Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/30

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here, walkin’ along the Internet highway searching for purrfect feline news items. I hope you enjoy.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Instant  Cat  Daddy – Bustle

Paris Zarcilla cat daddy

As if it’s not funny enough for someone to come home and find a cat in their house, this guy went upstairs to get a sweater and found a cat momma and her babies under his bed. So what did he do, you might ask? He tweeted about it and then accepted his new position in life as Cat Daddy. I made our Purrsonal Assistant read me all his tweets and they were pawsome! Do yourself a favor and fly on over to Twitter to congratulate the proud new Poppa!

America’s Got Talent….and Cats! Shortlist

cats on Americas Got Talent

So, this happened. Two humans brought their very talented felines on the show. You must have your human show you the video. The best part is the smug expressions of disbelief on the judges faces…until the fabulous felines start their act. The normal crotchety Simon Cowell said, “You know why that was so impressive? Because dogs want to please. Cats are like, ‘Make me.’ They had sort of like ‘cattitude.’ I think there’s a gap in the market for this. I thought with my dogs sometimes, it’s like I want to take them out and see a show and this is a show I can take them to.”

So if there are any feline furiends out there who are considering a career in show biz, now’s the time!

The Five Best Cities in The World for Cat Lovers to Visit – Matador Network

Siamese cat in St. Petersburg Russia

For all my human furiends who love to get their “cat fix” when they are traveling, these cities are for you. The strays and outdoor cats of Rome are well looked after, some folks even leave plates of pasta for them.

The Turkish people are huge cat lovers and they treat their felines very well. There is an actual cat village in Taiwan (I reported on this on my April 11 Web Walk). It started as a refuge and morphed into a complete remake of the town. And then there’s the cats of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg Russia and that museum has one of the longest histories of caring for felines, since the 18th century no less.  And finally there’s Tokyo, and we all know how the Japanese folks love us cats! And there are even cat islands outside of the city.

 Cats Can Be Life Changing for People With Mental Illness – Metro UK

therapy cats

We felines are very good for our human’s well being and some of us are even trained to help with our human’s health.  The Tribe of Five has two special furiends named Deszi and Raena, at Deziz World, who are real service cats.
Deziz World
As their human explains on their website, “They have been Individually TRAINED to do work and perform tasks related to my disability. Examples of such work or tasks include alerting before a Syncope episode (passing out), Driving an electric wheelchair, Dialing 911 for emergency assistance, Calming me during a PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) anxiety attack, Massaging to alleviate debillitating migraines and warm muscles do to neuropathy/fibromyalgia among other duties. That being said, I love the girls more than life itself and aside from their duties as service animals I could not go on without their love and affection.”

So, if you don’t think felines can do valuable work….think again!

Britain’s Most Caring Cat? – itv.com

Britain's most caring cat

Those Brits really know how to treat felines. They even have a Britain’s ‘Most Caring Cat’ national charity competition. And if that isn’t enough, they have other categories like hero cat, Furrever Friends., Outstanding Rescue and more.  This guy named Arthur, is on the short list for the honor as he A helped his human live an independent life following a three-and-a-half year stay at a mental health unit. We felines add a lot to the lives of you humans so be sure and thank your cat today!

Oliver Opines on The Great Outdoors – Friendly Fill Ins #106

FriendlyFillInsYay! Friendly Fill ins are back! This blog hop is hosted by 15andmeowing and Four Legged Fur Balls. You can join the hop or opine about your answers in our comment section.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

The Questions:

1.It is __________________.
2.The best part of last week was ____________________.
3.Every summer, I _________.
4.Once upon a time, _________.

My Answers:

1.It is always best when Tucker does not go out on the upstairs deck because he has fallen off it twice (The Humans have a nice pop up catio for him when he wants to venture out there.
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2.The best part of last week was my first foray of the season out to the upstairs deck (as long as The Male or Female Human are out there, the rest of us can go out if we stay off the railing.

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3.Every summer, I  have to remind the Male and Female Human that I want to join them on the upstairs deck. Good grief, how many times does a cat have to stand inside and look sad?

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4.Once upon a time, my brother and I were shelter kittens and now look at me, I’m livin’  la vida loca!
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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/23

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi There Furiends,
Alberto here. I’m walking again and took my actual first walk of the season with the Female Human. We had a discussion about my need for a slightly larger and comfortale halter, a guy grows in a year! But I digress.

