Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/21

Hello  Furiends,
As The Tribe of Five reflects on this Thanksgiving eve we are so thankful for the brave firefighters who risk so much to save humans and animals. We are praying for all the people in California who have lost so much in the recent fires. We’ve had too many fires close to us and we understand how terrible they are. God bless the brave men and women who work to keep us safe and to all two-legged and four legged who have been affected by these devastating fires you are in our hearts. 

A happy ending for this kitty and his humans caught in the California wildfires. God bless our firefighters!

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Happy Reunion from California Wildfires

This video will warm your heart. This man lost his home and his possessions but he never gave up on his cat. He is thankful and amazed that the feline named Mike survived the fires. “We found the cat,” said Patterson tearfully as he holds onto Mike in the video. “My kitty made it.” Let’s hope there are many more happy stories of reunions like this!


Updates To Twitter’s “Cat Dad” Include A Cat Calendar

Last spring I featured this human one of my Wednesday web wanderings. He found the kittens in his closet and became a cat daddy by accident. He’s been keeping the world updated about the kittens and the Mama cat and now he’s even producing a calendar! So humans, if you find a litter of kittens in your closet just go with he flow and make the best out of it!


This Saskatoon art exhibit is the cat’s meow — literally

Meowza! This stroke of brilliance at The Bridges Art Movement’s (BAM) new exhibit in Saskatoon is purrfect!  Each Saturday — or Caturday — until Dec. 1, there is an installation inspired by cats, for cats, featuring real, live cats. 

The exhibit, “The Cat’s Meow”  was inspired by a partnership with a local shelter to use the exhibit as a conduit for cat adoption.  The exhibit is full of cat-themed art, paintings, sculptures, functional furniture for cats, and a cat jungle gym with ramps, tubes and shelves. Each Caturday Sshow, will feature  three cats or kittens in the gallery that are up for adoption.

New Study Says Your Cat’s Personality is Likely to Match Yours

Now I’m not to sure that all of the Tribe of Five have purrsonalities similar to our Male and Female Human but who am I to question science?  

In this study, researchers used a previously developed test in order to measure five personality traits in cats, known (as the “Feline Five”: friendliness, spontaneity, dominance, neuroticism, and extroversion. 126 participants — 11 men, 115 women — completed surveys that assessed their cats on each of these qualities, ranking the accuracy of statements including, “My cat challenges the usual dominance order with other cats/people in the household,” and “My cat moves frequently e.g. often walks, runs, stalks.”

Theresearchers concluded that owners are drawn to cats who mirror theirpersonalities, or are more likely to keep a cat who’s similar to them.”Dominant cats are greedy, defiant, and aggressive and bullying towardspeople/other cats, which could be attractive to potential owners who havesimilar tendencies in their own social interactions,” they suggested.”Impulsive cats are excitable and erratic, which could be pleasing toimpulsive owners.” Now I am seriously wondering if thesereseatchers are cat people as the personality descriptions they use are a bitoff-putting. So what do you think? Do your traits mirror your humans?


Ask a Vet: Which Thanksgiving Foods Are Safe for Cats?

If you live with any felines that beg for human food (we do, although I won’t mention any names (Tucker, Oliver)) you will definitely want to read this article to make sure that the food your feline is begging for from the Thanksgiving table is not detrimental to their health. For instance, turkey can be okay if you stay with lean pieces and even gravy, although not optimum isn’t deadly. Mashed potatoes, especially those made with 
garlic, onions and shallots can cause Heinz body anemia in cats. Our Female Human keeps some of our favorite cat-approved treats for occasions just like Thanksgiving and Christmas which is probably the best idea. 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/14

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello there furiends,
I can’t believe it’s Wednesday again. I’ve had our Purrsonal Assistant gathering the best of the feline web for you. I hope you enjoy this week’s Wednesday wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Determined Art Loving Cats Sneak into Museum

Cats cannot live by tuna alone. This is illustrated  in the Japanese city of Onomichi, where a  pair of felines art lovers have been trying to gain entry to a local museum. The security guards are having none of it and are thwarting these art loving cats.  The felines are regular visitors at the Onomichi City Museum of Art and are always barred from entering by the guards. 

