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 6/30

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hi there furiends,

I sure hope it’s cooler in your neck of the woods than it is in ours. We are suffering through unusual record breaking heat here in the Inland Northwest. So unusual in fact, that most folks don’t have air conditioners. Just so you know what I’m talking about here’s Weather Kitty’s report for the moment (it’s supposed to hit 102 today!)

“Sigh, when will winter be here?” – Alberto

Stay cool my furiends and make sure that your humans drop some ice cubes in your water bowl!

Rescue attempt leaves cat and owner stuck in tree

MOL!! Here’s a word for you cat parents crazy enough to climb up a tree to assist your stranded feline…DON’T!

A pet parent in Oklahoma found out the hard way that this is a bad idea when he found himself stuck up in the tree with his cat. The Tulsa Fire Department’s report noted:

“Around 3:45 pm, Captain Alan Hancock and his Engine 27 A Platoon crew responded to a rescue near S. 94th E. Avenue and E. 27th Street,” the Tulsa Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “Apparently a cat climbed high up into a tree. Its owner was so concerned for the feline that he climbed up to attempt a rescue. Unfortunately, they both found themselves in a dangerous predicament high above the ground, unable to get down safely.”

Both human and cat were rescued. You can watch the video here

How vets saved Babi the cat’s life with a few shots of vodka

In a little town in South Africa, Babi, a ginger cat underwent unusual emergency treatment.

The cat’s owner noticed Babi was acting funny and refused to eat. He was barely able to stand. They scooped him up and carried him, without a box, almost 2km across the valley from Mashaeng township to the veterinary clinic in Fouriesburg, South Africa.

The veterinary team suspected poisoning so a urine sample was taken. The urine was a strange lime yellow color and tested extremely high for increased glucose levels. Diabetes was ruled out. The next potential prognosis by the vets was kidney failure. They considered that it was a cold time of year and thought it could be potential antifreeze poisoning.

They were worried as the prognosis for antifreeze poisoning is very poor if not caught early. Because the cat had vomited while in their care, they thought that they had caught it early enough and decided to try and save Babi. They did some quick internet research on antifreeze poisoning and read that the urine would be fluorescent; they confirmed with a fluorescent lamp that the urine was neon and the diagnosis was confirmed.

“Anti-freeze poisoning is treated with intravenous ethanol and that isn’t something that we have just lying around, so back to Google we went; what could we use in its place?” the vet said.

One of the vets raced to the local liquor store and bought the purest bottle of vodka she could find. They then dosed Babi with a drip after they figured out the dosage.

Even though they did dilute the vodka, poor Babi did get drunk. They repeated the treatment every six hours for a day and a half and then every eight hours for another day.

The propylene glycol in anti-freeze causes crystals to form in the kidneys which destroys the tubules in the kidneys. Ethanol, or in this case vodka, dissolves the crystals and allows them to pass in the urine.

By the fourth treatment, Babi was almost back to normal. He was eating and he looked like a million bucks. They kept him for a couple of days for observation and his family was thrilled to have him back in their arms again when he went home.

Bravo to these fantastic veterinarians but humans, please don’t treat your cats with alcohol!

This cat is no couch potato

I love to report about adventure cats and Salem is one of these felines with a heartwarming story. Salem’s human, Shawn Crassweller, came across Salem about two years ago when he was on a walk. He heard a truck speed up and saw Salem in the middle of the road. He ran to the cat, scooped her up and took her to safety. The cat followed him for more than eight blocks to his house. He left the back gate open as well as the back door of the house. She walked back and forth between the gate and the door for a few minutes, finally settling on the door and yelling as if to say, “Let’s get inside!” Crassweller says Salem has been with him ever since that day.

Crasweller says Salem rescued him that day too. His ex had just left him as well as his godson and two roommates. Having Salem in his house forced him to get out of bed and care for her, keeping him from succumbing to depression.

He trained Salem to sit on his shoulder while he longboards around the city. Once he was able to walk around his house, bent over digging in cupboards, or open the fridge without her jumping off, he started going outside with her hanging out beside his head. Now Salem goes biking, longboarding and hiking with him. He does make sure Salem wears a harness on their outdoor excursions.

Crassweller and Salem are planning a camping trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. Salem will get her own tent, complete with a litter box, and will sit in a backpack while Crassweller hikes.

Crassweller says that being an adventure kitty means having the right temperament and he’s thankful that his cat shares his passion for the outdoors and also loves to be hugged.

I’d say Salem found the purrfect human!

Cats that care lead the way among National Cat Awards finalists

The lineup for this year’s National Cat Protection Awards is dominated by felines who have helped people through difficult times.

This year’s event – sponsored by Purina – is comprised of four categories: Furr-ever Friends, Most Caring Cat, Outstanding Rescue Cat and Purina Better Together.

