Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 10/11

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Feline Opines

Happy Furiends!
It’s a beautiful fall day in our neck of the woods and hope you’re enjoying the weather (whatever it is) in your neck of the woods.

This week The Human is giving a talk about judging and she decided to use Oliver as an example because he is one of the judgiest creatures she knows (Lily and I would agree)

I mean, look at that face and tell me he’s not judgy!

Oliver judges everyone and finds them wanting.

And of course, Oliver had something to say about my comment about his being judgy.

Okay, maybe he made his point. Lily has a tendency to be judgy too. She doesn’t sit in on the window sill just because she loves the view.

And what is she judging and unhappy about? Can you tell?

Do you see what is making Lily unhappy ?

As for me, well I’m a go along to get along kind of guy and I really don’t understand why Lily and Oliver get their whiskers in such a twist.

“Really you two, you should just chill like me.”

Do I have any judgy furiends out there? Meow at me in the comments and let me know what you feel compelled to judge.

Scientists Discover Secrets of the Cat’s Purr

“Too bad you can’t hear me purring right now.”

Ah, I love how fascinated the scientific community is with felines. This feline says that part of our allure is our mystery but still, humans continually try to figure us out.

Now there is new research suggesting our purr comes from a pad embedded in our vocal cords. This is a new theory. The old theory said that purring happens when (to quote the sciency humans), “through a special mechanism, with cyclical contraction and relaxation of the muscles in the vocal folds within the larynx that requires constant control from the brain.”

The new sciency take is, “Anatomical investigations revealed a unique ‘pad’ within the cats’ vocal folds that may explain how such a small animal, weighing only a few kilograms, can regularly produce sounds at those incredibly low frequencies [20 to 30 Hz, or cycles per second] — far below even than lowest bass sounds produced by human voices,” researcher Christian Herbst, a voice scientist from the University of Vienna, said in a university news release.

The findings were published online Oct. 3 in the journal Current Biology and are said to be not an outright contradiction of the previous theory, but a clear indicator that the understanding of cat purring is incomplete. Translation=we felines are still mysterious and you humans can’t completely figure us out.

Millions of cat owners prefer their feline friend’s company – to their partner’s

Lily and The Human hanging out together.

A recent study concluded that millions of cat owners prefer their feline friend’s company to their partner’s. The study polled over 1,000 humans who lived with cats and found 49 percent would rather spend time with their furry friend, and 53 percent choose to do so most of the time.And what activities do these humans purrfers to do with their felines? The winners were taking a nap, sharing a cuddle, and watching TV. Then there was the 31 percent said they’d even rather share their duvet with their cat.

And a quarter of all respondents enjoy a snuggle more with their feline friend, while 47 percent also revealed they find their pet less irritating.

Another interesting factoid from the study was that three-quarters of owners speak to their cat more than once a day – with 23 percent confiding in their pet with information they’d never share with anyone else. Well DUH! The Human always says hello when she comes home and she says we are the best confidants in her life. I can’t tell you the traumas we’ve purred her through!

More than half the humans (51 percent) believe their own personality matches that of their cat – with affection, character, and friendliness the top traits desired.

And 31 percent said they look for the same type of traits in a pet as they do in a partner.

A third (33 percent) even think there are moments their other half gets jealous of the attention their pet receives over them.

The top reasons these humans would recommend getting a feline friend were companionship, improved mental health, and the unconditional love they give you.

And the main advice they’d provide would be to keep the litter box clean, adopt from a rescue, and keep them regularly checked over by the vet.

So there you go humans. If you’re feeling the lack of love in your life, maybe a visit to the shelter to find a feline soul mate will do the trick!

Cat lady celebrated for bringing litter box on airplane

My regular readers know how fascinating I find stories of traveling cats. Now, TikToker @wifiadventure shows the adventures of a cat named Wi-Fi, and his human’s travels even on plane trips.

In her latest video, she shows how she brought a litter box for the cat to use on a flight to Japan.

