Walk Through The Web Wednesday 6/5

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here with my Wednesday web wanderings. Nothing much new around the Tribe except for Oliver’s diet. I think he’s being a bit dramatic about the whole thing but I’ll let you decide.

“Life has lost it’s meaning. I’m not sure if I can hang on. Diet may be the ruin of me.” Oliver

“Please send kibble..soon”Oliver

Have a wonderful week and don’t believe everything Oliver says!

Feline High Five Pays Off Big Time

High Five

Did you and your human enter the High Five contest sponsored by GreaterGood.org and Jackson Galaxy? Meowza, the prizes were pawsome including a $5,000.00 grant for the winner’s shelter. And Lil Bub was a judge!

Lest you think this was just a fun and frivolous event, the Cat Pawsitive Program is a life-saving program for shelter and rescue cats that aims to increase feline adoption rates by instructing shelter/rescue staff and volunteers how to implement positive reinforcement training for cats, that includes teaching them to high-five. You should find out how to get a Cat Pawsitive program started in your shelter.

Why Can’t My Cat Be A Vegan?

CatVegetables

I never thought I’d have to say this to my readers but….People, cats cannot be vegetarians!!! Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of meowing about vegan kitties and I can’t stress enough how dangerous this is. I’m not going to go into all the details here but you can find them in this ASPCA article.

Here are the major points. We felines are obligate carnivores. That means we need to eat meat to survive. Our digestive systems are not built for a plant only diet (it’s kinda like feeding cows meat, just doesn’t work).

We need the amino acid taurine to survive and taurine is only found in animal sources. Taurine deficiency leads to heart disease. We also need high levels of protein and we don’t digest carbs too well.

Bottom line, you could kill us if you don’t feed us what we need. And if you are feeding raw, you need to make sure we are receiving the nutrients we need. You may see us gnawing on the random blade of wheat grass but this does not mean we want a veggie diet!

Suki the Canadian Adventure Cat

Suki the Adventure Cat

Some of you out there are still poo-pooing the idea of adventure cats so I give you Suki. Suki has been to 12 countries and even spent two months in Europe last year. Suki’s human says, “She’s just a regular cat. I don’t think about it much until we are on the trail and she’ll get recognized. People are so ecstatic to meet her. Generally, it’s not something I think about much. We’re already out there taking photos [as a career] but getting to do it with Suki is amazing.” Evidently her 1.4 million Instagram followers and her jet set lifestyle hasn’t gone to her head. I need to get the staff busy and up our Instagram followers!

Meow-troid? Cat-slevania? Either Way, Gato Roboto Is Excellent

cat game

I know many of you humans are fond of video games. I played the Friskies Cat Fishing game on my mini iPad when I was a kitten but I grew out of it. Still you humans are fans and now, there is a video game that features a space pilot named Gary who crash-lands on a small planet, gets stuck in his ship, and sends his cat (who caused the crash in the first place) on an adventure to find help.

Kiki the Kitty explores an abandoned research facility that’s crawling with hostile enemy life, she collects weapons and suit upgrades on her journeys. She is a brave feline who swims and pilots a submarine. I say, with a feline as the main star of this video game I might need to try this stuff again!

Researchers strapped video cameras on 16 cats and let them do their thing. Here’s what they found

CatCamera

So this happened. Scientists strapped cameras on 16 cats and followed them for four years. They published their findings in Applied Animal Behavior Science from Manchester Metropolitan University. I watched the video with The Female Human and what I saw was that these scientists noted we felines greet each other with nose bonks, sometimes charge our enemies, cover up our poop and play with things. Hmm, I wonder how much this study cost.

When asked why they used cats the researcher said it sprung from her own questions about her cat’s behavior outside. Evidently they started with 21cats but 5 of them were not having the camera around their necks. The researcher also noted that when inside; we felines follow our humans around thereby indicating they were attached to their humans.

Forgive me for sounding snarky but anyone who lives with cats, who loves their cats and who spends time with their feline furiends could have told you all of this. Evidently humans are not always so great at seeing the obvious.

“Life has lost it’s meaning. I’m not sure if I can hang on. Diet may be the ruin of me.” Oliver

“Please send kibble..soon”Oliver

Alberto Opines on Friday Fill Ins #159

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,
Alberto here. I’m doing the Friday Fill Ins this week (Oliver has had far too much blog exposure lately! This is a blog hop which means you can hop on over to the hosts, 15andmeowing or Four-Legged Furballs and enter your blog post or, just opine about them in our comments section.