Here are my Wednesday web wanderings, enjoy!
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

5 Destinations For The Obsessive Cat Lover In Your Life- awol.junkee.com

CatTravel

I’ve covered cat cafe’s and cat islands so this may be a bit of a red-do but it is a nice list for travelling feline lovers.  Now I want to find out about that museum for internet cats, how do I and the rest of The Tribe of Five get in there?

5 Tips for Training Your Cat That Actually Work – Bustle

training cats

What’s with the number 5 this week? But I digress. The Female Human has had cat training on the brain lately as she’s writing a mystery that includes a sniffer dog and two felines that help solve a crime. Purrsonally, the entire training thing bores me but I am a smart feline and know that if I learn certain things, I get great rewards so maybe I shouldn’t be too hasty!

The Million Cat Challenge Reaches Goal of Savings Cats One Year Early – USMagazine.com

million cat challenge

Did you humans know there was a million cat challenge? Did you know that more than 1,000 animal shelters in North America purrticipated?  Did you know the campaign began four years ago and as of December 31, 2017 all those shelters saved 1,148,129 cats?

There’s nothing better than saving feline lives and this group has accomplished that big time. Two paws up!

I Photograph Men With Their Cats And The Result Is Cuteness Overload! – Bored Panda

men and their cats

The Female Human always says that, “Real men love cats”. We know this to be true in our house because The Male Human is a cat lover. This photographer immortalizes the love of male humans and their cats and the photos are pawsitively wonderful!

8 Tips For Bonding With Your Cat The First Week You Get One – Bustle

tips for bonding with your new cat

Well, looks like we broke the “5 things” trend. I bet the million folks who adopted those felines from the previous article were wondering how to make their kitty feel at home in their new abode. These tips are very good and work well whether you’re bringing a kitten or an older kitty into your home and heart. We felines adapt well into new surroundings, all we ask is that you have a little patience and a little care as we get used to you and the new place.

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/16

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Folks,
It’s time for me to share my meanderings on the Internet Superhighway and my favorite feline news stories.

I hope you enjoy,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Milwaukee’s First Cat Cafe Offers Wine and Felines – Journal Sentinel

Al_Wine

I am not in Milwaukee in this photo but I do enjoy the bouquet of a nice red. But I digress. I liked this new take on cat cafe’s. The owner of the cafe, Katy McHugh, says that she met a wonderful yellow tabby at an Amsterdam cat cafe. She enjoyed a good conversation with her human friend and the purring feline in her lap, so much that she didn’t want to leave.   That’s how  The Sip & Purr was created.

Now before anyone who does not imbibe gets their whiskers in a twist, the Sip & Purr will also serve coffee and snacks, so there’s something for every human. And best of all, the felines at the cafe will all be available for adoption. I hope all my Milwaukee friends will head on over to the Sip & Purr after it opens on June 1st and, if you do, please  opine about your experience in the comment section.

11 Cat Birthday Party Ideas That Will Honestly Beat Any Human Party There Is – Bustle

cat birthday pinatas

The Tribe of Five belongs to a lot of cat groups and every day we see feline birthday notifications, many of them photos of the kitty party.  If you are inclined to throw your cat a birthday bash, these tips are for you. The Female Human couldn’t pick a favorite, she loved the kitty cookies, the mini cat pinata and the crystal cat ears headband. You humans will have to decide for yourselves.

Sad Cat with Permanent Frown Named Luhu Finds Happiness (and Followers) on Instagram-PeoplePets

sad cat

Looks can be deceiving. This kitty named Luhu may look sad but he’s a happy kitty. He lives in Beijing, China with his human, Maggie Liu. He may look like he’s frowning but he’s a happy guy, loves to play and is full of purrs.  Luhu was born with  developmental defects which account for his sad appearance. His original human didn’t have the time to give him the care he needed so Maggie Liu adopted him. Luhu shares his home with two other felines.  His unusual expression has made him an Instagram sensation, so if you want to see more of Luhu, just go to his Instagram account.

Wacky Names for Dogs and Cats – Post Gazette

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The 2018 pet name winners are an orange and white cat named Pablo Purrcasso and a white pitbull named Isabella Miss Worldwide Boo Boo.  The article got me thinking, you humans come up with some strange name combinations. Take my name for instance, because I’m a lean, mean moving machine and The Male Human is quite the cycling  aficionado , I ended up with the name Alberto Contador. So as you purruse the names on this year’s list like Sir Reginald Fluffybutt or  Princess Consuela Bananahammock,just remember there’s a story behind every feline’s name.

