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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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 4/24

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends!

“Far be it from me to rush you Human but I sure would appreciate a little stroll outside!” -Alberto

Spring has sprung….finally! The Tribe of Five is waiting for The Female Human to get that pop up catio out of the garage and let us out into the fresh air. She does seem to be taking her sweet time though and I’m getting a bit impatient. Humans, they never seem to have their priorities together!

But at least our Purrsonal Assistant understands the priority of bringing you the best of the worldwide-web in feline news on Wednesday.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Cats are actually nice, scientists find

“Cats purrfer hanging out with their humans over eating? I’ll have to think about that.” -Oliver

Well twist my whiskers, it took a bunch of scientists to figure out that we felines are nice? The way you humans spend your time really amazes me. The research from Oregon State University, published in Behavioural Processes, tells us there is scientific evidence that cats are nice. In fact, the study found, cats like interacting with humans more than they like eating food. Now this bit I may not agree with, if you look at Oliver, you may find this statement a bit questionable.

Here’s an idea for those scientists, go to your local shelter and adopt a cat and you’ll see how nice we are!

Cat’s Attorney Takes on City Hall in Lawsuit

Miska, the Tabby has a rap sheet longer than her tail and now, her humans have intervened on behalf of the Bellevue, WA feline and they are suing the city and King County. They feel she was unfairly targeted calling her citations, “egregious and outrageous”.

The feline’s attorney cites bias and unfair practices against Miska, noting she has received 30 of the 50 infractions doled out by King County Animal Control in the last decade. The attorney said, “I’ve never seen a city or a county so hell bent on going after a poor, defenseless cat,”

Regardless of where you stand on this legal kerfuffle, you have to agree, it’s about time felines stood up for injustice! Does anyone know where I can find a feline lawyer, I may need one in the future.

Feline Dino Cut Takes Instagram By Storm

dino cat cat grooming trend

People…PULLLEEEZE don’t do this. You humans shove us in costumes, cutesy collars ad bows and if that isn’t enough humiliation, now you want to to cut our gorgeous fur and make us look like some sort of prehistoric throwback? To those who are contemplating doing this to your cat, please look at the faces of the felines in this article. If looks could kill……

True Love Between Neighbor Felines Tugs at The Heart Strings

LoveStory

Queue the violins, this is a feline love story that has taken Twitter by storm. Two cats, staring at each other from across the courtyard fall in love and, with a little help from their humans, the love story moves forward. Simon and Theo are a happy couple and this story has a fairy tale ending.

8 Best Cat Breeds For First-Time Owners

BestCatBreeds

For those of you who’ve never had the joy of sharing your life with a feline and who are wondering just what type of feline you’d like to live with, here’s some help.

The first thing you humans need to understand is that felines, like humans, have different purrsonality traits. But there are traits that some breeds have in common.

And don’t think you have to go to a breeder to find certain types of cats. Every one of the Tribe of Five is a shelter/rescue cat and each one of us have some Siamese in our blood. The Female Human loves how intelligent we are, how social, curious and loyal we are as well. Each of us has our own quirks but we do fit the “Siamese” profile very well. So get out there and find the cat that best suits you and your lifestyle.

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 4/3

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

It’s getting far too warm for this cozy felted bed.” -Alberto

Hello There Furiends,

Spring is finally happening in our neck of the woods. In fact, I’m a bit sad that it’s getting too warm for me to sit in my snuggly DharmaDog-Karma Kat felted wool bed. But the good news is that soon The Tribe and I will be enjoying the great outdoors safely in our catio.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Backpacker adopts a kitten on his world travels and customizes his bike to take the kitten with him.

Backpacker

This is a story that makes this feline smile. Dean Nicholson, began his journey in Dunbar, Scotland, last September and met his furry feline traveling companion in Bosnia. He named the kitten Nala and they’ve traveled to Albania and Greece together. She even has her own Pet Passport.

He recalls their first meeting, : ‘I was going up a steep hill with my music blaring out of my speaker when I heard a desperate meow from behind me.”

He got off his bike and picked up the kitten and that was it, love at first site. He wasn’t going to take her with him at first, but he quickly realized he couldn’t bear to part with her.

They’ve been traveling companions for the last four months. She travels on the front of his bike in a basket, and creates quite a stir everywhere she goes.

