Walk Through The Web Wednesday 6/30

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hi there furiends,

I sure hope it’s cooler in your neck of the woods than it is in ours. We are suffering through unusual record breaking heat here in the Inland Northwest. So unusual in fact, that most folks don’t have air conditioners. Just so you know what I’m talking about here’s Weather Kitty’s report for the moment (it’s supposed to hit 102 today!)

“Sigh, when will winter be here?” – Alberto

Stay cool my furiends and make sure that your humans drop some ice cubes in your water bowl!

Rescue attempt leaves cat and owner stuck in tree

MOL!! Here’s a word for you cat parents crazy enough to climb up a tree to assist your stranded feline…DON’T!

A pet parent in Oklahoma found out the hard way that this is a bad idea when he found himself stuck up in the tree with his cat. The Tulsa Fire Department’s report noted:

“Around 3:45 pm, Captain Alan Hancock and his Engine 27 A Platoon crew responded to a rescue near S. 94th E. Avenue and E. 27th Street,” the Tulsa Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “Apparently a cat climbed high up into a tree. Its owner was so concerned for the feline that he climbed up to attempt a rescue. Unfortunately, they both found themselves in a dangerous predicament high above the ground, unable to get down safely.”

Both human and cat were rescued. You can watch the video here

How vets saved Babi the cat’s life with a few shots of vodka

In a little town in South Africa, Babi, a ginger cat underwent unusual emergency treatment.

The cat’s owner noticed Babi was acting funny and refused to eat. He was barely able to stand. They scooped him up and carried him, without a box, almost 2km across the valley from Mashaeng township to the veterinary clinic in Fouriesburg, South Africa.

The veterinary team suspected poisoning so a urine sample was taken. The urine was a strange lime yellow color and tested extremely high for increased glucose levels. Diabetes was ruled out. The next potential prognosis by the vets was kidney failure. They considered that it was a cold time of year and thought it could be potential antifreeze poisoning.

They were worried as the prognosis for antifreeze poisoning is very poor if not caught early. Because the cat had vomited while in their care, they thought that they had caught it early enough and decided to try and save Babi. They did some quick internet research on antifreeze poisoning and read that the urine would be fluorescent; they confirmed with a fluorescent lamp that the urine was neon and the diagnosis was confirmed.

“Anti-freeze poisoning is treated with intravenous ethanol and that isn’t something that we have just lying around, so back to Google we went; what could we use in its place?” the vet said.

One of the vets raced to the local liquor store and bought the purest bottle of vodka she could find. They then dosed Babi with a drip after they figured out the dosage.

Even though they did dilute the vodka, poor Babi did get drunk. They repeated the treatment every six hours for a day and a half and then every eight hours for another day.

The propylene glycol in anti-freeze causes crystals to form in the kidneys which destroys the tubules in the kidneys. Ethanol, or in this case vodka, dissolves the crystals and allows them to pass in the urine.

By the fourth treatment, Babi was almost back to normal. He was eating and he looked like a million bucks. They kept him for a couple of days for observation and his family was thrilled to have him back in their arms again when he went home.

Bravo to these fantastic veterinarians but humans, please don’t treat your cats with alcohol!

This cat is no couch potato

I love to report about adventure cats and Salem is one of these felines with a heartwarming story. Salem’s human, Shawn Crassweller, came across Salem about two years ago when he was on a walk. He heard a truck speed up and saw Salem in the middle of the road. He ran to the cat, scooped her up and took her to safety. The cat followed him for more than eight blocks to his house. He left the back gate open as well as the back door of the house. She walked back and forth between the gate and the door for a few minutes, finally settling on the door and yelling as if to say, “Let’s get inside!” Crassweller says Salem has been with him ever since that day.

Crasweller says Salem rescued him that day too. His ex had just left him as well as his godson and two roommates. Having Salem in his house forced him to get out of bed and care for her, keeping him from succumbing to depression.

He trained Salem to sit on his shoulder while he longboards around the city. Once he was able to walk around his house, bent over digging in cupboards, or open the fridge without her jumping off, he started going outside with her hanging out beside his head. Now Salem goes biking, longboarding and hiking with him. He does make sure Salem wears a harness on their outdoor excursions.

Crassweller and Salem are planning a camping trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. Salem will get her own tent, complete with a litter box, and will sit in a backpack while Crassweller hikes.

Crassweller says that being an adventure kitty means having the right temperament and he’s thankful that his cat shares his passion for the outdoors and also loves to be hugged.

I’d say Salem found the purrfect human!

Cats that care lead the way among National Cat Awards finalists

The lineup for this year’s National Cat Protection Awards is dominated by felines who have helped people through difficult times.

This year’s event – sponsored by Purina – is comprised of four categories: Furr-ever Friends, Most Caring Cat, Outstanding Rescue Cat and Purina Better Together.

Among the hopefuls are Minty, from Holywell, Flintshire, who lost one of his legs after being hit by a car. He cares for his young human who has severe learning difficulties as well as other medical conditions. When things get difficult, Minty rubs his face on Connor’s hand to calm him. Minty also helped Connor to learn to climb the stairs. He spent hours jumping one step at a time, stopping to allow Connor to catch up. Connor’s mom said, “It was incredible to witness him patiently encourage Connor to achieve something he found so difficult. She also said, “Connor can be very loud, and his medical conditions mean he’s very wobbly and clumsy. Many pets would understandably keep their distance, but not Minty – when Connor is at his most in need, Minty is there like a shot.”

And if you think Minty’s story is pawsome I encourage you to visit the article to learn about cats like Paddy, who makes daily trips to Co-op Funeralcare’s Mayfields Remembrance Park near his home to comfort mourners. Then there’s Bruno who came into his human’s lives after their five-day old daughter died. Caring for Bruno and his littermates who were found in a box helped them cope with their loss.

While learning to live with their grief, Caroline and Damon found a box of four abandoned kittens and took them in, deciding to keep Bruno after rehoming the other three.

Winners of each category will receive a trophy, a £100 ($138.00 USD) pet store voucher, a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s magazine and three months of Purina cat food.

The winners will be announced on August 5, while a week later the National Cat of the Year will be decided by a celebrity panel.

Cat allegedly stolen by Uber Eats driver located, reunited with its owner

.Oh my whiskers, this is the third catnapping article I’ve reported on in the last month! At least this story lets us know the outcome. An 18-year old feline named Hog and her human, Patrick Lewis were reunited after she’d been cat napped.

Lewis despaired of every seeing her again and then the cat was discovered in someone’s back yard in Van Nuys when their dog kept barking at something in the yard. Upon discovering the cat, the homeowner said she was sure the feline belonged to someone. She searched social media and found a listing on Next Door about Hog. She contacted Lewis immediately.

Hog was stolen from Lewis’ front yard in Studio City and the culprit was a food delivery driver, caught on camera taking the cat. After the story was featured on the news, the Uber Eats driver contacted the family, telling them she thought the cat was a stray and that she gave it to a family at the animal shelter.

The female Uber Eats driver was reportedly delivering food to another home on Laurelwood Dr. when she took the cat who was sitting on the sidewalk. Hog’s collar, tags and all, were found on the sidewalk.

Lewis called the Uber Eats driver after Hog was located, and said that she started crying. He said there were no hard feelings, he’s just happy to have Hog back home.

In a written statement to FOX 11, an Uber Eats spokesperson said, “What the customer reported is unacceptable. We are working to get the cat returned, stand ready to help in the police investigation, and will take the appropriate action against the delivery person.”

