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.

Lily Opines About Her Basepaws DNA Results

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Feline Opines

cat basepaws dna results

Hello There Furiends,
Before I get into the good stuff, I have to provide a thing you humans call a “disclosure” about my interaction with the Basepaws company. We were provides with a complimentary Basepaws kit in exchange for my opinion of the process and the product. All of the included images, the written content and the opinions are original and from Feline Opines. Although I’ve linked to the company these are not affiliate links and Feline Opines receives no commission or monetary gain from purchases. I just like to tell my furiends about new, cool stuff.

Test Information

This is me at the shelter the day I met The Female Human. – Lily

And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for…..my report!

Basepaws divides purebred felines in to three different breed groups:

Western (American Shorthair, Persian, Siberian, British Shorthair, Maine Coon, Russian Blue, Norwegian Forest Cat, Abyssinian, Exotic Shorthair, Turkish Angora and Ragdoll)
Eastern (Oriental Shorthair, Burmese, Birman & Siamese)
Hybrid (Cats that are the result of mating between a domestic cat and a wild cat. These breeds include the Bengal (Asian Leopard + domestic) and the Savannah breeds (Serval + domestic)

The fourth feline group is the Polycat group which describes mixed breed cats, 95% of all cats in the world are mixed breed felines. Before Basepaws DNA testing we knew nothing about them and now, as they add more purebred data and trait information they will be able to begin narrowing down the parts of the genome that are responsible for certain traits.

The Western, Eastern and Hybrid groups are based on the DNA of purebred cats in their database. As the company grows and adds more DNA they will be able to narrow down the specific genomic regions . I was assigned to the Western Breed Group. Now this does’t mean that I necessarily have “prebred” relatives. It means that the certain genomic regions are the ones that I am most similar to and they ranked me with three breeds by how similar I am to a specific breed and the rest of the database.

The “Sciency” Stuff

First of all neither the Female Human nor I are very scientific so I’m going to try and make this as simple as possible. If you have an inquiring mind and enjoy science, you might want to check out this information (even though it’s from The National Human Genome Research Institute.

The Basepaws folks sequenced my DNA and it resulted in 8,626,137 DNA fragments that were sequenced and that represents 1,089,039,875 DNA bases that were sequenced (these numbers are a little big for this simple feline to understand). Using that data in addition to the latest cat genome (felis_catus_9.01 – felis catus is a fancy word for “domestic cat”). They analyzed genetic variants across 18 chromosomes to generate my report.

Phew, not that the “sciency” stuff is over let’s dig in to the really interesting stuff.

Let’s Talk About Me

I was assigned to the Western Breed Group and here are the three breeds I am most similar to:

Norwegian Forest Cat

Meowza! I’m like a breed that is believed to be 1-000-2,000 years old. My DNA ancestors originated in Norway (now I know why I like the winters here). Norwegian Forest Cats are generally healthy and strong but also more prone to Diabetes mellitus (a metabolic disorder where blood sugar levels remain high for long periods of time. This is something my veterinarian can watch out for on my yearly wellness visits. The purrsonality traits of this breed makes them friendly, social and independent. I’m friendly with people I know and just like this breed, I am friendly on my own terms. I’m not so social but I’m very independent! They have favorite humans (that is so true) and tend to be picky about whose lap they sit in (me again). The Norwegian Forest Cat in me is where I get my love of climbing and The Female Human has great climbing alternatives for me in high places to satisfy the Forest Cat DNA in me.

American Shorthair

American Shorthair breed

This part of my DNA is responsible for my stellar hunting skills. I don’t have the large head, powerful jaws and full cheeks like most American Shorthairs. American Shorthairs have a variety of coat colors. That’s definitely me! And their eyes are large and distinctive. Me again. The American Shorthair DNA in me may make me affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There is also sometimes a problem with dermoid cysts, and some facial issues like cleft palate but thankfully, I don’t have any of these problems. As far as purrsonality is concerned, the fact that they aren’t known as lap cats is me to a T. They appreciate a spot near their humans on the sofa and that is really me. I’m called “Lily Bug” because I always snuggle against humans when they sit on the sofa (my version of being a love bug). Another purrsonality trait that is all me is that I am fine on my own and can entertain myself. I do love to find a good sun puddle and hang there all day, another indication that I have much in common with the American Shorthair.

