Monthly Archives: November 2018

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/28

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello My Furiends,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your humans and other furry and feathered friends. Our Humans went away for a few days but we were very well cared for by our cat sitter, Cathy. I was a bit miffed however when The Male and Female Human came home smelling of puppy! It took me a few days to get over this betrayal but all is forgiven now and the provision of extra petting and treats helped.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Cat’s in Literature? It’s a Long Tail


“Mrs. Tabitha’s Cats Academy” (London, Ernest Nister, 1892 (c) The British Library Board)

The fact that cats are associated with litter-ary tomes is no news to this feline.A new exhibition at the British Library explores the rich literary history of us wonderful felines through a purr-fect display of books, manuscripts and artwork. The exhibition is titled, Cats on the Page,and features exhibits from the 16th century to the modern era. Much of the exhibition is from children’s literature like  Cat in the Hat, Mog (the feline hero of a series by Judith Kerr) and a pictureof Beatrix Potter’s Kitty-in-Boots by Quentin Blake.  Leave it to our feline loving friends across the pond to honor cats with an exhibition at the British Library. Our American museums need to step it up!

Argos Selling “Parasol” Christmas Trees for Cat Owners

Two paws up forthese enterprising British humans! The company says that it will “keep yourcat’s claws far away from low-hanging baubles and also offerloads of extra room for presents and/or activities.” 

This tree sells for £33.33(about $42.77 US). Now some of you humans may be meowing that this is rather pricey but I ask you, isn’t your cat’s happiness worth it? How many more year swill you deprive your felines from a festive Christmas fir?  And if you are feeling fancy you cam pay a little more for a sow covered effect. Felines unite! Insist that your humans provide you with a Christmas tree this year. And by the way, these tree makers have evidently not encountered a feline like myself who is a master of climbing up things and knocking down things. If you have a feline in residence like me, you may want to put that tree in cement. Oh, and unless your a lucky moggie across the pond, your  humans will not be able to purchase this tree as Argos does not do international delivery (hiss).

Christmas Cat Cost Causes Controversy 

Now far be it from me to meow about the cost of anything feline related but methinks purrhaps the City of Reykjavík went a bit over the top here. The city council spent a total of 4.4 million ISK on a large LED Christmas Cat on Lækjartorg Square.   (I had our Purrsonal Assistant find out how much this is in USD and it’s about $35 million). When I asked why they would have a huge cat statue at Christmas, I was expecting a warm and fuzzy story. What I got was the legend of the Yule Cat which is pretty horrifying, The legend says this is a huge and vicious cat said to lurk about the snowy countryside during Christmas time and eat people who have not received any new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. Seriously???? A people eating cat?? I say, “Get your money back Reykjavík and stop perpetrating this horrible fable! Hiss.

High Speed Video of Cat Tongues Reveal Another Reason Whey They’re Superior

Okay, you humans have been meowing about the raspy tongues of your felines for years. Well this should put all that kvetching to rest once and for all. First and foremost,stop giving us baths because scientists have proved that we felines are way better at cleaning ourselves than you are. Your assistance is superfluous.

A very smart scientistnamed David Hu used videos taken with high speed cameras to study the feline’sgrooming techniques. He learned that we felines have a four-phase grooming regime that is aided by tiny spikes on our tongues (so far this is not new information to me or my humans who have often suffered the “kiss” across the face from a raspy tongue). Evidently what is new information is the specifics of the construction of these little spikes and that they fill up with saliva.

The four-step process we cats use to groom ourselves the little spikes is quite efficient. The tongue first extends outwards from the mouth, then the little spikey thingies stiffen and finally, when we complete the sweeping lick across our luxurious fur, it deposits water that’s stored in the hollow cavities in the spikey thingies.  One final note, the tongues of our barkie furiends is flat and cannot transport water. Score another one for the felines!


Cats drinking from taps are the best new entertainment online

It is a fact that we felines own the internet and there’s always something new to enjoy about us. The latest phenomenon is cats drinking from faucets. Now frankly, I find this fascination puzzling. All of The Tribe of Five have been or are faucet drinkers. Felines poised over faucets are nothing new.  Still, Dusty, an Alaskan feline more adept at lapping at air than drinking water, has had over 38,000 people talking about his antics on social media. As a result, many folks are posting other feline’s water drinking attempts. At the risk of sounding bitter I cannot help but get my whiskers in a bit of a twist. I am a feline who opines on his own blog, who has (IMHO) some rather pithy comments in my blog and who has yet to get over 38,000 folks starting conversations about me. Seriously, what does a cat have to do?

Tucker Reviews The Book, Prancie’s Prayer

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Hello There Furiends,
The Feline received a book called Prancie’s Prayer in the mail and since it was about a feline, The Tribe of Five was very interested to find out what the book was all about. Besides, we wrote a devotional book for cat lovers so the word “prayer” got our attention!

