Monthly Archives: July 2018

Lily Opines on Friendly Fill Ins 7/27

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Hi There Furiends,
Lily here. It’s my turn to opine on the Friday Fill ins. The Female Human (also referred to img_4850as our “purrsonal assistant”) asked me to send her apologies in not transcribing our responses to your comments on our blog this week. Jasmine had to go to  emergency in the place of the white coats Saturday night and only came home Wednesday. She’s been on a special diet, antibiotics and pain killers for a few days and is finally beginning to feel better but the Female Human has been playing “nurse”.  This is Jasmine a few days ago, she’s looking much better now and beginning to act like her old diva self.

Things are getting back to normal and we’ll be having our assistant transcribing our responses soon! As always, you can hop on over to the hosts of this blog hop at 15andmeowing or Four-Legged Furballs. And of course, you are always welcome to opine about  your fill in answers in the comment section of this post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
LilyLogo

This Week’s Fill Ins

1. I deserve a gold star for _________________ today.

2. Right now, I am loving _____________.

3. The best advice I’ve ever been given is _________.

4. If I had to choose a new first name, it would be _________.

My Answers:

1. I deserve a gold star for not licking the butter the Female Human left out on the counter today. I eyed it for quite a while but I restrained myself.

I'm eyeing the butter but I've decided to be a good cat.

Lily

2. Right now, I am loving  the summer weather and sitting on the window ledge at the stairs watching the local wildlife come to our little waterfall to drink and take a bath.
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3. The best advice I’ve ever been given is when you’re an adopted kitty, find another feline in the Tribe that can be your cuddle buddy. Tucker is my cuddle buddy.
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4. If I had to choose a new first name, it would be Your Royal Highness, Your Majesty or Queen of the Universe, any of these would be acceptable .
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Walk Through the Web Wednesday 7/25

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s time to take a stroll along the information highway to see what new and unusual feline news items are out there. I hope you enjoy this week’s finds.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

What Do Cats Dream About? – Mother Nature Network

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As you humans know, we felines sleep a lot and I know I’ve heard my humans say, “I wonder what they dream about.”  Well. did you know that we felines have REM (rapid eye movement) sleep just like you humans? In the 1960’s sleep researcher Michel Jouvet studied sleep in cats. A veterinary neurologist, Adriann Morrison has written a review of this research.

As we felines sleep about 15 hours per day I’d say it’s a good idea to study an activity we are so committed to! Have you ever looked at your feline in residence and wondered iof they were asleep or awake? Turns out that we can slide effortlessly into rest and sleep. And we cats can have nightmares but it’s recommended not to wake us up or you may suffer the consequences! There’s lots of good stuff about what happens when we felines sleep and how we sleep so check out this article.

There’s A Really Weird Link Between Cats And Entrepreneurs – Science Alert

cat on smart phone with coffee

Our Feline Human refers to herself as a “serial entrepreneur” and she’s had cats living with her all her life so I’m thinking this theory may make some sense. The article begins with this statement, “A protozoan parasite found in cats could be having a rather odd effect on the brains of humans it infects, which under the right circumstances just might turn them into the next Elon Musk.” Hah, if only. Our Female Human might be a serial entrepreneur but she certainly hasn’t brought home the kind of cash that Elon Musk has!

Still. the article is interesting. The article concludes with:

Nobody is suggesting you should go out and buy your kids a cat in the hope it will infect them with the skills to help them to take over Silicon Valley.

Nonetheless, the study does provide an interesting perspective on the ways epidemiology can have a small but powerful force on the psychology that builds culture.

And maybe, just maybe, shows why cats deserve their place of worship on the internet.

The findings are due to be published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B (link down at time of writing).

Shelter Cats Saved For Adoption Are Flown From Van Nuys to Washington – Los Angeles Daily News

shelter cats flown from California to Washington to be adopted

130 shelter cats from the Los Angeles area wait to board their private flight to Seattle and new homes in mission of “Operation Homeward Bound.” The cats are being flown to the Seattle area where they will be adopted to their forever homes. Wings of Rescue and the Jackson Galaxy Project worked in conjunction to save the cats from the Los Angeles City Shelters. (Photo by David Crane, Daily News/SCNG)

I love how humans are so creative in helping save felines! The life of these shelter cats were saved when they were flown to Everett Washington and will escape euthanization because of over crowding and be placed in shelters who have room for them and are working to find them furever homes.  This project, titled “Operation Homeward Bound” was created by the original Cat Daddy, Jackson Galaxy in partnership with the non-profits,  Greatergood.org  a
nd Wings of Rescue. 

