Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/14

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Happy Wednesday Furiends,
We are still suffering from the heat in our neck of the woods. The Human is getting a bit cranky and muttering under her breath, “I moved to this area to be away from the heat!”. While we sympathize, her issues are of no consequence to us as long as meals and snacks are on time and those cooling machine thingies are in full operation.

Now don’t get me wrong, we here at The Tribe would purrfur cooler weather ourselves and I, for one, will be very happy when it’s time to snuggle up next to the fire again.

Lily is no big fan of the heat either.

“I’m not coming out of this box until fallo!”

Oliver has chosen to beat the heat by celebrating Shark Awareness Day today.

As always, The Tribe is wishing you all a cool, comfortable week filled with tuna and catnip..

Feline employee of the Year honored with a new beer release at Marker 48 Brewery

Released on Caturday , the Tangerine Wheat Ale brewed honors Marker 48’s favorite brewery cat Willy (Willie).

Oh my whiskers, this is my kind of story. My readers know how I like to report about working cats but this news item takes the professional feline story to a whole new level. The owners of this brewery are extremely enlightened, much more so than brewery in our neck of the woods called Laughing Dog. They host things called “Yappy Hour” . Yappy Hour, can you believe it? Makes me want to hiss every time they advertise another canine centered event!

But I digress and say thank goodness kitties are finally getting their due recognition in the brewing world by Marker 48 Brewery . Not only did these wonderful humans brew a beer to honor a deserving feline employee, they commissioned some limited edition merch as well. We sent our Purrsonal Assistant to the brewery’s site with credit card in hand to order some of the beer and maybe some merch to see if she could order merch but it looks like you have to live in or near Brooksville, Florida to do that.. If any of my furiends live near this fantastic feline loving place, please visit Willy Nelson, taste some of his beer and meow about it on our blog.

Feline Fine: Cat Enjoys Private Transatlantic Boeing 767 Flight

https://twitter.com/_Comlux/status/1412777181374083078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1412777181374083078%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Fcat-boeing-767-transatlantic-flight%2F

We felines deserve only the best and this feline is getting the best of everything, even a personal charter flight on SkyLady of Comlux. There are no tacky carriers, small cat beds or quarantine time for this feline. The Transatlantic crossing VIP kitty guest and his/her human wanted to remain anonymous so we don’t know the cat’s destination but the airline posted a nice video on Twitter to show how the cat is living the Vida Loca. Meowza, how nice would it be to have the run of a luxury plane that can seat 55 people? I wonder how many cats that translates to.

Many cats are living their best lives but this cat has taken that concept to an entirely new level. Methinks it’s time for The Human to step up her game.

A giant 3D cat has taken over one of Tokyo’s biggest billboards

And now that there are cats who have beers brewed in their honor and who travel by private chartered et, a gigantic 3D cat has on a billboard in Tokyo shouldn’t surprise anyone.

The cat appears between advertisements and is amazingly realistic. And it doesn’t just move, it meows too! If you’re in Tokyo, you can see the cat between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m.. The video changes throughout the day. The calico cat is first startled awake in the morning, and by the afternoon it can be seen standing up and meowing at passersby. In the evening, it lies down and falls asleep with its head rested on its paws. The billboard is located over the east exit of Shinjuku train station, an area known as a busy shopping and business center. According to a website launched for the display, which is known as Cross Shinjuku Vision, 190,000 people pass the screen every weekday.

Hmm, maybe the time is getting closer when cats will rule the world (at least virtually).

Orlando Cat Café Will Donate Pet Oxygen Masks To Lake County Fire Rescue For Use In Saving Cats, Dogs After Fires

Oxygen masks save kitties lives. Does your fire department have them?

I’ve reported on many cat cafes and am a fan but have never heard of any that raised money for kitty oxygen masks. This is exactly what Orlando Cat Café did when they donated two pet oxygen masks to the Lake Country Fire Rescue. These masks revive cats and dogs who suffer from smoke inhalation after a fire.

We were intrigued with the issue of pet oxygen masks and thought that every fire department should have some so we sent our Purrsonal Assistant out on the web to learn more. To our delight, we found Project Breathe, a pet oxygen mask donation program from the good folks at Invisible Fence. Does your fire department have these life-saving masks? Why not meow at them and find out? And paws up to Invisible Fence for caring for animals!

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FELINE FINE!: Rescue cat climbs New Hampshire’s 48 tallest mountains in nine months

Not every feline thinks that travel in a private jet or having a beer named after you is living their best life. There are some cats like Floki who live lives of adventure . Floki and her hiking companion,, Mel Elam have summited every mountain in New Hampshire over 4,000 feet!

Elam had a chocolate lab hiking companion for years who had passed away. She went to the shelter to find a new buddy to take a look at a litter of kittens she’d seen there. Her plans changed when Floki reached out her paw as Elam walked by, insisting that she be picked as the new companion. When Floki was 4 months old, she had a harness and a leash and the duo headed out for their first hiking adventure.

Floki took to the adventure life and the two are looking forward to many more adventures to come. Even though this feline is a bit on the lazy side and my brother Oliver prefers to take his outside adventures in the cat stroller, we think adventure cats are cool cats!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/7

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

It looks like there are weather issues in everyone’s neck of the woods this week. We’re purraying for our friends who are waiting for the hurricane to pass and for those of us suffering unusual heat, hang in there.

The air cooler The Human ordered finally arrived. As you can tell from this photo, it’s a hit with me!

Lily enjoys the evenings when it cools down enough to open the windows.

Lily also enjoys snoopervising whatever is going on in the kitchen.

“Shouldn’t there be flowers or something in here?”

And Oliver? Well, Ollie is just hanging around being Ollie and any chance for a nap is good for him, even when it’s hot!

So furiends, stay safe, stay cool and nap whenever you can!

Netflix’s next documentary star is the world’s greatest ‘cat rapper’

Beginning today, Netflix will show a 6-part docuseries called Cat People. There are all kinds of breeds of feline lovers like rescue workers, veterinarians, cat café owners and one of this feline’s favorites, Moshow, the cat rapper!

Moshow isn’t only a cat rapper, he puts his love of cats to good use as he promotes adoption for the Oregon Humane Society and is a participant in the Million Cat Challenge.

The Tribe gives Moshow paws up and says, “Rap on our furiend”. Enjoy the video and visit the full article for more Moshow feline rapping.

Woman woos stray cat

MOL! This could happen to our Human as she’s blind as a bat without her glasses. Claudia Hankin was enjoying sitting on her porch and reading on evening. She was delighted when she noticed a shy, little gray cat hanging out on her porch.

She doesn’t wear her glasses when she reads so she didn’t have a good view of the cat but she did the “psst, psst, here kitty” thing to try and get the cat close enough to pet.

Imagine her surprise when the “cat” got close enough to her for her to realize it wasn’t a cat at all but a possum! Hankin grabbed her phone to get a photo but as soon as the flash went off, the timid creature headed back to the woods.

