Happy Wednesday Furiends!

The weather in our neck of the woods is teasing us, snow is melting and sun is out and now The Human tells us that the weather people (whoever they are) are saying we’re going to get more snow. Meowza, is it spring or not??? The Tribe has decided to take each day as it comes and are enjoying ourselves despite the unpredictable weather (good thing we’re house cats!)

We hope that the weather in your neck of the woods isn’t so crazy.

Cat rescued from Minnesota rest stop nearly 2 years ago now a model for Target

The story of Hercules the cat began in June 2022 when bystanders called for help after spotting a car jammed with cats at a county rest stop. The sheriff’s department and Animal Humane Society took 47 cats to vets and shelters from the car on that 94 degree day.

One of those cats (now named Hercules) escaped. Volunteers from Tuff Start Rescue found him a month later, lying motionless, near death, his fur drenched in urine. He had a severe jaw fracture and a maggot infestation that was so bad that it had eroded through his cheek tissue.

Dr. Nicole Perreault at St Francis Vet Clinic in Isanti helped put Hercules back together again. He had multiple surgeries, including several on his jaw, which at one point was held together with surgical thread and blue buttons.

“With his referral care and everything, we are probably $12,000 in on him,” Perreault said. “We basically say they are worth every penny.”

Perreault approached her friend Jill LeBrun, a registered nurse, to foster Hercules and LeBrun said, “It was love at first sight.{“

As a result of his jaw fracture, Hercules’ tongue hangs out a lot. And then, one day his human heard that an animal talent agency was looking for cats with unusual faces. Hercules got the job and did so well, the agency wants him back for more work.

And how much did Hercules earn for his first meowdeling gig? A nice $100.00.  Now The Human is calling us slackers since we’ve never earned any income. How rude!

Owner Pays $350 for Vets To Check Growling Cat—Unprepared for Diagnosis

Brandy Mink of southern Illinois told Newsweek that she decided to bring her cat Remi to the vet for a general exam since her cat was also experiencing some skin problems and also growled and swatted every time Mink picked her up. Mink worried that her cat was in pain

After a $350 trip to the veterinarian, Mink’s TikTok video posted to the account @_toe..beans_ in October revealed that her cat was diagnosed with “tortitude.”

If you humans don’t know about “tortitude” you should learn. All you need to do is watch Remi’s TikTok video for a class on “tortitude”.

Remi is Mink’s second cat. The first cat in the home is a sweet tempered Tabby. Now the house has one sweet cat and one sweet and spicy cat (Remi).

Remi’s TikTok clip has reached over 2.2 million views, 223,300 likes, and 633 comments as of Saturday afternoon.

Now that Mink knows about “tortitude” she better understands Remi. She said about Remi,  “She is loving, playful, and will probably forever have a small side of sass we call ‘tortitude,’ but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

What do all my Tortie furiends think? Is “tortitude” a real thing or is this just another way for people to malign cats?

Which animals make the best friends for your cat?

I love the idea of felines getting along with roommates of another species. This article is helpful if your humans want to bring another animal into your household.

“A cat’s affinity with other animals, whether they’re of the same species or not, will depend a lot on how it has been socialized with its mother and littermates, as well as its character,” says Celia Alesanco, a feline ethologist at Sanicat, a company that manufactures kitty litter. In general, cats tend to get along best with other members of their species and with dogs.

The socialization period for house cats lasts until they are around 16 weeks old, and is key to its later interactions with people and other animals. “If an early introduction is made correctly, it will be much easier for the cat to share its home with other animals down the line. But if it’s done badly, that can generate fear and aversion towards new companions,” Alesanco says.

In general, young animals are more flexible when it comes to adapting to different situations. “For example, if they are born surrounded by sheep, chickens and horses, it will seem totally natural for cats to spend time around those species,” explains Helena-Bat, a psychologist who specializes in ethology and animal wellness. Still, older cats can also live happily with other animal companions. “Despite the fact that cats are more receptive to socializing when they are kittens, that doesn’t mean that an older feline can’t get used to the presence of other animals — just that the process will be a bit more complex,” says the ethologist. Helena-Bat says that middle-aged adult cats exhibit a range of behaviors: “Each one has its own personality and response to interacting with other living beings.”