Siberian

Siberian Forest Cat

Also called The Siberian Forest Cat. I don’t have the plush long coat of these guys. This is the national animal of Russia, cool. I think this must be where I got my crazy coat because the coats for these cats range from tabby, solid, tortoiseshell and color point. To get one of these breed kittens will cost you a lot of moola and that’s why they’re rare outside of Europe. I hope The Female Human appreciates me for the rare treasure I am. There are no documented known health conditions that plague this breed so that makes me feel good. It is interesting that Siberian Forest Cats are considered to be a hypoallergenic breed because they produce less FelD1 that is the allergen thought to be the culprit in causing allergic reactions in humans. I think I fit the personality description to a T, brave, independent, easygoing and affectionate.

And I’m Wild

My favorite part of the report is that it said the wild cat I was most similar to is the leopard. Pretty cool huh?

And Now The Contest & Winner

untitled design

Thanks to all of you who purrticipated in my Basepaws DNA contest. The #1 breed guess was Siamese with American Shorthair coming in second. There were many others, Tortiseshell, Birman, Burmese, Main Coon, Persian, Turkish Van, Calico, Tonkinese, Snowshoe and Exotic.

Unfortunately, no one got all three but don’t feel bad, The Female Human didn’t pick even one of the breeds. We put all the names in a basket and I batted them around for a while before I had The Female Human pick one out (with her eyes closed, of course) and the winner is…….messymimimeanderings! Please let us know the address to send the books and they’ll be on their way to you. You can use the form below to send the info.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

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Well, I hope you enjoyed my report. If you have your humans do your DNA, let us know about your results.
Sig_Lily

Tucker Opines on His Childhood And Other Important Things-Friendly Fill Ins #155

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,
Tucker here. It’s been a while since The Tribe of Five has purrticipated in the Friendly Fill Ins. Things have been a bit stressful for our Purrsonal Assistant and she’s been overwhelmed. Still, we felines love to (and need to) opine so I urged her to let me do this week’s questions and here we are!

I have noted the questions for the week and encourage you all to opine, either as part of the blog hop hosted by 15andMeowing and Four-Legged Furballs or, just meow about your answers in the comment sections of this post.

I hope you all are having a wonderful spring, it’s almost time for The Female Human to break out the catio!
Sig_Tucker

This Week’s Questions:

1. 13 years ago, I __________________.

2. By this time next year, I hope to ________________________.

3. One word that describes me is _________.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the _________ genre.

My answers:

1. 13 years ago, I was still working as a tutor for the high school and my niece was still living with us ( she did until 2011). I knew nothing about cat blogs back then, I sure missed out on a lot.

2. By this time next year, I hope to still have all my loved ones ( 2-legged and 4-legged). I know this is not likely being that KaTwo has mammary cancer and Millie is shrinking away despite his big appetite and his thyroid meds.

3. One word that describes me is quirky I asked my mom what she thought and she said “weird”. I asked my hubby and he answered, compassionate. I like his answer.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the comedy genre.

And here are my answers:

1. 13 years ago, I was stuffed in a carrier in the back of the SUV with my sister Jasmine and Angel Miss P and Angel Buster. We were moving from California to Northern Idaho and I love it here (but I was NOT fond of the long drive!). Lots of wildlife to watch, lots of windows and a nice fireplace when it’s winter. This photo is Jasmine and I experiencing our first spring in Idaho (we stayed inside our first winter).

Hey Tucker, this grass is wet and smells funny. Forget about the grass Jasmine, what the &%##@ is that white stuff?

2. By this time next year, I hope to be sitting on the ledge of the upstairs deck and sunning myself but in light of my previous falls from the upstairs balcony into the ravine below and getting lost in my own neighborhood,I’ve come to the conclusion supervised front porch sitting is safer.

“Sitting on the front porch under human supervision is much safer than sitting on the railing of the upstairs deck.” – Tucker

3. One word that describes me is cute. Come on, admit it, not bad for a 16-year old feline.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the comedy genre.

“This is me doing my impression of a table decoration.” – Tucker

https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=292250

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 4/17

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!

The Tribe is Honored

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Feline Opines

The Tribe of Five at Feline Opines is all dressed up for the Cat Writer’s Awards.

Hey there Furiends,
We wanted to take a moment to meow about the fact that we received two Certificates of Excellence from the Cat Writer’s Association. I guess all the hard work by our Purrsonal Assistant paid off. I just hope this doesn’t mean she’s going to ask for a raise!

