Oliver, Alberto and Lily are reflecting about the events of 2023 and will be posting some of their highlights soon but in the meantime (and because the staff at Feline Opines decided to take a holiday and missed our weekly “Walk Through The Web Wednesday” post, we present this mewsical message from Oliver with a traditional song.
The lyrics were “adjusted” by The Human as per Oliver’s request. He reflects on those furiends we said good-bye to in 2023 and those who are with us, reminding us that we should treat all our furiends with kindness (even the dogs as Oliver notes)
Still no new snow in our neck of the woods but The Human keeps reminding us that she chose to move to the Inland Northwest to avoid draconian amounts of snow like she experienced when she lived in the Rockies. Since we’re inside kitties it doesn’t make any difference to us. As a matter of fact, when it’s not snowy and only rainy, that’s a great time for The Human to take us for a neighborhood tour in the cat stroller but, unfortunately, one of the wheels is broken and The Human is still trying to figure out how to fix it.
Whenever we get a Chewy box it’s a red letter day and this week we had a very good day. Lily was appointed box opening snoopervisor and she took her job seriously.
And once The Human got all the items out of the box, imagine our surprise when we saw a new scratcher! The Human slathered it with catnip and turned us loose. Oliver and I were the first to inspect this new item.
You may have noticed that the new scratcher is a bit, err…small and might not accommodate all our pulchritude but we still gave it our best effort and Oliver decided to prove the old “If it fits I sits” cat quote.
On another note, my brother has been play fighting with me and demolishing the whiskers on the right side of my face. As you can see from the photos, this mars my handsome countenance and makes me feel a little off balance.
That’s it for our neck of the woods for this week. I hope you enjoy this week’s feline news.
What do rice and cats have in common?
I’ve heard of unusual ways that people celebrate their love of us fantastic felines but this one is really cool!
There is a rice farmer in Thailand who creates beautiful pictures of cats in his rice fields.
Rice is one of the largest income producing products in Thailand and now the rice fields are becoming tourist attractions as well.
I don’t know how many of my feline furiends ever play or have played fetch (all three of us did this as kittens but we’re over it now), you might be interested in this.
Academics at the University of Sussex and Northumbria University in Great Britain surveyed almost 1,000 owners of 1,154 cats to find out if – and why – they fetch, which was defined as an animal retrieving an object that’s thrown.
Their study found that nearly 95% of the cat owners reported that their cats fetched itemsinstinctively, and they were not trained to do so.
They found that we felines fetch when we want to play fetch and not when the human decides we should play.
“So it can say a bit about cats being in control of their interactions and being in control of their environments, [or] being in control of us, you might even go so far to say,” says Jemma Forman, a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex and co-author of the study.
They believe that our motivation to play fetch is different than the doggos too. We like to play with objects that remind us of prey. It’s not a social interaction like it is for our canine furiends.
No matter the motive for cats to play fetch, play is good for us!
Clearly our Human needs to step up her game! A human named Sam, shared details of the extravagant feline birthday party on her TikTok channel, @jet_set_gypsea.
I like the caption on the video that says: “Yes she’s a little spoiled but I think she deserves it! Princess treatment for our little princess girls!”
Sam celebrated both her cat’s birthdays together. Both felines received commissioned art work of each cat, although Sam admitted that this was more of a gift for her thaqn the cats.
Sam shopped at her favorite pet shop for birthday gifts. After the cats were done playing with their new toys, they ate their birthday meal from Dolce and Gabbana pet plates. We sent the Purrsonal Assistant on an internet search to find the plates to get an idea of the cost. Although she couldn’t find the exact plates, it looks like two Dolce and Gabbana plates run from $315.00 and up.
And what did the birthday girls eat from those plates? The starter was scallop and shrimp with a main course of “cheesy rabbit”.
Invitations to the party were sent to all of the feline’s furiends with the note that gifts were obligatory which meant they received lots of presents including many cat shaped items.
This feline thinks Sam just set the bar for feline birthday parties. Step up your game humans!
Some kitties love snow
Some of us are not fond of the white, wet stuff but then others of us enjoy some snowy play time. This cat’s human was even throwing snowballs for the cat to fetch. (And if you want to learn more about cats and fetching read the article above).
You go kitty and I’ll sit by the fire and watch your snowy video.
Happy Wednesday Furiends! The Human has been a bit frazzled, her human niece is getting married soon and there are all kinds of things to do. Translation= she’s been a slacker. Add to that the news that we found for this week has been dominated by numerous international news sites reporting that cats are dangerous killers and the general consensus is that we should be all locked up inside and we just didn’t have the enthusiasm for the feline news we found.
Soooooo, we decided to provide you with some holiday entertainment. We each selected a singer we like and lip-synced to a song. You’ll figure that out when you hear the deep baritone of Ollie’s song….that isn’t NOT his voice.
