Walk Through The Web Wednesday 3/27

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,

“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain there would be no rainbow.” G.K. Chesterton

Finally, finally, it looks like spring is coming. Temperatures are warming up and The Female Human even opened the windows the other day for us to sit on the sill and sniff the great outdoors. The Tribe of Five is enjoying sun puddles and we captured Oliver the other day in a purrfect position to catch the colors from the Austrian crystal.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto

Man Gets Suspended For Helping Helpless Feline

Verizon

Verizon employee Maurice German was recently suspended from his job after he rescued a cat named Princess Momma who had been stuck on a pole for over 12 hours. After the cat’s human called the fire department, animal rescue and the phone company but no one returned her calls. In desperation, the human approached Mr. German and he helped.

And what did his heroics get him? He was suspended for three weeks without pay for violating Verizon’s safety rules. Fortunately, there are lots of good-hearted humans out there who put together two Go Fund Me pages to help the man and his family while he goes without pay. One raised $3,395.00 and the other raised over $7,000.00..

Dear Verizon, I hiss in your direction.

Clever Kitty Finds Solution To The Door To His Litter Box Being Shut

catPoop

When a cat’s gotta’ go, a cat’s gotta’ go! Tino, a British kitty needed to do his business when he discovered to his horror, that the door to his litter box was locked.

He weighed his options…..go on the floor, meow in dersperation for help? What’s a kitty to do?

Tino’s solution was to find the litter bag, knock it on it’s side and spill litter on the floor. He then attended to his business. Despite the fact that Tino’s human had a big mess to clean up, we give Tino a paws up award for ingenuity.

Tino is now an internet sensation and there are poems and odes to honor his feline problem solving skills. Note to humans…..make sure the door to the litter box is NEVER locked!

Under-Cats Photo Series Gives A Whole New Purrspective on Felines

Photo from Andrius Burba’s new series “Under-Cats”

Andrius Burba is famous for his unorthodox approach to animal photography. This time he’s presented an entirely new view of felines, from the bottom up. He’s added to his new portrait series Underlook with Under-Cats to show how we felines look from below.

He said, “The Underlook project started four years ago when I saw a ridiculous looking picture on the Internet. It was a cat sitting on a glass table that was photographed from underneath. I decided to level up the idea and photograph it professionaly to see those paws in hi-res and that is how the Underlook project was born.” If you humans think you know us felines, take a look at the pawsome photos on this site. Meow!

Tulsa Firefighters Rescue Snickers The Cat – Twice

Snickers

Tulsa Fire Department’s Station 23 rescued a cat named Snickers – not once but twice.

They didn’t have to crawl up a pole because the fleeing feline took a 130 mile ride from Mustang, OK to Tulsa in an engine compartment of someone’s car.

When Snickers was discovered missing and her humans tried to find her, the kept praying and their prayers were answered.

Tulsa firefighters were called to help get the feline out of the car. found Snickers when they got the unusual call to rescue the furry feline from the car. They kept her at the fire station the first night and then one of the firefighters took her home where she resided in the laundry room while they tied to figure out what to do with her.

Fortunately, a story about Snickers was aired on the sister TV station in her home town and someone recognized her and contacted her humans.

Just when Snickers was so close to being returned home she found her way into a compartment under a fire truck at the station and the firefighters had to rescue her again.

The story has a happy ending, Snickers was extricated from the firetruck and back into the arms of her humans, right before the firefighters were called out to fight a fire. You can watch the video story here.

Paws up to these firefighters for going above and beyond and for saying, “I know that if it was my cat I’d want someone to do everything they could,” said Emerson.

Snickers, I suggest you stay inside and away from any type of moving vehicle!

Human’s Singing Pushes This Feline Named Harvey Over the Edge

BadSinging

We felines put up with a lot from you humans and most often we put up with your shenanigans but even felines have a breaking point.

YouTuber Greg Molick uploaded a video of his unusual rendition of “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie. His cat Harvey is not a fan of his singing voice.

After 30 seconds, Harvey decides to jump up on the bed and show Greg exactly how he feels about his musical abilities. You go Harvey and IMHO that screeching is tantamount to animal abuse! Watch the video and decide for yourself.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 3/21

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

I know, it’s another Wednesday feature on Thursday. The Female Human stayed home because some movers were coming to move furniture in our house. She’s moving the guest bedroom room downstairs and her craft room upstairs where the guest bedroom is now. She dragged stuff out of rooms, stacked everything up and waited..and waited…and waited and is still waiting for them to show up.

