Hi There Furiends,
Jasmine here. I am talking to you about this important day because I’ve been seeing quite of bit of the folks in white coats the last few weeks. Even though The Female Human takes us all to that place every year for wellness exams, sometimes things still happen. In my case I became very sick and was diagnosed with kidney disease. The Humans are giving me sub-cutaneous fluid every other day and antibiotics and I am beginning to feel better and am putting on a little weight.
You say, when you go to the vet for regular wellness visits they have information that makes it easier to diagnose you and to help you. Even though I’m a lady kitty a bit advanced in years, my vet, and yours, can help you to be your most healthy self. Please make at least a yearly wellness visit to your vet!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Hi There Furiends,
It’s Wednesday again and I’m bringing you the best of my web wanderings of the week. I hope you enjoy this week’s finds.
Purrs & Head Bonks
Frankly, this feline is a bit weary of hearing offices tout the fact that they are “dog friendly”. What about feline friendly?! Why are humans with felines in residence discriminated against? When I saw this feature I was quite the happy kitty as this company, APPNeta located in Boston, MA has a corner dedicated to the four-legged kids of the employees complete with toys, food and a soft cushion. This all sounds great but this feline had a hard time finding any evidence that cats are welcome there (I found one photo of a little dog running around). There is no cat tree, no litter box and the toys look distinctly canine. I made our Purrsonal Assistant try to blow up the photos on the board to see if any cats were featured but she couldn’t get a clear enough look. So, although they say cats are welcome, I cannot guarantee that felines actually go to work there. If any of my readers are in the Boston area or know about this company, I’d love to know if cats are really welcome. Conclusion, it’s a great idea but is it really hosting cats?
While we’re on the subject of humans finally thinking outside the box when it comes to felines, this is a great example. I cam across this article about Southeast Missouri State University allowing students to bring their feline (oh yeah, and canine) friends to college. They have a special dorm that is pet friendly for this one year pilot program. Pet owning students are already applying for the program. Now don’t despair human students if you don’t live in Missouri. I also found a list of the 25 most pet friendly colleges. Two paws up to these forward thinking humans!
Now let me just say that this photo does not make me want to jump into one of those hangy things and truth be told, that feline isn’t looking over the moon about this idea.
Veterinarian Dr. Uri Burstyn has a series of videos on handling cats on YouTube under his secondary identity as the Helpful Vancouver Vet. And wouldn’t you know, one of the most frequent questions he gets is from humans asking if it’s okay to hold their felines like babies. In other words, flipping the feline over on it’s back. The short answer is maybe, it depends on the cat and your relationship with said cat.
I like how the writer of the article put it, “The reason you can’t just grab any cat baby-style is obviously because you’re turning the pointy ends towards your face, and a cat that doesn’t like this position or who is easily started will use your face as a ladder to escape. “. And as if it isn’t enough for you humans to hold us like babies you also seem to want to insert in contraptions that are made to carry babies. As regards the photo on the top I say “No way!” The slingy-side thing might work. The Tribe of Five is still discussing the issue. What do you think my feline friends? Do you like to be held baby style?
The 8 Best Toys for Cats Home Alone – Bustle
If your humans leave the house to go to the place they call “work” so that they can buy you fancy food, treats and toys then these items are for you. We all know that when that front door shuts, there is a long time before you get any cuddles, treats, or ear scratches. So what’s a cat to do? Well we don’t sleep all day so our humans would be smart to find us some toys that will make the time pass more quickly.
I liked the tunnel and the activity toys but there is one they didn’t mention that we have at our house and that’s the battery operated red dot machine. Do you have a favorite toy that helps you pass the time until your humans return home?
This is a great story on so many levels. First and foremost, this cat is a formal feral who had a hard life until she was adopted. This is what the author says, “Last year, I took in a six-year-old feral cat with three teeth and mouth herpes. We named her FatFace, and she has become the center of my universe.” It’s a love story.
It’s also a realistic adventure story as the author chronicles Fat Face’s long journey from it’s shaky beginning to the end when Fat Face hung out on the center console and watched the world go by.