These humans have things figured out. LA and most shelters across the country are flooded with cats this time of year (one shelter in Downey took in 140 kittens in one day recently). So these smart and caring folks find shelters that need cats. Washington has a lot of space for cats and many residents are on waiting lists to adopt a feline when one becomes available (now The Tribe of Five says, you should always adopt in pairs. This is what our Humans do and it works great!).

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats

Kudos to you humans and Feline Opines is bestowing the  Paws Up award to all of you!

 

 

 

Stop The Stupid Sterotype of the Crazy Cat Lady! – Girls And Their Cats

photographer breaks stereotype of the crazy cat lady

The photographer, BriAnne Wills and her rescue feline

You humans seen to love to perpetrate the myth that women with cats are on the margins of society, frumpy and without any iota of a social life. We felines don’t appreciate this and we are thrilled that BriAnne Wills,  an attractive Brooklyn-based fashion photographer  decided to photograph girls and their cats and break the stupid crazy cat lady stereotype. We felines appreciate this very much because we enjoy living with female humans who are savvy, hip and definitely NOT crazy!

 

 

Sweet Tart Is A Cat And The Mayor Of A Small Michigan Town – Jezebel

Sweet Tart the feline mayor of Omena, Michigan

After reading this article, my brofur Oliver is becoming more hopeful about making another run for Purresident. This mayoral feline from Omena, Michigan was inaugurated as it’s fourth mayor. The 9-year old Sweet Tart beat out 13 dogs, a goat, a peacock, a chicken and one other feline to win the position.  Believe it or not more than 7,000 people voted in the election (and the town’s population is only 280!) Everyone was charged $1.00 per vote and the money collected was donated to the Omena Historical Society.

And that’s the beauty of technology. Through paypal and social media, a feline finds himsef elected mayor and the local historical society receives $7,000.00 in donations.  Concatulations to mayor Sweet Tart!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily Opines on Her Likes & Dislikes on Friendly Friday Fill Ins #114

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Happy Friday Furiends!
I’m doing the fill ins this week. It’s great fun! Our furiends 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs are hosting this blog hop. In case you don’t know, a blog hop is when you hop on over to a hosting site and add the fill in answers from your blog. If you’re not feeling like hopping this week, we’d love to hear what your fill ins are and you can opine about them in our comments section.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

LilyLogo

Here are this week’s fill in questions:

1. I tried  __________________ and I liked it.
2. Am I the only one who ___________________?

3. _________ is my hero/heroine.
4. If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life, it would be _______

Here are my answers:

1. I tried wearing the  Female Human’s jewelry and I liked it.
cat with jewelry
2. Am I the only one who sleeps better with a cuddle buddy?
siamese cats cuddling together
3. Our local police/sheriff/fire department people  are my heroes and heroines. (And I like to help them)
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4. If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life, it would be stinky sardines in sauce. When The Male Human serves this delightful dish it’s a celebration! I eat so much I have to stretch out on the sofa to recover from my food stupor!
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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/18

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s Albert, walkin’ the web and looking to bring you unusual news and tidbits of the feline variety.

I hope you enjoy this week’s offerings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

8 Cat Themed Pregnancy Announcement Ideas That Are Cute & Hilarious – Romper

tabby cat in pregnancy announcement picture
This is a pawsome article. When  you humans have your little human kittens, it’s really nice if you let your feline in residence purrticipate in the announcement and these humans did just that.

Now including a pet in pregnancy announcements is not really new, but what is new is that the felines are getting their five minutes of fame now (usually the humans include the canines). I love this idea and, if any of you humans out there have done this or are planning on doing this, please let us know. We’d love to feature your pics!

10 Science-Backed Tips for Getting a Cat to Like You – Mental Floss

human petting a gray cat

Folks, I just want to tell you that this Mikel Delgado is one smart human! She received her Ph.D. at UC-Berkeley in psychology studying animal behavior and human-pet relationships. So I say, you humans should pay attention to what she says!

