Category Archives: Cat adoptions

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/16

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

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

I hope you enjoy,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

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

Al_Wine

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

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

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

cat birthday pinatas

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

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

sad cat

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

Wacky Names for Dogs and Cats – Post Gazette

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

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

student cuddling kitten

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 5/09

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WebWednesday

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

 

Vintage Photos of Pampered Cats – National Geographic

Lily_Kitten

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

 

Why Do Cats Wag Their Tails? – Gizmodo

CatTailWag

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

 

7 Apps All Cat Owners Should Have – Bustle

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

Dogs and Cats and Decorating – The NY Times

CatDecorating

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

Seven Ways to TurnYour Partner Into A Cat Person – Bustle

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

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

 

 

 

 

The Female Human Opines

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

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

WhenForeverIsntForevber

Click here for the story

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 5/2

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

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

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

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

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

MeyersBriggs

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

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

Pizza Cat – Eat Meow – ToledoBlade.com

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

Troy Police Reveal Name of Station Cat – Detroit Free Press

PoliceCat

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

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

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

Runaway Cat ‘Pepper’ Lost in N.Y.C.’s JFK Airport Found After a Week-Long Search – PeoplePets

lostkitty

Humans, PLEASE, if you’re going to travel with your feline friends, please make sure the cat carrier is secured!!  Pepper the Tabby was scheduled to board a flight with her human to travel to China, but escaped her carrier during check-in and got loose inside the airport’s huge Terminal 4. The owner missed her initial flight but had to board her newly scheduled one even though her feline was still MIA. Apparently, she was moving back to China permanently and was devastated to leave her kitty behind.

Now the human had a friend that vowed to head up the search and, with the help of the Port Authority police the search continued. It then occurred to the friend to call for the cat by it’s Mandarin name, “Dai Meng”  (which is said to mean “little dork”) and that’s when the magic happened.

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

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

Hugo

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Friendly Fill Ins #103

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

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

Purrs & Head Bonks,

black and white cat Oliver

 

Here are the fill in questions:

1. I could really use ____________________.

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

3. One time, I broke                           , and                          .

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

Here are my answers:

 

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The struggle is real

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

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

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

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 4/25

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WebWednesday

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

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

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

firefighters rescue man in tree who tried to rescue cat

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

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

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

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

cat massage therapist

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

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

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

A Cat Lover’s Dream Job – Fox6 Milwaukee

sip & purr cat cafe Milwaukee

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

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

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

medical student and his cat Scoot

Scooter the cat with paralyzed hind legs is an inspiration to Kansas City medical student Sam Tochtrop who studies at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. Sam even goes so far as to say he never liked cats, in fact hated cats, but “Scoot” captured his heart immediately. 
Because she was born with a deformity, her hind legs don’t work but Sam takes good care of her and ensures she has a wonderful life (they even go traveling together). He says that Scoot is teaching him how to be a good, compassionate doctor. Humans, please don’t just walk by a kitty at the shelter because they’re not perfect, you may just meet your best furiend ever, like Sam did. You can check out Sam and Scoot on their Instagram account.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friendly Fill Ins #102

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Hello There,

Alberto here. I’m taking a break from my #BlogPaws reporting to do this week’s friendly fill ins. This blog hop is created by our furiends 15and meowing and McGuffy’s Reader. Hop on over to add your blog or post your fill in answers in our comment section.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

This week’s fill in questions:

1: New ____________ are _________________.

2. I love to ______________ on the ________________.

3. When I was a child, I loved to play                          .

4. One                    , I                          .

My Answers:

1. New toys and treats from the BlogPaws vendors are always greatly appreciated by The Tribe of Five. (What wonders await us from the generous vendors? We’ll be blogging about it)

2. I love to open everything from the #BlogPaws swag bag on the day the Humans bring it home. (This is Tucker our Alpha, snoopervising the inspection of the swag from a previous year’s #BlogPaws)

3. When I was a child I loved to play with my Aunt Mitzi.

4.One day, I want to be named “Male Cat of The Year”

#AtoZ Challenge Q

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Hi There,
Jasmine here. Today’s letter is “Q” and that stands for ‘QUEENLY” and don’t Lily and I look the part? We are the only two girls in The Tribe of Five and we take our diva roles quite seriously. Now all we have to do is to get those males to treat us with the deference and respect we deserve! And a reminder, even rescue kitties like us can be royal!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
jazz_signature

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The Tribe of Five Opine on Boxes,Buddies and Strange Seating Positions, Friendly Fill Ins Week #101

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Hello All,
The Tribe of Five is taking turns answering this Friday’s Friendly Fill in Questions, hope you enjoy our answers! Remember that our good furiends at 15andmeowing and McGuffy’s Reader host this fun blog hop. You can join in or, if you purrfer, leave your fill in answers in our “opining” section.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
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Here are this week’s fill in questions:

1.___________________keeps me _____________________.

