Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/17

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Meowza!
Wednesday came so quick this week! We’re working the pads off our peets, putting the finishing touches on our special “#RememberMeThursday winning adoption stories in time to do a Thanksgiving theme (I mean, what is there better to be thankful for than a furever home?)

We also have a product review to finish that we think your humans will like. Having said all that, the report from our neck of the woods will feature Lily as she finally realized that we have an interloper and she decided to do something about it. Sheesh, Oliver and I have been telling her about the squirrel for ages and she only took notice this week!

“Hey squirrel, didn’t The Human tell you not to climb up the siding to get to the bird feeder (emphasis on the word BIRD).”

“Listen buddy, don’t sit there and mock me. All it takes is a little movement of those sliding glass doors and you’re history. Hmmmmm, gotta’ tell The Human to get out there and clean up those leaves.”

“One of these days squirrel, one of these days!”

Lily has not been allowed to “extend the paw of friendship” to the squirrel and it’s adaily source of frustration for her. Oh well, on to the news.

New Study Finds That Cats Track the Movements of Their Owners

A recent study posted on ScienceAlert.com illustrates the bond we felines have with you humans. When you humans walk away from us, we track you down mentally map your position in space. We even use the sound of the your voice for the tracking process.

This behavior of ours is part of our social- spatial cognition.

Researchers from the Kyoto University ran tested many cats. They put them in rooms that the felines were familiar with. They placed a speaker in the room and another outside the room. A recording of the owner’s voice was played on each speaker. Hearing the human’s voice in different locations seemed to confuse the cats. A researcher noted in the research paper on ScienceAlert.com: Results showed that cats were surprised when their owner appeared to be ‘teleported’ to a new, unexpected location. They also added that the results suggest that cats hold a mental representation of the unseen owner and map their owner’s location from the owner’s voice, showing evidence of socio-spatial cognition.

Well, of course we do!

Well wishers from across the globe pay for world famous cat’s hospital bill

Faith in humanity restored! Robert, a feline that has been the spokespurrson for a campaign to save Walsall Road allotments in 2019 needed his own campaign when the vet found two ulcers in his eyes.

He had an operation – a corneal graft – and is now recovering in Kate Millington’s spare room – one of the plot holders at the allotments where he usually lives. His close human friend Betty Farruggia who takes most of the pictures for his Twitter feed said the support Robert has received has been ‘incredible’.

“He has had messages from all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Japan and the EU. I really hate to ask for money but people started to send it by Paypal before I even set up the appeal.

“I never imagined a cat, even a special cat like Robert, would have this effect on people who have never met him.”

Robert touched many hearts and will stay at Kate’s until he has finished all his medication and is fully recovered.

The target of £10,000 for his treatment has now been met but supporters continue to send him get well wishes and financial help. Any extra money will go to the vet fund for the other felines who live at the allotments.

One donor from Baltimore, USA said, “Very much enjoy following the activities of all of you at the allotments. I hope you are back home and feeling yourself again soon. Best wishes from my two here in Baltimore, MD…we’ve taken a bit from the treat jar to help.”

We wish Robert a full and speedy recovery.

Basepaws Adds Over 80 Genetic Markers To Its Cat DNA Test

cat basepaws dna results — Lily **meowed about** her Basepaws results.

The Human is a great fan of Basepaws and she’s all of our DNA done. She was thrilled to hear that Basepaws has just updated the product with over 80 new genetic health and trait markers. In total, the Basepaws test will now screen for over 120 markers!

Our reports have so much information and now, with the new markers DNA reports will include:

Over 70 known feline genetic health markers, including new markers for feline ophthalmological conditions and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common form of heart disease in cats;
Genetic markers for blood type. Knowledge of a cat’s blood type can be helpful to the cat breeding process as well as support life-saving medical decisions, such as when a cat needs an emergency blood transfusion;
Over 50 fun and exciting genetic trait markers. With this update, pet parents will learn about some of the genes and mutations that are responsible for their cat’s unique physical appearance;
An analysis of a cat’s DNA sample against the 21 different pedigreed breeds in the Basepaws reference panel, which is part of the world’s largest cat DNA database, to help cat parents better understand their cat’s breed composition;
Results from the first ever Basepaws Cat Dental Health Test that identify a cat’s risk for periodontal disease, tooth resorption, and bad breath. Results include specific at-home dental health care recommendations for pet parents and tips for improving their cat’s nutrition and overall health.

If your humans have already paid for your DNA test kit like ours did, you don’t have to start over again, Existing customers can purchase an upgraded report version for a small fee (the upgrade is free for existing Basepaws Whole Genome Test customers). In time, the company will also release upgrades for additional markers that are discovered through its internal research program.

Now that’s something to meow about!.

Cat Teaches His Little Brothers To Be Obsessed With The Window Washers | The Dodo Cat Crazy

Anyone who says we felines are selfish never met this cat who loves to share the fun.

Hank the cat’s 5-day ordeal in tree is over — thanks to a group effort

When it became clear that Hank was definitely stuck in a very tall tree, Smaantha Miller,a spokesperson for the Humane Rescue Alliance in D.C. said, “Having found no other option, we had to get creative.”

The HRA decided after a few days that they would be unable to get Hank down safely. And so Hank remained 50 feet above ground for five days and four nights. Meowza!

