[Vision2020] Caturday (October 29, 2022)

[Tom Hansen]

Meet Close Up, the resident cat of Hollywood Forever Cemetery. If you're lucky you might see him lounging on Cecil B. DeMille's grave where he greets tour groups. Welcome to Caturday, It's Almost Halloween edition.

Courtesy of Coke and Marmalade at:

https://coleandmarmalade.com/2022/10/26/cat-poses-for-tours-in-the-hollywood-forever-cemetery/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

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A striking black cat named “Close Up” resides at the 123-year-old iconic Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles

A striking black cat named “Close Up” resides at the 123-year-old iconic Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles, a final resting place for many Hollywood legends. 
 
Each year, the cemetery, founded in 1899, receives thousands of visitors who come to pay respects to Hollywood royalty like Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Burt Reynolds, and Rudolph Valentino. If they’re lucky, they may also get a glimpse of the resident cat ready for his close-up.
 
Sometimes, Close Up may be seen near the director and producer Cecil B. DeMille’s grave, which is where he got his name. 

When tour groups come through, the friendly cat will sometimes follow along, striking poses on the headstones. As you can see below, the cat’s bestie will sometimes strike a pose too!
 
According to staff, Close Up has become a “minor celebrity” in the cemetery, with visitors who come just to see him and give him a treat. 
 
However, he wasn’t always so friendly. When he arrived about four years ago, he was called “Mr. Growly.”
 
When visitors arrive, they may expect to see many cats like Close Up, as the cemetery has managed as many as five feral cat colonies on the 65-acre property.
 
Here, the feral cats have everything they could ever need. Shelters, ten feeding stations stocked with wet and dry food, and water are available for the cats. Generally, the cats hang out at the front wall of the cemetery near Santa Monica Blvd. If he feels like it, Close Up may pose for a picture or two but it’s up to him.
 
TNR (trap, neuter, release) programs at Hollywood Forever are ongoing. Through the efforts, Michelene Cherie and nonprofit FixNation help to control the cat population with a consistent 60 to 65 cats in 2021. 

As part of their efforts, they helped over 60 cats and kittens find homes.

Unlike most cemeteries, this one is very active and alive, with lots of activity in the California sunshine. Along with cats, visitors may see over 50 peacocks, Zeus and Helen, the swans, geese, ducks, turtles, koi, raccoons, squirrels, possums, and rabbits. Somehow, they all tend to get along in a little peaceable kingdom.

Surprisingly, the birds tend to hang out in the area adjacent to the cat feeding stations.

Every day, people come and go amid the palm trees, walking on the Fairbanks Lawn in a unique ethereal atmosphere. 

Unlike most burial grounds, the site is also a cultural events center, holding concerts, movie screenings, yoga meditation, and other events. Yoga instructor Mary DeCaro sometimes holds “Kitty Yoga” classes to raise funds for the Hollywood Forever cat colony and FixNation. This year, the cemetery was even designated a historic-cultural monument.

Over the years, Hollywood Forever has become a staple of LA culture, with the “most popular outdoor cinema event in Southern California,” writes Los Angeles Magazine.

One annual event is the Dia De Los Muertos celebration, the largest outside Mexico, which Michelene Cherie helps plan. This year marked the 23rd annual celebration, which lasts for two days in November. As people enjoy celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed away, it has become one of the biggest celebrations in the area. 

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Photos . . .

http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_102922_01.jpg

http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_102922_02.jpg

http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_102922_03.jpg

http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_102922_04.jpg

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“Caturday” by Linus Petit
http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Caturday/Caturday_by_Linus_Petit.mp3

Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.net

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
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