Alberto will be reporting from the CWA conference in May.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
The Tribe of Five

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 3/27

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Feline Opines

Hello There Furiends,

“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain there would be no rainbow.” G.K. Chesterton

Finally, finally, it looks like spring is coming. Temperatures are warming up and The Female Human even opened the windows the other day for us to sit on the sill and sniff the great outdoors. The Tribe of Five is enjoying sun puddles and we captured Oliver the other day in a purrfect position to catch the colors from the Austrian crystal.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Alberto

Man Gets Suspended For Helping Helpless Feline

Verizon

Verizon employee Maurice German was recently suspended from his job after he rescued a cat named Princess Momma who had been stuck on a pole for over 12 hours. After the cat’s human called the fire department, animal rescue and the phone company but no one returned her calls. In desperation, the human approached Mr. German and he helped.

And what did his heroics get him? He was suspended for three weeks without pay for violating Verizon’s safety rules. Fortunately, there are lots of good-hearted humans out there who put together two Go Fund Me pages to help the man and his family while he goes without pay. One raised $3,395.00 and the other raised over $7,000.00..

Dear Verizon, I hiss in your direction.

Clever Kitty Finds Solution To The Door To His Litter Box Being Shut

catPoop

When a cat’s gotta’ go, a cat’s gotta’ go! Tino, a British kitty needed to do his business when he discovered to his horror, that the door to his litter box was locked.

He weighed his options…..go on the floor, meow in dersperation for help? What’s a kitty to do?

Tino’s solution was to find the litter bag, knock it on it’s side and spill litter on the floor. He then attended to his business. Despite the fact that Tino’s human had a big mess to clean up, we give Tino a paws up award for ingenuity.

Tino is now an internet sensation and there are poems and odes to honor his feline problem solving skills. Note to humans…..make sure the door to the litter box is NEVER locked!

Under-Cats Photo Series Gives A Whole New Purrspective on Felines

Photo from Andrius Burba’s new series “Under-Cats”

Andrius Burba is famous for his unorthodox approach to animal photography. This time he’s presented an entirely new view of felines, from the bottom up. He’s added to his new portrait series Underlook with Under-Cats to show how we felines look from below.

He said, “The Underlook project started four years ago when I saw a ridiculous looking picture on the Internet. It was a cat sitting on a glass table that was photographed from underneath. I decided to level up the idea and photograph it professionaly to see those paws in hi-res and that is how the Underlook project was born.” If you humans think you know us felines, take a look at the pawsome photos on this site. Meow!

Tulsa Firefighters Rescue Snickers The Cat – Twice

Snickers

Tulsa Fire Department’s Station 23 rescued a cat named Snickers – not once but twice.

They didn’t have to crawl up a pole because the fleeing feline took a 130 mile ride from Mustang, OK to Tulsa in an engine compartment of someone’s car.

When Snickers was discovered missing and her humans tried to find her, the kept praying and their prayers were answered.

Tulsa firefighters were called to help get the feline out of the car. found Snickers when they got the unusual call to rescue the furry feline from the car. They kept her at the fire station the first night and then one of the firefighters took her home where she resided in the laundry room while they tied to figure out what to do with her.

Fortunately, a story about Snickers was aired on the sister TV station in her home town and someone recognized her and contacted her humans.

Just when Snickers was so close to being returned home she found her way into a compartment under a fire truck at the station and the firefighters had to rescue her again.

The story has a happy ending, Snickers was extricated from the firetruck and back into the arms of her humans, right before the firefighters were called out to fight a fire. You can watch the video story here.

Paws up to these firefighters for going above and beyond and for saying, “I know that if it was my cat I’d want someone to do everything they could,” said Emerson.

Snickers, I suggest you stay inside and away from any type of moving vehicle!

Human’s Singing Pushes This Feline Named Harvey Over the Edge

BadSinging

We felines put up with a lot from you humans and most often we put up with your shenanigans but even felines have a breaking point.

YouTuber Greg Molick uploaded a video of his unusual rendition of “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie. His cat Harvey is not a fan of his singing voice.

After 30 seconds, Harvey decides to jump up on the bed and show Greg exactly how he feels about his musical abilities. You go Harvey and IMHO that screeching is tantamount to animal abuse! Watch the video and decide for yourself.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 3/21

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

I know, it’s another Wednesday feature on Thursday. The Female Human stayed home because some movers were coming to move furniture in our house. She’s moving the guest bedroom room downstairs and her craft room upstairs where the guest bedroom is now. She dragged stuff out of rooms, stacked everything up and waited..and waited…and waited and is still waiting for them to show up.