The video, has 1 million views and 109,300 likes as of last week, and was titled, “Challenge #1: ‘Use the litter box on the flight to Japan.’” She reported his adventure this way; “It took some time for Wi-Fi to stretch and get adjusted to how loud the bathrooms are. The changing table was helpful because the ground is the loudest part & he felt trapped (cats like high places). We had our portable litter box, bag, scoop, crate, and of course the litter. Who knew learning how to take my cat to Japan could be so simple.”Many people commented in praise of the use of the litter box, in addition to how well her feline friend behaved on the plane. But there were others who weren’t so enamored of the plane litter box. “really cool to use the bathroom afterwards if you’re allergic,” someone snarked.

If you’re wondering about how WiFi was allowed on the plane, there are different policies regarding cats on aircraft. Most require a health certificate from a veterinarian. There are more rules for international flights and some carriers refuse to allow felines to travel internationally in the cabin.

Whether your feline would make a good flying partner will depend on the cat’s personality, how nervous he is and his health. You should always take your feline for a vet visit before you consider an in-cabin trip.

Sorry, dog lovers — cat fans are smarter than you

Aaaaaaand, here’s some more feline positive research. This research is from the University of Texas who have suggested that cat lovers show more mental prowess than dog lovers — and get this, it’s a result that has been reported by other researchers.

“One source characterized ‘the canine person’ as loyal, direct, kind, faithful, utilitarian, helpful, and a team player and ‘the feline person’ as graceful, subtle, independent, intelligent, thoughtful, and mysterious,” the Texas research stated. (Note, The Human purrticularily liked the graceful, intelligent and mysterious descriptions). She was less fond of the finding from the research that cat lovers were especially prone to neuroticism as well.

A Turkish documentarian, Ceyda Torun, observed a similar phenomenon with the psyche of owners while making a film on cats — pinpointing one particular trait in kitty parents.

“Their capacity for philosophical thought and introspection,” she told The Guardian. “It didn’t matter where they were from, or what level of education they had. You could see it in their eyes. They had that flicker of light. The light was on.”

Torun also said that loving cats often coincides with a person’s creativity and impression of beauty.

“There is something very aesthetically pleasing about a cat,” she added. “That’s why most artists are drawn to cats. Painters and poets tend to have relationships with cats, rather than dogs. Any feline of any size has this graceful athleticism, this prowess, this physical superiority that you can sense.”

But what exactly makes loving a cat so different?

As Robert de Niro said in “Meet the Parents”: “A dog is very easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection.”

And that sentiment is corroborated by the editor-in-chief of “Your Cat“ magazine, James Buzzel.

“They aren’t desperate to please you,” he told The Guardian. “So when they do come and sit on your lap, it’s an absolute honor.”

Despite the many positive findings, this feline still feels that the study continued to perpetrate some of the bogus ideas that people have about cats including coldness, shallowness of attachment…all a bunch of hooey!

Hong Kong’s shop cats on display at photography exhibition from beloved Instagram account

Ah, I love the working cat and now there is a photo exhibition in Hong Kong that captures the whimsical life of shop cats in Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun, telling heartwarming stories about local merchants and their beloved feline shop assistants.

The Shop Cats of Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun Photography Exhibition can be seen at the hotel Mini Central until October 16. The exhibit features 18 photographs – paired with playful captions in English and Chinese – of cat shopkeepers taken by Erica, a Hong Kong photographer. Twelve of these photos can be found on postcards available for purchase.

“The theme of this exhibition is my favourite shop cats … a personal selection of those that hold a special place in my heart,” said the photographer, who started the well-liked Instagram page Sheung Wan Cats in 2020. The page has amassed over 23,600 followers and has around 1,200 posts featuring stray and shop cats in the two western district neighborhoods.

One of the photos features Fei Zai, a tabby reclining on a paper box at a dried seafood shop. Fei Zai made his first modeling appearance in the book Shop Cats of Hong Kong. He is a former stray that was abandoned in a park and then adopted by the dried seafood shop owner who hired him to keep the premises rat free. Fei Zai became a local celebrity and garnered quite a fan base.

The photo exhibit is a way to capture Hong Kong’s market culture and the wonderful felines that are an integral part of that culture.

The photo exhibition will run until October 16 from 11am to 9pm at Mini Central, 38 Ice House Street, Central. Entry is free.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 8/23

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
I hope you’re having a great Wednesday. We are so happy in our neck of the woods as we had rain yesterday. As you will see from the photo below (the arrow is pointing to a blue dot which is our neck of the woods) we are surrounded by fires and the unseasonable heat and wind has made things worse. We are thankful for the firefighters and that we are having a smoke free day. So many people have lost everything due to fire and we purray for all of them.

