And those of us who don't neuter our dogs are
not responsible?
Mr. McCurry: People can make that choice, but
it is strongly encouraged that pet owners do that by organizations that
have to deal with the aftermath of people who don't make responsible decisions.
And the President wanted to --
Q. Does he have any doggie friends, though?
Q. Has the President noticed any chilliness in
his relationship with Buddy since then? (Laughter.)
Mr. McCurry: Buddy is happy and doing well and
still very much affectionate towards all of us, including Lori Anderson,
who just accidentally shared her lunch with Buddy.
Q. He could be more affectionate toward some of
you now, probably.
Q. How do you know that Buddy is happy?
Mr. McCurry: It's a very nice and happy animal.
Q. How do you know that Buddy is happy?
Mr. McCurry: How do I know? He told me. (Laughter.)
Q. On background.
Mr. McCurry: That was on background, that's right.
Q. Thank you. (Laughter.)
PRECIOUS SOUVENIR FROM SOCKS
from The Washington Post, December 11, 1996, page D-3.
150,000 people visited
the White House during the holidays. On Monday, December 9, the First
Cat sidled up to a group of New Jersey schoolchildren after their caroling
and gloried in their vigorous petting. Some of the girls saved the hair
SOCKS shed, tucked it into tissues, and said they would keep it forever,
said Cece Lentini, Merchantville NJ, a mother who traveled with them. But
she worried, "If everyone who passes through gets to pet the cat, he's
not going to have any hair left. Does SOCKS have a double?"
Responded Neel Lattimore,
press
secretary to Hillary Rodham Clinton and the cat's official spokesman, "We
have no stunt cat. Socks does a lot of celebrity drop-bys this time of
year, but only when he feels like it. You can't schedule SOCKS."
SCOTTISH SCIENTIST ANNOUNCES
SUCCESSFUL CLONING OF SOCKS
On Wednesday, April
1, Dr. Ian Willcat of the University of Scotland in Sloof Lirpa made
an astonishing announcement: he and a team of 13 Scottish scientists had
successfully cloned a live cat from a lock of SOCKS's hair provided by
a schoolgirl from Merchantville NJ.
In March, Scottish
scientists stunned the world by announcing the first successful cloning
of a sheep. Dolly, the clone, appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine. A
week later, University of Texas scientists cloned a monkey, raising the
spectre that someday humans could be cloned.
"So far, by gosh,"
said Dr. Willcat, "the kitten is doing fine. He looks just like SOCKS,
with the green eyes, the patch on his nose and chin, the white sleeve,
and the white paws. Of course, he doesn't have the notch out of his ear,
and he is not 'fixed' - those were acquired traits. He meows and feeds
off his surrogate mother just like a normal cat. We haven't told him yet
that he was conceived in a test-tube."
From the hair sample,
the Sloof Lirpa team extracted five complete feline cells. They cultured
these cells and then extracted their nuclei. Next, they injected these
nuclei into a feline egg cell and implanted the embryo into an already-pregnant
mother cat. After a month, she delivered four healthy Calicos and an American
Shorthair. "Sure, we think our baby is genetically identical to SOCKS,"
predicted Dr. Willcat.
"You know now," continued
Dr. Willcat, "we were lucky to obtain such a fine sample of SOCKS's
DNA from that clump of hair. It's not every cat that's so healthy. Only
time will tell if he will chase mice and scratch like a normal cat. Someday,
we hope to bring him to Washington to introduce him to the original SOCKS."
At a press conference
the day of the announcement, White House spokesman Mike McCatty said
he was pleased with the experiment. "Chelsea always wanted another cat,"
he purred. "If SOCKS's clone is as well-behaved as SOCKS himself, he can
sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom anytime. At first, we thought Dr. Willcat's
announcement was serious, but then we read Sloof Lirpa spelled backwards."
Hi Socks:
Are we related? I'm sending
you my picture because my buddies tell me I look a lot like you. Please
send me an autographed photo, so we can add it to our family album.
P.S. Don't give Buddy too hard a time. Be nice to him
and he'll look after you.
-- Much love, Goucher
Ford, Gaithersburg MD
Dear Goucher:
Gosh, thanks! You are
one beautiful cat! I'm sending you my picture!
--Thanks for writing!