Among the hopefuls are Minty, from Holywell, Flintshire, who lost one of his legs after being hit by a car. He cares for his young human who has severe learning difficulties as well as other medical conditions. When things get difficult, Minty rubs his face on Connor’s hand to calm him. Minty also helped Connor to learn to climb the stairs. He spent hours jumping one step at a time, stopping to allow Connor to catch up. Connor’s mom said, “It was incredible to witness him patiently encourage Connor to achieve something he found so difficult. She also said, “Connor can be very loud, and his medical conditions mean he’s very wobbly and clumsy. Many pets would understandably keep their distance, but not Minty – when Connor is at his most in need, Minty is there like a shot.”

And if you think Minty’s story is pawsome I encourage you to visit the article to learn about cats like Paddy, who makes daily trips to Co-op Funeralcare’s Mayfields Remembrance Park near his home to comfort mourners. Then there’s Bruno who came into his human’s lives after their five-day old daughter died. Caring for Bruno and his littermates who were found in a box helped them cope with their loss.

While learning to live with their grief, Caroline and Damon found a box of four abandoned kittens and took them in, deciding to keep Bruno after rehoming the other three.

Winners of each category will receive a trophy, a £100 ($138.00 USD) pet store voucher, a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s magazine and three months of Purina cat food.

The winners will be announced on August 5, while a week later the National Cat of the Year will be decided by a celebrity panel.

Cat allegedly stolen by Uber Eats driver located, reunited with its owner

.Oh my whiskers, this is the third catnapping article I’ve reported on in the last month! At least this story lets us know the outcome. An 18-year old feline named Hog and her human, Patrick Lewis were reunited after she’d been cat napped.

Lewis despaired of every seeing her again and then the cat was discovered in someone’s back yard in Van Nuys when their dog kept barking at something in the yard. Upon discovering the cat, the homeowner said she was sure the feline belonged to someone. She searched social media and found a listing on Next Door about Hog. She contacted Lewis immediately.

Hog was stolen from Lewis’ front yard in Studio City and the culprit was a food delivery driver, caught on camera taking the cat. After the story was featured on the news, the Uber Eats driver contacted the family, telling them she thought the cat was a stray and that she gave it to a family at the animal shelter.

The female Uber Eats driver was reportedly delivering food to another home on Laurelwood Dr. when she took the cat who was sitting on the sidewalk. Hog’s collar, tags and all, were found on the sidewalk.

Lewis called the Uber Eats driver after Hog was located, and said that she started crying. He said there were no hard feelings, he’s just happy to have Hog back home.

In a written statement to FOX 11, an Uber Eats spokesperson said, “What the customer reported is unacceptable. We are working to get the cat returned, stand ready to help in the police investigation, and will take the appropriate action against the delivery person.”

So folks, I will repeat to you what The Human always says regarding random cats that you might encounter…think LOST not stray!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/13

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends,
Just when we were doing the happy dance and getting ready for The Female Human to get the catio out, our beautiful weather took a turn and now we’re back in the 40 degree area. Sigh. We did manage to get a shot of the view downstairs from the living room window when the sun was out. We’re keeping our paws crossed that catio weather and sun puddles will make their appeaance soon!

Our view from the back of the living room sofa. We love watching the robins taking a bath in our little waterfall.

In other breaking news, The Female Human actually caught Oliver and Lily snuggling! Mind you this only happened once but it sure made her happy. Lily misses her buddy Tucker so we’re hoping this wasn’t just a fluke.

Lily stealthily made her way over to Oliver when he was sleeping and a surreptitious snuggle was accomplished.

This stay at home thingy has definitely affected my waistline. The Female Human is working at that place she calls her “business” and therefore failing in her duty to mind my kibble consumption during the day (not to mention my plastic chewing). Sigh, I hope my life jacket still fits this summer!

Jasmine has this nice cat tree in her space, it’s clearly not made large enough for robust felines like myself.

Finally, we must take a moment to commend The Female Human. She is finally accomplishing something she’s wanted to do for years and just received her diploma (with “Distinction” she insisted I note) for her Feline Behavior and Psychology course. She’s always been a bit of a “know it all” when it comes to cats and now she’s really full of it…..cat behavior and psychology knowledge that is. She is now working on a course to become a Pet Bereavement Counselor.

Okay, enough about us, let’s take a look at what I found on my web wanderings.

How To Find A Cat in 10 (easy-ish) Steps

As I’ve noted before, The Female Human and her sister founded and operate a lost pet group in our community. She’s always meowing about the fact that people immediately think “stray” and not lost when they encounter an unfamiliar feline. This makes it hard for the folks who are desperate to find their lost feline. This article from Jack Hagerman from the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA has some great tips to help you find your missing feline.