We are the blue dot. This doesn’t show all the fires just to the north west of us in Canada.

I made mention of the “Battle for the Bathroom” with The Human in a previous post. The battle continues and frankly, I am nonplussed by The Human’s lack of courtesy. Noted below is a little vignette of how our daily “discussion” goes.

“Human, why do you insist on leaving your stuff all over and disrupting my morning routine?”

“Seriously, what do I have to do to get you to honor my need for space?!”

“Ah, finally some space to purrform my morning rituals.”

And there you have it, the disrespect for my morning needs continues but, I will continue to be the peacekeeping feline I have always been.

On another note, Oliver aced his check-up last week and he seems to be out of the woods. He is returning to his regular activities. Here’s a little snapshot of his week.

Oliver heard a bird hit the window and he’s waiting for the bird to reappear.

And Oliver is back to one of his favorite pastimes, deep, uninterrupted sleep.

Lily has finally figured out the daily routine needed to train The Human as she works in the office at home. There are the three to four reminders that it’s snack time (Oliver and I benefit from her persistence.)

“Hey Human, get up from that chair, it’s snack time!”

And she’s trained The Human to accommodate her desire to “work” next to The Human’s desk. This requires pulling a chair from the table and next to The Humans chair at the desk.

That’s it for our week, I hope yours went well. Now, time for the news.

Kids learn best practices for interacting with cats during etiquette workshop

Well it’s about time that human kids are taught some etiquette regarding cats. As a matter of fact, The Tribe wrote an entire book about this called Felines Opine on Etiquette: What Humans Need to Know About Guests, Cat Sitting and Furniture so if you know any little humans who require some feline etiquette training we highly recommend our book. But, back to the news item.

Several families learned how to treat their feline friends well on Sunday, Aug. 20, at the Kiddie Cat Etiquette Workshop.

The Kiddie Cat Etiquette Workshop. Is held weekly at the House of Black Cat Magic on Haywood Road in Asheville, NC. It’s goal is to help children learn how to respectfully handle cats.

The workshop’s teacher, Shifra Nerenberg, says children are often not allowed to visit cat cafes because many don’t know how to play well with them so the lounge is seeking to fix this problem with education.

“It’s about boundaries,”Nerenberg says. “Cats are amazing with boundaries, because as soon as they’re done with whatever you’re doing with them or to them, they just walk away.”

All of the cats at the house are available for adoption.

The Marvels’ Cat Trainer Spills the Beans on Goose’s On-Set Shenanigans

The Marvels, is the sequel in the Marvel movies is bringing more than just superheroes to the big screen, it’s bringing feline superheroes. The real stars are Nema and Tango, two felines who will wow the audience. The cats are sharing the role of Goose, an orange tabby alien that fans first fell in love with in Captain Marvel.

These aren’t the same cats from the original movie and they bring new talent to the film Nema is the stunt star, while Tango’s irresistible looks make him perfect for those mesmerizing close-ups.

As you can imagine, filming with felines, like the time, their trainer shared, when while on one of the sets where the ground was quite gravelly. Everyone was ready to film but the cat decided he was in a giant cat litter box, rolling around and enjoy the biggest litter box he’d every experienced while the crew waited to film..

There were other issues as well such as the cat allergy suffered by actress Brie Larson. The solution was that on days when Nema and Tango were on set, Larson was replaced by either an extra or a stunt double

The cats trainer noted that they went through a three month training period and the cats go on set knowing exactly what they’re supposed to do.

This feline predicts that Nema and Tango will be the REAL stars of this movie.

Seattle shelters are taking in cats from Maui. Here’s how you can help

We have a policy at #WalkThroughTheWebWednesday to bring you feline news that will brighten your day, provide interesting information or even make you laugh. We try to avoid the bad news because you humans are adept at sharing that. Still, there are bad things happening in the world but there are good folks working to mitigate those things. Seattle shelters are stepping up and working to rehome many of the Maui kitties displaced by the fires.

Thirty-five cats hitched rides out of Hawaii with Aloha Air Cargo in coordination with the Good Cat Network; Seattle Humane received 17 cats and kittens on Thursday, and the others went to The NOAH Center on Wednesday.