I’m wondering , now that the human has extended the hand of friendship, if the possum will attempt to continue their relationship.

How to cool cats down in hot weather

Oliver). Signs of heat exhaustion are rapid breathing, lethargy, staggering movements, vomiting, red tongue and mouth, and a high temperature.

Thank goodness we cats sweat through our paw pads and we will attempt to disperse our body heat by moving to a cooler spot and drinking lots of water.

Now if your feline is extra furry they will be looking for heat relief but even the less furry of us appreciate some help.

Here are some ideas to help your kitty be more comfortable when the weather is too warm.

1. Freeze cat treats
If you like those tasty Churu mousse like treats or Delectables, tell your human to put a few in the freezer and voila-cat popsicles!

2. Provide an outdoor cat house.
If you find your feline lounging on the hot pavement, try a cat house that is more elevated and that offers some shade.

3. Make your own frozen cat treat.
Drain some tuna juice (water from the canned tuna), add a bit more water and pour into an ice cube tray. Tasty!

4. Consider a cat cooling mat
They make these for dogs but they work for cats too. If you have multiple felines, get a large mat so everyone can lounge on it.

5. Get a pet water fountain
Having plenty of fresh water is important during warmer months. Water fountains provide a regular supply of flowing water.

.6. Put ice cubes in water
Our Tribe loves this and, after we’ve had a nice cool drink, we like to swat the ice cubes around.

7. Make your own DIY cat cooling towel
Save the money for cat treats and just paper towels for DIY cooling towels.

9. Consider a catio
Make sure there is plenty of shade and cool water available.

10. Make sure your windows are safe
If you leave your windows open use netting frames that fit over the windows or doors to keep your cat safe and your home cooler.

12. Daily grooming
Cats with thick coats will especially appreciate frequent grooming.

14. Freeze a bottle of water.
Freeze the bottle, wrap it in a towel and place it where your cat likes to hang out

And remember, no matter how much your do, you may still have some dramatic felines in your home like Oliver.

Keeping cats safe in your yard

There is a lot of talk about catios, heck, I’ve reported on some fantastic ones myself but if you humans are adverse to attaching something to your home (especially if you have snowy winters) you might like this idea.

Happy Paws Out is a cat-proof fencing system that allows your felines to enjoy your yard and not pull a Houdini maneuver to escape. This can be installed on all kinds of fences or, 2D panels can be installed to close open garden areas.

You can go the DIY route or take advantage of their installation services (if you live in Ireland, that is). Purrsonally, I like the idea of fencing everyone in, not just the felines!

Meet Smokey, One of the First Cats to Beat FIP!

Oh my whiskers, if there ever was a time and a cat to celebrate, this is it! Smokey has been through quite a bit in his life. He was rescued when he was found in a field, sick and without his mother. He was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis or FIP which is a disease that is almost always fatal in cats. But our furiend Smokey defied all the odds and is one of the first cats to ever be cured of this nasty disease!

Smokey’s human, Peter, started ZenByCat which is a non-profit organization raising funds for further FIP research. Smokey is the organizations poster cat. Peter says that Smokey’s purpose is to give hope to people. You can follow Smokey and his siblings on their Instagram account.

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats

The healthy Smokey spends his days walking on his wheel and playing with his 24 feline siblings. Peter adopts as many cats as he can to give them a happy home and, as a talented general contractor, he’s been able to modify his home with cat walks to create the best cat jungle him ever.

We give this human our Paws Up award and say concatulations to Smokey for beating this disease!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/20

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,
I hope you have been enjoying yourself this week. This week, Lily and I made some progress in our relationship. Oliver and I are trying not to chase her off the bed and all around the house. While Lily and were waiting for breakfast to be served, we discussed the state of our relationship.

So Lily, what do you think we try to be better furiends? I know you miss your cuddle buddy Tucker.

So Al, were you serious about that furiendship thing or are you going to chase me off the bed?

Wow, who would have believed it, a cuddle!!

The Human hasn’t caught us in another cuddle but she’s hopeful. Lily and Oliver are still mulling the situation over.

Well, that cuddle was nice. Maybe it will happen again.

I’m not ready to make any promises. Lily and Alberto can sing kumbaya all they want.

Well, here’s hoping Oliver will get on board the furiendship train. And here are our feline news items for the week.

What kind of personality does your cat have?

Professor Peter Neville has worked alongside specialists at eco-cat litter company Natusan to identify five unique personality types that can help cat caretakers tailor their approach to their pet.

Working with date from 3,700 cat parents, experts have found five common personalities in cats and labeled them Nervous Nala, Outgoing Oliver, Bossy Bella, Spontaneous Simba and Agreeable Alfie.

They found that even in the same household, and from the same litter, we felines can be very different in our behaviors and preferences.

The professor says that, “Like humans, the more we appreciate what makes them tick, the more we can fine tune our interactions, and create environments that encourage them to thrive by accommodating their social and emotional needs.

Outgoing Olivers are usually more vocal and extroverted

Nervous Nalas have delicate dispositions and are often more highly strung than other cats. They can be shy around other cats.

Bossy Bellas are very assertive and often the top cats in multi cat households.

Spontaneous Simbas are the most impulsive and have a lot of energy (the kind of felines that love midnight zoomies).

Agreeable Alfies are the epitome of a cool cat. They are calm and sociable often as a result of proper socialization as kittens.

I don’t know what you think about all this my furiends. As for me, I’m not so sure all felines fit into one category.

Cats can drift too!

Our Human has relatives who like different forms of car racing and introduced her into the car sport of “drifting” which is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, loses traction but still maintains control of the vehicle. Imagine my surprise when I found out that cats can drift too.

Gee, I wonder, am I considered a second class citizen?

Are felines sometimes treated as second class? Some cat owners say yes

Pet Product News recently noted that dog owners do seem to get all the attention, especially when it comes to marketing and production for pet food, pet products and pet services according to a new survey.

In Packaged Facts’ Survey of Pet Owners, cat owners were asked whether they perceive that cats are “sometimes treated as second class” compared to dogs by various types of players in the pet industry. Across the board to varying degrees, the answer was “yes,” including for general merchandise stores that sell pet products (with 51 percent of cat owners agreeing strongly or somewhat that cats sometimes get second-class treatment), companies that make pet food/treats (45 percent), companies that make non-food products (45 percent), pet specialty stores (44 percent) and veterinarians (41 percent).

The good news my feline furiends, is that this does seem to be changing. Last year, many of the new products introduced at Global Pet Expo 2020 were cat-focused, including New Product Showcase winners Moody Pet’s Fling-Ama-String and Four Paws’ Kitty Kat Circus, and during 2020 Petco unleashed a slew of promotional emails with feline-focused headlines including ‘You had me at Meow,’ ‘Kitty 101’ and ‘Kitty’s first shopping list .

These marketing folks are finally getting the idea that cats rock and cat parents like to lavish us with all sorts of goodies.

