Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/1

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends,
That saying you humans like to meow about that “April showers bring May flowers” is proving to be true. There are tulips beginning to pop up in the garden and there should be some nice color if the deer don’t eat them first.

final-20Oliver tried to convince me that he sat in our felted bed this way because it was getting too warm to sleep inside it. I told Oliver I thought his expanding girth was proving to be too much to fit into the bed. Oliver was not amused.

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy my web wanderings this week.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Swedish Digital Vet Is Going After the UK’s Cats (and Dogs)

final-21

Oliver and one of our favorite vets, Dr. Christina Ponsness at Pend Oreille Veterinary Service

A Swedish digtal vet clinic, First Vet is launching in the UK. The company offers video appointments  between 20-30UK ($26.00-$39.00) where the average vet visit is about 60UK ($78.00)

So, not only do the humans get to save some money but the felines are relieved of the stress of being shoved in a carrier and taken in the moving metal machine to the place of the stabby people.

First Vet’s study of their business in Sweden has found that roughly half of all cases that result in a visit to the vet could be taken care of by a remote consultation.

This sounds pretty good to me, what do my feline and human furiends think about this?

CatCon Partners With Cats Of Instagram To Celebrate The Internet’s Greatest Cat Videos

img_2249

Have you watched Oliver’s film,, “Bring Me My Catpuccino!”

CatCon, “the ComicCon for cat people” has joined with Instagram’s to showcase most-followed cat accounts to celebrate the internet’s greatest cat videos.

If you and your humans are lucky enough to get to Cat Con at  the  Pasadena Convention Center in California, you can mingle with 62,000 other international feline fans.

The Cats Of Instagram account — which has 10.3 million followers and features a running tab of adorable cat pics and videos — will be hosting the inaugural CatCon Video Festival. And all my furiends can submit their own videos (we submitted two of ours, “Bring Me My Catpuccino” and “You Never Walk Alone”.   A grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card.

“Cats of Instagram has been part of CatCon since the beginning in 2015, and it made purr-fect sense to up the ante this year and partner with them on CatCon Video Fest,” CatCon creator Susan Michals said in a statement. “Together we plan to bring the audience at CatCon 2019 the best vids from across the country, IRL on the big screen.” Meow, sure wish we could go there!

Teen cat whisperer recognized for clocking nearly 1,900 hours of dedication to feline friends

CatWhisperer

The next time you humans start meowing about how bad kids are today, you need to remember 15-year old Blake Austin. Blake has clocked nearly 1,900 hours of playtime with the felines at the Brunswick Midcoast Humane society. She also fosters kittens. Her dad has a severe cat allergy so she never got to have a cat when she was growing up until her father realized how much cats meant to her and made her a “cats only” room. Blake’s love of cats and her tireless devotion to the felines at her shelter has garnered her much notice and she even received a $10,000.00 gift. Meowza, being nice to kitties pays off-literally!

Cat adopts four orphaned squirrels

CatSquirrel

This one’s for all you may-saying humans who think we felines don’t have a heart.. Pusha, the cat who lives in a park in Bakhchisaray, Crimea. She came across four young squirrels who’d lost their parents, and rather ignoring them or attacking them, she took care of them and even let the squirrels drink her milk as if they were her own kittens.

The squirrels seem quite happy with this family arrangement. Pusha treats them like her own, cleaning them and giving them a gentle nudge when they’re misbehaving.

Brace yourselves, cat lovers. Meow DC is a new festival for feline fanatics.

img_2099

Coco the Couture Cat letting her love child side out at Blogpaws 2016.

Emily Miller, director of special events for the Humane Rescue Alliance, decided to create Meow DC, an annual festival for feline fanatics —where ticket proceeds will go toward the alliance’s mission of helping homeless pets.

“Meow DC is a place for cat people to get together and celebrate all things cat.”

More than 100 adoptable cats were brought to the Dock 5 parking lot because the venue doesn’t allow cats indoors. The specialized RVs had big windows that allow people to see the cats from outside.