Not all missing cats are lost or want to be found. Cats are notorious for hiding in impossible places. Before you assume kitty is missing, make a thorough search indoors, around the porch, garage and yards armed with a flashlight and the tastiest, smelliest treats.
Don’t waste time. If you know your cat is missing, immediately post photos and a description of your cat, including the neighborhood you live in on NextDoor, Facebook and any other social media platform you use. The more neighbors and friends who are aware, the more eyes you’ll have looking out for your kitty.
Think like your cat. If you were a cat, where would you go? Begin around your house and spread out to the immediate neighbors on all sides. Where does your cat normally head? What is the most likely escape route? What are her favorite bushes or hiding spots? Crouch low under porches, scan high on roof lines and tree branches. Could something have recently happened to spook them? Construction or a new neighbor’s cat or dog?
While you’re searching, ask pedestrians, knock on neighbor’s doors and show a photo. Ask if you can check their garage, sheds, under the porch. This is no time to be shy.
Leave a missing cat report with your vet, all the other local vets, shelters and rescue groups. If you live in one of our animal control service cities*, make sure to check out “lost and found” section of your shelter’s website regularly.
When you return home, leave food and water outside your door. Fearful cats will often slink out after dark. Leaving a baby monitor near the food may detect faint meows. Also consider searching late at night when the rest of the world is asleep.
Enlist family and friends to help post flyers and spread the word. Have push pins, tape and a staple gun, depending on the surface. The best posting spots include street intersection poles, local bulletin boards at grocery stores, library, laundromat and community center.
If you’ve recently moved, extend your search to your old neighborhood.
Persevere! Cats have returned weeks and months later. Keep networking, and asking neighbors if they’ve noticed anything. Keep your fliers or posters fresh with a “Still Missing” header.
Remember, you seriously improve your chances of finding your lost cat if your cat is microchipped and is wearing identification on a collar around their neck.

Quarantine Cat Film Festival

Oliver’s film has been entered in the video competition

In order to help movie theaters that have been shut down an independent movie theater owner came up with a brilliant plan and created the Quarantine Cat Film Festival. This cat video festival will be live streamed on Friday, June 29, 2020. A portion of the monies raised from ticket sales will go to benefit local independent movie theaters. It’s expected that over 100 movie theaters will be involved.

We say “Paws Up” to Brian Mendelssohn, founder of Row House Cinema and his wife (who made the brilliant suggestion to have a cat film festival).

The Female Human sent in our very own film “Bring Me My Catpuccino” starring Oliver!

Cat Insists on Having A Conversation With a Non-Cat Person

The Feline Human has been heard to say often that “If there is a room full of cat lovers and one non-cat person in the group, the cat will make a beeline for the non-cat person.” She’s got it right and this cat decides he wants to get up close and personal with this lady who is clearly not a cat fan.

Tiktok user John Gonzalez captured this momentous moment on video.
The Tribe is a bit put off by the lady’s expression of horror.

Pizzeria Owner Gets 25 Dog and Cats Adopted

You know how much I love it when people come up with creative ideas to help animals find a furever home and this lady’s idea is pawsome! Mary Alloy, owner of Just Pizza & Wing Co. in Amherst,NY came up with a purrfect way to help her local shelter, Niagara County SPCA.

Since February she’s put over 5,000 flyers with adoptable pets on her pizza boxes and so far over 25 dogs and cats have been adopted. She also rewards the clients who adopt with a $50.00 gift certificate for her pizzeria.

A Cat’s Eye View of The Australian Outback

Kartika is not a regular cat. The four year old Bengal has quite a taste for adventure and satisfies it as she travels the outback with her human, Lou Meyers. Kartika has spent most of her life traveling across Australia. When she was a kitten she learned quickly that when the leash and harness came out, fun times were ahead.

Despite the fact that Bengals are known for having an affinity for water Kartika is no water lover which could be because there is little of it in the outback.

A Bengal cat is perfect for the adventure life because Bengals are very active, have strong personalities and like to explore (get into things). Bengals require lots of care and exercise.

We’re So Excited!

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Feline Opines

Yes, this is me, being excited. What’s your point?!
-Oliver

Hello Furiends,

Our Purrsonal Assistant received an email message from WildernessCat letting us know that they had featured us in their post, “The 33 Best Cat Blogs You Need To Check Out in 2020”. We were thrilled and wanted to purruse this blog that honored us. Meowza they are fantastic!

There are so many great articles about felines and feline care. Some of our favorites were the article on dealing with your cat’s anxiety (we’re dealing with Lily’s anxiety after the loss of Tucker), Boarding a Diabetic Cat (none of the Tribe is diabetic but with Jasmine’s health issues boarding or getting a pet-sitter is quite a conundrum), and their very informative article about CBD and cats.

Head on over to WildernessCat and check out their great cat articles.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 2/12

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I didn’t want to miss my regular Wednesday feature although things have been a bit sad at our house because of the loss of Tucker. The Female Human still gets leaky eyes when people talk about him but she is getting better and she’s thankful for all the kind words you furiends have been sending her. She is in the process of responding now.

