Walking on Thursday

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Hello Furiends,
The life of blogging felines sometimes gets complicated and we find ourselves running a day behind on our schedule. We cannot fault our Purrsonal Assistant as we have been working her hard to finish our first mystery novel and she was busy with the launch yesterday of Chicken Soup For the Soul, Lessons Learned from My Cat in which she has a story on page 175 called, Miss P. and the Turkey. Yep yet another story about Angel Miss P! This is the second time The Human has been published in a Chicken Soup book!

Here’s a press release for the book:

101 Lessons Learned from Our Cats

A New Chicken Soup for the Soul Collection Explores that Magical Human–Animal Bond Royalties from Book Sales to Benefit American Humane

COS COB, Conn. – We learn so much from our feline friends, and along the way they keep us company, provide unconditional love, and share in the ups and downs of our lives. What do we learn from them? Everything. Our cats make us better people. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we’re sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how. They are our therapists, our role models, and our best friends.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Cat (February 14, 2023, 978-1-611590999, $16.95) will have cat fans laughing, tearing up, and nodding their heads in recognition as they dive into these 101 touching, inspiring, and sometimes mindboggling stories about all the ways in which cats enrich our lives, become part of our families, and make us better people.

“It’s remarkable how much cats add to their human family members’ lives,” says Amy Newmark, publisher and editor-in-chief of Chicken Soup for the Soul. “Our writers report on how their cats helped them improve their relationships, acted as natural therapists, and showed them how to overcome their own challenges. They learned how to be better people through the examples of their cats’ loyalty, intuition, resilience, and kindness.”

Chicken Soup for the Soul is donating royalties from the book to American Humane, along with the royalties from its other new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Dog. This is the seventh pair of books about cats and dogs that Chicken Soup for the Soul has published with royalties earmarked for American Humane. This effort is part of the company’s widespread support for animal shelters and pet adoption, including the donation of Chicken Soup for the Soul pet food and books to shelters across the country.

In keeping with Chicken Soup for the Soul’s support for pet adoption and shelters, the 101 stories chosen for the book from thousands of submissions are not only inspirational and fun, but also feature rescued cats, including black cats and senior cats, the categories of cats that are often left behind at shelters. It’s part of Chicken Soup for the Soul’s mission to make people think “shelter first” when they’re considering adding a new pet to their families.

101 inspiring stories about amazing cats—and support for a great cause. It’s the perfect recipe for a warm, winter dose of chicken soup.

Chicken soup for the soul

And now, since we’re a little behind, we thought we’d share our Valentine’s Day images from yesterday. Please come back and visit us tomorrow to enjoy our news items about the wild and wacky world of felines.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday

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Hello Furiends!

I hope everything is great in our neck of the woods but I know many of you are suffering with bad weather and we’re also purraying for our furiends in Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquakes.. I’ve reported on the cat-friendly folks in Turkey and we are devastated by the loss of so many lives in those countries.

The beginning of a new month is always exciting as we look at all the monthly, weekly and daily holidays are celebrated. Here are a few we like and we hope you’ll enjoy them tool

It’s National Hot Breakfast Month. I urge you to celebrate every morning and don’t forget the bacon!

It’s National Pet Dental Health Month and this kitty is here to tell you, your humans need to keep an eye on your teeth! The Human took us for teeth cleaning and I had to have a tooth extracted (Oliver had three taken out)! It wasn’t fun but we feel so much better. Take care of your fangs!!

Oh my whiskers, this is a holiday I love to celebrate! National Pizza Day is coming up tomorrow (Feb. 9) so make sure your humans are celebrating (and sharing)! And get this, some places will even give you free or big discounts on pizza.

What better holiday for elegant, graceful felines to celebrate? World Ballet Day is February 7.
““Elegance wanted body and life, which is why it turned into a cat.”
– William IX, Duque of Aquitaine.

We hope you enjoyed our holiday celebrations and now, on to the news!

Sometimes you have to take initiative to get the job

You humans who are seeking employment could take a page from Buster’s book. Be bold, be persistant and be adorable! Follow Buster and all his adventures on Instagram: http://thedo.do/buster_and_brothers, and TikTok: http://thedo.do/Buster_and_brothers.

Cat’s job has him living in the worst weather but he isn’t bothered

This one is for all my fireplace loving, heat seeking furry furiends. This working cat Nimbus lives 6,288 feet above sea level at Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. This is one of the coldest places in the United States, with a historic storm raging last week that had winds whipping up to 120 mph and the thermometer dropping far below -32 Fahrenheit. Fortunately, the job of the feline in residence, Nimbus,  is indoor morale booster for the human scientists who live with him and who have to deal with the brutal weather outside.

