Category Archives: animals

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

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A serene landscape featuring a wooden bridge over a small stream surrounded by green grass and colorful flowers. A bright rainbow arcs across a golden sky with soft clouds, and a butterfly hovers near the center, creating a peaceful, dreamlike scene.

In Memory of Mr. Jazz Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day was created by author Deborah Barnes in honor of her beloved cat, Mr. Jazz, who passed on August 28, 2013. It’s a day to remember the pets who touched our lives and left pawprints on our hearts.

Today we honor the pets who shared our homes, our routines, and our hearts. Pet loss is a grief that cuts deeply. They become family, and when they’re gone, the silence they leave behind is enormous. Many people say they mourned a pet more than a person — and while that can feel uncomfortable to admit, it’s true for many of us. We love them fiercely, and we lose them fiercely. And still, we adopt again. Because love is worth the risk.

My Rainbow Bridge Roll Call

Mittens – My first cat. Black with white paws, and the beginning of it all.

Squinty – A semi‑feral, long‑haired, scruffy stray… but I loved him anyway.

Starsky and Hutch – A matched pair of white cats with black ears and black caps on their heads.

Shadow – A polydactyl adventurer who loved car rides and terrorized every squirrel in the neighborhood.

Pyewacket – The sweetest little black‑and‑white kitty.

Little Joe – A rescued Persian, loyal right to the end.

Smoky – Saved from animal control and a hoarding situation. Declawed, poor thing, but still gentle and sweet.

Buddy – My boomerang cat. I tried to re‑home him three times, but he kept coming back. He wanted to be with me — and he was, until he passed.

Rocky – My first orange cat. A very special boy. We were together almost 20 years, and his passing left a hole in my heart.

Each one gone, each one remembered. All of them loved.

And beyond the cats…

There were dogs who wagged their way into my life, a parakeet who filled quiet mornings with chatter, and even a horse whose steady presence taught me patience and trust. Each one left their own mark, but the cats — oh, the cats — have always been the constant thread through my years.

The Present Moment

Banner and Balboa are here now — six years old already, somehow. Half their lives lived, half still ahead.

A Wish for You

If you’ve recently lost a pet — cat, dog, bird, reptile, or a companion I can’t even imagine — I wish you comfort. I believe they will be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge, whole and happy, ready to greet you again someday.

National Toilet Paper Day: A Celebration of Softness, Strength, and Cat Chaos

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Four cats in a bathroom surrounded by shredded toilet paper. An orange cat sits on the toilet batting at a roll on the wall, a black‑and‑white cat stands nearby holding an empty cardboard tube, a fluffy gray cat sits among torn paper on the floor, and a black cat lies down with toilet paper draped over its back. The floor is covered in ripped toilet paper, creating a humorous, chaotic scene.

 

The WMEO Household: Where Toilet Paper Goes to Die

Today is National ToiletPaper Day. Yes that bathroom essential has a day of its own.

Toilet paper is one of those everyday items we barely think about  — unless you live with two cats who treat it like a recreational sport. Banner and Balboa are so enamored with toilet paper that I eventually had to remove the wall‑mounted holder entirely.

Not because I wanted to. Not because it looked better. But because every time I left the holder empty, my housekeeper would helpfully put a fresh roll back on it.

I tried to explain why a roll on the holder is basically an invitation for chaos, but the concept of cat‑induced toilet paper carnage didn’t quite land.

So the holder had to go. Now the roll sits upright on a pole like some kind of minimalist sculpture — safe from paws, safe from shredding, safe from becoming avant‑garde hallway décor.

Toilet Paper Art: A WMEO Tradition

Before the Great Holder Removal, Banner and Balboa created masterpieces. Long ribbons. Confetti explosions. Entire rolls dragged triumphantly across the floor like festive parade streamers.

They weren’t being naughty — they were being artists. Expensive artists. But artists nonetheless.

And they’re not alone. The internet is full of cats who share this obsession. Toilet paper is apparently the universal feline muse.

A Brief Moment of TP Panic: The 2020 Shortage

Of course, toilet paper became internationally famous in 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit and people started stockpiling it like it was currency. Shelves were empty, stores were rationing rolls, and everyone suddenly became very aware of how much TP they used.