The Female Human is spending extra time with us and giving us love. LIly is the one that misses Tucker the most as he was her cuddle buddy (and Oliver and I would never mess with her when the big guy was with her). They had a great bond and Lily is very sad now. This is the way you would always see them together.

It’s time to get to the feline news for this week. Stay safe and healthy my furiends and always make time to cuddle.

A True British Mystery – Where are the Black Cats Coming From?

A Kent Online office has been targeted by a mysterious artist who has been placing cat stickers across the county. The new tag appeared on a door of the Kentish Express in Ashford – just hours after an article was published about the feline phenomenon.

Black cats have popped up across the county, often on entrance signs to villages and towns – including Sittingbourne and Fordwich. They are also used to mark hospitals like the Kent and Canterbury and businesses such as Ramsgate’s Royal Victoria Pavilion Wetherspoons.

The miniature moggies have been spotted as far away as Rye and Bexley.

Ashford and its surrounding areas are becoming a hotbed for the unknown artist’s activity, with one at the William Harvey Hospital, one near Wye and another on the Orbital Park industrial estate.

Many believe this is the work of Whitstable street artist Catman, but he has denied any involvement.

Meow to the mystery artist!

Cross Eyed Cat Earns Money For Charity

Belarus has chronically crossed eyes as the result of a condition called strabismus, which causes his eyers to point in different directions.

Belarus might look confused, but it’s only his eye condition. He has been hard at work earning thousands of dollars for other rescue cats just like him. Those eyes were the main reason his human, Rachel Krallk, fell in love with him the first time she saw him on her local shelter’s Facebook page. She went to the shelter that day and adopted him.

Krakk began selling shirts and hoodies featuring Belarus’ unique face. She donates 100% of the proceeds to animal rescues and has donated to date, several thousand dollars. Be sure and visit Belarus’ online Bonfire store if you want to support shelters. Our Female Human thinks that we should be doing the same thing with the items in our store.

If you want to purchase some Belarus merchandise of your own, be sure and visit his online Bonfire store.

American Cat Owners Devote 20 Hours Per Week to be With Their Beloved Felines.

As yu can tyell by Oliver’s face, cuddle time is greatly appurreciated at our house.

A survey of 1,000 cat owners conducted by Fresh Step Litter found that cat owners take seven photos of their feline daily. And 41% of cat owners have a framed photo of their feline. As to treating your cat as part of the family, 84% said, “You betcha’!” Some of you humans won’t buy a toy for your 2-legged kids without purchasing something for your four-legged kids. The study found that cat owners are not just partial to their own cats, they love everyone else’s felines too.

Most of those surveyed brought their feline home through adoption.-22% adopted from a county or state shelter, 16% adopted from a friend or relative and 13% adopted from a at specific rescue.

A whopping 60 % of respondents said their cats were loyal and 53% said they were well-behaved. Nearly half of the respondents said their cat often cuddles with them. In addition to cuddling, over three quarters of owners talk to their cats and they said it was like therapy. Their cats helped them through difficult times and 66% said they would rather snuggle with their felines rather than spending time with friends. My question to you humans is this, have you spent your 20 hours with y9ur feline(s) this week?

Miss Rigby, the Seafaring Feline

Four-year old Miss Rigby has spent almost her whole life surrounded by water.

Five years ago husband and wife Shane and Maryvonne both in their 50s decided to leave their fast passed careers to sail around the world. After the humans were at sea for about a year, they met their furry shipmate. Mis Rigby (or Rigs) was given to them by a Connecticut breeder. Before they took of for foreign ports they trained Rigs and she now lives on and loves the 50 foot boat. She’s a natural sailor. The Burmese breed is very loving and loyal and trainable and Rigg’s sailing skills prove this. Her humans cannot imagine sailing anywhere without her. If you want to follow Rig’s ocean adventures, you can follow her on Instagram.

The Cat Flat Gives Cats a Home with 10 Things to Make Them Happy

A Swedish self-storage company has launched the Cat Flat, a cat house with space for your cat to play, sleep and feel at home-all inside a very attractive cabinet that won’t ruin your décor. The company describes the Cat Flat as “The world’s first non-ugly cat furniture” . The Cat Flat was designed in response to the rise of small space living in Sweden. According to cat psychologist Susanne Hellman Holmstrom, author of the book, :” The Cat Could Decide” when cat’s can’t fulfill all of their needs it will result in a change in their behavior. Cats need the opportunity to spy, hunt and have a place where they can hide.

Designed by Eleonor Moschevitz and built by Stockholms Möbelverkstad, the Cat Flat enables kitties to feel safe and secure inside their own enclosed environment and come and go as they please.

Cats can move freely throughout the three-level cabinet, which is made out of walnut veneer. The slats covering the doors of the cabinet function as an abstract interpretation of nature, while inside the cabinet is decorated with sisal mats and leather. The brushes are made of FSC-certified beech wood with boar bristles and the scrubs consist of ecological coconut.