Lacking opposable thumbs, Alberto and I couldn’t flip through the book and read it for ourselves, although we tried, actually Alberto tried, I am wise enough to know it would be an effort in futility. 

How do I get inside this thing?
I give up. Will you please read this book to us?

The Female Human did read us the book and we loved it! There are lots of great things in this story but I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who haven’t read it. I will say this, if you love homeless kitties, your heart will be warmed by this story and, never jump to wrong conclusions about a feline’s behavior!

The holiday season is coming and I think this book would make a great gift for mini humans who love cats or just love a story with a great ending,

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Your Furiend Tucker

This is a Feline Opines, Tribe of Five recommended book!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/21

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Hello  Furiends,
As The Tribe of Five reflects on this Thanksgiving eve we are so thankful for the brave firefighters who risk so much to save humans and animals. We are praying for all the people in California who have lost so much in the recent fires. We’ve had too many fires close to us and we understand how terrible they are. God bless the brave men and women who work to keep us safe and to all two-legged and four legged who have been affected by these devastating fires you are in our hearts. 

A happy ending for this kitty and his humans caught in the California wildfires. God bless our firefighters!

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Happy Reunion from California Wildfires

This video will warm your heart. This man lost his home and his possessions but he never gave up on his cat. He is thankful and amazed that the feline named Mike survived the fires. “We found the cat,” said Patterson tearfully as he holds onto Mike in the video. “My kitty made it.” Let’s hope there are many more happy stories of reunions like this!


Updates To Twitter’s “Cat Dad” Include A Cat Calendar

Last spring I featured this human one of my Wednesday web wanderings. He found the kittens in his closet and became a cat daddy by accident. He’s been keeping the world updated about the kittens and the Mama cat and now he’s even producing a calendar! So humans, if you find a litter of kittens in your closet just go with he flow and make the best out of it!


This Saskatoon art exhibit is the cat’s meow — literally

Meowza! This stroke of brilliance at The Bridges Art Movement’s (BAM) new exhibit in Saskatoon is purrfect!  Each Saturday — or Caturday — until Dec. 1, there is an installation inspired by cats, for cats, featuring real, live cats. 

The exhibit, “The Cat’s Meow”  was inspired by a partnership with a local shelter to use the exhibit as a conduit for cat adoption.  The exhibit is full of cat-themed art, paintings, sculptures, functional furniture for cats, and a cat jungle gym with ramps, tubes and shelves. Each Caturday Sshow, will feature  three cats or kittens in the gallery that are up for adoption.

New Study Says Your Cat’s Personality is Likely to Match Yours

Now I’m not to sure that all of the Tribe of Five have purrsonalities similar to our Male and Female Human but who am I to question science?  

In this study, researchers used a previously developed test in order to measure five personality traits in cats, known (as the “Feline Five”: friendliness, spontaneity, dominance, neuroticism, and extroversion. 126 participants — 11 men, 115 women — completed surveys that assessed their cats on each of these qualities, ranking the accuracy of statements including, “My cat challenges the usual dominance order with other cats/people in the household,” and “My cat moves frequently e.g. often walks, runs, stalks.”

Theresearchers concluded that owners are drawn to cats who mirror theirpersonalities, or are more likely to keep a cat who’s similar to them.”Dominant cats are greedy, defiant, and aggressive and bullying towardspeople/other cats, which could be attractive to potential owners who havesimilar tendencies in their own social interactions,” they suggested.”Impulsive cats are excitable and erratic, which could be pleasing toimpulsive owners.” Now I am seriously wondering if thesereseatchers are cat people as the personality descriptions they use are a bitoff-putting. So what do you think? Do your traits mirror your humans?


Ask a Vet: Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Safe for Cats?

If you live with any felines that beg for human food (we do, although I won’t mention any names (Tucker, Oliver)) you will definitely want to read this article to make sure that the food your feline is begging for from the Thanksgiving table is not detrimental to their health. For instance, turkey can be okay if you stay with lean pieces and even gravy, although not optimum isn’t deadly. Mashed potatoes, especially those made with 
garlic, onions and shallots can cause Heinz body anemia in cats. Our Female Human keeps some of our favorite cat-approved treats for occasions just like Thanksgiving and Christmas which is probably the best idea. 

Tucker Opines on Being Thankful on Friendly Fill Ins #131

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Hello There Furiends,
It’s that thankful time of year and since I am the wisest cat in The Tribe of Five, and the Alpha, I thought I’d do this week’s fill ins. Our Purrsonal Assistant has had quite a bit on her plate lately (and none of it was tuna) so please forgive her for getting my post up late.

