Happy Wednesday Furiends! Spring is here! The Human caught Oliver sitting on the chair in the foyer staring at three very plump robins sitting on the railing of the front porch. Now bird watching is always fun but I think Oliver’s interest in these guys has a bit of a nefarious purpose due to the recently implement D-I-E-T.
And how is the diet going? I am handling the reduction in portions just fine. Oliver, not so much.
“You want to know how the dreaded D-I-E-T is going , well let me tell you.”“The struggle and the deprivation is real!”“For the love of all that is fair and just, someone toss me a few extra kibble bits, a treat, something!!”“And that, my furiends, is how the D-I-E-T is going!” “Hey Oliver, you know those delicious treats The Human said she wasn’t going to order anymore because they’re too fattening? Yeah, not in here.”“Oh my whiskers, all this caterwauling about food! I’m just going to rest on The Human’s shoulder until Oliver settled into this idea of the D-I-E-T.”
And there you have it, I think I’m safe in saying it will be a while before Oliver is on board!
Let’s check out this week’s news.
Cat’s meeting with newborn will make you saw awwwwwwww.
I just love seeing human kittens and feline kittens interacting. This one is just too sweet!
Cat Jumps Onto Her Dad’s Shoulders For Bike Rides
This little fellow loves to sit on his human’s shoulders (kind of like Lily laying across our Human’s shoulders).
Meowza! Did you know that white or pale colored cats are at additional risk of getting skin cancer? Sarah Elliot from the Central Veterinary Office for Cats Protection warns that white and pale-colored cats don’t have a pigment called melanin in their skin, which is what protects humans from sunlight. The risk of irreparable damage over time, by the sun’s ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of developing skin damage and cancer.
‘Cats with unpigmented noses or ears are also much more susceptible to sun damage and require additional sun protection.’
Sunscreen is helpful but before you slap that gooey stuff on us, be sure to check with your vet first because we felines are very sensitive. If you do let us outdoors for brief periods, make sure there are places of shade for us to get away from the heat and for heaven’s sake, make sure we have access to clean water. Also you can set up a cool place for us to rest outside by wrapping a bottle in a towel and placing it near the outside place we like to sleep.
There is an excellent article about caring for us sun loving kitties and also includes tips of ingredients not to have in any sunscreen you might use on us.
If you’re a feline fashionista and not opposed to wearing hats, you might want to give that a try.
Cat rolls down the stairs this way at least five times a day
Posy, or Roly Posy as she’s known on Instagram makes a definite entrance when she uses the stairs in her house.
Here’s one of those “cat travels far away from home with happy ending” story that I like so much.
Ashley, a two-year-old Siamese, escaped through an open window of her home in Glan Conwy, Wales on 15 April and was discovered six days later in a garage of the Monk family in Essex, England by their dog Bobby who scratched and cried and insisted that the Monk family follow him and see what was in the garage.
When the family saw Ashley, they contacted a local group that helps reunite pets with their humans. The cat was scanned, microchip information was found and Ashley’s family in Wales received the happy call that Ashley had been found.
Ashley’s humans surmised that she made a break for it when the house cleaners left the bathroom window open. Ashley had a 15 foot jump from that window to the ground.
Ashley’s owner said that the entire village of 4,000 people were out looking for her, but couldn’t find her. They thought they’d never see her again.
Just how Ashley made her way from Wales to England remains a mystery although some have promoted the theory that she’d gotten into someone’s car.
Thank goodness this is another happy ending for a story about a wandering feline.
Happy Wednesday Furiends, Meowza, April is almost gone. We are starting to see signs of spring in our neck of the wods and that makes us happy. Just about every morning there are sun puddles to soak in (until the rain comes). We don’t mind the rain though. After all the summers of fires we are happy to see the moisture.
This week The Tribe had a meeting and we decided we were feeling educational and thought we’d include some tips for our readers. By “we” I mean Oliver and Lily, I wasn’t feeling very educational this week and anyway, I have to do my weekly reporting. So here are our tips for the week.
How to share the sofa, even when you aren’t very good furiends.
Oliver and Lily seem to be at odds more often than not but, when you both want to be on the sofa to watch TV with The Human, just choose a comfy spot and completely ignore the other cat.
How to find a comfy position on your cat sofa, even if you are a bit CHONKY
First find your spot for maximum comfort
Try numerous positions until you find the right one
Once you are settled, if the furniture does not accommodate all of your glorious self, make the needed adjustments and own it.!
Making Biscuits with Oliver
Welcome furiends to the ultimate biscuit making seminar.
First, find your purrfect biscuit making spot (I prefer soft blankets on The Human’s lap)
Assume the position, stretch those paws out and begin.
Don’t stop until you are done and, if your human starts whining about claws and puncture wounds ignore them. Biscuit making is serious business!
We hope you enjoyed these tips and now to the news.
Meowza did this story get my whiskers in a twist! The Human was pretty annoyed as well. When we researched this story there were other headlines such as, “A feral cat escapes on a United Airlines flight and causes havoc” and “Diabolical cat terrorizes United Airlines flight”. Really??!! Let’s look at the facts.
This article claims “a tabby cat caused chaos on a recent united airlines flight after going for a run inflight and reportedly scratching and biting other passengers. “ It continues by saying, “According to the airline blog live and let’s fly, a cat recently decided to stretch its legs on a united airlines flight, escaped its owner, and got a bit scratchy and bitey as other passengers attempted to recapture it.”
Let’s review this, the CAT decided to take a stroll??!! How did the cat make this decision and how did the hapless feline let himself out of the carrier? The article continues to show it’s ignorance of the difference between a therapy animal and an emotional support animal. Finally, way down in the article is this quote from United’s website, ““We know that pets are important members of your family,” says United’s website. But United also has rules around the carriage of pets in the cabin, including a requirement to leave the animal secured in its travel carrier/kennel.”
Bingo! Don’t blame the cat, blame the human who took him out of his cage. And why didn’t he have a harness and leash on? Again, sounds to me like human error.