Hank was stuck up there in the sun with no water and no food. Poor guy! “

The major cause of the problem with the rescue was the stability of the tree and it’s location. As a last desperate attempt to get Hank out of the tree, the rescuers offered him what they called, “Hank’s Party Pack” which was a collection of treats and clothing with his human’s scent. The items were taken up in a basket and, when Hank climbed in the basket, they brought him down.

HRA field services staff; neighbors who offered ladders and changed dog-walking patterns; and staff members from Casey Trees, a nonprofit environmental group that’s focused on caring for trees in the D.C. area, all assisted in getting the cat down. HRA acknowledged that Hank’s successful rescue was made possible by all who helped.

Now let’s hope Hank stays away from the trees in his neighborhood!

Think Lost Not Stray!

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hey furiends, The Human is meowing on her cat behavior site about what she learned from lost cat expert, Kim Freeman. There’s some good stuff in there and some excellent resources too. Check it out.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/10

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

I hope your week has been purrfectly wonderful! Not much happening in our neck of the woods except The Human has been constantly meowing about how busy she is. Really? All she has to do is keep our water bowls (and kibble bowls) filled, give us evening treats and morning wet foo breakfast, clean our litter boxes and give us skritches and play with us. Whatever she does outside of the house is of no consequence to us.

To illustrate how bad the service has been, take a look at this photo. This Chewy box had been sitting on the counter since the delivery human brought it in the morning. I had to wait until The Human arrived home in the evening to obtain access to all the goodies inside, including the catnip. This is unacceptable!

“I have been forced to sit on this box and protect it all day. The service is lacking here!”

Oliver spent some quality time discovering grapes. In the end, he decided he’d rather have Temptations treats!

Lily couldn’t be bothered to put in any camera time this week but she does send you all purrs & head bonks,

Ollie, Lily and I (and The Human) all wanted to thank and remember our veterans.

Okay, let’s purruse the feline news of the week.

She brought tiny foster cats into her office at a retirement home. Residents found out — and kitten therapy began

All it took to get Estelle Nicol out of her funk was to introduce her to some kittens. The business manager of the home Estelle lived in arrived at work one morning with a box full of foster kittens (take note humans, you may want to try this at your work).

She set up a feline playpen in her office and soon the residents heard about the kitten nursery and they stopped by to see the little guys.

The business manager checked to make sure none of the residents had cat allergies and when everyone was “good to go” she opened her door to kitten visitors.

Those furry, purry little creatures brought so much happiness to people. Residents who had been depressed began to be happier when they picked up a kitten. (We cats are just magical that way).Soon the home started kitten therapy days and now, three years later, the little kittens are continuing their work, helping people by brightening their day and offering large doses of purr therapy.

The kittens benefit too. By bringing the foster kittens in and having the residents hold them and play with them, the little guys are getting socialized and ready for their furever homes.

This is definitely what you would call a “win- win” situation!

A Red Cross for cats?

Did you know that kitty blood donors are often needed at many veterinary hospitals to help cats that may have blood loss during surgery, suffer trauma from being hit by a and suffer other serious injuries. And where does this blood come from? Well, volunteer feline blood donors, of course. Before they donate, they are screened for disease and, with a clean bill of health they can give blood as often as every six weeks.

Now I’m not a huge friend of the stabby place but our purrrticular one is a fearless practice so I’m pretty chill when I go there. Blood donors are lightly sedated before they give approximately 40 milliliters of the lifesaving fluid. If you are a feline that would like to find out more about this, have your human talk to your vet. There may even be feline blood banks in your area. We cats have three blood types, Type A is most common, Type B is less common and Type AB is rare.

There is a website that is a National Blood Transfusion Service that helps veterinarians connect with potential cat blood donors. The service is free to vets and cat parents.

I’m not sure whether I’d be brave enough to do this but it sure sounds like a wonderful idea. What do you think?

Parents throw epic quinceañera for their cat’s 15th birthday

These parents threw an awesome quinceañera for their cat’s 15th birthday and this feline is always in favor of a cat pawty!

The video of the quineañera (a Latin American celebration for a girl’s 15th birthday) her parents threw for their 15-year-old cat, Plomita, and it looked like one epic bash!

The clip begins with a shot of Meli’s father, holding Plomita, sitting at the dining room table decked out with cat-themed party favors and a centerpiece made out of yarn balls and cat food tins. A “Happy Birthday!” banner hangs in the background, with cats in the shape of each letter.

Plomita, decked out in a miniature denim jacket and pink tutu, sits comfortably in her father’s lap, devouring a cat treat. The clip then cuts to a shot of Plomita seated on the table wearing a new outfit featuring a floral-printed blue dress with a pink flower around her collar while her human parent showers her with affection.

19 Spoiled Cats Who Are Living Better Lives Than You

Humans, if you haven’t built your cat a ramp to get to his favorite window in the house, or built your feline a custom Scandinavian bed or provided your cat with a “boat” so he can join you in the hot tub, you may be a slacker!

Internet Backs Man Evicting His Girlfriend After She Kicked His Cat Out

Allow me to say my faith in humanity has been restored with this one.

A human named Aman has received widespread support after evicting his girlfriend who kicked his indoor cat outside.

The human adopted Raven, his kitty three years ago and had been dating the heartless girlfriend two years. One day he came home and Raven was gone and Raven never went outside. Thankfully a friend recognized Raven and brought him back home hours later.

