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The Tuxedo

black and white cat
Hello Folks,
Oliver here. I’ve been feeling a bit reflective ever since our purrsonal assistant received an email from another human named Daniel Richardson who lives, as we felines say, across the Pond.

Those of you who follow our blog understand that The Tribe of Five is quite enamored with the British humans, who, we believe, are some of the most pawsome and enlightened humans when it comes to cats.

Now this human, Daniel, was interested in sharing a graphic he’d done regarding the many reasons to adopt cats. The Tribe of Five are great fans of adoption. We even shared stories about our adoptions (and featured some baby pics) on our “Remember Me Thursday” post entitled, “Let’s Talk About Adoption” .

We had our purrsonal assistant purrruse Daniel Richardson’s webpage, Tuxedo Cat and yowza did we learn a lot!

designDid you know that in the UK  75% of all cats are Black and White? And, because they are so common they’re often overlooked by many people when choosing a cat? Well this black and white cat says that’s terrible! I was horrified to learn that Tuxedo patterned cats generally spend more than ten days longer in cat shelters than other cats.  This really made me think. If our humans hadn’t adopted us after fostering us, Alberto (my brother, the Siamese looking fellow) probably would have been adopted much sooner than me, even here in the U.S.

black and white tuxedo cat named whiskey
According to the information on Tuxedo Cat, a “Tuxedo” is black and white, they typically have black coloring around their eyes often with a white chin or nose, sort of like a mask.  To be officially classified as a Tuxedo Cat, the feline should have a predominantly black coat with a white chest and paws. The photo to the left is a fine example of a Tuxedo and is Whiskey, the spokespurrrson for the Tuxedo Cat website.

Meowza is there a lot to learn about the esteemed black and white cat on this website. I took a good long look in the mirror and my coloring is not “classic” Tuxedo but I do think I’m close enough to stand in solidarity with the Tuxedos.  Black and white cats are cool, they’re great swimmers, good-natured, very smart, and, well the list goes on and on but the female human warned me not to go too far with my “black and white cats are the best” lest the rest of the Tribe take exception to my comments.

So, what started out as an opportunity to share an excellent graphic on adoption has become quite an information session about Tuxedo Cats. And there’s more, the Tribe of Five will be interviewing Whiskey and sharing with you his adoption story.

So, as my feline friends across the Pond say, Cheerio until next time and if you don’t go over to TuxedoCats you’re just barmy! (and don’t forget to check out the pawsome graphic about adoption from Whiskey’s human below!)
Purrs & Head Bonks,

black and white cat Oliver

cat adoption graphic

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 12/6

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Hello Friends, Furry, Feathered and Otherwise,

I’m back after my holiday hiatus. The humans went away and we had a very nice cat sitter. I must say, at least on behalf of The Tribe of Five that staying at home and having a nice cat sitter come in twice a day is soooo much better than being hauled away to some place to stay in a cage. If you have a great cat sitter, tell us about them. Two paws up for all cat sitters!

Now, let’s get to the items I found on my weekly wanderings through the web.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
AlHead

Alberto

 

Twitter Account Pairs Cat Pics with Metal Lyrics and it’s Purrfect – I Can Haz

Cheeseburger?

Sphynx cat with raised paw

No matter how floofy and sweet we felines look, if you look a little deeper, you’ll find many of us have an affinity with rock and roll and metal. The humans behind the Twitter Account, Black Metal Cats understands this very well.  I admit I’m a little more rock and roll than I am metal. My theme song would be “Born to Be Wild” but every feline can enjoy a little darkness now and then.

 

The Cat Who Swims Like an Otter – I Heart Cats.com

Siamese cat swimming in pool

Adventure cats are the cat’s meow and I am purrrticularily interested in cats who swim. As you may know, the female human and i are planning on being kayak buddies. Unfortunately, it took us a while to find just the right life jacket (don’t I look handsome?) and then the skies were so filled with smoke from the forest fires that surrounded us that the air quality was not good for humans or animals. So, onward and upward and looking forward to next summer. Siamese cat in life jacket

