Can We Talk About Swag?

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Feline Opines

“Can we talk about swag?” Alberto

When The Female Human goes to the Cat Writers Association Conference (#cwa25) she always comes home with stuff she refers to as swag. l asked her once, “What is this swag to which you refer?” And she said the original meaning of the term was “goods taken by a burglar”. Now I know The Female Human is honest and that she would not bring home stolen goods so I had to settle for the definition that says swag is stuff given to cat media professionals by generous sponsors.

And this year the sponsors were very generous. The Tribe of Five will be reporting on individual items but I wanted to give a shout out to @Cat Lady Box for putting something really cool in the bag for humans!

CatLadyBox_2

First, let me say that Cat Lady Box is a pawsome company. You sign up for one or more months and they send you AND your feline goodies. The Female Human went crazy over the human stuff on the website, here are two of her favorites, the Cat Squad hoodie and the cat umbrella, pretty cool huh?

Lest you think that this is a human only box, think again. There are so many cool feline things. The Tribe of Five had a hard time picking just two from the many goodies on their website to feature in this post. These two were the winners. The Teddy Bear rug for felines is purrfect for chilly winter evenings and the furry bunny catnip toy brings out the beast in us.

So what did The Female Human get from the Cat Lady Box folks? Take a look, she’s driving around town letting her feline flag fly (and in the wilds of North Idaho where dogs rule, that’s quite a statement!)

Feline Fine in Idaho!

So “fangs a lot” to the good folks at Cat Lady Box for making The Female Human so happy.

The Fabulous “Failure”

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Feline Opines

The Female Human has always lived with multiple cats. Three seemed to be the magic number. This was the state of her happy home when she was asked to foster two kittens who just happened to be me and my brother Oliver.

She says she had some trepidation about fostering; she’d never taken care of tiny kittens. Every member of The Tribe of Five was adopted when we were weaned, spayed / neutered and ready to go to a new furever home. Yet, despite her reservations, she knew there were two kittens that needed her so she said yes.

We Arrive

Siamese and black and white kitten, Alberto and Oliver from Feline Opines

The accommodations she provided were excellent. We took over the very large guest bathroom and with all our needs considered, a litter box, a play area, snuggly beds and lots of kitten approved toys. Our arrival created quite a bit of interest among the established Tribe members and they were less than enthused when The Female Human disappeared into that room that was now off limits to them.

The Female Human took to fostering quite well. She learned where to find the best organic goat’s milk to feed us, what kitten food was best when we were ready to eat solid and what things enriched the environment of two curious little felines.

We Weasel Ourselves Into Her Heart

We could tell immediately that The Female Human was a softie. She fell in love with us in a nanosecond. She was so besotted that she even brought in a mini iPad for us with kitty games. We made sure to crawl all over her and purr as loud as little kittens can purr whenever she came to visit us and, when we began to have supervised visits in the rest of the house we were on our best behavior.

The Rest, As They Say, Is History

I think she knew long before she admitted it to anyone else, that Oliver and I were there to stay, We sometimes heard her mumble under her breath, “Five cats, FIVE CATS?? I am officially part of the crazy cat lady society. What will everyone think?” Thank goodness her heart overrode her head and she gave in, officially adding us to the now Tribe of Five.

I remember the first time she fed us all at once and she looked at the five furry bodies enjoy their evening soft food. She put her hands to her face and exclaimed, “That’s a lot of cats!”

Fabulous Foster Failure

We’ve been in our home for almost three years now and The Female Human has fully embraced the fact that she shares her home with five felines. Where she used to whisper “Five” under her breath when people asked her how many cats she had, she now throws her shoulders back and states proudly and loudly, “FIVE!”.

Our Female Human is very competitive and obsessive about completing tasks successfully. There is only one “failure” she has proudly embraced and that is being a foster failure. She seems to think she has the foster thing down now and might be able to foster again but we’ve advised her that if she isn’t prepared for a Tribe of Seven, she might want to wait a bit.