When he asked his girlfriend about the cat being outside (a cat that had never shown any interest in going outside) she admitted she kicked him out. What a despicable human, I hiss in her direction!

The girlfriend was told she had a month to find a new place who cried and said she had nowhere to go and would end up living on the streets (oh, like the poor feline you kicked out?)

One commenter pointed out the horrendous timing of the decision as she ” threw out an indoor BLACK cat during Halloween season- Shelters don’t even let people adopt black cats this time of year…”

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 11/3

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Feline Opines

Happy November Furiends,

It’s definitely fire weather (as in a nice cozy indoor fire, not the horrible forest fires) in our neck of the woods. We are luxuriating in the warmth and thankful we have a warm and cozy furever home!

It’s always nice to get cozy and sometimes this really makes The Human happy. For instance, she came home from work on evening and when she saw this she got leaky eyes. She knows how long Lily has wanted a cuddle buddy since Angel Tucker crossed The Rainbow Bridge and to see her cuddling again made The Human very happy!

Now, we don’t always cuddle but we each like to get cozy when we find the purrfect spot.

Ollie likes to lay on top of The Human at night.

Lily likes to cuddle with the pillows next to The Human in bed

Sometimes you just need to have your own space and s-t-r-e-t-c-h out!

I hope all my feline furiends are enjoying your purrfect spot, whather it’s cuddling with your brofurs and sisters, your human or by yourself.

Okay, enough about comfort, let’s get on with the news.

US soldier seeks financial help to bring home cat he saved overseas

There are many stories of kitties who have been loved and who have loved and saved soldiers. Often, these soldiers find a feline furiend where they are stationed and sometimes that creates problems when the soldier wants to bring the cat home with them.

This is the situation with Spc. Kaiden and his furiend, a striped tabby named Tiger. Kaiden went to great lengths to befriend the frightend feline and soon, Tiger trusted him enough to sit on his shoulders.

Under his care, Tiger got pregnant and had 3 kittens and all the kittens were placed in furever homes.

But SPC Kaiden’s bond with Tiger was very strong and he couldn’t rehome her and now he’s working to bring her back safely to America. Dereck Cartright, a disabled veteran and logistics coordinator at Paws of War, is helping to make this happen. He said, “We want to do everything we can to help make this happen, but we need the assistance of the public to successfully pull off the mission.”

Bringing Tiger to America isn’t easy because you Humans have all kinds of government rules and regulations about international pet adoption. That’s why Paws of War is looking to help keep Kaiden and Tiger together. If you want to help you can donate to Paws of War. to bring Tiger here.

Spec. Kaiden is grateful for the help and said, “Tiger and I have become inseparable, and I can’t imagine leaving her behind when I live thousands of miles away.“I’m grateful that there is an organization like Paws of War that cares enough to help us with this type of situation. I’m also thankful there are people in the community who support what they do, so that they can carry out their mission.”

We give Paws of War a Paws Up Award and hope Tiger will soon be in her furever home with Spec. Kaiden here in America!

Do cats have knees?

We felines don’t always contemplate such things but I know you humans do. Although I have to get a bit “sciency” to answer this question, I’ll try to make it as simple as possible.

We felines are quadrupeds, which is a fancy way of saying that we walk on all four legs.

The sciency folks say that we have two different types of joints. Our front legs are equipped with hinge-like joints and our back legs have, well, a different type of joint equipped with a patella or knee cap.

So if your human says your cat has elbows and their friend says his cat has knees, you’re both correct! We have elbows in our front legs and knees in our back legs.

Natasha Bui, PT, DPT, CCRT, owner of Amicus Rehab says it’s not that simple though. Yes, cat’s knees are similar to human knees but there is one main difference and that’s the angle between the our knee and our hips. This angle varies not only between cats and humans, but between different breeds of cats. For instance, the angle between knee and hip is more steep in breeds like a Maine coon, which contributes to their increased risk of orthopedic issues.

Now that you know we have knees you might be wondering how to make sure those knees are taken care of. Sometimes we have knew troubles when we age or gain too much weight. Even kittens can have knee issues though.

There are some things humans can do though the most important being keeping us active and manage our weight.

Now you know, cats have knees!

Israel to give NIS 12m. to help spay, neuter stray cats

Now I’m not a purrlitical feline and am more of a Catstitutionalist than anything (I guess that’s because I always hear The Human meowing about government spending) but I have to say, if government is going to spend, I’m all for this line item.

Israel’s state budget will now see an increase in money allocated for helping out the country’s exceptionally large population of cats that will go from six million to twelve million to spay and neuter the many homeless cats in the country.

Now before any of you humans meow about spending, the program is being monitored and the goal is to reduce the expenditure as the feral population is reduced through the spay and neuter program.

The decision does have its critics but there is no argument that spaying and neutering do help to reduce the stray cat population and no one wants to see so many homeless kitties. This feline says “Bravo Israel!”

NYC candidate brings pet to polling place

Seems like this is my day to report purrlitical news. Now I have no opinion on the New York City mayoral race except to say that Curtis Sliwa, an excellent cat daddy, tried to bring one of his felines to his polling place on Tuesday. He arrived with one of the more than a dozen rescue cats he lives with but was told the cat had to stay outside. Someone was found to look after the kitty so Silwa could vote and he was reunited with his furry buddy after he cast his vote. This feline says there should be more cat daddies in politics!