SOCKS
With the help of SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB, Danielle and Shacie Niccolli of Delta Middle School in Colorado recently interviewed SOCKS. Here's what they learned:
Q. What food do you like?
A. I like Meow Mix, but that is not a commerical endorsement.
Q. How's the Clinton family treating you?
A. Wonderfully, but I miss Chelsea.
Q. Do you get locked outside of the White House at night
time?
A. Never. The Executive Protective Service sees to
that.
Q. Does Buddy the dog scare you?
A. Yes, very much. See the photos on my website.
Q. Does he chase you around the White House?
A. No, he's just big and boring.
Q. It seems like he's getting more attention than you
lately.
A. That's fur sure! I'll have to talk with my Press
Secretary. Mike...?
Q. Do you enjoy chasing birds around the White House
lawn?
A. Squirrels, mostly! Birds are too flighty.
Q. Why is your name Socks?
A. It's my white paws, see?
Q. How come they didn't call you mittens or shoes or
something?
A. Very funny. I'm ROTFL.
Q. Have you ever ridden in Air Force One?
A. No, I don't fly well. My ears hurt. I prefer to
drive. When they drive me places like Children's Hospital, I ride in a
cushioned cage.
Q. What do you want for Easter? Are there bunnies you
could chase on the White House lawn?
A. I was out for the Easter Egg Roll. Lots of kids
petted me. Someone was there dressed as the Easter Bunny, but I wasn't
fooled.
Q. Have you ever almost been run over by the President's
limo?
A. No, they drive very carefully.
Q. Are there mice in the White House?
A. There were some before I moved in, but there are
no more now!
Q. Have you ever seen a ghost in the White House?
A. They say Abraham Lincoln haunts the White House,
but I looked for him everywhere and never found him.
Q. Where is your litter box?
A. One is outside the Gatekeeper's office on the bottom
floor. The other is in a bathroom in the residence.
Q. Do we ask a lot of questions?
A. Yes, but it's my job to answer them.
Q. Thank you!
On April 13 this year,
like the day after every Easter since 1993, Socks was on hand to greet
visitors to the Annual White House Easter Egg Roll. Wooden eggs with Socks'
pawprints were far more popular that those with Bill's or Hillary's autograph.
For official information, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/Easter/1998. 
CHALLENGES NASA TO BUILD A NEW SATELLITE
TO PROVIDE LIVE IMAGES OF EARTH FROM OUTER SPACE
from the Office of the Vice President, THE WHITE HOUSE, March 13, 1998
Vice President Gore proposed
today that NASA scientists and engineers design, build and operate a satellite
that will make available a live image of earth 24 hours a day on the Internet.
In a speech at the National
Innovation Summit at MIT, the Vice President proposed that NASA launch
a new micro satellite that will provide live images of the earth from space
by the year 2000. This satellite will depict the motions of changing clouds,
the advance of hurricanes, large-scale fires in oil fields or forests and
other phenomena at the precise moment they occur.
"This new satellite, called
Triana, will allow people around the globe to gaze at our planet as it
travels in its orbit around the sun for the first time in history," Vice
President Gore said. "With the next millennium just around the corner,
developing this High Definition TV quality image of the full disk of the
continuously lit Earth and making it available 24 hours a day on the Internet
will awaken a new generation to the environment and educate millions of
children around the globe.
This new space craft will
be carried into low earth orbit where a small motor will place it in orbit
1 million miles from earth at the L1 point (short for the Lagrangian libration
point), the point between the earth and sun where gravitational attractions
are balanced. The satellite will carry a small telescope and camera to
provide these new compelling images.
In the history of space
exploration there are only a few photographs of the full earth that have
resonated with the public. Christmas 1968 was an epiphany for many Americans,
when
they first saw the image "Earth Rising." It is considered one of the fundamentally
profound images of this century. Another photograph, "The Blue Marble"
taken in 1972 during Apollo 17, began an era of global awareness.
These images of the earth
moved thousands of Americans and encouraged them to become active stakeholders
in our planet's well-being, Vice President Gore said. As we connect all
our classrooms to the Internet, we have the opportunity to bring new education
and potential scientific projects as well as global weather observations
to millions of American classrooms and living rooms via television and
computer.
IN SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB NEWSLETTER
by Sonya Ross, Associated Press, March 11, 1998
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sorry, Buddy, it's
for your own good.
