The Tribe Opines on Books, Getting Stuck and Other Stuff

Happy Fur-iday! And when it’s Fur-iday you know one of the Tribe of Five will be opining on Friendly Fill Ins. We couldn’t decide who would get to answer the fill ins so Olilver, Lily and I are all opining this week.  This is a blog hop hosted by our furiends from 15andMeowing and Four-Legged Furballs. You can hop on over to their sites and join the fun or, if you prefer, you can opine in our comment form.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Here are this week’s fill ins:

1. I have _______________ for ____________.

2. _________________ make me _____________________.
3. I’m surprised that _________.

4. To make a long story short, ________

Here are our answers:

1. Lily:  I have no patience for felines who are not well-read. The Caticons book is fantastic and we’re reading a new book we’ll be reviewing soon called Prancie’s Prayer.

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2.Alberto: Being interrupted in the middle of my favorite TV show makes me cranky!

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3. Oliver: I’m surprised that giving The Female Human my saddest face has no affect on her when she sits at the counter having breakfast.

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4. Oliver: To make a long story short, I underestimated my girth when I squeezed under the kitchen stool. 

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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/10

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi There Furiends,
I hope that you had a great week wherever you are. It is still beautiful in my neck of the woods. The fall colors are amazing and there are lots more critters showing up for a handout since the weather has cooled.  I hope you enjoy this week’s finds from my web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Woman Nabs Coveted Job of Russian Town’s Cat Chief – Huffpost

CatChief

Okay, you know I love stories about cats with jobs but I also love stories about humans with cat-related jobs and this one is great! The advertisement for this job in a  Russian town said, “Wanted: Cat chief. Location: Zelenogradsk, Russia: Duties: tending to the town’s approximately 70 stray cats.”

There were about 80 humans who applied for this job in a town that is working to brand itself as Russia’s most foremost cat-loving community. Local resident Svetlana Logunova won the job and she received a bicycle and uniform with  a bright green jacket, black bow tie and hat. And she gets paid to do this! It’s only about $85.00 per month (5,700 roubles) but she’s happy with her new career. She loves feeding the cats, petting them and giving them a turn around the town in the basket on her bicycle. Paws up to this Russian town for trying an innovative solution to it’s feral kitties.  Be sure and click on the link to watch the video.

Ten Best Beach Destinations for People Who Love Cats – Coastal Living

black and white cat on the beach

When humans travel what should they want to do? Spend time with felines, of course!
This article highlights some purrfect vacation destinations where humans can interact with many fabulous felines. They even include Amsterdam, although not technically on the beach, it still offers the  Poezenboot, or “Catboat,” which sits on the picturesque Singel Canal. The sanctuary started in the ‘60s, when a cat caretaker living alongside the canal pondered the question, “If people could live on houseboats…why not cats?”  I featured this on an earlier Web Wednesdsay but it’s worth another mention. The destinations include Hemmingway’s 6-toed cats of Key West, a big cat sanctuary in Floirida, a Greek Island, a cat village in Malta and more. Meowza, I think it’s time for The Humans to get out their travel calendar and start thinking about their next vacation!

A black cat named Monk has been gaining popularity on social media thanks to his enormous fangs – Sputnik

Black cat with long fangs

My regular readers know how much I hate costumes for cats! The humans tried that with me once….once being the operative word. You can read about that fiasco on our blog, I do love however, when a feline attracts positive attention because of their unusual looks. Monk is a case in point. Now, I do not agree with the ensemble they’ve dressed him in but he seems to be okay with it so who am I to judge?  Monk has a great Instagram account called Monk & Bean (Bean is his brother). You’re one handsome guy Monk!

Story About Missing Cat Will Actually Brighten Your Day – Metro.co.uk

Black cat om wood stump

There is nothing joyful about a cat missing from home but sometimes stories have happy…and funny endings. The story of Stu is one such story told by his human in tweets. It’s a story of a cat doing what cats do…causing their humans to worry for no good reason and then strolling home, completely unaware of the trauma he’s caused.

These Cat Slippers Purr When You Walk – PopSugar

cat slippers that purr

I hear The Female Human complain about how much she misses us when she and The Male Human have to travel, so I’ve put these slippers on the Christmas list.  These big paw pairs of  Twitchy Kitty Cat Paw Slippers ($35) are purrrty amazing! They actually purr when you walk. I mean, what footwear could be better than this? Now if anyone could tell me where a feline can get his paws on $35.00 I’d appreciate it.

 

 

 

 

 

Oliver Celebrates Feline Friday

In the fall we get some GNARLY thunder and lightning storms around here. I am not a fan and prefer to crawl under something until the crashing and flashing is over! (Note the worried look on my face!)

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Lily Opines on Fonts,Fall and Furry Critters on Friendly Fill Ins #125

Hello There Furiends,
Lily here. the weather is turning cooler and the colors are beautiful. I like to sit on the window sill in the warmth of the house and enjoy everything that’s happening out there. I hope you are enjoying fall (whatever fall looks like in your neck of the woods).