Seattle Humane spokesperson Brandon Macz said that as soon as the cats were in the shelter, there were people inquiring about adoption.

Darlene Rayhill is co-founder and executive director of the Good Cat Network, a nonprofit that works with Seattle shelters to reduce the number of community cats on the islands and find them homes in Washington state.

She said the group is preparing for two more flights to Seattle in the coming days. Seven kittens are going to PAWS in Washington on Sunday, and 26 more cats will take off for Virginia next week.
https://www.paws.org/

“We are not flying out anyone’s owned animal,” she said. “These are all cats that have been in foster for several weeks, just waiting for their homes.”

The Network further clarified online: “All of our cats are from colonies or the streets, scanned for microchip information to ensure he or she is not an owned pet, assessed, and brought into foster before being considered for local adoption or flown through our transfer program, Operation Aloha Cat.”

Adopters specifically looking for a Maui cat or kitten from Seattle Humane should look for special “Maui Lifesaver Rescue” stickers on their online profiles. In-person shelter visitors can also ask to be directed to the Maui cats’ room.

Brandon Macz advocated for the newcomers, noting Hawaii cats tend to be very friendly.

“The thing about Hawaii cats is a lot of them come from outdoors, these community cats, these kind of colonies of cats, so they’ve had a lot of socialization,” he said.

And while he didn’t want to play favorites, Macz is particularly fond of 3-year-old Chester.

“Hawaiian cats tend to be a little long and lanky, which is pretty cute for me,” Macz said, “and he’s one of the longest and lankiest cats I’ve ever met.”

Rayhill noted a special cat in the bunch, too: 10-month-old Malie (pronounced mal-E-ay, which means calm and mellow).

Her foster family was evacuated from the Kula fire on Maui, leaving Malie in need of a new home. Good Cat Network volunteers stepped in.

“I only knew her for a week,” Rayhill said. “But my personal experience with this little kitty, she was just so sweet.”

The foster family didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, but Malie arrived safe in Seattle on Thursday.

And the best news is that Chester and Malie were adopted as of Monday morning, according Seattle Humane’s blog, which features a list of adopted animals.

According to the Good Cat Network’s website, the group typically sends just about 30 cats a month from Maui to their continental partners. In a blog post on July 25, before the wildfires, the Good Cat Network celebrated the more than 500 cats it had sent to Seattle thus far. Because of the fires, though, those efforts have ramped up, in part to make room for an influx of cats that have been displaced. Similarly, Rayhill said, the Maui Humane Society is flying out animals, too.

“We’re all focused on trying to get as many adoptable animals off island,” Rayhill said. “So, as these rescue efforts continue, we will all be available to take in [more animals]. There are animals that are injured. There are displaced animals. We’re all just trying to work on creating that space.”

The Good Cat Network is accepting donations for additional cat-carrying flights.

Donors can also give to the Maui Humane Society to help treat injured pets and reunite them with their families; an estimated 3,000 pets are lost or missing in the wake of the wildfires.

Paws up for these wonderful folks and all the folks helping pets in fire devastated areas.

First cat cafe opens in Gaza Strip to give residents a break

The first cat cafe, Meow Cafe has opened in the Gaza Strip on Thursday; this is the first of its kind in the Gaza Strip after the trend went global.

The café was swamped cafe on Thursday as people came to spend some calming time with the felines there. The cafe’s founder Naema Mabed, 52, told the Associated Press that she envisioned the spot as a unique escape from the pressures of life in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip has few recreational options and a youth unemployment rate for graduates of 73.9% according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Mabed offers a drink service and encourages the guests to head straight to the cat corner to play with cats.

Visitors must cover their shoes with plastic and wash their hands before cuddling the cats.

The global anto-depressant

“I have spent my life raising cats, and they’re a source of joy and quiet, a release of pressures,” Mabed told AP.

She described cats as a “global anti-depressant”.

There are 10 resident cats at the cafe with some named Tom, Dot, Simba, and Phoenix.

The cats are not up for adoption as Mabed has formed a strong bond with her feline friends.

“The feeling, honestly, is that you just come to feel the psychological comfort of the cats,” said 23-year-old Eman Omar.

The entrance fee is a low 5 Israeli shekels for half an hour of time with the cats.