There is so much misunderstanding about therapy and emotional support animals and their importance. The Human wrote an article about this called, “My Emotional Support Is My Cat” and she address misinformation about therapy vs emotional support animas.
That poor feline probably freaked out and his human did not do her due diligence to make sure there would be no incidents like this.. Okay, rant over!
Deborah Hodge recently married her cat, India, in a loophole scheme to avoid rental restrictions, which have barred Hodge from bringing animals into the unit.
This London lady was frustrated and just wanted to show her commitment in the hopes that will prove to property owners that India is more than just an animal.
“She is fundamentally the most important thing in my life after my children,” she told South West News Service.
“By marrying India, I need any future landlords to know that we come as a package and we cannot be separated under any circumstances as she is as important to me as the children,” the cat-wife explained.
The pair both wore tuxedo-style outfits — because India, a tuxedo cat, already had one. The wedding took place in a London park. The 5-year-old cat was draped in gold lamé and meowed through the vows as Hodge’s friends watched on, including one who legally ordained the civil union.
“I had nothing to lose and everything to gain so I married my cat!” Hodge said. “I recited vows under the universe that no man will ever tear myself and India apart.”
She had been given approval for India to live with her in 2017 but now she’s faced with eviction as she suddenly lost her job on March 17th and is struggling to pay the rent.
“I’m on my last pennies,” she said. “I’m terrified of losing India. I can barely leave my house with anxiety over what the future holds and I’m just desperate not to lose my cat.”
Hodge has said that many of her two-legged loved ones think she’s “bonkers,” but felt it was the only way to show she’s “very serious” about keeping India. Her children were not overly enthusiastic about the marriage ceremony.
As silly as all this sounds, the bottom line is this lady is emotionally bonded to her cat and, when India lost a leg a few years ago, Hodge was there for her and their connection strengthened. The human animal bond is strong and real and this feline is purraying that Hodge finds a new job and a place that will welcome human and feline.
When The Human read this story she said, “Ewwwww” but Oliver, Lily and I licked our chops and wondered when we’d get to try some. Tom Radcliffe a former pet store owner took his customer’s complaints about their finicky cats and decided to try something different.
With some expert help – including friends’ cats and animal nutritionists with Ph.D.s – Radcliffe is making cat food out of mice. A month after its commercial launch, Mouser is for sale in pet and feed shops in California, Arizona and Nevada, and Radcliffe expects to expand to Oregon, Washington and Idaho as early as next month. Well, Idaho is our neck of the woods so we’ve told The Human to keep us posted.
The four versions of Mouser are Field Hunter, with chicken leading the ingredients; Forest Hunter, with turkey leading; Pond Hunter, with duck leading; and Brush Hunter, with rabbit leading. While Radcliffe believes the mouse meat has very broad appeal among cats, consumers may have to serve different flavors of Mouser to their pets to identify those they like best, he said.
The amount of mouse in each can is a trade secret, Radcliffe said. But he added that mice are “ridiculously expensive,” with the meat costing about 10 times more than chicken, turkey, duck or rabbit. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies mouse along with other meats as a product that does not require pre-approval to enter the market, Radcliffe’s regulatory journey involved meeting state standards overseen by the Association of American Feed Control Officials representing local, state and federal agencies.
Retail prices for the 5.5-ounce cans of Mouser vary. Pets and More charges $2.39. At Aptos Feed & Supply, it’s $1.99, which is triple the cost of Friskies at a big box store but still puts the brand in the normal range for premium-priced canned cat foods, Delezene said.
“In the industry, we’ve talked about it for years: Why don’t they have gopher, rat, mouse, lizard tails — all the things that cats eat?” Delezene said.
Radcliffe does not appear to face current competition in the mouse-meat cat food business, but that may change soon with the potential market debut of Frankenmouse options. A company co-founded by a Stanford University microbiologist – called Because Animals – plans to release lab-grown meat foods for pets this year. The startup’s Harmless Hunt Mouse Cookies for Cats, made with “cultured mouse,” are already available for preorder.
So my finicky furiends, keep your eyes out for Mouser in your neck of the woods and let us know what you think.
We salute 9-year-old Ben Miller from Boise, Idaho who raised $1,150.00 in one weekend with his lemonade stand fundraiser for the Idaho Humane Society. His compassion for the shelter began when he went to the shelter with his grandmother and noticed that the cats didn’t have any toys.
His mother helped him advertise his stand on Facebook and people from all over the valley came to support him. Ben’s highlight of the day was when his teacher came by.
My readers know that this feline has a soft spot for stories of reunited felines and humans. This one-eyed cat was reunited with its owner on Friday, five years after it went missing,
This one-eyed feline was helcoptered to Aberdeen, Scotland after being discovered hidden in a storage container on a North Sea oil platform.
The black cat – nicknamed “one-eyed Joe” and also known as “Cyclops” – appeared to have been shipped from Peterhead to the platform as a stowaway in a container.
Workers filled out a safety card after discovering the animal, noting that staff had “ran away frightened” after he popped out of the container. Despite the initial surprise, staff on the platform said he was “spoiled rotten” during his time there.
Following the discovery on Thursday, the crew called in the Scottish SPCA. The charity arranged for him to be helicoptered back to Aberdeen the following day.
Joe was then found to have been a regular visitor to a local prison where it appeared he lived most of his five years away as a stray. The prison staff cared for him and he was, in their words, “much loved”. His microchip revealed his name as Dexter a beloved pet feline who had been missing for five years.
Aimee Findlay, a Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer, said: “We are so glad that he was well looked after for the time he was missing,” said Scottish animal control officer Aimee Findlay. “But we’re even more delighted to be able to reunite him with his original owner, thanks to his microchip being up to date.”
Happy Wednesday Furiends, The sun is shining here and The Tribe is stretched out enjoying the many sun puddles. This week was a bit……interesting. The Human took us to our yearly wellness exams. Due to our size, she prefers to take us individually. Luckily we live only a few minutes from the stabby place so two appointments work.