After consulting with his vet -- and
hearing an appeal in favor of neutering from actress Doris Day -- President
Clinton has decided on the procedure for his new puppy.
But the reluctant president reserved
the right to change his mind. In announcing Clinton's decision Tuesday,
White House spokesman Barry Toiv said Clinton was ``inclined'' to allow
the procedure.
The Humane Society of the United States,
the nation's largest animal protection group, applauded Clinton's decision,
saying he was doing the right thing by his pet.
"Neutering or spaying dogs and cats
is one of the most important acts a responsible pet owner can take," said
Martha Armstrong, a society vice president. "It promotes better physical
and behavioral health for dogs and cats, and it helps to address the pet
overpopulation crisis."
Clinton set no immediate date for putting
Buddy under the knife, leaving some to wonder whether the 7-month-old chocolate
Labrador retriever has been told of his fate.
"Buddy's a little too young to understand,"
Toiv said.
Indeed, Buddy seemed blissfully unaware
of any pending surgery as he played fetch with Clinton on the South Lawn
with a green tennis ball Tuesday.
White House press secretary Mike McCurry
said today the procedure was "not likely anytime soon given the dog's age."
Toiv said Clinton's decision was driven
by concerns for Buddy's health. He denied that it was motivated by the
encounters the dog has had with Socks the family cat -- who, for the record,
is neutered, too.
Dr. Jacqueline Suarez, a veterinarian
with the Alexandria (Va.) Animal Hospital, said neutering can help curb
dogs' aggression toward other animals and tendency to urinate in unwelcome
places.
"Although, if we have people questioning
if they should or shouldn't, those health reasons are good reasons to neuter
as well, so we'll use them as part of the case for neutering," Suarez said.
Miss Day, president of the Doris Day
Animal League, sent Clinton a letter in December expressing concern that
Buddy would suffer health problems if he were left intact. Among them was
a risk of cancer and other infections.
In January, McCurry said there were
no plans to neuter Buddy, who had moved into the White House in mid-December.
However, Clinton physician Connie Mariano
has now told Miss Day in a letter that the Clintons had decided to neuter
the dog on the advice of their veterinarian.
Armstrong said Buddy need not worry
about losing his procreative abilities. "Pets don't have any concept of
identity or ego. Neutering a male dog or cat will not change his basic
personality," she said. "He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction
or identity crisis when neutered."
Got that, Buddy?
by Mary Lowry, The Herald, Everett WA
Whether it's good or bad, logical or
illogical, public figures have an extraordinary influence on our society.
What a disappointment, then, to watch
the escapades of President Clinton regarding his new companion animal,
Buddy.
It seems incomprehensible, but Clinton
appears to be oblivious to one of our national disgraces: that millions
of perfectly healthy, loving puppies, kittens, dogs and cats are put to
death every year in our animal shelters because there are not enough homes
for them.
Some of those dogs are chocolate Labs
like Buddy. The purebreds go down with the same dispatch as the mutts.
Think of the beautiful and important
statement Clinton would have made had he gone to his local animal shelter
and adopted one of the wonderful, deserving dogs he would have found there.
But Clinton's failing doesn't end at
that.
In an Associated Press story in The
Herald on Jan. 7, we read a well-written and very funny account of the
president's "attempt at detente" in bringing Buddy and Socks, the Clintons'
cat, together. But the story's tone is seriously sullied at the end, when
we learn that Clinton "wondered aloud whether Socks should have been declawed
years ago."
Declawing is a risky and controversial
procedure, one which some veterinarians refuse to perform.
The strongest reprobation, however,
has to be directed at the last two paragraphs of the story:
Socks, by the way, is a neutered
male, but Buddy is unlikely to come under the knife.
Asked whether Buddy might become
an "it," White House spokesman Mike McCurry replied: "No, Buddy is doing
quite well as a 'he.'"
No living being becomes an "it" just
because he or she does not have reproductive capability.
Spaying and neutering our cats and dogs
is one of the most critically important things we can do to reduce the
tragedy of their overpopulation.
The Clintons take pride in the fact
that they are different from George and Barbara Bush in so many ways. Too
bad they don't have that attitude when it comes to their pets. The Bushes'
legacy is that their dog, Millie, had a big litter of pups while they were
in the White House.
