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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi You All <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here is another great story about a blind person handling pets, and/or other animals. It comes out of The Braille Monitor, June 2000 issue. Take a read:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cat-and-Mouse Games<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Lynn Mattioli<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From the Editor: Lynn Mattioli was a 1987 NFB scholarship winner. The following story of compassion and daring-do first appeared in Reflecting the Flame,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the seventeenth in the Kernel Book series of paperbacks we publish to educate the public about the abilities of blind people. It begins with President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Maurer's introduction:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Not all of us have what it takes to stalk a mouse through the house. But, as Lynn Mattioli shows us in her story, "Cat-and-Mouse Games," blindness is not<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the deciding factor. Lynn is a registered dietitian employed by Harbor Hospital Center and is president of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Federation<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the Blind of Maryland. Here is what she has to say:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My cats, Ben and Jerry, are creatures of habit. We have a daily routine. When I come home from work, they greet me at the door and then expect to be fed<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>their dinner. One evening I returned from work, but they did not greet me at the door. When I went into the kitchen, they were both sitting on the floor<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>intently watching the refrigerator.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I put out the cat food, but they did not want to eat. They wanted to keep their cat eyes on the refrigerator. Ben and Jerry are robust cats, so I know,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>if they did not want their cat food, something pretty intense was going on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I watched them for a while. Ben was sniffing under the refrigerator. The appliance sits in the corner of the kitchen, so he was able to get at it from<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>two sides. From time to time he would move around the refrigerator as if to get at things from a different angle.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jerry was following his lead as if his big brother was teaching him something new. >From the way they were acting I suspected we had a mouse in the house.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It had not happened before, but, since I live in an older apartment building, I knew it was possible.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have never been afraid of mice, but I knew I did not want one to move in and start a family. At the same time I did not want to hurt it. I definitely<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>did not want Ben and Jerry to have the mouse for dinner. I stood there for a while thinking, "How am I going to catch this mouse if I can't see where it<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>is?" I decided that Ben and Jerry could help me corner the mouse so that I could grab it and put it outside.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First we needed to get the mouse out from under the refrigerator. I have an extra-long white cane that I use to fish cat toys out from under the sofa.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I used it to check under the refrigerator, but no mouse came out. So I moved the refrigerator out from the corner, thinking that might scare it out. But<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>again no mouse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At this point I started thinking that Ben and Jerry were sending me on a wild mouse chase. Maybe they were confused. Maybe there was no mouse. I waited<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to see what the boys would do next. Ben started sniffing the grill on the back of the refrigerator. He then tried to climb up the grill. I figured that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>had to be where the mouse was hiding. I felt around the grill but did not feel anything. But then I heard it scurrying up the grill. So I tapped on the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>grill. There was a "plop" sound, and the mouse had fallen to the floor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ben and Jerry jumped into action. They chased the mouse right behind the stereo in the living room. This was not working well. I was worried I would spend<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the better part of the evening chasing the mouse from one appliance to another.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The cats were guarding either end of the stereo so the mouse could not escape. I used my extra-long white cane to direct the mouse out one end. Ben took<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>charge and chased the mouse into the fireplace. Luckily the fireplace was free of ashes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Things were looking up. I thought Ben had the mouse cornered. Now my dilemma was how to grab the mouse so that neither of us would get hurt. I decided<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to use a plastic grocery bag to scoop it up. I figured the mouse would be unable to bite me through the bag.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When I returned to the fireplace, Ben was dismayed. He was searching around the fireplace for the mouse, but it was not there. I searched with him. I felt<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>around the fireplace, but no mouse. Where could it have gone? How could a mouse escape with two cats and me on its tail? I didn't think it could have gone<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>up the chimney unless it was Santa Claus mouse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ben came to the rescue again. He started sniffing the fireplace screen. I covered my hand with the bag and felt around the screen. There was the mouse,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>clinging to the top of the screen. I scooped it up and took it outside. I felt so bad for the mouse. It must have been scared. But at least I was able<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to get it outside unharmed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I learned something from this experience. Initially I did not think I could catch the mouse because I am blind. I thought the mouse would move too fast<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for me to find it. I did not think I could catch it without being bitten. But now I know I was wrong. I found ways to get the job done. Blindness won't<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>stop me from keeping that mouse out of my house.