Booths just outside the venue’s entrance will house Meow DC’s two celebrity cats — Sunglass Cat and Coco the Couture Cat. An Instagram star with over half a million followers, Sunglass Cat will be taking pictures with fans for $15, which will go to the alliance. Coco, a Cornish Rex who gets around in a pink “Catillac,” will be paw-tographing copies of the book “The Adventures of Coco le Chat: The World’s Most Fashionable Feline.” (Note, The Female Human has met Coco the Couture Cat many times and will see her and her human again at the Cat Writer’s Association conference.)

There were events for kiddos who love cats and lots of vendors who offered purrfect feline products.

 

 

 

Oliver Opines on Friendly Friday Fill Ins-Week 110

Hi Furiends,
Oliver here. I’m taking the Fill Ins this week. It’s really fun and I encourage you to purrticipate. Just head on over to our friends 15andmeowing or their co hosts Four-Legged Furballs and enter the blog hop. You are always welcome to opine about your fill in answers in the comments of my post too.  I hope you enjoy my answers.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Oliver

black and white cat Oliver

Fill In Questions

1. My favorite scent is ________________.

2. I hope to __________________ this weekend.
3. _________ is music to my ears.

4. Home is where _________.

My Answers:

1. My favorite scent is fresh box. Ah, there’s nothing like it!
Black and white cat Oliver in a box

2. I hope to spend some quality time sunning on the upstairs deck this weekend. 

img_4428

 

3. The sound of a cat food can opening is music to my ears.

Black and white cat sits on stool waiting for dinner

Hey, is that the stinky sardine stuff I like?

4. Home is where all my toys are.

img_4429

The Female Human Opines

Oh good grief. Evidently someone gave the Female Human the opportunity to talk about Feline Opines, the Home to Home program and other stuff. Seriously??!

If you want to hear the Female Human opine on the Humarian podcast, here’s the link (although The Tribe of Five is far more entertaining.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

The Female Human Opines on the Humarian podcast.

 

Tucker Opines on.. Pumpkin?

pumpkin for cats

Hi There Folks,
I know this might sound like a weird topic for a cat to opine about, but please bear with me.

The Male and Female Human went to a place called BlogPaws where animal purrsonal assistants and staff gather to learn how to better help their felines, canines and other critters blog and write.

While at this event, The Female Human met some nice folks from Raw Paws Foods and they had a conversation about a rather embarrassing medical situation I experienced which has now resulted in me being forced to eat organic pumpkin twice a day. I hate the stuff, always try to eat around it no matter how hard The Male Human tries to hide it with smelly fish gravy. It’s been a battle and The Female Human related this struggle to the good folks at Raw Paw Foods when they met.

Fast Forward to a month later and The Female Human received a very nice email from Carrie Sokolov from Raw Paws Foods asking if she would like to try the Pumpkin Powder Digestive Daily Support Supplement for Dogs & Cats for my “delicate” situation. The Female Human was thrilled and so impressed that these nice folks followed up, remembered the conversation and cared enough to offer a free package of the product.

Raw Paws Foods sent the package. They did not ask for  a review but being a feline with great integrity, I felt it was important for me to opine about it….good, bad or indifferent.  The opinions are mine alone and are presented here because I believe my other furiends with similar “conditions” might benefit from this pawsome product.

cat with raw paws pumpkin powderTo be honest, The Male and Female Humans were skeptical as to whether this pumpkin powder would work. I am a master of sniffing out anything that even vaguely resembles a medicine or supplement. For instance, Pill Pockets stopped working with me the second time they tried to give them to me. One experience with icky medicine hidden in a treat and I had their number! So it was with trepidation that the Humans added the powder to my food. I gobbled it down. The Male Human even started to sprinkle it on the top of my wet food and I still ate it. I really like the stuff and because it’s concentrated it’s easier for them to see if I’m getting enough to keep me “regular”.  Even my sister Jasmine is now getting it in her food (we fourteen-year old felines have to keep ourselves healthy).