Meteorologist Francis Tarasiewciz said Nimbus slept through most of the storm unlike Tarasiewciz who had to get hourly readings in the extreme cold. Tarasiewcz and the other observers, spend a week at a time at the 91-year-old mountaintop observatory that, in 1934, recorded a wind gust of 231 mph, which as a world record for decades.

Cats have been a part of the observatory family since its founding in 1932. Marty,  the observatory cat passed in late 2020. A search for a new observatory cat was launched with the help of the Conway Area Humane Society (CAHS). The summit cat is a special part of the living environment on the summit, and the feline presence makes the place feel more like a home during the week-long shifts.     

Nimbus sailed through the job interview, competing with three other cats from CAHS.  The gray coated feline’s name was inspired by the large gray clouds that bring precipitation. Nimbus was officially installed in  his job at the Observatory on April 14, 2021. He is described as a friendly, chatty cat.

Fancy Feast Creates ‘Cuddle Collection’ for People Spending Valentine’s Day with Their Cats

I don’t know about your humans, but ours does not have what she refers to as a “significant other” in her life at the moment (human that is). She will be enjoying some time with Oliver, Lily and I and she knows a number of people who will also be celebrating with their felines.

Purina recently did a survey that showed that 1 in 5 cat parents prefer to spend Valentine’s Day with their felines over their significant others. This is why the good folks at Purina created the Cuddle Collection as it gives all those humans who share their hearts and homes with felines something special designed to “celebrate the special bond between cats and their owners and give cat lovers a way to show their cats just how much they mean to them.

This feline says get your Cuddle Collection, available now at FancyFeast.com/cuddle, right meow!

Nissan’s “Knock,Knock” campaign designed to save felines

Once again, those wonderful, feline loving folks in Japan are looking out for cats. Japan’s recent spate of snow and freezing temperatures has forced the nation’s feline inhabitants to seek shelter. Unfortunately, some folks find cats hiding under the hoods and the tires of their cars, sometimes after it’s too late.

Japanese carmaker Nissan hopes its new campaign will save those lives. Tokyo officials say there are as many as 60,000 stray cats in the city, and cats hiding in and around cars is not a new problem. The Japan Automobile Federation launched a similar campaign a few years ago encouraging drivers to knock on the hoods of their cars, but the trend never caught on.

Now Nissan is ramping up the message in order to save cats.  “There are lives that can be saved with a bit of consideration,” is the message on the campaign website. Nissan’s new campaign encourages drivers to share information about the campaign on social media and to place a campaign bumper sticker on their car.  Two paws up Nissan!

When life gives you cats, make a Cat Camp

More than 50 cats have been dumped at an outdoor park in Texas. These cats wouldn’t have been able to survive on their own but Wesley Felts have taken on the cause of these felines and visits the outdoor Texas Park on a daily basis to feed and bring housing.

Felts says, “If I had my choice, I’d want each and every one of them to have a good home,” adding that very few animal shelters in the area will take in cats.

Since he’s started caring for the now 55 cats in the encampment, he’s taken three home with him.

During the arctic blast that hit parts of Texas in late December, residents in the area expressed concern over the cats’ wellbeing. “Feeling concerned for all the cats at Bailey’s this weekend,” one person wrote in a local Facebook group called “Let’s Make Bailey’s Great Again!”

Felts reassured her in the comments the cats were safe with shelters, blankets and hay, later adding that all the cats survived the freezing weather.

These cats have been dumped by people at the park and local experts are suggesting to anyone who finds a stray cat take it to a shelter. If that’s not possible, people should contact local animal control. Laying out some type of shelter and cat food is also okay. There are also trap-neuter-release programs that can be notified, which take cats from the wild, give them basic medical care, and stop future generations from growing up wild.

The recreational area where the cat camps are located is in Orange County near Beaumont. We hope Mr. Felts will find some shelters to take the cats and that local TNR people will help too.      

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 2/1

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Happy February Furiends!

I hope all is good in your neck of the woods. It’s been C-O-L-D in our neck of the woods! Today the temperature climbed up to a balmy 15 degrees Fahrenheit!

Since it’s a new month, Oliver, Lily and I decided to celebrate some of the occasions that are celebrated in the month of February. Enjoy andn don’t forget to celebrate!