In the meantime, the Tribe is a bit freaked out that our little world has been turned topsy turvy. Not a good week for any of us. Sigh.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Cat Lover Behind Change in City Ordinance

CityJCouncil

Now this is the type of purrlitical involvement a feline can get behind. Last November, Jim Vesock went to the city’s pet shelter to adopt a sister for his two black cats but was told that this was not possible. The city’s code allowed for up to four domestic pets in a household but a maximum of two cats and two dogs.

Now I am a more libertarian leaning feline and the thought that any government can tell any responsible human how many felines can be in there home makes me want to hiss. Thank goodness we don’t live in that city or the Tribe of Five would be The Tribe of Two!

The shelter told him the only way to change this law was to do it through the city council and so he went to meetings, lobbied council members and his efforts paid off and now humans can adopt up to four cats or four dogs. This will help shelter kitties and will, of course, bring more feline happiness into the lives of humans. Two paws up for Mr. Vesock!

Kitty Crack – Is It Unethical To Give Your Cat Catnip?

final-9

The debate about “the nip” continues. This article argues that humans might not be considering animal ethics when they give us catnip. Now our Human has always monitored our behavior on the nip very closely. I can tell you that four of the five of us are model feline citizens when we’re under the influence and we quite enjoy it. One of The Tribe who shall remain anonymous (Tucker) is a mean nipper and his ingestion of the nip is watched carefully. All in all, The Tribe of Five votes for nip and we request that the writer of this article stop raining on our parade. What do you think?

Look Before You Lock To Protect Kitties

sheds

This is an important reminder for all humans. We kitties like to check out new spaces and sheds, shops, garages and the like are tempting places for us to explore. This kitty named Wispa disappeared from her home and her human searched for her everywhere…almost. Twenty days after Wispa went missing she was found locked in someone’s garage.

Wispa lost as lot of weight and the vet said she wouldn’t have lasted for too many more days.

Thankfully Wispa is now recovered. We had a similar situation in our community where a feline was locked in someone’s shop for months. She was found after several months but is still dealing with health issues. So humans, PLEASE check these spaces on a regular basis!

Major Campaign Launched To Help Find Purrfect Landlords

Once again I have to give a hat tip to the folks across the pond and their feline loving ways. The CATS Protection , the UK’s largest cat charity is offering free guidance to landlords and rental agents to make sure that rental agreements. A study was conducted and it was discovered that less than half of private rented housing allows cats. Meowza, that’s 42% and that’s not good.

The charity launched a website that helps landlords and renters to be cat friendly. Kudos to the CATS Protection charity!! The folks in the good ole’ US of A could use this info as well.

Would You Pay Money To Smell Like A Cat?

“Tucker, what is that pawsome after shave you’re wearing?” -Lily

Now I don’t know about the rest of you felines, but I don’t think there is a cat smell. My fur might bear the faint fragrance of the Female Human’s perfume after she pets me and I may smell of fresh grass in the summer after a roll in the garden but cat scent? I think not.

But there are other folks who clearly think there is a cat smell and a Japanese company Yamamoto Perfumery is counting on the fact tact that the scent of cat forehead is one that you definitely want to smell like. They came to this conclusion after conducting extensive research in cat cafes throughout Japan. They sniffed the foreheads of felines and recorded the fragrance notes and this resulted in the creation of “Fluffy Forehead Fragrance Fabric Water,” a home fragrance that purportedly smells just like a cat. According to customers surveyed, a cat smells like “sunshine,” “a futon that’s been dried in the sun” and “sweet bread.”

cathead Designed to be sprayed onto fabrics, the product retails for 1,293 yen (US$10.60) and is perfect for freshening up cushions and blankets. Felissimo suggests the best way to enjoy the fragrance is with their lineup of kitty head cushions, available in three different colours for 3,125 yen each, a bargain at just over $28.00 US.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 3/14

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello there furiends,
Yes, I know it’s not Wednesday but I was preempted by Lily’s DNA post. Evidently our purrsonal assistant could not handle more than one blog post a day. I am showing my magnanimous purrsonality and not meowing to Lily about the late post for my feature.
Sometimes it’s important to just be the bigger feline.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Cat That Went Missing Five Years Ago Finally Returns Home

Larry the prodigal feline

This comes under the heading, “never give up when your feline goes missing”. Larry, the feline, was allowed outside for a stroll but never came back. Larry’s human resigned herself to the fact that he was gone forever, that is until he was taken to a nearby animal shelter and they called saying they had Larry. Larry was found in pretty good health but he was missing part of his paw.

Aaaaand Another Prodigal Cat Comes Home-To Find Himself In A Nasty Custody Dispute

Poppy

Lily Downie was nine when her mother got her a kitten to help console her after the death of her father in 2010. Unfortunately, when the family moved Poppy decided to take up residence with another family in the neighborhood.