I am purrticipating in the Friendly Fill Ins blog hop. You can hop too, just go over to our friends 15andMeowing or Four-Legged Furballs. and join in the fun. If you purrfer, you can always opine about your answers in the comment section of this post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
LilyLogo

Here are this week’s fill in questions:

1. My favorite font is___________________.
2. October is perfect for _________________.
3. Where I live, _________.

4. I feel very _________ this time of year.

Here are my answers:

1. My favorite font is ..well at first I had to ask our Purrsonal Assistant what a “font” is. After she explained to me that it’s different of styles for words. I had her search the web for feline fonts and found this one which I think is purrfect and yes, it is my favorite font!
katzcatz font
2. October is perfect for cuddling up to your favorite nap buddy, Tucker.
Siamese cats cuddling
3. Where I live, I am considered a diva and a bit of royalty.  This is me on my favorite throne, errr…chair
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4. I feel very sad that my summer upstairs deck outings are coming to an end this time of year.
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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/3

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here. It’s Wednesday web wandering time. I hope you enjoy this week’s discoveries.
Purrs & Head Bonks

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Airport Therapy Cat Makes Travel Less Stressful – People

Tabby therapy cat at Denver airport

My readers know how much I love stories about working cats. We felines are capable of so much more than you humans can imagine!  This is a story about a therapy cat at the Denver airport . I know, you mostly hear about therapy dogs but therapy cats are out there too!

Xeli works at the Denver International Airport in their  Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS). Despite the name,  Xeli is the first feline on this squad. Xeli works with more than 100 certified therapy dogs.

Xeli’s work as an airport therapy cat earned her recognition from the Petco Foundation, who dubbed her a Helping Hero. The next time your humans travel through the Denver airport tell them to look for the Tabby in the blue “pet me” vest.

Spaceship Cat Beds – My Modern Met

SpaceshipCatBed

If your humans are fond of Science Fiction,  space movies and books then they will probably want to buy their felines one of these.  Now I’ve featured unusual cat furniture before but these beds, which sit on the floor, mount on the wall or even sit on top of a table are out of this world.   Myzoo Studio is the company launching these futuristic cat sleeping pods inspired by space ships. I quite like the wall mount bed so “Beam me up Scottie!”

Cat Thief Collared by Cat’s friends on Instagram – Daily Mail 

siberian forest cat Mr. Muk

I especially like this story as it shows that being an Internet star can pay off. It really payed off for this Ginger Siberian Forest cat named Mr. Muk whose Instagram account helped return him to his home in Islington, North London.  His human sent out a global cry for help and the local police released CCTV images of Mr. Muk with the catnapper. A little over a month later the cat thief was caught.

So my famous Internet feline furiends, if some nasty catnapper takes you away have your humans reach out to your fans!

This former military man is making cardboard tanks for the cats he looks after – Independant.ie

tabby cat in cat tank

Now I do not want to cast any aspersions on our excellent and beloved cat sitter but I must say, this human goes above and beyond! Justin Huegel, 42 who lives in Maryland is a military vet. I’ve always said that “Real men love cats” and Justin Huegel is a shining example, he lives with five felines.

When he offered to care for a friend’s felines those felines had quite a surprise. Justin said the tank idea began as a joke. He made tanks for his own cats and thought his friend would find her cat in a tank amusing.  The cat, Charlie, embraced the idea and loves the tank. Justin said the cat refused to exit the tank so he had to work around him to build it.

Justin gets a paws up award for the most pawsome cat sitter!

Cat Digs Massage From Halloween Hand – BoingBoing

Normally, the only cat Halloween news items you find are about humans shoving felines into ridiculous costumes. This is a news feature with a twist.

Kiko the cat is enjoying a new Halloween tradition. What say you my furiends? Yes or no? (I say it beats the heck out of a stupid Halloween costume!). Watch the video and come to your own conclusions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oliver Opines on Sunshine, Dangerous Places and more

Happy Friday Furiends,
We’ve been celebrating #RememberMeThursday and have been quite busy spreading the world about adoption. Many of our online friends joined with us and it made me proud to see all their hard work.

If it’s Friday, you know it’s Friendly Fill In blog hop time #124 hosted by our furiends 15andMeowing and Four-Legged Furballs. We invite you to join the blog hop or, if you prefer, you can opine about your fill ins in our comment section.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

This week’s Fill Ins:

1. A  ________________ will ___________________.
2. The best time of the day is __________________.
3. _________ is not my strong suit.

4. It’s all fun and games until _________.

My Answers:

1. A  good day will always be made better when you find your purrfect sun spot!

black and white ct sunning on the stairs
2. The best time of the day is when The Humans go to the pantry and get us food (that’s me in front of the pantry providing a gentle reminder that it’s feeding time.)

black and white cat laying in front of a pantry door

3. Patience is not my strong suit.
black and white cat in a kitchen sink

Hello! The water bowl is getting low!