Oliver is less than enthusiastic that February is National Bird Feeding Month.

Lily wants to remind all her furiends to get their fangs checked during National Pet Dental Health Month.

As for me, I’m looking to celebrating National Hot Breakfast Month every day!

Date night is purrfect in San Diego

Date night has been made so much better for folks in San Diego. Whiskers and Wine may be the only full restaurant, bar and cat rescue in the country. For a $30.00 fee you can have the attendance of some meowvelous felines while you enjoy a delicious dinner and some cocktails like a Whisky Meower. Whiskers and Wine is a hit and, since it’s opening in August 2022, has helped 80 cats get adopted. And, if you visit them on Saturday or Sunday mornings, you can purrticipate in yoga with cats. .Be sure and watch the video of this great place!

Fighting or Play Fighting? Scientists study why cat’s wrestle with each other

The Human often gets frustrated with my brofur Oliver and I when we suddenly go after each oither. She can’t tell if we’re really fighting or play fighting.  Evedintely sh e’s not the only human who wonders about this.  A new study published in Scientific Reports has investigated play and fighting in cats.

The scientists used observation to see if they could figure out this conundrum.  The study, led by Noema Gajdoš-Kmecová from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Slovakia and from the University of Lincoln, UK, analyzed 105 videos of interactions between 210 cats to find the answer.

After they purrused the videos, the research team then developed an ethogram – a list of specific behaviors and those were put into six groups:

  • Inactive: head and body motionless and in specific position, for example crouching
  • Wrestling: cats in physical contact with wrestling movements
  • Chasing: one cat runs in pursuit or another cat runs away
  • Other interactive activities: for example grooming, approaching, raised fur on back
  • Non-interactive: activity directed towards themselves or an inanimate object, for example drinking, self-licking
  • Vocalization: for example growl, hiss, meow

They went back and watched the videos again to identify which of their discovered behaviors were shown in the cats. Each interaction was then analyzed statistically to work out which behaviors appeared together in clusters.

They then separated the videos into three categories of interactions.

  • 1-Playful: included 40% of cats from the videos and included wrestling and a lack of vocalizing.
  • 2-Agonistic: agonistic behaviors (any social behaviors that include threatening, aggression, and submission). Cats in this group vocalized and had recurring bouts of inactivity; 32% of cats from the sample landed in this group.
  • 3-Intermediate: this group included 28% of cats and was more closely associated with the playful group than the agonistic group. Cats in this group interacted for prolonged periods with pauses in between.

The scientists also had cat behaviorists review the videos and their conclusions.  From their observations, the professionals provided some tips.

  • If your cats are wrestling,  they’re probably playing. Normally, when there is friction between cats in a multi-cat household, they tend to avoid physical contact. Instead, they’ll use offensive or defensive maneuvers that don’t involve extended direct contact, such as slapping. This is true with our Lily. She’ll walk by Oliver or I and give us a big whacky paw for no reason, and then she strolls off.
  • If your cats are vocalizing, and chasing between periods of inactivity (such as crouching), they are most likely fighting. Vocalization is an especially important clue here to an aggressive rather than playful interaction. Chasing is OK if it’s mutual, but if one cat is chasing or one cat is running away, that’s not so positive.
  • The intermediate group is the tricky one. It contains elements of both playful and agonistic behaviors, though but more closely related to the playful than the agonistic group. This suggests play could become agonistic, depending on what happens during the interaction.
  • In particular, the authors observed frequent breaks within the interaction, which may allow cats to reassess their partner’s interest in playing and avoid escalation from play to aggression.

This study is the first to apply a scientific approach to cat behaviors anybody can identify, describing three types of interactions to help identify between play and fighting in cats.

It’s pretty easy for humans to figure out when cats are really fighting but this study helps in working out what’s happening when it doesn’t appear to be a real cat fight.

It’s also important to understand the relationship between cats. If they are buddies, share food and for the most part friendly with each other, you can let them have a little antagonistic play without worrying.

Everyone has that one coworker…

After watching this video, I can’t believe that anyone would complain about this wonderful employee!

Vikings Helped Cats Conquer the World

Oliver the Great Viking

This feline loves to learn about the history of my ancestors. This article is about how . Vikings prized cats for two reasons: their rodent-hunting abilities and their coats. In other words, when felines started slacking on the mousing, they faced transformation into a cape or a coat. (Note, this was NOT part of the history I enjoyed!)