This battle between the art loving felines and the museum guards had been documented in photos. You can follow their exploits on Twitter at 
 @bijutsu1, an account devoted to chronicling the Ken-chan and Go-chan’s exploits. 

This Very Important Cat Painting Sold For $800K

And, speaking or art, this 227-pound, six-foot-by-eight-foot painting (deemed “the world’s greatest painting of cats” in 1949 by Cat Magazine!) was commissioned back in 1891 by San Francisco millionaire couple Kate Birdsall Johnson and Robert C. Johnson. Kahler had never painted a cat before, but Kate asked him to create a portrait featuring 42 of the 350 (!) cats she owned.  (Now that lady was a cat lover!) She left half a million dollars to those cats in her will, and claimed each and every one of them answered to their names. So humans, how much would you pay for a painting of your felines?

Dozens of cat mummies found in 6,000-year-old tombs in Egypt

Now the subject of cat mummies creeps me out a bit but it does prove one very important point, people have revered felines for centuries. Among the dozens of cat mummies found were 100 wooden, gilded statutes of cats and one dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet. Clearly, cats were kings in Egypt!

Everyone Who Wants To Adopt A Cat Should Read This Woman’s Comic First

BOY do I love humans who are creative about helping shelter cats, especially shelter cats that aren’t the first to get adopted! This Human 
named Brittaney was inspired to make these comics when she heard a story about a little girl taken to a shelter to adopt a cat. The little girl fell in love with a 3-legged cat and her father said “absolutely not”, all because the kitty was missing a leg. This human says, “Each comic strip addresses the stigmas that surround ‘imperfect animals,’ and people’s hesitations to take them home. “I get it,” Brittaney says, “But less-adoptable does NOT mean less lovable. All I want people to do is be open to the idea of having a “different” pet in their lives. Choose the pet that you fall in love with, but at least give all of them a fair shot at winning your heart.” This cat-lover is so passionate about her feline cause that she even has an online store that uses 50% of its sales to donate to cat rescues. Brittaney is our hero!

This $150 cat toy can teach us a lot about what makes a robot useful

Robots are designed to give humans more time to do the things they want. And what any sane human wants is to spend more time with their felines right? The challenge was to create an automated activity for someone with unlimited amount of time on their paws. The robot, called Mousr is a mouse-shaped robot with a series of bouncing tails and can be programmed to move erratically or spin in circles. Or the human can control it at will. Now I ask you, is $150.00 too much to keep your feline entertained when you humans insist on leaving us alone and go to the place you call “work”? If you are curious as to whether Mousr is a hit with felines, (you know how finicky we can be) click on the link and read some feline reviews. 

Walk through The Web Wednesday 11/7

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello My Furiends,
Well it’s Wednesday and I for one am one thankful feline that all the purrlitical stuff is over! I hope you are all enjoying the day and that you enjoy my Wednesday web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Grumpy Cat 2.0 – Fox News

ginger tabby with grumpy expression

This is Saul, who was rescued off the streets of London after being hit by a car. He was in bad shape, with an injured jaw, eye and teeth. All of these contributed to his unique look. This little guy is on the mend, is very affectionate and despite his expression, one happy guy. He will be up for adoption soon as soon as he is completely healed. Here’s hoping Saul finds his furever home!

These Tweets About Freddie Mercury’s Cats In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Are Purrfect – Elite Daily

freddie mercury and his simese cat

Now you humans can combine your love of theater, music and cats with Bohemian Rhapsody.  Despite reviews, which range from disappointed to scathing. The movie brought in $50 million at the box office over its opening weekend, over-performing expectations by nearly $10 million. And, although fans love the music and Rami Malek’s performance as lead singer Mercury, it’s clear cats are taking center stage as these tweets about Freddie Mercury’s cats suggest.  Rock and roll kitties!

