Free Matilda!!

[V.C. Brunswick]

The McSorley's Cat in action.

[video=youtube;dggU1xA0HGM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dggU1xA0HGM[/video]

Ferocious beast, indeed.

If I didn't know better I'd swear he was the model for this illustration lol

 

[PoohBang]

looked like that lady could have handled herself...

 

[Dan Rodemsky]

Two things come to mind. I have been hospitalized more than once due to severe allergic reaction to cats. I would not like to see one wandering freely in a hotel that I was staying in. The other is toxoplasmosis. Studies have linked this mostly feline borne disease with "crazy cat lady syndrome".

 

[Miss Golightly]

Two things come to mind. I have been hospitalized more than once due to severe allergic reaction to cats. I would not like to see one wandering freely in a hotel that I was staying in. The other is toxoplasmosis. Studies have linked this mostly feline borne disease with "crazy cat lady syndrome".

I wouldn't have even the slightest worry about catching Toxoplasmosis from a hotel cat - once the hotel has excellent hygiene standards what is there to worry about? If you pet the cat you wash your hands straight after.

Toxoplasmosis is not only a disease you can catch from cats - it's possible to also catch it from:

•By eating raw or undercooked meat, especially pork, lamb or wild game.
•By touching something, such as a cutting board or dish, that has been in contact with raw or undercooked meat and then putting your hands in or near your mouth.
•By eating unwashed raw fruits and vegetables, or drinking water with the parasite in it.

People who have had cats for years (as I have since I was a child) have probably been exposed to it at some stage and have built up an immunity but if you are not a cat person I would say the chances of catching it from a cat are minimal especially if you are careful about personal hygiene.

However cat allergies are another issue but if you were going to stay in a hotel and they have a hotel cat/pet I'm sure it would be mentioned on their website as Matilda is.

I met Matilda whilst staying at The Algonquin on honeymoon as she was just adorable. The idea of her being tied up behind the desk doesn't bear thinking about and is completely unnecessary - I think pretty much everyone who has stayed at the hotel were charmed by her and wouldn't want her to be restricted in that manner.

 

[Mrs Chaddsley_Corbett]

Whilst on a working holiday in London in the 1960's I stayed in many private Hotels, many hotels had the stench of cat Pee , which was truly atrocious, ( I think owners get used to the pong) i moved several time I would certainly not stay in any establishment that had Cats on the premises

 

[LizzieMaine]

As far as allergies go, I fully agree that one should avoid going to places where one is likely to encounter something that aggravates their allergy. I'm allergic to onions myself -- not a mild aversion, I have a violent and potentially life threatening reaction to them. So I simply stay away from restaurants where I know most of the food contains them -- Italian restaurants especially. But I don't insist that those restaurants banish onions from their kitchens because their use of the dreaded vegetable somehow interferes with my rights.

I've been around cats my whole life and have no fear whatever of toxoplasmosis -- I wash my hands after cleaning the litter box, I have a cast-iron immune system, and barring a miracle of cosmic proportions, I don't expect to get pregnant. And as far as the odor goes, if a place stinks of cat urine it's the owner's fault, not the cat's. And if that's the case, there's likely to be even worse problems in the place than the smell. Matilda, as it happens, has her own personal valet who sees to her litter box needs -- and the box is nowhere near the lobby.

 

[rue]

But don't they keep the jackalopes on leashes....

Well, the antlers get in the way

 

[rue]

As far as allergies go, I fully agree that one should avoid going to places where one is likely to encounter something that aggravates their allergy. I'm allergic to onions myself -- not a mild aversion, I have a violent and potentially life threatening reaction to them. So I simply stay away from restaurants where I know most of the food contains them -- Italian restaurants especially. But I don't insist that those restaurants banish onions from their kitchens because their use of the dreaded vegetable somehow interferes with my rights.

I've been around cats my whole life and have no fear whatever of toxoplasmosis -- I wash my hands after cleaning the litter box, I have a cast-iron immune system, and barring a miracle of cosmic proportions, I don't expect to get pregnant. And as far as the odor goes, if a place stinks of cat urine it's the owner's fault, not the cat's. And if that's the case, there's likely to be even worse problems in the place than the smell. Matilda, as it happens, has her own personal valet who sees to her litter box needs -- and the box is nowhere near the lobby.

well said

 

[Feraud]

The situation is not surprising. Bloomberg, his cronies, and especially the idiot New Yorkers who elected this bum to second and third terms of office have ruined our city beyond repair.
Poor Matilda on a leash is one more nail in the coffin (of which there are too many) that was NYC as a cultural wonderland.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The McSorley's Cat in action.