Enjoy!

Here are this week’s questions:

1. I would love to be a personal assistant to ___________________________.

2. If I had a boat, I would name it ________________________.

3. I want to improve my _________.

4. Surprises are _________.

Here are my answers:

1. I would love to be a personal assistant to the manager of a box factory. I can’t think of any other product I could be more excited about.

Good morning sir. May I shred some papers for you? Knock over your coffee? Alberto

2. If I had a boat, I would name it the SS Alberto. If The Female Human ever gets the lead out and takes me in the kayak, I will tell her she needs to rename it.

Me, still waiting for the female human to take me kayaking, Who could resist how handsome I look in my live vest? Alberto

3. I want to improve my guest greeting skills. This is the little settee in the foyer and I love to hang out here and greet guests. The problem is, some that haven’t met me before have been a bit startled.

Why hello there, Welcome to the house of Felines. Alberto

4. Surprises are great as long as you are the one doing the surprising.

Why hello there, don’t I make a lovely dining room table decoration? Alberto

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 5/29

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Wednesday came fast this week, I guess that Monday off got us all discombobulated. It’s been a busy day. Oliver went to the vet because The Female Human is concerned about his portly proportions. Ollie tried to tell me what a harrowing experience he had but when the video of his visit surfaced, I called “foul” on his description of the visit. You decide for yourself.

The good news is that Ollie’s blood work came back A-OK and The Female Human is relieved but the bad news is that Ollie is now on a diet. This should be interesting. This was his reaction when he was told he would be dieting.

D-I-E-T is a four-letter word! Oliver

Poor Ollie. At least I hope he enjoys my web wanderings this week.

Kitty Ends Up On The Wrong Side of The Law

Kittymugshot

Oh how I love it when you humans are creative. If there ever was a prize for the BEST “found cat” post, this is it. Big Boy Bubbles even managed to land himself a number! I sure hope his family finds him but if not, he will be put up for adoption at the San Diego Humane Escondido campus.

Company Gets It’s Whiskers in a Twist and Sues over the Name of a Cafe

final-34

Santa Cruz coffee shop Cat and Cloud Coffee says it received a cease and desist from Caterpillar Inc. — because they use the word “CAT” in their shop name and merchandise.

The large corporation has trademarked “CAT” and has taken legal action against the small business to stop them from using it. Owners of the small business say they first received the letter in August of 2018.

What hubris this company has…how can you trademark the word “cat”..are you kitten me??? And could someone please explain to me how there is any similarity between this café and Caterpillar??? Caterpillar machines, I hiss in your general direction.

Cats Gain the Upper Paw in Japan

JapaneseCats

It’s official according to a nationwide survey on cats and dogs as pets that was conducted by the Japan Pet Food Association, cats rock in Japan! The total number of dogs in 2018 was 8,903,000 but the total number of cats was 9,649,000. There are lots of charts and figures for you humans that like that sort of stuff. As for me, all I care about is that cat’s rule in Japan!

Cats (and Dogs) in Tornado Affected Oklahoma Are Sent to Maryland and Virginia

OklahomaStornVictims

The Humane Society of the United States assisted in transporting cats and other animals from shelters in tornado affected Oklahoma areas and placed them with shelters and rescues in Virginia and Maryland.

This allows the shelters in impacted areas to have more room to take in displaced animals. By transporting adoptable animals out of shelters in these communities, the opportunity for them to find a furever home is increased. And, then shelter capacity is increased in order for displaced animals to stay safe until they’re reunited with their families. Two paws up for the Humane Society of the United States and the shelters that are helping.

Yoga With Cats Craze Spreading to Europe

Human, why is this block on my yoga mat? Alberto

The yoga with cats craze has hit France. The Female Human never gets to do any yoga without the full attention of The Tribe of Five. Instructors say that having cats around enhances the feeling of wellbeing. If this is true, why is she always yelling at us to move? We felines are natural yoga masters, just watch us stretch. The Female Human needs to chill.

Oliver Opines on Friday Fill Ins (on Saturday)

Posted on May 25, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

“I’m not fat, I just have big bones.” – Oliver

I know, I know, I’m purrticipating in the Friday blog hop on Saturday…so sue me. It’s a long weekend and I’m having a hard time getting in gear. Although, with my girth getting in gear for anything is a struggle. The Female Human is so concerned about me she’s taking me to the vet next week to see why I’m gaining so much weight. Believe it or not, I’m not a snack eater, rarely partake of the wet food and am pretty much a “kibble only” kind of guy so my weight increase is a bit of a mystery. I told The Female Human I just have big bones.