“Any place that provides humans a kind of interaction with animals has a positive psychological impact,” Psychologist Bahzad al-Akhras said.

Unique dispensary is the cat’s meow in Midland, Texas

A unique dispensary in Midland, Ontario, Canada opened last fall and has become quite popular. “A lot of customers can’t believe this is real,” said Catnip Dispensary owner Mikey White.

While approximately 250 strains of catnip exist, White has delved into experimenting with just over 30 and has nine currently available to customers and their feline friends that have undergone testing.

“I have an army of tester cats out there that help me determine what type of strain is which because this has never been done before. If a cat needs to go on a long car ride, vet visits, or just needs to chill out after surgery, there are more mellow strains that help out with that,” he explained. (Note, this feline wants to know where to send my resume to be a tester!)

Recent expansion efforts led White to rent land while cultivating new catnip strains. Through the process, he said he gained valuable insights.

“I learned that curing is one of the best ways by far,” White elaborated. “I hang dry it for at least a month and a half, and then cure them in glass jars for another month and a half so that it preserves it, and it keeps all of the essential oils intact. It makes it more potent, more fresh,” he said.

Given the discerning nature of cats, the dispensary offers an array of creatively named strains, such as ‘Pawnapple Express’ and ‘Purrmafrost.’

White said curious customers could even bring their feline companions into the store for a sniff around to determine their preference. Be sure and watch the video about this innovative business.

Meowza, I think The Human needs to take us on a trip to Canada!!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 8/16

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends!

It’s been a hot one in our neck of the woods and since we don’t have air conditioning (there are usually maximum two weeks of real heat here) we spent our time positioning ourselves in close proximity to the fans. We each have our own “cooling off” style as we work hard every day in the office.

I like to start my days early in the morning with a little head dunk under the bathroom faucet. I have no idea why The Human gets so annoyed that it takes her twice as long to get to her make up and get ready in the morning. I guess humans just aren’t blessed with natural beauty like we felines are.

Once I’m in the office, I like to hang out in my catnip paper bag.

Oliver, on the other hand, has some strange habits when it comes to working on a hot day.

Oliver is positioned in a sun spot, near the office litter box. Weird!

the sun puddle I can understand but inside the fluffy bed on the cat condo??

Oliver and I have voted Lily “most valuable worker” as she lets The Human know at 1:00pm and 4:30pm every day that it’s snack time. Look at that face. Would you be able to tell her “no”?

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of our workday in the heat. And we all want to thank you for your kind words and well wishes for Oliver and his battle with idiopathic cystitis. He seems to be on the mend and we are all very grateful!

Cat stuns TikTok with stylish fashion for day at the beach

The old adage that cat’s hate clothes has been disproven again. A Maine coon named Rocco has taken TikTok by storm thanks to his stylish teal hat and coordinating life jacket as he relaxes at the beach with his owner.

In one clip, Rocco is seen sitting with his paws in the water as he strutted on the other beachgoers in his impressive summer gear. Now granted, I don’t wear any gear when I hang out in The Human’s bathroom sink but I too like to play in the water.

Set to the tune of I Can See You by Taylor Swift, the chic kitty’s video has been viewed over five million times and liked by more than 700,000 users since it was posted on Thursday.

Rocco also donned a pair of dark round sunglasses and strolled through the water to a Taylor Swift song. And it’s not just beach wear that Rocco models, he also wears a tiny navy baseball cap with holes for his prominent ears.

Looking At Cute Cats Triggers Changes in the Brain That Lower Stress, Say Scientists

Humans, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that living with felines is healthy for you so here goes again.

Our cuteness actually triggers responses in the humam brain that has a positive impact on an instinctive, psychological level.

There are scientific reasons why you find us cats adorable. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that faces of cats have a similar emotional effect on us as the faces of babies, which triggers the brain to produce more oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone.”

Released into the brain under the right circumstances, oxytocin has the power to regulate human emotional responses in a way that makes you humans happier, more trusting and more open to others. Thanks to oxytocin, we give you a toasty, tranquil feeling that displaces anxiety and worry.

What exactly about cat’s faces triggers the body to release oxytocin? Our infant-like features say scientists. Known as “social releasers,” childlike features — which include a big head with a round face, a large forehead, large eyes and a small nose and mouth — engage our lovey-dovey, protective instincts. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “fur baby.”