The product will launch during Stockholm design week. The famous feline duo of Prime and Raven (who have 141k Instagram followers) were the first product testers. The product is being presented at Stockholm Design week this week. At the time of this report, no price could be found for the Cat Flat.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/08

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello there furiends,
Yes, I admit it, I took some time off and I quite enjoyed the rest (you know we felines need our rest!) But the proverbial party is over and it’s time to get back to work. I have a lot to cover since I’ve been slacking (and gave our Purrsonal assistant some time off). The Female Human is not a fan of early mornings and she and Oliver enjoyed hanging out and having a conversation over coffee (Oliver doesn’t drink coffee, he just likes the warmth of the cup).

I on the other hand, have been chomping at the bit to get back to work. The Female Human has an office that is for working and for doing crafts. I must say I love all the craft goodies on the shelf. I have no idea why she gets her whiskers in such a twist when I help myself to some craft supplies, sheesh, how selfish can you get?

“Hmm, let’s see what I can get into here. She really needs to tidy up these shelves.”
Alberto

The good thing about The Female Human having this craft/work situation is that she has a table rather than a desk and this table has an “Alberto extension”. This makes it much easier for me to snoopervise her while she works.

Well, it’s time for me to get to the feline news.

CHONK Statistics Revealed

For those of you who follow my Wednesday web wanderings, you know that our all time favorite Facebook group is This Cat is CHONKY. The humans and felines in this group are some of the greatest we’ve ever met (we’ll be writing more about why this is) but for now, here is only one example. A very mathematically motivated human in the group has created a Universal CHONK index so that the debate about whether your home is filled with CHONKS, SLONKS or FLOOFS can finally be steeled.

Ellis Mumford-Russell has taken on this herculean task and it has settled many debates in the CHONK community. We now have numerical and provable CHONK standards. If this is all a bit confusing to you I suggest you join the This Cat is CHONKY group and get to know the CHONKS AND the wonderful humans they live with and for heaven’s sake before you identify your felines as HEFTY CHONK, MEGA CHONK, etc. please refer to this index.

Universal Chonk Index Update

It is with great pleasure that I unveil the findings of our UCI survey. I charted the 54 data points, which you can see here.

(explanation of UCI here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/133018060894811/permalink/560333531496593/?hc_location=ufi)

A few things:
1. You’ll see cat names listed on the bottom. If people didn’t list cat names, I put the human’s name with an asterisk after
2. Remember, the smaller the number, the more chonky the cat

Most Chonky Cat = Matita w/UCI 1.17
Most Slonky Cat = Noel w/UCI 4.75
Average = 1.8657
Median = 1.7222
Mode = 1.7000

UPDATE: photos now included below for Matita and Noel so that we can see the scale of C H O N K –> S L O N K ??

Proposed Chonk Standards

Given that I presume that the sample group skews chonky, I propose the following standards:
this cat is C H O N K Y ≤ 1.7
this cat is A V E R A G E = 1.71-1.9
this cat is S L O N K Y ≥ 2

Diving further into the data, here are my suggested parameters for the following categories of cat:
some sort of snake cat ≥ 4
l o n g b o i ≥ 3
A fine boi = 1.71-2.9
He Chomnk = 1.6-1.7
A Heckin’ Chonker = 1.5-1.59
H E F T Y C H O N K = 1.4-1.49
M E G A C H O N K E R = 1.3-1.39
AW LAWD HE COMIN’ ≤ 1.29

Use these findings as you see fit.

View the data here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UlWWRg6kLF1-MIT7om4WV-7TmsX-t1AAwuEX7DMy7OI/edit?usp=sharing

LuluPet’s AI Litterbox will analyze your feline’s “deposits” and check for health issues

LuluPet’s intelligent litter box not only detects littering frequency and litter weight but also the condition of the litter (normal, constipation, diarrhea, etc.). After judging litter conditions through the use of AI image restoration, it uses this data to notify the owner of the cat’s health.

If our Female Human had a dollar for every time she’s had to describe to the vet the appearance and texture of the poop of The Tribe of Five, she’d be a rich woman, And gathering this information accurately when you have a multi cat household and numerous cat boxes is like searching for the holy grail.

But take heart humans, LuLuPet has a litter box with “built-in stool and urine image recognition” to analyze our… deposits. And why have an AI litter box that does this? It’s for the health of your felines, of course. The Female Human paid purrrticular attention when she read that the LuLuPet device can be set to determine which poop is from which cat.

When the cat walks into the litter box, the information is sent to an app on the human’s phone. The company says that the litter box is Alexa- and Google Home-enabled. This offers more questions than answers. Whose voice does it respond to? If it’s the felines, do we have to learn special meows? If it’s the human, what is the voice command? The next feature has Oliver’s whiskers in a twist because the litter box can weigh your feline and determine whether the cat is too fat. That brings me to another question; will they be employing the CHONK data information noted in the article above?