8 Hypoallergenic Cats for People with Allergies

This feline was dismayed to learn that more people are allergic to cats than any other animal. About one in five people in the world have allergy symptons such as sneezing, itchy eyes, coughing, wheezing and even the hives if exposed to cats. What a bummer!

But don’t lose hope my allergic feline loving furiends! Studies have found that it is’t t he amount of fur a cat has and that some of the most “hypoallergenic “ cats have very full, long coats.

Allergic reactions to felines come from reactions to a protein called Fel d 1, which is a protein that is present in our skin, saliva, and urine. When we lick our fur, this Fel d 1 dries into tiny particles that are carried through the air and then land on the hair, clothing, furniture and other stuff belonging to humans. These particles can hang around for months!

So, the bad news is that there are no felines that are 100% hypoallergenic but some of us produce much less of Fel d 1.

Scientists say that normally, female cats produce less of the protein than male cats, and neutered males produce less than those who haven’t been fixed. And now, you don’t have to adopt a hairless cat to stay away from allergens (although there is nothing wrong with my hairless feline furiends). You can also look into the breeds shown below. I would love to see everyone who hasn’t given a cat a furever home because of allergies be able to be a kitty parent!

Moscow’s renegade cat activists bending the law to save felines from the frozen winter

A Russian man named Ramil is a volunteer who works to help free cats trapped in basements of Soviet-era buildings, places that are often the only shelter stray cats can find. He is the hero of many Russians and of felines as well!

Russians are cat lovers, a 2016 poll indicated that 57% of Russian households had at least one cat.

The stray cat problem is only recently being addressed in Russia. Those poor kitties need shelter badly as temperatures normally stay below zero most of the winter. Boy am I glad I’m a pampered indoor kitty!

Moscow’s parliament passed a decree this fall that all apartment buildings provide access to basement vents for “small pets”. Ramil and his cat loving furiends are expanding their cat saving work to the suburbs (areas which are not under the same decree).

The Russians don’t take to animal cruelty. One political hopeful was photographed allegedly kicking a cat and his political career ended immediately. Businesses in Russia catering to cats and their humans are thriving, even cat cafes.

We say two paws up for the cat loving Russians who are working to help the street kitties of Moscow and other areas.

A Furry Christmas Walk Through the Web Wednesday 12/23

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
It’s almost Christmas and The Tribe is looking forward to the celebration. We each wanted to record a purrsonal Holiday message and we wish you a festive season, no matter what event you celebrate in December and that you enjoy the web gems I found for you this week.

We also wanted to share a Catmas Carol with you. Every year the Human takes our Catmas Carol book out and we enjoy some feline caroling. Here is one of our favorites!

From Lily

From Oliver

From Alberto

A Christmas miracle

Gary and Deb Mosberger’s cat had been missing for five weeks. Every pet parent is happy when their lost fur kid finds his way home but this reunion was a true Christmas miracle.

December has always been hard for the Mosbergers as their son Vinny was killed by a drunk driver 18 years ago on December 9^th.

Vinnie loved cats and had many throughout his life. Having cats in the home help the Mosbergers feel closer to Vinnie and they added two cats to the home last year. The cats, Abe and Lincoln, like to stroll around the neighborhood, letting themselves in the house through a window.

On November 5^th, the cats left the house for their daily stroll. Lincoln came back, Abe didn’t. When he didn’t return by the next day the Mosbergers checked with all their neighbors, put up posters around town and contacted shelters in their area.

Deb Mosberger woke up on December 9^th, the anniversary of Vinnie’s death. She said that Vinnie knew how much she and his dad loved their felines and so she said, “Okay Vinnie, it would be nice if you could bring Abe home.” All throughout the day she felt Vinnie would bring the missing cat home and she even told her neighbors.

That evening, while she worked in the kitchen she heard crying at the window, it was Abe, 18 years to the day that Vinnie had died. The cat was skinny and scared after his 5-week ordeal and was very happy to be home.

Deb Mosberger said that ever since her son died, she hated the month of December. Abe changed all that this December 9th. She said, “Now I can love December again because of this Christmas miracle.”

Shelter cat named Frank wins $10K for Kent County animal shelter in national contest

A cat named Frank just won $10,000.00 for his shelter, Focus on Ferals. Franks sweet face and heartwarming story earned him the top spot in the recent Arm & Hammer Cat Litter contest, “Purrfectly Impurrfect”.

There were about 2,000 shelter cats nominated for the prize. The purpose of the contest was to highlight stray cats overlooked because of their age, appearance or misunderstood personalities. The goal is to help these cats find homes too.

Due to the campaign’s success, Arm & Hammer established the Feline Generous “Kitty,” a fund that will donate $50,000 to shelters and shelter cats in need each year.

Focus on Ferals staff said Frank can make their “hearts explode with love” but also prompts them to “burst into tears,” given his injuries and scars. Five-year-old Frank arrived at the shelter with an ear infection and a cheek injury, where a bone fragment eventually had to be removed.

Despite all this, shelter workers say Frank has quirky facial expressions and cries out for attention. His lovable personality and charm attract volunteers and fellow cats like his best friend, Pickles. For more information about the shelter and its mission, visit its website or check out Focus on Ferals’ Facebook page.

The cat ate my….

We’ve all heard the old excuse, “the dog ate my homework”. Well my furiends, it’s not just dogs that like to chew or shred paper (or plastic, like yours truly).

A young human from Malaysia, who had just earned his university degree came in to his room to see that his cat had ripped it up.

Afif Adlan Mohd Hanafiah graduated with a finance, accounting, and management degree from the University of Nottingham in July and had been proudly displaying his diploma, until his cat shredded it. He tweeted a photo of the “crime scene” and the rest, as they say, is history. His post currently has over 53,700 retweets and 254,600 likes.

Study shows we felines love our pet parents much more than anyone thought

Okay, first I have to say that this study must have been done for people who really don’t know, love and understand cats. Any true cat parent knows we love and are bonded to our humans!

A 2019 study from researchers at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences published in the journal Current Biology, indicates that like children and dogs, cats forge a similar attachment to the humans raising them. Well, DUH! Attachment, is a relevant behavior that applies to cats as much as other pets.

For the study, researchers had kittens and cats participate in a “secure base test”— similar to a test that is conducted on babies and dogs to study their attachment behaviors—in which cats are separated and reunited with their owners over the course of a few minutes to determine if the animals were securely or insecurely attached to their owners. Of the 70 kittens researchers were able to classify, 64.3% were found to be securely attached and 35.7% were insecurely attached. For the 38 adult cats they tested, the results were 65.8% securely attached and 34.2% insecurely attached.

To see if the kittens’ attachment style could be modified, the researchers had kittens undergo a six-week training course. No significant differences were found, indicating the lasting power of an initial attachment style, as in humans.

“Once an attachment style has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to remain relatively stable over time, even after a training and socialization intervention,” Vitale commented in the same media statement.

If there’s one important thing you humans can learn from this is that it is important to spend time with your kitten to establish the attachment bond early.