These head butts we give you have special meaning. As Nilson explains, “Cats have scent glands all over their bodies, including the forehead, chin and cheeks, and when they butt heads with you, it’s a way of claiming you as their own and marking you with their scent. It’s a sign of affection, trust and bonding.” Humans also subconsciously pick up on this affectionate gesture and feel a stronger bond with their cat.

Other cute cat behaviors act as reminders of kittenhood. Says Nilson, “Adult cats often knead with their paws, as if they are kneading dough, when they’re feeling happy and content. It’s a throwback behavior to when they were kittens and would knead on their mother’s stomach to stimulate milk flow and feel good while they were feeding.” This behavior, adds Nilson, also sparks our instinctive protective and nurturing instincts.

We felines are simultaneously cute and smart. Any cat parent will tell you that their kitty is a pro at getting whatever we want, whenever we want it. “Cats rarely communicate with each other by meowing, yet they use meowing as one of their primary ways to communicate with humans,” says Nilson. Now that The Human is working at home, Lily will come over to her twice a day to politely remind her that it’s treat time. Lily has The Human trained well!

Ever had a bad day and felt your mood instantly lift as soon as you pet your cat? That’s just one more of their cuteness superpowers! Wendy Diamond, Chief Pet Officer of Animal Fair Media and author of How to Understand Women Through Their Cats explains, “Interacting with cute cats is a delightful symphony for our well-being — petting a cat can release the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine, which helps ease stress and boost joy.” There have even been studies showing that petting cats may lower blood pressure and reduce stress hormone levels.

Even more fascinating is that the sound of a cat’s purr is not only calming, and it may also have restorative properties. That’s right — the meditative vibe you get from hearing our little motor run can help heal you. Research has shown that purrs fall within a frequency associated with tissue regeneration.

So, if you ever had any doubt that sharing your home with felines makes you healthier, this article should dispel that doubt!

Can Cats Predict The Weather?

Over the years, there have been many sayings to indicate that cat’s predict weather. For instance, In Britain, especially Wales, it was believed that rain was likely if a cat busily washed its ears. In Holland, it was said that cats could predict the wind by clawing at carpets and curtains. (Note if this was true, we would have constant hurricane conditions at our house as Oliver loves to dig his claws into the area rugs).

In the good old US of A many years ago, if a cat sat with its back to the fire, it was foretelling a cold snap and if it slept with all four paws tucked under, bad weather was coming. (Again, if sitting in “loaf position” as a harbinger of bad weather, very few places would have good weather!)

Sailors were particularly superstitious or maybe just so bored that they spent a lot of time watching the ship’s cat. Here are some of the wacky ideas they had. They thought that if a cat licked its fur against the grain, it meant a hailstorm was coming; if it sneezed, rain was on the way; and if it was frisky, the wind would soon blow. Some had even more bizarre ideas and thought that cats could start storms through magic, so they always made sure cats were content. (Not a bad thing for the sea-faring felines!)

This video from the weather channel address some of these beliefs and they conclude it’s probably not the best idea to just look to your cats as to whether to take an umbrella with you when you leave the house.

Alley Public art project celebrates late John Snook’s love for cats

Honoring the late John McClure Snook, founder of Gulf Telephone and owner of Hotel Magnolia, a 28-foot-long and 8-foot-tall mural has been unveiled at 106 N. Alston St., paying tribute to McClure’s love for cats.

There were multiple cat doors at his hotels for the city cats to come and go. (What a great guy!) McClure also extended his love for felines by opening a house downtown specifically for homeless cats.

Coming up with a name for a walkway that was in remembrance of McClure was easy for those involved. This walkway, between West Laurel Avenue and Jessamine Street, would be named Cat Alley.

Out of 12 submissions, local artist Hannah Legg, a graduate of Fairhope High School, was chosen to create the mural. When she found out this mural was going to include cats, she was all in.

“My grandfather was an artist, so I was very fortunate to grow up around art at an early age. All the happiness in the world was a pencil and a piece of paper,” the artist said.

She added that cats were the first subjects she began drawing early in her art career.

Legg was not the only one to use brush strokes on the seven panels in Cat Alley. Three groups from Foley High School, Foley Middle School and Foley home schoolers added color and life to this Cat Alley art.