Evidently this wonder litter box can also determine if the cat needs more food or water.

LuluPets joins many other smart litter boxes but most of those boxes focus on cleaning the box and not analyzing the cat’s health. And there’s even a built in camera although this causes me to wonder, can’t a cat get some privacy?! The thought of my human watching me “do my business” over her phone app is a bit off-putting and frankly, an invasion of my privacy. LuluPet says that these photos are uploaded to the LuluPet library and are used to compare the different “deposits” of the other felines.

Now don’t get me wrong, this thing could really be a help with cat health, but I’m having a bit of difficulty believing that it will be as effective as the company says it will be. But, time will tell. This smart litter box is slated to be sold on Amazon in March for $149.00.

Canyon Ranch Inspired Resort for Felines…Human send me right meow!

Cat’s Meow resort was founded by Kim Thomas who took her business acumen and love of cats and created her feline resort, Cat’s Meow. She refers to it as the Canyon Ranch for felines. She began her feline career with a pet sitter service and said that she noticed many of the cats she cared for were in need of grooming. She did her research, connected with the National Cat Groomer’s institute and became a master cat groomer.

She loved grooming felines, bet felt something was missing in the marketplace. She wanted to create a place where cats could enjoy luxurious, stress-free, happy cat boarding without the distraction and fear of dogs —- along with the latest in cat grooming. and Cat’s Meow Resort was born.

The spaces at Cat’s Meow are pawsome and very elegant and the grooming options are amazing. If you want to up your feline’s star quality, this is the place to stay. I would be tempted but traveling. If I didn’t find the idea of being stuffed in a carrier and traveling the 2682 miles from my home to the resort holds no interest for me! If any of my east coast feline furiends have a stay or a grooming session there, let me know.

Gus the Cat Entered in Australian Dog Swimming Race

. Gus also enjoys paddle-boarding, cycling and hiking. Photograph: Alec Smart

The Scotland Island dog swimming race has been held for 44 years in the Sydney area. This year an entrant nabbed Gus shook things up a bit as he is an 11-month old Tonkinese cat. Gus’ human, Glenn Druery had been training the feline in Middle Harbor. Gus enjoys other water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding.

The Tonkinese breed is a cross between Siamese and Burmese and is known for not being fearful of water. Still, Gus is nowhere near the size and strength of the dogs that compete in the 500 meter swim. Druery checked the rules and noted that a human can swim alongside the four legged contestants.

Needless to say, ther4 was controversy about Gus’ entering the race with many saying that it should be kept as a dog race, stating reasons such as, “it’s cruel to the cat, it’s dangerous to the cat and it will upset the dogs.”

Druery assured the sceptics that he’d be swimming alongside Gus and, if Gus ran into any trouble, he’d climb on Druery’s shoulders.

Druery’s black Border collie, Bob, swam in the race twice and finished third and was declared the overall winner in the 2015 race. Sadly, Bob passed away from cancer.

Gus came in first in his category and is now a feline Australian sensation.

Osaka Hotel Offers Rooms With A View….Of Cats

Each room has an observation window looking into the cat’s play area

There are hotels for cats and now there are hotels for cat lovers. Neko Hatago is a hotel where guests can watch 16 resident rescue cats chilling in the adjacent cat café Neko Yokujo through an observation window in each hotel room. The hotel opened in mid-December. It has a traditional Japanese aesthetic, with traditional wooden fixtures, tatami mats and a rainbow Mt Fuji mural presiding over the cat café. The hotel is more hostel than a luxury property. The rooms have individual bunks for one or two people with a separate shared bath facility. There is an observation window in each room that looks into the cats play area. The windows are designed so you can observe the cats but neither you nor the other human guests can see each other. There are radio controlled toys that you can use to play with the cats.

Rates run between 8500 Yen ($79.00 USD) to 11,500 Yen ($105.00 USD) and include a two-hour session in the cat café outside of regular hours. And, if you and one of the kitties connect you can adopt a new friend as all the cats are available for adoption.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/06

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello :Furiends,
How is your week going? The Tribe of Five had a pretty good week, a Chewy order AND an order from Petco, it’s been box heaven. Although the weather is cold in our neck of the woods so far, the snow has not made an appearance and there are some beautiful sunny days. The Tribe loves to find sun puddles wherever we can.

“Can’t a cat take a nap without having a camera shoved in her face?” -Lily

“This is my sun puddle location, stay away!” -Tucker

“Hey Ollie, can you scoot over just a bit?” -Alberto

“No I will not wake up and show you my beautiful blue eyes!” -Jasmine

We also have a bit of news. The Female Human is constantly meowing about being able to have someplace on our blog to opine. We reminded her that the name of this blog is Feline Opines, the world from a feline point of view, but this has had no effect on her so we will be launching a page on our blog just for the human to opine about feline things. Sheesh, everyone has to get in the game.