Oliver went first. To be honest, I’m a bit annoyed at hearing about what a good boy Ollie was. The human dressed him in his new halter and leash and he was able to avoid the dreaded cat bag. She loaded the cat stroller in the car, Oliver hopped in the passenger seat of the car and off they went. When they got to the stabby place she rolled the stroller around to his side of the car, picked him up, set him inside, zipped it up and off they went. All bloodwork has come back good and healthy but there was one little glitch.
“It all started out fine but then Dr. Ponsness had The Human seat me on the bench and they proceeded to talk about me. The content of that conversation as a bit horrifying.”“So I’m 22 pounds. More of me to love. Doctor, do you not see how handsome I am?” “Wait, what?! A D-I-E-T? Cut back on the kibble. Whoa, slow down there.”“This is the end of life as I know it. “
We both went from 20 pounds to almost 22 pounds – MEOWZA! The Human was instructed to decrease our daily kibble allowance from 1/2 cup each to 1/3 of a cup. By Oliver’s reaction you’d think the vet said “no kibble ever again.”
Getting me to the vet later that day did not go so smoothly. The Human is trying to figure out why I freaked out about the new halter. And freak out I did. I contorted my body into the most amazing position while using my Siamese voice to SCREAM as loudly as I could. The Human had to admit defeat. Stuffing my into the cat carrier did not go easily either but she finally got me zipped in and off we went.
They are very nice at the stabby place
The D-I-E-T word was used at my visit however I was not as emotional about it as Oliver was. I went into my carrier gratefully when the exam was done and off we went home.
Lily was a bit perplexed but not worried as the stabby place we go to is a “fearless practice.” We did an article about their new building several years ago. It’s pretty amazing and, since I hid during the recent visit, The Human used a photo from that article (gee, I was much slimmer then).
Lily foolishly thinks she’s dodged a bullet and has escaped the visit to the stabby place so she showed her gratitude by giving The Human copious head bonks. Lily will be surprised to know that her appointment is next Saturday.
“I’m coming in for a head bonk Human. Give me a moment to position myself….ah there we go, purrfect!”
So that’s our week. The Human was busy getting all her entries in to the CWA Communications contest. We’ve been entering this every year and we have earned some pawsome honors! Now, if your humans are creative you should get them to enter too. The Cat Writer’s Association is not just for writers, it’s for photographers, radio shows, videos and lots of good stuff. And, you don’t have to be a CWA member to enter. You should check it out! And don’t wait too long, the contest entry time closes on April 30th.
There are lots of categories for creative cat loving folks. #cwa2022contest #catwriters
All I can say is, “Human WHAT were you thinking?!” Poor Pixel the cat was taken aback when his human, Anne, filmed herself with a TikTok cat-face filter.
Anne adopted Pixel from a local shelter and he lives with three other cats.
This video of Pixel and his not so human human has had 8.3 million views, 1.7 million likes and 34,400 comments (meowza, and we have a hard time keeping up with the comments on our posts!)
Blind kitty demands shower every day
There are many blind felines who are living their best lives and Blinkin is one of them. He loves his daily showers and demands them. He has a furiend, Wicked who is his “seeing eye cat” and when Blinkin is done with his shower, Wicked helps dry him off.
Grace and Max
Paws up to the wonderful humans who adopt and care for blind kitties and those teach others what a joy those felines can be. Take for instance, photographer Josh Norem who works with Saving Grace Rescue Center and who lives with multiple blind cats. These two felines, Grace and Max live with their family and enjoy a full and happy life. Their blindness has not stopped them from having fun and living a normal kitty life.
The people at Saving Grace Rescue understand special needs felines as the rescue started with a kitty named Grace who had cerebellar hypoplasia. The human who adopted her was horrified to hear that many special needs kittens are euthanized. She took Grace home and she and her human spent 17 wonderful years together. Grace inspired Amber to found a special needs kitten rescue.
Cat and baby love to snuggle
So many times you humans say that babies should be kept away from the feline but that’s not always true. There are so many old wives tales about cats and babies and you humans need to update your knowledge. Just like the video above, babies and felines can be furever friends. And, in case you’re wondering what false information is out there about babies and cats, this article from Petful will help.
You know, sometimes I get a bit weary reading about what scientists have “discovered” about felines when many of you humans who live with us already know about these discoveries.
A team of researchers from Kyoto University in Japan conducted a study on 48 cats, which lived with at least two other pets, either in a family home or a cat café.
They did two tests. The first was showing the felines a photo of another feline they lived with. They then tracked the cat’s response whenever a name was called , either the cat’s or another name. They said if the cat stared at a photo longer, it was a sign that the cat knew the name of the cat in the photo. Hmmm, I’m not sure about this one but what do I know, I’m only a cat.
They found that household cats paid attention to the monitor for longer when the wrong name was called, indicating an ‘expectancy violation effect’,” the researchers wrote in the study, which has been published in the journal Scientific Reports. Again, this feline non-sciency brain is struggling to understand this.
In another experiment where they showed cats pictures of their owners, they found a strength of connection and the bigger the family and the longer they have been with the group, the more likely they are to remember a name
Three cheers for the good folks at the Oakland Coliseum who have decided to allow the feral felines living there to stay. Since the Coliseum was constructed in the ’60s cats have called it home, they eat well and they work for their meals.
“The cats have been doing an excellent job. Staff commented that they have not seen a rodent in over two years,” Henry Gardner Executive Director of the Coliseum Authority told KCBS Radio.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Island Cat Resources and Adoption will capture the adults and spay, neuter and release them back to the Coliseum. The kittens will be put up for adoption at the Oakland Animal Shelter.
“So, it’s a matter of now controlling the current population so that we can coexist and that’s cats can still do their work,” he said.
Hello Furiends, We had a near disaster at our house this week and rather than writing about it I thought I’d tell you the story in photos.
The Great Chewy Debacle
It all started when Oliver realized the food bowls were empty
“Oh Meowza, we are in danger, Human come here at once!”
He marched himself to the pantry to assess the situation.
“Look in there, it’s practically empty!”