The Tribe (and our Humans) wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

This Week’s Fill Ins:

1. I can’t wait to have _______________________ on Thanksgiving ( if not in the USA, substitute your next holiday). 

2. I am thankful for ____________________________-.

3. When it comes to pie, _________.

4. A feast is not a feast without _________.

My Fill In Answers:

  1. I can’t wait to have leftovers of any kind of people food on Thanksgiving because I am a feline who loves to eat (I’ve been known to lick the butter when The Female Human leaves it unattended). 
This is me, waiting patiently at the kitchen counter waiting for The Female Human to do the right thing (as in feed me).

 2. I am thankful for my girth because when The Male Human finds a cat Halloween outfit for $1.00 everyone knows it will never fit me. 

Alberto suffers the humiliation of donning the $1.00 sushi costume find while Oliver points out how ridiculous he looks.

.3. When it comes to pie, I’m not interested unless there is stinky fish involved. 

Pie? I’m not sure what that is but if tuna is involved, count me in!

4. A feast is not a feast without someone to cuddle with after dinner.

Oliver and I love to eat and we also love to snuggle after a good meal.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/14

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello there furiends,
I can’t believe it’s Wednesday again. I’ve had our Purrsonal Assistant gathering the best of the feline web for you. I hope you enjoy this week’s Wednesday wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Determined Art Loving Cats Sneak into Museum

Cats cannot live by tuna alone. This is illustrated  in the Japanese city of Onomichi, where a  pair of felines art lovers have been trying to gain entry to a local museum. The security guards are having none of it and are thwarting these art loving cats.  The felines are regular visitors at the Onomichi City Museum of Art and are always barred from entering by the guards. 

This battle between the art loving felines and the museum guards had been documented in photos. You can follow their exploits on Twitter at 
 @bijutsu1, an account devoted to chronicling the Ken-chan and Go-chan’s exploits. 

This Very Important Cat Painting Sold For $800K

And, speaking or art, this 227-pound, six-foot-by-eight-foot painting (deemed “the world’s greatest painting of cats” in 1949 by Cat Magazine!) was commissioned back in 1891 by San Francisco millionaire couple Kate Birdsall Johnson and Robert C. Johnson. Kahler had never painted a cat before, but Kate asked him to create a portrait featuring 42 of the 350 (!) cats she owned.  (Now that lady was a cat lover!) She left half a million dollars to those cats in her will, and claimed each and every one of them answered to their names. So humans, how much would you pay for a painting of your felines?

Dozens of cat mummies found in 6,000-year-old tombs in Egypt

Now the subject of cat mummies creeps me out a bit but it does prove one very important point, people have revered felines for centuries. Among the dozens of cat mummies found were 100 wooden, gilded statutes of cats and one dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet. Clearly, cats were kings in Egypt!

Everyone Who Wants To Adopt A Cat Should Read This Woman’s Comic First

BOY do I love humans who are creative about helping shelter cats, especially shelter cats that aren’t the first to get adopted! This Human 
named Brittaney was inspired to make these comics when she heard a story about a little girl taken to a shelter to adopt a cat. The little girl fell in love with a 3-legged cat and her father said “absolutely not”, all because the kitty was missing a leg. This human says, “Each comic strip addresses the stigmas that surround ‘imperfect animals,’ and people’s hesitations to take them home. “I get it,” Brittaney says, “But less-adoptable does NOT mean less lovable. All I want people to do is be open to the idea of having a “different” pet in their lives. Choose the pet that you fall in love with, but at least give all of them a fair shot at winning your heart.” This cat-lover is so passionate about her feline cause that she even has an online store that uses 50% of its sales to donate to cat rescues. Brittaney is our hero!

This $150 cat toy can teach us a lot about what makes a robot useful

Robots are designed to give humans more time to do the things they want. And what any sane human wants is to spend more time with their felines right? The challenge was to create an automated activity for someone with unlimited amount of time on their paws. The robot, called Mousr is a mouse-shaped robot with a series of bouncing tails and can be programmed to move erratically or spin in circles. Or the human can control it at will. Now I ask you, is $150.00 too much to keep your feline entertained when you humans insist on leaving us alone and go to the place you call “work”? If you are curious as to whether Mousr is a hit with felines, (you know how finicky we can be) click on the link and read some feline reviews. 

Oliver Opines on Halloween, Vacuum Monsters and other stuff on Friendly Fill Ins #130

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Hi There Furiends,
It’s Friday and that means fill ins! You can join this blog hop by heading over to 15andmeowing or their co-hosts Four-Legged Furballs. If you’d rather just opine about your answers in our comment box, that’s great too!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

Here are this week’s fill-ins:

1. I just _________________-.
2. My next ________________ will be ____________________.
3. The sound of _________ makes me cringe.

4. Right now, I am craving _________.

Here are my answers:

1. I just survived the “holiday” The Humans refer to as “Halloween”.   Oh the embarassment. Oh the humiliation. The Female Human has no dignity. 