Oh well, enough about me, let’s enjoy this week’s fill ins blog hop brought to you by the good folks at 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs. You’re invited to join the blog hop or, opine about your answers in the comment section.

Sig_Oliver

Here are this week’s questions:

1. I ________________on Memorial Day.

2. I try to avoid _________________.
3. If I had a catchphrase, it would be _________.
4. _________ motivates me to work hard.

My Answers:

1. I do the same thing I do every day on Memorial Day -as little as possible.

Me engaging in my favorite activity, which is no activity. – Oliver

2. I try to avoid exerting myself during playtime as much as possible. See how I handle my brother Alberto’s aggressive moves.

3. If I had a catchphrase, it would be “keep calm and purr on”.

4.Absolutely nothing motivates me to work hard. Cats do not work, we play and we rest and that’s about it.

Tucker and I working hard at not working. – Oliver

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/22

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends.
I have completed my feline journalistic duties for the Cat Writer’s Association’s 25th conference. It was very cool, lots of famous social media felines were there and
The Female Human brought home a nice swag bag we’ll be reporting on soon.

But it’s time for me to get to the best of feline news on the web. I hope you enjoy this week’s web wanderings.

Delta volunteer flies cat from Atlanta shelter to Seattle cat cafe to find new home

Oh how I love it when humans step up and do something outstanding, and this is definitely outstanding. First of all, did you know that Delta has an Animal Rescue Transport?

And Delta has volunteers that help make animal transport happen. One of these volunteers took a sweet little feline named Molly from Atlanta to a cat café in Seattle where she could be adopted. Molly tested positive for the feline leukemia virus which created a challenge to her adoption at the shelter. Cats with FIV are adoptable and their disease can be managed. So, the folks in Atlanta sent an application for Molly to be accepted to the Neko Cat Café in Seattle as they specialize in getting cats with FIV adopted. And the Neko Cat Café is one fantastic place where you can sip your favorite beverage, have a light nibble and a snuggle with felines. Could there be any better place?

But I digress, little Molly was accepted and a Delta volunteer flew with her to Seattle and delivered her to the cafe. Now Molly is famous and she has her own page on the Neko Cat Café’s website. So get the word out to your Seattle furiends and tell them to get Molly adopted!

Study using activity monitors to track cats’ activity levels

An interesting opportunity for all my indoor feline friends in England. Researchers from the University of Bristol Vet School want to hear from indoor cat owners for a new study looking at cats’ mobility levels using cat activity monitors.

They’re studying the effect of joint disease in cats activity levels by measuring movements of felines with and without mobility problems. There are criteria for the feline study purrticipants, they must be happy to be met and petted by strangers and wear a breakaway collar. The scientists are hoping to identify the earliest signs of joint disease which would make life so much better for felines with joint problems.

Cats taking part in the study should be:

over six years of age;
be kept indoors or have outdoors access within a closed run and/or on a lead;
shouldn’t be on any pain medication, and
live within one to two hours’ drive from Bristol, England.

So if you live across the pond, get your moggies in this study!

Dogs and cats take flight toward promising future

petflights

In this story nearly 200 shelter pets from Louisiana and Mississippi are settling into their new digs on the East Coast after being flown from Lafayette.

Wings of Rescue made this flight possible in conjunction with GreaterGood.org and the ASPCA.

These flights allow dogs and cats to go from overcrowded shelters where they are less likely to be adopted to shelters with room and better opportunities for them to find furever homes.

This program helps shelter pets all around the country and our local shelter does this as well. What a good idea humans, send us where we have a better chance of being adopted!

Denver cat ends up in Kansas

Topeka cat

Ah, another “happy ending cat traveler story”. (Good grief some of these felines like to roam the country). A “stray” cat was taken to a shelter in Topeka, KS and when they scanned her for a microchip, Loki’s family was located…..in Denver!

How did this happen you ask? No one knows but Loki is hitching a ride with a family friend of one of the shelter employees. So humans, PLEASE make sure your feline’s microchip info is up to date so that if, heaven forbid, your feline goes missing, you can be reunited too!