The Human tried to calm Oliver down, explaining that she would put in an order to Chewy. I, being the “take charge” kind of feline I am marched into the office to check on the progress of said order.
“Let’s see here, how do I get to the screen with the Chewy order? The lack of opposable thumbs really makes this kind of stuff hard!”“Human, are you sure you sent this order?”
The Human (using a tone that we felt was a bit snarky and disrespectful) said yes, she did send in the order and no one would starve.
“Are you sure we’re not going to starve? Oliver says we are going to starve.”
The Human spent the rest of the day reassuring us that starvation will not happen but, as the hours passed, we felines decide we need to have a back up plan.
“If need be, I can whip up some feline Sushi.”“And this sassy so and so might tide us over if we’re in a bind.”
After the first day passed and there was no sign of a chewy box, The Tribe realized that they would need to step up the pressure.
“Excuse me Human, while you’re up may we discuss the Chewy order?” “Oliver, I’m only up because you launched all of your 20 pounds on me and woke me up and NO, I will not discuss the Chewy order at 3:00am.”
We knew we could not let up.
“Good morning Human. You might want to check that Chewy order oh, and you may want to take a little more time with your makeup, you’re looking a little rough this morning.”
I felt it was quite rude that she mumbled something under her breath and stomped out of the room.
“Um. good morning Human. You know you could take that coffee into the office and check on the Chewy order.”
Then came that magical day when the doorbell rang and a loud thump was heard on the porch. We sat and watched The Human wrangle the heavy box inside. When she managed to get the box on the kitchen counter to make it easier to unpack, I arrived as Chief Snoopervisor.
“Boy are you lucky Human, this got here just in time. Feels like the order is correct.”
After I commandeered the box for the appropriate amount of time, I stepped away so she could take out the contents. Once she was done, I investigated the inside of the box.
Once the contents of the box and the box itself had been approved, The Tribe did a happy dance, confident in the knowledge that we’d managed to avoid starvation. Let this be a lesson to the humans belonging to all our furiends, “Stay on top of the Chewy order!”
Well, that was the drama we endured this week in our neck of the woods. I hope your week was drama free. Now let’s get on to this week’s feline news.
The Turkish Van is an elegant feline and is noted for it’s pure white body and distinctive eyes. And these felines are cared for in the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ), Van Cat Research and Application Center where they are taken under protection. A total of 23 mother cats and their 60 kittens reside in special rooms.
This is a topic near and dear to our hearts. Our Angel Jasmine dealt with kidney disease for many years and The Human gave her SubQ fluids and medication regularly. Now, cats may benefit from a dietary supplement and a drug that will both allow the protein AIM (apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage) to properly clean and expel waste matter in a cat’s kidneys that is being combined in a cat food.
The food (named AIM30), which recently came out, and the veterinary medicine, expected in 2023 pending successful 2022 clinical trials and government approval, are the byproducts of Japanese immunologist Professor Toru Miyazaki’s decades of work on AIM, a protein which, when not properly activated, contributes to kidney problems in cats.
Miyazaki, a professor specializing in disease biology and immunology at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Medicine, discovered AIM protein in the1990s. His goal was to study AIM to treat human disease, but he also became very interested in feline AIM. He now has plans to leave his teaching career at the University of Tokyo so he can focus on AIM research at the nonprofit he intends to establish, the Institute for AIM Medicine.
AIM, also known as CD5-like (CD5L), is described as a secreted protein that can help identify and destroy dead cells and other debris in the body. Miyazaki’s research found that AIM attaches itself to IgM [immunoglobulin M] antibodies and from there proceeds to clean the body of waste and debris.
In September 2021, Miyazaki ran into funding problems because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the success of feline AIM research at stake, thousands of Japanese cat lovers came to the rescue by sending almost US$2 million in donations to the University of Tokyo so Miyazaki’s work could continue.
Realizing the impact his team’s work would have on so many lives, Miyazaki tapped a new pharmaceutical company as partner to speed up development of a prototype drug and start a clinical trial for felines with kidney problems. The drug’s efficacy will be assessed six months after trial and, if successful, will be subject to government approval.
“I hope that ultimately veterinarians will give (cats) one or two jabs every year like vaccines,” Miyazaki told AFPBB News, the Japanese affiliate of AFP.
Meanwhile, Miyazaki’s team and an unnamed pet food company worked to produce a cat food with the AIM protein in stable condition. Miyazaki said what works for humans as far as using dietary supplements with activated AIM protein also works in cats. The cat supplement, which will activate the non-functional AIM in the cat’s blood, promises to prevent kidney disease when mixed in cats’ food from the time they’re kittens.
The AIM-based therapeutic drug and food supplement for cats are expected to prolong cats’ lives by doubling their current life expectancy of roughly 15 years by promoting healthy renal function. Now that would be pawsome!
A cat went viral after his owner made slippers for him out of his fur and shared a photo online.
Minira, the one-year-old Minuet breed, lives with his owner in Japan and has racked up 85,000 YouTube subscribers with clips of his adorable antics.
He also has thousands of fans on Twitter and Instagram. In one recent post, his owner, who is not named, showed how she made Minira a pair of slippers out of she collects during his regular brushing.
Men who love cats are manly men. Mye Hoang, a Los Angeles-based producer and director who’s earned writing and directing awards for several films, created a new documentary “Cat Daddies.” The film’s goal isn’t so much to convince everyone to love cats, but to debunk myths of cats and the humans who love them.
“Cat Daddies,” is scheduled to screen at Long Beach’s indie Art Theatre on Retro Row on Saturday, April 16. The event will be a fundraiser for Long Beach cat rescue The Little Lion Foundation (scroll down to Great Furballs of Fun).
“I think men have always been conditioned to love dogs over cats—this is further perpetuated by the images we see in movies and TV in the past, and from jokes about the ‘crazy cat lady,’ which I hope is going out of fashion,” Hoang said. “We see that changing now with social media and the internet—everyone has a camera at home, and we can see more authentic footage of how cats behave.”