So folks, I will repeat to you what The Human always says regarding random cats that you might encounter…think LOST not stray!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 1/20

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends,
I hope you have been enjoying yourself this week. This week, Lily and I made some progress in our relationship. Oliver and I are trying not to chase her off the bed and all around the house. While Lily and were waiting for breakfast to be served, we discussed the state of our relationship.

So Lily, what do you think we try to be better furiends? I know you miss your cuddle buddy Tucker.

So Al, were you serious about that furiendship thing or are you going to chase me off the bed?

Wow, who would have believed it, a cuddle!!

The Human hasn’t caught us in another cuddle but she’s hopeful. Lily and Oliver are still mulling the situation over.

Well, that cuddle was nice. Maybe it will happen again.

I’m not ready to make any promises. Lily and Alberto can sing kumbaya all they want.

Well, here’s hoping Oliver will get on board the furiendship train. And here are our feline news items for the week.

What kind of personality does your cat have?

Professor Peter Neville has worked alongside specialists at eco-cat litter company Natusan to identify five unique personality types that can help cat caretakers tailor their approach to their pet.

Working with date from 3,700 cat parents, experts have found five common personalities in cats and labeled them Nervous Nala, Outgoing Oliver, Bossy Bella, Spontaneous Simba and Agreeable Alfie.

They found that even in the same household, and from the same litter, we felines can be very different in our behaviors and preferences.

The professor says that, “Like humans, the more we appreciate what makes them tick, the more we can fine tune our interactions, and create environments that encourage them to thrive by accommodating their social and emotional needs.

Outgoing Olivers are usually more vocal and extroverted

Nervous Nalas have delicate dispositions and are often more highly strung than other cats. They can be shy around other cats.

Bossy Bellas are very assertive and often the top cats in multi cat households.

Spontaneous Simbas are the most impulsive and have a lot of energy (the kind of felines that love midnight zoomies).

Agreeable Alfies are the epitome of a cool cat. They are calm and sociable often as a result of proper socialization as kittens.

I don’t know what you think about all this my furiends. As for me, I’m not so sure all felines fit into one category.

Cats can drift too!

Our Human has relatives who like different forms of car racing and introduced her into the car sport of “drifting” which is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, loses traction but still maintains control of the vehicle. Imagine my surprise when I found out that cats can drift too.

Gee, I wonder, am I considered a second class citizen?

Are felines sometimes treated as second class? Some cat owners say yes

Pet Product News recently noted that dog owners do seem to get all the attention, especially when it comes to marketing and production for pet food, pet products and pet services according to a new survey.

In Packaged Facts’ Survey of Pet Owners, cat owners were asked whether they perceive that cats are “sometimes treated as second class” compared to dogs by various types of players in the pet industry. Across the board to varying degrees, the answer was “yes,” including for general merchandise stores that sell pet products (with 51 percent of cat owners agreeing strongly or somewhat that cats sometimes get second-class treatment), companies that make pet food/treats (45 percent), companies that make non-food products (45 percent), pet specialty stores (44 percent) and veterinarians (41 percent).

The good news my feline furiends, is that this does seem to be changing. Last year, many of the new products introduced at Global Pet Expo 2020 were cat-focused, including New Product Showcase winners Moody Pet’s Fling-Ama-String and Four Paws’ Kitty Kat Circus, and during 2020 Petco unleashed a slew of promotional emails with feline-focused headlines including ‘You had me at Meow,’ ‘Kitty 101’ and ‘Kitty’s first shopping list .

These marketing folks are finally getting the idea that cats rock and cat parents like to lavish us with all sorts of goodies.

8 Hypoallergenic Cats for People with Allergies

This feline was dismayed to learn that more people are allergic to cats than any other animal. About one in five people in the world have allergy symptons such as sneezing, itchy eyes, coughing, wheezing and even the hives if exposed to cats. What a bummer!

But don’t lose hope my allergic feline loving furiends! Studies have found that it is’t t he amount of fur a cat has and that some of the most “hypoallergenic “ cats have very full, long coats.

Allergic reactions to felines come from reactions to a protein called Fel d 1, which is a protein that is present in our skin, saliva, and urine. When we lick our fur, this Fel d 1 dries into tiny particles that are carried through the air and then land on the hair, clothing, furniture and other stuff belonging to humans. These particles can hang around for months!

So, the bad news is that there are no felines that are 100% hypoallergenic but some of us produce much less of Fel d 1.

Scientists say that normally, female cats produce less of the protein than male cats, and neutered males produce less than those who haven’t been fixed. And now, you don’t have to adopt a hairless cat to stay away from allergens (although there is nothing wrong with my hairless feline furiends). You can also look into the breeds shown below. I would love to see everyone who hasn’t given a cat a furever home because of allergies be able to be a kitty parent!

Moscow’s renegade cat activists bending the law to save felines from the frozen winter

A Russian man named Ramil is a volunteer who works to help free cats trapped in basements of Soviet-era buildings, places that are often the only shelter stray cats can find. He is the hero of many Russians and of felines as well!

Russians are cat lovers, a 2016 poll indicated that 57% of Russian households had at least one cat.

The stray cat problem is only recently being addressed in Russia. Those poor kitties need shelter badly as temperatures normally stay below zero most of the winter. Boy am I glad I’m a pampered indoor kitty!

Moscow’s parliament passed a decree this fall that all apartment buildings provide access to basement vents for “small pets”. Ramil and his cat loving furiends are expanding their cat saving work to the suburbs (areas which are not under the same decree).

The Russians don’t take to animal cruelty. One political hopeful was photographed allegedly kicking a cat and his political career ended immediately. Businesses in Russia catering to cats and their humans are thriving, even cat cafes.

We say two paws up for the cat loving Russians who are working to help the street kitties of Moscow and other areas.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/18

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Feline Opines

Mandy Evans, Panhandle Animal Shelter Director

Hello Furiends,
It’s been a good week in our neck of the woods but instead of talking about what The Tribe has been up to, I want to talk about what some fantastic folks in our community have been up to to help our shelter with it’s specific needs due to COVID. I also hope to inspire you to help your local shelters as well.

Our Human is a great fan of our animal shelter, Panhandle Animal Shelter. Our shelter director, Mandy Evans is amazing and has created programs in our little community that have gone national. Our Human wrote an award winning article about one of these programs called “Home to Home” and this innovative way to keep kitties in homes and out of the shelters is only one of many fantastic ways Panhandle Animal shelter is working to keep humans together with their furry family members.

Our Human heard the shelter director speak last week and one of the things she talked about was the specific challenges of running a shelter during COVID. The most pressing issue was that they couldn’t do the medical treatments for kittens and cats because they didn’t have enough surgical gowns. They brought patterns to the meeting and asked for help.

Now our Human is useless when it comes to sewing but she’s pretty good at marketing so she got the word out. And which group jumped into action right away? It was the pet loving folks who belong to her lost pet social media group, Bonner County Critter Finders. Now she should have figured that a community of folks that volunteer their time to get the word out about lost and found pets would be first in line to help the shelter and so they were.

Thanks to wonderful humans like these, our shelter will be able to do the medical work they need to do. There are many other things we can do to help our shelters during these difficult times. For instance, shelter disinfectant is hard to come by. Our shelter is able to obtain only a third of the disinfectant products they need and this affects how many animals they can take.