4. It’s all fun and games until someone sits in the rocking chair.
black and white cat sitting under rocker

Whoa Human, don’t sit there!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 9/26

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s that time again. I hope you like this Wednesday’s web wanderings, there is some good stuff there and some humans who are doing an amazing job for felines.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

 

 

Cat Owners Spend A Lot Of Time Talking to Their Felines – NY Post

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My human and I having a serious conversation about her mocking me. Alberto FelineOpines.net

Now why in the world this idea of humans talking to cats is newsworthy is beyond this feline’s comprehension. Duh, of course humans talk to their cats! The photo above is The Female Human explaining to me that she wasn’t mocking me, just doing a little something for the human kids who come to our door in funny outfits and expect candy. This article provides some interesting tidbits but again, some of “findings” are no-brainers for anyone who shares their life with felines, like the fact that 93% of humans with cats in their homes say they have a strong connection with their felines. Of course they do!!

The Best Mewsic Ever! Bongo Cat – Kotaku
bongo cat

Felines and humans alike enjoy mewsic and what better way to enjoy your favorite tunes that with Bongo Cat? He started out as a humble bongo playing feline and then many more animators jumped in and Bong Cat now plays a plethora of mewsical instruments.  If you want to hear the full scope of this tuneful cat, go to Twitter and enter #BongoCat. There are quite a few tuneful entries in this article.
https://youtu.be/dMA8PswEosY

Pet Shelter Where 75-Year-Old Naps With Cats Raised Enough Funds To Cover The Year – HuffPost

man naps with cats at shelter

This story is for all you humans who don’t think you can do anything to help the lives of shelter cats and it’s also a tale of how one good deed can take over the internet and provide for a shelter.  The photos above were taken by the founder of Safe Haven, Elizabeth Feldhausen and, as the article says, “they hit the internet like catnip”.

The cat-napper, Terry Lauerman, has one desire, for people to donate to the cage free sanctuary that rescues disabled cats who would otherwise be in danger of euthanasia. And meowza did the humans respond! The shelter director said, ““We did make more than our operating costs for last year.” Depending on the condition of the cats we take in, it could cover our costs for a year, or it could cover about 50 cats’ surgeries.”

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats
The Tribe of Five gives Mr. Lauerman and all the humans who donated our “Paws Up” Award!

 

 

Blind Kitty Helps Get His Grandma Cancer Free With Hospital Visits & Cuddles – People
Donny the blind therapy cat

This is a story that shows you should never underestimate the power of purrs, love and adoption. Susan Smith and her husband saw Donny, a  2-year-old rescue cat  born without eyes and with the neurological condition Cerebellar Hyperplasia, which causes him to wobble and fall over when he walks.  Donny was adopted and added to the Smith’s furry family of 3 blind cats and a blind dog.

Donny’s amazing purrsonality made itself known quickly and his humans had him joined  NSALA’s Outreach Program as a therapy cat. Through this program, Donny makes regular visits to hospitals, nursing homes and Alzheimer’s facilities where he contentedly sits in the laps of residents and patients and receives countless pats.

When Smith’s 88-year-old mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and moved into a hospital for a more than a month to receive radiation treatments, Donny already had all the credentials and skills he needed to soothe her and after 17 radiation treatments and visits from Donny, grandma was pronounced cancer free! Follow Donny and the rest of his furry siblings on Instagram.

Never, ever underestimate the power of the purr! You go Donny!

What can cats eat? Papa’s Cat Café teaches local kids how to care for their felines – Missourian
KidsCatCafe

If you follow my Wednesday web wanderings you know I am a HUGE fan of cat cafes. As a matter of fact, we have a cat cafe section on our website (it’s found under “The Felines Opine About”, you’ll see “Cat Cafes). This cat cafe (Poppa’s Cat Cafe in Missouri)  has a twist that we really like, it teaches mini humans how to take care of the felines in their lives during their Saturday morning Cat Academy. The mini humans get a lesson about cats, story time, a cat-themed craft and an extra 30 minutes of kitty cuddle time.

I think this would be a great idea for all cat cafes and some shelters too!

 

Oliver Opines on Dangerous Places and other Feline Stuff on Friendly Fill ins #123

Hi There Furiends,
Oliver here. I’m answering this week’s fill ins. I hope you are all well and safe and enjoying a lovely fall, even if it’s from the window sill inside the house (one of my favorite spots). I invite you to join this blog hop hosted by 15andmeowing and  Four-Legged Furballs. If you would prefer to opine about your answers in our comment section, please feel free to do so.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

This week’s questions:

1. The last time I ____________was ____________________.
2. __________________isn’t ___________________.
3. _________ is a blessing in disguise.
4. My favorite word is _________.

My Answers:

1. The last time I faced danger (danger of falling down the stairswas just the other day.  I was once in this dangerous situation when I was just a little guy. You can read about it here.
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2. My felted wool bed isn’t fitting as well as it used to. Hmm, it must have shrunk!
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3. Having glass between me and the great outdoors is a blessing in disguise.

4. My favorite word is “Walk!”
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