Walk Through The Web Wednesday 6/20

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Well hello there my furiends! It’s Wednesday again and time for me to bring you the internet gems I’ve discovered.  I hope you enjoy this week’s web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Feral cats put to work at Newport News Shipbuilding – 13 NewsNow

Newport News shipbuilding helps feral cats

Those of you who follow my Wednesday posts know that I’m a sucker for a working cat story. This is one with a bit of a twist. Instead of a shelter looking to find “jobs” for their felines, a company has taken the feral cat issue into their own paws.

There are hundreds of cats there but all are treated with love and care. This is a win-win situation for humans and felines. The cats are well fed, taken to the vet when needed and the shipyard has no rat problem.

The shipyard has one person who oversees all the cats and they also use the Trap Neuter Release (TNR) method as a human way to control the population. In the event kittens do make an appearance, they have fosters on standby who prepare the kittens for adoption. The shipyard has their own adoption program.

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for catsNow if only more businesses would partner with feral cats and take care of them like the good humans in this shipyard it would be a wonderful thing. The Tribe of Five is so impressed with the work these humans we are giving them our “Paws Up” award.

 

 

Cats Owner is Away in Navy-and she has the most heartwarming reaction to his photo – Fox8.com

cat looks at photo of her owner who is away in the navy

So many times when our Humans come home from a trip, the first thing they ask is, “Did you miss us?” Well of course we did but we felines often get a bad wrap regarding our emotional attachment to our humans.

Well our furiend Yuuki has provided video evidence of the human/feline bond. She often meows and stares at the photo of Max, who left seven months ago for the navy.  Yuuki has lived with the family for about a year and is named after Max’s favorite musician.

Yuuki will be one happy cat as Max’s mom has a one day visit with her son and she’s taking Yuuki with her. Humans. never underestimate our love for you.

Russia’s ‘Psychic’ Cat Achilles Correctly Predicts the World Cup 2018 Opening Match Winner – HuffPost
Update

Russian cat Achilles correctly predicts Russia's world cup win

In last week’s Walk Through the Web Wednesday, I reported on the Russian cat Achilles was chosen to predict the winner of the World Cup matches. Well now he’s being called the “Psychic Achilles” because he predicted Russia would win…and they did!

And if you’re thinking this was a lucky one-off for Achilles, this isn’t his first rodeo. He  correctly predicted the outcomes of three out of four Confederations Cup matches played in St. Petersburg last year, including the opening and final matches, according to Tass.

Cat biographies for pet-sitter are truly riveting literature – Mashable

cat bios for pet sitters

Evidently the human who wrote this finds it amusing that her mother leaves a bio for the pet sitter. I was a bit incensed at the frivolity with which this writer approached the issue of cat bios for the cat sitter. IMHO this should be something every human does for their felines. Our Humans have a 7-page booklet for our cat sitter (it’s updated regularly and it includes photos).  I have included the first section of our cat sitter bio. cat sitter bio

 

Used hoods become winter homes for shivering stray cats – DESIGNBOOM

used hoods keep feral cats warm in the winter

This is another “Bravo Humans” report. Stray cats of south Korea have received little attention or support and the number of homeless felines continues to rise to unprecedented proportions. This sad situation prompted a national petshop chain ‘Molly’s Petshop’ to design a collaboration to bring an affordable, eco-friendly solution to cats in need in the winter.

Hood Houses for stray Korean catsLocal Good Will and other thrift stores collected hoods and other padded clothing and these items were then turned into amazing cozy homes complete with roofs, beds, bowls for water and food and finally, a weather proof, tent shaped cover.  Molly Customers received these Hood Homes and they distributed them in their local feral colonies.

Molly’s pet shop/e-mart saw a 1,254% increase in sales for stray cat food  awareness of the plight of strays was raised to over one million people in just two weeks time, and most importantly,  over 2,000 stray cats were provided with a warm shelter, food and water, during the middle of December, in Seoul.

So Humans who’s going to take on this project in your area?  We had to give the good people of Molly’s Pet Shop, their customers and all those who helped collect items and design these warm feline lodgings a Paws Up Award!

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats

 

 

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 5/2

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Phew am I tired from that April A-Z blogging challenge. It was great fun though and The Tribe of Five will be purrticipating next year.

The snow around our house is finally gone and evidently mating season is over because so is that pesky woodpecker. The Humans will need to come up with a new solution before woodpecker dating season starts next year!