I’m setting my human furiends a challenge (I’m exempting the felines because our lack of opposable thumbs limits our purrticipation). Download the pattern and sew a surgical gown for your shelter or, if you’re sewing challenged like my Human, call your shelter to find out what specific needs you can help with that are caused by COVID.

That’s it for this week, kitties be kind to your humans, life is a bit stressful these days!

Bend woman’s animal-detection dog reunites cats with wildfire evacuees

There were many people in Oregon who were evacuated quickly to escape the fires and due these hasty evacuations, some pets were left behind.

One human couldn’t stand to hear the stories of lost pets. Katie Albright, a trained missing pet recovery specialist joined forces with other likeminded humans to help find missing cats.

Her team went into homes that other humans couldn’t access to look for lost cats. Her sidekick, Franklin, a 3-year-old dachshund/beagle mix is her most valuable team member. She trained Franklin in cat detection through the Missing Animal Response Network.

She and Franklin were successful in locating lost cats on that mission. They continue to volunteer their services in other areas as well.

We give Katie and Franklin our Paws Up Award!

A Cat Census?

Sometimes you humans cause me to scratch my head! This one is a head scratcher for me. There are folks purrticipating in the DC Cat Count, sifting through 6 million photos and sorting out the cats and counting each one.

Despite the advances in modern technology there is no computer program that will sort the cat photos out of all the photos so the humans have to do the tedious job themselves, one picture at a time.

Why are they doing this? The DC Cat Count is looking to get an estimate of just how many felines there are in the District. Lauren Lipsey with the Humane Rescue Alliance says getting an accurate cat population number will help her organization manage feral cats in the city. The group operates animal shelters and provides animal control services in D.C. and is partnering with the Smithsonian on the cat count project.

She said, “If we don’t know the baseline population of cats, it makes it impossible to measure the effectiveness of various population control policies or strategies.”

Also, we felines get a bad rap from some humans who say we kill billions of birds and small mammals. This count will provide a more scientific approach to those allegations.

Researchers placed cameras in 1,530 locations, strategically sited across the city. Each location was surveilled for 15 days, for a total of 22,950 days of observation. Of the roughly 6 million photos captured, about 20% are of cats.

Needless to say, the cameras caught more than cats. The most common being dogs, squirrels, deer, rats, and raccoons. There were also some rarer urban inhabitants: flying squirrels, coyotes, beavers, and at least one bobcat.

Now the researchers are going through each photo to eliminate duplicate shots of the same cat. Once that work is done, a few months from now, the team will be able to model cat density throughout the

While the final analysis of D.C.’s cat population is still months away, McShea and Lipsey say there is at least one data point that stands out, in terms of cats’ impact on the environment. There were very few cats in the city’s largest parks, where wildlife could be most threatened by the presence of cats. For example — D.C.’s biggest, wildest park, Rock Creek Park, was “almost absent of feral cats or semi domesticated cats,” according to McShea.

The cat count project will be complete in 2021, at a total cost of $1.5 million, funded by a number of nonprofits and charities. Meowza, sometimes I wonder how you humans spend your time and money!

Questionnaire survey identifies potential separation-related problems in cats

The first questionnaire survey to identify possible separation-related problems in cats discovered that 13.5% of all sampled cats displayed potential issues during their owner’s absence, according to a study published April 15, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Daiana de Souza Machado, from the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Brazil, and colleagues.

Now this feline could have told you we miss you humans when you’re gone but in defense of these humans doing the survey, so many studies have been conducted on owner separation problems in dogs and very little work has been done to see how we felines feel! There is a common belief that we cats are happy being left alone for long periods of time, but the most recent research suggests that we are far more social than you humans realize and we are deeply bonded with our humans..

The results of this survey were interesting. 13.5% of cats showed at least one trait of separation related problems (destructive behavior was the most frequently reported)

Other behaviors or mental states identified were: excessive vocalization (19 out of 30 cats), inappropriate urination (18 cats), depression-apathy (16 cats), aggressiveness (11 cats), agitation-anxiety (11 cats) and inappropriate defecation (7 cats).

There is still more work to be done in this study but I am thankful that there are humans willing to dive into the emotions and reactions of felines.

Checking in on the Disneyland Cats

There is quite a clowder of cats at Disneyland and there are folks who are concerned about how the felines are surviving. The good news is that Disneyland loves having the cats around as they do an excellent job of vermin control. These felines even have quite a large fan club. On Instagram, @disneylandcats has more than 85,000 followers, and the handle has another 16,000 on Twitter. You can follow the #disneylandcats hashtag on either platform and find a fan page on Facebook.

There’s even a website devoted to all things cats at Disneyland. DisneylandCats.com has profiles of each cat with some real information about each one. Ned, for example, is a domestic longhair who hangs out on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel. The site is so popular that you can buy T-shirts that say “We try to forget it was all started by a mouse” and “Beware of hitchhiking cats.”

“The cats are taken care of by the park’s workers with help from local veterinary clinics,” Kyle Jaeger reported. “There are feeding stations and shelters where the cats receive routine veterinary care, including flea treatments, spaying and neutering, and vaccinations.”

So I think it’s safe to say that the Magic Kingdom is still magical for it’s resident felines.

Ice fishing, feline style

We have humans that enjoy ice fishing in our neck of the woods but I’ve never heard of felines trying it until now. This kitty from Korea is trying her best to capture a carp under the ice in the lake.

This poor feline, named Marilyn, is beyond frustrated. I doubt that she was happy having her unsuccessful fishing trip uploaded to her You Tube and Instagram accounts either. I’m guessing Marilyn earned a few more viewers to compensate her for her frustrated fishing expedition.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday..on Thursday 9/10

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

Well, we finally got through the “eternal computer upgrade” and have our Purrsonal Assistant on the job again, albeit it a day late. Sigh.

It’s been an interesting week in our neck of the woods and we, like many of our readers, are surrounded by fires. We’ve been putting our paws together and purraying for everyone in the west and hope there will be some rain soon. It was very windy in our neck of the woods and that didn’t help at all.

Some days I just want to hide under the cushions.

Oliver, on the other hand is happily celebrating one of his favorite holidays.

And now, on to the best feiline news on the internet this week!

What does your cat mean by ‘miaow’? Let Japan’s pet guru Yuki Hattori explain

The Japanese veterinarian, Yuki Hattori is known as “the Cat Savior” in Japan. His ability to decode feline behavior is amazing and he is so busy he saw 16,000 feline patients last year. People from all over Japan (and other countries) travel to his office for a consultation.

His blockbuster book, “What Cats Want” has now been translated into English so that more folks can avail themselves of his incredible insight into cat behavior.

Hattori has written 14 books about raising and treating house cats. And he believes that every tail swish, whisker twitch, ear flick and meow has meaning and is the cat’s attempt to communicate.

His book offers a chart of nine basic facial expressions (ranging from relaxed to aggressive) and 12 tail positions, each of which represents a mood (straight up for greetings, puffed to express anger, lowered for caution) to help humans “read” their felines). He also includes diagrams for room layouts that benefit felines of different ages.

Hattori followed in his father’s footsteps into veterinary practice. His fascination with and knowledge of cats began with a rescue feline named Unya who lived with him for 15 years.

Hattori says this about cats, “You respond to a cat’s needs, not the other way around.”

You can visit his veterinary clinic, the Tokyo Feline Medical Center on Facebook .

What a Cat’s Personality Says About Their Owner

Dear humans, I have a newsflash for you. A recent study has shown that the purrsonality of your feline is greatly influenced by you! We felines bond with our humans like children bond with their parents.

