CSI: Meowmi

If you’re a CSI fan, you’ll like this Washington Post story about a Virginia woman who used DNA evidence to confirm that a neighborhood dog killed her pet cat. Aside from this sad story of the unfortunate consequences of a pet owner who thinks it’s safe to let their cats outside—she’s since learned her lesson and keeps the rest of her cats inside—is the information about the California lab that processes animal DNA. Animal owners have used the lab in similar cases to finger cat-killing dogs, and others to confirm that Rover is indeed the roadkill they found. Ranchers have used the lab to ID stolen cattle using DNA. (This makes me wonder if ranchers are trading their branding irons for cheek swabbing kits.) And the lab helped find a murderer who had the bad luck to step in dog doo at the crime scene. I don’t know about you, but I think the CSI producers have another show here!

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Not just a stupid pet trick

Wheelchair-bound Gary Rosheisen of Columbus, Ohio, taught his cat Tommy a neat trick: How to dial 911 using the speed dial button on his telephone. This talented tabby may have come to his owner's rescue last week, when Rosheisen was found by police responding to an odd 911 call -- a call from the house had been made but no one was talking on the other end of the line. When the police got there they found Rosheisen had fallen from his wheelchair and was unable to make it to the phone, but Tommy was sitting right next to it.

What a good kitty!

In case you like me are thinking, "I wonder how I could teach my cat that trick," I think the real trick would seem to be to teach your cat to only push the 911 speed dial button when there was an emergency. Would missing your cat's regular tuna time constitute an emergency do you think? Or would you have to say something special to trigger the response? In our house you'd also have to teach the cat to find the cordless phone first -- this would come in handy even when we just can't find the phone to call for pizza. So as interesting as the AP story is, I still have a lot of lingering questions as to how Mr. Rosheisen managed to train his cat.