Student’s Cuddle Kittens to Help Reduce Stress From Finals – 9news.com

student cuddling kitten

Sometimes we felines don’t get enough credit for the good things we do and sometimes, doing good things is just letting humans hold us. Case in point, check out the story of the students from Metropolitan State University who had the opportunity to spend some stress-reducing kitten time. The nice humans from The Feline Fix and Metro Denver C.A.T. teamed up to bring seven-week-old kittens to the school’s Biology Department to provide some relief during a notoriously stressful time. And, the kittens will all be eligible for adoption when they’re 12 weeks old. Good thinking humans, two paws up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 5/09

WebWednesday

Hello My Furiends,
Alberto here with my weekly web wanderings. I hope you enjoy this week’s stories.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

 

Vintage Photos of Pampered Cats – National Geographic

Lily_Kitten

If you think cat photos are a new phenomenon, think again. We felines have been admired and photographed for many years. One well known photographer, Willard Culver spent months in the abodes of some of the countries most wealthy folks, staging photos of their fabulous felines. The photos were featured in the November 1938 issue of National Geographic. I must say, we felines haven’t lost our beauty over the years. No wonder you humans are so fascinated with us!

 

Why Do Cats Wag Their Tails? – Gizmodo

CatTailWag

Now, I don’t know if I would describe cats as “wagging their tails”, that’s more of a canine activity. I would prefer if the article would have been titled, “Why Do Cats Swish Their Tails Elegantly?”. But I digress.  I must give a two paws up to Gizmodo who sought out a number of cat specialists to answer this question. The short answer, our tails are our emotional barometers. If you want more specifics you definitely want to read the article.

 

7 Apps All Cat Owners Should Have – Bustle

CatApps

Our Male and Female Humans are real geeks and often that benefits The Tribe of Five. When Oliver and I were kittens we had our own iPad to play kitty games with. But there are more uses for technology than just playing. There are first aid apps for felines, 11Pets that remind humans when they need to give their felines in residence medication and other important cat reminders, a cat clicker training app and of course, fun apps for kitties to play with (if you humans have your faces in your phones, maybe the felines should get a little phone time too!)

Dogs and Cats and Decorating – The NY Times

CatDecorating

The Female Human is all about aesthetics (she even relegated our cat tree to the downstairs TV room) so she was thrilled when I showed her this article. I was less thrilled because of all the good advice and lovely photos there was no photo with a cat in it. So I had my purrsonal assistant do some further research and she found an excellent article from HGTV that was solely dedicated to felines (Purrfect Design Ideas Your Cat Will Love). This is also where the photo came from. So decorate away humans but remember, cat hair is a fashion assessory!

Seven Ways to TurnYour Partner Into A Cat Person – Bustle

getpartnertolikecats

This is a subject that The Female Human knows about! As soon as she and the Male Human got married she made sure he knew how much she wanted a cat. One day he finally looked at her and said, “Okay, we can get a cat but you have to clean the litter box!” She wrote all about this in her story, “All My Children Wear Fur Coats” in Chicken Soup for the Soul, My Very Good, Very Bad Cat.” (I was surprised that you could get this book at Chewy.com!

There are some good tips if you are looking for ways to convince the folks who share your home that a feline is a good idea such as showing them how to interact with felines (maybe take them to a cat cafe), teach them things cats like and do not like (and remember, cats are different. I love water, the other cats in the Tribe, not so much). So start studying and get that feline into your home (and remember, adopt, don’t shop!)

 

 

 

 

The Female Human Opines

Hi There Folks.,
Alberto here. As you know, the name of this blog is “FELINE Opines” but once in a while we allow the Human to opine on something we think is important. This post she did for KatzenWorld is a very important subject and highlights a new program called Home to Home  (created and implemented in our own local shelter, (Panhandle Animal Shelter) where Oliver and I and Lily came from.

We think this is an important message and we hope you do too.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

WhenForeverIsntForevber

Click here for the story

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 5/2

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Phew am I tired from that April A-Z blogging challenge. It was great fun though and The Tribe of Five will be purrticipating next year.

The snow around our house is finally gone and evidently mating season is over because so is that pesky woodpecker. The Humans will need to come up with a new solution before woodpecker dating season starts next year!

Here are my web wanderings for the week,
Purrs & Head Bonks
Siamese cat with blue eyes

7 Meyers-Briggs Types That Are Most Likely To Be Cat People-Bustle

MeyersBriggs

Now if you’re scratching your head and asking, “Who are Meyers-Briggs” you probably don’t live with a fiction writer.  The Female Human always runs her characters through these tests when she starts a book. After reading this article I must confess, I might suggest the Female Human find another personality test for her characters because Psychology Today says that the Meyers-Briggs types that are classic cat people tend to be overwhelmingly introverted. Meowza! These folks have never met the Female Human. There is absolutely nothing introverted about her! And I don’t care that Psychology today did two studies to confirm this. I hiss at their study and suggest that the folks who did these studies are not cat people! What do my feline and human friends think about this? Any extrovert, cat loving humans out there?