But in the meantime, I want to learn from other fearless felines that like the water. Sasha is just such a feline. Sasha likes to take a swim in her pool and acts like it’s no big deal. if  you don’t believe me, check out this video of her swimming. As much as I admire Shasha’s pool adventures, it’s still good to be safe. We live near big lakes and rivers and those conditions can be dangerous so I always recommend a life jacket (like the fashionable one I’m sporting)

 

 

 

 

Man’s Adopted Cat is His Favorite Climbing Partner – Bored Panda

black cat climbs mountains with her human

Now if you’re just catching your breath over the swimming feline Sasha, this one might just put you over the edge. Meet Millie and her human Craig Armstrong. Craig found a feline that shares his love of exploring, camping and climbing and the two have had some wonderful adventures.  Craig says that “Ever since Millie climbed up onto my shoulder at the  adoption center in Utah, I knew we’d make a good team.”

The female human was very pleased to see the precautions Craig takes with Millie but thankfully, she has not suggested that we add mountain climbing to our summer adventures! You can follow Craig and Millie’s adventures on their Instagram account. 

 

Max the Banned Cat Meets with Macalester President – Star Tribune

Max the orange tabby

Dear Humans, this is a cautionary tale for you, never, EVER underestimate the power of felines and social media. Max, the Orange Tabby first came to fame when he began sneaking into the library at Macalester College. Now what can be so bad about a cat with litter-ary aspirations? Evidently quite a bit according to the librarian , who maxposterbanned him from the building and even went so far as to create a wanted poster for the door.

Max’s plight created a stir on campus. There were cartoons about Max, a student created a library card for Max and there were #FreeMax comments all over campus. When social media picked up the story more people joined the Max bandwagon and an international hue and cry was raised for Max the Library Cat.

Things reached the point where the college President arranged a meeting with Max. You can see the video on the page with the story.  The sit down was not a great success, with the college President complaining that a cat is more famous than he is. The rest of the meeting was interesting. You must watch the video. Suffice to say, Max had the upper paw! Sheesh, what’s a cat have to do to keep a job?

KitTea Cat Cafe Offers Caturday Cartoons and bottomless Cereal Bar -KitTea Cat Cafe

KitTea

If you follow me Wednesday wanderings you know I love to report on Cat Cafe’s, especially the ones opening up all over this nation. If you think a cat cafe is just a place to see or interact with cats you’ve got another think coming. Take the Kit Tea Cat Cafe for Front+Sign+How+We+Work+-+2017instance, they do lots of neat things there and, aside from their special events, they even make it easy for visitors to understand what the cat cafe experience is.  Check out their easy to understand graphic for visitors.

You can book any regular visit online and even book the special events like the yoga nights, Happy Meowr, Mewvie Nights, The Caturday Morning Cartoons and more. Follow the Kit Tea Cat Cafe on Instagram.

 

This Caturday Morning event really intrigues me.  Here is how they advertise it:

Have mew heard about our Caturday Morning Cartoons event? Come in your best jammies and curl up like a cat (with a cat) to watch an hour of nostalgic 90’s/80’s cartoons and commercial clips on our big screen – surrounded by 10+ sanctuary kitties. A cereal bar filled with sugary sweet cereals will also be available to make it the ultimate Caturday morning!

Includes:
Bottomless cereal bar (assortment of sugary childhood favorites)
A morning of streaming cartoons in our Cat Lounge

The female human said if we lived close to San Francisco she’d be there! Great job Kit Tea Cat Cafe! See you at the breakfast bowl.

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web 11/29

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Friends, Furry, Feathered and Otherwise,
Alberto here. Please forgive me for missing my Wednesday Walk last week. The humans were off somewhere celebrating this thing they call “Thanksgiving”. We had a great cat sitter so all was well at our house but truth be told, I’m a bit miffed that they didn’t bring us any of this “turkey” they keep talking about. Sometimes humans can be so selfish.

But I digress. Here are my feline findings on the web this week.

Enjoy!
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Catty Shack-A Sanctuary For Feral Felines – RiverBender.com

catty shack feral cat shelter

There are many kind humans who feed and care for feral cats. Sarah Shipton is one of those kind humans and when some of her feral friends were found dead or disappeared she decided that these felines needed a safe place. She took out a loan and built a sanctuary for the feral felines in her area.