As felines traveled on the conquering Viking ships as they pillaged and murdered their way through the British Isles, Iceland, Europe, Greenland and North America many found homes in these new places. (Perhaps if they knew they were in danger of becoming a coat, some of them jumped ship!)

It’s a bit hard to picture these violent people with pets but it’s true, they purrfered cats!

And how did the fabulous feline get to Scandinavia you ask? Recent examination of feline DNA from archaeological sites dating to 15,000 to 2,700 years ago suggests the ancestors of today’s cats expanded across the world during two distinct periods, separated by millennia. The first migration event saw them move from the Middle East into the Mediterranean. There, local farmers welcomed our ancestors, pleased to have effective rodent-control services in their fields and crop storehouses.

Still, even this cat knows that the Mediterranean is a long way off from Northern Europe, Archaeologists say that happened thousands of years later and began in Egypt. At this point, seafarers knew the value of felines in keeping from setting up shop on their ships. Some of these sailors were Vikings   This was discovered in a Nordic site in Germany where scientists discovered cat DNA resembling that of ancient Egyptian felines.

 That second wave of cat migration began around 1700 B.C. and picked up significant speed by the A.D. 400s. This conclusion was reached after reseearchers worked with animal bones from the Bronze age to the 1600’s.

Perhaps the most fascinating insight discovered by the researchers was the physiological transformation felines underwent over the centuries. Typically, when animals get domesticated, they shrink in size. For example, the average dog is about one-quarter smaller than its wolf ancestors.

When it comes to felines, however, DNA shows something altogether surprising. Instead of getting smaller, “domestication” caused cats to balloon. (I resemble that remark!) We know that the Egyptians treated us as gods and that the Vikings fed us very well!  Thankfully that tradition continues today!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/25

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Happy Wednesday Furiends!

We’re excited here in our neck of the woods as The Human received her advance copies of the new Chicken Soup Book, “Lessons Learned from My Cat” Her story is on page 175 and is called “Miss P. and the Turkey”. Yes, another story about our Angel Miss P. I mean what about me, Oliver and Lily?! She just had a story about Miss P. published in October in The Cat and The Christmas Tree. Sheesh! But I do have to say, both books are great and they feature excellent authors (some are our Cat Writer’s Association furiends!)

siamese cat in box of books
“Hey, where are the stories about US?!”

The Human assures me that the mystery she is writing that features Oliver and I is almost done so I’ll stop meowing about our lack of representation until the book comes out. We shall see.

Our local moose (and I mean moose plural) are strolling around town again. The Human was on her way to church when she spotted this young fellow meandering down the street. She said to forgive the poor quality of the photo but she was driving and you don’t want to stop next to a big moose (they have bad tempers).

Lily was not in the mood for photos (I think she’s miffed that she’s not in The Human’s new mystery) so we have no photos to share of Lily this week. Oliver, on the other hand has been meowing about being ready for winter to be over and for a walk in the garden. In this photo The Human is telling him for the millionth time that these are silk flowers and they don’t smell.

Well, that’s it for our news, I hope all the news in your neck of the woods is wonderful!

Secret Door Reveals Cat’s Amazing Bedroom After Closet Transformation

The Human is quite fond of DIY projects and I must say, I’m a bit disappointed that she hasn’t tried this one.

One lucky feline’s humans went DIY above and beyond  and thousands of TikTok users and their felines are jealous.

Stella the cat’s video of her new, custom home has been viewed more than 3 million times. The magic of this project is that from the outside, her home looks like a bookcase but once you open the door, voila!

The gorgeous place includes cat themed wallpaper, scratching posts and a little screen in front of Stella’s bed so she has privacy.

If you’re looking to be inspired head on over and watch the viral video and I hope all you humans will be inspired to create a room every fabulous feline deserves!

Klepto cats steal almost anything, including a hamster!

You wouldn’t think a church minister could stir such ire but angry neighbors are demanding that she keep her thieving felines inside. The ill-gotten goods include a little girl’s ballet shoes, a dress and even a pet hamster.

Julie King,from Redmond, Oregon began to notice her cat’s thieving behaviors about two years ago. She collected all the purrloined goods, put it in a sack and put it on her neighbor’s doorstep.

It soon became clear however, that the cats weren’t just robbing the next door neighbor when two pink dance slippers showed up on her lawn on different days. The next door neighbor didn’t have a little girl. It appeared that these two cat burglars were expanding the boundaries of their crime spree.

After collecting the felines’ latest booty, Julie posted in a local Facebook group with photos and the stolen items and a promise to return the items to their owners.