According to Research, Being a Cat Lady is Actually Good For You

This is our very own crazy cat lady (aka The Female Human). – Alberto FelineOpines.net

Oh puleeeze…these researchers aren’t telling us felines anything new! But I guess you humans have to hear from Psychological Medicine, what we’ve always known, and that is that felines are beneficial to your health. As a matter of fact, there’s even more research proving that cats are actually beneficial to specific parts of human health.

A study posted in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Nuerology states that: “a decreased risk for death due to MI and all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among persons with cats. Acquisition of cats as domestic pets may represent a novel strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in high-risk individuals.”

So there you have it, from the experts, that owning cats can benefit your health. Felines are great stress reducers and our purrs have healing powers. So the next time someone tries to name call your female human as a crazy cat lady, just smile, meow and remember, it’s not crazy to be healthier.

Oliver Reminisces on Friendly Fill Ins #156

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hi There Furiends,
I’m doing the fill-ins this week and I can’t wait to meow about my answers. This is a blog hop which means you can join via the link at the host’s sites at 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Fur Balls and hop around to other sites, read their answers and of course, opine about your thoughts on their answers. Sig_Oliver

Here are this week’s fill ins.

1. ______________ was a very good year.

2. There is nothing quite like _______________.

3. If I had a talk show, I would want to interview _________.

4. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for _________.

My Answers:

1. 2015 was a very good year. That’s the year The Female Human became a foster failure and my brother Alberto and I found our furever home. Weren’t we cute?

2. There is nothing quite like watching the local woodland wildlife with my brother.

black and white cat and siamese cat look out the window

3. If I had a talk show, I would want to interview Jackson Galaxy. The Female Human is always meowing about him and how much he knows about felines. I’d like to talk to him and see if he could figure out all the crazy idiosyncrasies of The Tribe of Five.

4. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my fellow members of The Tribe of Five…well, except maybe giving up my favorite spot on the sofa.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/8

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I hope you are all doing well. I have to say I’m glad all that Lily DNA stuff is over, sheesh, she’s prancing around here like she’s the queen. I feel that I have not received the attention due me this week because of all the DNA hoopla.

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The Female Human has been doing some rearranging around the house. She moved her office upstairs and The Tribe of Five approves as there are more windows and the space is bigger and it makes it much easier for me to snoopervise her when she works.

I hope you enjoy this Wednesday’s wanderings.

Cat Accidentally Hitches Ride From Utah to Florida

Calling all my feline friends in Utah. This guy evidently decided he wanted to see the world and got himself trapped in a semi that was traveling from his home in Utah to Marianna, Fla. The local shelter in Florida, Partners For Pets posted, posted his photo and story but I’m asking any of my Utah friends to share this post too, to see if we can get him back home. People, please have us microchipped and keep our info current so we can get home when we get lost!

Siamese cats to be dropped from Lady and the Tramp remake

Boy does this have my whiskers in a twist! Disney is dropping the Siamese cat characters from its remake of Lady and the Tramp and they are going to “revamp” the Siamese Cat Song because they think it’s controversial content. Are you serious?!!!! There will not be Siamese cats in the movie because, evidently we Siamese cats are offensive. Well Disney, I have one thing to say to you…”I am Sia-a-meese if you please….I am Sia-a-meese if you DON’T please!

Have You Seen This Cat?

Normally, this would be a photo and a question on a lost cat forum or posted on a telephone pole but Frank’s story is a bit more complicated. Frank’s human is suing his landlord for catnapping Frank. Joshua Smith told the Oregonian that his landlord even admitted to the heinous crime.

Smith is demanding up to $250,000 in damages for the disappearance of Frank with intent to “inflict severe emotional distress.” He is also offering a $500.00 reward for the return of Frank so if anyone of my readers are in that area, please help this man find Frank (and earn $500.00 in the process!)

Star Trek Cat Collectibles

Now you can go boldly where no cat has gone before. Chronicle Collectibles has taken released their Star Trek Cats Collection, based on the whimsical feline artwork of Jenny Parks.The collection includes James T. Kirk Cat, Scotty Cat and Spock Cat. All are available for pre-order at $39.95. Beam me up Scotty!

Missing Montecito Mudslide Cat Returns Home After 475 Days and It’s All Thanks to a Random Conversation

Oh how I love happy endings! A cat that disappeared during a California mudslide has returned to its family after 475 days. The Strogoff family had to flee their home because of the impending mudslides in Montecito CA in January 2018. In the rush to leave, they couldn’t find their two cats, Diamond and Hugette and had to leave without them. The family was devastated that the cats could not be found in the mudslide devastated area where twenty-three people were killed.