I hope you humans will consider fostering, whether you fail or not. There are so many resources to help you figure it all out, through your local shelter and even a free online course at Maddie’s University from Maddie’s Fund. Maddie’s University offers a module, Foster Caregiver Training – Kittens and Puppies that gives you clear and complete guidelines for things like bottle feeding, fostering and socializing unsocial kittens, transitioning to solid food and much more. And if you decide you want to champion fostering for your local shelter, Maddie’s Online University has a course to teach you how to create and grow successful cat foster programs.

FFF

Oliver and I say two paws up for humans who foster and we encourage you to try it. What’s the worst that could happen? You might just add a few new loving members to your tribe and become a member of FFF (Fabulous Foster Failures). If you’re a FFF, please feel free to use this badge and let your fabulous foster failure experience be known to the world.

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Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/22

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends.
I have completed my feline journalistic duties for the Cat Writer’s Association’s 25th conference. It was very cool, lots of famous social media felines were there and
The Female Human brought home a nice swag bag we’ll be reporting on soon.

But it’s time for me to get to the best of feline news on the web. I hope you enjoy this week’s web wanderings.

Delta volunteer flies cat from Atlanta shelter to Seattle cat cafe to find new home

Oh how I love it when humans step up and do something outstanding, and this is definitely outstanding. First of all, did you know that Delta has an Animal Rescue Transport?

And Delta has volunteers that help make animal transport happen. One of these volunteers took a sweet little feline named Molly from Atlanta to a cat café in Seattle where she could be adopted. Molly tested positive for the feline leukemia virus which created a challenge to her adoption at the shelter. Cats with FIV are adoptable and their disease can be managed. So, the folks in Atlanta sent an application for Molly to be accepted to the Neko Cat Café in Seattle as they specialize in getting cats with FIV adopted. And the Neko Cat Café is one fantastic place where you can sip your favorite beverage, have a light nibble and a snuggle with felines. Could there be any better place?

But I digress, little Molly was accepted and a Delta volunteer flew with her to Seattle and delivered her to the cafe. Now Molly is famous and she has her own page on the Neko Cat Café’s website. So get the word out to your Seattle furiends and tell them to get Molly adopted!

Study using activity monitors to track cats’ activity levels

An interesting opportunity for all my indoor feline friends in England. Researchers from the University of Bristol Vet School want to hear from indoor cat owners for a new study looking at cats’ mobility levels using cat activity monitors.

They’re studying the effect of joint disease in cats activity levels by measuring movements of felines with and without mobility problems. There are criteria for the feline study purrticipants, they must be happy to be met and petted by strangers and wear a breakaway collar. The scientists are hoping to identify the earliest signs of joint disease which would make life so much better for felines with joint problems.

Cats taking part in the study should be:

over six years of age;
be kept indoors or have outdoors access within a closed run and/or on a lead;
shouldn’t be on any pain medication, and
live within one to two hours’ drive from Bristol, England.

So if you live across the pond, get your moggies in this study!

Dogs and cats take flight toward promising future

petflights

In this story nearly 200 shelter pets from Louisiana and Mississippi are settling into their new digs on the East Coast after being flown from Lafayette.

Wings of Rescue made this flight possible in conjunction with GreaterGood.org and the ASPCA.

These flights allow dogs and cats to go from overcrowded shelters where they are less likely to be adopted to shelters with room and better opportunities for them to find furever homes.

This program helps shelter pets all around the country and our local shelter does this as well. What a good idea humans, send us where we have a better chance of being adopted!

Denver cat ends up in Kansas

Topeka cat

Ah, another “happy ending cat traveler story”. (Good grief some of these felines like to roam the country). A “stray” cat was taken to a shelter in Topeka, KS and when they scanned her for a microchip, Loki’s family was located…..in Denver!

How did this happen you ask? No one knows but Loki is hitching a ride with a family friend of one of the shelter employees. So humans, PLEASE make sure your feline’s microchip info is up to date so that if, heaven forbid, your feline goes missing, you can be reunited too!