Marvel Heroes Get A Feline Makeover By Fans – Nerdist

Marvel Comic hero gets feline makeover

Marvel Comics has a history of characters who remind us of cats, or have the word “cat” in their name..  Case in point,  Marvel has Black Panther, Sabretooth, Black Cat, Hellcat, Shadowcat, and the list goes on and on. It was only a matter of time until an artist gave the Marvel heroes a feline makeover. . Fajareka Setiawan is a freelance illustrator and concept designer who has created a series called “Catvengers,” which feature various Marvel characters as fabulous felines. You can check out his heroic kitties in his Instagram posts..

Has Black Panther, the King of Wakanda, ever looked so cute? His costume might be made out of the strongest metal known to man, but he’ll still chase a laser pointer all across the living room floor.

Clintonville shelter’s Crime Cats reading club up to scratch, group says – ThisWeekNews

little cat on a book

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when humans do stuff that benefits felines and little humans it’s a wonderful win-win. This program at the Cat Welfare Association brings shy cats and shy mini humans together with the Crime Cats Mystery Club.

The club invites students in grades 1-8 to read aloud to felines who are housed in the “shy cat room” at the shelter.  The program was recently awarded a 2018 Literacy Leader Award.

Now I know there are a lot of cat mystery writers out there (our Female Human is one of them) so let’s get the lead out human authors and get something like this started in your shelter!

New Magazine For Cats by Cats  – Eastern Daily Press

magazine by cats for cats

Well, well, it’s time you humans got something right. This is a real magazine full of all the latest news relevant to felines.  Readers pay £6.99 ($9.18 USD at today’s rate of exchange). There is great info for felines like the best places to hide, ways to avoid medication and other useful tips. Now if you’re a reader of our blog you already apurreciate the feline point of view so I’m guessing you’ll love Purrs Magazine!

Purrs is available to buy now at www.thecatmag.co.uk and £1 from every sale goes to the Feline Care cat rescue centre at East Harling in Norfolk.

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/31

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello There Furiends!
It’s been quite busy at the Feline Opines offices and we are way, way behind in reading and commenting on the blogs of all our fellow feline bloggers. But, we have our purrsonal assistant on the job and she should have us caught up soon. A-pawlogies for our lateness!

I hope you all had a chance to see our Halloween movie. Let us know what you thought. We’ll be having a give-away for some Feline Opines merchandise soon so stay tuned!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Petcurean announces call for submissions for national Uplift the Underdog: Cat Edition contest to raise awareness for overlooked, adoptable shelter cats – Cision

Petcurean  Underdog Cat Edition

Sometimes the big hearts of humans just overwhelms me. This is one such case. As part of its commitment to putting pets first, premium pet food manufacturer, Petcurean, is pleased to announce the “Uplift the Underdog: Cat Edition” contest.  The program’s goal is to help increase adoption consideration for “underdog cats” – cats who are traditionally less likely to get adopted due to age, medical challenges, appearance, or other issues. The contest is open to all rescue groups and animal shelters across the United States and Canada now through November 16, 2018. Two Paws up for Petcurean!

Historic Cat Photos – Popular Photography

Morris the cat orange tabby

I know that National Cat Day was two days ago but this article celebrating the fabulous feline in history is worth a share. The photo here is of Morris, that very famous feline during one of his purrress conferences.

Nine Photos of Military Troops With Cats – Business Insider

ww ii pilot with cat on his shoulder

This is another delightful walk through history in celebration of National Cat Day.

Poorly Drawn Cats on Twitter, It’s a Thing – Mashable

 

poorly drawn cats

Okay, no offense intended to the artists but meowza, this is a thing??!! If these folks are making money from this we need to get our Human Slackers on the ball and do some drawing because trust me, they would be experts at poorly drawn cats, poorly drawn dogs…and the list goes on!

Unlike Lazy Humans, Cats Actually Have to Work for Their Food Study Says – The Frisky

gray and white cat at dry food bowl

And speaking of Human Slackers, this new study says that we felines prefer to work for our food. The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery found that, as natural foragers, cats greatly enjoy “food puzzles” or tricky feedinhg set-ups that require us to work for our food.  Now I can say for myself that I love the food puzzles. Our Alpha Tucker would much rather be served his food than have to forage !