Here are my web wanderings for the week,
Purrs & Head Bonks
Siamese cat with blue eyes

7 Meyers-Briggs Types That Are Most Likely To Be Cat People-Bustle

MeyersBriggs

Now if you’re scratching your head and asking, “Who are Meyers-Briggs” you probably don’t live with a fiction writer.  The Female Human always runs her characters through these tests when she starts a book. After reading this article I must confess, I might suggest the Female Human find another personality test for her characters because Psychology Today says that the Meyers-Briggs types that are classic cat people tend to be overwhelmingly introverted. Meowza! These folks have never met the Female Human. There is absolutely nothing introverted about her! And I don’t care that Psychology today did two studies to confirm this. I hiss at their study and suggest that the folks who did these studies are not cat people! What do my feline and human friends think about this? Any extrovert, cat loving humans out there?

Now as to the traits that certain Meyers-Briggs like about cats, I have no argument with that. What traits do you like best about your feline friends?

Pizza Cat – Eat Meow – ToledoBlade.com

PizzaCat2

The title of this pizza place definitely got my attention. The Pizza  Cat (and their new establishment, The Pizza Kitten) give a shout out to feline lovers with their name and market branding and to that I say, a job well done. What do cat’s and pizzas have in PizzaCatcommon? Not that much, but the name (and evidently the pies according to the review in this article) attracts attention. Why not use a feline theme for your business? It’s a great idea. Two paws up to Pizza Cat and, if you’re in the Toledo area, stop by, order a pizza and say “meow”.

Troy Police Reveal Name of Station Cat – Detroit Free Press

PoliceCat

Those of you who wander the web with me on Wednesdays know how much I like a good working cat story. Well this story is all that and more.  These pawsome folks in blue vowed to adopt a shelter kitten for Adopt A Shelter Kitten Day.   The department pledged to get a police cat if they could hit 10,000 Twitter followers.  They reached that goal in only eight days!

They then “booked” a kitten for the role of police cat from five felines that the Michigan Humane Society brought in for auditions.  They chose their fellow pawfficer and then ran a Twitter contest to find a name. There were many entries but the winning name was Pawfficer  Badges.  This is the statement that was released; “We love the name. The cat will officially start her duties on May 11. She will be officially appointed to her position by Judge Hartig and Judge McGinnis of 52-4 District Court (our local court). We thank everyone that has supported this initiative, and look forward to getting the cat involved in many community outreach projects in the future.”

Con-catulations to the newest pawfficer with the Troy Police Department and two paws up to the great folks there for promoting feline adoption!

The friend yelled out for the kitty by her Chinese name and within 15 minutes the cat poked her head out and began yowling.  They lured the unhappy feline out with a snack and then duct taped and sealed her carrier so she couldn’t escape again.  Pepper aka Dai Meng, is now safe and happy with her human friend and waiting to be reunited with her owner.

Hugo, the New Zealand Shelter Thrift Shop  Worker – Waikato Times

Hugo

I had to send the Female Human (and purrsonal assistant) to do some research as the actual headline for this story is “Tokoroa op’-shop cat winning hearts.” I had no idea what an op’shop was and where in the world is Tokoroa? Well, “op shops” are thrift shops connected with New Zealand shelters and Tokoroa is  in New Zealand. Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get on with the story.

This tabby takes his job seriously and loves on all humans, young and old, big and little alike. it just might be because he is so grateful as he was surrendered by his human to a veterinary clinic to be euthanized. The St Vincent de Paul, Vinnies Boutique, op-shop in Tokoroa took him in and it’s a win-win for Hugo and the shop.

Hugo splits his time on the job as a mouse catcher and a therapy cat for customers. The shop manager said they had just been discussing getting a cat when they heard about Hugo. He had a skin condition and when the owner learned about the cost of the steroid injections Hugo needed, they decided to euthanize him. The vet gave Hugo the treatment for free, Hugo was healed and rescue by the shelter boutique.

Hugo works at the shop on site cafe making people feel more at ease. “A lot of the people who come in here to take advantage of it are older people who have gone into rest homes and Hugo sits on their knees and cuddles them,” said the manager.

Everyone is invited to visit Hugo and if you go, don’t forget to drop a coin or two into the donation box to help with the cost of his food.

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 4/11

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Hi Folks,
Alberto here. It’s my weekly wander through the web to find you the best of feline stories.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Celebrate National Pet Day with a Feline Host at an AirBnb – Lonely Planet

black cat is Airbnb host

Felines (and I guess other animals too) rejoice because today is National Pet Day! Those clever humans at Airbnb are featuring places that have feline hosts. The photo above is of host Kooky with his human Sue (they are in London). But you don’t have to fly across the pond for a feline flavored stay.  Chica and her human share a nice bungalow in Portland.  But there are many other feline hosts in other countries as well. I’m thinkin’ our Humans should check this out when they travel, a nice room and all the purrs & head bonks they want!