11 Must-Visit Cat-Friendly Hotels in the U.S.

Now I am a feline that purfurrs the comforts of home. Travel does not interest me at all although my brother Oliver has a more wandering spirit. And I know there are other felines that don’t mind traveling either and with this in mind, I think it’s important that I help your human find the best feline friendly places to stay.

There are a plethora of dog friendly hotel lists but dog friendly isn’t the same as cat friendly by a long shot. Our needs are quite different. And don’t let your human head down the dusty trail with you before they they pack your treats, food and water dishes, the litter you like and a litter box. Bringing your favorite toy and blanket is a good idea too (hmm, maybe you’ll need your own suitcase!)

Okay, now you’re packed and ready to go so here are the 11 feline friendly hotels.

Four Seasons, Las Vegas, Nev.

The Four Seasons Hotel knows how to welcome cats. You can find cat-friendly Four Seasons Hotels across the U.S. and they always make sure your feline will enjoy a luxurious stay.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla.

Meowza! This place offers feline in-room dining crafted by Loews’ Executive Chef. With all the feline pampering this hotel brand may have you wondering who the guest really is-you or your cat! .They even provide the cat litter and the litter box so you can pack lighter.

The Oxford Hotel, Bend, Ore.

The cat-friendly Bend hotel will treat your feline like royalty. The $59 per pet, per stay fee, (2 cats allowed) is worth the cost as they offer cat bowls, toys, a bed, and treats. Now that’s luxury!

The Williamsburg Hotel, Brooklyn, N.Y.

When you book the boutique Williamsburg Hotel, ask for a pet-friendly room with a balcony (and make sure your human packs your halter and leash). The hotel charges a $100 pet fee per stay.

The Colony Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Fla.

If you are a feline who purfurrs a beach getaway this is the place for your. The hotel charges a flat pet fee of $150, and make sure your human books a room with a view of one of the world’s biggest litter box!

Rivertide Suites, Seaside, Ore.

You can also sniff the fresh sea breeze at this seaside hotel. For $30 per pet, per night, you and your feiline can enjoy a full kittchen, gas fireplace, patio, and one or two bedrooms (so you don’t have to sleep with your human if you don’t want to).

The Maxwell House, Seattle, Wash.

As part of the StayPineapple Hotels chain, this cat-friendly Seattle hotel has all the comforts a feline requires for a purrfect stay, including food bowls and a pet bed. Bring the whole clowder because the Maxwell Hotel allows up to four cats per room for a $25 nightly fee.

Kimpton La Peer Hotel, West Hollywood, Calif.

This hotel is serious about four-legged guests because they have a Director of Pet Relations. Now before you start hissing when you realize this position is held by a dog named Marvin, rest assured he will go the extra mile, even for feline guests. Every feline will feel like a very important purrson at Kimpton’s La Peer Hotel located just outside Beverly Hills. The hotel chain is cat friendly at all it’s properties and doesn’t charge for feline guests.

Virgin Hotel Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

The Virgin Hotel Chicago and their locations across the country are all cat-friendly. Every feline guest receives some great swag like bowls, a bed, and even a stylish bandana.

21c Museum Hotel Nashville, Nashville, Tenn.

This property is part of a number of midwestern hotels that are all cat friendly. There are locations from Louisville and Cincinnati all the way to Bentonville, and Oklahoma City. Your human can book a stay for you at $175 per stay no matter the number of pets.

The Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Penn.

Located just footsteps from the historic Rittenhouse Square, this sleek hotel is the purrfect place for feline guests. The concierge can help you find cat-friendly events but, if you’re a feline that prefers to relax in your room, the concierge can arrange for you to have a pet sitter so you don’t have to be alone if your humans venture out.

The Winners and the Loser

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Feline Opines

Alberto is FINALLY announcing our #RememberMeThursday winners. Each winner will receive our 3 Felines Opine books.

Our email address is felineopines@gmail.com. And again, concatulations to our winners, Messy Mimis Meanderings and Meowmeowmans! Our Purrsonal Assistant will be sending you an email soon.

And if you’re wondering about that contest I entered, you can read about it here.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/27

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Feline Opines

Happy Last Week of October Furiends,
This was quite a busy week. The Human attended the annual conference of #The Cat Writers Association and BOY did she learn a lot. The Tribe was uninterested in hanging around the computer (it was a virtual conference) so while she sat at her desk and scribbled notes, we enjoyed the beautiful view from our office.

“Hey, I thought there were squirrels down there.” – Alberto

“Alberto, the squirrel is hanging around the bird feeder, you guys spent some quality time making fools of yourselves trying to intimidate him from the dining room window.” – Lily

“Sigh, Human when will you be done? I’m getting bored!” – Alberto

“How can you guys be bored with that beautiful view?” – The Human

“Hey, it’s me Oliver, under your desk. I’m getting faint from hunger. Will there be any treats forthcoming?”

Okay, purrhaps it wasn’t as bad as we’re making it out to be and we are proud to announce that we won a Muse Medallion this year!!

Well, time for the news and for us to finish working on our contest announcements for Friday.

Humane Fort Wayne holding Feline Fall Festival to build 300 shelters for community cats

I love when you humans get together and do something for kitties who don’t have forever homes. Humane Ft. Wayne in Indiana is inviting the public to help assemble shelters for community cats at their annual Feline Fall Festival. They will be building 300 outdoor shelters to keep their local felines warm and safe.

