2,000 YEARS OF HALL From Samhain Most of us today think of Halloween as candy, costumes, and those giant plastic skeletons that somehow manage to stay upright all month. But this strange little holiday has deeper roots, and they’re a lot older — and maybe a bit darker — than you might expect. It all goes back over 2,000 years to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in”). That night marked the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, a season the Celts linked with death and mystery. They believed the line between the living and the dead blurred and that spirits could cross over. So people lit fires and wore animal skins to keep those spirits away. It was part celebration, part warning. As Christianity spread, church leaders worked to replace old Pagan rituals, such as Samhain. They declared November 1 as All Saints’ Day and called the night before it All Hallows’ Eve. Over time, that name shrank to Halloween. But the older traditions stuck around, just in new disguises.
No one likes going to the doctor, but for one Florida feline, a routine visit to the vet turned into a daring escape. Just after being neutered at SPCA Florida, George the cat put his kitty GPS to the test when he broke out of his cage, trying to make his way home. As if his daring getaway wasn’t impressive enough, the tabby scampered across 3 miles full of obstacles to return to his owners’ doorstep. On the day of the incident, George managed to pop his cage open and scurry out in a matter of seconds. Still loopy from anesthesia, the housecat evaded clinic staff, scaling up fencing before disappearing. Employees did everything they could to stop the escape artist, lifting each other over fences, but George was too quick and determined to catch. Owner Bob Beasock was heartbroken by the news and searched for his little buddy alongside clinic staff for nearly a week. Just when it looked like they might never find his furry companion, Bob found him at home, curled up in his favorite armchair in the carport. “There was George, stretched out in his chair in our carport, looking like he had just returned from a grand adventure," Bob told reporters. "He was a bit thinner, clearly hungry, but otherwise no worse for the wear." Though George was unscathed, his journey home was no walk in the park. He had to trek through multiple subdivisions, maneuver around a couple of lakes, and cross five or six roads to reach his destination. Cats are skilled navigators who use a combination of scent, visual markers, and even geomagnetism to find their way around. But George’s journey wasn’t all prompted by a deep instinct or fear of the vet; he just wanted to get back to his owner. Though they express it more subtly than dogs, research has found that cats love their humans and form a deep attachment with their owners. MISSION IM-PAW-SIBLE Florida Cat’s Epic Getaway From the Vet
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Bob was relieved to find George safe and sound, but said he would have done it just a little differently if he ever found himself fleeing his doctor's appointment.
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“If I had been stuck there, I would've called an Uber. But George didn't have that option."
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