The Cats of Twice Sold Tales – the Stranger

siamese tabby mix cat at twice sold tales bookstore

This story hits all the right buttons, the Female Human loves bookstores (that’s because she’s a writer) and I love stories about working cats. There have always been felines at the Twice Sold Tales book store. The author of this article says in their visits over the years there have been as many as seven felines and as few as two working in the store.

The current cats are Buster, Hardy, Lily and Eleanore. What I didn’t know is that bookstore cats come from a very old tradition. Bookstore cats, simply put, exist to keep the threat of bookstore rats at bay and the practice has been in use since 1745 when Empress Elizabeth of Russia issued an edict that there be a search conducted for the “best and biggest cats, capable of catching mice” and ordered them sent to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg to protect the treasures there. Ever since then bookstores have welcomed working felines into their midst.

The article is delightful and I really enjoyed the descriptions of each feline. Does your local bookstore have a cat? I must send the Female Human out to ours to check!

Look Inside Taiwan’s “Cat Village” – National Geographic

Houtong cat village in Taiwan

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

My furiends, if your humans are planning a vacation, please make sure they know about this place. it’s a popular tourist town called Houtong and it has over 100 feline residents.

Houtong means “monkey cave” and is in northern Taiwan. It was first famous for it’s caves filled with monkeys. No one can say exactly what happened to the monkeys, but the town is not without furry citizens.  As soon as you step off the train, you are met by felines of varying varieties. You find your way through the station by following the cat paw prints. As you can imagine, since felines rule, most everything in the town is cat-themed. Bakeries offer cat-shaped cookies, there are cat souvenirs and of course plenty of felines to snap a selfie with. And of course, there are houses built for the cats, and decorated to please the most finicky feline. Meowza this sounds like a purrrfect vacation spot. Book your human’s tickets posthaste!

Here’s What Your Favorite Cat Breeds Reveal About You – Elite Daily

gray and yellow Maine Coon cats

First, allow me to say that this title has me a bit nervous. You see all of the Tribe are rescues so we aren’t officially a “breed” but the Female Human said that all cats are some sort of breed and humans often gravitate to one type of breed, even when they’re adopting. For our Humans, it’s Siamese. All of the Tribe have some bit of Siamese in us and The Female Human says it’s because we are so smart, we talk a lot and they just love the way we look. Even though my brother Oliver doesn’t look anything like a Siamese, he still has the purrsonality traits. You can image my surprise and dismay when Siamese was never mentioned in this article! Elite, I hiss in your general direction!

Cat-Opoly A Cat Themed Game – Bustle

Cat opoly game

I know how much you humans love to play games and you humans know how much we felines like to get right in the middle (and often on top of the board) of any game you’re playing. Well here’s a game that’s purrfect for feline and human!

In the game, you can buy your favorite cats (not to self, have the Human check and make sure the Siamese are represented!). Roll the dice and you may land on catnip which means everything in the middle of the board is yours. Collect litter boxes and trade them for fish bones (instead of hotels). There are some dangers though. If you run into the neighborhood bully you may be forced to pay the dog tax (hiss!) and, if you fall in the water you lose three turns. Meowza this sounds like fun!

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday..a day late 3/8

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Hello Friends,
So, my purrsonal assistant allowed herself to get a bit behind and my Wednesday deadline came and went with no blog post. She is redeeming herself (a bit) by getting my Wednesday Web Walk posted today but I guess better late than never!
I hope you enjoy this week;s wanderings,
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

I Don’t Normally Get Purrlitical but…..

 

One of the reasons my weekly Wednesday wanderings were late is because the female human was busy making this little video for a local candidate. There are no purrlitical parties mentioned so, since I deemed this a non-partisan video I thought I would share it. This candidate has a canine in the forefront of his campaign but it seems like he is garnering a feline constituency.

Man Quits His Job and Travels Australia in Camper Van With His Cat -Providr

man travels with his calico cat through Australia in a van

This man used to live in Hobart, Tasmania but  he decided to quit his job in May of 2015 sold his possessions, including his house, bought a camper van and began to travel Australia. He didn’t travel alone though. His cat Willow was with him for ever mile (or kilometer). He keeps a close eye on Willow but he also has her wear a tracking collar so he knows where she is all the time. Rich and Willow traveled over 50,000 kilometers and when they finally returned home, Rich decided they weren’t done with traveling yet. You can follow Rich and Willow’s adventures at VanCatMeow.com  You can sign up to have Willow send you postcards so you  never wonder again, “Where are  Rich and Willow?”