According to Research, Being a Cat Lady is Actually Good For You

This is our very own crazy cat lady (aka The Female Human). – Alberto FelineOpines.net

Oh puleeeze…these researchers aren’t telling us felines anything new! But I guess you humans have to hear from Psychological Medicine, what we’ve always known, and that is that felines are beneficial to your health. As a matter of fact, there’s even more research proving that cats are actually beneficial to specific parts of human health.

A study posted in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Nuerology states that: “a decreased risk for death due to MI and all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among persons with cats. Acquisition of cats as domestic pets may represent a novel strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in high-risk individuals.”

So there you have it, from the experts, that owning cats can benefit your health. Felines are great stress reducers and our purrs have healing powers. So the next time someone tries to name call your female human as a crazy cat lady, just smile, meow and remember, it’s not crazy to be healthier.

Oliver Reminisces on Friendly Fill Ins #156

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hi There Furiends,
I’m doing the fill-ins this week and I can’t wait to meow about my answers. This is a blog hop which means you can join via the link at the host’s sites at 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Fur Balls and hop around to other sites, read their answers and of course, opine about your thoughts on their answers. Sig_Oliver

Here are this week’s fill ins.

1. ______________ was a very good year.

2. There is nothing quite like _______________.

3. If I had a talk show, I would want to interview _________.

4. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for _________.

My Answers:

1. 2015 was a very good year. That’s the year The Female Human became a foster failure and my brother Alberto and I found our furever home. Weren’t we cute?

2. There is nothing quite like watching the local woodland wildlife with my brother.

black and white cat and siamese cat look out the window

3. If I had a talk show, I would want to interview Jackson Galaxy. The Female Human is always meowing about him and how much he knows about felines. I’d like to talk to him and see if he could figure out all the crazy idiosyncrasies of The Tribe of Five.

4. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my fellow members of The Tribe of Five…well, except maybe giving up my favorite spot on the sofa.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/8

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I hope you are all doing well. I have to say I’m glad all that Lily DNA stuff is over, sheesh, she’s prancing around here like she’s the queen. I feel that I have not received the attention due me this week because of all the DNA hoopla.

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The Female Human has been doing some rearranging around the house. She moved her office upstairs and The Tribe of Five approves as there are more windows and the space is bigger and it makes it much easier for me to snoopervise her when she works.

I hope you enjoy this Wednesday’s wanderings.

Cat Accidentally Hitches Ride From Utah to Florida

Calling all my feline friends in Utah. This guy evidently decided he wanted to see the world and got himself trapped in a semi that was traveling from his home in Utah to Marianna, Fla. The local shelter in Florida, Partners For Pets posted, posted his photo and story but I’m asking any of my Utah friends to share this post too, to see if we can get him back home. People, please have us microchipped and keep our info current so we can get home when we get lost!

Siamese cats to be dropped from Lady and the Tramp remake

Boy does this have my whiskers in a twist! Disney is dropping the Siamese cat characters from its remake of Lady and the Tramp and they are going to “revamp” the Siamese Cat Song because they think it’s controversial content. Are you serious?!!!! There will not be Siamese cats in the movie because, evidently we Siamese cats are offensive. Well Disney, I have one thing to say to you…”I am Sia-a-meese if you please….I am Sia-a-meese if you DON’T please!

Have You Seen This Cat?

Normally, this would be a photo and a question on a lost cat forum or posted on a telephone pole but Frank’s story is a bit more complicated. Frank’s human is suing his landlord for catnapping Frank. Joshua Smith told the Oregonian that his landlord even admitted to the heinous crime.

Smith is demanding up to $250,000 in damages for the disappearance of Frank with intent to “inflict severe emotional distress.” He is also offering a $500.00 reward for the return of Frank so if anyone of my readers are in that area, please help this man find Frank (and earn $500.00 in the process!)

Star Trek Cat Collectibles

Now you can go boldly where no cat has gone before. Chronicle Collectibles has taken released their Star Trek Cats Collection, based on the whimsical feline artwork of Jenny Parks.The collection includes James T. Kirk Cat, Scotty Cat and Spock Cat. All are available for pre-order at $39.95. Beam me up Scotty!