 

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/24

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s that time of the week again when I do my web wandering and look for feline related gems on the internet. I hope you enjoy this week’s compilation.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Awesome Cat Saves Owner From House Fire – The Frisky

tabby saves owner from fire

Two paws up for Sully the tabby cat  who rescued her human, Craig Geeves from a fire in his home . Geeves was taking an afternoon nap when Sully jumped on his chest and began meowing loudly to wake him up. He said, “She was standing on my head screaming, the loudest scream I’ve ever heard from a cat screaming at me and then I smelt the smoke and jumped out of bed … she saved my life.”

Not only did Sully save her human’s life but her timely warning kept the fire from spreading to the other houses in the neighborhood. Dogs aren’t the only creatures who are man’s best friend. Just ask Craig Geeves!

It Took Five Felines To Play Church the Cat in the remake of Pet Sematary – SYFyWire

tabby cat actor in pet sematary

Five  cats, all rescues, were cast to play Church the feline in the Stephen King Movie. One feline dropped out after getting scared on the set, but the rest of the cat actors had a pretty cushy set up. They were accommodated in five trailers, along with their human trainers, although one had to be kept in a separate trailer from the others because it did not get along with its cat-castmates.

The film crew even built a “catio,” where the hard-working kitties could play and relax between takes. Being a feline actor is no walk in the park. They had two months of training before the ten-week shoot.  The best news is that all felines found furever homes after their acting stint was over!

Okawa City Launches Line of Miniature Cat Furniture -Spoon & Tamago

cat sleeping on miniature furniture made for felines

Okawa City in Fukuoka prefecture is known as one of Japan’s furniture capitals. The Okawa Kagu, a furniture group in this city has now produced a line a high quality, miniature furniture for cats.

Okawa Kagu’s cat furniture is produced with the same craftmanship that goes into any other piece. Actually, the cat furniture is just miniature versions of actual pieces the furniture makers have designed. The cat sofa was designed and produced by Hiromatsu Furniture. The cat bed was designed and produced by Tateno Mokuzai. If you think you need to order furniture for you and your feline, check out the photos and videos in the article.

This Stylish Cardboard Box Is Designed to Be Your Cat’s New Favorite Hideout – MentalFloss

Tabby Cat in fancy cardboard box

All I have to say is…why the heck didn’t a human invent this earlier?? My Humans (especially The Female Human) do a lot of griping about having to leave boxes around

img_5701

Which box? This one or the fancy Purrfect Cat box? Alberto,, FelineOpines.net

the house so we can sit in them. The Female Human keeps meowing about this thing she calls “aesthetics” and “decor”. Well, here’s the answer to the box conundrum. the Purrfect Cat Box designed by Colorado-based inventor Scott Salzman who has this box on Indegogo. It’s made to be just the right size for ultimate kitty comfort. At about the size of a shoebox, it’s big enough for most cats to squeeze into without being cramped. Now I’d call that a “win-win”!

 

 

 

 

 

Firefighters, tree service rescue cat dropped in tree by hawk- fox8news.com

tiny kitten dropped in tree by hawk

Fluffy the kitten had quite a day and could be one of the luckiest felines on the planet. Fluffy’s human saw her waaaay up in a tree. So far up that the little kitty couldn’t get herself down. It was the fire department in Stark County who rescued the kitten  after it was apparently grabbed by a hawk.

Fire Chief Rick Annen quickly theorized how the kitten ended up so far up in the tree. He saw hawks sitting on top of a barn across the street.

When firefighters realized they couldn’t reach the top of the tree, they called a tree service to help. A crew from T. Rowley Lawns used a crane and bucket to reach the little one and get her to safety.