Finka et al. (2019) focused on the well-studied Big Five Personality traits of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. The owner’s personality traits were shown to affect the feline’s personality. For instance, an owner’s neuroticism may result in “chaotic and unstable home environments” that likely will affect the feline in the house. (Dear Female Human, take note!)

3331 cat owners (92% female) participated in Finka et al.’s study. Participants were required to have owned their cat for at least 6 months and answered questions and took personality tests.

Results revealed interesting links between the cat owner’s personality and the cat’s personality, lifestyle, and well-being. For instance, openness in the human resulted in the cats being friendlier and less aloof. Extroverts had friendlier, less aggressive cats and their cats were more likely to be normal weight felines.

The study also revealed interesting things regarding indoor versus outdoor cats.

The study is very comprehensive and interesting but the most important thing this feline got from the article is that the emotions of our humans definitely have an effect on us.

Cat looks into the fishpond and does something unbelievable

This is a cautionary tale that illustrates you can’t always judge a cat just because…he’s a cat. Take Mika for instance. Mika’s best friends are what other felines might consider to be dinner. Watch the video and you will see that Mika responds to his buddies in an unexpected way.

Woman’s Cat Is Totally Obsessed With Her Husband

Nasrin Hami never expected to lose her cat to her husband but that’s exactly what happened. Jarvis, the Scottish Fold has decided that Nasrin’s husband is his human…his only human. To prove this, Jarvis will give Nasrin some serious stink eye if she gets too close. How could anyone be mad at that cute feline, even if he is a husband stealer. So humans, you may think your cat belongs to you but at the end of the day, the cat decides!

Cats in Japanese history and folklore

If you are one of my regular readers, you already know that Japan loves cats. I’ve reported on Japanese cat fashion designers, architects who design condos for cats and their humans, cat cafes, cat islands and much more. The interesting thing about the relationship between cats and the Japanese people is that there is much love but also much fear as there is folklore about monstrous, supernatural cats as well.

Zack Davisson, the author of Kaibyō: The Supernatural Cats of Japan has been researching cat lore for decades.

Davisson says the fact that cats exist in Japan is a mystery because no one knows how they got there although many speculate that felines traveled down the Silk Road from Egypt to China and Korea. The first documented record of a feline was written on March 11, 889 CE by the 17-year old Emperor Uda who began his diary entry by writing, “

“On the 6th Day of the 2nd Month of the First Year of the Kampo era. Taking a moment of my free time, I wish to express my joy of the cat. It arrived by boat as a gift to the late Emperor, received from the hands of Minamoto no Kuwashi.

The color of the fur is peerless. None could find the words to describe it, although one said it was reminiscent of the deepest ink. It has an air about it, similar to Kanno. Its length is 5 sun, and its height is 6 sun. I affixed a bow about its neck, but it did not remain for long.

He continues to wax eloquent about the feline and his description of his interaction with his cat could have been penned by a human today.

In the 12^th century new writings appeared about a supernatural Japanese cat that was reported to be man-eating and two-tailed. It was called nekomato and lived in the woods. . According to local newspapers of the time, several hunters died in the jaws of the nekomata. Massive and powerful, they were more like two-tailed tigers than the pampered pets of Emperor Uda. In fact, the nekomata may have actually been a tiger.

But there was another supernatural feline that popped up in the 1600’s called bakeneko which was a shape changing feline.

Rumor had it that when these cats left their homes at night, they donned kimonos, pulled out sake and shamisen, and basically held wild parties before slinking back home at dawn. What naughty kitties!

These stories created a plethora of artistic representations of these shape changing kitties. And through time, more supernatural cats were “discovered”, even cat human hybrids.

The author says that Japan’s cat lore has been catnip for him which is how his book, Kaibyō: The Supernatural Cats of Japan was born. Even though that book was published in 2017, Davisson says that there is probably another Japanese cat folklore book on the horizon.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 7/29

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
Well, the heat finally hit our neck of the woods. None of us are thrilled about it.

“Oh for heavens sake Human, it’s hot and we want to go outside!” – Oliver

Thankfully, The Female Human invited us out to the upstairs deck. It was wonderful but we did tell her the deck could do with a good sweeping!

Well, it was a nice time outside and if it stays this hot I think there will be more times out there..

Now, let’s get on with this week’s feline web finds!

Cat hitches a ride to the U.S.

You humans need to keep track of your felines! I can’t believe how many stories I’ve featured this year about hitchhiking cats! There was even one who stowed away on a plane.

This feline from Redvers, Saskatoon in Canada took an unexpected trip to the United States. Thankfully he made it back home thanks to the help of truck driver Jack Shao.

Chylisse Marchand said she let Spooky the cat outside along with her two other cats Wednesday night. “I just kind of assumed that in the morning … they would all three come running the way they normally do,” she said. “And my other two cats did but Spooky did not.”

Chylisse began to grow more nervous as the day went on. She went through her community searching for her kitty but no one had seen a black cat.

Imagine how surprised she was when her veterinarian called her at 11:30pm and said, “I have a Jack Shao, a trucker on the other line, he’s in the U.S. right now, but he has your cat.”

The trucker was going to be back in Redvers the next day and was willing to bring the cat back but he was nerovous about bringing a cat across the border (Spooky wasn’t carrying his passport with him).

Marchand phoned the border and made arrangements for Spooky to cross and arranged to meet the truck driver to pick up Spooky.

It was a happy reunion and a good reminder to you humans that July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month. If Spooky wouldn’t have been microchipped, he might never had made it home.

Woman makes traditional Chinese clothing for cats

Qiu Qiao has been making clothes for her cat, Liu Liu. Since she decided to quit her job and turn her cat clothes into a business, she’s been cashing in. She designs, selects fabrics and matching accessories for her feline clothing line. Her Taobao shop in China sold out of all it’s items on opening day.

Now, a year after the store opened she has 16,000 fans for her clothing line and her top model, Liu Liu.

I happen to know a number of felines who enjoy wearing clothing and think they would look pawsome in some of these outfits.

Financial analyst quits job to become a full time cat artist

No, this lady isn’t painting cats on canvas….the cats are the canvas!

After being stressed out by her corporate job, Patricia Lee decided she’d switch careers and use her artsy side to become a cat groomer.

Patricia has creatively groomed over thirty different cats, and does traditional cat grooming as well. Her star feline runway model, Princess Shadowina, with whom Patricia has won several awards, passed away at the age of 20 earlier this year. She is now training two of her current pet cats, two-and-a-half-year-old Special Agent Gibbs and five-and-a-half-year-old IV Baby to be her next catwalk models to showcase her crazy designs.

Patricia said: ‘Dogs can guide themselves down the runway to be judged in grooming competitions, but I have to steer the cats myself. ‘They take longer to groom than dogs because they don’t stand still. (Well if I had some wacky human heading toward me with clippers and dye, I wouldn’t stand still either!)

It’s not surprising that Patricia has faced some negative comments from people who accuse her of mistreating her feline friends, but she says she is certain that the cats love being groomed as much as she loves grooming them. She said: ‘It’s not cruel as you’re not doing the designs on every single animal. ‘It’s all about doing it on the right animals.‘If it’s a cat that doesn’t like being handled then it’s not the right candidate. ‘My other cat Squishy doesn’t get creatively groomed because she doesn’t like being petted. ‘It depends on the character of the cats.’