How does Nala feel about traveling? Well if you take a look at the photos in the news article you’ll see how much she loves her new life. The only time she shows her displeasure is when the bike rattles over cobblestones. She jumps on her human’s shoulder until the shaky part of the journey is over. To read more about this traveling team visit @1bike1world.

Cleveland Orchestra introduces ‘Cat Concerts’ on April Fools’ Day

OrchestraCats

MOL, you humans are a riot. This is by far the best April Fool’s trick. All those well heeled orchestra patrons were ready to bring a lint roller and listen to the feline concert. The announcement from the orchestra said that they would be offering concerts with cats from the Cleveland Animal Protection League. Their ad read, “Both classical music and interactions with animals bring people together, make a memorable impact on our lives, and have been proven to provide psychological benefits. Introducing this new initiative aligns with our mission to enrich lives by creating extraordinary musical experiences. These cat concerts will be just that: extraordinary.”

I say it sounds like a great idea, we felines can strum some mean tunes.

RCMP’s April Fools Announcement – A Police Cat Division

PoliceCat

B.C. Mounties have come up with the purrfect way to get their claws into crime. They’ve announced a Police Cat Services Division. The announcement read: “Front line officers throughout the province who have been volunteered for the pilot project will be assigned their police cats over the next few months. Each Police Cat handler will also be given a Cat carrying backpack, and each cat has been chosen based on a particular set of skills acquired over a very long training process,”

This April Fools announcement started a Twitter storm, someone stated that a police cat can work for almost 15 minutes a day before getting bored and they aren’t expected to be enthusiastic. Also, “A police cat entering the RCMP training program must be moody, aloof and pensive (no reason for it, they just are),” Frankly, I find the idea of a feline police force absolutely purrfect!

Pet Sematary director says cats who played Church were a ‘pack of divas’ on set

Evidently humans are bringing the Stephen King 1983 novel, Pet Sematary to the big screen. The character, Church, the undead feline who plays a major role in the film, was an import part to cast and a hunt was launched for the purrfect feline thespian.

The human directors decided that they would cast a Maine Coon with a multi-color coat. They didn’t realize that it would be difficult to find 8 cats exactly alike. Each feline actor had an acting specialty; one was a hisser, another could hold a steady stare, one was a jumper, etc. Each cat would have to become acclimated to the set when they arrived so all the actors would have to sit quietly and let the cat sniff everything for about ten minutes. Evidently being forced to sit and watch the cats didn’t sit well with the humans and they began calling the feline actors “a pack of divas”. Clearly, those humans have not come to the realization that this is a feline world and they are only allowed to live in it.

Click here to watch the movie trailer.

Cypriot Hotels Install Cat Hotels for Strays

Now THIS is how hotels should handle the feral cat population! Two resorts in Cyprus have built cat hotels for lucky feral felines. Volunteers of Animal Rescue Cyprus have been instrumental in this process and have been working on this solution for hotels for over ten years. The idea is that by providing on-site shelter and food stations, , cats have a safe place to eat and sleep, and will be less inclined to pester guests. One of the two resorts participating is the Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri.

The resort has established the Columbia Cat Care Project, which traps, spays, neuters the cats and feeds and monitors them. The cats have become an attraction at the resort and often and many bond with certain felines and even sponsor their favorite cat for a cost of 25 Euros a year (that’s about $28.00 US).

Aphrodite Hills Hotel in Paphos is the second resort with a program to care for its cats. , They have installed feeding stations and are looking to build an entire cat hotel that is fenced and protected.

Paws up to these innovative humans!

The Tribe is Honored

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Feline Opines

The Tribe of Five at Feline Opines is all dressed up for the Cat Writer’s Awards.

Hey there Furiends,
We wanted to take a moment to meow about the fact that we received two Certificates of Excellence from the Cat Writer’s Association. I guess all the hard work by our Purrsonal Assistant paid off. I just hope this doesn’t mean she’s going to ask for a raise!

Alberto will be reporting from the CWA conference in May.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
The Tribe of Five

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 3/27

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,

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

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

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto

Man Gets Suspended For Helping Helpless Feline

Verizon

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

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

Dear Verizon, I hiss in your direction.

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

catPoop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tulsa Firefighters Rescue Snickers The Cat – Twice

Snickers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BadSinging

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

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

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