Hoang herself said that she observed her husband transform from meh-on-meowsers into a staunch cat guy after they adopted their first cat. “He seemed to grow into a softer, more patient and compassionate person,” she said. “This inspired me to find more men who had undergone a similar transformation and document their stories.”
“Cat Daddies”’s pivotal character is David Giovanni, a disabled, unhoused person living in New York City with his beautiful brown tabby, Lucky. Both are determined to remain together despite a devastating medical diagnosis for David and an uncertain transitional housing status for him thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interspersed throughout David’s narrative are a crew of firefighters who successfully snuck a stray cat into the fire station, an actor and social-media influencer, a buffed and tatted stuntman, a truck driver, a Bay Area tech worker and a teacher whose cat becomes an Instagram sensation.
Cat Daddies through the years have embraced the joys and challenges of living with us felines. Mark Twain’s cats knocked his inkwells off the table and batted at the clacking bars on his typewriter. Ernest Hemingway loved cats; descendants of his many-toed polydactyls still live happily at his former home on Key West.. Ricky Gervais’ moggies appear frequently on his social media pages.
“The film may not convert everyone to love cats, but I hope seeing images of men caring for these little creatures wins over a few skeptics and becomes a catalyst for compassionate change,” Hoang said. Pun intended, surely.
And speaking of Cat Daddies, a video of a man was shared in Reddit’s “Made Me Smile” forum on Tuesday by an anonymous poster under the name u/SnooCupcakes8607. The post has since generated more than 42,000 upvotes and over 500 comments from Redditors who declared the man the “best cat dad ever.”
The post also highlights one of the many ways in which cats show their affection for their owners—by cuddling up to them.
“After saving the kitties he won’t go anywhere without them anymore,” wrote u/SnooCupcakes8607 in the post’s title.
The video opens with the man walking into his bedroom while wearing a bathrobe with two front pockets, each of which contains a kitten. When the man approaches his bed, one of the kittens quickly jumps out of his pocket, but the other decides to stay put.
“Alexander don’t want to get out,” he said to the camera, referring to the one kitten still sitting in his bathrobe.
In the next frame, Alexander—who is still in the man’s pocket—stares up at the man as he brushes his teeth. Alexander stretches his paws up and lets out a big yawn, and in response, his owner absentmindedly reaches down and strokes one of his paws.
Needless to say, thousands of humans have been charmed by these pocket kittens and a few female humans are wondering where they can find a cat daddy like this!
We’ve enjoyed three seasons in the last week. We had a couple of days of sunshine and almost 50 degrees, a few snolw days, and some spring rain. The robins around here are really confused!
We decided just to hang out by the fireplace and now even Lily is getting into the act. I’m not sharing too many photos in this section because I have a bunch of photos in the first news item.
I hope your neck of the woods has a little more stable weather and that we’ll all be outside soon sniffing the flowers!
Oh my whiskers, did you know today is National Siamese Cat Day? Well this kitty is celebrating even though, as you will see when you read about my DNA information I’m not a Siamese breed but I think I look like one in these photos and I intend to reap the benefits all this day has to offer.
This is my “Siamese” self. I’m always curious, like to leave presents in The Human’s bag, keep watch for squirrels on the upstairs deck, inspect everything in the house and relax after being awesome.
Snoopervisor Police Cat Helps Keep the Station Running Smoothly
We felines are employed in a variety of careers, Brewery Snoopervisors, Chief Office Rodent Patrol, Bodega Customer Service and many more. This feline has a great job-he works for the police force. Watch the video and see how hard he works.
When The Human was studying Feline Behavior and Anxiety, she read many studies from HABRI (The Human/Animal Bond Research Institute). We felines help you humans with so much. HABRI’s research has demonstrated the role of pet ownership and human-animal interaction (HAI) for improvements in mental health, including reduced anxiety, depression, and alleviating symptoms for those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Why even petting a feline for only a few minutes has been proven by the Cornell Feline Health Center improves mood.
We felines make excellent emotional support animals and there are even some feline breeds that are more helpful with human anxiety due to their more mellow natures.
Now, I’m no purebred feline but thanks to Basepaws DNA report, I know what dominant breed traits I possess. I suggest you use these breeds as guidelines and that you don’t forget there’s nothing like a thankful shelter kitty or rescue to reduce your anxiety and make your day brighter. I would say that my DNA results run very close to the description of the cat breeds below. My DNA is over 59% of a combination of Western Breeds (Ragdoll, Maine Coon and Siberian); Eastern Breeds (Oriental Shorthair, Burmese and Birman) and Exotic Breeds of which I have a sprinkle of Savannah. The Human says that I fit pretty will into these breed descriptions, especially the Oriental Short hair which pretty much describes me!
1. AMERICAN BOBTAIL The Cat Fanciers Association says American Bobtail cats “can both entertain through their antics at one moment and provide their owners a warm, soft shoulder to cry on in times of distress.” These affectionate sweethearts are also one of the only cats on this list who may take well to harness training. So, anxious folks who feel better after a nice walk outdoors may want to consider an American Bobtail.
2. AMERICAN CURL This breed has been described as “people oriented”; they love their humans and also adapt well to change.
3. AMERICAN WIREHAIR These cats are known for their quiet, steady personalities. They’ve been described as gently playful and undemanding.
4. BIRMAN These `guys hold the honor as being known as one of the laziest cat breeds. They are also felines who tend to have one favorite person.
5. CHARTREUX These fabulous felines are said to have been the companions to French monks centuries ago. They are very loyal and their fluffy blue-gray for makes them cuddly too.
6.EXOTIC SHORTHAIR Their builds are similar to Himalayans and Persians (2 other cats on this list) but their fur is short and more coarse. They have a tendency to be very curious.
7. HIMALAYAN Himalayan cats thrive in calm, easy-going households.
8. NORWEGIAN FOREST Some folks with anxiety enjoy the company of an animal but don’t need to be smothered constantly. If this is you, go with a Norwegian Forest cat as they like their alone time.
9. ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR These felines have made the list of “naughty” breeds but that’s only because they want to be part of every aspect of your life. These kitties thrive on companionship and interaction.