In the meantime, the Tribe is a bit freaked out that our little world has been turned topsy turvy. Not a good week for any of us. Sigh.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Cat Lover Behind Change in City Ordinance

CityJCouncil

Now this is the type of purrlitical involvement a feline can get behind. Last November, Jim Vesock went to the city’s pet shelter to adopt a sister for his two black cats but was told that this was not possible. The city’s code allowed for up to four domestic pets in a household but a maximum of two cats and two dogs.

Now I am a more libertarian leaning feline and the thought that any government can tell any responsible human how many felines can be in there home makes me want to hiss. Thank goodness we don’t live in that city or the Tribe of Five would be The Tribe of Two!

The shelter told him the only way to change this law was to do it through the city council and so he went to meetings, lobbied council members and his efforts paid off and now humans can adopt up to four cats or four dogs. This will help shelter kitties and will, of course, bring more feline happiness into the lives of humans. Two paws up for Mr. Vesock!

Kitty Crack – Is It Unethical To Give Your Cat Catnip?

final-9

The debate about “the nip” continues. This article argues that humans might not be considering animal ethics when they give us catnip. Now our Human has always monitored our behavior on the nip very closely. I can tell you that four of the five of us are model feline citizens when we’re under the influence and we quite enjoy it. One of The Tribe who shall remain anonymous (Tucker) is a mean nipper and his ingestion of the nip is watched carefully. All in all, The Tribe of Five votes for nip and we request that the writer of this article stop raining on our parade. What do you think?

Look Before You Lock To Protect Kitties

sheds

This is an important reminder for all humans. We kitties like to check out new spaces and sheds, shops, garages and the like are tempting places for us to explore. This kitty named Wispa disappeared from her home and her human searched for her everywhere…almost. Twenty days after Wispa went missing she was found locked in someone’s garage.

Wispa lost as lot of weight and the vet said she wouldn’t have lasted for too many more days.

Thankfully Wispa is now recovered. We had a similar situation in our community where a feline was locked in someone’s shop for months. She was found after several months but is still dealing with health issues. So humans, PLEASE check these spaces on a regular basis!

Major Campaign Launched To Help Find Purrfect Landlords

Once again I have to give a hat tip to the folks across the pond and their feline loving ways. The CATS Protection , the UK’s largest cat charity is offering free guidance to landlords and rental agents to make sure that rental agreements. A study was conducted and it was discovered that less than half of private rented housing allows cats. Meowza, that’s 42% and that’s not good.

The charity launched a website that helps landlords and renters to be cat friendly. Kudos to the CATS Protection charity!! The folks in the good ole’ US of A could use this info as well.

Would You Pay Money To Smell Like A Cat?

“Tucker, what is that pawsome after shave you’re wearing?” -Lily

Now I don’t know about the rest of you felines, but I don’t think there is a cat smell. My fur might bear the faint fragrance of the Female Human’s perfume after she pets me and I may smell of fresh grass in the summer after a roll in the garden but cat scent? I think not.

But there are other folks who clearly think there is a cat smell and a Japanese company Yamamoto Perfumery is counting on the fact tact that the scent of cat forehead is one that you definitely want to smell like. They came to this conclusion after conducting extensive research in cat cafes throughout Japan. They sniffed the foreheads of felines and recorded the fragrance notes and this resulted in the creation of “Fluffy Forehead Fragrance Fabric Water,” a home fragrance that purportedly smells just like a cat. According to customers surveyed, a cat smells like “sunshine,” “a futon that’s been dried in the sun” and “sweet bread.”

cathead Designed to be sprayed onto fabrics, the product retails for 1,293 yen (US$10.60) and is perfect for freshening up cushions and blankets. Felissimo suggests the best way to enjoy the fragrance is with their lineup of kitty head cushions, available in three different colours for 3,125 yen each, a bargain at just over $28.00 US.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 2/27

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
final-1 It’s Wednesday again. It’s still cold here and the wind is blowing like crazy. The squirrels are almost getting blown off the feeder when they try to eat. I guess this guy thinks hanging upside down and hanging on for dear life is the best way to mooch his free meal. The Tribe is ready for some warmer weather. If you have any you could send us it would be greatly apurriciated!

I hope you enjoy this week’s wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Do Copy Cats Really Exist?

“Human, I am not anything like you!” – Oliver

There are some Humans from the University of Lincoln and Nottingham Trent University who think cat owner’s purrsonalities are influencing the behavior of us felines. They investigated the relationship between the different purrsonalities between humans and their cats.