The Cats of Longwood Gardens – Atlas Obscura

black and white cat in longwood gardens

Here is another in my series on cats with jobs. These Longwood Garden cats have a pretty nice gig going. The Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania are filled with colorful plants (even some carnivorous ones!). The working felines at Longwood actually have two jobs. They patrol and take are of pest control and they are also feline ambassadors.  There are about 12 cats working there and are all loved and cared for. They are all very well loved rescue cats. They never used to wear collars but ever since a visitor took a Longwood feline worker home, thinking he was a stray. Thankfully, the purloined pussy cat was returned to his friends and cat co-workers.  I think this is one of the best feline jobs I’ve reported on yet!

Buddy The Adventure Cat Enjoys the Great Outdoors – Philly.com

Buddy the Adventure Cat

Meowza! Cats are getting more and more adventurous! Meet Buddy, a feline that likes to head out into the great outdoors. Buddy was rescued when he was 7-months old when he was found near an old warehouse. Someone put Buddy in a box and set it next to Steve Swartz’s desk. Good think Steve is a cat lover and Buddy had a forever home.

Buddy is now an adventure cat in training. On the day this article was written he was a little leery of the photographer which is why he’s peeking out of his carrier. I was very glad to hear that cats can be in training to be an adventure cat because I’m a wannabe kayaking cat and will begin my training this summer. Who knows, maybe I’ll bump into Buddy on a trail someday. Adventure on my feline friends!

British MPs Launch a Group Dedicated To Cat Welfare – inews.co.uk

gray and white cat Larry the downing street cat

Larry, the Downing Street cat (Photo by James Glossop – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The British folks always seem to be on the forefront of cat news. Members of British Parliament and their constituents have joined together with animal charities to campaign for better rights for cats in the UK. They will lobby for law changes to improve protection for cats and their owners and will focus on feline welfare and key issues affecting cats such as toxins in antifreeze and ownership of air guns. Cats do not have the same rights as dogs in road traffic accidents and they seek to change this.  APGOCATS has been created which will be dedicated to tackling matters affecting feline welfare. I guess when it comes to laws pertaining to felines, I am a purrlitical animal!

 

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Walk Through The Web Wednesday

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Hello Friends,
Alberto here. It’s sure been cold in our neck of the woods. The main entertainment for img_2883The Tribe of Five lately has been watching The Male and Female human moving piles of that white stuff from the porches, decks and driveway. ‘Makes me very happy we are indoor felines who have a very efficient staff. It’s also nice to look out the living room windows and see deer and other woodland creatures walking by. I wonder if they have staff too.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

It’s National Drink Wine With Your Cat Week – People

black and white cat with a glass of red wine

The holiday is news to me but the concept of cat wine is something I know a bit about. Now before anyone gets their whiskers in a twist, this article is about specially created, healthy wine made specifically for felines.  The Female Human sponsored a table at our local shelter fund-raiser and she purchased Appollo Peak cat wines such as Catbernet, Moscato and Pinot Meow and even some fancy kitty wine drinking glasses. She bought Meowijuana catnip cigars to fit the table theme. I wasn’t invited but I hear the table was pretty cool.img_2008

She did not however, buy enough cat wine for The Tribe of Five to taste test it so I am unable to comment on anything about it (hint to Female Human). And while I’m on the subject, why would The Female Human not invite The Tribe of Five to an ANIMAL shelter event?

Oh well, you can watch the video and see how three cat taste testers reacted to it.

Angel The Cat Is Living Her Best Life and She Has The Pictures To Prove It – Buzzfeed

Angel

This feline is living out her perfect life on Instagram. Purruse her photos and you’ll see she’s a connoisseur of cooking, brunch, drinking wine and sporting the latest fashion. I think Angel Bengal could be classified as a cat with a job, she.s a purrfessional model.

Those of you who follow my Wednesday wanderings know I img_2099am NOT a fan of dressing up felines but I must admit, there are some felines who quite enjoy the experience. This is our furrrend Coco, the Couture Cat. She loves wearing all kinds of ensembles. This is one of my favorite pics of her because she’s showing her “hippy” side. My philosophy is, “if the feline wants to dress up, let her!”

New cat fostering service for Sussex domestic abuse victims – Spirit FM

abusevictimsThis is a topic near and dear to the hearts of the Tribe of Five and our Female Human. So many times women who leave an abusive situation take their cats to the shelter because they are afraid the abuser will hurt the feline. Why should humans have to give away the one creature that gives them unconditional love when they are in these situations? It makes this kitty’s heart very sad.  That’s why I say “two paws up” to the good folks in England who have created Paws Protect, a cat fostering service for people leaving abusive situations. Last year they received 105 referrals and provided confidential cat fostering until the humans were safe and in new locations. Wouldn’t it be purrfect if every community had a program like this?