We hope you enjoy our special singing offering this week.
Hello Furiends, Winter is confused in our neck of the woods. We had some snow and now we’re having rain, rain and more rain. We don’t mind because we’re nice and cozy inside.
And speaking of cozy, we have nice beds in the office and since The Human is working from her home office, we expect treats on a regular schedule. Oliver and I, being a bit on the portly side, have the amount of treats we get restricted. Skinny Lily can eat as many as she wants. This week I’m sharing with you what we have to go to to get a treat!
“Hello Human, I see you’ve come in the kitchen to refresh your coffee. How about a small treat while you’re here?”
“She walked away and didn’t even offer me a tiny treat.”
“Hey there Human, sorry to interrupt but I didn’t want you to forget about treat time.”
“Seriously?! You could ignore this face?!”
“Oh no! This no treat thing doesn’t apply to me does it?”
Here’s hoping your humans will get you a treat while they read this week’s news.
We felines know that the world has been fascinated with us for centuries. We’ve inspired poetry, music, art and other creative endeavors.
Why even our very own Human has written 3 books and various stories in compilation books about us, her fantastic felines.
Bored Panda discovered a fantastic Instagram account called All Vintage Cats (@allvintagecats), created by journalist Paula Leite Moreira. This unique profile showcases vintage photographs of cats from various decades of the 20th century, offering us a wonderful album of felines of the past.
Sure, you read about delivery drivers bonding with canines at the homes where they deliver but they can also have a relationship with the resident feline too.
This relationship in Brandenburg,KY went viral on TikTok, getting over 8 million views.
Evan Snow is an Amazon driver from Clarksville and while on the job, he found a feline friend. Whenever Snow would drop off packages at Isaac Bowen’s family home in Brandenburg, the family cat, Lolly, would greet him on the porch. Snow would sit on the porch to pet and give love to Lolly. Sadly Lolly crossed the Rainbow Bridge at the end of October but she shared some lovely memories with Evan.
Isaac Bowen knew the bond Snow and Lolly had, and found security footage of Snow searching for Lolly after he passed.
Bowen made a video with the footage and clips of Lolly and posted it to TikTok. The video gained over 7 million views within the first two days. Thousands of positive comments from users showed an outpour of love for this pair – many of them wanted to do something special for Snow.
We all just know that when it came to Lolly and people, there was something special with that connection,” Bowen said. “He had an effect on people and people had an effect on him.”
Bowen was able to get in contact with Snow to tell him about the video and support, and gift him the presents TikTok users wanted to send him.
The gifts included fulfilled items from Snow’s Amazon Wishlist, a framed picture of Lolly, and a stuffed bear with a recording of Lolly’s iconic meow.
“It was kind of nice to see that video, see an effect he had on a random delivery driver and then be able to thank that delivery driver for still caring for him after,” Bowen said.
Right about now you’re probably ugly crying like our Human is!
We felines ar e, for the most part, not fani8s of vet visits. You humans all have your own “cures” for feline freak out. The Human likes to spray our carrier and the car seat with Feliway. Full disclosure, she’s not a fan of medication but we also understand that there are times when medication is called for.
Bonqat is the first FDA-approved animal drug containing pregabalin, which is used in human medicine as an anticonvulsant and to treat neural pain.
The drug is administered orally as a single dose of 5 mg/kg (0.1mL/kg) approximately 1.5 hours before traveling or a veterinary visit and can be given for two consecutive days, according to a November 17 announcement by the FDA.Orion Corp., a Finnish drug maker, conducted a field study of client-owned cats with a history of anxiety that included two separate visits over the course of five to 10 days as well as repetitive transportation and physical examinations for each cat.
A little over half of cats given Bonqat had a good to excellent response during both transportation and the veterinary visit compared to about one-third of cats given placebo, according to the FDA. In addition, 83 of 108 (77%) cats given Bonqat showed improvement in levels of fear and anxiety over the course of the two physical examinations, compared with 46 of 101 (46%) cats given placebo.
Adverse reactions related to Bonqat included mild sedation, ataxia, and lethargy.
Bonqat is only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian because it is a Schedule Class V drug under the Controlled Substances Act with a potential for human abuse. In addition, professional expertise is required to monitor the safe use of the product, including proper dosing and administration.
Appropriate precautions should be taken while handling Bonqat, the FDA warned, including avoiding contact with a person’s skin, eyes, and other mucus membranes. People exposed to pregabalin should seek medical advice and may experience dizziness, sleepiness, blurred vision, weakness, dry mouth, and difficulty with concentration or attention.
SHELTER CAT’S HILARIOUS ADOPTION DESCRIPTION GOES VIRAL: “SHE WILL OWN YOU”
Oh how I love when you humans are creative about working to find forever homes for felines. This story shows great creativity on the part of the humans at this shelter.