2. _____________________is the secret to _______________________.
3. A friend                             .

4. Right now, I am thankful                          .

Here are this week’s responses from The Tribe of Five.

1._Having a new box keeps me happy. (By “me” we mean every member of the tribe. Boxes are the BEST!)

 

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2. Sitting in weird positions on the sofa is the secret to making my Humans laugh. (Alberto)

 

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3. A friend means always having a cuddle buddy. (Oliver)
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4. Right now, I am thankful that the Female Human bought some “Scaredy Cat” solution for Jasmine so that maybe we can be friends again! (Lily)

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Jasmine

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 4/11

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Hi Folks,
Alberto here. It’s my weekly wander through the web to find you the best of feline stories.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Celebrate National Pet Day with a Feline Host at an AirBnb – Lonely Planet

black cat is Airbnb host

Felines (and I guess other animals too) rejoice because today is National Pet Day! Those clever humans at Airbnb are featuring places that have feline hosts. The photo above is of host Kooky with his human Sue (they are in London). But you don’t have to fly across the pond for a feline flavored stay.  Chica and her human share a nice bungalow in Portland.  But there are many other feline hosts in other countries as well. I’m thinkin’ our Humans should check this out when they travel, a nice room and all the purrs & head bonks they want!

The Cats of Twice Sold Tales – the Stranger

siamese tabby mix cat at twice sold tales bookstore

This story hits all the right buttons, the Female Human loves bookstores (that’s because she’s a writer) and I love stories about working cats. There have always been felines at the Twice Sold Tales book store. The author of this article says in their visits over the years there have been as many as seven felines and as few as two working in the store.

The current cats are Buster, Hardy, Lily and Eleanore. What I didn’t know is that bookstore cats come from a very old tradition. Bookstore cats, simply put, exist to keep the threat of bookstore rats at bay and the practice has been in use since 1745 when Empress Elizabeth of Russia issued an edict that there be a search conducted for the “best and biggest cats, capable of catching mice” and ordered them sent to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg to protect the treasures there. Ever since then bookstores have welcomed working felines into their midst.

The article is delightful and I really enjoyed the descriptions of each feline. Does your local bookstore have a cat? I must send the Female Human out to ours to check!

Look Inside Taiwan’s “Cat Village” – National Geographic

Houtong cat village in Taiwan

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My furiends, if your humans are planning a vacation, please make sure they know about this place. it’s a popular tourist town called Houtong and it has over 100 feline residents.

Houtong means “monkey cave” and is in northern Taiwan. It was first famous for it’s caves filled with monkeys. No one can say exactly what happened to the monkeys, but the town is not without furry citizens.  As soon as you step off the train, you are met by felines of varying varieties. You find your way through the station by following the cat paw prints. As you can imagine, since felines rule, most everything in the town is cat-themed. Bakeries offer cat-shaped cookies, there are cat souvenirs and of course plenty of felines to snap a selfie with. And of course, there are houses built for the cats, and decorated to please the most finicky feline. Meowza this sounds like a purrrfect vacation spot. Book your human’s tickets posthaste!

Here’s What Your Favorite Cat Breeds Reveal About You – Elite Daily

gray and yellow Maine Coon cats

First, allow me to say that this title has me a bit nervous. You see all of the Tribe are rescues so we aren’t officially a “breed” but the Female Human said that all cats are some sort of breed and humans often gravitate to one type of breed, even when they’re adopting. For our Humans, it’s Siamese. All of the Tribe have some bit of Siamese in us and The Female Human says it’s because we are so smart, we talk a lot and they just love the way we look. Even though my brother Oliver doesn’t look anything like a Siamese, he still has the purrsonality traits. You can image my surprise and dismay when Siamese was never mentioned in this article! Elite, I hiss in your general direction!

Cat-Opoly A Cat Themed Game – Bustle

Cat opoly game

I know how much you humans love to play games and you humans know how much we felines like to get right in the middle (and often on top of the board) of any game you’re playing. Well here’s a game that’s purrfect for feline and human!

In the game, you can buy your favorite cats (not to self, have the Human check and make sure the Siamese are represented!). Roll the dice and you may land on catnip which means everything in the middle of the board is yours. Collect litter boxes and trade them for fish bones (instead of hotels). There are some dangers though. If you run into the neighborhood bully you may be forced to pay the dog tax (hiss!) and, if you fall in the water you lose three turns. Meowza this sounds like fun!