Cat grass arrangements are fun and functional – Union Sun & Journal

img_2232The Tribe of Five are quite fond of our cat grass. The humans leave it in strategic places so we can access it. You can see how Jasmine enjoys the green stuff.  Now cat grass is not catnip,  it’s a mixture of cereal grasses like rye, oats, barley and wheat. Our Humans get us organic wheat grass. The grass provides great nutrition and improves our appetite and helps with our digestion as well.  Our humans have grown grass in the past, but lately they’ve been taking the lazy way out and just pick it up in the organic section of our grocery store. But if your humans enjoy growing things, they can grow the grass at home. Do your humans give you grass? If not, you need to insist they do!

Modular, Interchangeable Cardboard Cat Dwellings Designed by Architects – Laughing Squid

cardboardCatDwellingsEvidently our Female Human isn’t the only one who is a bit OCD about home decor. She has relegated our well-loved and well used cat tree to a dark corner in the downstairs TV room. Really, how’s a feline supposed to have fun these days when humans are worried about their “aesthetic”? Well kitties rejoice, because two architects’ cats were having trouble adjusting to their new home. When the humans couldn’t find a cardboard product on the market that worked they decided to create their own and designed an entire system of cat dwellings. A Cat Thing was born (watch their cats enjoying the cardboard houses).  This system is so amazing I demanded…errr..requested that The Female Human order us some post-haste. Unfortunately it appears that you can only order and pay in Taiwanese currency. Never one to let any cat grass grow under her feet, The Female Human called Chewy.com. They don’t carry the items now but they have a pawsome system where you can give them the info and your email and when they get the item to sell, they notify you. The Female Human bonded with the Chewy service person, he has five cats too!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 2/14

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Friends,
Alberto here with my weekly purrrusal of the web. I hope you enjoy this week”s stories and Happy Valentine’s Day. Also, one note. My purrsonal assistant did not have access to her usual technology today so, if the formatting is a bit wonky, she asks that you bear with her. (It’s hard to find good help these days, sigh).

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Nine of the World’s Hardest Working Cats – Mother Nature Network

 Finally more of you humans are getting wise to one of my favorite subjects…working cats. I found some new listings in this article. The cat above works security in a warehouse. There’s a gym cat and my favorite, the weather cat. You humans need to explore the full potential of your felines. We’re quite talented you know.

 

Poodle Cats are a Breed – Romper

 My readers know I and the rest of The Tribe of Five, are adamant proponents of adoption so this “breed”. thing isn’t something I usually talk about, This one is interesting though because thought the only poodles were canines. And, these curly kitties came from great stock, a feral cat in Montana, whose litter included one very curly haired kitten.

A Persian breeder adopted the kitten and named her “Miss DePesto” after a curly haired television character and the rest, is hiss-story.

Cats on Glass NYC Pop Up for a Good Cause – Lonely Planet

All you feline lovers in NYC rejoice! This event isn’t only cool, it’s for a good cause. Each room in the pop-up exhibit will feature an element of cats and an element of glass. There will be a live “Cats on Glass Playhouse” too! The pop-up will feature a “larger-than-life cat display”, a yarn pom-pom room, a meditation room with the sounds of cats purring and more. If you’re truly interested in bringing a kitty into your family, you can play with cats that can be adopted. And donations will be taken for the Humane Society of New York.

Sometimes You Don’t Even Have to Do Anything to Be a Famous Feline – People

Meet Paws the Cat, a Minnesota feline with 28furry digits and now included in the Guinness book of world records. Meowza, I bet he can make those furry toy mice fly! Paws is. Polydactyl feline. Sometimes these cats are called Hemmingway cats because the author kept a tribe of extra toed kitties at his Florida home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry The Number 10 Downing Street Cat Terrible at Rodent Control – Mirror.co

Purrhaps this piece should be called, “Cats in danger of losing their jobs” Seems the British PM is no great fan of Larry and recently exterminators had to be called in to 10 Downing Street to deal with the vermin problem.

 The mirror reports that, “…the brown and white tabby is often found sleeping in the street or, at his most energetic, fighting with other Westminster felines, including the Foreign Office’s cat Palmerston.” Larry, my friend, you’d better check your contract or you might be looking for a new job!

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 2/7

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Happy Wednesday My Friends,
Alberto here, purrusing the best of the feline web. I hope you enjoy this week’s stories.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

CatVideos

Microsoft Says it’s True: Cat Videos Distract Workers – Bloomberg

BOY do I have my whiskers in a twist over this one! Now humans are blaming adorable feline antics for a decrease in work productivity! Interesting that there is nothing mentioned about dog videos. Could this be a purrlitical ploy by the canine party? Methinks I smell a rat!