Unfortunately, not everyone was amused by Catti and Cali’s escapades and some demanded that the cats be kept inside.

King said, “Most people are very good natured about it. My cats are definitely all indoor and outdoor. I have asked people that if they catch my cats in the house to please not hurt them. ‘These people must leave their windows or doors open for the cats to get in.. I don’t believe all this stuff was outside. In reference to the complaints she’d receive, she said, ‘I’m saying to people close your windows.’

This feline thinks it’s a bit of hubris to expect people to keep their windows closed to keep out thieving felines and I also worry a bit about the safety of these roaming cats. I would agree that they must be getting into people’s homes as I don’t think they encountered a wild hamster wandering around the neighborhood.

Shelter cat who went viral thanks to ‘sad and depressed’ photo is now helping other cats get adopted

I reported on a sad looking cat named Fishtopher in my November 30 Walk Through the Web Wednesday series. His original adoption photo is above.   As I noted, Fishtopher found a wonderful furever home and now he and his humans are giving back to other kitties.

A happy Fishtopher in his new home.

They parlayed his social media fame that garnered him 80,000 followers since Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center shared an image of him on petfinder.

Fishtopher was adopted and moved into his new home in Baltimore, Maryland on Thanksgiving day and since his adoption day,  he keeps in touch with all his Twitter fans (@mrfishtopher ) and posts photos and information about other cats that need a furever home. When any of these cats are adopted, the humans tag “Fishtopher the Cat” on his twitter page to announce that the feline has a furever home.

If you need some pawsitive news, I recommend you read some of these happy reports on Fishtopher’s Twitter feed.

It’s good news when a cat finds his furever home but it’s FANTASTIC news when that cat helps other cats find furever homes. Two paws up to Fishtopher and his humans!

YouTubes Top 10 Cat Videos of All Time

I don’t know that guy who put this video together and not sure what his criteria was to name these the top 10 videos but IMHO any cat video is a great video!

Cat and Cow are Besties

Major the cat and Daisy the cow have bonded and are best furiends. They regularly meet for cuddles in the morning.

A video of these two was first shared on social media social media by Brian, a student who lives with his mom in the countryside of Kenya.

The cat and cow have an adorable friendship and they regularly meet for cuddles in the morning

One morning, when he was milking, he shot the video, posted it to Reddit under the handle Weekly-Cycle-9405, and it’s earned over 20,000 upvotes which just goes to show you that people love a story of true furiendship.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/18

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Happy Wednesday Furiends!

I hope that things in your neck of the woods are going well. We had a bit of a mishap here when The Human received our kibble order (weight management, salmon flavor, 10 pounds for $57.00) -yes we know it’s expensive but we’re worth it! Anyway, as we danced around the empty kibble bowls we quickly realized that the company had made some changes to our food…AND THEY DIDN’T ADVISE US IN ADVANCE! Oliver and I were horrified and showed our disdain for this different tasting food by scratching next to the bowl and walking away. Can you believe The Human did not replace this food and keeps pouring it in our bowls every morning? The nerve! This is my expression of disapproval.

Oliver figured he’d look for something else to eat and decided to bug The Human as she ate her “keto” ice cream. Little did Oliver know that she wasn’t eating some sugary, creamy rich dessert. Good grief Human, why bother??

“Okay, let’s have a treat!”
“:Yuk, never mind!”

Lily was feeling a bit dramatic and asked The Human to take some photos of her with a little drama. We all decided The Human needs to spring for a purrfessional as her photography skills are wanting.

“I look a little washed out here.”
“Where’s the focus? Where’s the drama?”

I hope your eating and photography endeavors were more successful than ours! And now it’s time for the best of the feline news on the web!

Look inside the strange and wonderful “Mewseum” of cats within this fellow’s home

Shawn Redner from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin scours second-hand and antique shops for cat statues. Now he and his wife have thousands of  cat figurines. So many in fact, that they’re now on display at their Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum where people can visit. They ask for donations and 100% of those donations are given to feline rescues. So far they’ve been able to donate $3,000.00.

Paws up to this couple who turned a hobby into a good deed and head bonks to them for having 10 adopted felines in their home.

Vietnam goes feline for the Year of the Cat

2023 is the Year of The Cat and, if you want to be somewhere where they really celebrate, we recommend Vietnam. There are cat statues going up all over the country and most of them are HUGE!

Meowza, make sure you click on the link and see all the amazing kitty statues!