Humane Ft. Wayne estimates that there are 16,000 community cats living in the area. If you live near this shelter I hope you’ll help out but, if it’s too far, there are other shelters in different cities doing the same thing. If your city is doing shelters for community cats, meow about it in the comments and let the folks in your area know.

Century-old photos of cats dressed in human clothes shows people have been humiliating their pets for years

Oh my whiskers! I thought this costume thing was a method of modern humans to mock and embarrass their felines and now I find out, you’ve been doing this for years!

The book, Kittens and Cats: A First Reader was a hit with children of the day who loved reading about, Queen Cat, Dunce Cat, Granny Gray, and Party Cat.

The book was meant to be read aloud, and is about a feline kingdom whose inhabitants are getting ready for a fabulous party thrown by the Queen.

One kitten in the book boasts, “I’m the only cat in our country who has an automobile.” I guess the other poor kitties had to walk to the pawty.

The photographer didn’t receive credit in the book but it’s believed that Harry Whittier Frees, famous for his kitten photography, took the photos. Lest you worry that kittens were harmed during the shoot, it was said of Frees that he had “great patience and invariable kindness”.

The book was meant to be educational. The back of the book says that children would be taught 600 vocabulary words and teachers were advised to conduct classes by “assigning a cat character to each child, having them read in order the text devoted to their special character. The children should impersonate the different cats and tell their tales to amuse the Queen, who sits on her throne,” the author recommended.

This book is now in the public domain and you can read it online at Archive.org and even download it.

This feline is still no fan of costumes for cats, even for educational purrposes!

Behind the Spooky Eyes of Cats

Have you noticed that around Halloween, humans like to post photos of their felines making the cat’s eyes look creepy? Well, Physicist Helen Czerski has some interesting things to say about our eyes (and by the way, our eyes aren’t creepy at all!)

First she says the pupil of the eye is the gatekeeper. Light has to pass through the pupil to reach the back of the eye where the light sensitive cells are located.

Cats have vertical slit-shaped pupils which are common in nighttime ambush predators who also need to function during the day. The muscle structure needed to open and close a slit-shaped pupil is simple. That means we felines can narrow our slits to the tiniest sliver, and then open them up in the dark until they’re round. Domestic cats are able to change the area of our pupils (and therefore the light it lets in) by a factor of 135. You humans are only able to change yours by a factor of 15. That means we see much better in the dark than you do.

Felines have a narrow pupil in the horizontal direction but a wide pupil in the vertical direction. Anything along the horizontal plane is in beautiful sharp focus but the image will be more blurred in the vertical direction. At the right focal length, the image will be perfectly in focus in both directions, and that gives the cat an extra way of judging distance. The slit gives the cat a second way of doing this (the other is the stereo images from both eyes, which is how humans judge distance); the two complement each other to produce pinpoint accuracy. Well, that just goes to show you that we felines have amazing eyes.

So there you go, another amazing fact about the wonderful felines that live in your house!

Every kitty needs an advent calendar

As you can see, we are ready to get in the holiday spirit and a good part of that is having The Human get us an advent calendar to count down the days. We found some great ones for this year.

Fancy Feast has a fancy advent calendar this year. It has 24 flavors that include classics as well as new, limited edition holiday recipes like Yuletide Turkey Feast in Gravy and Hearthside Salmon Platter with Pumpkin and Spinach Pate. Just think of your human opening a can of this goodness for you every morning during Advent! The calendar is $24.99 and you can find it at Amazon, Chewy, Walmart and more.

Since Oliver is on a D-I-E-T The Human is not so enthusiastic about extra treats, which is why she likes the idea of the Merry & Bright Holiday Feline So Festive with Cat Toys 25-Day Advent Calendar. This calendar has 25 Christmas themed toys and sells for $17.00.

Staying on the theme of no-calorie advent goodies, the Merry Makings 12-Days of Thrills Cat Toy Advent Calendar is another winner. This one comes with just 12 toys and the cost is $13.00.

Our Lily wants this one because it’s called Lily’s Kitchen Christmas Cat Advent Calendar. There are 24 meaty gourmet treats of many flavors for the refined feline palate, such as chicken with liver and turkey with cranberry, The cost is $32.00

If you want snacks that will help you retain your girlish (or boyish) figure then you’ll love Snif-Snax Holiday Cat Advent Calendar, Atlantic Salmon and Seaweed . This one is a real bargain, with 73 treats that are divided into 25 snack filled days of ocean delights for $10.00.

If you’re one of the lucky felines who don’t have to worry about your physique, Scrumbles Cat Advent Calendar is for you. The British based company packs this calendar with a variety of natural, healthy treats. They also give 50p (about 69 cents) per purchase to Woods Green The Animals Charity for the cats and kittens they help there. This organization has been around since 1924 and is one of the UK’s largest pet charities. They have a converted farm in Godmanchester that’s purpose-built, ready to help dogs, cats and more animals. This calendar costs $33.00 and has a variety of healthy, meaty treats for 24 days.

Lucky the Black Cat Went From Being Abandoned to One of the Most Handsome Felines on Instagram

I would be remiss if I didn’t do a feature on a black cat for the month of October. I love this black cat named Lucky who is a hit on Instagram. He went from feral to fancy and is now living his best life. He has a signature look for his Instagram photos which includes dark shades and he’d never be caught at a photo shoot without them.

You can read Lucky’s story in the article and also get some tips from his purrsonal photographers about how they get those great shots of him. Black cats rock!