Now as to the traits that certain Meyers-Briggs like about cats, I have no argument with that. What traits do you like best about your feline friends?

Pizza Cat – Eat Meow – ToledoBlade.com

PizzaCat2

The title of this pizza place definitely got my attention. The Pizza  Cat (and their new establishment, The Pizza Kitten) give a shout out to feline lovers with their name and market branding and to that I say, a job well done. What do cat’s and pizzas have in PizzaCatcommon? Not that much, but the name (and evidently the pies according to the review in this article) attracts attention. Why not use a feline theme for your business? It’s a great idea. Two paws up to Pizza Cat and, if you’re in the Toledo area, stop by, order a pizza and say “meow”.

Troy Police Reveal Name of Station Cat – Detroit Free Press

PoliceCat

Those of you who wander the web with me on Wednesdays know how much I like a good working cat story. Well this story is all that and more.  These pawsome folks in blue vowed to adopt a shelter kitten for Adopt A Shelter Kitten Day.   The department pledged to get a police cat if they could hit 10,000 Twitter followers.  They reached that goal in only eight days!

They then “booked” a kitten for the role of police cat from five felines that the Michigan Humane Society brought in for auditions.  They chose their fellow pawfficer and then ran a Twitter contest to find a name. There were many entries but the winning name was Pawfficer  Badges.  This is the statement that was released; “We love the name. The cat will officially start her duties on May 11. She will be officially appointed to her position by Judge Hartig and Judge McGinnis of 52-4 District Court (our local court). We thank everyone that has supported this initiative, and look forward to getting the cat involved in many community outreach projects in the future.”

Con-catulations to the newest pawfficer with the Troy Police Department and two paws up to the great folks there for promoting feline adoption!

The friend yelled out for the kitty by her Chinese name and within 15 minutes the cat poked her head out and began yowling.  They lured the unhappy feline out with a snack and then duct taped and sealed her carrier so she couldn’t escape again.  Pepper aka Dai Meng, is now safe and happy with her human friend and waiting to be reunited with her owner.

Hugo, the New Zealand Shelter Thrift Shop  Worker – Waikato Times

Hugo

I had to send the Female Human (and purrsonal assistant) to do some research as the actual headline for this story is “Tokoroa op’-shop cat winning hearts.” I had no idea what an op’shop was and where in the world is Tokoroa? Well, “op shops” are thrift shops connected with New Zealand shelters and Tokoroa is  in New Zealand. Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get on with the story.

This tabby takes his job seriously and loves on all humans, young and old, big and little alike. it just might be because he is so grateful as he was surrendered by his human to a veterinary clinic to be euthanized. The St Vincent de Paul, Vinnies Boutique, op-shop in Tokoroa took him in and it’s a win-win for Hugo and the shop.

Hugo splits his time on the job as a mouse catcher and a therapy cat for customers. The shop manager said they had just been discussing getting a cat when they heard about Hugo. He had a skin condition and when the owner learned about the cost of the steroid injections Hugo needed, they decided to euthanize him. The vet gave Hugo the treatment for free, Hugo was healed and rescue by the shelter boutique.

Hugo works at the shop on site cafe making people feel more at ease. “A lot of the people who come in here to take advantage of it are older people who have gone into rest homes and Hugo sits on their knees and cuddles them,” said the manager.

Everyone is invited to visit Hugo and if you go, don’t forget to drop a coin or two into the donation box to help with the cost of his food.

 

 

Friendly Fill Ins #103

Hi Friends,
Oliver here. Oh my whiskers! Our purrsonal assistant was busy doing other things (non of which are as important as our blog) and did not get the Friendly Fill ins posted yesterday,. Meowza it’s hard to find good help!

As I say, better late than never so here they are. The blog hop is sponsored and created by our furiends at 15andmeowing and McGuffy’s Reader. Head on over and enter the “hop” at McGuffy’s reader or you can post your fill ins in our comments (we love to hear you opine!)

Purrs & Head Bonks,

black and white cat Oliver

 

Here are the fill in questions:

1. I could really use ____________________.

2. ________________________ is a charity that I like to support.

