Cat Refuses to Appear at Senate Hearing

Cats are famous for refusing to come when called. State Sen. Alan Robbins learned Tuesday that that includes when they are called before a committee of the Legislature.

Robbins (D-Tarzana) had his cat, Daisy, summoned as a witness before the state Senate Judiciary Committee, which was considering a bill to require manufacturers of cosmetic and household products to carry label notices if they were tested on live animals.

The bill is aimed at discouraging such tests, which animal welfare advocates say blind, scald and kill animals to determine whether chemicals endanger humans.

Robbins wrote the bill and presumably was confident that his cat’s appearance would help it.

But when an aide went to Robbins’ apartment to fetch Daisy, she dashed up the fireplace chimney and refused to budge. “The cat was having none of it,” the aide explained. “That’s how cats are.”

Even without Daisy’s help, the bill was sent to the full Senate by a 7-1 vote.