I’m still not sure why the university had to spend money to study this but, if it helps non-cat folks understand what amazing and loving creatures we are, then I say, paws up!

The answer to that age old question. Why do cats like to hide under the Christmas tree?

Now I know many of you humans want to know why we felines love to destroy the Christmas tree but that explaination would take waaaay to long so I thought I’d take the simpler question, “Why do cats want to hide under the Christmas tree?”

You’ve seen us snuggle between the presents, rolling around in the ribbons and you’ve probably wondered, “why?” Dr. Ignacio Casali and Dr.Adrew Lee, both DVMs, tackle the answer.

Despite the fact that we are soooo cute cuddling under the pine boughs, we can also get up to a bit of mischief. Sometimes it’s the dangling ornaments that are just asking to be swatted or those flickering lights that draw us to the bottom of the tree.

There is another reason we want to dive into the depths of your holiday tree, it’s because it’s like a cardboard box on steroids to a cat, according to Dr. Lee. “It can provide height, a place to hide, and is full of toys — all things that cats love.” In a sense, it is the perfect playground for your feline friend. Dr. Casali agrees adding that your Christmas tree could provide us kitties with a sense of shelter or comfort.

Despite the fact that we felines love the bottom of the tree, you humans need to watch what we are playing with from the tree. Dr. Casali says, “During this time of the year, we see cats that come into the emergency room with foreign materials in the stomach, which many times come from Christmas decorations. Cats like to play with the strings and the ornaments, which they can swallow.” Dr. Casali reminds you humans to keep a close eye on us and, if we do swallow part of an ornament or another kind of décor, call the vet right away!

Oh, and be prepared for us to be bummed when you take down that fun tree with all it’s hanging cat toys!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/18

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Feline Opines

Mandy Evans, Panhandle Animal Shelter Director

Hello Furiends,
It’s been a good week in our neck of the woods but instead of talking about what The Tribe has been up to, I want to talk about what some fantastic folks in our community have been up to to help our shelter with it’s specific needs due to COVID. I also hope to inspire you to help your local shelters as well.

Our Human is a great fan of our animal shelter, Panhandle Animal Shelter. Our shelter director, Mandy Evans is amazing and has created programs in our little community that have gone national. Our Human wrote an award winning article about one of these programs called “Home to Home” and this innovative way to keep kitties in homes and out of the shelters is only one of many fantastic ways Panhandle Animal shelter is working to keep humans together with their furry family members.

Our Human heard the shelter director speak last week and one of the things she talked about was the specific challenges of running a shelter during COVID. The most pressing issue was that they couldn’t do the medical treatments for kittens and cats because they didn’t have enough surgical gowns. They brought patterns to the meeting and asked for help.

Now our Human is useless when it comes to sewing but she’s pretty good at marketing so she got the word out. And which group jumped into action right away? It was the pet loving folks who belong to her lost pet social media group, Bonner County Critter Finders. Now she should have figured that a community of folks that volunteer their time to get the word out about lost and found pets would be first in line to help the shelter and so they were.

Thanks to wonderful humans like these, our shelter will be able to do the medical work they need to do. There are many other things we can do to help our shelters during these difficult times. For instance, shelter disinfectant is hard to come by. Our shelter is able to obtain only a third of the disinfectant products they need and this affects how many animals they can take.

I’m setting my human furiends a challenge (I’m exempting the felines because our lack of opposable thumbs limits our purrticipation). Download the pattern and sew a surgical gown for your shelter or, if you’re sewing challenged like my Human, call your shelter to find out what specific needs you can help with that are caused by COVID.

That’s it for this week, kitties be kind to your humans, life is a bit stressful these days!

Bend woman’s animal-detection dog reunites cats with wildfire evacuees

There were many people in Oregon who were evacuated quickly to escape the fires and due these hasty evacuations, some pets were left behind.

One human couldn’t stand to hear the stories of lost pets. Katie Albright, a trained missing pet recovery specialist joined forces with other likeminded humans to help find missing cats.

Her team went into homes that other humans couldn’t access to look for lost cats. Her sidekick, Franklin, a 3-year-old dachshund/beagle mix is her most valuable team member. She trained Franklin in cat detection through the Missing Animal Response Network.

She and Franklin were successful in locating lost cats on that mission. They continue to volunteer their services in other areas as well.

We give Katie and Franklin our Paws Up Award!

A Cat Census?

Sometimes you humans cause me to scratch my head! This one is a head scratcher for me. There are folks purrticipating in the DC Cat Count, sifting through 6 million photos and sorting out the cats and counting each one.

Despite the advances in modern technology there is no computer program that will sort the cat photos out of all the photos so the humans have to do the tedious job themselves, one picture at a time.

Why are they doing this? The DC Cat Count is looking to get an estimate of just how many felines there are in the District. Lauren Lipsey with the Humane Rescue Alliance says getting an accurate cat population number will help her organization manage feral cats in the city. The group operates animal shelters and provides animal control services in D.C. and is partnering with the Smithsonian on the cat count project.

She said, “If we don’t know the baseline population of cats, it makes it impossible to measure the effectiveness of various population control policies or strategies.”

Also, we felines get a bad rap from some humans who say we kill billions of birds and small mammals. This count will provide a more scientific approach to those allegations.

Researchers placed cameras in 1,530 locations, strategically sited across the city. Each location was surveilled for 15 days, for a total of 22,950 days of observation. Of the roughly 6 million photos captured, about 20% are of cats.

Needless to say, the cameras caught more than cats. The most common being dogs, squirrels, deer, rats, and raccoons. There were also some rarer urban inhabitants: flying squirrels, coyotes, beavers, and at least one bobcat.

Now the researchers are going through each photo to eliminate duplicate shots of the same cat. Once that work is done, a few months from now, the team will be able to model cat density throughout the

While the final analysis of D.C.’s cat population is still months away, McShea and Lipsey say there is at least one data point that stands out, in terms of cats’ impact on the environment. There were very few cats in the city’s largest parks, where wildlife could be most threatened by the presence of cats. For example — D.C.’s biggest, wildest park, Rock Creek Park, was “almost absent of feral cats or semi domesticated cats,” according to McShea.

The cat count project will be complete in 2021, at a total cost of $1.5 million, funded by a number of nonprofits and charities. Meowza, sometimes I wonder how you humans spend your time and money!

Questionnaire survey identifies potential separation-related problems in cats

The first questionnaire survey to identify possible separation-related problems in cats discovered that 13.5% of all sampled cats displayed potential issues during their owner’s absence, according to a study published April 15, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Daiana de Souza Machado, from the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Brazil, and colleagues.

Now this feline could have told you we miss you humans when you’re gone but in defense of these humans doing the survey, so many studies have been conducted on owner separation problems in dogs and very little work has been done to see how we felines feel! There is a common belief that we cats are happy being left alone for long periods of time, but the most recent research suggests that we are far more social than you humans realize and we are deeply bonded with our humans..