Finally, it’s a “how to” of you are contemplating a long car adventure with your humans. All in all a great story!
Hello There,
I’m doing the Friendly Fill Ins this week and hope you enjoy my answers. This is a blog tour so you can hop on over to the host’s sites, 15 And Meowing or Four Legged Fur Balls to enter. If you prefer, you can opine about your answers in the comment section of this post.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Here are this Week’s Questions:
1. I am going_________________.
2. I want to be more ______________.
3. Once in a blue moon, I _________.
4. I have a large collection of _________.0
Here are My Answers:
1. I am going to be more creative in the sleeping positions I choose. Here are some of my “greatest hits”
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2. I want to be more assertive when it comes to fighting for a spot in a box. Oliver seems to be taking over the box supply. I think I’m too polite.
3. Once in a blue moon, Ihave to have a serious discussion with our Purrsonal Assistant about her job purrformance.
Need I remind you that “Walk Through The Web Wednesday” needs to actually be published on Wednesday?
4. I have a large collection oftoys and I still can’t find anything to play with.
Hi There Folks,
Since I am the only Tribe of Five member who could even come close to qualifying as a black cat (or almost black cat) I am posting about some amazing black cats of Instagram. The Tribe did have a black cat named Buster who went over the Rainbow Bridge and he was quite the gent. I sent our purrsonal assistant out to find some pawsome black cat photos at #blackcatsofinstagram. So put your paws together and celebrate our inky feline furiends!
Purrs & Head Bonks,
Hello There Furiends,
Lily here. I am purrticipating in Brian’s Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. I am very thankful that The Humans have reserved a special room just for me. It has a great view to the garden below and a nice fan over the bed for hot days. I often hang out there and just think about things. You know, the important stuff cats think of like how long ’till dinner, when will The Female Human break out the catnip again or when will the next empty box arrive?”
I don’t understand though, why they call my room the “Guest Room”. Why don’t they just call it “Lily’s Room” and if any of those so called guests show up, just tell them they will be staying in Lily’s room!
So I was just minding my own business downstairs and I looked out and WHOA, what did I see?
Hey, I better get over there and see who this dude is, he’s certainly not part of our tribe.
Hi there. My name is Lily. What’s your name. Oh, and I don’t think you want to be in the woods in our back yard, there are raccoons, skunks and even bears sometime. I see you have a collar on so I suggest you skedaddle back home my furiend. Nice to meet you though.
Happy Wednesday My Furiends,
I don’t know what Wednesday means to you but at our house it means the humans in the big noisy truck come by our driveway, grab the green and the blue things The Humans keep in the garage and dump the contents into the truck. The Tribe of Five have pondered this weekly ritual and can only surmise it is some sort of human kitty litter cleaning exercise. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these little gems I found in my weekly purrusal of the web.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
I am a great mewsic fan which is why this news story resonated with me. A songwriter in Nashville, Chris Gantry, leaves his house at 3a.m. to feed stray cats in his old neighborhood. He wants to bring attention to the growing stray cat population and raise awareness for these feral felines. He even wrote a song about it. He is a staunch supporter for TNR (trapping, neutering, and releasing stray cats) that have been on the streets their entire lives. He works with Metro Animal Care and Control with his TNR efforts.
He knows all his feral furiends but is especially close to a black cat called Midnight, who is the only feral not afraid to show herself to him in the day light. He calls her the Queen of Belmont. He calls Midnight a fierce, beautiful young black cat.
Before Gantry could trap her and get her spayed, she had one litter of kittens and Gantry took them to get neutered and adopted. He says of Midnight, “This cat is wild. She would never let anybody touch her accept me. Unfortunately, that’s the tough part.”
Two paws up for Chris Gantry and his work for feral cats!
Whenever you humans come up with a creative idea to help homeless kitties, I say “Bravo”. There is a lady in Milpitas, California doing just that. Instead of euthanizing feral felines, they’re gently coaxed to trust humans and to become loving house or yard pets.