3. One time, I broke                           , and                          .

4. I wish that I had                    , when I was young(er).

Here are my answers:

 

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The struggle is real

1.I could really use another Dharma Dog Karma Cat bed. The female human won a beautiful bed for us and Alberto seems to have claimed it as his own. I quite like it too. Come to think of it though, if the Humans get another bed, I’d prefer something a bit wider as getting into this one is a tight squeeze.

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2.The Panhandle Animal Shelter is a charity I like to support. Well, actually we send the female human out to do a table at the annual fund raiser and to share some of our pawsome swag with the shelter cats there. But I am a big supporter as this is where my brother Alberto and I came from as well as Lily,
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Check out his tail, wasn’t much left to glue. MOL

3. One time I broke one of The Female Human’s favorite pottery birds and The Male Human hid it so I wouldn’t get in trouble. She found it eventually and attempted to glue the tail back on but it’s never been the same.
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4. I wish that I had  known what a great cuddle buddy Tucker is when I was younger.

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 4/25

WebWednesday

Hi There Folks,
Alberto here. I’m a bit tired from my #BlogPaws reporting gig (and I still have a wrap-up post to do) but had to make time to do my regular Wednesday wanderings through the world wide web.

I hope you enjoy this week’s finds,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Firefighters Rescue Man Stuck in a Tree Rescuing a Cat Stuck in A Tree – PeoplePets

firefighters rescue man in tree who tried to rescue cat

All I can say about this article is Bwaaahaaahaa and I’m surprised it’s never happened before! A kind human attempted to rescue the cat (it’s still not clear if he was a stranger or a friend of the cat’s humans) and instead of being hailed a rescuer he became the rescued. The good news is feline and human were successfully extricated from the tree and no firefighters were injured in the process. Meowza, be careful out there folks (and make sure your ladder is tall enough!)

Cats Photoshopped Into Food are So Cute You Could Just Eat Them Up – My Modern Met

cats-in-food-24

Okay, I’m not sure if I find this terribly artistic or just terrible in general. Russian artist Ksenia decided she wanted to create photos that would show us what it would look like if felines showed up in our food.  For more images, check out her Cats in Food series on Instagram.  Some of these photos are MOL pictures but I find the Tabby Burger a bit disturbing.

Massage therapy can improve your cat’s quality of life – Pittsburgh City Paper

cat massage therapist

Ooh, kitty spa time, I could get into that! But then I read further and this massage thing for felines is a healthy option. A few things you should know though, first and foremost, massages should be done by a trained massage therapist or a human who’s been trained by a professional in how to provide a massage for their kitties.

Massage doesn’t just make kitties feel better, it’s important and helpful for older felines, felines who are stressed or afraid or cats with medical issues like feline arthritis. Katie Tontala is a licensed massage therapist and she runs a website called Cat Behavior Demystified. She teaches humans in her area how to massage their cats and also volunteers her time massaging shelter cats to make them less stressed and skittish.

She calls her massage technique “focused petting” and says that humans will know if they’re massaging their feline correctly when the cat becomes a massage junkie.

A Cat Lover’s Dream Job – Fox6 Milwaukee

sip & purr cat cafe Milwaukee

For you Milwaukee cat loving humans in need of employment, here’s a job for you. Milwaukee’s first cat cafe, The Sip & Purr Cafe is looking for a few good people  to work part time in the cat lounge. Requirements include cat rescue, fostering or veterinary experience, a love of people and cats, as “caring for our cats and guests is the number one responsibility of “Cat Lounge Concierges,” and experience cleaning — including litter boxes.

Lakeland Animal Shelter is a partner with Sip & Purr in this endeavor. So hurry up humans, get those resumes in!

KC’s Scoot The Cat is Now Internet Famous – The Kansas City Star 

medical student and his cat Scoot

Because she was born with a deformity, her hind legs don’t work but Sam takes good care of her and ensures she has a wonderful life (they even go traveling together). He says that Scoot is teaching him how to be a good, compassionate doctor. Humans, please don’t just walk by a kitty at the shelter because they’re not perfect, you may just meet your best furiend ever, like Sam did. You can check out Sam and Scoot on their Instagram account.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#AtoZChallenge R

Oliver Here,
Today’s letter is “R” and the word is “Runt”. When you look at my rather full physique, it’s hard to imagine that I was born the runt of the litter. My brother Alberto was much bigger than I was and my size, and the fact that I was always hungry is how I got my name, right out of Dicken’s Oliver Twist (“Please sir, may I have some more kibble?”

As you can see from the photos I was a tiny, yet adorable little fellow and have definitely outgrown my “runt” status.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

oliverundertableIllieKitten_1