Missing Montecito Mudslide Cat Returns Home After 475 Days and It’s All Thanks to a Random Conversation

Oh how I love happy endings! A cat that disappeared during a California mudslide has returned to its family after 475 days. The Strogoff family had to flee their home because of the impending mudslides in Montecito CA in January 2018. In the rush to leave, they couldn’t find their two cats, Diamond and Hugette and had to leave without them. The family was devastated that the cats could not be found in the mudslide devastated area where twenty-three people were killed.

Fast forward to about a week ago when Mrs. Strogoff was talking with a worker at her house when she told him about her beloved, lost Diamond. When she explained the cat’s markings he remarked that it sounded like a cat he’d been feeding a few blocks from their former home. And just like that Diamond was reunited with the family. Unfortunately, the other cat is still missing.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/1

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends,
That saying you humans like to meow about that “April showers bring May flowers” is proving to be true. There are tulips beginning to pop up in the garden and there should be some nice color if the deer don’t eat them first.

final-20 Oliver tried to convince me that he sat in our felted bed this way because it was getting too warm to sleep inside it. I told Oliver I thought his expanding girth was proving to be too much to fit into the bed. Oliver was not amused.

I hope you enjoy my web wanderings this week.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Swedish Digital Vet Is Going After the UK’s Cats (and Dogs)

Oliver and one of our favorite vets, Dr. Christina Ponsness at Pend Oreille Veterinary Service

A Swedish digtal vet clinic, First Vet is launching in the UK. The company offers video appointments between 20-30UK ($26.00-$39.00) where the average vet visit is about 60UK ($78.00)

So, not only do the humans get to save some money but the felines are relieved of the stress of being shoved in a carrier and taken in the moving metal machine to the place of the stabby people.

First Vet’s study of their business in Sweden has found that roughly half of all cases that result in a visit to the vet could be taken care of by a remote consultation.

This sounds pretty good to me, what do my feline and human furiends think about this?

CatCon Partners With Cats Of Instagram To Celebrate The Internet’s Greatest Cat Videos

Have you watched Oliver’s film,, “Bring Me My Catpuccino!”

CatCon, “the ComicCon for cat people” has joined with Instagram’s to showcase most-followed cat accounts to celebrate the internet’s greatest cat videos.

If you and your humans are lucky enough to get to Cat Con at the Pasadena Convention Center in California, you can mingle with 62,000 other international feline fans.

The Cats Of Instagram account — which has 10.3 million followers and features a running tab of adorable cat pics and videos — will be hosting the inaugural CatCon Video Festival. And all my furiends can submit their own videos (we submitted two of ours, “Bring Me My Catpuccino” and “You Never Walk Alone”. A grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card.

“Cats of Instagram has been part of CatCon since the beginning in 2015, and it made purr-fect sense to up the ante this year and partner with them on CatCon Video Fest,” CatCon creator Susan Michals said in a statement. “Together we plan to bring the audience at CatCon 2019 the best vids from across the country, IRL on the big screen.” Meow, sure wish we could go there!

Teen cat whisperer recognized for clocking nearly 1,900 hours of dedication to feline friends

CatWhisperer

The next time you humans start meowing about how bad kids are today, you need to remember 15-year old Blake Austin. Blake has clocked nearly 1,900 hours of playtime with the felines at the Brunswick Midcoast Humane society. She also fosters kittens. Her dad has a severe cat allergy so she never got to have a cat when she was growing up until her father realized how much cats meant to her and made her a “cats only” room. Blake’s love of cats and her tireless devotion to the felines at her shelter has garnered her much notice and she even received a $10,000.00 gift. Meowza, being nice to kitties pays off-literally!

Cat adopts four orphaned squirrels

CatSquirrel

This one’s for all you may-saying humans who think we felines don’t have a heart.. Pusha, the cat who lives in a park in Bakhchisaray, Crimea. She came across four young squirrels who’d lost their parents, and rather ignoring them or attacking them, she took care of them and even let the squirrels drink her milk as if they were her own kittens.

The squirrels seem quite happy with this family arrangement. Pusha treats them like her own, cleaning them and giving them a gentle nudge when they’re misbehaving.