Boy am I happy I don’t have to suffer through that nasty canned organic pumpkin anympre. If any of my furiends out there have a regular problem of not being regular, I’d recommend you give it a try!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
TuckieSig

 

The Party’s Over #BlogPaws 2018

Siamese cat with top hat, round glasse sand white collar

Hi Everyone,
Well #BlogPaws 2018 has come to an end. The seminars have been taught, the vendors have been schmoozed and the awards have been given out at last night’s gala.  l have a number of photos to purruse and post and a few more items to share with you but my purrsonal assistant is traveling home and so I’ll need to wait until she’s back at her desk.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

#BlogPaws Report 4/20

Hi Folks,

It’s been quite a day, learning about photography and winning, winning winning! The Female Human won us tons of cat litter (not kidding it’s 20 boxes of premium litter) and a very cool cat bed.

Tonight is the big gala when all the two and four legged folks put on their sparkly duds and walk the red carpet. It’s being live-streamed on the #BlogPaws Facebook page, in the meantime here are some random photos.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 12/27

546cd8fc-571d-40dc-9c00-c8eb9b6fbc2a-180-00000000e573caec

Furry New Year to All!
Alberto here. It’s hard to believe that 2017 has almost ended. Thanks to all my friends who enjoy my #WalkThroughTheWebWednesday feline mewsings.

Here’s to a fantastic 2018!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto

Not Seal Team 6-Cat Team 7! – The Virginia Pilot, Military News

CatTeam7

As if it’s not enough for our military taking care of our country, now they’re taking care of feral cats too! A special team (Cat Team 7) has a mission to trap feral felines on their base at Naval Station Norfolk, spay and neuter them and then find them furever homes!

Unlike Seal Team 6, this team’s mission is no secret and their success record is amazing. They rescued about 70 felines in 2017. Cat Team 7 has a Facebook page and you can view felines available for adoption too.

We greatly appreciate our military and now we have even more reason to love them.  I give Cat Team 7 a two paw salute!

 

Backpack Cat Carrier for Fashionable Felines – HausPanther

CatySmileBackPack

Now that Christmas has come and gone, purrhaps  you or your human are disappointed that you didn’t get the purrfect gift. Well I have good news. I found this little item when visiting my friend, Kate Benjamin’s HausPanther cat lifestyle site. (Actually, I’ve never met her but my human has at the BlogPaws blogger and writer’s conference). Kate always has the best and most wonderful feline things.

I have seen another feline backpack but IMHO the felines being toted around in that thing look like they’re all begging to get out. This Catysmile backpack carrier  not only satisfies the human’s desire for style but it has two windows and enough room for felines to stretch out. Now the information for this backpack says the model cat is 10 pounds. This is not good news for Tucker (16 pounds) or for me with my long, svelte 13 pound body. Bit if your kitty is not quite as hefty as we are, I think it’s a purrfect cat carrier.

Japanese Cat Tree for Design Conscious Humans, only 1 million yen-DesignBoom

CatTree

The Tribe of Five loves our cat condo. But when I saw this one, it made ours look shabby and out of date. Take a look at this beauty, designed for human the esthetic but also with CatTree2a feline’s need in mind. Needless to say, the tree is made of quality materials. It’s called the Neko Tree and I think the Tribe of Five should have one. I had the female human convert 1 milion yen to USD and it’s only $8,826,20 (which sounds waaay better than 1 million yen!)

So if your humans are as serious about your comfort and happiness as they say they are, ask them if they’re willing to spend 1 million yen. And if you get one, send us a photo!

Why Your Cat Simply Can’t Resist Catnip – Katzenworld

catnip

There are some fantastic articles from our friends at Katzenworld and this one, in my opinion, is the definitive answer to all your catnip questions. For instance why do some of us go completely bonkers for it and why other felines take a sniff and walk away, Siamese cat on tea taBLEuninterested.  You’ll find out what catnip is, why we’re attracted to it, what it can be used for (did you know humans can benefit from catnip?) Jasmine once interviewed a very refined kitty named Navi who sips catnip tea from an elegant china cup).