“I’m just truly amazed that she made it that long and these guys are here to help,” Albert said. Fluffy is safe at home with her human. Two paws up for the firefighters and tree service who saved Fluffy’s life! And a word to Fluffy….stay inside!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/17

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hey There Furiends,
Here are my Wednesday web wanderings for the week. Feline Opines has some exciting news..we’ll be releasing our first Halloween video on October 29th, featuring Alfred Hiss-cock. We’re very excited about it, I hope it doesn’t scare you too much~

Purrs & head Bonks,

Siamese cat with blue eyes

THE CAT-COVERED LOUIS VUITTON X GRACE CODDINGTON CAPSULE COLLECTION – Fashionista

Louis Vitton cat themed luggage and products

Attention all feline fashionistas. If you only want designer everything then Louis has just made your day. In a co-clawberation with Grace Coddington  a new feline-furendly collection has been released. Oh my whiskers, this stuff is fancy!

The State Department’s Cat Photo Email Is Perhaps The Cutest Pic You’ll See Today – Bustle

cat in onesie

As my faithful readers know., I prefer to stay away from things purrlitical (unless my brother is running for Purresident) and you humans seem to get your whiskers in quite a twist when you talk about purrlitical stuff. But this is a good story and I don’t think anyone will be upset.

Instead of an invitation, the U.S. State Department accidentally emailed a cat photo to some lucky recipients last week. The U.S. embassy in Canberra said the cat photo and accompanying email was “a training error” in a statement to the Australian Associated Press.

The email newsletter was titled “meeting” and included some Latin paragraphs and the option to RSVP, as well as the cat photoUS Mission to Australia Public Affairs Counsellor Gavin Sundwall sent an apology acknowledging the error two days later, according to the Australian Associated Press. “Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to attend this ‘cat pajama-jam’ party, but such an event falls well outside our area of expertise,” Sundwall wrote in an emailI don’t know about you but I feel much better knowing that folks in our government are cat lovers!

Snapchat’s Face Feature For Cats Is What Every Pet Owner Has Been Dreaming Of – Bustle

snapchat cat face feature

Snapchat users rejoice. there is now a  Snapchat’s selfie filters for cats. The social media app where you waste hours applying funny filters to your face announced the new cat filters on Twitter, and people are wasting no time snapping their cats, effectively giving a whole new meaning to the term cat glasses. So if you felines want a new look in your photos, have your humans head on over and get you some selfie filters!

These Insta-famous felines prove how photogenic black cats truly are – Mashable

black cat scottish fold

Black cats are the bomb and this month is International Black Cat Awareness Month. I’ve written about our angel Buster who was one pawsome and handsome dude. If you appreciate “felines noir” than you should head over to Stephen Lopez’s   crouchendcatclowder Instagram account where he documents the life of his handsome black cats Mr. Bob and Miss Molly (and his tabby cat Alfie,) in London, England. He said in an email that black cats are wonderful and because they’re generally “underdogs” and they “tend to shine more to stand out and get attention.” Here’s a paws up to black cats!

The Klepto Kitty With Very Specific Tastes – stuff

KleptoKitty

Why are you staring at a photo of shoes you ask? Well, Cooper, a 3-year old Tabby who lives in England has brought home more than 100 shoes in a series of thefts he undertakes at night. When Cooper was adopted from The Cats Protection League last August, his humans were made aware of his criminal habits. Evidently, Cooper’s crime spree has a seasonal aspect. He stopped thieving in January and didn’t start again until September.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/10

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi There Furiends,
I hope that you had a great week wherever you are. It is still beautiful in my neck of the woods. The fall colors are amazing and there are lots more critters showing up for a handout since the weather has cooled.  I hope you enjoy this week’s finds from my web wanderings.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Woman Nabs Coveted Job of Russian Town’s Cat Chief – Huffpost

CatChief

Okay, you know I love stories about cats with jobs but I also love stories about humans with cat-related jobs and this one is great! The advertisement for this job in a  Russian town said, “Wanted: Cat chief. Location: Zelenogradsk, Russia: Duties: tending to the town’s approximately 70 stray cats.”

There were about 80 humans who applied for this job in a town that is working to brand itself as Russia’s most foremost cat-loving community. Local resident Svetlana Logunova won the job and she received a bicycle and uniform with  a bright green jacket, black bow tie and hat. And she gets paid to do this! It’s only about $85.00 per month (5,700 roubles) but she’s happy with her new career. She loves feeding the cats, petting them and giving them a turn around the town in the basket on her bicycle. Paws up to this Russian town for trying an innovative solution to it’s feral kitties.  Be sure and click on the link to watch the video.