Brace yourselves, cat lovers. Meow DC is a new festival for feline fanatics.

Coco the Couture Cat letting her love child side out at Blogpaws 2016.

Emily Miller, director of special events for the Humane Rescue Alliance, decided to create Meow DC, an annual festival for feline fanatics —where ticket proceeds will go toward the alliance’s mission of helping homeless pets.

“Meow DC is a place for cat people to get together and celebrate all things cat.”

More than 100 adoptable cats were brought to the Dock 5 parking lot because the venue doesn’t allow cats indoors. The specialized RVs had big windows that allow people to see the cats from outside.

Booths just outside the venue’s entrance will house Meow DC’s two celebrity cats — Sunglass Cat and Coco the Couture Cat. An Instagram star with over half a million followers, Sunglass Cat will be taking pictures with fans for $15, which will go to the alliance. Coco, a Cornish Rex who gets around in a pink “Catillac,” will be paw-tographing copies of the book “The Adventures of Coco le Chat: The World’s Most Fashionable Feline.” (Note, The Female Human has met Coco the Couture Cat many times and will see her and her human again at the Cat Writer’s Association conference.)

There were events for kiddos who love cats and lots of vendors who offered purrfect feline products.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 4/24

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends!

“Far be it from me to rush you Human but I sure would appreciate a little stroll outside!” -Alberto

Spring has sprung….finally! The Tribe of Five is waiting for The Female Human to get that pop up catio out of the garage and let us out into the fresh air. She does seem to be taking her sweet time though and I’m getting a bit impatient. Humans, they never seem to have their priorities together!

But at least our Purrsonal Assistant understands the priority of bringing you the best of the worldwide-web in feline news on Wednesday.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Cats are actually nice, scientists find

“Cats purrfer hanging out with their humans over eating? I’ll have to think about that.” -Oliver

Well twist my whiskers, it took a bunch of scientists to figure out that we felines are nice? The way you humans spend your time really amazes me. The research from Oregon State University, published in Behavioural Processes, tells us there is scientific evidence that cats are nice. In fact, the study found, cats like interacting with humans more than they like eating food. Now this bit I may not agree with, if you look at Oliver, you may find this statement a bit questionable.

Here’s an idea for those scientists, go to your local shelter and adopt a cat and you’ll see how nice we are!

Cat’s Attorney Takes on City Hall in Lawsuit

Miska, the Tabby has a rap sheet longer than her tail and now, her humans have intervened on behalf of the Bellevue, WA feline and they are suing the city and King County. They feel she was unfairly targeted calling her citations, “egregious and outrageous”.

The feline’s attorney cites bias and unfair practices against Miska, noting she has received 30 of the 50 infractions doled out by King County Animal Control in the last decade. The attorney said, “I’ve never seen a city or a county so hell bent on going after a poor, defenseless cat,”

Regardless of where you stand on this legal kerfuffle, you have to agree, it’s about time felines stood up for injustice! Does anyone know where I can find a feline lawyer, I may need one in the future.

Feline Dino Cut Takes Instagram By Storm

dino cat cat grooming trend

People…PULLLEEEZE don’t do this. You humans shove us in costumes, cutesy collars ad bows and if that isn’t enough humiliation, now you want to to cut our gorgeous fur and make us look like some sort of prehistoric throwback? To those who are contemplating doing this to your cat, please look at the faces of the felines in this article. If looks could kill……

True Love Between Neighbor Felines Tugs at The Heart Strings

LoveStory

Queue the violins, this is a feline love story that has taken Twitter by storm. Two cats, staring at each other from across the courtyard fall in love and, with a little help from their humans, the love story moves forward. Simon and Theo are a happy couple and this story has a fairy tale ending.

8 Best Cat Breeds For First-Time Owners

BestCatBreeds

For those of you who’ve never had the joy of sharing your life with a feline and who are wondering just what type of feline you’d like to live with, here’s some help.

The first thing you humans need to understand is that felines, like humans, have different purrsonality traits. But there are traits that some breeds have in common.