Their findings said you humans can affect us felines like parents personalities can affect their children (but we ARE your children, furry children). They studied more than 3,000 predominately UK based humans with cats and had them fill out a questionnaire about their purrsonalities and the purrsonalitis of their felines.

They found out that the more nervous and stressed out you humans are, the more neurotic your felines in residence are. You nervous humans are causing us to be in poorer physical health, gain too much weight, have behavioral problems and more, according to the study.

But it’s not all bad news. If you humans are happy and conscientious, we felines will be less anxious, less aggressive and will be much better behaved-and happy.

The researchers said in conclusion, “The majority of owners want to provide the best care for their cats, and these results highlight how influential our own personality can be on the well being of our pets.”

The moral of this story is, you humans should be less nervous, less stressed and consider how your issues affect us felines. For you studious humans who want to know more, you can read the study titled, “Owner personality and the wellbeing of their cats share parallels with the parent-child relationship,” in the scientific journal PLOS ONE

Man Honors His Cat In An Unusual Way

“Cats in space? Who knew?” -Alberto

I don’t usually like to report on any feline news that’s sad but this a nice story of how a human shows his love for his cat who crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Pikachu,a 7-year-old orange tabby died last month after a battle with diabetes and pancreatitis. He was a bit of a Twitter star and his human, Steve Munt, created a Twitter account for his family of seven cats a few years ago, and it just hit 12,000 followers. (Hmm, our Human needs to step up her game!)

Munt is a big fan of science. His home had been owned by a nuclear physicist prior, and Munt gives his cats a scientific narrative in his thousands of Twitter posts on their account called @GrowingUpZee, named after you guessed it, one of his cats.

When Pikachu died, Munt knew he needed to do something very special to remember his sweet, loving nature , so he paid $5,000.00 and secured a spot on this year’s memorial cremation rocket by a company called Celestis. Now, Munt and Pikachu’s followers can track Pikachu in space on the Celestis website.

Meowza, I would say this guy loved his feline. What do you think about Pikachu in space?

Urban Outfitters Is Selling Caps For Your Cat And It’s Cuteness Overload

orange tabby in urban outfitters cat hat

I am no fan of dressing up cats but this story did intrigue me. Now, the human company, Urban Outfiters, is selling cat hats for the felines of their human customers..

The hats come in three different designs, and are priced at £10 each. However, get to choose the style of cap they will send you either the yellow duck, white bear or brown bear.

The hats are adjustable so if your feline will sit still long enough, you can get a good fit,

The product only has one review so far, “I bought this hat for my two cats and even though they find it slightly uncomfortable they look so cute in it!” The human reviewer gave it five stars. I wonder how many stars that human’s felines would give the hats.

If you are cavalier about the dignity of your felines, then go ahead, order one of these cat chapeaus. As for me and The Tribe of Five, we’ve already put The Female Human on notice, no cat hats in this house!

Maybe a Leapord Can’t Change It’s Spots But This Cat Can Change Her Color

Elli as a kitten

A lady in Germany found two kittens, Elli and her feline sister Rosie at a farm. Poor Ellie was not well and riddled with mites and infections.

Nicole nursed the little Tuxedo cat back to health and one day noticed a small, white spot on Eli’s black back.

Over the next few months, Eli became more and more speckled. Nicole took Eli to the vet and discovered that the feline had vitiligo, a rare condition that causes fur and skin to gradually lose their pigment.

Elli is a ‘very playful, cute, interested and lovely’ cat and very faithful to her human. Now, two years after the first vet visit, Elli is hardly recognizable. Most of her coat is white with beautiful black stripes and splotches.

Elli is also clearly very faithful to her savior Nicole, only ever leaving her side to sunbathe on the sofa.

Two years on from that trip to the vet and Elli is hardly recognizable. Her coat is now mainly white, with the remnant black fur forming striking stripes and splodges on her beautifully mottled coat. The condition does not threaten Elli’s health but it sure makes her an interesting feline!

Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette Is An Heiress

Choupette

The German fashion icon, Karl Lagerfeld died last week and now, his beloved feline Choupette stands to inherit a portion of his $300 million dollar fourtune.

Choupette, whose name is French for “sweetheart,” has historically lived a lavish lifestyle, with the fashion designer hiring maids to ensure her comfort. The inheritance will ensure the silky Burmese cat continues living her best life, which means daily meals of caviar and chicken pâté and travel on private jets.