The results of this survey were interesting. 13.5% of cats showed at least one trait of separation related problems (destructive behavior was the most frequently reported)

Other behaviors or mental states identified were: excessive vocalization (19 out of 30 cats), inappropriate urination (18 cats), depression-apathy (16 cats), aggressiveness (11 cats), agitation-anxiety (11 cats) and inappropriate defecation (7 cats).

There is still more work to be done in this study but I am thankful that there are humans willing to dive into the emotions and reactions of felines.

Checking in on the Disneyland Cats

There is quite a clowder of cats at Disneyland and there are folks who are concerned about how the felines are surviving. The good news is that Disneyland loves having the cats around as they do an excellent job of vermin control. These felines even have quite a large fan club. On Instagram, @disneylandcats has more than 85,000 followers, and the handle has another 16,000 on Twitter. You can follow the #disneylandcats hashtag on either platform and find a fan page on Facebook.

There’s even a website devoted to all things cats at Disneyland. DisneylandCats.com has profiles of each cat with some real information about each one. Ned, for example, is a domestic longhair who hangs out on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel. The site is so popular that you can buy T-shirts that say “We try to forget it was all started by a mouse” and “Beware of hitchhiking cats.”

“The cats are taken care of by the park’s workers with help from local veterinary clinics,” Kyle Jaeger reported. “There are feeding stations and shelters where the cats receive routine veterinary care, including flea treatments, spaying and neutering, and vaccinations.”

So I think it’s safe to say that the Magic Kingdom is still magical for it’s resident felines.

Ice fishing, feline style

We have humans that enjoy ice fishing in our neck of the woods but I’ve never heard of felines trying it until now. This kitty from Korea is trying her best to capture a carp under the ice in the lake.

This poor feline, named Marilyn, is beyond frustrated. I doubt that she was happy having her unsuccessful fishing trip uploaded to her You Tube and Instagram accounts either. I’m guessing Marilyn earned a few more viewers to compensate her for her frustrated fishing expedition.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/19

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
The heat is back in our neck of the woods but The Human has set us up quite well while she is away at that place she calls “work”. I hope you all are staying cool and comfortable. We are carrying on as usual on the upstairs deck because it is always shady there. You can see how “active” we are.

When the Human received the beautiful Muse medallion, we felt it was only fitting that we wear it for a while, after all, any product of this blog is thanks to the felines! The problem is that thing is HEAVY!

And now, on with the best about felines from the World Wide Web!

Cargo the stowaway cat finds a home

Meowza am I excited! It’s rare that I get to do a follow up on a previous feature. In my July 8^th Walk Through The Wednesday feature I reported on a kitty that stowed away on a military cargo plane and landed in Bangor Maine.

Well, the cat has a home and a name! Cargo the cat was first fostered and then adopted by Nanci Hamlin and her boyfriend who both work at the Bangor airport and had been following the cat’s story ever since he was discovered hiding under a cargo pallet in the belly of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane.

Looking for Cargo’s family was difficult as the plane originated in California and made a stop in Colorado before landing in Bangor. Fortunately, the pilot of the Europe bound plane found the cat before they left for their next destination.

Finding a stow away cat was a first for the pilot and the staff at the airport. As I reported, Cargo was taken to the local Humane Society and they contacted shelters in California and officials at Air Force Bases as well as social media. No one came forward to claim Cargo.

When this kitty’s family could not be located the shelter put him up for adoption and that’s when he found his furever home.

Cargo now lives with four other cats and an Alaskan husky and fits in purrfectly. His humans say he took over the house right away and Cargo’s best buddy is the dog, Akiko.

Now, Cargo is allowed outside only with human supervision. His humans say that it seems he wants to know what is outside but she says,” He’s an indoor cat now.”

We are thrilled that Cargo has a home and Cargo my furiend, this feline advises you to stick to the inside and stay away from cargo planes!

Most Americans with cats say they couldn’t have survived lockdown without their feline furiends

“You may now commence the Zoom meeting Human” – Alberto

I often get my whiskers in a twist when I search the web for my feline features. There are too many people who have too much negative to say about us felines! This article made me very happy though. Evidently three-quarters of Americans say they couldn’t have lasted through lockdown without their cats.

A new poll questioned 2,000 people (57% of whom also have dogs – we won’t hold that against them) listed the benefits their feline furiends provided them during their isolation.

Fifty-seven percent said that their feelings of anxiety were eased and they felt less alone. Forty nine percent said they felt less anxious with their in-house purr therapist by their side.

In addition 41% said their felines gave them someone to talk to and 35% said their kitties brought a feeling of positivity to their days.

The poll was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Royal Canin following International Cat Day Aug. 8.

While spending more time together two-thirds (66%) of cat owners surveyed learned or noticed something new about their pet, and three out of four respondents became closer to their kitty as a result of the quarantine.

Being cooped-up indoors gave respondents time to uncover a new spot their cat enjoys hiding in (64%), notice a new behavior (57%) and discover a new food their pet likes (55%).

Despite all the good things humans found that their cats brought to them in the lockdown, 73% of those surveyed said their cat seems to be ready for some space. (Well DUH, who wants their human hogging their favorite spot on the sofa all day or constantly interrupting nap time??)

Felines with disabilities to take spotlight at Alternative Cat Awards

This makes my kitty heart melt. Imperfect felines will be in the spotlight at Cats Protection’s #AlternativeCatAwards, a virtual celebration of cats with impurrfections.

This event was created after siblings Kathe and Keller came to the Cats Protection’s Forth Valley Adoption Centre, in Ochilvale Terrace, Fishcross,. These kitties needed someone to see past their disabilities and fall in love with them..

Both kitties have mild cerebellar hypoplasia, a condition in which the brain does not develop properly, affecting balance and co-ordination and making them wobble when they walk. Keller is also deaf, but this does not hold him back, and he loves to play with his sister.

Thankfully, these challenges didn’t stop Elaine Baxter from adopting them. Elaine was looking to fill the gap left by the death of her beloved 16-year-old cat Vinnie. Elaine was already used to dealing with cats with special needs, as Vinnie had diabetes for eight years.

Roslyn McKay, the shelter director said “We are delighted Kathe and Keller have settled in so well to their new home. They are real characters and firm favorites with the staff. “Disabled cats really shouldn’t put off experienced owners. They may require a little extra care or consideration but they have plenty of love to give.’

And now, disabled cats have their own category for this year’s virtual Alternative Cat Awards. All humans of disabled cats are invited to share videos of their #PurrfectlyImperfect cats, enjoying happy, healthy lives with a disability, health issue or superficial aesthetic deformity. Videos need to be shared on Twitter and Instagram using #AlternativeCatAwards before August 21.

Bravo to all you humans who give love and homes to these special cats!

‘He’s an artist’: Philly cat captivates social media with piano prowess

Winslow’s new single, “Bean Gotta Scream”

Okay, this story and the next one are targeted toward our very own Oliver. I’m not saying he’s fat but the Tribe has wellness exams next week and Oliver has “blossomed” quite a bit since his last visit!