She installed a cat proof fence, insulated shack full of kitty toys and a safe place for the felines to sleep and stay out of the cold, a lawn dragon and a porch where humans can enjoy the kitty cavorting and lots more. The Catty Shack is a 501c3″ no-kill animal shelter in Hamel, IL and the bulk of the contributions they receive are used for testing, spaying and neutering and food.

If there was an award for human rescuer of the year, I’d give it to Sarah Shipton. Two paws up for Catty Shack!

Awsome 4th Grader Collecting Blankets for Shelter Cats – CactusHugs.com

Kendalls Pawsitively Purrfet kitty supply deive

While we’re on the subject of humans doing great things for felines, here’s another example. This mini-human named Kendall Keyes (who is only 9 years old) was concerned when she learned that the Palm Springs Animal Shelter needed warm fleece baby blankets for their adoptable kittens and cats. She sprang into action and with the help of her mom and school counselor, Kendalls Pawsitively Purrfect Kitten Supply Drive was born.

So you see humans, you don’t have to big, old or famous to do something fantastic for the felines at your shelter!

How Police Solved a Mail Bomb Case With Cat Hair – Above The Law

yellow tabby cat sleuth

Our female human is a writer and happens to be writing a mystery that centers around animal forensics. I for one, thought she was a bit crazy until I stumbled upon this article. A woman accused of sending letter bombs to Texas Governor Abbott and former President Obama was recently arrested and indictes and some of the key pieces of evidence in the case…cat hairs!

Evidently the Feds found cat hairs stuck under the address label on the letter and voila, the rest is history.  So now I guess I owe our female human an apology, especially since I have it on good authority that there are two characters in the book that are exactly like Oliver and yours truly!

Dog and Cat Besties Hike the Colorado Wilderness Together – Matador Network

dog and cat in sleeping bag

Those of you who follow my Wednesday wanderings know how much I love stores about adventure cats (being an aspiring adventure cat myself). I’ve featured many but this story is about an adventure cat and his canine buddy.

Henry, the dog and Baloo, the cat were both adopted from shelters and now that they have each other, their humans take them camping. These two have some amazing adventures and you can follow them on their Instagram account. Hmm, maybe I should speak to the humans about adopting an adventure buddy for me.

Oscar Is A Cat Of The World But He Doesn’t Like Flying – Newstimes

gray tabby in cat carrier on plane

Even world-famous media cats and adventure cats have their limit. Oscar, as his human desciribes him, is a “cat of the world” but there is one area of modern life that Oscar does not like and that is flying. Note his less then enthusiastic expression in his carrier.

After you read all that the human had to go through before and during the trip and Oscar’s response, you’ll want to think twice about taking your feline on a flight, even if they are the most adventuresome of cats.

 

 

 

Not Walkin’ the Web But Sending Wishes

Hello All,
Tucker here. You may have noticed that Alberto didn’t do his usual web walk yesterday. You see our humans decided to take some time off for the holiday and that means our purrsonal assistant was not available to assist him with the post. Now when you’re a feline, EVERY day is a holiday but the poor humans only have a few of these holiday thingys so I guess we need to extend them some grace.

As the Alpha of the Tribe of Five, I felt it my duty to tell all of our readers and fellow feline and canine bloggers how thankful we are for you. We wish you a wonderful holiday and don’t forget to be thankful for your humans for giving you a forever home. I hope you enjoy my short video message below.

Purrs & Head Bonks
Tucker

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/15

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Hello Friends,
Alberto here with my Wednesday wandering through the web. I hope you enjoy the feline finds!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Cat Whisperer Firefighter – itv.com

fire fighter rescues cat on roof

Once again, our friends across the “pond” prove that they are ahead of the curve when it comes to moggie care. The Shropshire Fire and rescue and the RSPCA were called to a house for assistance for a feline named Tinkerbell who’d been stuck on a roof for two days.

A firefighter named Andy (but also referred to as “the cat whisperer” climbed the ladder to the roof, spoke to the frightened feline and she walked right into the carrier he put out for her.  The entire rescue took about 45 minutes.

Does your town have a cat whisperer? I think every town needs one!