Fast forward to about a week ago when Mrs. Strogoff was talking with a worker at her house when she told him about her beloved, lost Diamond. When she explained the cat’s markings he remarked that it sounded like a cat he’d been feeding a few blocks from their former home. And just like that Diamond was reunited with the family. Unfortunately, the other cat is still missing.

Lily Opines About Her Basepaws DNA Results

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Feline Opines

cat basepaws dna results

Hello There Furiends,
Before I get into the good stuff, I have to provide a thing you humans call a “disclosure” about my interaction with the Basepaws company. We were provides with a complimentary Basepaws kit in exchange for my opinion of the process and the product. All of the included images, the written content and the opinions are original and from Feline Opines. Although I’ve linked to the company these are not affiliate links and Feline Opines receives no commission or monetary gain from purchases. I just like to tell my furiends about new, cool stuff.

Test Information

This is me at the shelter the day I met The Female Human. – Lily

And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for…..my report!

Basepaws divides purebred felines in to three different breed groups:

Western (American Shorthair, Persian, Siberian, British Shorthair, Maine Coon, Russian Blue, Norwegian Forest Cat, Abyssinian, Exotic Shorthair, Turkish Angora and Ragdoll)
Eastern (Oriental Shorthair, Burmese, Birman & Siamese)
Hybrid (Cats that are the result of mating between a domestic cat and a wild cat. These breeds include the Bengal (Asian Leopard + domestic) and the Savannah breeds (Serval + domestic)

The fourth feline group is the Polycat group which describes mixed breed cats, 95% of all cats in the world are mixed breed felines. Before Basepaws DNA testing we knew nothing about them and now, as they add more purebred data and trait information they will be able to begin narrowing down the parts of the genome that are responsible for certain traits.

The Western, Eastern and Hybrid groups are based on the DNA of purebred cats in their database. As the company grows and adds more DNA they will be able to narrow down the specific genomic regions . I was assigned to the Western Breed Group. Now this does’t mean that I necessarily have “prebred” relatives. It means that the certain genomic regions are the ones that I am most similar to and they ranked me with three breeds by how similar I am to a specific breed and the rest of the database.

The “Sciency” Stuff

First of all neither the Female Human nor I are very scientific so I’m going to try and make this as simple as possible. If you have an inquiring mind and enjoy science, you might want to check out this information (even though it’s from The National Human Genome Research Institute.

The Basepaws folks sequenced my DNA and it resulted in 8,626,137 DNA fragments that were sequenced and that represents 1,089,039,875 DNA bases that were sequenced (these numbers are a little big for this simple feline to understand). Using that data in addition to the latest cat genome (felis_catus_9.01 – felis catus is a fancy word for “domestic cat”). They analyzed genetic variants across 18 chromosomes to generate my report.

Phew, not that the “sciency” stuff is over let’s dig in to the really interesting stuff.

Let’s Talk About Me

I was assigned to the Western Breed Group and here are the three breeds I am most similar to:

Norwegian Forest Cat

Meowza! I’m like a breed that is believed to be 1-000-2,000 years old. My DNA ancestors originated in Norway (now I know why I like the winters here). Norwegian Forest Cats are generally healthy and strong but also more prone to Diabetes mellitus (a metabolic disorder where blood sugar levels remain high for long periods of time. This is something my veterinarian can watch out for on my yearly wellness visits. The purrsonality traits of this breed makes them friendly, social and independent. I’m friendly with people I know and just like this breed, I am friendly on my own terms. I’m not so social but I’m very independent! They have favorite humans (that is so true) and tend to be picky about whose lap they sit in (me again). The Norwegian Forest Cat in me is where I get my love of climbing and The Female Human has great climbing alternatives for me in high places to satisfy the Forest Cat DNA in me.

American Shorthair

American Shorthair breed

This part of my DNA is responsible for my stellar hunting skills. I don’t have the large head, powerful jaws and full cheeks like most American Shorthairs. American Shorthairs have a variety of coat colors. That’s definitely me! And their eyes are large and distinctive. Me again. The American Shorthair DNA in me may make me affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There is also sometimes a problem with dermoid cysts, and some facial issues like cleft palate but thankfully, I don’t have any of these problems. As far as purrsonality is concerned, the fact that they aren’t known as lap cats is me to a T. They appreciate a spot near their humans on the sofa and that is really me. I’m called “Lily Bug” because I always snuggle against humans when they sit on the sofa (my version of being a love bug). Another purrsonality trait that is all me is that I am fine on my own and can entertain myself. I do love to find a good sun puddle and hang there all day, another indication that I have much in common with the American Shorthair.