And don’t think you have to go to a breeder to find certain types of cats. Every one of the Tribe of Five is a shelter/rescue cat and each one of us have some Siamese in our blood. The Female Human loves how intelligent we are, how social, curious and loyal we are as well. Each of us has our own quirks but we do fit the “Siamese” profile very well. So get out there and find the cat that best suits you and your lifestyle.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 4/17

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here. It’s Wednesday already, I tell you it’s hard for a cat to squeeze in all the naps, playing and eating that needs to be done in 7 days. In this short video you can see how much I’m enjoying the new set up upstairs in what the deluded Female Human refers to as “her office and craft room”. Ya’ right!

Here’s hoping you enjoy this week’s web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Smithsonian Archive Exhibit Proves Cats are Artists Best Friends

Picasso with his cat Minou

The writer of this article said that if Instagram would have been around during Henri Matisse’s lifetime his feed would have been full of photos of his 3 cats, Minouche, Coussi, and La Puce. His felines were never far when he painted. And then there’s Pablo Picasso whose feline friend Minou was always at his side. And the list goes on and you’ll just have to read the article to see why this Smithsonian Arhive show proves that artists like cats more than dogs.

Take a Cat Home from the Zoo!

catsatthezoo

Soon you will be able to take a cat home from the zoo…not a tiger, lion or jaguar but a feline that will fit purrfectly in your home.

Two paws up for the El Paso zoo for having an adoption event in a place where animal lovers go. The El Paso zoo is partnering with the El Paso Animal Services shelter in Catz at the Zoo. The domestic felines will be hanging out in a cat café at the zoo designed just for the occasion. The Petco Foundation donated a half million dollars to build the zoo cat café, the first one of it’s kind. Bravo El Paso!

Random cat sneaks into house to snuggle up to man recovering from surgery

CatSurgery

A British official tweeted this photo and it’s going crazy. The Female Human always says cats make the best nurses and this proves it!

New Website Pinpoints Whether Cats Are Picky Eaters or Sick

A new website launched by KindredBio called PickyOrSick.com helps you humans see if we felines are just being picky or if we need to go see the vet. It’s a science based program that offers a 5-question quiz to encourage owners to seek veterinary advice about changes in our eating habits. There are suggestions for determining hether our behavior is a sign of illness or just pickiness. There is a log you humans can download to track our eating habits and, in the event you have to haul us off to the place of the white coats, they have tips as to how to make the trip less stressful for us.

5 Seattle-area adventure cats you need to follow on Instagram

Moose the Adventure Cat

This is a shout out to my Northwest feline furiends. The Tribe of Five resides in the Inland Northwest but we like adventure too! Adventure cats are a big thing these days as humans realize that we can be fun in the outdoors as well. Check out the Adventure Cat website there are tons of helpful guides) and The Female Human is purrusing it regularly to prepare me to go kayaking with her this summer. I hope you enjoy my five Pacific Northwest furiends!

Lily’s Update on Her Basepaws DNA test

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

Sigh, I’m still waiting to find out what my DNA says about me. -Lily

Well, just when I was about to get my whiskers in a twist because I hadn’t heard anything about my DNA test, I received (or I should say my Human received) the following:
Basepaws

Now I do apurreciate the update but I am a bit miffed that they emailed my Human and not me. Oh well, gotta’ give them an “A” for effort.

I can’t wait to find out more about my interesting self,

Purrs & Head Bonks,
LilyLogo

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 4/3

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

It’s getting far too warm for this cozy felted bed.” -Alberto

Hello There Furiends,

Spring is finally happening in our neck of the woods. In fact, I’m a bit sad that it’s getting too warm for me to sit in my snuggly DharmaDog-Karma Kat felted wool bed. But the good news is that soon The Tribe and I will be enjoying the great outdoors safely in our catio.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Backpacker adopts a kitten on his world travels and customizes his bike to take the kitten with him.

Backpacker

This is a story that makes this feline smile. Dean Nicholson, began his journey in Dunbar, Scotland, last September and met his furry feline traveling companion in Bosnia. He named the kitten Nala and they’ve traveled to Albania and Greece together. She even has her own Pet Passport.