[video=youtube;dggU1xA0HGM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dggU1xA0HGM[/video]

Boy..that's just exactly what I would want. A shedding cat rubbing all over a table set for someone to dine at. BTW..onions are usually expected to belong in most kitchens...alot more than any feline. Some tend to make excuses for their animals..and expect for everyone else to put up with any animal behavior or excess...because..well..they are surely 'people' too. Nothing worse than getting up from a sofa with cat hair all over your clothes..unless you gotta eat it too. It can be easy to become attached to an animal as part of the family...but to expect that others must put up with them rubbing up against...jumping on...slobbering all over can be a bit much. In that case..it's not madatory that I visit again. However..in a public establishment..especially an eatery why should anyone feel obliged that they must cater to a wandering animal's whims? Sorry to go against the grain. I,too,have become quite attached to pets in the past..but...never expected that 'surprise!' now others 'must' be as well. They can be very personable..part of the family..but yet they have the habits and charactoristics of just exactly what they are. That's why in many places they are not allowed to roam free. I do understand the love and affection...but..it can be taken to the extreme with little consideration for those who don't always share the same enthusiasm.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I dunno, a bar cat seems like it might be an improvement over a lot of the patrons you encounter in such places -- reeking of stale tobacco, booze, B. O., and cheap cologne. A feline would be a breath of fresh air.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Funny, after reading this, I went out to a few bars last night and thought how they'd all benefit from having a cat lol

 

[HadleyH]

The McSorley's Cat in action.

[video=youtube;dggU1xA0HGM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dggU1xA0HGM[/video]

Ferocious beast, indeed.

We adore you Matilda!!!!!!!!!!!!! :love::love::love: let her roam free please!

 

[Tomasso]

While I have no qualms about my furry friends laying all about my home as if the owned it (they do).....I can certainly understand those who are put off by it....

 

[AtomicEraTom]

As do I. I don't think it should be up to anyone but the owner, though, so long as nobody's health is at risk (the cat climbing on tables, food prep areas, etc). Businesses all do things that people like and dislike and the customer can make their decisions with their wallets by going elsewhere.

While I have no qualms about my furry friends laying all about my home as if the owned it (they do).....I can certainly understand those who are put off by it....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

You know Lizzie is mad when she gets involved in modern day issues.

Back on topic, ever since I heard about that hotel having a cat in the lobby, I know that if I ever go to New York City, that is where I would stay. Now I don't even want to go to NYC.

 

[Connery]

Whenever I travel, I check to see if the establishment is pet friendly as I have brought mine on many trips. If the hotel does not accept pets I do not accept the hotel. If I am not traveling with my pet I still prefer to stay at a pet friendly establishment.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The B&B where I used to stay in Montreal had four cats roaming around -- and when you called to reserve a room, you were told which room belonged to which cat and you were made to understand that you were sharing the room with its regular occupant. That weeded out the cat-haters at the very start, and made sure that those who did stay were the sort who appreciated the company. The cats themselves were very clean and dignified, as long as you didn't try to hog their bed.

 

[Feraud]

The department claims it didn’t do it — just as it denies responsibility for another New York landmark, Sardi’s, being forced to remove its famous free cheese and cracker platters from its bars.

DOH claims it never cited Sardi’s over the cheese platters — but the restaurant’s president, Max Klimavicious, told The New York Times that inspectors had instructed him several times to pull the food.

“We were warned,” he said.

Keep in mind that — as with the Algonquin’s formerly free-range feline — there is no record of the cheese ever sickening anybody. Ever.

Thus do two more New York traditions fall victim to Health Commissioner Tom Farley’s food fascists.

It’s all about the power, don’t you know.

Free cheese!

Free Matilda!

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/mike_hates_cats_Vr6b27dLhqkLHGXI4Sw6EL#ixzz1f0wWEoXK

The DOH claims to have not issued a warning about leashing Matilda. I'd respect the department if they'd at the least man-up and took responsibility for their actions. This passive aggressive reply is pathetic.

If potential hotel guests dislike a cat wandering wandering around a lobby they can easily find another hotel. It's NYC for pete's sake. We're littered with places to stay.

 

[sheeplady]

I'd far rather have a cat in a hotel than rats or mice. I've stayed in a number of bed and breakfasts in my life- one was on a farm and had a goat, chickens, and a calf- and I prefer them to hotels. You're in someone's home and I've always been warned about pets before I booked at a B&B. I understand people not wanting to stay in a place with a cat if they have allergies or don't like cats. I don't want to stay in (some) smoking rooms because they are not appropriately vented, and as a non-smoker, I am sensitive to cigarette smoke. (I have stayed in smoking rooms before without problems, but it depends on the establishment- a few bad experiences made me prefer non-smoking rooms.) But they warn you about these things, and I've never been forced to stay someplace.

I also warn people that I have cats. If the cat is bothersome to someone (I ask), I put him away in a separate room. However, I can't clean my place to be cat-free, so I have some friends who understandably can't come to my home.

I have successfully trained one cat to walk on a leash. (He was 15 and getting deaf, and was formally an indoor/outdoor cat. I trained him so I could take him out in the yard for walks the last three years of his life.) The other one I tried to train failed miserably and it seemed cruel to continue the training.