I say two paws up for catnip and, if you want to see the effect of catnip on a 2-year old kitty (me) and a 14-year old kitty (Tucker) take a look at our video. 

 

 

 

Georgia family’s lost cat found in Southern California five months later – ABCNews

bitty kitty arrives home after 2000 mile journey

I love happy stories and for these Georgia humans, Christmas was very happy indeed. Kitty Bitty is a small feline but he took a big trip after he disappeared from his family’s home in Georgia on July fourth.  He found himself 2,000 miles away from home in Riverside, California.

Fortunately Kitty Bitty still had his collar and tags on and the The ASPCA in Riverside, California, contacted his humans and before he knew it, he was on a plane making his way home for Christmas! The nice humans at the ASPCA helped pay his ticket home and wrote messages on his carrier. How did he get to California? It seems he hitched a ride on a Pepsi truck making a cross-country trip. My readers will be happy to know that Bitty Kitty is now an indoor cat!

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/8

546cd8fc-571d-40dc-9c00-c8eb9b6fbc2a-180-00000000e573caec

Hello Friends, Furry, Feathered and Otherwise,
Alberto here for my weekly purrrusal of all things feline on the web. Enjoy!
Siamese cat with blue eyes

The First Ever NY Cat Film Festival – Metro

NYCAtFilmFestival

Finally New York is getting wise to the idea that cats rule! They’ve had a Dog Film Festival for the last three years and this has really gotten my whiskers in a twist. Well thank goodness, someone got a clue and the FIRST Cat Film Festival will be held in New York at the Chelsea SVA Theater in December!  And all I can say is, “It’s about time!” If you want to learn more you can watch a promo for the event here.

Domestic Violence and Pets – The PAWS Act

My human attends a conference for pet writers and bloggers called BlogPaws and at this conference, she learned about pets of domestic abuse survivors. Did  you know that often, people in abusive situations have to choose between their safety and their pet? Did you know that in most shelters, domestic abuse survivors cannot take their pets because there is no place for the animals? How sad to force someone to part with the one thing that offers them unconditional love!

The Pet and Women Safety Act (PAWS Act, for short) is attempting to amend the federal criminal code to broaden the definition of stalking to include the reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to a person’s pet. Additionally, it would expand interstate violations of a protection order to also cover pets. Lastly, it directs the Department of Agriculture to award grants for shelter, housing assistance, and support services for survivors of domestic violence with pets. This is a law The Tribe of Five can wholeheartedly support and we hope you will sign the petition and support it too. And how about checking with your local shelter and finding out if they have resources for the pets of domestic violence survivors?

Purr Minister 2017 – Metro.co.uk 

black cat named midnight new purr minister

The only kind of purrlitical stuff I’m interested in is the feline variety. For instance, I was Oliver’s campaign manager when he ran for Purresident with the Kitty Kat Party last year.  Evidently, there are purrlitical felines in the  UK as well and they were vying for the title of  Purr Minister.

The 2017 Purr Minister campaign ended last week. There were six moggies who competed for the Purr Minister crown and each wrote a Manifursto explaining why they deserved to be voted the most fabulous feline in Westminster.  The winner was selected by the public and it was a hotly contested race.

This year’s winner, garnered 49 percent of the public vote. Two paws up for the new Purr Minister, Midnight!

In this village in Mandya, cats are worshipped as gods – Times of India

FelineTemple

Well my feline friends, if you feel as though you’re not getting enough respect in your household you may want to consider a move to Bekkalale village, India, where cats are literally put on a pedestal. Bekkalale, worships the cat as a form of goddess Mangamma and has no less than three temples dedicated to felines.  Humans are harshly punished for harming cats in this village and every year there is a festival to honor the majestic feline. (Which of course, is our due!)