Hmm, what do you think furiends? I took a look at the photos and those kitties didn’t look too happy.

WeCare Smart Health monitor for cats

It this monitor can do all it says it can do we are on board! Having lost our beloved Tucker and Jasmine in the last 4 months, we know how fast feline health can change.. These folks are running a Kickstarter program to fund their WeCare health monitor that they say works by monitoring litterbox habits by marking subtle changes in weight and other litterbox issues.

Our first thought was, “how does this work in multi cat households” but it appears they’ve already thought about that. Evidently the device recognizes different cats and each cat’s health history can be tracked separately. Now all we need to find out is if our humans can afford multiple devices for all the litter boxes in the house. What do you think about this?

Shelter uses old debate to fund new facility

A creative animal shelter is using the age old debate, “Are cats or dogs better?” to raise money for a new facility. Tri-County Humane Society in Minnesota is asking animal lovers to put their votes (and their money) where their hearts are. Money donated will benefit all the animals that TCJHS cares for and help them move into their new facility. They need lots of votes as the new facility is still about $2 million short of opening.

Those who give at least $50 through the Cats Vs. Dogs campaign will be able to have their pet’s photo featured in a mosaic that will be hung in the new shelter. I would certainly hope that my readers would be voting for the felines!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/27

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday My Furiends,
Since The Female Human had an extra day to stay home with us we took full advantage of her presence. Whether she was watching the TV or trying to get a little yoga time in, we made sure to show her lots of love. There is always a bit of a kerfuffle when Oliver and I decide we want lap time at the same time (we are not small felines)

Lily has quite a different technique. She jumps up on the back of the sofa and than places herself strategically half on the sofa back and half on The Female Human’s shoulder.

“Human, please stay still, I am a tiny cat and I can’t imagine that your shoulder would suffer any ill effects from me perching here.”

In an effort to mitigate the leg, back and shoulder pain The Female Human is meowing about (I think she’s a bit of a hypochondriac) she does yoga to help. It’s a good thing she has The Tribe to help her with this endeavor.

“Human, clearly you are doing this wrong. Just watch how the lady on the TV does it. Sheesh, do I have to help you with everything? And by the way, you need a pedicure.”

As you can see, our Human would be in trouble if we weren’t around to take care of her. But, enough about us, it’s time to enjoy this week’s web wanderinbgs.,

Man builds luxury catio for his felines

Be sure and check out **the video** of this amazing feline palace.

All right humans, it’s time for you to up your catio game. I know The Female Human needs to pay attention to this as her idea of a catio is a pop-up thingy she puts on the front porch and upstairs deck.

This Cat Daddy in Georgia built what he calls, “Chateau de Chatons” (the kitten’s castle). This is definitely a castle, with a drinking fountain, scratching post, some cat furniture, a hammock and a ramp that connects to a “penthouse perch” that’s built into a tree. Meowza, those felines are living their best lives!

So all you humans take note, The Tribe gives this palatial outdoor kitty playpen the “Paws Up” award!

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

Why do cats like to sit in squares?

Now that The Feline Human is a certified cat behaviorist she is always reading stuff about what makes felines tick. This article speaks to the age old question…..”What is it about cats and boxes?”

Dr. Michelle Burch, DVM, a cat expert has some thoughts about this. She says that squares make felines feel secure and safe and that if you draw a square on the floor, your feline will come running. (The Female Human has not tried this yet, if any of your humans have, please meow about it in the comments)

Dr. Claudine Siever, DVM says in order to understand our fascination with squares you have to go back to our kittenhood. Kittens derive a sense of comfort and security from cuddling with their mother and siblings. As adult cats, boxes bring back that feeling of family love. These memories release happy hormone (like endorphin and oxytocin) and these reduce stress.

Squares also make a great hiding place where can pounce out and attack other cats in the house or our humans. It also provides a good place for us to hide when we’re a bit stressed or feeling needy.

Hmm, I wonder if The Tribe should get a great big box for our Human so she can hide in it when she’s stressed.

Trey Anastasio walks a mile in his cat’s shoes in New Quarantine Tune, “If I Could See The World”

Now I am a feline not well versed in the world of human music. My tastes lean more toward David Teie’s Music for Cats. As a matter of fact, The Tribe did a review of the first album (with videos) if you want to hear our favorite mewsic.

Still, I have to give this Trey Anastasio two paws up for looking at the quarantine through his cat Joey’s eyes, because, as all my furiends know, seeing life from a feline point of view is the best way! Joey actually shows his purrrspective of his home in the video, a “cat’s eye view “ if you will. There is also a cameo appearance from the other cat in residence who has not been named.

Cat vanishes under the Dean of Canterbury’s robes during sermon

Be sure and watch **the video** of Leo’s appearance during the morning prayers.

Since you humans have been stuck at home, The Tribe has had “video church” for a while. Now I must say, if The Human’s Pastor had thought to invite a feline, we might have stuck around for the sermon.

Leo, the Canterbury Cathedral cat has made himself famous after brazenly disrupting a recording of morning prayers.

The video of morning prayers captured Leo sauntering into view and then disappearing under the robes of the Dean of Canterbury.

The Revd Dr Robert Willis maintained his composure and continued with his sermon despite Leo’s shenanigans.

This was the press release from the Canterbury Cathedral Spokesperson:

“He has been enjoying making our daily broadcasts since March and, whilst he would be happy to be in every one, we have tried to include the others to prevent them getting jealous.

“With over 20,000 visitors to the Deanery and its gardens each year – and over 1.5 million to the cathedral – he is used to being on show and, having been born in the Deanery and growing up here, he is very used to company and is a very friendly and happy little cat (if not the brightest of the four).

“He loves to socialise with the cathedral’s many pilgrims and visitors and takes his role as ambassador very seriously.

“In calmer times he finds a cosy place in the house or sunny spot in the gardens to sleep.”

Feng shui for felines: Create positive energy for your cat — and yourself

“Human, when the feng shui lady said to get us a water fountain, she didn’t mean the sink!?”

Our in-house feline behavior expert had to admit she knows nothing about feng shui and the positive affect it can have on cats but Cynthia Chomos, a feng shui consultant and founder-designer at Seattle’s Catio Spaces understands.

First of all, for the unenlightened, feng shui is the Chinese art of placement, a design system that created harmonious living spaces based on “chi” energy. Cats add positive energy in homes and Chomos believes that acknowledging the feline’s primal preference for the outdoors by providing fresh air and the sights and sounds of the natural makes our quality of life better. The Female Human is all for The Tribe to live our best lives so here are a few tips from the article.

Find a welcoming power spot for your felines (and your humans) outside the direct path entering a room. Cats prefer a wall that provides support from behind and provides a commanding view of their territory. Choose and place cat furniture, high cat trees, low domes, shelters or boxes, along the wall based on your feline’s comfort zone. (Now The Female Human hasn’t figure out where our comfort zone is but she put a great cat tree in her office by the window and we have a pawsome view of the woods below us.

Another recommendation is a catio because they keep us safe. Even though I griped about our pop-up catio, I have to say it’s really nice and we love being outside.

Provide a Zen space to relax. Feng shui practitioners hold that chi energy is both yin (restful) and yang (stimulating). A home needs both for the right balance. Cats need a cozy bed or hammock in a quiet room or Zen space for a catnap away from disturbances such as loud noises, remodeling projects, vacuum cleaners or unfamiliar people.