Dear SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB:
Thank you for mailing us a recent copy
of the "Socks the Cat and Buddy's Buddies" fan club newsletter. Although
we found your articles and quotes humorous, we wanted to pass along some
concerns we have about a recent article that appeared on the wire regarding
the President's new animal companion.
We are extremely disappointed that the
President chose to purchase a purebred dog from a breeder instead of adopting
from a local animal shelter, where thousands of homeless animals await
loving homes. We are also very concerned about the fact that the President
does not intend to have Buddy neutered and that he is considering declawing
Socks the cat. We are urging people to contact the President and ask him
to take a stand against companion animal overpopulation by modeling responsible
behavior and choosing to neuter Buddy. We also would like him to know that
declawing cats is an unnecessarily cruel and dangerous procedure that many
veterinarians refuse to perform for ethical reasons.
Please pass this information on to members
in your fan club! Feel free to contact me with further questions. --
Thanks, Stephanie Bell
Dear Stephanie:
Let me say this about that. First, as
a cat, I share your concerns about a dog in the White House. So far, it
has been no fun. I growl, he barks, he expect to walk on my South Lawn
... for this I moved from Little Rock?
To set the record straight, the President
did not purchase Buddy. Buddy was a gift from an friend. Your point is
well-taken, and most dog and cat owners should consider neutering/spaying
their pets. As you can see from the above articles, the President took
your advice. I'm neutered, and it doesn't bother me one bit.
Finally, no one has ever proposed de-clawing
me. I have been a perfect gentleman since the moment I set foot in the
Governor's Mansion, and especially since moving into the White House. I
applaud vets who decline to declaw. I do my scratching outdoors on my daily
walks. There are plenty of trees on the White House lawns. -- Thanks
for raising the issues -- SOCKS
Dr. John C. Lewis writes:
Now, Socks will be tasked with training
the dog. New headline will read,
Conflict broke out on the White House
South Lawn on Tuesday, January 6, when President Clinton took a walk with
new First Dog Buddy.
SOCKS was out on his own errands, when
the dog came into view. SOCKS, who has ruled the White House since 1993,
would not yield his turf. Buddy barked, SOCKS yowled, and the President
found himself between two warring members of his household.
With the help of White House photographer
Sharon Farmer, the President tried to broker a truce between the two First
Pets, but it will be a while before the fur stops flying. See below for
the official story from The Washington Post.
SOCKS FAN CLUB MEMBER Linda McLaughlin
sent a suggestion: "Put a amall amount of perfume on your finger and rub
it on the noses of both pets. They 'learn' the smell and will become friends.
It took a couple of days for my pets, but they are now inseparable. I used
Shalimar - that's what I wear most of the time, so they also recognized
the scent."
by Ann Gerhart and Annie Groer, The Reliable Source, The Washington Post, January 7, 1998
It seems President Clinton had more success
on these very same grounds with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin.
The soother of troubled factions was
nearly helpless yesterday after frenzied fighting broke out when he and
First Dog Buddy encountered First Cat Socks tethered outside the Oval Office.
Buddy barked loudly. Socks charged him. The prez grabbed the pup's muzzle
and got him to lie down on the grass for a minute. But Buddy started with
the barking again, and Socks responded with hisses, spitting and a back
arched to the skies.
Socks often gets a long leash to roam
outside the Oval Office, where he watches the squirrels, said Marsha Berry,
press secretary to Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose office supervises official
Socks activities. "This is a very content cat," said Berry, but one who
did not anticipate seeing a frisky chocolate Lab come into view.
The president and dog were returning
from a social outing to Education Secretary Dick Riley's birthday party,
where, Riley reported, Buddy ate a plant.
Along for Vacation, President's New Dog Has His Day
Buddy is Master of Attention as Clintons Arrive at Retreat
by Peter Baker, The Washington Post, December 31, 1997
HILTON HEAD, S.C., Dec. 30-In case there
were any lingering doubts, Buddy's bright red leash came emblazoned with
a message: "I'm the one in charge."
Buddy certainly thinks so. As President
Clinton and his family embarked on a six-day, end-of-the-year vacation
today, their new chocolate-colored Labrador puppy stole the show everywhere
they went.