Poppy’s family tried to do everything right. They took Poppy to the vet after he was found as a stray and had the vet scan the cat for a microchip. The details were out of date and the owner could not be located so Poppy stayed in her new home. Her new family spent hundreds of dollars on vet bills, spent another $1,000.00 for teeth cleaning and had her microchipped with her new information to make sure she would be returned home if she was lost.

Then the former owner was notified that someone thought her cat was with another family. And then they caught Poppy and took her away from her family and gave her to her previous owner.

The previous owner used the story to promote herself into 15 minutes of fame and Poppy’s second family saw the article and are now fighting to get Poppy back.

This feline always says “think lost not stray” but there is some responsibility on the previous owner’s part to find their lost kitty. How hard did they look? Why didn’t they change the microchip when they moved? Methinks this story is not as cut and dried as one may believe. Note to Poppy’s original human, take less selfies and take better care of your cat. (Sorry, I know I’m a bit hissy but this story put me over the edge) Also, the article referred to the cat as “him” and “her”, humans, can’t you figure this out??

Game of Thrones Cat Bed

Cat-bed-iron-throne-2-920x920

When I asked The Female Human what this “Game of Thrones” thing was she gave me a blank stare. She also admitted she had never watched this TV series. Well evidently there are humans that are far more enlightened than mine and they are rushing to spend £216.53 ($286.98) for this piece of feline furniture.

You can find the iron cat bed on Etsy The designer says the bed is suitable for cats and small dogs but really, are dogs cool enough for this bed? What do you think?

The 12 Best Movie Cats of All Time — IndieWire Critics Survey

Cinema cats

Allow me a moment to meow about this. I was excited to see who these twelve wonderful feline actors were, only to discover that 7 of the twelve are cartoon of fake cats. Seriously IndieWire humans? I could easily come up with five real felines for this title. I found many at the Cinema Cats site like the Kitten in Trainspotting, Floyd the cat in Ghost, The movie Day for Night and the kitten actor, Orangey in the movie Rhubarb, the fabulous dinner table feline in She’s Having a Baby, Fred, the one-eyed feline in Gifted, and this list wouldn’t be complete without Bob from A Street Cat Named Bob. There are lots more great, REAL actor cats. Check them out at Cinema Cats.

Working Cats at Las Vegas Church Just Like Family

worikingchurchcats

Oh my whiskers do I love stories about working cats and this story about Koukla and Pontiki, who started their new job at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church about two months ago, is a winner!

It’s a nice gig, 24/7, with food and housing are included. Also some nice perks like a human coming in and saying “Who’s a good girl?” while scratching them behind the ears.

Koukla and Pontiki came to the church through the working cat program. I’ve reported on this program in numerous communities. While breweries seem to be the first to begin “hiring” felines, more humans are thinking outside the box and hiring felines for their workplaces and now churches are being enlightened as well.

St. John the Baptist is the first church to adopt a cat through the program. John Koutsulis, a parish council member, says the church learned about the program after the Rev. Seraphim Ramos noted that cats often are kept in Greek monasteries to control rodents.

“We own just shy of 10 acres of land and we thought, ‘Why not have some cats out there?’ ” Koutsulis says.

Enter Koukla, a gray tabby (the name is a term of endearment equivalent to “doll”or “cutie”) and a Siamese named Pontiki (“mouse,” used in the sense of, say, “little scamp”).

They spent their first weeks at the church living in an outdoor — but fairly fancy — enclosure while adjusting to the reality that they now had a home. The felines adapted quickly and now have the run of the property.

I’ve heard of church mice but never church cats! Be sure and watch the video.

Lily Opines About The Mystery of Her Ancestry

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

I'm eyeing the butter but I've decided to be a good cat.

Lily

Lily here. Every since I was adopted from our local shelter, The Female Human has been mystified about my heritage. As you can see, I have some interesting markings and my purrsonality is very different from the rest of The Tribe of Five.

This is why I am so excited! The good folks at Basepaws are sending a kit to The Tribe of Five and I was the lucky feline selected to have my DNA tested!

Basepaws is the first cat care company built around genetics. All The Female Human has to do is to get DNA from my cheeks and hair Now mind you I am a bit of a wild child. The Female Human can’t even get me to hold still enough to clip my claws so the cheek part will be interesting.

Once she has my DNA she sends it to Basepaws in Los Angeles and the Basepaws folks work their magic. My DNA contains more than 20,000 genes, which are spelled out in a unique genetic code that is around 2,700,000,000 letters (nucleotide bases) long. Basepaws takes this DNA and uses sequencing machines to read and record these letters. Now I have no idea what that means but I do know that they can see if I have genes that make me prone to any diseases and also give The Female Human insight into my history.