A cat’s character also influences its way of relating to other animals. “Some establish unexpected ties, while others simply coexist alongside other animals in the home. Links can be formed with dogs, but also rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. With smaller rodents and birds, it’s important to supervise interactions, because the cat’s hunter’s instinct can take over,” says Alesanco.

Each cat is different, so it’s impossible to generalize when it comes to what kind of attitude they will have towards living with other animals. “In some situations, a cat who is already living in a home will perfectly integrate with new companions, while in other cases, adopting a well-socialized cat can result in a harmonious coexistence with the rest of the members of the family,” says Alesanco. But she warns that other cases can be quite different: “Even if you’ve evaluated the cat’s temperament and properly socialized them with other species, it could be that they don’t adapt to another animal and that they are unable to successfully live together.”

The most difficult time for a cat in terms of easily connecting with other companions is when they are more than 10 years old or when they are ill.  “An older cat, especially if they are female or have an illness, will find changes more difficult and more stressful. In these cases, it’s advisable to focus on the needs of the animal so it can be as comfortable as possible,” says Helena-Bat.

When your animal family is due to grow and already involves a feline member, it’s good to keep in mind the following tips towards achieving pet harmony. Ethologist Celia Alesanco recommends the following:

• Look for an animal with a compatible personality. For example, if your current cat is very mellow, avoid bringing them home a hyperactive companion.
• Bring a sense of calmness and patience to the animals’ first interactions to avoid generating conflict. In some situations, coexistence will happen easily and quickly, and in others, it will be a longer process. Either way, it’s best to keep the animals separated initially if you’re not there to supervise, especially if there are small rodents or birds involved, because their lives could be at risk if the cat decides to hunt them.
• Monitor the environment in which the animals spend time together, including details like keeping their rest and feeding areas separate from one another. During their first interactions, you can opt to install a gate that allows them to smell and see each other, but precludes any possibility of physical conflict. Once they make it through this separation period, it is still advisable to continue monitoring their interactions at all times, especially when one of the animals is smaller.

My kitty’s a contender for the world’s biggest CAT – he was the smallest in the litter but now he’s as big as a cheetah

Six-year-old Xartrux, from Brazil, measures 4.2ft in length and weighs just over 10kg (22 lbs) – making him as big as a cheetah.

Now wait a minute. Both Oliver and I are 21 ½ pounds! Does this mean that we’re almost as big as a cheetah? The Human needs to start showing us some respect!

While an average cheetah is much heavier than Xartrux, they are between 3ft 7in and 4ft 11in long – a bracket Xartrux comfortably falls into.

A breed of Maine Coon, Xartrux is expected to be naturally big, due to the breed”s title as one of the largest in the world.

But he has grown to such a monumental size that owners Marcia Oliveira and Jean Martins, from Jau, in Sao Paulo , claim their pet is longer and heavier than the biggest domestic cat currently alive.

They reportedly filed their case with Guinness World Records in January, with footage showing a grumpy-looking Xartrux participating in the Rio Cat Club Exhibition in March 2023.

The breed is one of the largest in the world and was previously considered the biggest until the introduction of the Savannah cat in the mid-1980s.

Cartoon Cats: Fun Facts About Our Favorite Animated Felines

Felix the Cat

Felix the Cat is over 100 years old, but he remains forever young. First introduced in 1919, during the silent film era, Felix was one of the very first cartoon characters to become famous. The grinning, googly-eyed little tuxedo cat is instantly recognizable, and his antics have delighted many generations of fans.

Surprisingly, there’s been much debate over who actually created Felix. While producer Pat Sullivan‘s name is on all the cartoons, Otto Messmer was the artist who animated him, and today most people say Messmer is the true father of Felix. One thing that hasn’t been questioned? Felix is an icon, and the standard against which all cartoon cats since have been judged.

The most hapless cartoon cat: Tom

The first of many legendary cartoon series created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (who would go on to create The Flintstones, The Jetsons and many more popular shows once they formed their own animation studio, Hanna-Barbera, in 1957), Tom and Jerry debuted in 1940 as a series of MGM short films, and has remained exemplary of the age-old game of cat-and-mouse ever since.