I hope you enjoy my internet finds that highlight how wonderful we felines are.

Don’t Fence Me In!

Quilty, a 7-year old cat available for adoption at the Friends For Life Animal Rescue and Adoption Organization in Houston got himself into trouble for freeing his fellow prisoners…err, feline rescues. He didn’t do it once or even twice. He keeps himself busy at night by freeing all the felines and calling them all to a meeting in the lobby. We say “way to go Quilty” and take the marketing campaign to get yourself adopted into your own paws.

Thousands of cats are rescued by tree climbers

I featured a story not too long ago about a hapless feline wo got himself stuck in a tree for hours during a storm. People, people, a cat will not always get itself out of a tree and this feline is very grateful for tree climbers who come to our rescue. For more stories from Canopy Cat Rescue, click here. If you live in Washington or Oregon, have your humans put this company on speed dial!

S hould cats eat their greens?

Do felines need to eat their greens? I’ve been snacking on wheat grass ever since I was a kitten. Lori Teller, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, provided some information on cats eating grass.

“Cat grass isn’t any one type of grass but can be a combination of grasses, such as rye, barley, oat and wheat,” Teller said. “Cat owners can buy kits at many stores to grow cat grass for their kitties.”

“Cat grass is not a required part of a cat’s diet if the food they are eating is well-balanced, but it is something that many cats enjoy,” Teller said. “Especially for indoor cats, it can be a source of environmental enrichment. In some cases, it may provide some micronutrients, such as vitamins A and D.”

The article goes on to say the experts really don’t know why cats like to eat grass. I would add that not all felines like cat grass. Tucker and Oliver are a bit “take it or leave it” about our cat grass but you would think the female felines in The Tribe are addicted to the stuff!

Traveling cats embark on the journey of a lifetime

We felines hate it when our humans are away from us for too long, These kitties are so bonded to their human that his frequent trips away from home made them very sad. His human, Daisuke Nagasawa decided he would try bringing them along with him when he traveled. Watch the video and see how happy the felines are now.

The agony of betrayal

Sometimes you humans can be clueless. Case in point. These humans bring home a kitten and then eave the cat in residence to sit by and watch them play with said kitten. Seriously, bring the cat into the process or there will be some swatty, swatty, hissy later! You can watch the video here.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/2

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends,
Another week another Wednesday. I have nothing exciting to report from our neck of the woods but I do have a bit of a rant to share with you. It appears to me that The Female Human does not apurreciate all that I do around the house, nor am I properly respected by my fellow felines.

Case in point. I am always “Johnny on the spot” when it comes to helping around the house. Here you can see that I have taken time away from my important profession of feline blogging and writing to lend a paw in the kitchen and still, The Female Human does not show the proper apurreciation.

“Yeah, looks like the dishwasher missed a few spots with the cutlery. You might want to run these through again.”

“Well EXCUSE ME for trying to help around the house. Sheesh, what’s a cat got to do to get some apurreciation around here.”

And it hasn’t been any better with my feline family either. Just the other night I sauntered into the kitchen to enjoy my dinner and this is what I found.

“Whoops, sorry dude, I didn’t think you were coming for dinner.” Oliver

After the week I’d had, I figured when The Female Human came home and parked her purse on the counter I would be welcome to snoop through it and what a discovery I made!

“Yum, what’s that delicious smell in there?”

“Oh happy day look what I foiund!”

“Nom. nom,nom…”

I hope you all had a better week than I did and I hope you enjoy this week’s Wednesday web wanderings.

Special feline parlays her unusual looks into creating a non-profit

Maya

Do you know what kind of humans I admire most? Those who adopt older shelter cats or cats with special needs. The ones who take their kindness a step farther and help others are the cat’s meow!

Maya the cat is a special and wonderful feline and although her eyes are asymmetrical and her legs are short she is loved and she’s making a difference in the world. Maya was born with an extra chromosome, which means she doesn’t have peripheral vision and which gives her a unique look.

Maya was almost euthanized in a Virginia shelter after she was found beside a dumpster behind a Chinese restaurant. By the time she was taken to the shelter she was very sick. After three months at the shelter, Maya was scheduled to be euthanized but Odd Cat Sanctuary MA rescued her. They then posted her on their website. Her human, Lauren Beader and her fiancé, Harrison Makofsky saw her and ran over to adopt her. They didn’t just give her a loving forever home but they also made her an Instagram star.

Now they’ve leveraged Maya’s fame into great charitable works and a non-profit.

Maya’s humans wrote a children’s book last year and donated all the proceeds to Odd Cat Sanctuary MA and the Special Olympics, Massachusetts and that turned into the humans (and Maya, of course) creating the non profit organization, AllWorthy.

Maya is the face of the new organization that educates about and promotes disability inclusion and acceptance. She lives with her humans and her fur sister, Dragon, whose back legs are paralyzed. I think the partnership between Maya and her humans is absolutely purrfect!