Cats’ ability to land on their feet could help humans walk better after spinal cord injuries

We talented felines contribute so much to society and here’s just one more thing. The University of Sherbrooke has been conducting studies on our ability to turn in mid air and land on our feet to see if there are hints as to how to help humans steady themselves.

Professor Alain Frigon and his colleague conducted research to see if there was something they could learn to help seniors whose sense of balance is becoming more precarious.

Frigon said that although humans “have a much more sensitive, much more important control of balance” than quadrupeds, the circuitry as such” remains the same.

“It’s just that there are additional mechanisms” in humans, said Frigon, whose laboratory is interested in gait control and the basic principles of gait recovery after spinal cord injuries, among other things, by trying to unlock the secrets of the central nervous system.

In collaboration with researchers from the American universities Georgia Tech and Drexel, Frigon wanted to better understand how somatosensory feedback allows the cat to coordinate the movement of its four legs.

Such work could one day lead, to the development of electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to facilitate somatosensory feedback, and, thus, walking.

Meowza, how cool is it that by studying the agility of felines science could help humans walk better?

Man Lures Cats Into Photoshoots Using Catnip and the Results Are ‘Genius

A photographer has been hailed as a “genius” online by cat lovers who are impressed with his tactics for capturing images.

Nils Jacobi sprayed catnip all over his glass dining-room table before getting underneath with his camera to snap the cats in action. Fritz, 14, Kleine, 10, Frederic, and Lissy, both 4, can be seen rolling all over the glass and pulling funny facial expressions.

Jacobi, from Langenfeld, Germany, takes photos of cats for a living, He told Newsweek: “I love their independence and their curiosity. From a photographic point of view, I am fascinated by cat tongues in particular.”

Jacobi shared a video of the photoshoot to his TikTok account @furryfritz and it has more than 21 million views.

Too bad we don’t have a glass table so The Human could get some new, interesting photos of us.

Cat sneaks into Victoria police officer’s cruiser

A Victoria police officer returning to his cruiser after an impaired driver stop found an unlikely surprise waiting for him inside his vehicle. The unauthorized entry was caught on video. Way to go Officer Kitty!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/11

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Hello Furiends,
Oliver, LIly and I are working on our mewsings on 2022 which we hope to have finished by the end of the week. It’s still winter in our neck of the woods although the temperatures are pretty warm for this area at this time of year (35 degrees F today). The good news is that the days are getting a little longer (translation, it doesn’t get dark at 3:30pm any more).

The Human got us a nice bed which Oliver immediately took over so she ordered another one. It’s the BEST kitty bed ever and now I get to enjoy it too. Lily isn’t sold yet.


This is Lily who is currently contemplating her life and what she will reflect on for 2022.

This is me, contemplating my life and and what I will reflect on for 2022.

And now, here’s the feline news I gathered for you this week.

AIM protein-enriched cat food aims to help cats live longer

Siamese cat on fur throw
Our beloved Angel Jasmine.

This news item was exciting for us as our Angel Jasmine suffered from kidney disease for a number of years and it is an issue that many felines deal with later in life.

An Osaka-based company, Marukan Co., Ltd., is the maker of a new range of nutritional cat food with AIM protein said to prevent kidney disease. The company says they want to help extend the lives of cats to 30 years.

This is the result of extensive research by AIM protein specialist Dr. Toru Miyazaki; the AIM30 brand of cat kibble contains the amino acid A-30 to help the AIM do the kidney cleanup.

AIM is a protein in the blood that supports kidney health by removing the waste that accumulates in the body. There is more “sciency” information in the article from article and you can click on the heading to go to the original news story.

Marukan did what you humans call a “soft launch” in March of 2022 with a mostly chicken flavor line of food. The food is now being delivered to stores all over Japan. There are six types of foods in the original AIM30 kidney healthcare series which include a food for indoor cats at least 11 years old and for indoor cats at least 15 years old, for indoor cats around 20 years old,

The company took into consideration feline lower urinary health with lower magnesium and calcium levels. Dietary fiber from soy pulp is included to reduce fur balls,  lactobacilli to support stomach and gut, agaricus (a genus of mushroom) and sesamin fiber compounds to boost immunity, and roasted linseeds with omega-3 fatty acids for skin and coat support are also included. This feline has no idea about these extra ingredients and I will have to send our Purrsonal Assistant to the Google to find out what she can about them.

AIM30, Marukan stressed, is not a therapeutic pet food but a comprehensive maintenance nutritional food for cats. People with cats on therapeutic food diets should consult a veterinarian before taking AIM30.