10. PERSIAN Everyone knows the charming faces of our Persian furiends. They are truly kind creatures and love lap lounging. They aren’t adventure seekers and thrive on routine.
11. RAGDOLL These gentle giants not only enjoy being near you, but they may also even scurry to say hello when you get home or keep you company while you’re cooking. Ragdolls also take several years to fully mature, which means a refreshing, youthful spirit well into adulthood.
12. SCOTTISH FOLD Scottish Fold cats prefer the company of others. Anyone surrounding themselves with more than one pet may want to consider a Scottish Fold as they gel well with other people and animals.
13. SELKIRK REX These, curly-haired cats are very friendly. While not annoying in their demands, they definitely won’t be content sitting alone—especially if they know you’re in the next room.
Bernie the cat was keeping a secret from his humans and they were shocked when they found out what he was really up to. You can follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
Okay, I admit it. There are times when you find us in some strange positions and doing strange things. But isn’t that part of our charm? The 3am zoomies, the penchant for climbing up to the highest point in the house to snoopervise you and balancing ourselves in places where we appear to defy gravity all create some strange moments.
Actually there’s a whole Twitter account, @weirdlilguys, dedicated to sharing the cases of our beloved felines “being weird little guys” (and gals!). After you enjoy these photos head on over to Twitter and check out some more feline funnies.
Hello Furiends, We’re back on schedule again ! We’ve been keeping her busy and will have some exciting news in the next few days.
Things in our neck of the woods are okay but this part of the year is our least favorite. Snow is still around but the air smells like spring and we want to put on our harnesses and go for a stroll! In the meantime, this is how we’ve kept ourselves busy.
First, I have decided that it might behoove me to attempt to provide my feline furiends with a little photo instructions about how I keep my lovely dark fur shiny and beautiful.
You must be committed to the wash and get in there .Notice my serious expression. It’s work but it’s worth it.And there you have it. Any questions?
Once my coat is clean and shiny I can go inspect the Chewy box and make sure The Human ordered the right food and treats.
Oliver took over purr therapy for The Human and I must say he did a great job of calming her down.
i know, I know. I feel ya’ This too shall pass.
And Lily? Well she sits by the living room window meowing at the snow, telling it to go away.
I want to go out on the deck but not until this white stuff is gone!
And that’s our story and now I invite you to enjoy these stories I found.
This story is in the same category of the cloning story I shared a few weeks ago. Although I love the idea of humans not having to sneeze and get itchy eyes every time they’re in the presence of a feline, I’m not a big fan of gene editing that is being used by a team of researchers. They say they’ve found an effective way to block the most common source of cat allergies using the gene-editing technology CRISPR.
The culprit for feline allergies is a protein we produce called Fel d 1—which ends up in our saliva and tears and, by extension, the fur that we’re constantly cleaning (as I showed in my weekly update). It’s believed that this protein causes over 90% of cat allergies.
Researchers at the Virginia-based biotech company InBio (previously called Indoor Biotechnologies) have been working on using CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene editing tech, to produce cats that make little to no Fel d 1. In their latest research, published Monday in The CRISPR Journal, they say they’ve collected evidence that this can be done effectively and safely.
Through their studies and data analyzation they believe that Fel d 1 is non-essential to cat biology and can be eliminated without any health risks.
This isn’t the first attempt to help sneezy humans with cat allergies. I reported over a year ago about Purina’s LiveClear line of food, treated with an egg based protein that inhibits the Fel d 1 in cat’s mouths.
This new genetic approach is very new and the jury is still out. What do you think?
Feline Thievery
I’ve reported on many thieving felines but most of them have roamed their neighborhood stealing items from other houses. This cat has a penchant for his human sister’s toys and waits for the cover of darkness to steal her toys.
You humans are quite creative and are inspired by the most interesting things. Now if I told you an interior designer used a feline to create an elegant yet homey house design would you believe me?
It’s true. Tropic a ginger cat from the Bahamas was the source of interior design inspiration when her humans Sara and Peter O’Keefe picked out colors for their Washington dining room with designer Barry Dixon. They said that their feline, Tropic, reminded them and their two children of tropical sunsets and fun times from a 2017 vacation to Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. Now the terra-cotta, pumpkin and coral room does, too. Tropic is loved by her humans and they say she’s the coolest cat there is and a real people person. Sara says. “She spreads out all around the house. The kids adore her.”
So there you go, in decorating, inspiration is everything. Yes, you can just throw a bunch of furniture and matchy-matchy accessories together but if you build a room around a specific treasured item or feeling, you will create a place that really captures your personality. Many only question now is, when will The Human use us to inspire some decorating projects at our house.
We felines are hard to figure out, I get it. Some photos from the Philippines with cats sitting in social distancing circles had many humans scratching their heads. There was one cat per circle, sitting serenely.
No one put them there. They chose the spots and hung out about 10 minutes before wandering off.
There have been other online stories about cats in circles and there was a trend not too long ago for you humans to create circles and see if your cats would sit in them. And it worked, there are hundreds of photos online to prove it.
And with the photos came much speculation because you foolish humans have a need to understand us. There is no definite answer but here are a few suggestions as to why we exhibit this behavior. Some say the circles represent warmth and security (I’d rather sit by the fire). There is the theory that a square or a circle sitting is our attempt to claim new ground (we are territorial creatures). Is it curiosity? Is it for attention? Are we reverting to our wild selves and looking for places to hide from predators?
The answer is you humans don’t know and we felines aren’t going to tell you. I’d suggest you just enjoy the photos of cats in circles and the conversations and speculations they evoke.
This is not the cat in the story. You can see that cat in the TikTok video
There is a Ragdoll Cat, whose fast food trip made a McDonald’s employee’s day. This was captured in a clip shared by TikTok user @hoomancallsmelulu Her cat was cool and calm in the drive through.
Now as much as I like this story, I’m a bit miffed because our very own Oliver shot a film called “Bring Me My Catpuccino”. In order to stop Oliver’s whining about this I have posted his video below (apologies to those of you who’ve already watched it but he pestered me until I put it in this week’s news segment).
