Category Archives: Cat writers

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/22

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi There Furiends,
It’s Wednesday again and I’m bringing you the best of my web wanderings of the week.  I hope you enjoy this week’s finds.
Purrs & Head Bonks
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Office Envy, Inside Appneta and It’s Special Area for Cats and Dogs – BOSTINNO

APPNeta

Frankly, this feline is a bit weary of hearing offices tout the fact that they are “dog friendly”. What about feline friendly?! Why are humans with felines in residence discriminated against? When I saw this feature I was quite the happy kitty as this company, APPNeta located in Boston, MA has a corner dedicated to the four-legged kids of the employees complete with toys, food and a soft cushion. This all sounds great but this feline had a hard time finding any evidence that cats are welcome there (I found one photo of a little dog running around). There is no cat tree, no litter box and the toys look distinctly canine. I made our Purrsonal Assistant try to blow up the photos on the board to see if any cats were featured but she couldn’t get a clear enough look. So, although they say cats are welcome, I cannot guarantee that felines actually go to work there. If any of my readers are in the Boston area or know about this company, I’d love to know if cats are really welcome. Conclusion, it’s a great idea but is it really hosting cats?

University Allows Dogs and Cats to Live in Dorm – nbc-2.com

cats in dorms

While we’re on the subject of humans finally thinking outside the box when it comes to felines, this is a great example. I cam across this article about Southeast Missouri State University allowing students to bring their feline (oh yeah, and canine) friends to college. They have a special dorm that is pet friendly for this one year pilot program. Pet owning students are already applying for the program. Now don’t despair human students if you don’t live in Missouri. I also found a list of the 25 most pet friendly colleges.  Two paws up to these forward thinking humans!

Yes, You Can Hold Your Cat Like A Baby – Lifehack

tabby cat in a snuggly

Now let me just say that this photo does not make me want to jump into one of those hangy things and truth be told, that feline isn’t looking over the moon about this idea.

Veterinarian Dr. Uri Burstyn has a series of videos on handling cats on YouTube under his secondary identity as the Helpful Vancouver Vet. And wouldn’t you know, one of the most frequent questions he gets is from humans asking if it’s okay to hold their felines like babies.  In other words, flipping the feline over on it’s back. The short answer is maybe, it depends on the cat and your relationship with said cat.

orange tabby in a slilng carrierI like how the writer of the article put it, “The reason you can’t just grab any cat baby-style is obviously because you’re turning the pointy ends towards your face, and a cat that doesn’t like this position or who is easily started will use your face as a ladder to escape. “.  And as if it isn’t enough for you humans to hold us like babies you also seem to want to insert in contraptions that are made to carry babies. As regards the photo on the top I say “No way!” The slingy-side thing might work. The Tribe of Five is still discussing the issue. What do you think my feline friends? Do you like to be held baby style?

 

The 8 Best Toys for Cats Home Alone – Bustle

siamese cat with cat tunnel

If your humans leave the house to go to the place they call “work” so that they can buy you fancy food, treats and toys then these items are for you. We all know that when that front door shuts, there is a long time before you get any cuddles, treats, or ear scratches. So what’s a cat to do? Well we don’t sleep all day so our humans would be smart to find us some toys that will make the time pass more quickly.

I liked the tunnel and the activity toys but there is one they didn’t mention that we have at our house and that’s the battery operated red dot machine.  Do you have a favorite toy that helps you pass the time until your humans return home?

I Went On A 4,000-Mile Road Trip With My Cat And This Is What Happened – Matador Network

orange tabby in backpack with window

This is a great story on so many levels. First and foremost, this cat is a formal feral who had a hard life until she was adopted. This is what the author says, “Last year, I took in a six-year-old feral cat with three teeth and mouth herpes. We named her FatFace, and she has become the center of my universe.” It’s a love story.

It’s also a realistic adventure story as the author chronicles Fat Face’s long journey from it’s shaky beginning to the end when Fat Face hung out on the center console and watched the world go by.

Finally, it’s a “how to” of you are contemplating a long car adventure with your humans. All in all a great story!