Having gone through the loss of one of our tribe members from kidney disease, I say “BRAVO” that humans are looking to deal with this disease and we’re purraying that it works.

Army Corps of Engineers created the must-have calendar for 2023 featuring giant cats

Pardon me for sounding a bit cynical but never in my wildest dreams did I expect a government agency to take something boring like engineering and make it fun with felines, but that’s exactly what the Portland District of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers did when it created it’s 2023 calendar.

The photoshopped giant cats were photoshopped into photos of the Corps best achievements and the calendars are hot commodities.

And guess what, the downloadable 2023 calendar is now available!

The history of USACE Portland on social media gives a hint of the creavity from public affairs specialist Chris Gaylord.

Gaylord said that engineering isn’t that exciting and believes that a little bit of humor goes a long way to generate interest in their work. MOL, I say Chris Gaylord is right!

People Are Sharing Photos Of Their Best ‘My House, Not My Cat’ Encounters

We have seen numerous photos you humans post on social media that say, “this is my house but this isn’t my cat.” This feline finds it hard to believe that people have random felines showing up inside their living quarters but I have to admit the pictures are funny.

There is a Facebook group called “My house, not my cat.” You’ll find funny and heartwarming photos and stories there.

And, if you join the group you can share your own photos of random cat visits.

35 Pictures Capturing The Amazing Transformations That Cats Go Through Before And After Adoption

As former shelter cats, our tribe is adamant about the adopt don’t shop idea. Giving a cat a forever home not only changes it’s life but often changes it’s appearance. We love “before and after” adoption photos and if you do too, you’ll want to see this collection of pre and post adoption photos.

Petnow Unveils the World’s First ID App for Cats

The Petnow app: the first app to identify dogs and cats with simple scans on your mobile phone.

Petnow Inc, a company from Seoul, South Korea,  announced that it is presenting the world’s first cat biometric recognition service. The AI-driven app for canines automatically scans unique identifiers of dogs called “nose prints” and has been honored with the Best of Innovation prize at CES 2022, given the company global recognition and features on  BBC and CBS.

Dr. Jesse Joonho Lim, the founder of Petnow Inc. said, “The company is adding cat biometric recognition to the current app.” The Petnow app can solve the problems of the existing pet identification methods such as microchips, tags, and collars that are prone to damage or loss, and will enter the U.S. market at CES 2023.”

Dr. Ken Daehyun Pak, the co-founder of Petnow said, “We have been hearing from customers domestically and internationally to add a cat identification function, and we are proud to announce the cat biometric recognition with 99% accuracy. We have cooperated with the largest Korean mobile carrier, SK Telecom, to introduce the dog version of ‘Amber Alert’ in South Korea, and we hope that we will provide more use cases for users.”

The U.S. version of the Petnow app is free of charge. The Human checked in the Apple App store and found it there but she hasn’t had a chance to check it out.

The company says Petnow app is provided for free of charge, and pet households with house cats and/or dogs can try the pain-free microchip alternative right now. The Human has downloaded the app from the Apple app store but she hasn’t figured out yet how they can offer the app free (she’s a suspicious sort). She can’t move forward in the app until she scans one of our faces. If any of you folks download the app an d try it, meow about it in the comments and let us know what you think.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/4

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Happy 2023 Furiends!
We decided to freshen up our logo, hope you like it. We’re not going to include much news about us as Oliver, Lily and I are working on our “2022” reflections which we’ll publish later in the week so, in the meantime, here is some of the best feline news I found on the web this week.

We are also working on our merch store and will have some fun news about that soon.

Frontier Airlines giving free flights in exchange for adopting cats

You know how much I love creative cat adoption ideas and this one is very creative.

Frontier Airlines will provide free flight vouchers to whoever adopts one of three kittens, who are recent arrivals at The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas.

An airline spokespurrson said  “We’d love to donate two flight vouchers each to the people who adopt @Delta and @Spirit; and four vouchers to the person who adopts Frontier,” .

The vouchers have been delivered to the shelter, but won’t be distributed until the kittens are ready for adoption in about a month as the kittens are too young to be adopted yet.

One of the kitties was supposed to be called Southwest, the Animal Foundation said on Twitter — until the airline’s cancellation crisis last week.

Cat Loves to Hop in Shower with Mom

I love to get in the shower AFTER The Human is done. I also jump on the bathroom sink and scream until The Human turns the faucet on but I have never had the desire to get in the shower like this cat on The Dodo does. You can follow Peanut  on TikTok: https://thedo.do/is038.