And Basepaws isn’t a one- time wonder! We’ll get constant updates as they learn more. I’ll become part of the Basepaws family and get a lifetime of updates, newsletters and articles (since I can’t read The Female Human will have to read them to me.)

I hope you will follow my Basepaws journey with me. And if you want to learn more, click here to read their blog.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
LilyLogo

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 2/13

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s been snowing, and snowing and snowing at our house. The Tribe and I are spending quality time in front of the fireplace this week. The only place this feline is walkin’ is through the web!

I hope wherever you are, you are warm and cozy.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Koala and Cat Are Unlikely Furiends

Now I have been known to make friends with the woodland creatures around our house so this news piece wasn’t shocking to me. But we live in the good old US of A and there are none of these “koalas” around.

Evidently this Australian feline named Richo had his own woodland visitor. The cat’s human heard a “tap,tap” on the window and saw the two looking at each other. The koala kept going away and then coming back for another look. I bet he was thinking, “What sort of koala is this?!”

Cornwall’s Five Star Hotel for Cats has Room Service and A Chauffeur

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, our furiends across the pond sure know how to treat felines! This family owned hotel in England has 18 rooms which include double rooms (for two cats) and family rooms (for up to fourcats-I guess one of the Tribe would have to stay alone if we were in Cornwall). Felines in Cornwall have it made!

A New Twist on the term “Cat Fight”

This story falls under the category “humans behaving badly”. Evidently two brothers from Lincoln, Nebraska got into a fight about cat ownership that ended up in second-degree assault and resisting arrest for one brother. When the fight deteriorated into destruction of items in the apartment, the police were called. Now really humans, we felines apurreciate your love and devotion to us but please, don’t harm anyone or get yourself arrested to prove it!

Working Cat in Baltimore Mistaken For Stray & Taken

Willow from the Monument City Brewing Company in Baltimore

You know how I love stories about working cats and this one is a doozy. Evidently Willow (Will to his furiends) who works at Monument City Brewing Company in Baltimore was cat-napped by three misguided do-gooders.

Brewery staffers took to social media immediately after realizing that their feline employee was missing. They were nice about it, posting on Facebook, “We’re sure this was done with the best intentions, however, we’re pretty attached to Will and hope that you bring him back to his home.” The post was shared more than 3,200 times on Facebook. And lo and behold, Will was returned and the staffers posted, “Will is excited to get back to work.”

The Brewery is taking Will post-haste to the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter to be microchipped. and threw a party to celebrate Will’s homecoming.

People, when it comes to felines think LOST not STRAY!

Rosie the Riveting Library Cat

And here’s another heart-warming working cat story. A stray kitten named Rosie is now working at the Gutekunst Public Library. She appeared on the library doorstep in December and the Library Director says, “We didn’t find her. I think she found us,” The librarian says she went to lunch and they didn’t have a cat and when she returned from lunch, they did. The librarian did the right thing, searching for the kitten’s humans, making phone calls and posting on social media but no one responded.

When library guests began to ask if the kitten could stay at the library the question was posed to the Board of Directors who agreed to give Rosie’s employment a try. A contest was held to find a name for the kitten and Rosie was chosen (her full name is Rosie Agatha Christie Finch).

Today Rosie can be found darting from one room to another or in a window sill enjoying sunshine. She is loved by all the librarians and library patrons and she loves to greet everyone when they arrive. I think every library should have it’s own feline!

Walk Through the Web Wednesday-on Thursday! 2/7

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,
Well, we’ve had some staff issues again and my regular Wednesday column is appearing on Thursday this week! I would insist that there be some repercussions regardly this slacker behavior but I am not an unreasonable feline and therefore will let this little “faux-paws” slide, this one time!
I hope you enjoy my web wanderings for this week.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Frozen and Unresponsive Cat Makes Miraculous Recovery

Fluffy, the cat was found buried under a mountain of snow on Thursday, Jan. 31. She was found by her humans in a snowbank in Kalispell, Montana where she lives. The day she was found the area experienced temperatures of 8F and below zero temperatures the day before.

When Fluffy was found she was rushed to the Animal Clinic of Kalispell. Her temperature was so low that it didn’t even register on a thermometer!

They used warm water and blankets to bring her temperature up but after two hours her temperature was still too low. She was transferred to the emergency room and after a few more hours she finally began to show signs of recovery.

Fluffy is now fully recovered and at home with her humans…safely indoors!
Two paws up for this amazing success story and furiends, if you live in colder climes, STAY INSIDE!!

Cat Keeps Things Moving at Train Station

A furry feline is keeping a watchful eye on passengers as they go through the gates of a train station in Israel.

The cat sits on top of the ticket-reading machine, observing the back and forth of humans through the gates.

Some folks stop and give the kitty a head scratch. Others ignore him.