Oliver and the Squirrel

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Feline Opines

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/20

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
It’s Wednesday again and our Purrsonal Assistant is a bit overwhelmed. I keep telling her she needs to get herself organized instead of running around the house like her hair is on fire. So far, none of her issues have interrupted our feeding, snack, litter box cleaning or petting time so I’m sure you’ll be glad to know we are okay. And, having mentioned her being behind, now is a good time to say that our winners in the “RememberMeThursday contest still haven’t been notified so we won’t be announcing their names this week.

There was a rather unfortunate incident with a stuffed fish this week. The Human woke up to see a bit of a massacre on the bedroom rug. I did think she was a rather overdramatic when she said all we needed was crime scene tape!

The Human has been obsessed with some new glasses she got. She has a base pair and then got all these toppers to put over the base pair to change the look. She has ordered so many of these tops we’re becoming concerned that this might cut into our kibble budget! In the first photo you can see 3 of the many, many toppers she has. Oliver and I decided he’d make a purrfect spokespurrson for the company, Pair Eyewear, and so he sent his portfolio in to them. We are still waiting for a response!

It’s been a looong week so Oliver and I decided some stress reducing cuddling was in order. We hope you all have a chance to cuddle too!

23 Cats that act like dogs

Frankly this cat is a bit hissy about this article. If you want a dog, get a dog! But then I thought, purrhaps this is good information for people who are transitioning from being dog people to being cat people. I won’t list all the cats from the article but I picked out a few that were interesting.

American Shorthair
Oliver made me include this one as this is the largest part of his heritage. The article says, they weigh 6-15 pounds, have a life expectancy of 15-20 years. They are playful and sweet. I guess I’d agree on most of these points except the weight (Ollie weighs in at a whopping 20 pounds) and he’s not always nice to Lily. They’re called the Golden Retriever of the household cat world. They adapt well to just about any circumstance and are playful and sweet.

BENGAL

Bengals are confident and devoted and they will climb anything and follow you everywhere. They are great at doing agility training and some even like to swim

CHAUSIE

I’ve never heard of or met a Chausie but the article says they are large and bold and that they like to explore. They are intelligent and like to learn tricks and are cats that are very eager to please. Because their lineage includes wild cat DNA, they look like miniature mountain lions,

There are many other breeds listed in the article, even the Siamese who the experts say are known for their smarts and athleticism. Left alone all day or ignoring our pleas to play will result in destructive behavior. Siamese cats thrive in social households surrounded by people and pets. In fact, adopting another animal to keep your Siamese company during the day is a very wise move. I would say this is a pretty accur4ate description of yours truly.

Laidback Cat Climbs Into Baby Bouncer to Relax and Becomes TikTok Star

Good grief, sometimes all you have to do to find fame on the inter web is to be lazy! Kermit has taken a liking into his human siblingsbaby bounder and hanging out in it. The TikTok video Kermit’s human posted has already gotten 9over 4.5 million views. Note to self, tell The Human to buy a baby bouncer!

Photographer Captured Cats Living In People’s Working Places

My readers know how much I love to report on working cats and this article features 30 black and white photos of diligently working cats. The photographer, Marianna Zampieri, made sure that it was known that these are all natural poses, nothing was staged or forced. I love these and say paws up Marianna!

Cat Owners Share The Weirdest Places Their Cats End Up In

We felines are quite adept at hiding and finding ourselves in strange places. Bored Panda has honored the crazy adventures of felines and has published 50 photos of cats in weird places. Enjoy!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/13

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
It is getting chilly in our neck of the woods and we were pleased to see that The Human called in the humans who clean and service our fireplace. This is Oliver’s favorite spot in the chilly winter months. He even made a movie about it. (Note that this movie was filmed when Oliver was younger and slimmer)

Well, the fireplace human arrived and Oliver had to stick his head inside to snoopervise the human’s work. This got him locked in the bedroom until the service was completed.

I, on the other hand, preferred to sit at a distance and ensure that all work was completed correctly.

Lily selected a comfy chair near the fire and waited to test it.

All went well, the fireplace is working wonderfully and we felines are looking for ward to a cozy winter.

Shelter Cat and Guinea Pig Best Friend Get Adopted Together

There are odd couples and then there is this couple. Angel and Halo, a cat and a guinea pig have a bond that is quite unusual They are genuine best furiends and they had to lean on each other for support when their human had to surrender them to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control,.

The animal control officer who did the intake for these two said she’d many bonded pairs during her 17-year career, but she’s never met a cat who is best friends with a guinea pig. “I think honestly, my first reaction was this is definitely a first,”

Angel and Halo’s unique friendship helped them both during a difficult time. They shared a large cage where they cuddled together in one corner. The BFF’s reportedly even shared their own special language.

The shelter ‘s mission was to ensure both were adopted together and soon, a mother and son contacted them, eager to welcome Angel and Halo into their family.

The lady’s reward to her son for making honor roll was the adoption of this odd couple. Mother and son promised to keep the shelter updated on the progress of their new furry friends and she said they would create social media accounts for Halo and Angel.

Oh how I love happy endings!

‘Cat Daddies’ Trailer Explores the Relationship Between Men and Their Feline Friends in New Documentary

Filmmaker Mye Hoang’s documentary tells the story of several male cat owners and their furry feline companions.