The typical Tom and Jerry cartoon centers on Tom, a gray tuxedo cat, as he attempts to catch Jerry the mouse. While Tom may be quick on his paws, Jerry’s wit is even quicker, and he always manages to escape. Tom and Jerry is known for its goofy violence, and inspired the even more over-the-top show-within-a-show Itchy & Scratchy in The Simpsons.

The silliest cartoon cat: Sylvester

“I tawt I taw a puddy tat!” Sylvester, the red-nosed tuxedo cat, and Tweety, the little yellow bird he antagonizes, are one of the best-loved Looney Tunes duos. Created by cartoonist Friz Freleng, Sylvester made his debut in 1945, and has been a legend ever since.

Sylvester, whose full name is the very regal Sylvester James Pussycat, Sr., holds the distinction of having the most Academy Awards of any Looney Tunes character. That’s right: In the ’40s and ’50s, three shorts starring the funny feline won Oscars!

The most fed up cartoon cat: Mr. Jinks

Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks was another Hanna-Barbera cat-and-mouse creation. From 1958 to 1961, the slapstick cartoons were part of The Huckleberry Hound Show, and they followed a formula similar to Tom and Jerry (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?). Unlike the earlier cartoon cat, Mr. Jinks had not one but two mouse adversaries, Pixie and Dixie.

Mr. Jinks, an orange cat with a blue bowtie, became known for his grammatically incorrect catchphrase, “I hate you meeces to pieces!” While he may not be as well-known as some of the other Hanna-Barbera cartoon cats, Mr. Jinks remains an amusing example of the constantly foiled feline.

The most street smart cartoon cat: Top Cat

Top Cat was created by Hanna-Barbera in 1961. While his show only ran one season, he remains a beloved cartoon kitty thanks to his street smart persona and creative array of get-rich-quick schemes.

Top Cat is the leader of a gang of New York alley cats, and he cuts an unforgettable figure with his yellow fur and snazzy purple vest and fedora. While Top Cat was popular with kids, the series aired during prime time, and the wisecracking, constantly scheming feline was heavily inspired by comedian Phil Silvers‘ Sergeant Bilko character, which gave him a broad appeal to midcentury viewers of all ages.

The most elegant cartoon cat: Marie

The 1970 Disney movie The Aristocats brought an adorable array of cartoon cats into the spotlight, but Marie is the character who stole most viewers’ hearts. Unlike the other cats on this list, Marie is a lady — and she won’t let you forget it!

Marie is a charming little gray-and-white ball of fluff from a posh Parisian family. When she winds up among the alley cats, she’s quick to differentiate herself as the fanciest cat of all, and she wears pink bows on her neck and head that complement her little pink nose and ears. She even has long eyelashes and purplish eyelids (hey, wait a minute — is this cat wearing makeup?). No wonder she was named after Marie Antoinette!

The laziest cartoon cat: Garfield

Garfield debuted as a newspaper comic strip in 1978, and quickly rose to the cartoon cat pantheon. Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, who grew up with cats and noticed a distinct lack of felines in the funny pages, Garfield became a household name in the ’80s as he got his own cartoon TV show and started appearing on all kinds of merchandise.

Garfield is a fat, lazy orange cat who hates Mondays and loves eating lasagna and annoying his owner. Garfield’s sarcasm makes him one of the most relatable cartoon cats, and as his creator described it, “Basically, Garfield is a human in a cat suit.”

The most swashbuckling cartoon cat: Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots was introduced in the 2004 animated film Shrek 2, and became a fan favorite who got his own spinoff movies. While Puss in Boots is computer-animated, and not hand-drawn like the other cartoon cats on our list, he secured his place thanks to his suave, swashbuckling persona.

Voiced by the eternally charming Spanish actor Antonio Banderas and loosely based on the classic fairytale of the same name, Puss in Boots is adventurous and confident. He knows his way around a sword fight and looks quite dashing with his hat, cape and boots, but like many cats, he’s also not afraid to widen his eyes and lay on the cuteness to get what he wants.