There are a lot of great tips like letting us felines make the first move (we hate being rushed), pay attention to how we felines greet each other, we often approach another cat in a nose to nose way. You can simulate this by bending down and offer a finger tip toward the cat’s nose…and let us decide how we’re going to respond. And for goodness sake people, if you get a negative response, BACK AWAY and don’t force it! Chances are we’ll come around soon. And I beg you, please share this with your friends who are clueless about cats!

Retired Math Teacher Finds Solution to Help Save Local Cats – 3WEARTV.com

homeless cat gets help in Ft. Walton Beach, FL

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for catsThis human gets our  Paws up award. When she saw the massive population of stray and abandoned animals, she used her math training to devise a systematic approach to do something about it.

Sara DeMonbrun said, “I’ve been an animal lover all my life and I couldn’t bear to see these little cute little animals running around without a home.” She started an organization called S.O.C.K.S (Save Our Cats and Kittens). She recruited three people at the beginning to help her. Through Sara’s efforts as well as her husband and volunteers the number of animals being euthanized in Fort Walton Beach, FL has been reduced drastically. Today, Sara is dealing with Parkinson’s Disease but she’s still focused on her mission to save as many cats as she can.  To keep Sara’s legacy going, S.O.C.K.S. has begun Sara’s Angel Tree where people can sponsor a leaf in tribute to or in memory of their own favorite feline.  Watch the video of this wonderful place.

CatCon 2018 – The Feline Event of the Year!

CatCon 2018

Oh my whiskers, I sure wish I didn’t hate travel so much or I’d head right on over to Pasadena, CA on August 4 & 5! There will be all sorts of celebrities there, even Moshow the Cat Rapper! You humans can arrange for a meet and greet with him. Lil Bub will there along with other pawsome feline celebrities. There will also be some fantastic classes that help humans understand how to care for their felines and some wild and wacky ones too like, Engineering for Cats: What Cat Care and Airplane Design Have in Common. Aerospace engineer, cat-enthusiast and author Mac Delaney conducts this workshop that takes you through how to improve your cat’s life with some of his amazing DIY projects.  Humans, get yourselves to CatCon!!!

KFC taps cats to hawk chicken – QSR Web

cats in KFC commercial

I’ve always been a believer that cats are the best salespurrsons and now it appears KFC has seen the light as well.  Can cats sell chicken? Well KFC is testing this as they built a giant automated “Colonel-esque3” cat tower and featured it in a livestream event  on Facebook. This event took place yesterday 7/17 from 2 to 6pm Eastern Time on the Super Deluxe Facebook page.  I certainly hope these kitties received the regular Screen Actor’s Guild payment!

 

 

Alberto Opines on the Tour de France

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Mainzer cats in bike race

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here. I am feeling the need to opine about this thing you humans call the “Tour de France” because it’s kind of  a big deal around our house, especially with the Male Human. He gets up , feeds the Tribe and manages to get to the place he calls “work” to watch the Tour by 5:00am. Now this early schedule is of no consequence to me as I’ve had my breakfast and morning head scratch and I know there will be more petting after my early morning nap when the Female Human finally appears from the bedroom.

Tour de France 2018You may be asking, “Why is the Male Human so crazy about this ‘Tour de France’ thingy”? I think it’s because he likes to hop on his metal machine with the two skinny wheels and torture himself frequently, like those Tour humans. I find this kind of exertion baffling and so does the Female Human. She has her own metal machine with not so skinny wheels and a basket in the front. She has floated the idea of putting one of us in the basket but her lack of coordination and tepid attitude toward her own machine has me less than enthusiastic about the prospect, especially since she has been known to run into parked cars and mailboxes.

My Connection

img_1787But I digress. I have some interest in the Tour de France because I am named after a famous Tour de France rider (now retired) named Alberto Contador.  I am sure you can see the resemblance., he’s a lean mean biking machine and I am a lean, mean feline machine!  I must say however, I am a bit dismayed by my namesake’s comment upon his retirement, he said, “I’ll gain weight and you’ll make jokes about it.”  I want to say “Alberto, don’t let yourself go! Have you seen my brother Oliver?! ” I’m happy to report he’s kept his lean physique so far. If you want to learn more about Alberto (the human) you can watch this video on Youtube, The Best of Alberto Contador. If you want to know more about Alberto, the feline, just subscribe to our blog.

