Alberto Opines on Friendly Fill Ins Week 107

Hi folks,
It’s Friendly Fill Ins time again. Don’t forget to head on over to 15andMeowing or Four-Legged Fur Ballsto join in the fun or you’re welcome to opine on your fill ins in our comment section.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Here are this week’s fill ins:

1. My neighbors_____________________.
2. The last thing I purchased online was __________________.
3. I have never _________.

4. Anything is possible if _________.

Here are my answers:

1. My neighbors are very interesting forest creatures and I do all I can to reach out a paw of friendship to them.
Siamese cat standing at bvird feeder

2.The last thing I purchased online was nothing, I’m a cat, I can’t shop but I do enjoy when the humans order stuff.

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3.I have never jumped on the dining room table while the humans were eating, but I do enjoy lounging there at other times.

Siamese cat on the dining room table

4.Anything is possible if you believe it’s true. I am king of the jungle!

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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/30

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here, walkin’ along the Internet highway searching for purrfect feline news items. I hope you enjoy.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Instant  Cat  Daddy – Bustle

Paris Zarcilla cat daddy

As if it’s not funny enough for someone to come home and find a cat in their house, this guy went upstairs to get a sweater and found a cat momma and her babies under his bed. So what did he do, you might ask? He tweeted about it and then accepted his new position in life as Cat Daddy. I made our Purrsonal Assistant read me all his tweets and they were pawsome! Do yourself a favor and fly on over to Twitter to congratulate the proud new Poppa!

America’s Got Talent….and Cats! Shortlist

cats on Americas Got Talent

So, this happened. Two humans brought their very talented felines on the show. You must have your human show you the video. The best part is the smug expressions of disbelief on the judges faces…until the fabulous felines start their act. The normal crotchety Simon Cowell said, “You know why that was so impressive? Because dogs want to please. Cats are like, ‘Make me.’ They had sort of like ‘cattitude.’ I think there’s a gap in the market for this. I thought with my dogs sometimes, it’s like I want to take them out and see a show and this is a show I can take them to.”

So if there are any feline furiends out there who are considering a career in show biz, now’s the time!

The Five Best Cities in The World for Cat Lovers to Visit – Matador Network

Siamese cat in St. Petersburg Russia

For all my human furiends who love to get their “cat fix” when they are traveling, these cities are for you. The strays and outdoor cats of Rome are well looked after, some folks even leave plates of pasta for them.

The Turkish people are huge cat lovers and they treat their felines very well. There is an actual cat village in Taiwan (I reported on this on my April 11 Web Walk). It started as a refuge and morphed into a complete remake of the town. And then there’s the cats of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg Russia and that museum has one of the longest histories of caring for felines, since the 18th century no less.  And finally there’s Tokyo, and we all know how the Japanese folks love us cats! And there are even cat islands outside of the city.

 Cats Can Be Life Changing for People With Mental Illness – Metro UK

therapy cats

We felines are very good for our human’s well being and some of us are even trained to help with our human’s health.  The Tribe of Five has two special furiends named Deszi and Raena, at Deziz World, who are real service cats.
Deziz World
As their human explains on their website, “They have been Individually TRAINED to do work and perform tasks related to my disability. Examples of such work or tasks include alerting before a Syncope episode (passing out), Driving an electric wheelchair, Dialing 911 for emergency assistance, Calming me during a PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) anxiety attack, Massaging to alleviate debillitating migraines and warm muscles do to neuropathy/fibromyalgia among other duties. That being said, I love the girls more than life itself and aside from their duties as service animals I could not go on without their love and affection.”

So, if you don’t think felines can do valuable work….think again!

Britain’s Most Caring Cat? – itv.com

Britain's most caring cat

Those Brits really know how to treat felines. They even have a Britain’s ‘Most Caring Cat’ national charity competition. And if that isn’t enough, they have other categories like hero cat, Furrever Friends., Outstanding Rescue and more.  This guy named Arthur, is on the short list for the honor as he A helped his human live an independent life following a three-and-a-half year stay at a mental health unit. We felines add a lot to the lives of you humans so be sure and thank your cat today!

Oliver Opines on The Great Outdoors – Friendly Fill Ins #106

FriendlyFillInsYay! Friendly Fill ins are back! This blog hop is hosted by 15andmeowing and Four Legged Fur Balls. You can join the hop or opine about your answers in our comment section.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
black and white cat Oliver

The Questions:

1.It is __________________.
2.The best part of last week was ____________________.
3.Every summer, I _________.
4.Once upon a time, _________.

My Answers:

1.It is always best when Tucker does not go out on the upstairs deck because he has fallen off it twice (The Humans have a nice pop up catio for him when he wants to venture out there.
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2.The best part of last week was my first foray of the season out to the upstairs deck (as long as The Male or Female Human are out there, the rest of us can go out if we stay off the railing.

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3.Every summer, I  have to remind the Male and Female Human that I want to join them on the upstairs deck. Good grief, how many times does a cat have to stand inside and look sad?