Stimulate yang energy indoors. Stimulate yang energy for your cat with daily playtime and a shelf near a window that offers the warmth of the sun and birdwatching opportunities. You don’t have to know anything about feng shui to know that playtime with your felines is critical to our health, happiness and our bond with our humans.

Litter box placement is always critical, even if you’re not looking to “feng shui” your home for your feline. Keep the box away from places where doors may be slammed, loud noises happen or anywhere where we can be startled while using the litter box. Remember, if we have a bad experience with our litter box, we may just stop using it.

Finally, feng shui suggests that you consider water fountains in the house. There are many nifty kitty drinking fountains (feng shui says to put the fountain in the north or southeast are of the house away from the food bowl.

In general, if your home is harmonious and attractive to the humans and felines, life will be enhanced for everyone.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/20

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
FINALLY the weather is warming up and the garden is starting to green up. The Female Human decided that Oliver, Lily and I should be able to take a stroll in the garden and that’s what happened. All three of us got to take a stroll. But it didn’t quite end the way The Female Human (or we) expected,

“Human, when will all the flowers be out?”

This was me before a very loud metal machine came by our yard and completely freaked me out. I tried to get out of the halter, twisted myself into a furry version of a pretzel and hissed and spit. The Female Human swooped me up (to the detriment of the skin on her arms) and got me inside.

“Human, I do NOT wish to walk in the garden and I demand you open the door right meow!”

As Oliver is the most mellow one in the Tribe, The Female Human figured that she could take him outside without any drama. As you may have observed by the facial expression, placement of the ears and his insistence on staying by the door, this outside experience was not welcome. I had already gone back inside and told him of the terrors that awaited him so he was having none of it.

“Human, I’d have a much better time if you took this lumberjack straight jacket off me.”

Lily was next. As she had darted out the door twice during the “cats in the garden” exercise, The Female Human knew she was ready for an outdoor adventure. All was fine for a few minutes until Lily tried to do a Harry Houdini escape from the halter. Oliver and I watched the Kabuki theater from the window. The Human grabbed and grasped at Lily so she wouldn’t get away once she’d freed herself from the restrictions of the halter. Lily (also known as Princess Stabby Toes”) left her mark all over the Human’s arms. Lily was safely returned into the house. This also explains the lack of feline photos actually IN the garden MOL!

The Female human poured herself a glass of wine and went out to enjoy the tranquility of the front porch sans felines.

Enough about us, let’s get to this Wednesday’s web wonders.

Why the pet industry hopes Americans will start treating their cats more like dogs

Well evidently barkies have been getting the lion’s share of pet stores and manufactures attention because cat owners are cheap. Last year spending per dog was $1381.00 per pet and per cat was $908.00. Fortunately, the retail world is hoping to get cat owners to spend more money on us fabulous felines and there is some good news on the horizon.

:An AlixPartners analysis of APPA’s data found that expenditures on vitamins, treats, toys, and grooming aids are all seeing significant growth among cat owners. But you human cat folks have to open your wallets a little wider. At the moment feline expenditures account for only about 7% of the $7 billion spent annually on pet treats. Cat treat makers are looking to make that percentage rise.

Now, because The Female Human was too cheap to buy a subscription to Forbes, I didn’t get to finish reading this one but I did have her find some more information on the pet industry for those of you who are interested.

I can tell you that The Tribe is tired of The Female Human buying our halters and life jackets and such in the dog section. It’s time for manufacturers to step up and for our humans to starty spending!

A New York start-up that offers online vet visits for dogs and cats is suddenly thriving in the coronavirus lockdown

Bond Vet opened its first veterinary care facility in Brooklyn less than a year ago. Someday, it planned to ramp up a remote health offering to save pet owners time and money.

That schedule changed dramatically in March, after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state’s stay-at-home order in response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Bond Vet quickly set up a system using Google’s video technology to book 20-minute video consultations for $50, limiting clinic visits to emergencies and urgent care.

Bond vet says these video consultations are now increasing over 200% a month and that about half are resolved with the prescription of food or medicine.

Shane Kelly is the CEO of Destination Pet, a nationwide network of pet care services and he has a different take on video visits. He compares veterinarians to pediatricians, who rely heavily on in-person consultations.

“The patient can’t communicate, can’t speak, which puts certain limitations on primary care with telehealth,” said Kelly. Still, he says that the current pandemic is highlighting the importance of remote health and that “telehealth is definitely a growing part of the business all the way around.”

The Female Human says that if a video vet visit would be reasonable enough that more people would call the vet that would be a good thing. She also believes though, that having the vet be able to touch and observe us first-hand is the best health check-up and many times, the issues we’ve had have been diagnosed through blood work and scans. What do you all think about this?

Findlay Toyota offers ‘Certified Pre-Owned Cat Adoptions’ in partnership with SPCA

The Nevada shelter is not the first to use t ihs adoption idea. Several years a go a shelter in Canada used the same theme in t his hilarious video.

Ah, I love it when you humans get creative about finding felines forever homes. The Nevada SPCA is hosting a virtual fee-waived cat adoption promotion beginning Monday, May 18 through Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. Community sponsor Findlay Toyota will be covering the adoption fees on all “certified pre-owned cats” adult cats aged 6 months and older, so that they may find loving new homes.

Potential adopters can visit the website at nevadaspca.org to view available cats. An email can be sent to info@nevadaspca.org with the name of the cat along with contact information.

All adult “certified pre-owned, fuel-efficient” cats 6 months and older will have their adoption fees waived during this time. All cats will come spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. Once an adoption is finalized and a pick-up time appointment is scheduled, new adopters can come and pick up their new pet curbside.

This idea is working during the lockdown so maybe our local shelter wants to give it a try.

CHarmony cat dating program to help homeless felines

And here’s yet another clever idea to get kitties adopted during the lockdown. Carol’s Ferals, in Grand Rapid Michigan are using a dating model for their felines needing a home. Each cat has a purrsonality profile on “CHarmony” designed to bring cats together with a human that is their best match.

Since the humans can’t visit the cats yet they will “meet” them during a virtual adoption counseling session.

Bravo humans and keep up the creative work to help homeless kitties.

Traits All Cat Lovers Have In Common That Are Helping Us Through Isolation

Look at my brother Oliver and I, how could you not love having felines for company??

During these days when many of you humans are stuck in your homes you may feel lonely and what better companion to have with you but a cat? Still, I get it, you might be missing other humans as well so, until you can, once again, hang out with your human furiends take solace in the fact that there are many cat lovers out there who share much in common with you. Shona Hendley, who wrote about these 8 traits hits the nail on the head. I took her categories and “felined” them up with my own comments.

1. You love cats more than people : Of course you do, cats are far more loyal, loving, wise, entertaining, respectful and caring than humans.

2. You’re attracted to other cat lovers: Our Female Human would love to spend time with a cat lover much more than someone who is indifferent to felines or who, (gasp) dislikes cats.

3. You’re obsessed with social media cats and cat videos: Well DUH, you’re reading a blog written by a cat aren’t you?

4. Your cat is not your pet. Your cat is your furry child: Of course we are. A true cal lover never allows the words, “It’s just a cat” to pass their lips!

5. You talk about your cat a lot: That depends on our definition of “a lot”.

6. You include your cat in most social media posts: Who wouldn’t want to feature their delightful, adorable feline companions in most (if not all) of their social media posts?

7. You love all things “cat”: If you ever meet The Female Human in purrson, you would know this is true, cat sweaters, purses, scarves, coffee mugs and the list goes on. Come to think of it, it’s time for a bit of a clean out at home.