Seattle’s Newest Cat Cafe Offers Beer, Japanese Snacks and a Whole Lot of Adorable-Seattle Magazine

Neko crop

Image Credit: Caitlin Unsell Follow the sign to Capitol Hill’s new kitty den.

Those cool cats in Seattle always seem to be on the cutting edge of hipness. Case in point, the Neko Cat Cafe that serves beer and snacks! The owner and founder of this cat cafe, Caitlin Unsell, was inspired by the cat cafes in Japan.  Neko is the third cat cafe in the Seattle area but the felines you meet at the Neko cafe are extra special.

Unsell partnered with Regional Animal Services of King County to help the cafe kitties find furever homes. All of the cats Neko (which means “cat” in Japanese) are diagnosed with the feline leukemia virus which is a disease that poses long term health issues but does not keep the cats from living long, happy lives.  People often pass over cats with health issues in shelters and Unsell hopes to change this by giving the cat loving community a chance to meet and know the felines at her cafe.

The cafe has two areas, one for the cafe and the other for the cats. The  happy felines have a long bank of windows at pavement level for great canine and human viewing.
I am overwhelmed when I realize how many great humans there are out there who are not just dedicating themselves to finding furever homes for felines but finding homes for felines that are usually passed over for adoption. Two paws up for the Neko Cat Cafe.

 

 

 

 

Alberto Reports From BlogPaws -The Litter-Ary Cat, Part 1-Deborah Barnes

Al_PressBoxWithRetroMikeHello Folks,
Alberto here, your intrepid (albeit tardy) on the scene BlogPaws reporter. So the female human attended a conference for professional pet bloggers and writers and not only did she have a great time, she managed to connect with some of the best cat writers there. And these wonderful humans graciously donated signed books for her to use at her table at our local Panhandle Animal Shelter fundraiser in August.

I’m going to feature each one of these talented (and generous authors) and their books. Today’s featured author is Deborah Barnes.

Deborah Barnes is an award winning author and all around great cat lady. Her book Devborah Barnes book Makin Buscuits“Makin ‘ Biscuits” was a multi award winner this year, receiving a Muse Award, The Good News for Pets Human Animal Bond Award and the CWA (Cat Writer’s President’s Award.  This book is a delightful look at “Weird Cat Habits and Even Weirder Habits of The Humans Who Love Them”. It’s a compilation that personal anecdotes from Deborah and cat lovers around the world. If you want a “me too” moment or want to know a little more about felines and the crazy people who love them, you will love this book.

As if this award-winning signed book wasn’t enough of a generous donation, Deborah donated two other signed copies of her books, , Purr Prints of the Heart and The Chronicles of Zee and Zoey. 

PurrPrintsOfTheHeartPurr Prints of the Heart is a memoir written from the viewpoint of a feline named Mr. Jazz. Mr. Jazz reflects on his life from kitten to old age and offers comfort to all who have dealt with the loss of a beloved pet.

The third generous donation from Deborah Barnes is her book, The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey, A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary. This book tells a beautiful tale of the chronicles of Zee and Zoey book by Deborah Barneshow two cats bond together and how they fulfill and enrich the life of their human. Through her willingness to be transparent and to share how some of her biggest hurdles in life were made easier through the love and relationship she enjoyed with these two marvelous felines.

Not only is Deborah Barnes an excellent author, she’s a very nice human and the female human enjoyed getting to know her at BlogPaws.

I urge you to hightail it to your favorite book seller and buy these books and, if you are lucky enough to live in Sandpoint, Idaho, you can attend the Hodgepodge at the Lodge fund raiser for the Panhandle Animal Shelter and bid on the table the female human is putting together which will not only have amazing books (I’ll be highlighting all the authors who graciously donated signed books in the next few blog posts) but will feature many other fun things for the feline library theme.

Your BlogPaws on the scene reporter Alberto, signing off for now.

img_1067