Σωτήριος Παστάκας

Εκείνη τη νύχτα

που ξαφνικά οι νεκροί

αποφάσισαν να κάνουν τους νεκρούς,

οι πίνακες τους πίνακες

κρεμασμένους στους τοίχους,

τα βιβλία συμφώνησαν

να πάρουν τη θέση τους

το ένα δίπλα στο άλλο στη βιβλιοθήκη,

τ’ άστρα να διανύσουν

την προκαθορισμένη τους τροχιά,

οι πολυκατοικίες ν’ ανάψουν όλες μαζί

τα φώτα τους στις μικρές κουζίνες

και τα μεγάλα σαλόνια

ακριβώς την ίδια ώρα

και τ’ αυτοκίνητα ν’ ανοίξουν

εις τη διαπασών τα στερεοφωνικά τους,



ο γάτος μου αποφάσισε

για μια φορά κι αυτός

να κάνει μόνο το γάτο

και να χαθεί από τα μάτια μου

εκείνη τη νύχτα.

"Déjeuner du chat" (Louis Lumière, 1897)

Thanks to Gildas Le Dem

Is Alcohol Bad for Your Cat? | By Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble

You know your cat has a drinking problem when he won't drink out of his water bowl unless there's an olive in it! Actually, cats who are party animals generally prefer beer, and beer swilling among cats may be so prevalent -- although rarely discussed -- that for many years, there's been a law on the books in Natchez, Mississippi, forbidding cats from drinking beer!

"There's evidence that some animals have the urge to be intoxicated. Humans are not the only ones," says Dr. Mike Richards, formerly the head of AOL's Pet Care Forum and now co-owner of Mathews Veterinary Services in Cobbs Creek, Virginia.

"I always thought if animals had access to alcohol, there would be a lot more problems than there are," says Richards.

Still, you don't find many cats going to the Betty Ford clinic for treatment -- although they might need it. Alcohol is harder on cats than it is on dogs or people. Felines are not good at breaking alcohol down, and even a moderate dose may start a cat vomiting; more could cause them to collapse or go into a coma.

So, if your cat starts begging for some beer, treat her like an underage drinker, tell her she's acting like a mad catter, and that the bar is closed.

From "277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know" by Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble.

50s vinyl cover

Saki

"The cat is domestic only as far as suits its own ends..."

The Black Cat (1939)

Should your cat go on Prozac? | by Paulette Cooper & Paul Noble

Should your cat become part of the Prozac Nation? "I give cats Prozac for a number of reasons," says Dr. Steven Melman, sometimes jocularly called "The Pied Piper of Prozac for Pets."

He explained that cats are most often given Prozac for "obsessive-compulsive disorders, like when they pull their hair out for non-allergy reasons. With Prozac they often get better," says this veterinary dermatologist/behaviorist.

Cats, like people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, may have a need to do something several times in a row or in a certain way. But unlike people, they can't check a door five times after they go out to if it's locked.

But Prozac {fluoxetine} has been known to help cats' obsessive-compulsive behavior, such as biting themselves repeatedly in one spot, or related nipple, flank, or paw sucking.

Prozac also works for certain types of aggression as well as depression. "Cats become upset for various reasons. Say their families are breaking up, or their owner has a new boyfriend or girlfriend, is moving or whatever," says Melman, of the Animal Dermatology and Behavior Clinic in Maryland.

Since a cat can't directly tell you he's upset over these things, he may inappropriately urinate, defecate, or howl. "And Prozac may help with all of these," Dr. Melman stated.

Incidentally, if your cat is displaying these symptoms, and you're on Prozac, don't give your cat your medicine because the dosages are different. And if you're having a Prozac moment, don't take your cat's pill for the same reason.