Long before the commander-in-chief arrived
at Andrews Air Force Base for his morning takeoff to a wonky New Year's
retreat here, the presidential pooch had made himself at home on Air Force
One, sprawled out on Clinton's couch. When he displayed some trepidation
about getting off the presidential jet on its arrival in South Carolina,
he got a royal disembarkment as Clinton personally carried him down the
mobile staircase. And when he wanted to chew some grass, he simply tugged
on his leash and dragged Clinton along.
"Buddy's first plane ride," Clinton
declared with delight. "He's a happy little camper."
The same might be said of the First
Dog Owner as well. After a rocky year preoccupied with campaign finance
probes, Paula Jones's lawsuit and a major defeat on trade legislation,
the canine adoption has been the one unqualified public relations coup
for the president in 1997. And while even jaded aides are not so cynical
as to suggest a political motivation, it did not go unnoticed here that
Buddy, riding high in the polls, was invited for the getaway, while Socks
was left behind at the White House to fend for himself.
Buddy even got his own name tag -- blue
for a first-time guest -- at the annual Renaissance Weekend here on this
resort island, where the Clintons have rung in a dozen new years with seminars
sober to silly. Founded by Philip and Linda LeSourd Lader (he is now ambassador
to Britain), Renaissance Weekend this year attracted 1,500 prominent guests,
from personal advice dispensers Joyce Brothers and Ruth Westheimer to Nobel
laureates George A. Olah and Robert Richardson, for 356 panel discussions
including "War Crimes, Human Rights and Refugees" and "What My Spouse Is
Wrong About."
If the past is prologue, Clinton will
spend more time on the golf course than in the conference center and, indeed,
he hit the links immediately on landing. He also hopes to play touch football
again, although he could be hampered by the knee he injured in March.
"I just wouldn't be very good or fast
because I only have about 75 percent of my strength," he told reporters
on Air Force One. "But I think in terms of resilience -- you know, immunity
from being torn again -- I think it's probably in real good shape."
After a New Year's Eve celebration that
will include a closed-door question-and-answer session with the president
for Renaissance participants, the first family will fly to the U.S. Virgin
Islands for a long weekend, following the same creature-of-habit pattern
as last year. Fortunately, the owners of the luxury house where they will
stay in St. Thomas are waiving their no-pets rule.
"I have no agenda," Clinton said. "Mostly
I just want to sit around and talk to Hillary and Chelsea, think about
next year, finish my planning -- that's all we're going to do."
But he knows he has big tasks awaiting
him back in Washington, come 1998. The first one he will tackle, he said,
is a peacemaking mission. Buddy, it seems, is not yet getting along with
the original First Pet. "I still haven't reconciled him with Socks yet,
but I'm working on it," Clinton said. "I almost got them together. I got
'em very close. ... When I get back, it's my first project. I'm going to
have them totally reconciled with each other."
The president explained away Socks's
mysterious absence from the trip as a function of his own reluctance to
have the cat declawed, making him ill-suited for the elaborately laid out
Air Force One. "It's bad for cats," he said of removing their claws. "I
refused to do it. But it meant that I couldn't let [him] sleep on our floor."
AFTER NATIONWIDE INTERNET SEARCH
by Maggie Wilson, Springfield VA
Almost SIX weeks after she was stolen
in Pennsylvania, Moka is home safe and sound. Moka's owner got a phone
call at 2 a.m. the morning of January 15 from the 94th precinct in Brooklyn
NY, saying Moka been found and was at the police station. Her recovery
is attributed to the diligence of NYPD's finest and a flyer that was sent
to the 94th by someone from Samfans. The owner has said that her safe return
was all because of the dedicated efforts of Samfans,
the Internet list of Samoyed owners (http://www.samfans.org). Other
than being 8 or 9 pounds heavier, she seems to be in good shape.
After stealing the car with the dog
in it, the car thieves made a call from the car's cell phone to someone
in Brooklyn. Apparently they dropped her off at that residence, the home
of a known car thief currently on parole.
The 94th precinct police happened to
be watching the man Wednesday night when they saw him in an unregistered
car with out-of-state plates. They stopped him and he tried to run away
on foot and was caught. When they returned to the car, Moka popped her
head up in the front seat. They had already received the flyer sent to
the precinct by a member of Samfans and they recognized Moka. They got
in touch with the Pennsylvania police and the owner, who immediately drove
to Brooklyn to pick her up.
