Animal House, A House Divided...Poppy (pea) cock! 

Pets Supplied, Plus, (Zoo)m calls: As I have shared with many on and off screen, I have met more dogs and cats in the last several months than all my years prior combined. It is more the exception than the rule that I don't meet one of these furry species during a Zoom call, Facetime, and other platforms. I find myself talking as much to the pets as the their owners, that I have started feeling like Doctor Dolittle. Regardless of who I start with on the screen, inevitably we will take at least a brief intermission to let the pet in or out of the room, stop a fight between pets, or respond to a "woof" or "meow"...it's as if they're actually jealous, want attention, or just need to be in control...like many of our children! Early in the pandemic, along with PPE's and various sporting equipment to keep us distracted, pets to either adopt or purchase from breeders became scarce. My own 'scents' is that these pets know they have the upper hand and, given my emergent Dolittle ability to understand them, they have conveyed a mixture of anxiety and excitement regarding the likelihood that many of their caretakers are going to return to the office space in the near future...some are biding their time like "The Cat in the Hat", while others are showing separation anxiety... 

Name Calling: At risk of repeating myself here, as I have shared with you in this space on a few occasions, I have heard and witnessed many children as well as pets being called by name throughout the past year via Zoom calls and similar formats, some of which have been 'blasts from the past', some throwback names that we haven't heard around here for decades, bringing back some classics. Many pet names that can only be meaningful to the owners, that the pets would not endorse themselves. But, once again, I haven't heard nor witnessed any pets let alone children be called by the names of "Judas", "Ponzi", "Putin" (not around these parts, at least), "Medusa" (aka "Gorgo"), or..."COVID"!  Even when children have argued on camera, they haven't resorted to any of these names but tend to stick to the old, reliable ones that could potentially result in their 'pie hole' being encumbered by a bar of "Lifebouy" -- like what Ralphie was treated to in "A Christmas Story" -- an act that could in turn get parents reported to the school social worker these days but, come to think of it, might be a cool name for a pet...BTW, even if you are not from such royalty as Harry and Meaghan, prior to naming your child or pet, you might want to check with your own queen mum before using her childhood nickname (such as "Lilibet"), or else you risk kicking up more than pet dander...

Home, Roam on the range..."Oh, give me a home where the elephants (?!) roam and the..." If you have bothered to watch any news recently, you could hardly miss the coverage of the herd of elephants (partly due to their size, and otherwise to the number of drones they find themselves swatting at in annoyance, covering their every move, allowing them no peace or privacy)...a herd of 15 elephants (including 3 calves) which have been wandering in a northly direction in China for about 15 months now, covering about 500k/300m outside their normal habitat. While many now regular viewers are posting joyous messages, romanticizing their journey almost as a rite of passage, others are decrying the loss of habitat as the instigator...attempts to interview the elephants have been so far unsuccessful and they haven't yet called upon my Dr. Dolittle abilities here...In the meantime, what has also been lost in the story is another herd of 17 who have traversed south in China, settling down, if only temporarily, in a tropical botanical garden. So the elephants themselves seem divided on the issues, let alone the press and scientists covering this story...

Oceans of Fun, Oceans Apart: Throughout the last several months, articles started appearing focused on the indirect 'benefits' of the pandemic, which included a temporary hiatus on our collective assault on the global environment, resulting in part in cleaner air and some bodies of water...studies that will no doubt continue as the pandemic starts easing and cruising lines (which are hoping potential cruisers will have a short memory regarding how many were stranded, "strangers in a strange land" at the beginning of this mess) and other ocean going traffic increases exponentially. Scientists and other self-proclaimed experts are divided on the long term effects of both the recent trend as well as the persistent 'currents' of the oceans over the last several decades. But in the meantime, for the first time in over a century (sound familiar, as in "global pandemic..."?) the National Geographic has officially renamed the body of water surrounding the "Antarctic" as the "Southern Ocean" (better commit it to memory if you are vying for a spot on "Jeopardy" or otherwise want to pass your next geography test in the fall when schools open back up). As one NG geographist (another 'cool' career for you aspiring grads to explore) cited, "...this huge body of water has long been recognized by scientists but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it..." Yes, another great divide, sort of like the ongoing debate continuing high above the oceans regarding whether "Pluto" deserves to be called a planet (of course, there's a pretty famous dog named such but I've yet to encounter one on Zoom, which I find curious)...

Dividing City and State, A bird in hand..."Pure poppycock!" a saying which has been around since early America and a declaration many of you have been tempted to make reading this post so far...referring to "senseless talk". But hear me out for I am about to pronounce yet another divisive issue, one involving a symbol that at first glance (NBC) seems to simply convey a pleasant panorama of cardinal Crayola colors, which has morphed over the years...that of the PEACOCK! If you've been understandably distracted by the elephant herd(s), you missed the ongoing and increasingly raucous story about these birds who are prone to intermittently display their plumage, not so much for us but as act of courtship, who have been also been prone to damaging property (along with their sizeable peacock poop, they have been found guilty of attacking convertibles with their strong beaks)...so these birds which were earlier touted as a farmer's friend, for their ability to control pest populations and serve as burglar alarms due to their incredible shriek, before "Ring Doorbell" rendered them obsolete, are now a focus of a bill originating where else, L.A. -- a bill making the feeding of these birds illegal. The city and the surrounding areas remain divided...in other locales (e.g., Michigan), the "explosion" of Sandhill Cranes, a bird which at first glance would not pose a menace, standing a mere 4-5 feet, with a slender neck and a crown of crimson feathers, a species which was once on the verge of extinction, is now a focus of yet another bill which would make them a potential Thanksgiving entree, a bill which would establish a Sandhill hunting season, prompted by their alleged decimation of crops. Geez, from fan favorites to taking aim, we are so fickle...

Back and Home and in Dispute, how lice: Over whether the rise in dog bites over the last year is a direct or indirect result in the steep increase in pet ownership (many of which did not consider the concurrent effects on their animals, their dog and cat's ability to sense their owner's anxiety associated with pandemic stressors). As many trainers and 'dog whisperers' will tell you, much of a dog's (and cat's) misbehavior is strongly associated with ANXIETY, which in turn emanates in no small part from poor or inconsistent training by US! But instead, we are highly prone to "blame it on the dog...". We are also divided on the degree to which having pets in the house may actually afford a health advantage to children or, whether, the rise in fleas, ticks, and lice is the main outcome, all of which will be a focus of assiduous attention by arthropodologists for some time to come (one more career likely to have job security for the near future, grads!)...

While we remain divided...we all unite in the ability to gradually re-unite in and out of our homes. Let's not forget our pets and all those other parts of nature depending on YOU and on ME.