Genius cat learns how to alert motion detector doorbell camera so owner can let him in

I reported about a lost cat who was found when his family’s door camera captured him on the porch. This cat however was not lost but was smart enough to figure out how to let his humans know when he wanted to come inside.  He now scales the fence and activates the motion detector doorbell to make his needs known.

The first time it happened, his human, Amanda was surprised to receive a notification that someone was at her door and then discovered it was her cat Izzy , who is now adept at letting folks know when he wants in.

Izzy doesn’t just make the doorbell ring, he is quite talkative and likes to “speak” to his human’s through the voice activation feature on the doorbell. MOL!

Cats train themselves to use treadmill

If  you ask The Human she’ll tell  you that we could care less about her treadmill, especially when it’s on but these felines decided took it upon themselves to figure out they  could get a little exercise. Nagi and Poki are getting adept on the treadmill, but Haku is a chill boy who does not care for speed. You can follow more of these feline’s antics on their YouTube channel.

How To Track Your Cat’s Whereabouts

Do you ever wonder what your felines are up to at home when you’re away at work? If the answer is yes, you’re not  the only one and the antics of cats with devices like Apple‘s AirTag are becoming Tik Tok sensations.  

Watching your cats movement patterns in the house  isn’t only for fun. If they are ill, if they escape or become lost, the right device can prove to be very useful (unless your feline teaches themselves how to use  the ring doorbell).

If you are interest in cat tracking devices, here are a few to check out.

1. AirTag

Cat collars with Apple’s AirTag device, which works with the company’s Find My app, has been a popular favorite among TikTokers. One example is user @quingable, who said: “I don’t really love the AirTag but here’s why I keep both on my cat’s collar,” in a viral video post, which had 86,000 views and 12,400 likes at the time of writing. The user added: “And by the way, none of this [the device plug] is sponsored.” This woman’s account documents her van life with two cats.

The TikToker explained: “The one really great thing about having an AirTag is that it pings off other people’s iPhone. That way, you are able to find your pet.”

According to Apple, there are “hundreds of millions” of iPhone, iPad and Mac devices around the world within the Find My network that can help you track down your pet through the AirTag.

2. Tractive

Tractive is also popular with cat owners. . In addition to your cat’s location, the device can also monitor your cat’s sleep patterns and wellbeing,  and also  “set up virtual fences to alert you if your kitty is too far away.”

Tractive offers quite a bit of information about your feline friend and has an unlimited range ability, operating in over 175 different countries.

The company says that no matter how far your cat goes, Tractive will be able to locate them on your device if you’re connected to a mobile network. In addition, it’s offered at an affordable price.

3. Samsung Galaxy SmartTag

For Android phones, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag could be a good option to attach on to a cat collar.

If your pet wanders out of range, even when offline, the Galaxy Find Network can use scanned data to find your cat privately, according to Samsung.

Tile Sticker

Comparable to the AirTag and SmartTag, the Tile tracking device was also praised in the aforementioned viral post by TikToker @quingable for being “really, really lightweight” (always an issue when hanging something from a cat’s collar) and because “it actually works when you’re not in service.”

Compatible with iPhones and Androids, the water-resistant Tile Sticker “has a bigger range, louder ring and longer lasting battery,” the company said.

It comes with an adhesive back, making it easy to attach to the tag of your cat’s collar, a 3-year non-replaceable battery and Bluetooth works up to a 250-feet range.

When outside of your range, pet owners can use the Tile app to view your pet’s most recent location on a map.

5. Cube

The Cube tracker’s key features are a rechargeable battery (which can last from around 10 to 60 days, depending on the model) and the ability to set up “virtual geo-fence zones” using its accompanying app to get real-time alerts when your cat wanders beyond these zones.

Pet owners can also track the “trips, stops, and speed of travel” of the device using the app’s location history feature, according to Cube.

Now if you’re thinking, “My cat is an indoor cat so tracking him really isn’t an issue” don’t be too complacent.  Our very own Lily escaped through the front door and spent an extremely cold night outside. She’ll be sharing that story in her New Year’s reflection.

Happy New Year!

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To all of our furiends, thank you for supporting us and engaging with us in our blog. Oliver, Lily and I will be opining about this past year and we’ll also have a fun announcement!

Sending you Purrs & Head Bonks for 2023

Alberto, Oliver, Lily & Anita (The Human)