Moka is home safe with her family largely
due to the efforts made by a caring Internet community who persistently
notified every possible agency, organization, group, etc. who might possibly
help in the search, including SOCKS THE CAT FAN CLUB.
Moka's website (http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/1294/moka.htm),
describes
the search. Thank you!
IN BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES, FLORIDA IN 1994
Reported by James Scarborough, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine. From MMWR, p. 909, Vol. 43, No. 49, by J.E. Stone et al.
On August 14, 1994, the Broward County
Public Health Unit of the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitiative
Services was notified of three children from Pompano Beach who were hospitalized
with encephalitis attributed to cat scratch disease (CSD). All three children
(aged 5, 6, and 11 years) were previously healthy and had no histories
of seizure disorders or diagnoses of CSD. This report summarizes the investigation
of those cases.
On August 12 and 13, during a 26-hour
period, each child entered the emergency department of the same hospital
with sudden onset of generalized seizures, coma, and respiratory depression
requiring intubation and assisted ventilation. Two of the children had
focal lymphadenopathy (axillary and epitrochlear) on admission; cervical
lymphadenopathy developed in the third child during hospitalization. Clinical
examinations and laboratory tests ruled out some causes of encephalopathy,
including viral infections (e.g., herpes simplex and arboviruses), metabolic
disorders, and toxic ingestions.
On September 5 and 27, additional cases
of CSD encephalitis were confirmed in a 9-year-old boy and a 3-year-old
girl from the same area (Fort Lauderdale and Boynton Beach). CSD lymphadenopathy
had been diagnosed in both children approximately 3 weeks before the onsets
of seizure and coma. Although the girl had been treated with successive
courses of amoxicilin/clavulanate potassium and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
before the onset of CSD encephalitis, both of these cases were clinically
similar to the first three cases.
Case and contact investigations identified
exposure (e.g., handling and petting) to stray kittens as the only common
link among the affected children; histories of overt scratches or bites
were not elicited. Indirect fluorescent-antibody testing at CDC detected
elevated antibody titers to Bartonella henselae, the etiologic agent for
CSD, in all five patients. Microscopic examination of lymph node biopsies
was consistent with CSD for the two children with lymphadenopathy on presentation.
During hospitalization (range: 11-17 days), all children received supportive
care and antibiotic and anticonvulsant therapy. All five children recovered
without apparent sequelae.
by Paul Wind, Arlington VA
Editor's Note: Last summer, SOCKS
THE CAT FAN CLUB introduced the SOCKS Virtual Reality Pet. Reviews were
mixed; some members loved theirs; other members were bored after a few
lives. Among virtual pets, that's life. Our first virtual pet owner, Paul
Wind, age 12, tested his SOCKS virtual pet and wrote the following scientific
analysis.
The SOCKS Virtual Reality Pet, I think,
is superior to the regular Tamagotchi. It has one more button than the
Tamagotchi, plus, if you don't like the picture of SOCKS THE CAT, you can
choose from any one of seven friends of SOCKS on the very same electronic
toy. You can choose between a cat, a crab, a butterfly, a fish, a dinosaur,
a dog, a rooster, and a dove!
| Characteristic | SOCKS Smart Pet | Tamagotchi |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Meal, snack, and water | Meal and snack |
| Games | Plays two guessing games | Plays one guessing game |
| Music
|
Plays nine songs:
|
None
|
| Cleaning up after | Clean up with a broom | Clean up with a wash |
| Shots | One shot does the trick | Two shots does the trick |
| Meter/Scale | Shows weight in Grams and age | Shows weight in Ounces and age |
| Lights | You can turn them on or off | You can turn them on or off |
| Attention | Beeps at you and picture glows | Beeps at you and picture glows |
| Chain | Made for a necklace or a keychain | Made only for a keychain |
| Buttons | Four | Three |
| Choice of animals | Eight | One |
Next fall, my mistress will go away to college and leave me home alone (with her parents.) Do you have any tips about coping with the separation? Who will spoil me with real tuna fish and rub my belly? Whose bed will I sleep on? Can I hide in her suitcase and go along too? Please help, I'm really worried.
-- Sox the Cat and Merrie Spaeth
Dear Sox and Merrie,
Separation will be very difficult for
both of you.
For you, the cat, it will mean many
hours alone. But your mistress' parents will look after you and feed you
and play with you. Be sure to keep track of your cat toys this year so
you will remember where they are after she leaves.