 

 

 

 

Alberto Opines on Sleeping Positions, Snoopervising and Other Stuff on Friendly Fill Ins 118

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Hello There,
I’m doing the Friendly Fill Ins this week and hope you enjoy my answers. This is a blog tour so you can hop on over to the host’s sites, 15 And Meowing or Four Legged Fur Balls to enter. If you prefer, you can opine about your answers in the comment section of this post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Here are this Week’s Questions:

1. I am going_________________.
2. I want to be more ______________.

3. Once in a blue moon, I _________.

4. I have a large collection of _________.0

Here are My Answers:

1. I am going to be more creative in the sleeping positions I choose. Here are some of my “greatest hits”

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2. I want to be more assertive when it comes to fighting for a spot in a box. Oliver seems to be taking over the box supply. I think I’m too polite. 
OllieAlinboximg_5143

3. Once in a blue moon, I have to have a serious discussion with our Purrsonal Assistant about her job purrformance.

Al_computer

Need I remind you that “Walk Through The Web Wednesday” needs to actually be published on Wednesday?

 

4. I have a large collection of toys and I still can’t find anything to play with.
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Oliver Celebrates Black Cat Appreciation Day

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black cat appreciation day

Hi There Folks,
Since I am the only Tribe of Five member who could even come close to qualifying as a black cat (or almost black cat) I am posting about some amazing black cats of Instagram. The Tribe did have a black cat named Buster who went over the Rainbow Bridge and he was quite the gent. I sent our purrsonal assistant out to find some pawsome black cat photos at #blackcatsofinstagram.  So put your paws together and celebrate our inky feline furiends!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

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Lily is Thankful

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Hello There Furiends,
Lily here. I am purrticipating in  Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. I am very thankful that The Humans have reserved a special room just for me. It has a great view to the garden below and a nice fan over the bed for hot days. I often hang out there and just think about things. You know, the important stuff cats think of like how long ’till dinner, when will The Female Human break out the catnip again or when will the next empty box arrive?”
I don’t understand though, why they call my room the “Guest Room”. Why don’t they just call it “Lily’s Room” and if any of those so called guests show up, just tell them they will be staying in Lily’s room!
Siamese cat on bed

Lily Makes Friends

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So I was just minding my own business downstairs and I looked out and WHOA, what did I see?

Siamese cat sees Tabby cat

Hey, I better get over there and see who this dude is, he’s certainly not part of our tribe.
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Hi there. My name is Lily. What’s your name. Oh, and I don’t think you want to be in the woods in our back yard, there are raccoons, skunks and even bears sometime. I see you have a collar on so I suggest you skedaddle back home my furiend. Nice to meet you though.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/15 Alberto Opines on

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Happy Wednesday My Furiends,
I don’t know what Wednesday means to you but at our house it means the humans in the big noisy truck come by our driveway, grab the green and the blue things The Humans keep in the garage and dump the contents into the truck. The Tribe of Five have pondered this weekly ritual and can only surmise it is some sort of human kitty litter cleaning exercise.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy these little gems I found in my weekly purrusal of the web.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Local Musician Takes Care of Stray Cats – News Channel 5 Nashville

Nashville musician feeds stray black cat

I am a great mewsic fan which is why this news story resonated with me. A songwriter in Nashville, Chris Gantry, leaves his house at 3a.m. to feed stray cats in his old neighborhood. He wants to bring attention to the growing stray cat population and raise awareness for these feral felines. He even wrote a song about it. He is a staunch supporter for  TNR (trapping, neutering, and releasing stray cats) that have been on the streets their entire lives. He works with Metro Animal Care and Control with his TNR efforts.

He knows all his feral furiends but is especially close to a black cat called Midnight, who is the only feral not afraid to show herself to him in the day light.  He calls her the Queen of Belmont.  He calls Midnight a fierce, beautiful young black cat.

Before Gantry could trap her and get her spayed, she had one litter of kittens and  Gantry took them to get neutered and adopted. He says of Midnight, “This cat is wild. She would never let anybody touch her accept me. Unfortunately, that’s the tough part.”

Two paws up for Chris Gantry and his work for feral cats!

California community cat garden helps feral cats get adopted – abc7 eyewitness News

cat garden gets feral cats adopted

Whenever you humans come up with a creative idea to help homeless kitties, I say “Bravo”. There is a lady in Milpitas, California doing just that.  Instead of euthanizing feral felines, they’re gently coaxed to trust humans and to become loving house or yard pets.