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“Oh this is humiliating. If I don’t look at her I can pretend she’s not there.”

2. My next project  will be to read the instructions before I try to play with the new toy.

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“Well I don’t see how this toy is such a big deal.”

3. The sound of the vacuum  monster makes me cringe and want to hide.

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“Tell me when the vacuum monster is gone.”

4. Right now, I am craving a snack but The Humans are walking by me and taking no notice of my presence in front of the pantry doors where the snacks are kept.

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“Hello! Look at how cute I am. Don’t I deserve a treat? Hey, someone open those doors and get me a treat!”

Walk through The Web Wednesday 11/7

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello My Furiends,
Well it’s Wednesday and I for one am one thankful feline that all the purrlitical stuff is over! I hope you are all enjoying the day and that you enjoy my Wednesday web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Grumpy Cat 2.0 – Fox News

ginger tabby with grumpy expression

This is Saul, who was rescued off the streets of London after being hit by a car. He was in bad shape, with an injured jaw, eye and teeth. All of these contributed to his unique look. This little guy is on the mend, is very affectionate and despite his expression, one happy guy. He will be up for adoption soon as soon as he is completely healed. Here’s hoping Saul finds his furever home!

These Tweets About Freddie Mercury’s Cats In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Are Purrfect – Elite Daily

freddie mercury and his simese cat

Now you humans can combine your love of theater, music and cats with Bohemian Rhapsody.  Despite reviews, which range from disappointed to scathing. The movie brought in $50 million at the box office over its opening weekend, over-performing expectations by nearly $10 million. And, although fans love the music and Rami Malek’s performance as lead singer Mercury, it’s clear cats are taking center stage as these tweets about Freddie Mercury’s cats suggest.  Rock and roll kitties!

Marvel Heroes Get A Feline Makeover By Fans – Nerdist

Marvel Comic hero gets feline makeover

Marvel Comics has a history of characters who remind us of cats, or have the word “cat” in their name..  Case in point,  Marvel has Black Panther, Sabretooth, Black Cat, Hellcat, Shadowcat, and the list goes on and on. It was only a matter of time until an artist gave the Marvel heroes a feline makeover. . Fajareka Setiawan is a freelance illustrator and concept designer who has created a series called “Catvengers,” which feature various Marvel characters as fabulous felines. You can check out his heroic kitties in his Instagram posts..

Has Black Panther, the King of Wakanda, ever looked so cute? His costume might be made out of the strongest metal known to man, but he’ll still chase a laser pointer all across the living room floor.

Clintonville shelter’s Crime Cats reading club up to scratch, group says – ThisWeekNews

little cat on a book

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when humans do stuff that benefits felines and little humans it’s a wonderful win-win. This program at the Cat Welfare Association brings shy cats and shy mini humans together with the Crime Cats Mystery Club.

The club invites students in grades 1-8 to read aloud to felines who are housed in the “shy cat room” at the shelter.  The program was recently awarded a 2018 Literacy Leader Award.

Now I know there are a lot of cat mystery writers out there (our Female Human is one of them) so let’s get the lead out human authors and get something like this started in your shelter!

New Magazine For Cats by Cats  – Eastern Daily Press

magazine by cats for cats

Well, well, it’s time you humans got something right. This is a real magazine full of all the latest news relevant to felines.  Readers pay £6.99 ($9.18 USD at today’s rate of exchange). There is great info for felines like the best places to hide, ways to avoid medication and other useful tips. Now if you’re a reader of our blog you already apurreciate the feline point of view so I’m guessing you’ll love Purrs Magazine!

Purrs is available to buy now at www.thecatmag.co.uk and £1 from every sale goes to the Feline Care cat rescue centre at East Harling in Norfolk.

 

Oliver Opines on Beds, Blankets and Other Stuff

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Hello Furiends,
Oliver here. I’m taking on the Friendly Fill Ins this week. I hope you enjoy my answers and I invite you to purrticipate in this blog hop by going to 15andMeowing or Four-Legged Furballs  the hosts of this blog hop. You are also welcome to opine about your fill in answers on this blog post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

This week’s questions:

1. One can _____________.
2. Given the choice of _______________ or _______________,  I would pick _________________.
3. _________ makes me feel _________.
4. I never go a day without _________.

My Answers:

1. One can always count on me to find and hog the best source of heat.  The kitchen heat vent is my purrticular favorite.

2. Given the choice of snuggling with a human or snuggling with one of my feline siblings,  I would pick neither and snuggle alone on my favorite down blanket.
black and white cat sleeping on red blanket
3. Snuggling in my felted cat bed makes me feel warm and cozy.
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4. I never go a day without guarding the house and snoopervising what’s going on in the woods around us. Here I am watching for leaves to chase. It’s a hard job but some feline has to do it!
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