Ten Best Beach Destinations for People Who Love Cats – Coastal Living

black and white cat on the beach

When humans travel what should they want to do? Spend time with felines, of course!
This article highlights some purrfect vacation destinations where humans can interact with many fabulous felines. They even include Amsterdam, although not technically on the beach, it still offers the  Poezenboot, or “Catboat,” which sits on the picturesque Singel Canal. The sanctuary started in the ‘60s, when a cat caretaker living alongside the canal pondered the question, “If people could live on houseboats…why not cats?”  I featured this on an earlier Web Wednesdsay but it’s worth another mention. The destinations include Hemmingway’s 6-toed cats of Key West, a big cat sanctuary in Floirida, a Greek Island, a cat village in Malta and more. Meowza, I think it’s time for The Humans to get out their travel calendar and start thinking about their next vacation!

A black cat named Monk has been gaining popularity on social media thanks to his enormous fangs – Sputnik

Black cat with long fangs

My regular readers know how much I hate costumes for cats! The humans tried that with me once….once being the operative word. You can read about that fiasco on our blog, I do love however, when a feline attracts positive attention because of their unusual looks. Monk is a case in point. Now, I do not agree with the ensemble they’ve dressed him in but he seems to be okay with it so who am I to judge?  Monk has a great Instagram account called Monk & Bean (Bean is his brother). You’re one handsome guy Monk!

Story About Missing Cat Will Actually Brighten Your Day – Metro.co.uk

Black cat om wood stump

There is nothing joyful about a cat missing from home but sometimes stories have happy…and funny endings. The story of Stu is one such story told by his human in tweets. It’s a story of a cat doing what cats do…causing their humans to worry for no good reason and then strolling home, completely unaware of the trauma he’s caused.

These Cat Slippers Purr When You Walk – PopSugar

cat slippers that purr

I hear The Female Human complain about how much she misses us when she and The Male Human have to travel, so I’ve put these slippers on the Christmas list.  These big paw pairs of  Twitchy Kitty Cat Paw Slippers ($35) are purrrty amazing! They actually purr when you walk. I mean, what footwear could be better than this? Now if anyone could tell me where a feline can get his paws on $35.00 I’d appreciate it.

 

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/3

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
Alberto here. It’s Wednesday web wandering time. I hope you enjoy this week’s discoveries.
Purrs & Head Bonks

Siamese cat with blue eyes

Airport Therapy Cat Makes Travel Less Stressful – People

Tabby therapy cat at Denver airport

My readers know how much I love stories about working cats. We felines are capable of so much more than you humans can imagine!  This is a story about a therapy cat at the Denver airport . I know, you mostly hear about therapy dogs but therapy cats are out there too!

Xeli works at the Denver International Airport in their  Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS). Despite the name,  Xeli is the first feline on this squad. Xeli works with more than 100 certified therapy dogs.

Xeli’s work as an airport therapy cat earned her recognition from the Petco Foundation, who dubbed her a Helping Hero. The next time your humans travel through the Denver airport tell them to look for the Tabby in the blue “pet me” vest.

Spaceship Cat Beds – My Modern Met

SpaceshipCatBed

If your humans are fond of Science Fiction,  space movies and books then they will probably want to buy their felines one of these.  Now I’ve featured unusual cat furniture before but these beds, which sit on the floor, mount on the wall or even sit on top of a table are out of this world.   Myzoo Studio is the company launching these futuristic cat sleeping pods inspired by space ships. I quite like the wall mount bed so “Beam me up Scottie!”

Cat Thief Collared by Cat’s friends on Instagram – Daily Mail 

siberian forest cat Mr. Muk

I especially like this story as it shows that being an Internet star can pay off. It really payed off for this Ginger Siberian Forest cat named Mr. Muk whose Instagram account helped return him to his home in Islington, North London.  His human sent out a global cry for help and the local police released CCTV images of Mr. Muk with the catnapper. A little over a month later the cat thief was caught.