Hello Furiends, For those of you who saw Oliver’s post yesterday, you’ll understand why my feature is a day late. I do apologize and want you to know that the Purrsonal Assistant was reprimanded and her weekly dose of head bonks was reduced until she helped me get this post out.
Without further ado, and considering that we are a day late bringing you our news report, I will dispense with news from our neck of the woods except to say that Oliver is still snoopervising the PA to make sure she doesn’t fall down on the job again.
“Shake a leg Human, there’s lots to be done today!”
You all know how I love to report on humans who help homeless kitties. Samantha Ginsburg and her husband Stephen Streibig formed CATSA, a locally established, woman-owned small business in Pittsburgh with a big mission: to help tackle the community cat conundrum.
CATSA works to create solutions for and bring awareness to the issues of feral cats. They also design and produce products for humans who love cats. Every sale of their products generates revenue that helps them with their goal to help community cats.
And they are doing many good things like trapping, neutering and then releasing cats back to their communities and they provide safe shelters for the cats. They spearheaded construction of hundreds of “tote” style containers to help the cats stay warm and healthy in the winter months.
They used tools to create the shelter that streamlined the process. They even provided instructions on their website for people to build shelters for their own community cats.
Samantha has volunteered for years to help feral cats and today, she and her husband are funding their mission to help cats with very cool products like the LanderMark 1, feline escape pod. All proceeds from their merchandise sales help support community cat rescue projects, mobile vet clinics and advocacy initiatives.
They have some cool stuff on their website for humans and felines. We are campaigning for the LanderMark1 but The Human says it’s out of our budget. Sheesh, what a wet blanket and after all, it’s for a good cause!
This cat and puppy are Proof that multi species households can work
Even though these two didn’t start off on the best note there’s no doubt they are best buds! I am not convinced however that we need to ask The Human for a puppy.
The Tribe loves this lady! When her interior design business was disrupted by COVID she turned her attention to rescuing cats. She didn’t want to close down her office in the hopes that she might be able to resurrect it when she could open again.
Brenda Wang has always been a cat lover and is a frequent donor to the SPCA and other organizations. She decided she’d do her own rescue work where she lived. She already runs a privfate Facebook Group, Cats and Kittens of Singapore, that has over 14,000 members as well as a team of about 40 volunteer rescuers.
She would get tips about cats that needed help and would get the cats, nurse them back to help and find them new homes. The problem was she wasn’t allowed to do this in her office and when enforcement officers showed up, she had to find a new location for the rescue cats.
Wang took a break from rescuing and decided to look for a permanent space. She found a place, obtained the licenses she needed and in February, she opened The Luxe Meownor, a boarding house for both rescued kitties as well as cats in need of a “staycation” when their owners are out of town.
This feline is quite taken with the interior design (I do tend to apurreciate more classical décor) and the inspiration for the décor is old English manor. And you humans will be happy to know that every feline guest has tons of space (25 – 35 square feet) as well as invisible safety grills and cat furniture designed by Wang herself.
There are 13 of these meowvelous rooms. Rates start at $48.00 per cat per night. When multiple felines are boarded together in the same room the second and third cats are charged a supplement of $20.00 each. The rates include litter, 2 wet food meals daily, free feeding of dry food and twice daily water changes. Staff conducts daily “guest maintenance” (ear cleaning, teeth brushing and nail clipping). And get this, felines can also get a massage with organic coconut oil. Sigh, now if I could only get The Human to take me to Singapore!
Cat ‘saved’ mum-of-two’s life by jumping on her stomach
Felines are good for your health. It’s been proven that purrs help you humans calm down and relax and sometimes, we felines help you with your health by accident.
Humbug the cat jumped onto his human, Gill Kelly’s stomach and when he did, he unknowingly saved her life. When he jumped, she felt an excruciating pain in her stomach, so bad that it made her scream. Her husband was so worried he insisted on taking her to the doctor and as a result the doctor found a tumor. After testing, it was discovered that Gill had ovarian cancer.
The tumor was safely removed and today Gill is cancer free. Humbug was even nominated for an award from Cats Protection.
Now purrhaps when I launch my 20 pounds on top of The Human, she’ll be a bit more appreciative!
This kitten has become a TikTok sensation by how he “strums” his human’s guitar. The caption of the video was “Why I can’t leave my guitar out anymore.”
Spook’s unique guitar playing technique begins with her sniffing the guitar strings and then chewing on them which creates a short “song”.
Some of the comments are funnier than the video, “That’s my favorite song.”, “When will Spook’s single be released on Spotify?” And, “We gotta’ know when the album is released.”
Oliver here. I really have my whiskers in a twist as our Purrsonal Assistant has completely failed in her duties.
Instead of working with Alberto to get our regular Wednesday feature out she allowed herself to become overwhelmed and has failed us. She also has not responded to your wonderful comments on our previous two blogs. To say we’re having a hissy fit would be an understatement. (Alberto is so upset he couldn’t even send you this update!)
the PA has promised to complete her Wednesday assignment tomorrow and I will remain on my scratching post sofa and judge her until she meets her obligations.
Greetings to all our Irish friends and happy St Patrick’s Day!
But did you know there’s another Saint’s day to celebrate today? St. Gertrude is the patron Saint of gardeners but more importantly CATS! Happy St. Gertrude Day!
Hello There Furiends, It is getting downright warm in our neck of the woods (44 degrees!) and the sun is out. There are plenty of sun puddles for the Tribe to enjoy. The Human has been really busy, meeting every night which means much less cuddle time! Oh the injustice!
The biggest events of the week have been the weight mitigation attempts of The Human. Oliver is having none of it.
How it started.
How it’s going.
“So Human, we’d appreciate it if you would serve our morning wet food BEFORE you make the coffee“Come on, just follow me to the pantry.”“Oh wait, is that one of the Friskies treats I missed last night? Hold on Al, I be over tere in a minute.”“Allow me to open the pantry door for you. You’ll notice the wet food is on the lower right.”“Here, let me show you which one I want.”