“CAT DADDIES” focuses on David Giovanni who was living on the streets of New York, determined to stay together with his beloved cat, Lucky. When he’s finally granted a spot in a transitional housing facility that accepts cats, the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating medical diagnosis put his future together with Lucky in doubt.

David’s journey is interspersed with portraits of other “cat dads” from all over the country. Some struggle to navigate the unprecedented events of 2020 with their little furry friends.. They include a group of firefighters, a stuntman, a truck driver, a Bay Area tech worker, a schoolteacher whose cat becomes a viral sensation, and an actor/Instagram influencer. These men couldn’t be more different, but they share an unconditional love for their beloved felines and are true cat daddies!.

Meowza, this sounds like a great film and paws up to all cat daddies!

101-Year-Old Woman Adopts Oldest Cat at Shelter for “Match Made In Heaven”

This story just makes me purr! The Humane Society of Catawba County had a wonderful feline named Gus at their shelter who was 19 years old.

His original owner was heartbroken when they had to surrender him due to unforeseen circumstances. After Gus passed his health screening with flying colors (he was pronounced to be in excellent health) he was ready for adoption but, at 19 years of age the shelter was worried about finding him a furever home..

Shortly after Gus’s arrival, the shelter director received an unexpected call from a family looking for a pet who could be a companion for their aging mother. More specifically, they asked if there was a senior cat they could adopt. The family explained to shelter that their 101-year-old mother, Penny, recently lost her cat, and though they’d given her a stuffed cat to cuddle with instead, she simply wasn’t pleased with something that didn’t purr. Well, duh, what good is a cat if you can’t get purr therapy?

Judging by the pictures the shelter shared on Facebook, this was a match made in heaven and now, Gus is enjoying giving his new human purrs and watching the squirrels outside their door.

The latest report says that Gus has settled in purrfectly and is eating like a horse.

No Dogs Allowed: More than 70 Artists Present a Show of Cat Art in L.A.

More than 70 artists have purrticipated in a feline-centric group exhibition. Now in its fourth iteration, the Cat Art Show includes sculptures, paintings, collages, and a variety of other works by artists from 16 countries—Ravi Zupa (previously), Lola Dupré (previously), and Aniela Sobieski (previously) are among them—that capture the antics and sheer fabulousness of both domestic and wild cats.

.If you’re in Los Angeles, stop by The Golden Pagoda between October 14 and 24 to see these works in person, and check out the available pieces on Instagram. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to cat care, with this year’s funds going to Kitt Crusaders, Faces of Castelar, and Milo’s Sanctuary.

Can cats be depressed? Here are ways they may show how they feel and 8 ways to help

Kitties do get depressed. Lily meowed about this in her blog post, “Even Kittles Get The Blues”. There are a number of reasons for this such as loss of a family member, moving to a new house, a change in the family’s schedule or a change in physical health.

And how do you know if your feline is depressed? Some signs are, when your feline exhibits very obvious changes in behavior, when appetite decreases, when they have no interest in playing, when they stop interacting with the other felines in the house, when their vocalization increases, when their sleep time increases (although with felines that isn’t always easy to figure out), decreased interest in grooming, house soiling or not consistently using their litter box. Grief can also make your cat depressed. We talk about this in our book, Are There Head Bonks In Heaven?

First and most importantly you need to take your cat to the vet to rule out any physical problems. If there is no physical reason for the behavoirs, then your kitty is probably blue. There are some things you can do (our Lily has recovered from her grief at the loss of Angel Tucker and she is doing great now). The Human used some of these techniques to help her.

Try some new types of food. Some felines (like our Oliver) are very food motivated.

Play calming music. Lily talks about this in her article and she even has a video about Music for Cats.

Supplements. There are natural supplements that contain l-theanine and l-tryptophan that can increase serotonin in a cat’s brain to help combat depression. Serotonin is sometimes known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter and higher levels are connected to feelings of calm and happiness.

Use pheromones and invigorating scents. Feliway and other pheremone products are favorites without The Human.

Consider adopting another cat. Make sure you know your cat’s personality and the dynamics if you live with multiple felines.

Get professional help. This is a big one with our Human as she has diplomas in Feline Behavior and also Feline Anxiety. Get an expert to help you assess the situation.

Change happens and we felilnes are not the biggest fans of change so if something happens in your home that seems to make your kitty sad, please investigate and seek help so that your feline will go from blue to blissful!

Walk Thruogh The Web Wednesday 10/6

Posted on October 6, 2021 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
We’re having a beautiful fall and tomorrow the human who takes care of the thing in the living room that has flames and gives heat will be here to make sure everything is ready for our colder weather. We love that thing in the winter!

Otherwise there’s nothing much new. You may remember this video about how I expect water from the bathroom sink in the morning.

Well, The Human decided to capture the errr….rather unusual hairdo that my “dip” under the faucet creates.

I think I look kinda’ edgy and fierce which is why I’m a little miffed that The Human keeps laughing at me.

Oliver chooses the more traditional method of cleaning.

Lily is happy to just hang out with The Human and likes to on her shoulder and wrap herself around The Human like a furry boa.

Well, that’s about it for today except that we have news about our #RememberMeThursday contest, we have winners!!! We will announce them in the next couple of days so stay tuned!

Feline workforce helps tackle Chicago rat problem

Chicago’s Tree House Humane Society is working hard to solve two problems at once: finding feral cats that don’t thrive in a home or shelter and finding them furever home with local residents and businesses looking for a natural solution to rat infestations, launching a program called “Cats at Work”.