MathCat

Science Says Dogs Can’t Count but Cats Might, While Frogs and Chickens are Math Whizzes – People Pets

Hah, take THAT canines!  Oops, sorry, I’m still a bit annoyed by the last story. Still, it’s nice to have science confirm what you already knew.  Of course, the human scientists don’t give a full testimonial for felines. They even make the snarky comment “…they are so difficult to control in a lab environment…”   “…only if they feel like it…”  Seriously, humans, do you really want to perpetuate old stereotypes about felines?

At least they did make some scientific observations, stating that “Apparently when the cats did decide to cooperate, they were as good at mathematical tests as fish..but these “good trials” were few and far between.” Answer me this human scientists, how come every one of the Tribe of Five know when it’s breakfast and dinner time, even when those silly humans change to and from that daylight savings thing?

Hmph, now my whiskers are in a twist again. I need to find a nice, feel good story next.

IcelandCat

Reykjavík Catwalk: A Brief History Of Cats In Iceland – Grapevine

Okay, this one calmed me down and was a very nice history lesson.  Cats may have been imported to Iceland but we’ve been there for quite a while, the estimate is that we were brought there sometime from 870-930.  At that time, cats were already very popular in Nordic countries (how enlightened they were).

Evidently there are more cats in cities than in the country and this article says that might be because you have to apply for permission to keep a dog in many municipalities and then dog owners must pay a yearly fee. There are no fees for cat ownership.  So if you’re planning on moving to Iceland, kitty will be welcome anywhere but be prepared to fill out some paperwork if your canine is coming along!

CricketCat

Whiskers in the Workplace, More Cats With Careers – BBC

Since the BBC did such a purrfect job of featuring working cats last week and, since this is one of my favorite subjects I thought this one needed to be included this week.  Now Cricket Cats were completely new to me, as is cricket. But any game where a ball gets tossed back and forth works for me. And of course this is why the sport holds a fascination for felines.

The feline above,  named Brian loves to hang out at the Somerset Country Cricket Club. “The handsome chap patrols the grounds and enjoys the ebb and flow of a county match.”

One of the most famous Cricket cats was Peter, the Lord’s cat, also known as the Marylebone Mog, who lived at the famous cricket ground in London from 1952 to 1964.  When he crossed the Rainbow Bridge,  he became the only animal to be given an obituary in the Wisden almanac. The obituary described him as a well-known cricket-watcher who could often be seen prowling on the field of play; that he loved publicity and frequently appeared on the television.

 

CryptoKitties

“CryptoKitties” is now coming to your phone—with new Chinese cats – Quartz

Do your humans mumble something about “bitcoin” or “crypto currency”? This has had no meaning nor did it create any interest with The Tribe of Five. Until we heard about  KryptoKitties ,

Evidently this is a community where you can collect and breed virtual cats. Since the game was launched in late November, players have spent $19 million on this network.  Meowza, that kind of money would buy a ton of cat nip, treats and fancy feline furniture!

 

Now CryptoKitties is about to get a lot bigger as it as a mobile phone app will be released in China, then Singapore and then globally after the China launch.

Players buy and sell digital kittens in a marketplace, and rent them out for breeding or have their own cats breed. Each cat comes with a specific set of attributes, and the rarest ones can get extremely expensive. So far the most valuable cat in the game changed hands in December for $110,000, according to CryptoKitties Sale.

Now , let me remind you that nothing beats the furry love a REAL kitty brings to your life and seriously, if you have $110,000.00 to spend on a virtual cat why not take that cash and donate it to your local shelter? You humans are really hard to figure out sometimes.

 

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 1/31

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There My Friends,
Alberto here taking my weekly meander through the pathways and byways of the Internet highway. I hope you enjoy this weeks finds.
Purrrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

PurrAGain

Rock Photographer Holds Auction to Benefit Kitten Krazy Cat Shelter – Cleveland Scene

I normally steer clear of purrlitical things (unless my brother Oliver is running for Purresident) .  This purrlitical statement is for an excellent cause and I think every human should have one of these shirts. The world would be much better off we felines could get it to purr!  A local Cleveland rock photographer supports the Kitten Crazy Cat Shelter every year by auctioning off his amazing rock star concert photos and a nifty special logo t-shirt. You don’t have to live in Cleveland to bid on the amazing photos or buy one of the t-shirts. (I’m sending the Female Human over to get one!)