He recalls their first meeting, : ‘I was going up a steep hill with my music blaring out of my speaker when I heard a desperate meow from behind me.”

He got off his bike and picked up the kitten and that was it, love at first site. He wasn’t going to take her with him at first, but he quickly realized he couldn’t bear to part with her.

They’ve been traveling companions for the last four months. She travels on the front of his bike in a basket, and creates quite a stir everywhere she goes.

How does Nala feel about traveling? Well if you take a look at the photos in the news article you’ll see how much she loves her new life. The only time she shows her displeasure is when the bike rattles over cobblestones. She jumps on her human’s shoulder until the shaky part of the journey is over. To read more about this traveling team visit @1bike1world.

Cleveland Orchestra introduces ‘Cat Concerts’ on April Fools’ Day

OrchestraCats

MOL, you humans are a riot. This is by far the best April Fool’s trick. All those well heeled orchestra patrons were ready to bring a lint roller and listen to the feline concert. The announcement from the orchestra said that they would be offering concerts with cats from the Cleveland Animal Protection League. Their ad read, “Both classical music and interactions with animals bring people together, make a memorable impact on our lives, and have been proven to provide psychological benefits. Introducing this new initiative aligns with our mission to enrich lives by creating extraordinary musical experiences. These cat concerts will be just that: extraordinary.”

I say it sounds like a great idea, we felines can strum some mean tunes.

RCMP’s April Fools Announcement – A Police Cat Division

PoliceCat

B.C. Mounties have come up with the purrfect way to get their claws into crime. They’ve announced a Police Cat Services Division. The announcement read: “Front line officers throughout the province who have been volunteered for the pilot project will be assigned their police cats over the next few months. Each Police Cat handler will also be given a Cat carrying backpack, and each cat has been chosen based on a particular set of skills acquired over a very long training process,”

This April Fools announcement started a Twitter storm, someone stated that a police cat can work for almost 15 minutes a day before getting bored and they aren’t expected to be enthusiastic. Also, “A police cat entering the RCMP training program must be moody, aloof and pensive (no reason for it, they just are),” Frankly, I find the idea of a feline police force absolutely purrfect!

Pet Sematary director says cats who played Church were a ‘pack of divas’ on set

Evidently humans are bringing the Stephen King 1983 novel, Pet Sematary to the big screen. The character, Church, the undead feline who plays a major role in the film, was an import part to cast and a hunt was launched for the purrfect feline thespian.

The human directors decided that they would cast a Maine Coon with a multi-color coat. They didn’t realize that it would be difficult to find 8 cats exactly alike. Each feline actor had an acting specialty; one was a hisser, another could hold a steady stare, one was a jumper, etc. Each cat would have to become acclimated to the set when they arrived so all the actors would have to sit quietly and let the cat sniff everything for about ten minutes. Evidently being forced to sit and watch the cats didn’t sit well with the humans and they began calling the feline actors “a pack of divas”. Clearly, those humans have not come to the realization that this is a feline world and they are only allowed to live in it.

Click here to watch the movie trailer.

Cypriot Hotels Install Cat Hotels for Strays

Now THIS is how hotels should handle the feral cat population! Two resorts in Cyprus have built cat hotels for lucky feral felines. Volunteers of Animal Rescue Cyprus have been instrumental in this process and have been working on this solution for hotels for over ten years. The idea is that by providing on-site shelter and food stations, , cats have a safe place to eat and sleep, and will be less inclined to pester guests. One of the two resorts participating is the Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri.

The resort has established the Columbia Cat Care Project, which traps, spays, neuters the cats and feeds and monitors them. The cats have become an attraction at the resort and often and many bond with certain felines and even sponsor their favorite cat for a cost of 25 Euros a year (that’s about $28.00 US).

Aphrodite Hills Hotel in Paphos is the second resort with a program to care for its cats. , They have installed feeding stations and are looking to build an entire cat hotel that is fenced and protected.

Paws up to these innovative humans!