So my famous Internet feline furiends, if some nasty catnapper takes you away have your humans reach out to your fans!

This former military man is making cardboard tanks for the cats he looks after – Independant.ie

tabby cat in cat tank

Now I do not want to cast any aspersions on our excellent and beloved cat sitter but I must say, this human goes above and beyond! Justin Huegel, 42 who lives in Maryland is a military vet. I’ve always said that “Real men love cats” and Justin Huegel is a shining example, he lives with five felines.

When he offered to care for a friend’s felines those felines had quite a surprise. Justin said the tank idea began as a joke. He made tanks for his own cats and thought his friend would find her cat in a tank amusing.  The cat, Charlie, embraced the idea and loves the tank. Justin said the cat refused to exit the tank so he had to work around him to build it.

Justin gets a paws up award for the most pawsome cat sitter!

Cat Digs Massage From Halloween Hand – BoingBoing

Normally, the only cat Halloween news items you find are about humans shoving felines into ridiculous costumes. This is a news feature with a twist.

Kiko the cat is enjoying a new Halloween tradition. What say you my furiends? Yes or no? (I say it beats the heck out of a stupid Halloween costume!). Watch the video and come to your own conclusions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 9/26

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
It’s that time again. I hope you like this Wednesday’s web wanderings, there is some good stuff there and some humans who are doing an amazing job for felines.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

 

 

Cat Owners Spend A Lot Of Time Talking to Their Felines – NY Post

enlight2

My human and I having a serious conversation about her mocking me. Alberto FelineOpines.net

Now why in the world this idea of humans talking to cats is newsworthy is beyond this feline’s comprehension. Duh, of course humans talk to their cats! The photo above is The Female Human explaining to me that she wasn’t mocking me, just doing a little something for the human kids who come to our door in funny outfits and expect candy. This article provides some interesting tidbits but again, some of “findings” are no-brainers for anyone who shares their life with felines, like the fact that 93% of humans with cats in their homes say they have a strong connection with their felines. Of course they do!!

The Best Mewsic Ever! Bongo Cat – Kotaku
bongo cat

Felines and humans alike enjoy mewsic and what better way to enjoy your favorite tunes that with Bongo Cat? He started out as a humble bongo playing feline and then many more animators jumped in and Bong Cat now plays a plethora of mewsical instruments.  If you want to hear the full scope of this tuneful cat, go to Twitter and enter #BongoCat. There are quite a few tuneful entries in this article.
https://youtu.be/dMA8PswEosY

Pet Shelter Where 75-Year-Old Naps With Cats Raised Enough Funds To Cover The Year – HuffPost

man naps with cats at shelter

This story is for all you humans who don’t think you can do anything to help the lives of shelter cats and it’s also a tale of how one good deed can take over the internet and provide for a shelter.  The photos above were taken by the founder of Safe Haven, Elizabeth Feldhausen and, as the article says, “they hit the internet like catnip”.

The cat-napper, Terry Lauerman, has one desire, for people to donate to the cage free sanctuary that rescues disabled cats who would otherwise be in danger of euthanasia. And meowza did the humans respond! The shelter director said, ““We did make more than our operating costs for last year.” Depending on the condition of the cats we take in, it could cover our costs for a year, or it could cover about 50 cats’ surgeries.”

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats
The Tribe of Five gives Mr. Lauerman and all the humans who donated our “Paws Up” Award!

 

 

Blind Kitty Helps Get His Grandma Cancer Free With Hospital Visits & Cuddles – People
Donny the blind therapy cat

This is a story that shows you should never underestimate the power of purrs, love and adoption. Susan Smith and her husband saw Donny, a  2-year-old rescue cat  born without eyes and with the neurological condition Cerebellar Hyperplasia, which causes him to wobble and fall over when he walks.  Donny was adopted and added to the Smith’s furry family of 3 blind cats and a blind dog.

Donny’s amazing purrsonality made itself known quickly and his humans had him joined  NSALA’s Outreach Program as a therapy cat. Through this program, Donny makes regular visits to hospitals, nursing homes and Alzheimer’s facilities where he contentedly sits in the laps of residents and patients and receives countless pats.