The popularity of the subway cat reached the government offices of Petah-Tikva. The mayor, Rami Greenberg, visited the famous feline, thanking him for bringing more attention to Petah-Tikva and offering the cat treats.

I love stories about working cats and this feline seems to have a very interesting job! There are videos on the site that capture him during his daily work schedule.

Cat Interrupts Premier League Soccer Game, Dominates Field for Close to 4 Minutes

A black cat showed up on the field at Goodison Park stadium in Liverpool, England, during a Premier League match between Everton F.C. and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

The feline spent close to four minutes giving the players a tutorial by weaving showing them how it’s done by weaving through obstacles, making it from one end of the pitch to the other end with no interruption..

The game commentator took full advantage of the feline’s time on the field and gave play-by-play commentary , “It looks like a fully grown … cat. He drops a shoulder, jinks one way, goes another.”

The crowd cheered the agile feline as he evaded security and the players who tried to catch him. He was finally escorted off the field.

This Cat’s a Ham and it’s Made Him Famous

Eddie Kergan is a model citizen and ambassador for Wasaga Beach, Ontario. He’s an honorary scout, a promoter of local businesses, a voice for a local charity campaign, a supporter of Wasaga’s events, featured on the cover of a charity calendar, and he ran for mayor in the last election.

Wasaga Beach is famous around the world because of the work the well-dressed Eddie Kergan is doing with daily posts on different aspects of the community. So what if his grammar and spelling aren’t purrfect? I mean what can you expect, Eddie Kergan is, a 20-pound Tabby with 250 bow ties and fans across the world that call themselves “Eddiots”.

Eddie came to live with his humans from the local shelter and has bonded most closely with Dave, a wood carver who sufferes from PTSD after a horrible accident. Dave says, “He’s been a real lifesaver,” It’s almost like he looks beyond it. He stays right beside me the minute anxiety or depression hits.”.

Two paws up for Eddie for making his town famous, being an internet sensation and, most importantly, being a helpful best buddy to his human Dave.

New York Fashion Week Isn’t Just for Human Models

Pet models from across the country will be strutting their stuff at New York Fashion Week’s Pet Fashion show and other animal centered fashion events. Some of these felines have wardrobes that would make a human model jealous! Sadly, being a pet model doesn’t pay all the bills, the top models earn about $200.00 to $500.00 per day of modeling.

Mrs. Parberry, a 10-year old feline from the Upper West Side is a rescue who is now the “spokespurrrson” for New York City’s Animal Care Centers. She owns more than 100 specially created costumes by artists who work on shows for Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as by pet designers like Ada Nieves, who made the feline a flapper frock for last year’s Cat Fashion Show at the Algonquin Hotel.

Parberry’s human, Valerie Volinski, said the couture kitty has up to three fittings per outfit, and even has a custom-made mannequin head form for her hats. And, She is also on a diet after gaining a pound. A model must keep her girlish figure!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/30

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday My Furiends!

I hope you are staying warm and safe wherever you are. All the cats and kittens in the mid east US are freezing their whiskers off today! Oliver and I keep ourselves warm and cozy on snowy days by chatting by the fire

Siamese cat and black and white cat in front of the fire — “Hey Oliver, will you meow at The Female Human and ask her to bring us a snack?”

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto

New Table Designed to be a Coworking Space for Humans & Felines

The Female Human is always meowing about how I get in the way or prance across her computer keyboard when she’s working. Well, all working humans now have a reason to rejoice. Meet the CATable where humans and felines can work in purrfect harmony. The table, carved from one piece of wood, is entirely flat on top aside from one cat-sized hole that leads to small network of tunnels, hideouts and caves carved into the side of the table. With these additions you and your feline can work together.

The creative folks at LYCS recently created a 2.0 version of the CATable, as well. This version consists of stackable blocks which can be built up to be aesthetically pleasing shelving for you, and an “ant farm” of sorts for your cat.

Find out about these feline/human work tables at the LYCS’ website.

Woman figures out the perfect way to ask for the name of a cat in another building

Where there’s will, there’s a way. This woman saw a very handsome feline across the street from her workplace every day. And how do you communicate with a feline across the street from you? Good old fashioned pen and paper of course. She posted a sign in her window asking for the cat’s name and six weeks later the cat’s human posted a sign with the cat’s name..Marshall. The woman tweeted about this and Marshall and his story went viral. This is a delightful story and shows the resourcefulness and determination of those who love cats. Be sure to read the tweets and find out how other cats and their humans got in on the story.

Minor league baseball team using jersey promo to find homes for cats

Oh I do love creative adoption ideas and this one is a doozy. The Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are taking advantage of America’s love affair with cats.

The Squirrels announced on Monday that they will plaster the face of a local shelter cat on their jerseys for a game this spring and are asking people to vote on their favorite feline candidate. The idea is that the program will promote the adoption of cats in need of a home.