Meanwhile, in the WMEO household, Banner and Balboa were living in blissful ignorance — happily shredding rolls like tiny furry anarchists while the rest of the world was treating toilet paper like gold bullion.

If they had known how valuable it was at the time, they would have demanded velvet ropes and museum lighting for their “installations.”

A Surprisingly Fascinating History

Toilet paper may seem simple, but its history is anything but:

  • Ancient Romans used communal sponges on sticks. Communal.
  • China was producing toilet paper by the 6th century, and by the 14th century they were making millions of packages a year.
  • In 1391, Chinese royalty used perfumed toilet paper made exclusively for the emperor.
  • Early Americans repurposed leaves, corn cobs, newspapers, and famously the Sears catalog — so popular that Farmer’s Almanac started pre‑drilling holes for outhouse hanging.
  • Modern toilet paper arrived in 1857, marketed as “Medicated Paper for the Water Closet.”
  • Perforated rolls appeared in 1890, courtesy of the Scott Paper Company.
  • Colored toilet paper was a 1950s décor trend until they realized the dyes weren’t great for humans or plumbing.
  • And yes — someone makes 22‑carat gold toilet paper costing over $1.3 million a roll. Truly flushing money away.
  • Conservationists cringe but one person’s lifetime usage of toilet paper, if made from virgin paper, would take around 384 trees to make! Of course, using toilet paper that has been recycled from other purposes helps to cut down on this extensively.

How Cats Celebrate National Toilet Paper Day

Some cats nap. Some cats chase toys. Banner and Balboa? They honor the ancient traditions of their ancestors by shredding toilet paper with the passion of tiny furry historians.

Balboa prefers the dramatic “confetti bomb” technique. Banner goes for long, elegant ribbons. Together, they create installations that would impress even the Romans — and those people used sponges on sticks.

Conclusion: Toilet Paper Is Fun

Who knew toilet paper had such a wild history? And who knew two cats could make it even wilder?

Around here, it’s never dull — especially when toilet paper is involved.

 

WMEO 9 – GOOD NEWS ALERT- Shell‑ebration on Cape Cod

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🐾 Sea Turtles Released on Cape Cod!

Anchor: Banner, WMEO Nature Desk

A person wearing gloves and a light blue shirt with a logo gently holds a sea turtle near a coastal area, preparing to release it. Several people stand nearby, some taking photos, as part of a wildlife conservation effort to return rehabilitated sea turtles to the ocean.Good evening, viewers. Banner here with a splash of good news straight from the shores of Cape Cod. The New England Aquarium has just released four rehabilitated sea turtles back into the ocean after months of specialized care. That’s right — Dumpling, Jumble, Lucky, and Old English are officially back where they belong: gliding free in the Atlantic!

These Kemp’s ridley sea turtles — one of the most endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act — were rescued last winter after washing ashore cold, weak, and injured. Thanks to the dedicated staff at the Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, each turtle received treatment for pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma. Now, they’re healthy, strong, and ready to swim again.

 

Field Correspondent: Balboa, Reporting Live from the Box

Thank you, Banner. Balboa here, tail twitching with excitement! Scientists from the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life have fitted Lucky and Dumpling with tracking tags to monitor their adventures — collecting data on habitat, behavior, and survivorship. And yes, some of these turtles will appear on the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker, so the public can follow their journey in real time.

That’s right, folks — you can cheer them on from your couch while they paddle toward new horizons. WMEO calls that science with heart.

Banner (closing)

With 38 turtles released this summer, the ocean is feeling a little more hopeful tonight. From the WMEO newsroom, we salute the rescuers, the scientists, and the turtles themselves — proving once again that compassion makes waves.

End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled purring.

 

The Cats’ Labor Day Travel Demands Have Arrived

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Labor Day Weekend: Should You Travel With Your Cats?

(A WMEO Special Report)

Labor Day weekend is creeping up, and plenty of folks are gearing up for a road trip. If you’re a cat parent, that means facing the annual dilemma: pet sitter or pack the furr‑babies and hit the highway?

Some cats are natural road warriors. Kurt and Gary? They’ll probably hop in the car, buckle their imaginary seatbelts, and enjoy the ride. The Oreo crew — Pudding, Olive, and Onyx — might be a little more dramatic about it. And Nanake? Well… he’s done cross‑country travel before, with results best described as “memorable” and “requiring emotional support snacks.”