Lorrie Sprain works in administration at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. But she focuses a lot of her attention in a garden just a few feet away. It’s called the Marilyn & Fred Anderson Community Cat Garden, a fenced in area which feral cats call home.

This lady is a real life cat whisperer who talks lovingly and softly to the new kitties who arrive at the garden, gradually winning their trust and calming them down. She says, “”You have to have patience, and you can get them to come out and eventually you can pet them.”  The process can take a month but the rewards are great. This program has adopted out 260 felines.

Many feral cats taken to shelters are given a death sentence and this program gives them the second chance they deserve.
The community cat garden has been so successful, the Humane Society of Silicon Valley has gotten additional funding to expand it from a current capacity of about 12 to 24.

Bravo, purrs, head bonks and two paws up for this innovative program!

Pick A Cat Name Your Cat Will Answer To – Lifehacker

black and white cat under sofa

This is Oliver ignoring The Female Human

Dr. Uri Burstyn has created a YouTube video that gives you humans some insight into naming us felines.  The doctor explains that we felines have ears that are fine tuned to hear high pitched noises. He uses his cat Lancelot as an example. Lancelot doesn’t really respond to his name but if he hears “Lan-CEY!” he does pay attention.

Now this makes me wonder if this is why The Humans have nicknames for all of us. Maybe they instinctively figured out that we respond to some names and not others. For instance, Tucker is often referred to as “Tuck-EEE” and Jasmine is “Jaz-EEE”. Lily is often called Lily Bug or Bug but based on this doctor’s premise, The Humans should just call her “Lil-EEE”. Oliver is “Oll-EEE” bat sadly, I am referred to as “Alberto or Al”. Purrhaps it’s time The Humans gave me a new nickname!

New TV Show Looking for Crazy Cats – ChronicleLive.UK

img_5111

Once again our friends across the pond have something new and exciting for felines (and actually their humans as well). A new TV show is asking folks to send in information about their crazy cats. The call out from Athena Films, reads “We are on the lookout for crazy moggies for new series on when cats attack!

As hard as you many find it to believe, some of us do exhibit behavior that makes life with us a little difficult. You know, stuff like having to wear gloves and body armor to clip nails or needing an extra hour to get your furry family member into a carrier for that visit to the place with white coats. I certainly hope they will be offering advice and help to both the humans and the felines!

Aberdeen University’s favourite feline voted one of Europe’s cutest cats – The Press and Journal

white cat Buttons from Aberdeen college

Aberdeen University’s favourite feline, Buttons, has been voted one of Europe’s cutest cats in an international ranking of campus animals. Buttons is a white tomcat and is a celebrity on campus, known to spend most of his time near the philosophy department.

Study.Eu, which offers information on English-taught study programmes in Europe, chose the puss based on his “political ambitions”. Earlier this year Buttons was nominated by students to become the university’s new rector, a position once held by Sir Winston Churchill.

His supporters claimed that since the cat was “apolitical” and “fluffy,” he would have been the “ideal candidate”. Sadly, Buttons did not win the seat but remained in good spirits after the loss.

 

 

 

The Tribe of Five Have a Play Date with Dezi & Raena from Deziz World

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Hello Furiends,
We just had a pawsome time over at Deziz World and Dezi and Raena had some very nice things to say about our book. Here’s a look at what we were up to. You should hop on over and join in the fun.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

dw-dezi-n-alberto-atop-cat-tree-1892dw-dezi-n-lily-lays-atop-cat-tree-1566dw-dezi-lays-on-pet-cot-n-oliver-with-nip-heart-1621

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/8

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello My Furiends,
Meong, לילל,   miyavlamak,   mjau,  Μιάου.  Why am I meowing at you in Indonesian, Hebrew, Azerbaijani, Swedish and Greek? Well, because it’s International Cat Day today, of course! In honor of this impurrtant holiday I’ll be featuring stories from around the world that celebrate our feline holiday.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

 

Miaow! The luxury London cat hotel that offers an ‘A La Cat’ menu and paw massages – Evening Standard

gray cat sleeping at the Longcroft cat hotel

If we’re going to highlight International cat related news items, we must highlight posh feline accommodations across the pond. If any of my feline furiends are planning to travel to the UK, posh digs are a must. Make sure your humans book you into one of the Longcroft Cat Hotels.  Rooms are temperature controlled and sound proofed and, if you travel with a kitty buddy, there are double rooms. Order off the a la cat menu which offers plates of slow cooked chicken, salmon and king prawns on bone china, and be sure to book a staff member,  trained by vets, to give you a “relaxing paw massages”. I say the humans in the US need to think about opening hotels like this!