BlaxkCatBuster

Black Cats Shunned For Purrfect Selfies -BBC.com

A recent BBC article states that black cats are being shunned by potential owners because they don’t “show well” in selfies. I think this is ridiculous! We celebrated National Black Cat Awareness last month and sang the praises of beautiful black felines. (Note the photo of our handsome former Tribe member Buster).

The Moggery in Bristol is offering free neutering for black cats and other shelters offer this as well to help raise adoptions for black felines.

The RSPCA says it sees more black and black and white cats come into it’s care than any other color of felines. We recently did an interview with Whisky, The Tuxedo Cat who told us about this problem as well. The RSPCA said on average it takes at least 10 days longer to rehome a black cat or black and white compared to a ginger one. Now this needs to stop humans! If you’ve never had a black or black and white cat in your home, you are definitely missing out. Just ask our Male and Female humans, and our Tribe member Oliver!

 

KittenBowl

Kitten Bowl V -Sunday, Feb. 4, 2081 – Hallmark Channel

Get ready folks, it’s time for one of my favorite feline events…The Kitten Bowl! You don’t have to wait until Sunday to enjoy all the pregame festivities.  Check out all the players (or catletes) and watch video from last year’s Kitten Bowl. The best part of his event is that all these kittens from various shelters find furever homes after purrticipating.

 

HunterCats

Monster Hunter Cat Game is Confusing Cats in The Real World – Nerdlist

Dear Humans, we felines love technology but when you freak us out with it, well that’s quite another story. Capcom’s recently released a game called Monster Hunter: World that features some feline-like sidekicks called Palicos, who communicate via meows. Japanese gamers are capturing some very amusing pictures and videos of their cats getting freaked out by the sounds coming from their screens. Humans, you’ve had your laugh, now stop it!

sailor

Bureaucats: The felines with official positions – BBC.com

Oh how I love stories about felines with jobs (I’ve featured many stories of professional pussy cats in my Wednesday wanderings). This article wraps many of the more famous bureocats into a nice package, Post Office Cats, Police Cats, military cats and more. Don’t miss these stories,. Did you know that by WWII almost every British ship had a cat or that In 1868 three cats were formally employed as mousers at the Money Order Office in London?  And don’t forget the star cats, a beautiful white cat named Arthur was the furry face of Spillers cat food for nearly 10 years from 1966, scooping Kattomeat from the tin into his mouth. He was such a star the brand was later renamed Arthur’s in his honor.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/24

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Hello All,
Alberto here strolling down the internet highway to bring you the best in feline happenings. I hope  you enjoy this week’s compilation.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Betty Boo, the Feline Hair Salon Employee – Yahoo Lifestyle

tabby cat in Melbourne hair salon

Those of you who follow my Wednesday wanderings know how much I love stories about cats with jobs. I prefer to find felines with unusual professions and Betty Boo fits the bill. If you happen to visit the BABAR Hair Studio in Melbourne, Australia you can meet their purrfect employee, Betty Boo. Her photo is featured on their website and they make sure you know Betty is part of their customer service team. Their website says, “At BABAR Hair we love what we do. We create professional salon results, in a relaxed, easy atmosphere: where good old fashioned hospitality with a glass of wine or beer, a coffee and biscotti, a cuddle from our salon cat and choosing your own vinyl (if you’re not digging our cool tunes already!) are all part of the experience…”

Not everyone finds a visit to the hair salon as a relaxing experience and Betty caters to the more nervous clients. Betty will sit on your lap or even sleep on you while you’re having a shampoo. And if that wasn’t enough, Betty is an opining feline on her own blog, aptly named “Betty’s Blog”.  Betty is definitely my kind of kitty!

Cats Can Be Right Or Left Pawed – SmithsonianMag.com

Siamese Cat Alberto from Feline Opines

Have you ever bothered to watch which paw your cat uses when they knock things off of counters or tap you oh-so-gently to wake you up? You may want to look next time because according to researchers at the Animal Behavior Centre at Queen’s University in Belfast, after analyzing data collected on 44 cats, 20 females and 24 males of all variety of felines, the researchers concluded that cats, unlike humans who are overwhelmingly right-handed, did not have an overall preference for a certain paw. Individual cats did display what they called “handedness” and certain paws were selected for taking the first step down a flight of stairs, snagging a treat or stepping into the litter box.  There are a lot more interesting tidbits in the article. You can see me above, exhibiting that I am ambi-pawderous when it comes to doing my blog posts.

Cats Get Their Own Violin Concert in this Animated Short – Nerdist

Fantasia-dei-Gatti-1

Combine a famous violinist (Augustin Hadelich) and animation and you get a great little movie about music loving cats. Fantasia dei Gatti is an animated short film that features the violinist giving a concert to felines. What happens next? Well you’ll just have to watch the video to find out!