8. You are smart! Of course you are, you love the superior species!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 4/01

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
Well, it’s been quite a week here in Northern Idaho! Sick kitties, torrential rain, sunshine, snow and then yesterday we felt the rock and roll of a 6.5 earthquake that happened a little over 400 miles from us. I learned that I do NOT like earthquakes and I’m still a bit freaked out. And then there’s this COVID-19 thingy. To say you humans are on edge would be the understatement of the century! And what’s with the hoarding??!! Sheesh you humans should be more like us felines, eat only what you need, share your toys, get enough rest, find a sun puddle when you can and just relax!

Well enough about us, let’s check in on the latest feline news on the internet.

Social Distancing But Still Making New Feline Friends

Sometimes the old fashioned methods of communication are the best. A lady in

A woman in England had admired her neighbor’s black and white cat for a while but she had never met or spoken to the cat’s humans. As she has been home much more she saw the cat in the window more often as well. It’s amazing what you humans will think up when you are forced to be creative. The lady [put a note in her window asking his name.

Much to her delight, the neighbor responded with a sign that said he was called Walter.

And then a “paper in the window” conversation ensued. The woman posted pictures about the cat and poster in the window conversation and then had to put a note in her window for Walter’s humans saying, “Walter is now Twitter famous… sorry.” Little did she know that Walter already had an Instagram account which his humans noted in their return window message.

Ah you humans, you make this feline smile.

Human, I’m Bored – Enrichment Activities for Your Cat

“Human, if you’re going to be home this much, you need to come up with some fun ideas for The Tribe.”
-Oliver

With so much time on your hands and considering the fact that you humans have been invading our space too much lately, it’s time for you to get creative and do some things to enrich our environment.

There are some great ideas in this article. One of the most obvious ways to keep us entertained is to get some good catnip and let us have at it. The Tribe loves it best when The Female Human puts down some newspaper and sprinkles some local grown catnip on it. We roll around, nibble at the catnip and have a great time. This is also an entertaining thing for you humans to watch too.

Sound motivates us and something as simple as a paper bag can bring us hours of enjoyment (well, if not hours, as long as it takes us to demolish the bag).

We love to watch stuff and, if you don’t have a nice view of the woods and wildlife like we do, there are a number of cat-focused videos you can stream on your TV.

There are other great ideas in this article, so check them out, You can keep your cat in residence from becoming cranky with too much time on his paws and too many humans in the house for too many hours!

Mr. Sherman, Little Tokyo’s 23-year-old feline ‘mayor,’ keeps purring along

Mr. Sherman, an American tabby often called the feline “mayor” of Little Tokyo, spends his day guarding his owner’s boutique.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Liz Ito, a Los Angeles artist, met this Tabby when she was 11 years old and, as an adult she still sees him regularly. Mr Sherman (the cat) was adopted by Kiyoko Kimball, owner of Ashiya, a women’s boutique and he spends his days greeting customers.

At his advanced age, Sherman suffers from hyperthyroidism and kidney disease but he is well taken care of. He rises early, takes medication for his condition, which makes him more active around 11:30 a.m., and naps after lunch. He lets it be known that he does not care for leftovers.

“Everything has to be fresh,” says Kiyoko Kimball, the caregiver who adopted him more than 16 years ago and spends $1,000 monthly on his food, prescriptions and fluid therapy. “He’s retired. I give him Social Security money. And you know, he thinks he’s a person. We communicate every day.”

Artist Imagines What Creatures Would Look Like If They Had Cat Faces

This falls under the heading, “what happens when humans have too much time on their hands? The creator of the Koty Vezde (Cats are Everywhere) Instagram page sees cats, well, everywhere. 29-year-old Galina Bugaevskaya from Moscow photoshops cat faces on various animals and since we all need a little entertainment, I recommend you visit this account and enjoy theses photos. .

Real (sort of) Tree Cat Tree

I’ve often wondered why you humans call our cat scratcher thingys “trees” when they look nothing like a tree…until now. Shelley and Joe DelRocco create custom cat tree houses handcrafted from real trees and embellished with silk leaves. These trees are purrfect for felines who feel the call of the wild. Make sure your humans check out these cool PetTreeHouses on Etsy

Social Distancing, Sick Kitties and Compassion Fatigue

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Feline Opines

Human, we’re going to need some supplies and PLEASE more protein and less of these veggie things!
-Alberto

Hello Furiends,
As my regular readers may have noticed I did not write my regular Wednesday feature last week. The world has gone insane and our Female Human has been working hard to keep up. It’s been a bit confusing because, just when we thought we were going to have full time staff at home, The Human found out that since she has clients whose businesses are deemed essential so she has to go to work. Frankly, as frazzled as she looks I think she should just stay at home.

And speaking of frazzled there was a bit of a scare at our house this weekend. Jasmine was not feeling well (she was having “plumbing problems” if you get my drift.) This is a serious issue with kitties and especially kitties like Jasmine with kidney disease. There we were, with our sister Jasmine howling in pain and our Human in a situation where she and the other humans are told to “social distance”.

The good news for us is that we have a veterinary practice (or as I like to refer to them “a stabby place”) that is open 7 days a week. Yes, you heard me right, EVERY day of the week. Why is this? They are attempting to make themselves available for sick kitties (and other pets) as much as possible while also caring for themselves as well and looking to avoid something called “compassion fatigue”.

What is Compassion Fatigue?

When The Female Human went to the Cat Writer’s Association conference last year she attended a very interesting presentation about Compassion Fatigue given by Beth Stultz-Hairston from Pet Sitters International. The presentation focused on compassion fatigue for pet writers but also included information on compassion fatigue in the veterinary industry as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no big fan of those stabby, stabby places but , whenever I have to go there I get kisses and ear skritches and, if I wasn’t feeling great, I always feel better after the visit (don’t tell The Human I said this).

Compassion Fatigue, according to Dr. Charles Figley and Professor Paul Henry Kurzweg is, “… a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper.”.

Vets have two times the stress

Those people in the stabby places have to deal with 2 patients, we felines who, for the most part are less than thrilled to be there and our humans who are worried about us. If your humans are like my Human, sometimes there are even tears involved. As a feline who rarely worries about anything except being stuffed in my carrier, a loud sneeze or humans I don’t know coming into my house, I’m no expert on stress but I did have my Purrsonal Assistant find some information about compassion fatigue for me.

Reducing Stress For Patients

My stabby place built a whole new building to keep stress to a minimum and enhance wellness for all of their patients. Oliver and I did a review about this. Ever since we’ve been to the new place our visits have been much better and the rest of the Tribe never even knows where we’ve been when we get home so there is no hissing festival when we’re released from our carrier. It stands to reason, when the felines are less stressed, so are the humans and the stabby people but still, it doesn’t stop compassion fatigue for those folks who take care of us.

How Our Vets Manage

In addition to the fantastic new stabby place they built and offering after hour emergency services they also changed their business days to 7 days a week. This has been great for the human cat parents but it was taking its toll on the people working there. They decided that they would not do after hour emergency services but would still do the 7-day a week schedule. Those folks are doing all they can to mitigate compassion fatigue.

Good News For All

Even during these stressful days, and without after hours emergency service, Pend Oreille Veterinary Service managed to help our Jasmine this past Sunday. As I mentioned she was having some “plumbing issues” and was yowling in pain.

But, but, it’s Sunday. Where is The Female Human going with Jasmine?!

