Hello There Furiends,
First, my weekly update on the Tribe and our Human. Things are going better for The Female Human and we think she’s finally getting back to her old self. One little relapse on that thing she calls an ulcer (she should try our food, we never have such issues with our tummies). Anyway, it’s good to see her getting back on track and life resuming the way we like it.

It’s been really hot here (hot for our neck of the woods anyway). The Female Human’s momma raccoon has shown up with her new babies to mooch food from the soft-hearted Female Human. I must say, they are fun to watch from the safety of the house and when they’re done eating and traipsing through our little pond they head back to their home in the woods. Here are some photos of the masked gang of freeloaders.

Aside from the heat and the moochers, things are pretty quiet. We are getting used to the visiting dog but she will be leaving next week.

I hope you enjoy this week’s web wanderings and take care my furiends,

Cat of The Year Awards: Inspiring tails of the UK’s finest felines

Once agains, our furiends across the pond showcase the amazing and wonderful things that felines do. This story may bring a tear to your eye but it’s worth the read because these true stories beautifully illustrate the incredible bond we felines have with your humans and just how amazing (and in some cases life saving) sharing your life with a feline can be.

Catlantis, the pawsome new cat cafe is opening soon in London

Oh my whiskers, those British folk know how to honor the feline (or moggies as they call them). This place looks amazing.

Catlantis will cater to Londoners whose lifestyle doesn’t allow them to have a pet, offering them somewhere to have a cup of tea or coffee while getting to know the resident moggies.

Catlantis plans to have 15 rescued cats in the cafe, all fostered from a local shelter. Part of the revenue created from the cafe will be donated to feline welfare charity Cats Protection, which provides cats and kittens in shelters with food, veterinary treatment and care.

While animal themed cafes have been controversial in the past (see: foxes, owls, micropigs…), London is already home to the successful Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, which opened in 2014 and is still going strong.

A truly heroic cat napper

Now this woman is a cat napper I can support. Seems that a Long Island nanny cat-napped her employer’s cat because they wanted to euthanize the cat because he’s elderly.  This sweet human is fighting for custody of the feline. Thank goodness the judge has a good head on his shoulders and has stated that  “Either this is worked out and we decide who is going to get custody of this cat … or medical records show this cat is in pain and suffering,.”

The nanny, , who cared for the couple’s two young children for years, said she took Tigger after she arrived for work on July 2 and learned they wanted to end his life. She left behind a note that read, “I can’t let this happen.” Well Tucker and Jasmine (the 16-year old Tribe siblings) say, paws up to this wonderful human!

Cancer gel for cats and dogs is being developed in Tri-Cities. It could soon help people too

Not only is this amazing news but it’s happening in the  Northwest, not so far from where we live.  This promising new cancer treatment developed in the Tri-Cities has been used on its first commercial patient — a long-haired cat named Drake.

Vivos Inc. of Richland has spent three years developing and testing a cancer-killing gel after licensing the technology from Battelle, which developed it at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland.

So far, it is being used at the company’s first pilot clinic for treating dogs and cats.

But the startup company’s goal is to eventually offer the treatment for human patients, injecting a high dose of radiation directly into a tumor without damage to healthy tissue.

“The technique we developed is exactly what we will use in humans — identical,” said Michael Korenko, Vivos chief executive officer. The treatment for Drake the feline decreased his tumor by 80%!

Pet owners interested in treatment now may fill out an application online at radiogel.com under IsoPet.

Zut a-claws! Stowaway cat’s 1,500-mile French road trip

There seem to be a lot of felines who end up on sightseeing excursions.

Eight-year old squish cat took a 1,500-mile road trip to the south of France after stowing away in her owners’ caravan. Her humans thought they’d left her at home but the day after they had crossed the Channel by ferry last month they were stunned to see her crawl out of a storage area as they ate their lunch.

The couple had to pay £500 to get her a rabies jab and a pet passport to ensure she could return to Britain legally. And Mr Brown had to stay on for an extra two weeks while the arrangements were being put in place.

After Squish’s humans jumped through all the necessary hoops to get her back home the trio had racked up about 1,500 miles by the time they arrived home.