She is a celebrity in her own right, amassing over 260,000 followers on Instagram and has earned a healthy $3 million through sponsorships and ad appearances. She has previously served as an ambassador to German automobile manufacturer Opel, launched her own lines with brands like makeup company Shu Uemura and luxury cat-product producer Cheshire & Wain, and been the subject of two books. Lagerfeld addressed his cat’s fortune — both cat-made and bequeathed — in the past, noting, “She has her own little fortune, she is an heiress. If something happens to me, the person who will take care of it will not be in misery… She’s a rich girl!”

Now this handsome blue-eyed feline only has one question….Choupette, are you dating? Call me!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 2/20

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Feline Opines

Meowza my furiends! This has been an excellent news week. I had a hard time choosing only five stories. I hope you enjoy this week’s web wanderings as much as I did.

chubby black and white cat on heating vent By the way, the Tribe is still feeling like we live in the far reaches of Siberia (no offense meant to any of my furiends in Siberia). The wind is blowing, the temperature is freezing and the snowbanks are getting ridiculously high. I must say that it would be quite a bit warmer in the house if certain felines would not stretch their bulk over heating vents and hog the warmth. Note exhibit A to the left. Oliver at his favorite vent in the kitchen.

Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

America’s First Female Cruise Captain Travels The World With Her Adorable Sphinx Cat

ShipCat

Oh my whiskers, this story combines two things I love, cats who travel and cats with jobs.

This hairless little feline named Bug Naked lives the life of an elite wanderer with her Instagram-famous cruise captain, Kate McCue, who often features Bug Naked on her feed.

This feline’s human has some impressive credentials as she will soon captain Celebrity Cruise Lines new flagship, Celebrity Edge as the first female cruise ship captain in America.

The captain calls Bug Naked “sidekick” and “naked bundle of joy” and the reason she gets out of bed. Bug Naked and her captain are aficionados of the cruise lifestyle. See for yourself at Kate McCue on Instagram or follow Bug Naked for cruising cat focused photos.

Captain Marvel Cast Gush With Love For Goose The Cat

GooseTheCat

What better way to celebrate “Love your pet day” than to have actors Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson sing your praises? In the Captain Marvel movie, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) has a cat named Goose, but Goose is way more than the run of the mill feline and was honored on Twitter for his acting skills. Now those of you who are Captain Marvel fans will know the Goose character in the comics is an alien species called Flerken, an alien that just happens to look like a cat. .

Clever Cat Listens To Owner’s Instructions And Unlocks A Door So The Human Can Get Back In The House

CatUnlocks

This is a short story and you’ll have to go to the link and watch the video but it’s an important story. After Twitter user @gabbytropea was accidentally locked out of her house, her cat follows her instructions and removes a sliding door stick so that she can open the door. Two paws up for smarty cats!

Animal Psychologists in Japan Create Traffic Safety video….for cats

CatSafetyVideo

Animal psychologists from Kyoto University have created safety videos for cats. As one of Japan’s largest auto parts and service chains, Yellow Hat is naturally very concerned with traffic safety, so it’s not much of a surprise that the company has put together a public service video on the subject. What is surprising, though, is that the video is by cats, for cats.

This video was created with the help of members of Kyoto University’s Camp-Nyan animal psychology research team, including Professor Kazuo Fujita, a specialist in zoology and cognitive science. Following the researchers’ suggestions, Yellow Hat made sure the video contains plenty of moving elements in order to command kitties’ attention.

Similar care went into the audio components. The team tested a variety of candidates for the video’s “narrator” before deciding on the specific set of meows that cat test audiences responded to most attentively. The background music contains the sound of chirping birds, and also sine wave sound patterns similar to the squeaking of mice and other small rodents, the aim being that cats’ hunter instincts will kick in when they think they hear their preferred prey hiding somewhere onscreen and keep them watching the video.

Now Yellow Hat has no problems if you humans want to watch this video too. You’ll probably learn something like some aspects of cat psychology when they’re out and about.

New Book Highlights Charming Home Made Cat Ladders in Switzerland

CatLadders

I never knew cat ladders were a thing, or that they were quite the thing in Switzerland. You humans call it a phenomenon and it’s captured in a book by Brigitte Schuster in her book Swiss Cat Ladders. She focus’ on the city of Bern and how the humans there accommodate the comings and goings of their feline friends through the exterior climbing structures they build. You can also find diagrams and inspirations for future cat ladder builders and I say, get busy humans, Swiss cats should not be the only ones to benefit from this purrfectly wonderful idea!