Lorrie Sprain works in administration at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. But she focuses a lot of her attention in a garden just a few feet away. It’s called the Marilyn & Fred Anderson Community Cat Garden, a fenced in area which feral cats call home.
This lady is a real life cat whisperer who talks lovingly and softly to the new kitties who arrive at the garden, gradually winning their trust and calming them down. She says, “”You have to have patience, and you can get them to come out and eventually you can pet them.” The process can take a month but the rewards are great. This program has adopted out 260 felines.
Many feral cats taken to shelters are given a death sentence and this program gives them the second chance they deserve.
The community cat garden has been so successful, the Humane Society of Silicon Valley has gotten additional funding to expand it from a current capacity of about 12 to 24.
Bravo, purrs, head bonks and two paws up for this innovative program!
Dr. Uri Burstyn has created a YouTube video that gives you humans some insight into naming us felines. The doctor explains that we felines have ears that are fine tuned to hear high pitched noises. He uses his cat Lancelot as an example. Lancelot doesn’t really respond to his name but if he hears “Lan-CEY!” he does pay attention.
Now this makes me wonder if this is why The Humans have nicknames for all of us. Maybe they instinctively figured out that we respond to some names and not others. For instance, Tucker is often referred to as “Tuck-EEE” and Jasmine is “Jaz-EEE”. Lily is often called Lily Bug or Bug but based on this doctor’s premise, The Humans should just call her “Lil-EEE”. Oliver is “Oll-EEE” bat sadly, I am referred to as “Alberto or Al”. Purrhaps it’s time The Humans gave me a new nickname!
Once again our friends across the pond have something new and exciting for felines (and actually their humans as well). A new TV show is asking folks to send in information about their crazy cats. The call out from Athena Films, reads “We are on the lookout for crazy moggies for new series on when cats attack!
As hard as you many find it to believe, some of us do exhibit behavior that makes life with us a little difficult. You know, stuff like having to wear gloves and body armor to clip nails or needing an extra hour to get your furry family member into a carrier for that visit to the place with white coats. I certainly hope they will be offering advice and help to both the humans and the felines!
Aberdeen University’s favourite feline, Buttons, has been voted one of Europe’s cutest cats in an international ranking of campus animals. Buttons is a white tomcat and is a celebrity on campus, known to spend most of his time near the philosophy department.
Study.Eu, which offers information on English-taught study programmes in Europe, chose the puss based on his “political ambitions”. Earlier this year Buttons was nominated by students to become the university’s new rector, a position once held by Sir Winston Churchill.
His supporters claimed that since the cat was “apolitical” and “fluffy,” he would have been the “ideal candidate”. Sadly, Buttons did not win the seat but remained in good spirits after the loss.
Hey Furiends,
It’s Friday! Now I know that this day is one of great delight to humans who leave their felines at home and go to that place called “work” but for us cats, it’s just another day, As far as we are concerned, every day is Caturday. I’m doing this week’s fill ins and I hope you enjoy my answers. You can purrticipate by heading over to the hosts, 15andmeowing or Four Legged Fur Balls and join the blog hop. You are always welcome to opine about your fill in answers in the comment section of this blog post too.
Purrs & Head Bonks,
This Week’s Questions:
1. I have faith in ________________.
2. Yesterday, I ____________________.
3. My favorite place to be is _________.
4. If I was granted one wish, it would be _________.
Here Are My Answers:
1. I have faith in God. He created all the animals and I think He did a heck of a good job of it. I mean, look at me. As I said in our book about Psalm 104:24-25:
“God did indeed create a variety of creatures and every morning when the female human fills the bird feeder, I see them, large and small. I wonder if all kitties get to see so much of God’s creation. Do you humans appreciate God’s creation as much as I do? Maybe you need to find a wide window ledge to stretch out on and enjoy the wonder of what God has made.”
2. Yesterday, Ispent a great deal of time attending to my luxurious and immaculately white fur. Looking this good takes a lot of work!