Siberian

Siberian Forest Cat

Also called The Siberian Forest Cat. I don’t have the plush long coat of these guys. This is the national animal of Russia, cool. I think this must be where I got my crazy coat because the coats for these cats range from tabby, solid, tortoiseshell and color point. To get one of these breed kittens will cost you a lot of moola and that’s why they’re rare outside of Europe. I hope The Female Human appreciates me for the rare treasure I am. There are no documented known health conditions that plague this breed so that makes me feel good. It is interesting that Siberian Forest Cats are considered to be a hypoallergenic breed because they produce less FelD1 that is the allergen thought to be the culprit in causing allergic reactions in humans. I think I fit the personality description to a T, brave, independent, easygoing and affectionate.

And I’m Wild

My favorite part of the report is that it said the wild cat I was most similar to is the leopard. Pretty cool huh?

And Now The Contest & Winner

untitled design

Thanks to all of you who purrticipated in my Basepaws DNA contest. The #1 breed guess was Siamese with American Shorthair coming in second. There were many others, Tortiseshell, Birman, Burmese, Main Coon, Persian, Turkish Van, Calico, Tonkinese, Snowshoe and Exotic.

Unfortunately, no one got all three but don’t feel bad, The Female Human didn’t pick even one of the breeds. We put all the names in a basket and I batted them around for a while before I had The Female Human pick one out (with her eyes closed, of course) and the winner is…….messymimimeanderings! Please let us know the address to send the books and they’ll be on their way to you. You can use the form below to send the info.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

)

Well, I hope you enjoyed my report. If you have your humans do your DNA, let us know about your results.
Sig_Lily

Tucker Opines on His Childhood And Other Important Things-Friendly Fill Ins #155

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,
Tucker here. It’s been a while since The Tribe of Five has purrticipated in the Friendly Fill Ins. Things have been a bit stressful for our Purrsonal Assistant and she’s been overwhelmed. Still, we felines love to (and need to) opine so I urged her to let me do this week’s questions and here we are!

I have noted the questions for the week and encourage you all to opine, either as part of the blog hop hosted by 15andMeowing and Four-Legged Furballs or, just meow about your answers in the comment sections of this post.

I hope you all are having a wonderful spring, it’s almost time for The Female Human to break out the catio!
Sig_Tucker

This Week’s Questions:

1. 13 years ago, I __________________.

2. By this time next year, I hope to ________________________.

3. One word that describes me is _________.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the _________ genre.

My answers:

1. 13 years ago, I was still working as a tutor for the high school and my niece was still living with us ( she did until 2011). I knew nothing about cat blogs back then, I sure missed out on a lot.

2. By this time next year, I hope to still have all my loved ones ( 2-legged and 4-legged). I know this is not likely being that KaTwo has mammary cancer and Millie is shrinking away despite his big appetite and his thyroid meds.

3. One word that describes me is quirky I asked my mom what she thought and she said “weird”. I asked my hubby and he answered, compassionate. I like his answer.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the comedy genre.

And here are my answers:

1. 13 years ago, I was stuffed in a carrier in the back of the SUV with my sister Jasmine and Angel Miss P and Angel Buster. We were moving from California to Northern Idaho and I love it here (but I was NOT fond of the long drive!). Lots of wildlife to watch, lots of windows and a nice fireplace when it’s winter. This photo is Jasmine and I experiencing our first spring in Idaho (we stayed inside our first winter).

Hey Tucker, this grass is wet and smells funny. Forget about the grass Jasmine, what the &%##@ is that white stuff?

2. By this time next year, I hope to be sitting on the ledge of the upstairs deck and sunning myself but in light of my previous falls from the upstairs balcony into the ravine below and getting lost in my own neighborhood,I’ve come to the conclusion supervised front porch sitting is safer.

“Sitting on the front porch under human supervision is much safer than sitting on the railing of the upstairs deck.” – Tucker

3. One word that describes me is cute. Come on, admit it, not bad for a 16-year old feline.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the comedy genre.

“This is me doing my impression of a table decoration.” – Tucker

https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=292250

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/1

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Feline Opines

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-20 Oliver 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)

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

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.

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.