This story is about a Philadelphia kitty who plays the piano for his food. Why is this you may ask?

Well it seems that Winslow, a former stray, needed to shed a few pounds but the famished feline would scream between his morning and evening feedings. And then one day, one of Winslow’s humans decided to use his fascination with a toy piano they had to attempt to help Winslow deal with his diet (and help the humans with his screaming)..

The human started splitting his snacks into smaller portions and began to teach him how to play for his snacks. Once she decided to video one of Winslows “concerts” he became a sensation. Now Winslow has been on the radio and even has a single on Spotify.

Winslow also has his own music video and song called “Bean Gotta Scream”.

And the best news is that Winslow has lost weight too! Oliver, I think you need to get a piano!

Automatic cat weighing machine knows which cat it is feeding

The Human is always meowing about the difficulties of a multi-cat household when it comes to putting cats on special diets. Neither Lily nor I have an eating problem but there is another feline (who shall remain nameless) who never met a food he didn’t like.

Well this new gadget in the making just might solve these problems. Psy0rz has joined with Meowton to create a weighing machine/feeder combo designed to regulate feline diets.

The system has a scale to weight the cat, a food area with dispenser and a scale for the food bowl. The cat has to stand on the scale to have the food dispensed. The feeder identifies each cat by weight and controls the quantity of food dispensed.

There is a live stream where you can see the device in action.

Oliver, your free feeding days may be coming to an end!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/5

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
Well, The Tribe has been languishing in the heat that we are experiencing in our neck of the woods. We have no desire to do anything except hang out on the upstairs deck, sleep and eat (and Oliver and I occasionally like to bully Lily, which we get in trouble for). This will explain why our photos from this week are almost identical to our photos from last week, it’s all about the cool deck time.

At least this week’s news items aren’t the same as last week. I hope you enjoy them!

Feline Fashionista takes Instagram by storm

I know, many of us feel a certain type of way about dressing cats. My regular readers will recall the disastrous dinosaur and sushi costume event that were my two (and only) kerfuffles with clothing.

Still, there many felines who love wearing clothes and Prunella is one of them. Often sphynx cats wear clothes to keep warm and, if you’re gonna’ wear clothes, why not make it fun?

That’s how Prunella’s human, Dee Kitsch, started clothing her. When Prunella arrived from the breeder, she was wearing a cute little sweater to keep her warm and the rest is history.

Five year old Prunella’s human is a photographer and it was a natural transition for putting Prunella on Instagram and have her pose in custom outfits.

The photos give people something to smile about and Dee Kitsch and Prunella love their photoshoot time together.

I know many cats who love to dress up and, if you have a feline who enjoys wearing clothing, let her fashionista flag fly. As for those of us who would rather go to the vet than wear clothing, please allow us to live happily au naturel.

After years of reporting in a war zone, journalist wonders if the cats she cared for in Kabul would remember her

Please take the time to read this story. It will bring (happy) tears to your eyes and reaffirm the truth that we felines love our humans and remember them.

Detained ‘drug smuggler’ cat escapes Sri Lanka prison

Unfortunately the felonious feline escaped before an official mug shot could be taken so we had to use a stock photo. Any resemblance to other felines is completely coincidental.

Oh my whiskers! A cat detained at Sri Lanka’s main prison while allegedly trying to smuggle drugs and cell phone SIM cards has escaped, media reports said Monday.

How the feline managed to make it into the high-security Welikada Prison is a mystery.

This felonious feline had nearly two grams of heroin, two SIM cards and a memory chip in a small plastic bag tied around his neck.

That cat escaped from a prison room where he was being held.

I can only hope that this feline has seen the error of his ways and plans to stay on the straight and narrow from now on.

Woman becomes pregnant and realizes it’s her cat’s fault

Playtonic1 is a Reddit user who happily announced the birth of his first child. The couple wanted a second child but decided that during the pandemic hysteria, it would be better to wait. They purchased the usual products to prevent unwanted pregnancy however they forgot about their cat’s habit of tearing up items found in drawers and cupboards.

When Mrs. Playtonic1’s pregnancy test came back positive they were shocked and couldn’t figure out what happened, until they found the shredded cause of the new pregnancy.

Being a feline who purrfers to be circumspect I won’t report on any more details but I am happy to tell you that the couple is delighted, despite the craziness in the world (and their latex chewing feline).

To find stray cat a home, her foster dad is giving grants to artists for her portrait

File this one under “human goes above and beyond to find a furever home for a cat.”

When Kyle Cassidy learned that a stray cat was frequenting his friend’s porch in West Philly, the longtime feline foster dad offered to take the girl in, certain he could find a home for her in three days or less. He posted her pictures on social media and asked his thousands of followers to help name her. The name Stabatha won.

When his “name that cat” contest didn’t get Stabatha a home, Cassidy, a West Philly writer and photographer started posting creative informative segments about Stabitha on Facebook such as, “ “She has an IQ of 122, speaks some French, and has put three stockbrokers in prison for insider trading.”

When this didn’t get Stabitha a furever home, artist Deanna Leist Aliano painted a portrait of Stabatha as an incentive for prospective adopters.

Inspired by that work, Cassidy created an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise money to pay out-of-work artists microgrants of $50 to paint Stabatha’s portrait, in the hope that the artworks might move someone to adopt her. “It was all part of a not really elaborate plot to keep her on people’s minds and have a street team trying to find her a home,” he said.

Since he began the campaign Monday, Cassidy has raised more than $600 ($100 more than his goal) and has given out seven grants. Artists from London to Italy have submitted portraits of Stabatha, portraying her as everything from a doctor fighting COVID-19 to an isolated kitty living in a surveillance state.

Still, affectionate, snuggly Stabatha, one of more than 4000,000 stray cats in Philadelphia, is looking for a home.

“She’s extraordinarily chatty. When I come down to visit her in the morning, she tells me the story of the entire night, of all the birds and opossums that walked past the window,” he said. “But when you sit down, she’ll curl up on your foot.”

Cassidy said he’s had people from as far away as Georgia and Virginia offer to drive up and adopt Stabatha, but he wants her to remain a Philly cat. “I think stray cat problems are local and perennial,” he said. “If you drive up from Georgia to get this stray cat, you’re driving past thousands of other stray cats.”

Those interested in applying to adopt Stabatha can contact City Kitties, the Philadelphia foster-based rescue service that’s handling her adoption. She’s received three local adoption applications so far, but Cassidy is hoping for many more, so City Kitties can find her the best home.

“This is a win-win-win situation. It’s a perpetual motion machine of joy. Everybody gets something out of it,” he said. “Artists get groceries. The cat gets a home. And I get my front porch back.”

I give Kyle Cassidy our Paws Up Award for one of the most creative adoption ideas ever!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/29

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
Well, the heat finally hit our neck of the woods. None of us are thrilled about it.

“Oh for heavens sake Human, it’s hot and we want to go outside!” – Oliver

Thankfully, The Female Human invited us out to the upstairs deck. It was wonderful but we did tell her the deck could do with a good sweeping!