There are three candidates Dove, Duke Silver and Big Guy, all from the Richmond SPCA. And the program is working…Dove was adopted before the end of the contest! And the humans who adopt the three cats will also be eligible to throw out a first pitch for the Squirrels. The team’s jerseys will be auctioned off after the game with all proceeds going to the Richmond SPCA, so humans…..PLAY BALL!

World’s first AI-powered stray cat shelter

Wan Xi, a computer engineer based in Beijing, created the most innovative feral cat shelter I’ve ever heard of.

The refuge provides felines with food and water, plus a temperature-controlled environment which keeps the mercury at 27°C. It’s also able to identify 174 types of cat while flagging-up possible diseases via the use of a smart camera.

Mr Xi just wanted to provide a warm place for feral cats but then his vision got bigger after he worked with a team of animal welfare experts.

They provided him with detailed evidence which showed how many of China’s 40,000 strays die within two years because the felines don’t get medical attention during the early stages of illnesses. This amazing shelter is self-powered and manned by volunteers who are alerted to any concerns by regular updated data sent to their office.

Two paws up Mr. Xi, now let’s get cracking and get these out to every city in the world!

A Cats vs. Dogs Version of Monopoly Is Coming to Help Pet Lovers Finally Settle the Classic Rivalry

You humans have been arguing about which species is better, cats or dogs, for years. We felines never argue about this as we know we are superior. For you humans still arguing this issue, I suggest the new monopoly game that can settle the argument. The game is played in teams so you’ll have a “Team Dog” and a “Team Cat”. Instead of buying properties, teams travel the Monopoly board and pick up funny titles and traits — like Trick Master and Best Pout. The team with the most titles at the end of the game takes home the win for their species of choice.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/23

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,

It’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood. We had quite a bit of snow last night and this morning and The Tribe and I are enjoying the beautiful view from the bedroom (and watching all the furry and feathered freeloaders coming to the upstairs deck). Wherever you are my furiends, stay warm and safe and enjoy the day.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Jerusalem Mayor Provides Annual Budget For Cat Food

I’m not a fan of controversial purrlitical news items (unless it’s my brother running for Purresident) but sometimes I have to raise a paw in acknowledgment of those in purrlitical office who take the time and energy to look after felines. Moshe Lion, the mayor of Jerusalem, has approved 100 thousand nis per year to build feeding stations for Jerusalem’s street cats. Now that’s about $ 27,222.00 dollars in in the good ole’ US of A. It came about because the city changed its garbage disposal system to containers that are underground. This worried the good folks of Jerusalem because they were afraid the city’s stray cats, not being able to forage in the garbage, might starve. So this fine purrlitician is having feeding stations built where the new earth-buried garbage cans are located. City hall estimates that they will use about 210 food bags per month and 2500 bags per year. Mr. Mayor, the Tribe of Five sends you a hearty mazel tov!

British couple celebrate cat’s return after rescuing imposter by mistake

Oh my whiskers, my column is late today because I couldn’t stop laughing. But this is a serious tale as well.

Teddy, a Russian blue, failed to come home in early January, so his humans reported him missing to Animal Search UK, an online database for lost pets.

They were soon contacted by a couple 11 milesway who said they’d taken in a Russina blue with the same markings. Teddy’s humans went to retrieve him and all was right with the word. Sort of that is,because a few days later the humans discovered they had two identical Russian Blues in their house!

There was no Russian Blue in the Animal Search data base so these resourceful humans took feline #2 to the vet to be scanned for a microchip and lo and behold, they found an address and the cat’s name,Nigel. Nigel’s family had recently moved to the area and Nigel escaped his new abode and went exploring.

The moral to this story is this, make sure your felines have identification, even house cats. The Tribe of Five is in the process of writing an article about an amazing company that has, what we believe, is an innovative solution to help humans reunite with their felines. Stay safe my furiends, and make sure you have a way to get back to your humans if you get lost!

If You Think Cats Are “Aloof” & “Antisocial” It Isn’t The Cat..It’s You!

Alberto –
“This is me being very social with my Female Human.”

How do I love this headline…let me count the ways! We felines get a bad rap about our purrsonalities and our inability to commit or show love.

Researchers from Oregon State University conducted tests with 23 shelter cats and 23 pet cats. They put the felines in rooms with some humans who completely ignored them and others who talked to them and petted them. Even though the humans were strangers, the cats spent much more time with the humans who paid them attention. The researchers found that when you call us felines by our names, we pay more attention. (Duh, they needed science to figure this out?!) And, for all you nay saying folks who call us unloving, the study showed that cats will choose interaction with humans over food and toys. So there you go, another urban legend debunked. You can read about the study in Science Alert.