I am beginning to feel sympathy for The Human. Oliver is definitely obsessed by food!
Tibo Charroppin and his cat Lizzy (whose stage name is OwlKitty) are reimagining popular movies, feline style.
Charroppin, a French-born videographer from Portland, Oregon began this hobby with his desire to use his green screen with his cat. Since that first desire he and Lizzy have created their own versions of Titanic, Jaws, The Matrix, Pulp Fiction, and Jurassic Park – just to name a few.
Lizzy gets the top roles like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, as she is turned into a 30 foot tall feline.
How long does it take to create these masterpieces? It varies, the Jurassic Park and Titanic videos each took about two to three months to produce.
In addition to the featured presentation videos, Charroppin also shares behind-the-scenes looks at how he puts everything together with the help of his wife Olivia Boone and the couple’s other cat, a 10-year-old tabby named Juliette.
You will be pleased to note that movie fame has not changed Lizzy despite her growing popularity on social media. The message for all these movies is to promote cat adoption.
Meowza, maybe there still is hope for a film career for me!
Now I don’t usually feature controversial subjects but I was interested to read what this human had t say about her cloned kitty. When her beloved cat Chai crossed The Rainbow Bridge at the young age of five years. She was devastated at the loss and decided to spend $25,000 to clone her companion “out of pure love” for her pet.
Kelly Anderson told The Sun that she “couldn’t be happier with her decision,” despite the daily influx of hate mail on social media and a scathing letter from PETA.
She started doing cloning research and looked into ViaGen. Tthe second they opened the next morning she made the decision. The process from there was basically getting my vet to work with them to get a skin biopsy (from Chai).”
Four years later, Anderson has a new kitten that she named Belle.
ViaGen told The Sun that it guarantees that they’ll look identical but the animals will develop their own personality because that’s based on external factors.
Those factors include how many animals are in the house, what the animal is being fed, how the cat is raised, among dozens of other nature-versus-nurture impacts.
Anderson said Belle’s personality “is completely different” from Chai.
Belle shares her home with her human and three other cats. She is also being socialized by being taken outside and to local breweries.
“Some have ethical problems but some claim I’m using a cloned cat to make money on social media.PETA said in their that she has an “enormous amount of influence and they are desperate to help shelters … and to NOT create a cloning trend.
“Your promotion directly and adversely affects the lives of other cats — those who are sitting in shelters waiting for a family,” PETA said.
Anderson, who trains animals for a living, shared a few of her accomplishments and when she worked with PETA on campaigns.
“I appreciate your concern but it is very misplaced. And your data is misinformed,” Anderson said in a response email. “Cloning does not affect the cats in shelters at all.”
She said she has fostered over 100 cats and always has adopted, but losing Chai at five years old was a crushing blow in her life.
“There was just something special and different about Chai. I don’t know really, I can’t put it into words. She was just that pet for me. I’ve never had a pet like her. And I wanted to carry on a piece of her,” Anderson said.
So what do you think? Meow about it and let us know.
We felines are well known for wandering the neighborhoods, and the of one cat’s adventures has delighted internet users.
In a now-viral TikTok video shared on Thursday, user atargatisfairy, who also goes by Jaz, shared clips of a cat with the overlay text on the video reading: “This boy has been visiting our house for the past few months. Decided we need to know who his people are.”
Jaz shared a hand-written note that read: “Hey Mom, Being a responsible son, I’m letting you know where I spend some of my days and who my friends are. I visit [censored] every day and they started calling me Bob because they don’t understand my meows when I tell them my name.
“The humans at the house say you’re welcome to come and say hi. They have some cats too, we all catch up and chill together. If you think I’m lost or missing, I am possibly at my friends house so don’t worry. Andrew, Ange, and Jaz live there and would like to meet you and know my name.”
In the video, the poster then attaches the note to the feline’s collar before sending him off on his way. At the end of the video, the text overlay read: “He’s no trouble at all and he is well looked after by his people, but we are moving soon and don’t know who will own this house next. [We] want to let his people know that he might not get the same treatment when we go.”
With 1.9 million views and over 140,000 likes, TikTok users waited eagerly to see what would happen next. One user wrote: “Definitely waiting in anticipation for an update,” and another commented: “Did they get back to you? I’m invested!” Before long, a video update appeared.
And now, part 2. When the cat came back with no note, it wasn’t until Jaz checked her mailbox that she found a handwritten reply.
The letter read: “Hi Andrew, Ange & Jaz, I’m sorry my family have not been down to see you yet, my owners are little humans and are always getting into mischief. They would like you to know my name is Rex (as in T-Rex). You can probably hear my mom calling for me every night.”
In the video, Jaz also provided an update on what she would do next. She said: “Because his people are tiny people, I’m going to get some photos of him when he’s here next with my cats and then write out little stories as if he’s been on an adventure. That way the kids can see what he gets up to while he’s out adventuring.”
Another feline making furiends all over the neighborhood!
You humans are all techy and nerdy so why shouldn’t we felines be the same?
In the “wearables” category I found the Tabcat device interesting. They say you humans can track us felines by audio and visual cues. And, get this, you can even train your feline to come home on demand. I have to say, this feline finds that a bit farfetched.
If you humans are too lazy to play fetch with us then the interactive ball might just be the ticket.
The bond between this cat-dad Dan and 2-year-old, Darla is touching!
In her TikTok video Darla is seen hanging out on her cat perch to be closer to her beloved cat dad. She listens for his voice but he’s actually not in the room. He recently took a job out of town and so Dan keeps the bond strong with Darla by catching up with her via their home camera.
As soon as she hears his voice, Darla’s ears perk up as she lovingly watches Dan speaking to her. The conversation goes something like this, “Hi baby. Hi! Yeah, I see you,” he says when Darla reaches her perch. “I miss you, Darla,” Dan says. “My sweet baby girl. I love you so much. I miss you, and I’ll be home soon. OK?”
Dan’s final words to his sweet Darla: “I’ll always come home to you; I love you so much.”
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