 

Alberto’s Fun Facts About The Tour

  • Those pedaling humans use a lot of water, more than 42,000 water bottles will be used this year.(I wonder what size litter box they need for so much water drinking)
  • The average cyclist will burn around 4,000-5,000 calories during each stage of the Tour (about 123,900 for the race). That translates into eating 252 McDonald’s double cheeseburgers. (Note to the Female Human, you may want to consider a little more peddling on your metal machine!)
  • There are 3.5 million watching the Tour de France on television around the world. (I’ve watched a little of it on our big black box, it’s definitely not as fun as watching birds and squirrels on the upstairs balcony).
  • The first winner of the Tour de France was Maurice Garin. He won in 1904 but was later disqualified for cheating after he was caught taking a train in the Alps. (This feline says “kudos” to him for his ingenuity!)

Garin_M2

Still Not Sure…

Fat Ronaldo soccer player
Although I will respect the Male Human’s obsession with this Tour de France thingy I still don’t get it. From this feline’s point of view it’s far too much work  for too little reward. I will say though that it’s pretty cool being named after a famous cyclist and much better than being named after say,  the soccer player “Fat Ronaldo”!

 

Oliver Opines on Friendly Fill Ins # 113

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Hello Folks,
Oliver here. I’m doing the fill ins this week, I hope you enjoy them! You can join the blog hop by visiting our friends 15 And Meowing or Four-Legged Furballs. If you just want to opine on our blog, you can always leave your fill ins in the comments of this post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

black and white cat Oliver

 

This Week’s Fill Ins:

1. As a child, I feared ______________.
2. Friday the 13th _____________________.

3. I think _________ is my best quality.

4. You can’t go wrong with _________.

My Answers:

1. As a child, I feared starvation. I was the runt of the litter and felt like I never got enough to eat. (I realize that you’d never guess that to look at me now!)
oliverundertable

Me as a kitten

blac,kand white cat on the dining room table

Me today

2. Friday the 13th is a day to celebrate the beauty of black cats. This is Buster. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge before Alberto and I came to live with the Humans but I hear he was wonderful.
Black cat in the garden

3. I think my luxurious fur coat and the heart over my eye are my best quality.

black and white cat with a heart over his eye

4. You can’t go wrong with a great profile shot in your portfolio.
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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/11

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi Furiends,
I’b back from my brief hiatus from Independence Day and cracking the whip over my purrsonal assistant. I hope you enjoy this week’s offerings from the world-wide web.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Salty the Cat Lives on a Boat and Loves His Life – Insider

SaltyTheBoatCat

You all know how much I love stories about adventure cats (I aspire to be one myself) and I loved this story. Salty, a Turkish Van cat lives with his humans and a Springer Spaniel on their boat. He’s been living there since he was a kitten ever since his humans sold their home and purchased a 43-foot, twin masted yacht.

Since he was a kitten, Salty has lived aboard a boat with his owners, Bernadette and Andy. Originally from Devon, United Kingdom, the two sold their house in 2011 and purchased a 43-foot, twin-masted yacht. At the moment they are based in  Scotland’s Western Isles but have moved along the UK when the wind and their desire takes them. You can follow Salty’s adventures on Instagram and on his blog.

 

Mackle Petfoods Searching for a Feline Star – Checkout

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Now before you get excited, this is a star search for my furry friends across the Pond in Ireland. But if you’re an Irish moggie you’ve got a chance to be the King or Queen of cats and the face of Mackle’s Cat Club Brand.

The lucky feline will have their photo on thousands of popular brand packs and cans which will be sold in Ireland in 2019. A company spokespurrson said, ““In total, Ireland has more than 830,000 pet cats lounging about in homes so we are on a quest to find the cat that will be the face of the Cat Club brand in 2019.” We are confident that across Ireland there are so many people who own cats that could be the face of the brand, so this competition is, we hope, going to help us find the ‘purrfect’ one!”

Just click on the link in the heading of this article and you can find out how to enter.