The Cat With Nine Lives…Or Two At Least

The Female Human and her sister run a local Lost pet group and their favorite saying to humans looking for their lost pets is, “Never give up!” This story is a purrfect illustration of that. A feline made a what seemed to be a return from the dead when he appeared three years after his owners were told he had been run over and killed.

The human and her daughter were devastated when they were told their beloved Sidney had been run over and taken to the landfillby local workers. . When they received a call almost three years later from a woman who said she’d found Sidney they were incredulous.

The lady insisted it was Sidney (now six) who was alive and well and living 12 miles from them. The family had mourned Sidney and finally had dealt with the loss of their beloved feline. They didn’t believe it could be true that Sidney was alive but still they couldn’t ignore the call and went to visit the woman who said she had Sidney. She insisted it wasn’t some sort of a sick joke and that she’d had Sidney scanned and his microchip provided his name and address. The lady said Sidney had been living rough and was a little wild….until he saw his humans. He rolled over on his back and started meowing for a belly rub. Now that’s what I call a happy ending!

We Pay Homage to Walter Chandoha, Cat Photographer

Mr. Chandoha with his son Enrico and a subject in his home studio in 1961. CreditWalter Chandoha Archive

If there ever was a king of cat photography, it was Walter Chandoha. It all started one winter evening evening in 1949, Walter Chandoha was walking to his three-room apartment in Astoria, Queens, when he spotted an abandoned gray kitten shivering in the snow. He put the kitten in a pocket of his Army coat and brought it home to his wife, Maria.

The kittens antics were frenzied and the couple to named him Loco. Locos frenzied moves inspired. Mr. Chandoha (pronounced shan-DOE-uh) to photograph him. Loco’s photos quickly sold to newspapers and magazines around the world and a career was born.

Taking pictures of cats soon began to look like a more fulfilling career path than the one in advertising that Mr. Chandoha had planned while attending New York University, after serving in World War II. So, after graduating, he turned to freelance photography for a living — and, by the mid-1950s, he was the dominant commercial cat photographer of his era.

By the time of his death on January 11th of this year, Mr. Chandoha had taken about 90,000 cat photos. I think this man must have been greeted by so many felines who crossed the Rainbow Bridge ahead of him and I bet our Miss P. and Buster said hello too (and those two are very photogenic.) I wonder if they take pictures in heaven?

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/16

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends,
It’s time for me to share my web wanderings with you. I hope you enjoy this week’s finds!
Purrs & Head Bonks,

What Is Your Cat Type?

The Tribe received an email from a very nice human named Franz Ombler from the University of Otago, New Zealand. Now this isn’t about the New Zealand police cat (I may have to report on him later) but it’s about the good folks at the university who need to gather some data and test some technology. If you have a moment head on over to the survey and see what kinds of felines suit you best.

Two Cats, an Apartment and Apple TV

So what do you do when the felines and canines can’t get along? You ent the felines an apartment, that’s what you do! A human dad in Silicone Valley, in an attempt to keep the peace between his daughter’s cats and his fiancees dog opted for an innovative solution. He rented the cats a $1500.00 a month studio apartment for the felines, complete with Apple TV. The solution is only temporary until his daughter finishes school and gets her own place. I wonder if they asked the cats if they preferred Roku or Apple TV.

Japanese Kotatsu with Oranges-for Felines

Okay, I admit I had to have The Female Human read this to me three times before I understood what this is all about. Evidently, in Japan, there’s a floor heater called a “kotatsu”. One gentleman (a local poultry dealer…I know, I didn’t get the chicken connection either) devised a new take on this heater just for cats. He offers a large box of the very popular mikan oranges with his cat sized kotatsu. And evidently this new product is a huge hit. The product debuted in December and over 1,000 sets have been sold. This just goes to show that if you combine the right marketing plan (a love of felines, delicious oranges and heat) you have a winner. The cardboard kotatsu kit and 5 kilograms of the mandarin oranges costs 3,922 yen ($36.31) (tax is extra). One important point, this cardboard kitty kotatsu does not have a heater but a warm quilt over it will keep your felines cozy. I had the staff purruse Amazon.com and they did find a kotatsu for cats, but not one with oranges. Oh well, I suppose you could always send your staff to the store for the oranges.

Bohemian Catsody

Cats make everything better! This “Bohemian Catsody” is also fitting because if you know anything about Freddie Mercury, you know he was a feline aficionado . At one time he was living with 10 cats in his mansion so we know Freddie would approve!