Tokyo Lucky Cat Temple Draws Instagramers – Rappler

Tokyo lucky cat temple

If you’re traveling to Japan, you don’t want to miss the Lucky Cat Temple in Tokyo. The  Gotokuji temple has long attracted spiritual visitors with its thousands of figurines of beckoning white cats, thought to bring good luck. Lately, another group of visitors have been visiting, : Instagrammers.

One visitor said, “I actually Googled ‘Instagram spots Tokyo’. This was named one of the most ‘Instagrammable spots.'”  Don’t forget to put this on your itinerary if your travels take you to Tokyo and make sure your human snaps a shot of you sitting next to one of the statues with one paw up.

International Cats, 10 Unusual Breeds from Around the World – Getty Images

Siberian cat

Just when you thought you knew everything about cat breeds….these photos come out. The pictures of these majestic felines are amazing and the information about them is even more interesting. Did you know that it’s considered good fortune if a Japanese Bobtail crosses your path? And there is a breed of cat from Turkey that is indigenous to the Lake Van region of Eastern Turkey, These cats are snow-white  and is said to be one of the oldest domestic breeds in the world.  And then there’s my majestic friend in the photo, the Siberian cat. These felines are rugged and their thick, luxurious coat allows them to thrive in the subartic climate of Russia. Russian fairy tales depict this cat as magical creatures who protect children. No offense to my Siberian cat friends but IMHO all us felines are magical creatures!

DNA Study Shows How Cats Used Humans to Take Over the World – Haaretz Israel

CatDNA

We felines were famous long before the internet was invented and were a part of the ancient human world. A DNA study went back thousands of years and found evidence of two major dispersals from the Middle East, in which people evidently took cats with them. Genetic signatures the felines had on those journeys are still seen in most modern-day breeds. Researchers analyzed DNA from 209 ancient cats as old as 9,000 years from Europe, Africa and Asia, including some ancient Egyptian cat mummies.

With our ancient and proud heritage, I think you humans should show us a little more respect!

Get Catty! Celebrate International Cat Day by Looking Like a Kitten – The Indian Free Press Journal

cat fashion

For my final  world-wide cat article, we’re hopping over to Mumbai, India. Many feline fashionistas think Karl Lagerfeld, who made his kitty Choupette into a style icon is the cat’s meow of feline fashion but there are other designers that can qualify. We cats have inspired kitten heels, catwalks and much more. Designer Aniket Satam, from Mumbai says, “Cat fashion is about unabashedly celebrating the love for this feline divinity. Embrace the diva-like quality that comes with the feline species. They have always been these mystical creatures who are so intriguing. Felines have this star-like quality that appeals to me the most,”   And to that I say an enthusiastic “Meow!”

 

 

 

Oliver Opines on Flies, CatCon and Other Feline Stuff on Friendly Fill Ins Week 116

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Hello Furiends!
Oliver here. I’ve decided to do this week’s fill ins. If you don’t know about the Friendly Fill Ins, it’s a blog hop hosted by our furiends at 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs. You hop on over to either of their sites and join in or, you are welcome to opine about your own fill ins on this blog post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

black and white cat Oliver

Here are this week’s fill in questions:

1. I would like tickets to _____________________.
2 Please don’t ask me to _______________________.
l
3. I’d rather _________ than _________.
4. By this time next year, _________.

Here are my answers:

1. I would like tickets to CatCon 2018.
black and white cat on top of sofa

Why won’t the Humans take me to CatCon? I want to see Lil’ Bub,Pudge and my favorite artist, Moshow the Cat Rapper.

2 Please don’t ask me to give my opinion if you’re not going to be happy with my response.
black and white cat under rocker.