Well, it was a nice time outside and if it stays this hot I think there will be more times out there..

Now, let’s get on with this week’s feline web finds!

Cat hitches a ride to the U.S.

You humans need to keep track of your felines! I can’t believe how many stories I’ve featured this year about hitchhiking cats! There was even one who stowed away on a plane.

This feline from Redvers, Saskatoon in Canada took an unexpected trip to the United States. Thankfully he made it back home thanks to the help of truck driver Jack Shao.

Chylisse Marchand said she let Spooky the cat outside along with her two other cats Wednesday night. “I just kind of assumed that in the morning … they would all three come running the way they normally do,” she said. “And my other two cats did but Spooky did not.”

Chylisse began to grow more nervous as the day went on. She went through her community searching for her kitty but no one had seen a black cat.

Imagine how surprised she was when her veterinarian called her at 11:30pm and said, “I have a Jack Shao, a trucker on the other line, he’s in the U.S. right now, but he has your cat.”

The trucker was going to be back in Redvers the next day and was willing to bring the cat back but he was nerovous about bringing a cat across the border (Spooky wasn’t carrying his passport with him).

Marchand phoned the border and made arrangements for Spooky to cross and arranged to meet the truck driver to pick up Spooky.

It was a happy reunion and a good reminder to you humans that July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month. If Spooky wouldn’t have been microchipped, he might never had made it home.

Woman makes traditional Chinese clothing for cats

Qiu Qiao has been making clothes for her cat, Liu Liu. Since she decided to quit her job and turn her cat clothes into a business, she’s been cashing in. She designs, selects fabrics and matching accessories for her feline clothing line. Her Taobao shop in China sold out of all it’s items on opening day.

Now, a year after the store opened she has 16,000 fans for her clothing line and her top model, Liu Liu.

I happen to know a number of felines who enjoy wearing clothing and think they would look pawsome in some of these outfits.

Financial analyst quits job to become a full time cat artist

No, this lady isn’t painting cats on canvas….the cats are the canvas!

After being stressed out by her corporate job, Patricia Lee decided she’d switch careers and use her artsy side to become a cat groomer.

Patricia has creatively groomed over thirty different cats, and does traditional cat grooming as well. Her star feline runway model, Princess Shadowina, with whom Patricia has won several awards, passed away at the age of 20 earlier this year. She is now training two of her current pet cats, two-and-a-half-year-old Special Agent Gibbs and five-and-a-half-year-old IV Baby to be her next catwalk models to showcase her crazy designs.

Patricia said: ‘Dogs can guide themselves down the runway to be judged in grooming competitions, but I have to steer the cats myself. ‘They take longer to groom than dogs because they don’t stand still. (Well if I had some wacky human heading toward me with clippers and dye, I wouldn’t stand still either!)

It’s not surprising that Patricia has faced some negative comments from people who accuse her of mistreating her feline friends, but she says she is certain that the cats love being groomed as much as she loves grooming them. She said: ‘It’s not cruel as you’re not doing the designs on every single animal. ‘It’s all about doing it on the right animals.‘If it’s a cat that doesn’t like being handled then it’s not the right candidate. ‘My other cat Squishy doesn’t get creatively groomed because she doesn’t like being petted. ‘It depends on the character of the cats.’

Hmm, what do you think furiends? I took a look at the photos and those kitties didn’t look too happy.

WeCare Smart Health monitor for cats

It this monitor can do all it says it can do we are on board! Having lost our beloved Tucker and Jasmine in the last 4 months, we know how fast feline health can change.. These folks are running a Kickstarter program to fund their WeCare health monitor that they say works by monitoring litterbox habits by marking subtle changes in weight and other litterbox issues.

Our first thought was, “how does this work in multi cat households” but it appears they’ve already thought about that. Evidently the device recognizes different cats and each cat’s health history can be tracked separately. Now all we need to find out is if our humans can afford multiple devices for all the litter boxes in the house. What do you think about this?

Shelter uses old debate to fund new facility

A creative animal shelter is using the age old debate, “Are cats or dogs better?” to raise money for a new facility. Tri-County Humane Society in Minnesota is asking animal lovers to put their votes (and their money) where their hearts are. Money donated will benefit all the animals that TCJHS cares for and help them move into their new facility. They need lots of votes as the new facility is still about $2 million short of opening.

Those who give at least $50 through the Cats Vs. Dogs campaign will be able to have their pet’s photo featured in a mosaic that will be hung in the new shelter. I would certainly hope that my readers would be voting for the felines!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/22

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
It’s been rather boring in our neck of the woods. The Female Human’s ankle is healing nicely and our pampering schedule is back to normal.

It has been a bit warm. We’re not used to any temperature in the high 80’s so when it gets hot, we just hang out and do as little as possible. In case any of our furiends do not have the skill of “hanging out and doing as little as possible” Oliver has included visual instructions.

We trust these instructive photos will be helpful.

Well, enough about us and on to the latest feline news.

Cat furniture designed for felines AND their humans

I’ve heard of cat furniture and human furniture but this is the first time I’ve heard of cat AND human furniture. The CatYou in a circle is a new modular design for both.

The marketing material says that the set includes “a floor sofa and a coffee table that aims to create a relaxing space for cats and their owners”. The designer of this furniture distributed questionnaires and, after 233 responses, began the design. It was discovered that 1/3 of cat owners live in spaces that are under 50 square meters. That’s just a tad over 538 square feet. Methinks this survey was not done in the U.S.

What the designer learned from the surveys was that cats don’t have enough hiding space, traditional cat furniture takes up too much living space and people want more room to bond with their cats.

CatYou in a Circle didn’t want to separate the pets from their owners so it is designed to bring them together while also maintaining boundaries. The hollow armrests and backrest offer cats a playground and hiding territory while the coffee table provides a place to sleep. The woven bamboo texture makes it possible for owners to see their cats even when they are hiding and play with through its holes. There are fabric cushions at the bottom of the armrests and coffee table.

Our Human is still trying to figure out what she thinks about this furniture. Meow at us and let us know what you think.

New Chartwell Cat takes up residence in Churchill’s home

Image copyright PA – Churchill requested that there should always be a cat with four white paws and a white bib at Chartwell

Now you human leaders take note. Sir Winston Churchill requested that a specific type of feline always take up residence at his home. A new rescue kitten is now living at Chartwell, in Kent, England.

The former prime minister was given a marmalade cat by one of his private secretaries, Sir John “Jock” Colville, for his 88th birthday in 1962 and Jock made it to many cabinet meeting. There is a rumor that meals could not begin unless Jock was at the table. (I sure wish we had that rule at my house!)

The good folks at the National Trust, which was left the property by Churchill’s family in 1966, has always honored the request. This month, seven-month old Jock VI moved in.

Trust officials say he takes afternoon naps, eats tuna and lounges on Persian rugs at the house. Jock had a tough start to his life but he’s living the vida loca now!