But what about Banner and Balboa?

Two Cats, Two Very Different Travel Personalities

Banner and Balboa have never left the house since the day you brought them home. The vet doesn’t even get the privilege of seeing them in a clinic — Ross Veterinary House Calls comes to you. And even then, Balboa must be sedated or he’ll stage a full‑scale meltdown worthy of a Broadway revival.

His annual routine:

  • Receive his “calming potion”
  • Get gently escorted to the bathroom so he can’t hide in seventeen impossible places
  • Spend the next hour looking like a tiny, confused marshmallow

He’s a sweetheart, but he’s also a certified fraidy‑cat. A road trip? Absolutely not. He’d unionize before you even backed out of the driveway.

Banner, meanwhile, would probably try to take over the GPS and declare himself “Navigator Supreme.”

The Cats’ Official Labor Day Travel Demands

Since I couldn’t get a straight answer out of either of them, I asked what it would take for Banner and Balboa to agree to travel with me. They immediately produced a list — and I swear they had it ready in advance.

  • At least 16 nap breaks during transit (We’d be lucky to make it to the end of the street.)
  • Unlimited treats at all rest stops (I foresee two car‑sick kitties and one very unhappy driver.)
  • Mandatory belly rubs, pending mood (Their mood changes every 4–6 minutes.)
  • A proper travel litter box — the hotel bathtub does NOT count (Honestly, fair. The bathtub is not a sandbox, no matter how much they insist.)

They warned me that failure to comply would result in unionization, followed by a strike, followed by dramatic flopping and pointed glares. Honestly, I believe them.

So in my house, the answer is clear: I’m calling the pet sitter… or just staying home.

What about you? Are your cats road‑trip ready, or are they already drafting their own list of demands?

The Wolf Hollow Quest: Paused, Not Abandoned

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A group of five gray wolves resting together on a snowy forest clearing, with one wolf standing while the others lie in the snow.

The Wolf Hollow Expedition Is Back on Hold

I’ve been exploring my options to visit Wolf Hollow. Wolf Hollow is a wolf sanctuary located in Ipswich, MA. It was conceived in 1988 and became a state‑ and federally‑licensed 501(c)3 non‑profit organization two years later. Wolf Hollow opened its gates to the public in September of 1990.

Discovering a Sanctuary Close to Home

I first became interested in Wolf Hollow when I was searching for a place to photograph wolves. I’d been to Yellowstone, where tourists sometimes get lucky enough to see wolf packs in the wild. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. I’ve seen gray wolves in zoos — they always looked so sad — but I still haven’t captured a photo that reveals the true wolf essence.

I heard of a sanctuary in New Jersey, but weather interfered with that trip, and then life got in the way. Closer to home, I learned about Wolf Hollow.

Transportation Troubles and the GoWithGuide Detour

Their website doesn’t provide ticket pricing, so I’ll need to do more research. Since Wolf Hollow is located in Ipswich, transportation is a challenge. I contacted GoWithGuide and was given the name of a Salem‑based guide. I emailed him with what I was looking for, but he chose to pass.

At this point, I think I’ll need to plan a car‑rental day.

Weather, Timing, and the Photography Challenge

As much as I hate the cold, I also think winter might be the best time for photos. With overcast skies, the lighting should be soft, and the wolves’ winter coats should be in full glory.

Checking on Wolf Conservation Status

I was concerned about the status of the sanctuary, since there seems to be a lot of turmoil in the conservation world these days. The Endangered Species Act is being slowly stripped and downgraded by the current administration. But my research showed that despite years of political back‑and‑forth over wolf protections, gray wolves are currently listed as endangered in most of the United States, including all of New England. Sanctuaries like Wolf Hollow continue to play an important role in education and conservation.

A February 10, 2022 federal court ruling reinstated ESA protections for most wolf populations after a previous nationwide delisting attempt. The 2026 USFWS update confirms that this protection remains in place.

Putting the Trip on Pause — Not Canceling It

So once again, my quest for a wolf portrait has to be delayed — but I’m not giving up. I’m just sidelining it for a bit until I can get all my ducks in a row.