For her, the student, it will even be
more difficult. She will miss you when she lives in the dorms, and she
will ask to talk with you on the phone. Be sure to MEOW for her when her
parents bring you to the phone!
Don't hide in her suitcase. Especially
if she is flying, cargo areas are cold and dark. Instead, get a photo of
both of you together, and hang it by your food bowl and above her bedside
at college.
-- Thank you for writing, SOCKS THE
CAT
Dear
SOCKS,
I am an artist. I enjoyed your website.
I thought it is very nice! I hope I will adopt a cat and if she is a female,
I will name her Elizabeth. If he is a male, then I will name him Garfield,
after my favorite orange cat who loves lasagna and pizza! What else could
I name him? I drew the portrait on the right.
I know it really is like a dog vs. cat
world out there, but Socks, I know that Buddy really likes you a lot and
he wanted to get to know you. It is all right to be scared, since you two
are meeting for the first time. but your master is protecting both of you
for his sake and for yours. You have Chelsea to protect you since you are
lucky enough to have her around you, when she is home with you and her
folks. I would like a cat since I don't have one at my apartment, and am
planning to adopt one from the San Francisco Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals.
You are the star of my heart and you
will always have a fan. I adore how cats live on this beautiful planet
alongside humans. Sorry for the long letter, but Socks, I would like to
extend my friendship to this wonderful feline and you happen to be the
luckiest kitty ever. Meowrrr!
-- Say hello to the First Family
for me, Anne Cohen, San Francisco CA
Dear Anne,
Thank you for your lovely letter and
portait! You know, I enjoy living on this planet with people, and even
Buddy and I will learn to get along.
-- With admiration, SOCKS THE CAT
Dear SOCKS:
Greetings from a feline friend in England.
My name is Spider (ridiculous name isn't it). My hobbies are: catching
mice; rabbits; birds; sleeping on the bannisters and getting my owners
to open doors for me as much as possible. I was rescued from a wicked landlady
who fed me DOGFOOD and let me sleep outside all night. I hope you are enjoying
'the holidays.' I had a nice piece of cheddar this evening. Unfortunately
I also singed my eyebrow on a candle but it doesn't look too bad. My owner
walked into a door last night and now has a black eye which looks really
stupid. I was impressed to learn you have your own office. It's nice to
know some of us cats get the status we deserve.
-- Peace, Spider, Mary Surrey UK
Dear Spider,
Thank you so much for writing. I have
always wanted to visit Merrie Olde England, where everyone treasure their
Moggies. I am sorry to hear about your encounter with the candle, but I
hope you recover quickly.
-- Cheerio, SOCKS
Dear
SOCKS,
After seeing the photo of Mr. Clinton
and his cat (you), I figured you might be interested to know that my cat
would make a perfect 'spot double.'
--Bitbyter,
Brisbane, Australia
Dear Bitbyter:
Who would have thought my twin lived
Down Under! Right down to the spots, indeed!
-- G'dye, Mate! SOCKS
Dear SOCKS:
We are SHOCKED! Almost but not quite
speechless! Of course there's no way Chelsea can have Socks in the dorm,
but what a double disaster for Socks not only to lose Chelsea but to have
to deal with a Lab puppy. This is a true scandal in the White House . .
. all that junk in the newspapers we regard as just Republican dirt-dishing,
but this is different! What a betrayal! Here at Wee Meadow we have four
found cats, three of which are black-and-white Socks-cousins, and we know
how much each one of them loves attention, lap-time, and participation
in our activities. When we go for walks they all follow in a row. We live
way out in the mountains and always have lots of outdoor work on the go
in which all the cats get involved. And all this despite the fact that
they are unrelated on one another, came to us at different times, and don't
get along with one another. They just love their people and let us know
it in every possible way. We are worried about Socks's feelings of rejection
and displacement. Is this pup being trained to be cat-friendly? Anyway,
what mature cat wants to have a bouncing playful puppy to cope with? Oh
dear, oh dear, oh dear. We are wringing our hands!
-- Mary
B. Sheffield and the Wee Meadow folks: Ringo, Tuxedo, Highway, and Atticus
Dear Mary and Friends,
It's not all bad. At last, it's not
ME surrounded by all those photographers! -- Best wishes to y'all, SOCKS