The feline’s new “bosses” feed and care for them. Evidently these cats don’t have to work too hard as their pheromones alone work to deter the rats. Pheromones are a chemical communication that all cats use to interact with each other and the world around them. The rats will flee when they detect cat pheromones.

This program has found jobs and homes for more than 1,000 cats who otherwise might have been euthanized since 2012.

The cats don’t just protect workplaces, they also conduct reconnaissance and patrol work in Chicago’s dark alleyways. And people are seeing a reduction in rat activity.

William Hurley from the Empirical Brewery believes the predatory nature of the relationship between cats and rodents has tackled his business’ rat problem more effectively. He says that grain is like a magnet for rats, and since grain is an important ingredient for a brewery rat problems will happen.

The program is working well for felines and humans and the shelter keeps tabs on how the relationships are working out to ensure that the furry employees have furever homes and jobs.

Fedya the Cat’s Permanently Startled Expression Has Flooded The Interne t

Feyda is a Russian cat who has captured the attention of the internet with his perpetually alarmed expression.

Natalie Zhdanova found the sickly feline in her backyard. She noticed the eyes were out of alignment and he had trouble moving his back legs. She took him in and with the help of her other cat, Handsome, nursed him back to health.

Fedya is a year old now and best buddies with his feline brother Handsome. He is healthy and playful and happy. His facial expression is still a mystery.

That expression has inspired many memes and posts on his Instagram and TikTok accounts.

We’re happy Fedya has a wonderful furever home and brings so much amusement to others.

Why can’t house cats roar?

I don’t know about you but this feline has wondered this. Humans are always meowing about the fact that we house cats are so close to our wild cousins. If this is true, then why can’t we roar? Well, now I have my answers.

I will try to make this not too “sciency” so my furiends can understand it. The reason has to do with our voice box and throat, which create feline vocalizations. Because of the way purrs and roars are made, these sounds are mutually exclusive in cats — any given cat species can either roar or purr, but not both, says John Wible, curator of mammals at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

Purring is a unique sound because it’s created both when felines breathe in and out. Felines that purr include house cats, bobcats, ocelots, lynx, cougars and cheetahs.

Wible says that roaring is much rarer in cats and evolved in the large cat breeds. “Roaring is much rarer among cats and evolved in a particular lineage of large cats,” Roaring felines include lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards. But get this, there is one exception, the snow leopard. And even the scientists don’t know why. Hmmph, humans aren’t as smart as they think they are.

As in you humans, the sounds cats make come from our voice box, called the larynx. The difference between purring cats and roaring cats starts here, though exactly how cats make these sounds are unclear, Wible said. (Again, we see that humans don’t know everything.)

The simple answer about “roarers” is that it comes from bendy bones in the throat. Instead of a bended bone, they have flexible cartilage that allows the cat to lower its voice for a deeper pitched sound. We “purrers” have a different variation in our voice box and our purring is caused by the very fast twitching of the vocalis muscle found in the folds of the voice box.

Roarers have longer, more stretchy, fleshyt, fatty layers of tissue that make up their vocal cords. This allows them to create the rumbling sound of a roar.

Despite all the scientific research, these experts can’t tell us much more. They speculate that purring is a healing or calming mechanism or that it might help hide mewing kittens from predators.

This feline says that any of you humans who live with us know how calming and healing purr therapy is.

Rocky the beer cat

Here’s a tale about another working cat who really has a cushy set up. His name is Rocky and he’s employed by the Champion Beverages beer store.

Rocky was born and raised at his place of employment and has become a local celebrity over the duration of his 13-year existence. The runt of the 15-kitten litter, Rocky was bottle fed and when his brothers and sisters were adopted; his human nanny couldn’t bear to part with him.

Rocky’s fame has resulted in attempted kidnappings (three times) and now he wears a collar that reads, “Put Me Down” to thwart future cat nappers. Even though Rocky likes to roam (he’s been known to stroll four miles away) but he always comes back home. He’s also been known to visit other houses in the neighborhood.

He is well known in the business district where he lives and works and has lots of fans who are always happy to offer him daily treats.

Rocky has made his home at the brewery and surrounding businesses for 13 years and all the humans there consider him family.

This Friendly Neighborhood “Cat Whisperer” Steals The Heart Of Every Feline He Meets.

We felines know a good human when we meet one and the cats in Chris Watson’s neighborhood know he’s a good human which has earned him the title of “Cat Whisperer”.

Christ takes a 2-mile walk around his neighborhood regularly and he takes notes of the felines in his neighborhood and has nicknames for each one. Sometimes he even gets to know their humans.

When Chris began taking videos of his daily feline encounters and posting them to TikTok (@catluminati) they went viral. One of his videos got 100,000 views but when you watch his videos you can understand why. Whether it’s stray cats or pampered house cats, the majority of them seem to love him.

Chris began doing research on cats, learning that when his new feline friends turned over on their backs and offered their bellies to pet, it meant complete trust.

People who watch Chris’ videos say that his kindness and love make their lives a little happier. . For Chris, his walks and the video captures of them help him connect with his community, both animal and human, while also fulfills his larger personal mission to bond with his neighbors.

“Sometimes we just have to love each other unconditionally and not be so afraid of each other and actually communicate with each other,” Chris said.

We give Chris a big paws up as one fabulous neighbor!