Happy Wednesday Furiends,

We had a nice week and enjoyed some warm weather. The Human got the waterfall going and we love to listen to the sound of the water when the windows are open. The Human also bought a bird feeder that sticks to the window so we can watch them eating. So far, no birdies but she only set it up yesterday. I’ll report more on that next week.

Until we get some real birds to watch, I have instructed The Human that I need my evening Cat TV to continue. As you can see, I’m enjoying my bedtime TV watching.

Now The Human has pointed out to me that being a couch potato is doing nothing to assist us in the progress of the D-I-E-T. But before she harps on me about my lazy ways, she needs to talk to Oliver.

As we suffer through this D-I-E-T nightmare, we thought we’d talk to Lily to see how she keeps herself so svelte. Lily says diet is critical for keeping excess weight off.

Well, that’s it for this week. I really do think we’re making some weight loss progress. Oliver is much livelier and The Human is still being very draconian about feeding. Hopefully we’ll be able to show you our new, thinner selves soon!

In the meantime, here are the feline focused news items I found in my web wanderings.

Fearless Cat Chases Spooked Coyote Out of a Canadian Parking Lot

Humans, when  you are told that we felines are territorial, please believe us. This video clip shot by Canadian police officers sat 4am is visual confirmation of this.

There was a coyote lurking around a parking lot which, evidently, this cat considered to be his territory. This was not a situation where a pack of coyotes tried to ambush the cat. It was one, scaredy coyote against a fearless feline. The officers observed the cat walking his perimeter later in the morning.

Be sure to view this fantastic cat’s greatest moment on video.

The bar cats of Ten Bells Tavern in Dallas

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Of all the stories I’ve covered on working cats, this just could be my favorite. The bar cats of Ten Bells Tavern roam the “catio” of this pub and they love it.

The owner of Ten Bells Tavern, Meri Dahlke has been caring for the feral cats in the area ever since she opened. She said that cats have always been a part of the bar’s story. When Dahlke arrives at work, the cats recognize her and come running (probably because that’s when she puts out the kibble and gives them canned food too).

The staff of Ten Bells love the cats and look after them and some, including Dahlke have taken some of them home. All the cats are neutered and healthy.

The cats are beloved members of the business community and the pub. They even have their own hashtag #CatsofTenBells and some people come to Ten Bells, not for the drinks or pub grub, but to meet the felines. The cats at Ten Bells are registered as a “colony” with the City of Dallas. Dahlke has done fund raisers for several organizations and non-profits and has raised over $445,000.00 through her efforts. Feral Friends is one of the non-profits they support as well as Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue , the SPCA, the Dallas Zoo and others.

The bar will be celebrating their nine-year anniversary during the weekend of June 25-27 by hosting a fundraiser for Feral Friends.

Boot camp for cats? Humane Fort Wayne’s ‘Thick Camp’ helping cats lose those extra few pounds

“Thick Camp”?? Really?? This feline takes exception to that! Mind you, I am not against the fact that a room at Humane Fort Wayne has been temporarily turned into a weight loss boot camp for cats. It’s the name that offends me.

Humane Fort Wayne said the goal is not to get the cats skinny but to have the cats get used to timed feedings, moving around their environment and adding more activity to their routine. Okay, that makes sense. I’m less fond of the next quote, however.

“When free fed, or when provided a full bowl of food 24 hours a day, we see cats start to carry about 5-8 extra pounds of weight on their joints and organs. It can cause long-term and expensive health issues and most of this is avoidable by measuring portions and adding play to your cats’ day.” I am a bit weary about hearing about unhealthy fat cats, I get enough of that at home!

Humane Fort Wayne currently has a livestream of the thick cats which can be viewed on its YouTube page.

Mother Cat and Her Newborn Kittens Found Living in a Bird’s Nest

Oh my whiskers! This poor momma cat couldn’t find a place for her kittens to be safe so she used a bird’s nest! The people in the area had seen the momma and found one kitten but couldn’t find the others until they spotted the momma climbing up a tree. Not only did they find the kittens but they also found a tomcat who has bonded with the mother cat and who is serving as “dad” to the kittens.

Paws up to the good people at The Chiltern Branch of Cat’s Protection for caring for these cats. The mother cat, Oriole, the tomcat, Willet, and the kittens, Bran, Jay, and Lori, have all been given distinctly avian names to commemorate their former home.

Willet spent a few days at the vets as he was limping badly, but fortunately it was just an abscess, which quickly healed.” The folks at the shelter say, “he is a good ‘dad’ to the kittens, washing and playing with them—although he does get a bit annoyed when they mistake him for mum at feeding time!” They noted that it’s very unusual for a tomcat to stick around after kittens have been born.

The cats are now in the care of a foster and they say that “Willet behaves like a doting dad to the kittens, even grooming them. Oriole and Willet are clearly bonded and we would love to think we could rehome the mum and male cat together.”

Let’s hope mom and dad find a furever home together!

Hilarious Video of Cat Who Cleans Owner’s House Goes Viral

Okay, I get it. This is not a real video but still, I feel I must speak up for the feline population and say this faked video is sending the wrong message to humans. Cat’s do not do domestic labor nor do we find the suggestion that we do amusing! Watch the video and meow about what you think of this.