Cat Cosplay – @Cat_Cosplay on Twitter/Instagram and Facebook

calico cat in steampunk costume

Dap-purr Steampunk Cat @CatCosplayInc

What is this madness the humans call “cosplay”? I had my purrsonal assistant look up the definition of this strange practice. It is “the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game, especially one from the Japanese genres of manga and anime.” Okay humans, dress up like anything you like but do you really have to bring felines into this wacky ritual?

After my stringent warning to the humans about NEVER attempting to stuff me in a costume again and, after so many of my feline friends chimed in regarding my “no costume” rule I was dismayed to see so many cats in costumes!  I cannot wrap my kitty head around this and would love to hear from any “cosplay kitties” as to why you enjoy this (at least you look like you’re enjoying yourself in the photos).

This Man and His Cats Recreate Scenes From Famous Movies – Good Housekeeping

man and black cat share a string of spaghetti

Aaaaand, yet another human who thinks it’s a great idea to dress up his cats (at least most of these are photoshopped to save the poor felines the indignity and trauma of costumes).

Now this human (who clearly has too much time on his hands) loves films so much, he’s dragged his poor kitties into his passion and recreates his favorite scenes from films.

Good grief humans, can’t you go through a day without humiliating your felines??!! I long for the days in Egypt when we cats were revered like gods.

SNAP CAT – CATS AND BUNNIES LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME – Storytrender

siamese kitten and look alike bunny

Now I’ve had many folks see my photo and say things like, “Oh, he looks just like my Siamese cat!” but I’ve never heard anyone say I resemble a rabbit. But animal photographer Mark Taylor, from the UK decided to photograph look-alike felines and bunnies and I must say, I think he nailed it! Purrrruse the photos and see if you can find a bunny that resembles your feline visage.

Salt Lake’s first cat cafe – The Salt Lake Tribune

two women play with siamese cats

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Melissa Davis, left and Jackie Rogers play and pet cats at Tinker’s Cat Cafe.

I am a fan of cat cafes and am always excited to hear about new ones. And I’m purring with delight to know that the trend is getting closer to our Idaho home!  Tinkers Cat Cafe  sounds like a wonderful place and it, as most of the cat cafes we’ve featured, was inspired by the feline cafes in Japan.

The cafe has a cat side and a food side with delicious food and drinks brought in from local establishments . The Cafe owner says they carry the best bagels in town from Ditta Cafe, cool cat-shaped cookies from Les Madelines and they also offer vegan  and gluten-free options. The goal is to keep the humans and the cats happy.

All the cats are available for adoption. There are no kittens there as kittens adopt quickly.  Two paws up for Tinkers Cat Cafe. I’d love to hear from any of my readers who’ve visited a cat cafe, drop me a line and tell me about your experience.

 

 

 

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week #3

siamese cat sitting on stool
Hi Folks,

Lilly here. I’m another happy Tribe of Five Member who was adopted from our local shelter (Panhandle Animal Shelter).  They do lots of great things there but this is one of my favorites. It’s called the Home to Home program and what it does is allow the shelter to help dogs and cats find new furever homes.

Now why, you may ask, would a dog or cat need a NEW home if they already have a home?  Here’s what the PAS website has to say about it:

With an increase in owner surrenders in the past few years, Home to Home was developed to assist in rehoming pets in a manner that causes less stress. As much as we like to think our shelter is a happy place, it isn’t a home and can be stressful for the animals.

The number one reason for surrendering pets is an unavoidable change in living situations. A perfect opportunity to use the Home to Home website would be within the time frame of finding out that relocation is necessary and the actual moving date. Of course, if a suitable new home is not found in time, bringing the animal to the shelter is always an option.”

Sometimes life happens, and with this program, there can be a happy ending for all, the humans who get to meet the new humans that will be loving their pets and the dogs and cats who will go to a new home without every having to stay in the shelter. Two paws up for a win-win situation!

No one ever wants to say goodbye to their fur kids but when things happen, it’s good to know that there is a program like Home to Home.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Lily

LilyLogo

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/8

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Hello Friends, Furry, Feathered and Otherwise,
Alberto here for my weekly purrrusal of all things feline on the web. Enjoy!
Siamese cat with blue eyes

The First Ever NY Cat Film Festival – Metro

NYCAtFilmFestival

Finally New York is getting wise to the idea that cats rule! They’ve had a Dog Film Festival for the last three years and this has really gotten my whiskers in a twist. Well thank goodness, someone got a clue and the FIRST Cat Film Festival will be held in New York at the Chelsea SVA Theater in December!  And all I can say is, “It’s about time!” If you want to learn more you can watch a promo for the event here.