“Okay, let me give some serious thought to your question,.”

black and white cat yawning under a rocking chair

“Oh you’ve got to be kitten me. Human, you can’t be serious!”

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3. I’d rather sit at the window and watch the forest creatures than miss anything exciting going on down there. 
black and white cat looking out the window

“Hey, Mr. Deer! I see you down there!”

4. By this time next year, I hope to catch at least one fly that sneaks in the house in the summer.
black and white cat looking up at the window

“I see you up there fly! I may be chubby but I can move like lightning. Do not underestimate me!”

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/1

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siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s time to meander down the Internet Highway and see what fabulous feline news is out there. I hope you enjoy this week’s stories.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

London’s Catfest, London’s Answer to CatCon – Katzenworld

catfest-London

I have reported on CatCon, a truly fabulous feline festival and now those moggy-loving humans across the pond are giving CatCon a run for it’s money.  The promo says that CatFest will bring stylish buzz-worthy cat products, inspiring talks, books & art, music, fancy dress (that’s what the folks across the pond call “costumes”) vegan street food, cat-themed cakes and cocktails..all while helping cats in need. Meowza! Those folks know how img_2054to throw a purrfectly fabulous pawty! While The Female Human was oohing and aahing over the cat related jewelry and clothing, The Male Human decided the “Howler” cat house that looks like an amp is the cat’s meow. And since my brother Oliver and I are quite mewsical and especially enjoy the days The Male Human changes his guitar strings, we think this would be a purrfect addition to our house!

 

 

17 Cat Owners Who Set The Bar Extremely High – Buzzfeed

InteriorDesigner

Every one of my feline furiends must insist their humans read this article! The Tribe of Five  can’t decide which we like the best. I am purrsonally fond of the human who hired an interior designer to create cat space for his felines. Lily loves the built in catio (we have a pop up tent thingy but it doesn’t hold a candle to this amazing space). Oliver thinks the birthday pawties are nice as does Tucker (anything that includes food is top on the list for those two). Jasmine thinks the tent and tablet is the least humans can do for their felines in residence! What’s your favorite?

Missing Pet Parakeet Rescued By Neighbor’s Cat – US Magazine

cat and parakeet

Now I will be the first feline to give credit where credit is due but methinks making this cat a rescuer might be stretching the truth a tad. While it’s true that Rosie Bloom, a little budgie had been missing for 7 weeks, the fact that 7-month old feline Bear showed up with said budgie in his mouth could not be strictly described as a rescue. You see, our furiend Bear,, who lives about a mile away from the Budgie and her humans, is in the habit of delivering mice and other birds to his family. Fortunately, for all involved, the screaming budgie was removed from Bear’s mouth and eventually found her way home via a Facebook post. Hero or not, Bear did perpetrate the rescue of this feathered friend and everyone lived happily ever after. The end.

It Turns Our Cats And Dogs Get Along Fine – Mother Nature Network

cat and dog cuddling

Finally after years of us felines getting a bad rap about our ability to coexist with canines, the truth comes out. A new study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior — one that uniquely looks at the relationship between cats and dogs sharing the same home — suggests we get along just fine. The researchers surveyed 748 households with canines and felines.  These homes were located all over the world in places like the good old U.S of A, Europe, Australia and more. Over 80% of those folks said that the inter-species relationships were just fine.  And how many said that there were relationship issues in their homes, only 3%. So folks if you’ve been wanting to adopt a dog to add to your feline household or a cat to add to your canine household, get to the shelter and do it now!

Reading Program Lowers Anxiety Within Cats, Kids – KFox14

child reads to shelter cat

I’ve heard a lot about great programs where little humans go to libraries or shelters and read to dogs. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think this is a noble and pawsome thing to do (they do it at our local shelter too), but I’ve had my whiskers in a bit of a twist because I never heard or read anything about the benefits of little humans reading to shelter cats. Until now that is.  This program doesn’t just improve social skills for the little humans but for the felines as well. It also helps to calm cats and help relieve the stress they feel because shelters can be stressful places. Does your shelter have a program to read to cats? Tell us about it! If you don’t and want to learn more, check out El Paso Animal Services Facebook page.