3. My favorite place to be isanywhere there is sun or warmth. Even in the summer I like to find a warm, sunny spot.
4. If I was granted one wish, it would bethat every kitty would find a furever home! Alberto and I as well as the rest of The Tribe were adopted. These are our kitten pictures from our Adopt a Cat Month post.
Hello Furiends,
We just had a pawsome time over at Deziz World and Dezi and Raena had some very nice things to say about our book. Here’s a look at what we were up to. You should hop on over and join in the fun.
Hello My Furiends,
Meong, לילל, miyavlamak, mjau, Μιάου. Why am I meowing at you in Indonesian, Hebrew, Azerbaijani, Swedish and Greek? Well, because it’s International Cat Day today, of course! In honor of this impurrtant holiday I’ll be featuring stories from around the world that celebrate our feline holiday.
If we’re going to highlight International cat related news items, we must highlight posh feline accommodations across the pond. If any of my feline furiends are planning to travel to the UK, posh digs are a must. Make sure your humans book you into one of the Longcroft Cat Hotels. Rooms are temperature controlled and sound proofed and, if you travel with a kitty buddy, there are double rooms. Order off the a la cat menu which offers plates of slow cooked chicken, salmon and king prawns on bone china, and be sure to book a staff member, trained by vets, to give you a “relaxing paw massages”. I say the humans in the US need to think about opening hotels like this!
If you’re traveling to Japan, you don’t want to miss the Lucky Cat Temple in Tokyo. The Gotokuji temple has long attracted spiritual visitors with its thousands of figurines of beckoning white cats, thought to bring good luck. Lately, another group of visitors have been visiting, : Instagrammers.
One visitor said, “I actually Googled ‘Instagram spots Tokyo’. This was named one of the most ‘Instagrammable spots.'” Don’t forget to put this on your itinerary if your travels take you to Tokyo and make sure your human snaps a shot of you sitting next to one of the statues with one paw up.
Just when you thought you knew everything about cat breeds….these photos come out. The pictures of these majestic felines are amazing and the information about them is even more interesting. Did you know that it’s considered good fortune if a Japanese Bobtail crosses your path? And there is a breed of cat from Turkey that is indigenous to the Lake Van region of Eastern Turkey, These cats are snow-white and is said to be one of the oldest domestic breeds in the world. And then there’s my majestic friend in the photo, the Siberian cat. These felines are rugged and their thick, luxurious coat allows them to thrive in the subartic climate of Russia. Russian fairy tales depict this cat as magical creatures who protect children. No offense to my Siberian cat friends but IMHO all us felines are magical creatures!
We felines were famous long before the internet was invented and were a part of the ancient human world. A DNA study went back thousands of years and found evidence of two major dispersals from the Middle East, in which people evidently took cats with them. Genetic signatures the felines had on those journeys are still seen in most modern-day breeds. Researchers analyzed DNA from 209 ancient cats as old as 9,000 years from Europe, Africa and Asia, including some ancient Egyptian cat mummies.
With our ancient and proud heritage, I think you humans should show us a little more respect!
For my final world-wide cat article, we’re hopping over to Mumbai, India. Many feline fashionistas think Karl Lagerfeld, who made his kitty Choupette into a style icon is the cat’s meow of feline fashion but there are other designers that can qualify. We cats have inspired kitten heels, catwalks and much more. Designer Aniket Satam, from Mumbai says, “Cat fashion is about unabashedly celebrating the love for this feline divinity. Embrace the diva-like quality that comes with the feline species. They have always been these mystical creatures who are so intriguing. Felines have this star-like quality that appeals to me the most,” And to that I say an enthusiastic “Meow!”
I like how the writer of the article put it, “The reason you can’t just grab any cat baby-style is obviously because you’re turning the pointy ends towards your face, and a cat that doesn’t like this position or who is easily started will use your face as a ladder to escape. “. And as if it isn’t enough for you humans to hold us like babies you also seem to want to insert in contraptions that are made to carry babies. As regards the photo on the top I say “No way!” The slingy-side thing might work. The Tribe of Five is still discussing the issue. What do you think my feline friends? Do you like to be held baby style?
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