The Female Human called the stabby place, they said to come over and so Jasmine and The Human sat in the “outdoor waiting room” (translation, the car)

I’m not happy about this Human!”
-Jasmine

Before she knew it, The Female human’s cell phone rang and someone came out to get Jasmine. She stayed there most of the day and the good folks took great care of her. I’m thinking without the nervous Human hanging around it must have been much easier for them. By late Sunday afternoon, Jasmine was delivered to the car and sent home with medications.

“Human, I am not pleased with you right now!”
-Jasmine

Jasmine is doing much better and, thanks to the fantastic, compassionate folks at Pend Oreille Veterinary Service it looks like we’re on the road to beating this infection before it gets to her kidneys.

So folks, during these stressful times, The Tribe wants to remind you to be kind to all the people at your stabby places. Compassion Fatigue is a real thing. We felines know that all you humans are stressed right now but the humans who care for us kitties are pawsome, they deal with so much and we should give them a little love (from a safe distance and without touching, or course!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 2/26

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I hope your week has gone well and that this week’s feline news report finds you healthy and happy.

We actually had sunshine this week. I must say though, I was a bit annoyed by the laughter from The Human when she came in the office and saw me soaking up some vitamin C. Seriously, I have no idea what she found so amusing.

Lily is still adjusting to the change in the Tribe and the loss of Tucker. She is a tiny little feline and she hasn’t been eating so The Female Human went to talk to the people in the white coats about this. She came home with some food called Hills AD Diet for cats and dogs. Now I’ve never heard of a food for cats AND dogs but evidently this is what they give patients when they are not eating well. And I must say it works! Lily is eating again and perking up, even coming over to get her “before bed treats”.The hardest part of this is keeping the stuff away from Oliver who needs no appetite stimulation!

Jasmine enjoys watching what’s going on in the woods.

The Female Human was a little stressed out about Tucker’s sister Jasmine after Tucker crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She took Jasmine to have her blood work done and her regular wellness check. Well guess what….Jasmine’s kidney numbers are lower than when she was first diagnosed with kidney disease. Meowza, you should have seen our Human doing the happy dance.

Oliver misses the big guy too so he spends some quality time with The Female Human in the evening. He’ll even hang out with her when she has a glass of wine on the weekend (note, Oliver does not drink wine)

And, as far as the problem with Oliver and I giving Lily a bad time…..things haven’t changed too much but it seems lately Lily is standing up for herself more.

Well, that’s all the news about the Tribe, now, on to the news!

What’s the best music for reducing cats’ stress levels?

A few years ago we opined about cat music on our website (yes we have a website in addition to this blog that our Purrsonal Assistant does not promote enough). We have mewsic at our house and we quite like it. The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery recently reported on the stress-lowering effects of music in cats. This study says that classical rather than pop or heavy metal soothes felines best….well DUH! I don’t think you need to be a scientist to figure that out!

Now they did dig a little deeper and said that cat-specific music with ‘melodic’ lines based on cat vocalizations (like purring) sooths us. We also purrfer frequencies similar to feline vocal ranges, which are two octaves higher than those of humans.

These scientists studied 20 domestic cadts, playimg 20 minutes of cat-specific music, classical music or no music at random veterinary visits 2 weeks apart. They used cat stress scores (checking the feline’s body posture., ear placement, etc.) as well as how the cat’s responded to being handled. They drew blood samples to mark the physiological stress levels.

And what did they find out? Cat specific music might indeed lower stress levels. Now, I don’t want to sound snarky here but when this scientific study ends with, ““[C]at-specific music may benefit cats by decreasing the stress levels and increasing the quality of care in veterinary clinical settings.” I’m not impressed. Even our Female Human knows that our cat mewsic may calm us down but at least I give the researchers an “A” for effort. You can watch the videos on our website and come to your own scientific conclusions as to whether we were less stressed when listing to our Music for Cats album.

Miau Miau Clothing Company- shopping with a purpose to help homeless cats

Any company whose motto is, “life is better with cats!” is my kind of company! The company’s founder began this company after being inspired after she rescued a litter of kittens and their mother a few years ago. That rescue experience made her realize that there are thousands of cats and kittens who are not as fortunate as the ones she rescued. The company values are: Improving the Lives of Homeless Cats and Kittens – Advocating for Animals and their Rescuers – Compassion – Making a Difference.

Now who wouldn’t love to do business with a company like that! The Female Human loves their clothes and is going to order the pink hoodie. They have lots of great stuff like a “Cat Daddy” bottle opener, pawsome pins and bags, hats, jewelry and goodies for the felines in your life.

Boris the Yoga Cat

Every time The Female Human gets out h er yoga mat, Oliver and I head on over to snoopervise (well I snoopervise, Oliver splays himself out on the mat) and she gets her whiskers in a twist and shoos us away. Now that I’ve found Boris. the yoga cat I’m going to make a case for us doing yoga with our Human. If you check out Boris’ Instagram you will see there is not a pose that can’t be done with a kiitty!

11 Secrets Your Cat’s Tail Is Trying to Tell You

I don’t think you humans pay enough attention to our tails as they can tell you a lot. I’m not going into all 11 of the tail signs but I will highlight a few. You can read about all of them here.

Straight Up: When we stand with our tails straight up, pointing at the ceiling, it means we are happy, confident and willing to be friendly so come on over and give us a pet!

Fuzzy Tail: Well, that’s what we call it at our house. It’s when our tails get fuzzed up 3 times their regular size. If we are startled, scared or feeling threatened we will floof ourselves out to appear as big as possible. Trust me, you don’t want to pet us when are tails are fuzzy!

The Fast Flicking Tail: When you see us flicking our tails from side to side, the message we’re sending you is that something is wrong. It can be fear but it can also mean we are annoyed or reacting to something we don’t like.

The Slow Moving Gentle Tail Flick: This means we are zeroed in on something, that we’re very focused. We may be getting ready to pounce on a toy, another cat or a mouse. Basically it’s showing our intention to make a move.

I’ll let you read about the rest of the tail signals for yourself. Just remember, we are telling you a lot with our tails!

Your Cat Actually Has a Legit Reason For Getting Hyper Every Night at Bedtime

“It’s quite all right human, go back to bed. I’m just helping you arrange this mess.” – Alberto

Evidently, the fact that we get the zoomies at night is not because felines are nocturnal. Shelly Zacharias, DVM, VPM and vice president of Medical Affairs at Gallant, in an interview by POPSUGAR, said that cats are actually crepuscular, meaning their waking hours are at both sunrise and sunset.

Well that information is all well and good but our Female Human wants to know how to keep us from waking her in the middle of the night with our antics. Some suggest that you humans play with us before bedtime. Also, some interesting toys for us to play with while you are sleeping will help keep us busy.

If you have any foodaholic felines in your house (I shall not name names) you might want to consider splitting the evening meal in two. Feed us one earlier in the evening and the other one right before you go to bed. This is supposed to keep us from bugging you for food but evidently ,the expert that suggested this has never met Oliver.

They also suggest puzzle feeders. I don’t know about the rest of you felines out there but The Female Human tried that on us. We quickly let her know we do NOT work for food.

The article also suggests that you humans ignore us if we wake you up. That might work for some but when you suddenly find a 17-pound feline on your chest, your desire to breathe will take over your desire to ignore us.

Our Female Human has decided that the best remedy for our nighttime zoomies is to close her bedroom door (and then prepare herself for the havoc she sees in the morning). MOL