“Do you want a cat who doesn’t want you? Do you crave the feeling of being judged in your own home? Do you need someone who will slap you back into reality without notice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have the cat for you! Meet Quinn,” the Humane Society of Washington County wrote in a refreshing honest Facebook ad for the kitty.
“She’s our longest-term cat resident, and we get it,” they noted cheekily. “Quinn’s not for everyone.”
Washington County Human Society employees wanted Quinn to find a loving forever home, but they also needed to make sure that potential owners knew exactly what they’d be getting themselves into.
According to the shelter, Quinn “has an uncanny ability to make people feel unwelcome in her presence.”
On the plus side, they joked, this 3-year-old calico cat is very lazy, only wants to play once a month, and is “essentially a more lively houseplant, because all she really needs a human for is food, water, and changing her litter.”
Staff at the Humane Society of Washington County continued their quirky deadpan description of the adoptable cat, warning that she isn’t built for a home with dogs, kids, or cuddles.
They say that, if you decide to adopt Quinn the cat, “She will own you, your house, your belongings, and everything you hold dear.”
The cheeky post boasts over 1,000 views and hundreds of likes since being posted on November 24 as part of a Black Friday adoption sale.
According to an exciting new post, however, it looks like Quinn has finally found a taker!
“She’s not happy about it, but Quinn has been adopted!!” the shelter updated.
Quinn, we wish you good luck in your new home and hope your humans are the patient kind!
Can science find a better way to trim a cat’s nails?
The Human is ecstatic about this as our dear Lily (aka “Princess Stabby Toes”) has a tendancy to go feral if you try to hold her down and forget trying to clip her claws.
University of California, Davis, researchers are working with the Sacramento SPCA to alleviate a near-universal source of stress for cats and those who care for them: nail trimming.
Clipping a cat or kitten’s nails should be a routine practice, not only for the health of the cat and humans, but also to protect curtains, couches and other housewares.
But it can be a nerve-wracking task for all involved, and the noise and discomfort of a shelter can increase anxiety.
Ph.D. student Jennifer Link, who is in the UC Davis Animal Welfare Epi Lab, is working to lessen the trauma through a multistep protocol intended to desensitize the felines to handling and then nail clipping.
In mid-July, Link began visiting the Sacramento shelter each weekday in two-hour shifts to work on socializing rescued and surrendered cats to help ease their reactivity to new people, actions and environments. By the end of September, she had seen more than 70 cats.
“When people hear that I study cats, many ask if I can help them with nail trims,” Link said. “We know that socialization matters throughout life.”
Dan Marple, the animal welfare manager at the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the research is of paramount interest to staff, volunteers and donors because it can reduce the stress of this necessary grooming need.
“Any new protocols that increase the comfort and safe handling of the cats in our care will also improve their overall well-being and adoptability,” he said.
The cats decide
Link’s research incorporates cooperative care, which lets the animals decide their level of interaction during the training process. The cats go through one of three scenarios with Link: a handling and nail trim training protocol, a handling-only training protocol, or a control with no training and only a nail trim. Each interaction is recorded for later analysis.
The protocol groups involve habituation to get the cats comfortable. On those days, they are removed from their cages and placed in a quiet shelter room where Link is sitting, with a mat laid out before her. If a cat puts their front two paws on the mat, they are given pets and a treat. The cat is meant to learn that Link interacts with them only when they place their paws on the mat. Once this is learned, Link moves forward with the training protocols.
In steps, Link touches the cat’s legs, then the paws and then those paws get a gentle squeeze. If they don’t resist, one nail is trimmed.
The procedure builds on past steps and works up. Once the cat has gone through all the steps, they get a nail trim. If a cat doesn’t interact or rejects any step, Link stops the handling. “I think with the cooperative care, it does seem to almost improve their trust in me,” Link said. “They are more comfortable if we let them decide.”
Improving life in the shelter
The work is funded as part of an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals applied behavior grant awarded to Carly Moody, an assistant professor who runs the Animal Welfare Epi Lab. The goal is to improve the welfare of cats during the routine procedure of handling and nail trims.
Moody said the protocol could be taught to volunteers, in order to change an often-stressful experience into a more positive experience for both the handler and the cat.
“A lot of cats in the shelter want affection,” Moody said. “Hopefully in the future something like this could be incorporated into shelter cat enrichment and management programs.”
It could also help owners at home and decrease the number of visits to clinics and veterinary hospitals, where people often seek help with nail clipping, Marple said.
“A lot of owners don’t have the tools to make nail trimming more positive,” Moody said.
Next, researchers will analyze the video sessions and finalize the protocol. If the protocol is found to be helpful, they may share it with cat managers at other shelters for additional data and input.
Paws crossed that this is a success and that all you humans can try it on your less than cooperative felines.
Home | felineopines 