A Newsletter for Camarillo Seniors
February / March 2022| Issue #5
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In This Issue:
The Value of Owning A Pet
Fun Facts About Pets
Did You Know...
Vertebrae Zoology Museum
Just For Fun Video Links
Poetry Corner
OLLI Spring Courses 2022
Fifty And Better Lecture
Sign-up for CityScene Online
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What is the Camarillo Council on Aging? |
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Recognizing that seniors are a significant and vital segment of the City’s population, the Camarillo City Council formed the Camarillo Council on Aging (CCOA).
The CCOA is an advisory body whose purpose is to provide a mechanism for the senior community to make recommendations regarding matters of concern to the City Council, the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, and other appropriate organizations and agencies.
The CCOA meetings are open to anyone interested in senior issues. The CCOA seeks and values your input.
Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 3pm at Camarillo City Hall, except in August and December. COVID precautions may require virtual meetings, please check the City's website using the link below for details on the upcoming agenda.
2022 Upcoming Meeting Dates:
- February 15
- March 15
- April 19
- May 17
- June 21
You may contact the CCOA via email [email protected] or by calling City Hall at (805) 388-5397.
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Why Are Pets So Valuable In Our Lives? |
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Those of us who have had pets, especially dogs and cats as members of the family know that these simple, loving animals can reduce our stress, anxiety, and depression. Pets can also ease our loneliness, encourage us to exercise and play, and can even improve our health. Caring for an animal is nurturing and caring work that can help children to grow up to be more secure and active.
It's interesting to observe how pet owners relate to their animals. Some elders get more emotionally and actively involved with their chosen pets than they do with their children. Such nurturing behavior seems to fulfill the loving and caring parts of being human.
Whether it's a child or a pet, people feel the need to care for, teach, and love a creature that they hold close to their hearts. Pet owners act like parents when they attend training classes for pets instead of school functions for kids, or by providing small walks for dogs instead of coloring books for children.
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Popular Pets and Their Longevity |
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Most people prefer to adopt the following five pet animals:
- Dog (lifetime 10-13 years)
- Cat (lifetime 12-18 years)
- Rabbit (lifetime 9-10 years)
- Horse (lifetime 25-30 years)
- Parakeet (lifetime 10-15 years)
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Considering Smaller Pets
Owning a pet does come with costs and time spent on love and care. Responsibilities include providing pets with nutritious foods, care for their health (with veterinary visits), and social needs (taking them out for walks/play).
Pets may also create more work and headaches by making a mess, such as muddy paws, shedding fur, chewing and clawing on furniture etc.
For less work, some prefer smaller, caged pets, such as:
1. Budgies
2. Hamsters
3. Guinea pigs
4. Parakeets
5. Fish (in tank)
6. Chicken / hens / ducks / quails
No matter what pet one chooses, all pets require some care, training and maintenance. But despite the time and expense, the joy and unconditional love they can bring are worth all the trouble.
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Pet Names Over the Decades
ROVER, the international network of pet sitters and dog walkers, pawed through millions of names submitted by pet owners. Of course, there were all the usual pop stars, sports celebrities and Fauci’s .
But the company also discovered that dogs named Poppy (from Emily Henry’s “People We Meet on Vacation”) are trending up by 45 percent;
Brianna (from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series) are up 38 percent; and Elin (as in romance writer Elin Hilderbrand) are up 63 percent. Also according to ROVER, there’s a new fondness for Oscar the Wilde, Frederick Douglass and Bradbury.
William Shakespeare saw a 55 percent increase and Hemingway was up 151 percent. Salinger, who picked a bone with every phony, rose 163 percent.
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The Dog Head Tilt
While conducting a study on dogs’ ability to learn words, Hungarian scientists stumbled upon a potential link between dogs’ memory and their head tilt, according to a new paper published in animal cognition.
In the study, the Hungarian researchers looked at the head tilt patterns of both “gifted” and “typical” dogs. Owners asked their pups to fetch a specific toy from another room after being prompted with the toy's name—a command like, “Bring rope!” for example. While most dogs struggle to memorize the name of just two toys, the seven “gifted” dogs—all of which were border collies—could remember at least ten different toy names they’d been taught by researchers.
The team found that dogs that were particularly good at toy recall tilted their heads when hearing a command more often than dogs who weren’t as skilled. When they compared the pooch’s response to a command from their owner, gifted dogs cocked their heads 43 percent of the time, while typical dogs did so just 2 percent of the time. It's possible, scientists concluded, that a pup’s endearing head tilt may be a sign of paying attention or even matching a name to a visual image in their head.
Researchers also discovered that dogs usually cock their head in the same direction regardless of where the owner was standing. The so-called “right-tilters” and “left-tilters” may be a matter of individual preference—something scientists say they want to investigate further.
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Camarillo has three beautiful well-maintained parks where you can take your dogs for walks and to socialize with other dogs.
- Spring Valley Dog Park
- Mission Oaks Park
- Camarillo Grove Dog Park
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Western Foundation Of Vertebrate Zoology |
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Did you know a worldwide research vertebrate zoology museum is right here in Camarillo? Ornithologists from around the world come here to do research on various bird species as well as conservation.
Additionally there are over 1 million eggs stored at the facility. Private tours are usually available on Wednesdays and Fridays. Reservations are required. At this time, COVID guidelines are followed. Classes and field trips are available.
Phone: 805-388-9944
Address 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo
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Click the links below to view videos. |
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If you’d like to have a favorite poem included in the next edition, please send us your suggestions to: [email protected].
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OLLI Fall 2021 Course Offerings |
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This coming Spring 2022 term, there are several interesting classes that give everyone something to look forward to. Many favorite instructors are returning with some very interesting topics.
Sign-up for the Osher Life Long Learning Institute contact list and receive registration information as soon as it is announced.
For more information about
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Fifty and Better Lecture Series |
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Now Registering Winter 2022 Session: January 18-March 7
Click here to join their contact list and receive registration information as soon as it is announced!
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