Domestic Violence and Pets – The PAWS Act

My human attends a conference for pet writers and bloggers called BlogPaws and at this conference, she learned about pets of domestic abuse survivors. Did  you know that often, people in abusive situations have to choose between their safety and their pet? Did you know that in most shelters, domestic abuse survivors cannot take their pets because there is no place for the animals? How sad to force someone to part with the one thing that offers them unconditional love!

The Pet and Women Safety Act (PAWS Act, for short) is attempting to amend the federal criminal code to broaden the definition of stalking to include the reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to a person’s pet. Additionally, it would expand interstate violations of a protection order to also cover pets. Lastly, it directs the Department of Agriculture to award grants for shelter, housing assistance, and support services for survivors of domestic violence with pets. This is a law The Tribe of Five can wholeheartedly support and we hope you will sign the petition and support it too. And how about checking with your local shelter and finding out if they have resources for the pets of domestic violence survivors?

Purr Minister 2017 – Metro.co.uk 

black cat named midnight new purr minister

The only kind of purrlitical stuff I’m interested in is the feline variety. For instance, I was Oliver’s campaign manager when he ran for Purresident with the Kitty Kat Party last year.  Evidently, there are purrlitical felines in the  UK as well and they were vying for the title of  Purr Minister.

The 2017 Purr Minister campaign ended last week. There were six moggies who competed for the Purr Minister crown and each wrote a Manifursto explaining why they deserved to be voted the most fabulous feline in Westminster.  The winner was selected by the public and it was a hotly contested race.

This year’s winner, garnered 49 percent of the public vote. Two paws up for the new Purr Minister, Midnight!

In this village in Mandya, cats are worshipped as gods – Times of India

FelineTemple

Well my feline friends, if you feel as though you’re not getting enough respect in your household you may want to consider a move to Bekkalale village, India, where cats are literally put on a pedestal. Bekkalale, worships the cat as a form of goddess Mangamma and has no less than three temples dedicated to felines.  Humans are harshly punished for harming cats in this village and every year there is a festival to honor the majestic feline. (Which of course, is our due!)

Seattle’s Newest Cat Cafe Offers Beer, Japanese Snacks and a Whole Lot of Adorable-Seattle Magazine

Neko crop

Image Credit: Caitlin Unsell Follow the sign to Capitol Hill’s new kitty den.

Those cool cats in Seattle always seem to be on the cutting edge of hipness. Case in point, the Neko Cat Cafe that serves beer and snacks! The owner and founder of this cat cafe, Caitlin Unsell, was inspired by the cat cafes in Japan.  Neko is the third cat cafe in the Seattle area but the felines you meet at the Neko cafe are extra special.

Unsell partnered with Regional Animal Services of King County to help the cafe kitties find furever homes. All of the cats Neko (which means “cat” in Japanese) are diagnosed with the feline leukemia virus which is a disease that poses long term health issues but does not keep the cats from living long, happy lives.  People often pass over cats with health issues in shelters and Unsell hopes to change this by giving the cat loving community a chance to meet and know the felines at her cafe.

The cafe has two areas, one for the cafe and the other for the cats. The  happy felines have a long bank of windows at pavement level for great canine and human viewing.
I am overwhelmed when I realize how many great humans there are out there who are not just dedicating themselves to finding furever homes for felines but finding homes for felines that are usually passed over for adoption. Two paws up for the Neko Cat Cafe.

 

 

 

 

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Hi All,

Oliver here. I was adopted from Panhandle Animal Shelter and The Tribe of Five and our humans Are very greatful four our shelter and all the shelters around the country that help find forever homes for animals.

You can help your local shelter in lots of ways. Our shelter recently had a Go Fund Me drive to help a little dog who needed surgery. You can help your shelter keep their Angel Fund filled and ready to help the next animal in need like little Peanut.


Purrs & Head Bonks,


Oliver