Bohdi, the all season adventure cat from the Rockies

Bodhi

Oh how I admire adventure cats! Granted, Oliver and I do stroll around our garden and neighborhood but this cat, Bodhi, is a hardcore, fearless adventure feline! Bodhi hikes the Canadian Rockies with his human and he has an Instagram account that chronicles his adventures so more timid kitties can live vicariously through his photos.

Bodhi’s human says his training took a lot of patience but now Bodhi is an all season adventure cat. In the summer he sometimes exchanges his harness for a life vest for paddle boarding and swimming. Lest you think Bodhi’s human is not aware that there are big animals out there in the wilderness, she says that Bodhi will sense the presence of another creature and let her know he wants to go to his safe spot on her shoulders.

Mother and daughter sew pillows for shelter cats

Pillows

You humans who come up with creative ideas to help shelter kitties are heroes! In Tunkhannock, PA an 88 year-old woman and her daughter have been making pillows for the Meshoppen Cat Rescue. The kitties love the pillows that keep them cozy, warm and comforted and they help the humans too. Bertha Singer, the 88-year old mother has early-onset dementia and keeping her hands busy helps keep her mind active. These ladies deserve a Paws Up Award! Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats

Trader Joe’s Advent calendars are on the way

Our Female Human is German and one of her favorite things about Christmas is Advent calenders. She likes to make them and buy them for the adults and kids she knows. So I got to thinking, “Hey, what about us felines?!” I decided to do some research on this and found out that Trader Joe’s is coming out with a feline Advent calendar this year (let’s not discuss the fact that they’ve had a canine Advent calendar for a while). Then I thought, “What if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near your house?” (our closest is two hours away) and so I checked on Amazon and sure enough there were all kinds. So I say, humans (especially those of you of German or Austrian origin) no more excuses, get your felines their own Advent calendar!

Slay dragons, help cats

dragons

This is for all you feline loving gamers. Now you can sit in front of the monitor or TV, slay virtual dragons and earn money for cats. From October 3 to December 9, ZeniMax will donate $1.00 for every five dragons killed in the Elder Scrolls Online game. The money will be given to the Best Friends Animal Society and Four Paws Charities. Zenimax is committed to donating up to $200,000.00 in the Slay the Dragons, Save the Cats campaign. Humans, fire up your online game and start killing dragons for a good cause!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 4/17

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here. It’s Wednesday already, I tell you it’s hard for a cat to squeeze in all the naps, playing and eating that needs to be done in 7 days. In this short video you can see how much I’m enjoying the new set up upstairs in what the deluded Female Human refers to as “her office and craft room”. Ya’ right!

Here’s hoping you enjoy this week’s web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Smithsonian Archive Exhibit Proves Cats are Artists Best Friends

Picasso with his cat Minou

The writer of this article said that if Instagram would have been around during Henri Matisse’s lifetime his feed would have been full of photos of his 3 cats, Minouche, Coussi, and La Puce. His felines were never far when he painted. And then there’s Pablo Picasso whose feline friend Minou was always at his side. And the list goes on and you’ll just have to read the article to see why this Smithsonian Arhive show proves that artists like cats more than dogs.

Take a Cat Home from the Zoo!

catsatthezoo

Soon you will be able to take a cat home from the zoo…not a tiger, lion or jaguar but a feline that will fit purrfectly in your home.

Two paws up for the El Paso zoo for having an adoption event in a place where animal lovers go. The El Paso zoo is partnering with the El Paso Animal Services shelter in Catz at the Zoo. The domestic felines will be hanging out in a cat café at the zoo designed just for the occasion. The Petco Foundation donated a half million dollars to build the zoo cat café, the first one of it’s kind. Bravo El Paso!

Random cat sneaks into house to snuggle up to man recovering from surgery

CatSurgery

A British official tweeted this photo and it’s going crazy. The Female Human always says cats make the best nurses and this proves it!

New Website Pinpoints Whether Cats Are Picky Eaters or Sick

A new website launched by KindredBio called PickyOrSick.com helps you humans see if we felines are just being picky or if we need to go see the vet. It’s a science based program that offers a 5-question quiz to encourage owners to seek veterinary advice about changes in our eating habits. There are suggestions for determining hether our behavior is a sign of illness or just pickiness. There is a log you humans can download to track our eating habits and, in the event you have to haul us off to the place of the white coats, they have tips as to how to make the trip less stressful for us.

5 Seattle-area adventure cats you need to follow on Instagram

Moose the Adventure Cat

This is a shout out to my Northwest feline furiends. The Tribe of Five resides in the Inland Northwest but we like adventure too! Adventure cats are a big thing these days as humans realize that we can be fun in the outdoors as well. Check out the Adventure Cat website there are tons of helpful guides) and The Female Human is purrusing it regularly to prepare me to go kayaking with her this summer. I hope you enjoy my five Pacific Northwest furiends!

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!