Alright, I’ve got to find my Trekkie cap for a minute. I watched an old episode of Start Trek recently and just had to write about it.
For me, Star Trek, the original series, is a show just full of nostalgia and the beeps and colors of the bridge of the Enterprise never fail to take me right back to my childhood.
My dad is a Trekkie of old. He’s always been a big fan of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the crew. During summertime lunches when we were young, he’d make us test his Star Trek knowledge by reading questions from a quiz book. I’m actually not joking on that one. He did surprisingly well with the answers and still, to this day, can come up with episode titles relatively quickly.
And he wonders where my TV obsession originated. Real head-scratcher there, Pop.
I must confess (and I don’t think it’s the nostalgia talking), I really enjoy Mr. Spock. I just think he’s so incredibly cool. He’s always so unruffled under pressure and comes off with his trademark, “Fascinating.” Love him.
Well, the episode I ended up seeing recently was called “The Trouble with Tribbles.” It’s actually a humorous piece that centers on these balls of fluff known as Tribbles. It quite literally looked like the prop department bought cheap rolls of fur and fashioned them into balls. OK, the special effects in the original Star Trek are somewhat painfully dated in the age of block buster special effects movies like Transformers, but what can I say? I still think it’s a fun show.
So Lieutenant Uhura brings a Tribble onto the ship as a pet. Turns out that apparently, according to Dr. McCoy, “These things are born pregnant.” Soon, the Enterprise is simply overrun with Tribbles.
Despite the fact that this is a science fiction show, the similarities between these little balls of fluff and actual animals is quite amazing. Go with me for a minute on this one.
First of all, it sure seems like these Tribbles could use a good trap, neuter, release program. We have a lot of people all around the area doing what is called trap, neuter, release for cats. Sometimes with the cat population, it can seem like they are “born pregnant” like the Tribbles. In fact, one female and one male cat in ten years time can make literally millions of offspring. It’s quite easy to get overrun with cats, just like Tribbles.
At the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, we have almost 250 cats in our care at the moment, so we definitely know what it’s like. If you or anyone you know would be interested in adopting a feline, now is definitely the time to stop out.
Speaking of cats, when the Tribbles are happy, they emit a soft trilling sound – very similar to the purr of a cat. One of the funny parts in the show was when Spock summarized that the sound is pleasing to humans and can create a sense of peace and contentment – and we discover that he, himself (even being half Vulcan), is not immune to their charms.
Studies have shown that animals can reduce stress in their owners. Whether it’s the rumble of your cat purring in your ear, seeing your dog wag his tail for you, or stroking your pet’s fur, the problems in your life can ease for a moment by spending time with an animal.
It turns out these little Tribbles are also quite perceptive – just like our canine friends. Tribbles really can’t stand Klingons, who are the reputed “bad guys” on the show after all. No wonder the little bundles of fur don’t enjoy them.
And I’ve discovered in my travels that dogs can be very intuitive when it comes to the basic nature of people. Sometimes a dog’s sixth sense can act as a barometer. I will never forget the day I had a black lab from the shelter out at an event. She was super sweet and just loved everyone she met.
That is, until we turned a corner. As we walked around a building, a man was coming down the other side. That dog hit the ground and absolutely cowered behind me despite the fact that the man didn’t say a word to her.
In my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder what she sensed in that stranger that I didn’t know. Definitely reminded me of the Tribbles’ instinctive reaction to a Klingon.
Fascinating (thank you, Mr. Spock) what an evening of channel surfing can bring about, isn’t it? I know I can get more than a little involved in television shows – it’s part of my escape, after all – but you have to admit, sometimes we can make some interesting connections to our daily lives.
And sometimes even a sci-fi show can relate to life with our four-legged friends.
Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, readers may call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Bargain hunters and animal lovers can help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