The folks at the Natural Trust say, “He’s a very caring, loving cat and I think our visitors will get lots of enjoyment from seeing him around the property for many years to come.”

Cat’s ‘cancer’ was instead hairbands and string from toys

This is a good news/bad news story and our Female Human insisted I include it because I have a bad habit of chewing plastic and rubber. Vets originally thought five-year-old Waffles had cancer, however an operation revealed the large mass in his tummy was actually hair elastics, string from cat toys, and yarn from his scratching post. Now, it’s good news that Waffles didn’t have cancer but the bad news is that all surgery could have been avoided had he not eaten that stuff! Note to self, stay away from the rubber bands!

Couple turns their home into a cat memorabilia museum

This one is for all you humans with too many cat trinkets…and you know who you are.

A couple in Menomonee Falls have rescued 21 cats from the streets or shelters — and thousands of cat items from secondhand shops. At last count they had more than 1,750 cat figurines, hundreds of collector plates, enough artwork to fill full walls of their home, as well as toys, cookie jars, jewelry, and more.

The clever husband came up with the idea to put all these treasures on display for others to see and to raise money for cat rescues. and this is how Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum was born.

“It (the museum) is very time-consuming because I want it to look good,” he said. “It takes time to get the right pieces in the right place.”

Redner estimated that they have spent “a couple thousand dollars, a few bucks at a time” on the collection and now you can see it too!

A soft opening for the museum was scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. July 19.

Moving forward, Redner plans to have the museum, N88 W15114 Cleveland Ave., Menomonee Falls, open from noon to 6 p.m. the third Sunday of every month. For updates, visit the museum’s Facebook page.

Admission is $5, which will be donated to local rescues; kids age 12 and younger get in for free. As operations get underway, Redner hopes to host a different rescue group every time the museum is open to talk about what it does and provide cat adoption information.

In the future, Redner dreams of moving the museum into a separate building and adding a cat adoption center.

Purrhaps it’s time for our Female Human to consider putting some of her cat collection on display!

Beware of the Meow Bot!

We felines have taken over the internet and although most of the cat stuff you see online is good, the Meow Bot is NOT!

It seems as though the Meow Bot was created to destroy databases that leave themselves open and exposed online without any security access controls.

Sadly, dozens of databases have already fallen victim to the unknown attacker.

Who is behind the Meow attacks?

Although the motive behind the Meow bot attacks is not yet known, nor has anyone figured out where the attacks come from, some computer experts say it could be the work of a vigilante “trying to give administrators a hard lesson in security.”

This is a heads up to all you feline aficionados who run databases, make sure they are secure! And for all of us with PC’s the Meow Bot is not designed for us but it’s always prudent to be very careful about what you open or click on! And by the way, I hiss in the direction of those malicious bot creators!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/8

Posted on July 8, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I hope all of you in the good old U.S.A. had a fantastic Independence Day. Our Female Human had a great time, helping to build floats and hanging out with her relatives at the lake. The closest we felines got to water was the shower in the Human’s bathroom!

I am not happy. The Female Human left us alone and spent time hanging out with a dog!

So we were left behind and the Human scampered off to the lake to spend time with her human relatives and (gasp) our canine cousin. And where were we? Left alone at home. Oh the cruelty!

While she galavanted around the lake with our canine cousin, the only water we had to play in was the shower but there was no one to turn the water on for us!

Well, enough griping, let’s get on with the best of the feline news for this week.

Saddest Cat In The World?

I’ve reported on the new “Grumpy Cat” and now I’ve found out there is a “saddest cat in the world”.

This feline from China has markings that make him look very sad. A student first spotted the cat, videoed him and posted the video on TikTok. The cat became a world-wide sensation and some folks call him “a real life emoji” The student believes the cat is a stray and returns to the street regularly to make sure he has food and water and is okay. I sure hope someone gives this melancholy guy a furever home soon.

Man Runs Cat Shaped Route To Celebrate

Bob Carter, the coordinator of Honiton Cat’s Protection was so excited about the shelter’s reopening that he and four members of Axe Valley Runners in England ran a 5K route shaped like a cat. The women in the race wore cat ears.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, those Brits are cat loving folks!

Cat Steals Some Milk during Online Church Service

I reported on the antics of the cat at Canterbury Cathedral when he disappeared under the Dean’s robes during an online church service. Well, that camera loving feline made another appearance on an online church video when he hopped on a chair next to the Dean to help himself to some milk.

What Do Cats Dream About?

Do felines dream? According to Dr. Katy Nelson, senior vet at Chewy the answer is yes. Dr. Nelson says, “There are two types of sleep: REM and non-REM,” During REM, the sleeper’s eyes move rapidly and the brain’s activity is similar to an awake state. This is when dreaming occurs. Young animals spend more time in REM than older animals possibly due to the large amount of new information that they encounter each day and the need to process it all.

You humans dream about your lives and, according to Dr. Nelson so do cats. She says, “Well, since we’re unable to ask them what they dream about, we have to deduce that, similar to us, they dream about their day,. If they went outside and saw a bird and another kitty friend, those images are likely what is playing through their mind during sleep. Perhaps they’re even dreaming about you, their delicious dinner, and the pens and chapstick that they pushed off of your table just so they could watch them fall!”

Can cats have nightmares? The doctor says, “Just like us, animals dreams may not always be happy or based on their reality. Nightmares are suspected to be the way that our minds determine the best course of action in case that dream experience occurs during waking hours,” says Dr. Nelson. “Our cats aren’t likely to dream of monsters or missing a final exam like we do, but who knows…maybe they dream of oversized mice or seeing the bottom of their food bowl!”

And that answers the mystery of “do cats dream”! And right now, I’m dreaming of some nice tuna for dinner.

Cat Stows Away On A Military Cargo Plane

I’ve reported on cats taking “surprise” vacations in the past but this is a new one. This feline hitched a ride on a military flight that landed in Bangor Maine Tuesday night and flew out Wednesday.

The airport marketing director, Aimiee Thibodeau said, “We’re calling it the feline recovery mission.” No one is sure when the friendly gray and white male boarded the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane.

The origin of the flight was Travis Air Force Base in California and it made a stop in Colorado Springs before arriving in Bangor.

The plane’s flight crew discovered the cat in the cargo hold hiding behind some crates. It wasn’t clear if the cat was discovered in-flight or after landing in Bangor. Crew members brought the cat to the airport maintenance office, where the feline stowaway tried to make a break for it but was quickly captured. Once the cat was in the captor’s arms he snuggled down and began purring.

The cat was taken to the Bangor Humane Society where he is now resting after his possible 3,200 mile trip which could have been even longer as the plane was headed overseas.

The mission now is to get the cat back home. Both Air Force bases have been contacted but no one knew about a lost cat but the shelter workers are sure that this cat did have a home.

A photo of the cat has been posted on the airports Facebook page and the Human Society will be posting a photo on their social media.

The Shelter says the cat doesn’t have a microchip but they are convinced by their observations of the behavior of the cat that he has a home……somewhere.