When Smith’s 88-year-old mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and moved into a hospital for a more than a month to receive radiation treatments, Donny already had all the credentials and skills he needed to soothe her and after 17 radiation treatments and visits from Donny, grandma was pronounced cancer free! Follow Donny and the rest of his furry siblings on Instagram.

Never, ever underestimate the power of the purr! You go Donny!

What can cats eat? Papa’s Cat Café teaches local kids how to care for their felines – Missourian
KidsCatCafe

If you follow my Wednesday web wanderings you know I am a HUGE fan of cat cafes. As a matter of fact, we have a cat cafe section on our website (it’s found under “The Felines Opine About”, you’ll see “Cat Cafes). This cat cafe (Poppa’s Cat Cafe in Missouri)  has a twist that we really like, it teaches mini humans how to take care of the felines in their lives during their Saturday morning Cat Academy. The mini humans get a lesson about cats, story time, a cat-themed craft and an extra 30 minutes of kitty cuddle time.

I think this would be a great idea for all cat cafes and some shelters too!

 

Walk Through the Web Wednesday 9/19

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hi There Furiends,
It’s that time of the week again. While we are enjoying a beautiful fall I’m thinking about all our furiends on the east coast of the United States who are suffering through the hurricanes. Stay safe my furiends!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Siamese cat with blue eyes

Ahead of Hurricane Florence Trucker Rescues 64 Dogs and Cats from South Carolina – Weather.com

trucker saves dog and cats during hurricane Florence

There are a lot of heroes out there and this guy is one of them! Tony Alsup, a trucker from Greenback, Tennessee, drove his empty school bus into four different South Carolina towns to wrangle up as many shelter animals as he could before fleeing the storm. He rescued 53 dogs and 11 cats.  And he not only rescues them. he looks for homes for them too! The animals were taken to a shelter in Foley, Alabama and from there they will be sent to shelters around the country for adoption.

Cat in Bristol brings home bag with suspected class A drugs- The Indian Express

cat-finds-drugs_759_getty

Just so you know, sniffer dogs aren’t all that. This cat’s human noticed he was curled up next to a bag it had brought home the night before. The local police took a photo of the cat next to the drugs and commented on Twitter,  “Forget police dogs, we should start training up cats 🐱👮‍♂️Apparently the owner found this in the cat’s bed, with the feline curled up next to it!”

Purr-adise: Hawaii’s cat sanctuary – CBS news

hawaiian cat sanctuary

Now don’t get me wrong, I want every cat to have a furever home but if you don’t have your very own humans, this isn’t a bad gig.  This wonderful place is on the little island of Lanai. These cats live in amazing weather, get 3 squares a day and have a constant parade of loving fans who come to visit them.

Cat  loving tourists stay over night or fly in for the day to visit the sanctuary which is called “The Fur Seasons”.  Ninety five percent of the cats are feral and this human interaction is new to most of them. To the kind people who care for these felines I say “Aloha!”

Pastor Rescues Cats And Dogs Left Behind During Florence – HuffPost

saving pets in hurricane Florence

This is a heavenly tale about a Pastor  and his congregation who set out in a boat to check homes for people needing help. They didn’t find any people but they did find two dogs and two cats in dire straights. These poor guys were abandoned, the homes were empty but fortunately, their angel came along and rescued them. Folks if you have to flee your home, please, please have a plan to take your fur kids with you to safety! Be sure and watch the video

Ten Famous Authors and Their Cats – Publisher’s Weekly

helen gurley brown and siamese cat

Since our Female Human is an author (although not famous) I thought she would enjoy this. Lots of famous authors are enlightened enough to love felines and share their homes with them. One of my favorite cat-loving writers is Mark Twain because he had a lot of pithy comments about us fabulous felines. I chose this photo because that cat sure looks a lot like me. The female human in the picture is writer Helen Gurley Brown. She was the editor  of Cosmopolitan magazine in the 70’s and she shared her house with her two chocolate-point Siamese cats. (Good choice Helen!)