 Cat Brings Her Human a Gift Every Morning – MetroUK
LeafCat

Baloo the cat had a shaky start with her human. Adopted by Ben and his now ex-girlfriend, they returned Baloo when they felt they weren’t ready to have a cat in their life. They quickly realized they made a mistake and hurried to get Baloo back. Baloo, a cat to realize how lucky she is, is closely bonded to Ben. She began to bring him presents, birds, mice, etc and drop them on his chest in the morning. After Ben impressed upon her that half dead creatures were not gifts he greatly appreciated, she began bringing him leaves. When Ben showed his appreciation for the leaf gifts, the morning gifts became a regular routine. Now Baloo can show her love and gratitude and Ben doesn’t have to fear his morning gifts.

Felines Bringing People Together in Turkey – The Guardian 

Turkey

Selem is a resident of historic Istanbul. He puts up with the tourists that push their way through the crowds and demand a photo op with him. Selim enjoys hanging out in his shop, a leather store called Moria. Selem is a cat. Selem and the other cats in historic Istanbul much prefer their independent, cushy street life but when winter comes they are forced to endure the care of humans. Winter cat houses appear all over to accommodate these pampered pussy cats.

Turkey is a nation struggling with national identity, divisions about religion, secularism and ethnicity but there is one thing that does unite the Turks and that is their love of cats. Someone once said that the only thing an Islamist, a secularist and a socialist could agree on was the punishment of anyone who harmed a cat. I never realized that we felines were such unifying creatures. I think I should start a group, Felines for World Peace and make the Turkish cats the leaders.

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 12/20

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Hello Friends,
It’s time to highlight my favorite feline finds on the web. And to all our readers, the Tribe of Five wishes you a Meowry Catmas!
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No Kitten Around; Museum Exhibit Celebrates ‘Divine Felines’ – npr.org

Egyptian Cat Statue

The Smithsonian Sackler Gallery of Asian Art has the purrfect exhibit for cat lovers called ‘Divine Felines’. The exhibit features cats, large and small from the land that honored felines the most – Egypt. The ancient Egyptians, enlightened as they were, watched the behavior of their felines, hunting, agility, protectiveness, etc. and they decided that these were all signs of divinity.  There’s much to learn at this exhibit – not all of it good though. I found out the Egyptians bred us felines to be offered to other Egyptian gods and goddesses, which begs the question, if we were considered to be gods, why where we sacrificed to other gods? Ah well, it’s all too much for my feline brain but if you are interested in the history of the fabulous feline, check out this exhibit.

This Cat Named D-O-G Helps Train Pups To Be Service Dogs

black and white cat named D-O-G

My regular readers know how much I love stories about working cats and this is a great one. This cat named D-O-G (pronounced dee-Oh-jee) is a VIE (very important employee) at Support Dogs, Inc. in St.  Louis.  The dogs at this organization are trained to help people with disabilities and one important factor in this training is to train the canines to remain calm when faced with distractions. D-O-G’s job is to be a distraction as the humans train the canines to ignore the tail swatting and leash playing (check out the training video on the website).

D-O-G came from humble roots as a barn kitten who met the director of canine services a the organization when his future human stayed at a bed and breakfast. The director fell in love with D-O-G and asked if she could adopt him. The rest, as they say is history.

Photographer Captures the Mystical Beauty of Cat Eyes – My Modern Met

close up of cat eye

That article about the Smithsonian cat exhibit put me in an artsy kind of mood. In keeping with that mood, I found this very interesting article about a new visual purrspective on cat’s eyes.  A Norwegian photographer named Tina uses a Canon macro lens to photograph the eyes of her felines in residence, Zelda, Zonic and Zorro.  If you like the photos in this article and want more, check out more photos at Tina’s Instagram account and see another example of how utterly amazing we felines are.

An Unusual Trio – Lost At E Minor

2 golden retrievers and their feline buddy

This is a story of a purrfect trio named Watson, Kiko and Henry.  Watson and Kiko are Golden Retrievers who love to pose for the camera and they also love cuddling with their best buddy Watson, who happens to be a feline. I have to say, the Tribe of Five doesn’t cuddle as much together as these three do! You can see more photos of these three amigos on their Instagram account.

Kitty Gingerbread House for Catmas – abcnews.com

Christmas gingerbread playhouse for cats
If you are a cat aficionado then you probably have heard of  the felines Cole and Marmalade. Their humans decided that since a Christmas tree is out of the question (and if you’re a reader who doesn’t understand this I suggest you google “cats and Christmas trees” and watch a few videos) so they created a very cool Christmas Gingerbread house for their felines. They even have instructions so other inspired humans can do this for their felines.