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4.Once upon a time, my brother and I were shelter kittens and now look at me, I’m livin’  la vida loca!
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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/23

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi There Furiends,
Alberto here. I’m walking again and took my actual first walk of the season with the Female Human. We had a discussion about my need for a slightly larger and comfortale halter, a guy grows in a year! But I digress.

Here are my Wednesday web wanderings, enjoy!
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

5 Destinations For The Obsessive Cat Lover In Your Life- awol.junkee.com

CatTravel

I’ve covered cat cafe’s and cat islands so this may be a bit of a red-do but it is a nice list for travelling feline lovers.  Now I want to find out about that museum for internet cats, how do I and the rest of The Tribe of Five get in there?

5 Tips for Training Your Cat That Actually Work – Bustle

training cats

What’s with the number 5 this week? But I digress. The Female Human has had cat training on the brain lately as she’s writing a mystery that includes a sniffer dog and two felines that help solve a crime. Purrsonally, the entire training thing bores me but I am a smart feline and know that if I learn certain things, I get great rewards so maybe I shouldn’t be too hasty!

The Million Cat Challenge Reaches Goal of Savings Cats One Year Early – USMagazine.com

million cat challenge

Did you humans know there was a million cat challenge? Did you know that more than 1,000 animal shelters in North America purrticipated?  Did you know the campaign began four years ago and as of December 31, 2017 all those shelters saved 1,148,129 cats?

There’s nothing better than saving feline lives and this group has accomplished that big time. Two paws up!

I Photograph Men With Their Cats And The Result Is Cuteness Overload! – Bored Panda

men and their cats

The Female Human always says that, “Real men love cats”. We know this to be true in our house because The Male Human is a cat lover. This photographer immortalizes the love of male humans and their cats and the photos are pawsitively wonderful!

8 Tips For Bonding With Your Cat The First Week You Get One – Bustle

tips for bonding with your new cat

Well, looks like we broke the “5 things” trend. I bet the million folks who adopted those felines from the previous article were wondering how to make their kitty feel at home in their new abode. These tips are very good and work well whether you’re bringing a kitten or an older kitty into your home and heart. We felines adapt well into new surroundings, all we ask is that you have a little patience and a little care as we get used to you and the new place.

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/16

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

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

I hope you enjoy,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

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

Al_Wine

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

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

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

cat birthday pinatas

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

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

sad cat

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

Wacky Names for Dogs and Cats – Post Gazette

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

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

student cuddling kitten

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Purrticipating in Thankful Thursday

Hello All,
BriansHome-ThankfulThursday-BlogHopWe’re purrticipationg in Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop. The Tribe of Five are thankful for spots of sun to lounge in (and we lounge anywhere we can find a spot of sun). You’ll notice on the last photo that I got a twofer, a sun spot and a place to help the Male Human while he works!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto

Siamese cat with blue eyes

AlBedSun

Olliesuntable

Tucksunblanket

Alsuntable

#AtoZChallenge Y

Hi there folks,
img_3344Alberto here. Today’s letter is “Y” and that stands for “Yowl”. Please pull up a seat and allow me to explain this word from a feline point of view. As all of the Tribe has some Siamese in us, we do have a tendency to talk but we object to the word yowl.

Yowl means “a loud wailing cry, especially one of pain or distress.” When you humans use this word to describe every sound we make we are offended. Sometimes (usually in the wee hours of the morning) we like to stand outside your bedroom door and sing the song of our people. This is singing not yowling.

Sometimes we just want to get your attention or have a short little chat, this is talking, not yowling.

Felines yowl when they are in dire circumstances. If your felines are communicating with you vocally, please use the proper adjective and do not state that we are yowling.

This public service announcement has been brought to you by The Tribe of Five on behalf of the felines of the world.

#AtoZChallenge X

Hi There,
Tucker here. Today’s letter is “X” and that stands for “X-RAY” , as in X-ray eyes. Any of you humans who live with felines are furmaliar with that x-ray, mind controlling stare we employ to get you to do our bidding. Every feline needs to master the art of the stare as this is the first step in training your Humans.

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Tucker: this is my x-ray stare technique, looking cute and maximizing my crossed blue eyes to their best advantage. How could you refuse anything this sweet face asks??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lily: I use my unusual round eyes for my x-ray stare technique to capture The Human’s attention and then I just stare and stare. Pretty soon they cave to my will.  I am silently saying, “Oh please, give me just one treat.”

 

 

 

 

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Jasmine: My x-ray eyes technique, I will stare at The Humans with my baby blues until they do the right thing (and the right thing is whatever I want them to do.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oliver: I use the “You’ve got to be kidding me!” x-ray eye technique. After a while, the Humans will realize they are being judged and found lacking and they will cave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Alberto:
My x-ray eye technique is a bit on the snarky side. I have this certain look that I will maintain. Soon enough the Humans begin to feel they have done something I find egregious and then they will begin to attempt to find out what it is that I need.