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To simplify the task next time, I think I will invest in a live mouse trap. But I would do this whether I was blind or sighted. It just makes practical<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>sense. I doubt the mouse will be back, though, with Ben and Jerry on guard. They also keep the elephants away! HI You All<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here is another good blindness and caring and/or managing your pets, or… <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Lynn Mattioli<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From the Editor: Lynn Mattioli was a 1987 NFB scholarship winner. The following story of compassion and daring-do first appeared in Reflecting the Flame,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the seventeenth in the Kernel Book series of paperbacks we publish to educate the public about the abilities of blind people. It begins with President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Maurer's introduction:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Not all of us have what it takes to stalk a mouse through the house. But, as Lynn Mattioli shows us in her story, "Cat-and-Mouse Games," blindness is not<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the deciding factor. Lynn is a registered dietitian employed by Harbor Hospital Center and is president of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Federation<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the Blind of Maryland. Here is what she has to say:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My cats, Ben and Jerry, are creatures of habit. We have a daily routine. When I come home from work, they greet me at the door and then expect to be fed<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>their dinner. One evening I returned from work, but they did not greet me at the door. When I went into the kitchen, they were both sitting on the floor<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>intently watching the refrigerator.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I put out the cat food, but they did not want to eat. They wanted to keep their cat eyes on the refrigerator. Ben and Jerry are robust cats, so I know,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>if they did not want their cat food, something pretty intense was going on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I watched them for a while. Ben was sniffing under the refrigerator. The appliance sits in the corner of the kitchen, so he was able to get at it from<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>two sides. From time to time he would move around the refrigerator as if to get at things from a different angle.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jerry was following his lead as if his big brother was teaching him something new. >From the way they were acting I suspected we had a mouse in the house.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It had not happened before, but, since I live in an older apartment building, I knew it was possible.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have never been afraid of mice, but I knew I did not want one to move in and start a family. At the same time I did not want to hurt it. I definitely<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>did not want Ben and Jerry to have the mouse for dinner. I stood there for a while thinking, "How am I going to catch this mouse if I can't see where it<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>is?" I decided that Ben and Jerry could help me corner the mouse so that I could grab it and put it outside.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First we needed to get the mouse out from under the refrigerator. I have an extra-long white cane that I use to fish cat toys out from under the sofa.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I used it to check under the refrigerator, but no mouse came out. So I moved the refrigerator out from the corner, thinking that might scare it out. But<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>again no mouse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At this point I started thinking that Ben and Jerry were sending me on a wild mouse chase. Maybe they were confused. Maybe there was no mouse. I waited<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to see what the boys would do next. Ben started sniffing the grill on the back of the refrigerator. He then tried to climb up the grill. I figured that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>had to be where the mouse was hiding. I felt around the grill but did not feel anything. But then I heard it scurrying up the grill. So I tapped on the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>grill. There was a "plop" sound, and the mouse had fallen to the floor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ben and Jerry jumped into action. They chased the mouse right behind the stereo in the living room. This was not working well. I was worried I would spend<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the better part of the evening chasing the mouse from one appliance to another.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The cats were guarding either end of the stereo so the mouse could not escape. I used my extra-long white cane to direct the mouse out one end. Ben took<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>charge and chased the mouse into the fireplace. Luckily the fireplace was free of ashes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Things were looking up. I thought Ben had the mouse cornered. Now my dilemma was how to grab the mouse so that neither of us would get hurt. I decided<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to use a plastic grocery bag to scoop it up. I figured the mouse would be unable to bite me through the bag.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When I returned to the fireplace, Ben was dismayed. He was searching around the fireplace for the mouse, but it was not there. I searched with him. I felt<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>around the fireplace, but no mouse. Where could it have gone? How could a mouse escape with two cats and me on its tail? I didn't think it could have gone<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>up the chimney unless it was Santa Claus mouse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ben came to the rescue again. He started sniffing the fireplace screen. I covered my hand with the bag and felt around the screen. There was the mouse,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>clinging to the top of the screen. I scooped it up and took it outside. I felt so bad for the mouse. It must have been scared. But at least I was able<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to get it outside unharmed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I learned something from this experience. Initially I did not think I could catch the mouse because I am blind. I thought the mouse would move too fast<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for me to find it. I did not think I could catch it without being bitten. But now I know I was wrong. I found ways to get the job done. Blindness won't<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>stop me from keeping that mouse out of my house.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To simplify the task next time, I think I will invest in a live mouse trap. But I would do this whether I was blind or sighted. It just makes practical<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>sense. I doubt the mouse will be back, though, with Ben and Jerry on guard. They also keep the elephants away!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Respectfully yours,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Robert Leslie Newman<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>NFBN Senior Division, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Second Vice President, NFB Seniors Division<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>