The Amazing Meow Meet Up In Chicago – Cison PR Newswire

MeowMeetUp

All I can say is Chicago humans know how to have a feline celebration! If  you’re in the area make sure your humans attend. This is a 2-day celebration on July 21 & 22. There will be lots of feline loving humans, educational and fun activities. Steve Dale from  Steve Dale’s Pet World will give the Saturday keynote titled “How Cats are the Rodney Dangerfield of Pets.” On Sunday, Becky Robinson, President and Founder of Alley Cat Allies, will present “How to #LoveCatsMore.”  In addition, renowned veterinarians will be speaking on topics of interest to all cat owners, such as: the growing problem of cat obesity, how to deal with the loss of a pet, and debunking “kitty revenge” behavior.

Meow MeetUp also has fun activities and events to keep everyone entertained. Here are just a few:

  • The Cat Adoption Lounge, sponsored by PetComfort by WeatherTech. Scores of cats from Almost Home Foundation will be showcased and available for adoption to a loving, forever home.
  • The Kitty Yoga Studio, sponsored by Royal Canin, offers attendees the opportunity to relax and stretch with adoptable cats in a zen-like atmosphere.
  • The Cat Café, presented by Nulo Pet Food, features a jungle-themed cat café where participants will unwind with a “catpuccino,” enjoy other cat-themed refreshments, and play with or just observe some of the adoptable cats that will be present.
  • Lil BUB, (@iamlilbub), one of the Internet’s most popular cats with over 7 million followers will be available for Meet & Greets with 100% of the proceeds benefitting less fortunate pets. Also on hand for Meet & Greets will be local Instagram cat celebrities: Chuck the Duck, Eddie Meownster and Sinbad the Survivor.
  • A Feline Film Festival, Pampurr Pawlor Beauty Bar, Meow Mixer After Party, Breakfast & Kitty Bingo, Clicker Training, an Exhibit Hall and so much more…

Calling all Chicago Cats, get your humans off the couch and to the Meow Meet Up!

Get Your Cat on the Hove Bus – Brighton & Hove News

HoveBus

Once again, our furiends across the Pond are honoring felines.  The Brighton cat-bus has two spaces for just the right moggie photo. The cat-bus was designed to celebrate the life of the beloved and famous feline, Fiveways Wilf.

Sadly, fiveways Wilf crossed the Rainbow Bridge last October but his legend lives on with the cat-bus. So  Brighton moggies. get your humans to get the camera out and make you famous.

Google Street View captures very confused cat hanging out in Rome – Mashable

GoogleStreetView

You may have heard stories about all the wild and wacky things Google Street View captures but this is the best.  Street View captured several felines in Rome.  The site captured is a cat sanctuary at the Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome, so it’s no surprise that there would be cats there. However, the photo, which was taken by Roundel Arts Photography in April of 2017, is an up-close shot inside the sanctuary. And it’s clearly not what you’d typically expect from Google Maps. Sadly, the photo has already been updated to ta less entertaining, cat-less view.

Now I wonder if Google Street View could help folks who have lost their kitties. My Female Human and her sister operate a social media site that helps locate and get the world out about lost pets in our area. Wouldn’t it be pawsome if Google Street View could help locate lost pets? Google, I hop[e you’re listening!

 

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Tucker Opines on the Art of the Nap in Friday Fill Ins 112

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Hello Furiends,
Tucker here. It’s Friday and you know what that means…. Friendly Fill-Ins. If you want to join in, please leave your link at the host’s sites, 15andmeowing  or  Four-Legged Furballs. If  you prefer to opine in our comment section, we’d love to read them. You may detect a theme in this weeks answers.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Tucker_SigInChair

This Week’s Fill Ins

1. When it is hot, I _____________________.

 2. I am looking forward to _______________________ this month.
3. The theme song of my life would be _________.
4. There is no such thing as _________.

My Answers:

1. When it is hot, I high tail it to the guest bedroom and place myself directly under the ceiling fan. (Lily often joins me there).

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 2. I am looking forward to  hanging out on the front porch with the Female Human this month.
Siamese cat sitting on front porch bench
3. The theme song of my life would be “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by the Tokens
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4. There is no such thing as too many naps!
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