Stray cats of Turkey’s Bursa live under one welcoming roof

I did a feature a while back about the wonderful care the strays of Istanbul receive. The town of Bursa is just as cat loving as Istanbul. In the winter they live in villas that are reserved just for them. The municipality built the “Cat Villas” that house about 200 stray felines. In the winter they have warmth and plenty of space to roam. There is also a Stray Animal Natural Life and Treatment Center there that hosts injured and sick cats. When the weather is nice, the cats can stroll in the villa gardens. Once the cats are rehabilitated and ready, they are adopted out to furever homes. I think The Tribe needs to talk to The Female Human about our own “cat villa”.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday….on Friday??

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I have my whiskers in a twist today. Staff has been slacking off this week. The Purrsonal Assistant says it’s because she’s been busy entering our blog, some photos, etc. in the #CWA (Cat Writer’s Association) contest. IMHO she had plenty of time to do that, get our social media done, feed us, clean our litter boxes, freshen our cat grass, go to the place she calls work……hmm, okay, maybe I’d better lighten up on The Purrsonal Assistant.

While I go give The Female Human (Purrsonal Assistant aka staff) an apologetic head bonk, I hope you will purruse these new listings and enjoy them.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Meet Hamlet VIII, The Newest Algonquin Hotel Cat

I don’t know what to be excited about more….the information about the new Algonquin Hotel cat or the fact that I discovered a website called Hotels With Cats! The website is travel information for cat lovers, meowza, I love discovering new things.

But back to Hamlet. I’ve reported in the past about a previous Algonquin feline and I must say, that is one of the cushiest feline jobs ever. The Algonquin Cat custom has a long tradition. It is New York’s oldest working hotel and has had a feline mascot since a stray cat wandered in during the 1920’s. The name “Hamlet” was suggested by the actor John Barrymore and this is the name all the male cats have had. Female cats are called Matilda. The hotel has an executive assistant who also serves as Chief Cat Officer (a bit like our Female Human who also serves as our Purrsonal Assistant). Hamlet VIII has his own business card and also receives fan mail and presents from around the world is one lucky former feral rescue!

Basepaws-the 23andMe for Felines

“So Oliver, what do you think Basepaws would say about our heritage and history…could two brothers ever look (or act) less alike?”

This feline DNA thing is pretty cool. You humans can find out about our ancestral roots, get a health report and see if our genetics influence our risk for certain health issues or if we’re carrying a genetic disorder (like Oliver who seems to be carrying the “fat” gene). And if that information isn’t fantastic enough you humans can also find out neat things about us like predictions about our purrsonality, whether we might be likely to form a catnip addiction and other fun facts. This Basepaws stuff is the cat’s meow!

$1800.00 Feline Treadmill for Your Fat Cat

A feline treadmill for $1800.00? I’m not so sure. We opined about snoopervising The Female Human when she set up her treadmill and our positions in the mat and machine pretty much say it all. This is as much effort as we care to exert (come to think of it, The Female Human hasn’t exerted much effort on that machine lately either).

Still, when I look at my roly poly brother I have to admit that the idea of some exercise for the little fellow might be a good idea. Meet The Little Cat, an exercise machine from South Korea’s Pet Ding. Now if you felines can get over the fact that this thing looks like a hamster wheel, it has some cool features. It’s pricey because it has all kinds of goodies like LED lights inside the wheel designed to attract the feline to the wheel and to keep the feline interested while he’s moving on it. And of course, there’s an app that goes with it as well. Humans get a live feed of the kitty work outs and they can also record their voice to encourage their kitty to move faster. The Little Cat is expected to be available for purchase in March. I think for now, I’ll just chase Oliver up and down the stairs for his daily exercise.

https://youtu.be/3US_jzrvSxY

Meows for Military Program a Success in Tucson

Oh how I love shelters that come up with innovative programs that help felines and humans too. Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Sanctuary in Tucson teamed up with the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System (SAVAHCS) for the ‘Meows for Military’ program which is in its third year.

The Meows for Military program provides weekly cat visits to SAVAHCS. The felines are all chosen for this purrrticular mission of being Feline Ambassadors. The veterans and humans receive love and some of the felines even receive a furever home through the program. Animal assisted therapy is proven to be a success and helps humans lower blood pressure, decrease rates of depression and anxiety and promote healing. Meowza, I love this idea.

Crazy Places Cat’s Hide At The Vets

“I am NOT hiding in this photo because The Female Human takes us to a cat friendly practice where we have no fear and no need to hide.” – Alberto, FelineOpines.net

There are some funny photos here showing how many of my feline furiends attempt to keep away from the vet but I have to say, going to the place of white coats with the stabby people can be nerve wracking. The Tribe of Five used to hide until the people with the white coats where we go built a brand new, fearless practice. Oliver and I opined about this place and it is amazing. I would suggest that all my feline furiends talk to your humans and have them find a cat friendly place with white coats too.