Foley Alabama City Council approved $48,600 in January to use for enhancements to the alley to create murals and park areas. Doors will also be painted as part of the display, and the artist Arcy this spring created a mural, painting it live on site in April for the public to watch.

Cat’s Attempt To Climb Wall Has Internet Laughing: ‘No One Will Judge You’

You humans never seem to get tired of laughing at felines we are less than our graceful selves.. A video of a feline has surfaced online which has taken social media users on a laughter fest. It shows a cat’s genuine efforts to climb up a wall but repeatedly fails the task.

The now-viral video shared on Twitter by Buitengebieden on August 9 has swept the internet. The footage shows vehicles parked in a parking area. Soon, a cat emerges from the narrow spaces left between the cars. The th cat jumps onto the car’s hood, and then the car’s roof. But that’s when things got interesting for us but unlucky for the animal.

Hoping to jump deftly from the cars to the top of the wall, the feline literally fell short. Determined to scale the wall, the cat made a second attempt with the same results. He then high tailed it away from the parking lot, presumably to find a different way to achieve his goal. The video has sparked numerous reactions from Twitterati who couldn’t stop laughing at the incident while also feeling sorry for the cat. The comments are hilarious. “He gets a 10 for effort lol,” noted one user. As if making the cat not feel embarrassed for its defeat another quipped, “You are allowed to give up. No one will judge you for it.” “No matter how many times I see this, I stop to watch it ten more,” came a third remark. So far, the video has garnered over 4.2 million views on Twitter. Be sure and check out the video and comments so you can have your daily dose of humor.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 6/28

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
It’s a beautiful day in our neighborhood and we hope your neighborhood is beautiful too. After the several months of meowing about making the change from the place The Human called “the business” to moving all work to our home office we are finally settling into a routine. I thought it might interest you to take a tour to see where all the magic happens and all the work gets done. As you will note from the photos, we felines are an integral part of all the creative work that comes out of this space and here’s the photographic evidence of the stresses and heavy demands of our daily routines.

This is “creative central” and where you will find Oliver, Lily and myself hard at work.

Lily is hard at work “dreaming” up some new blog post ideas

Oliver is hard at work here and signaling that he does NOT want to be interrupted when he is thinking.

There are a number of feline work zones. This is my favorite work station

We do allow our Purrsonal Assistant some work space as well.

Sometimes a cat needs to stretch out and play with an ostrich feather affixed to the chair, just to clear his mind and let the ideas flow.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of our workplace and thank you all for being patient with us as we worked on getting our space (and ourselves) organized!

10 Surprising Benefits of having cats in your life

Human, allow me to remind you how lucky (and healthier) you are to have us living with you.

This feline takes exception to the heading that anyone would be surprised that living with cats would provide benefits. Still, we must acknowledge that the writer of the article is doing their best to break stereotypes. The article states (and I have reported in previous #WebWednesday postings) that science has proven that cats can lower stress levels, reduce anxiety and even help reduce the symptoms of depression. The Human can attest to this personally when she went through some very bad times a couple of years ago and she often says, “If it wasn’t for my cats I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed in the morning.”

And we felines can also positively affect your physical health as well. Research has reported that cat owners have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke as well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Now I am no medical feline but I do understand that humans (and cats) are prone to some things through heredity but the fact that we can positively affect our human’s health is a very good thing.

Scientists also say that living with a feline can boost human’s immune system. When your immune system is boosted it reduces risk of allergies and other immune-related issues. It’s been found that children, when introduced to cats at a young age, have their immune systems boosted.

When you humans have a cat to care for you have a sense of responsibility and purpose and this is especially important for older humans. And having a cat in your home can relieve loneliness and feelings of isolation.

The article claims that cats improve their human’s sleep quality but when we discussed this with The Human, her response was a resounding, “Oh heck no!” This may come from the fact that she has two 21 pound and one 8 pound pile of furry, purry, neediness in bed with her, on top of her, beside her and stretched out on her legs causing temporary paralysis.

The conclusion is this-having the love of a feline in your home has so many wonderful benefits so, if you don’t have a cat, go adopt one before June Adopt A Cat month is over. If you have a feline, consider bringing another cat into your home so you can enjoy the love and benefits of living with a fantastic feline.

Someone on TikTok Is Teaching People How to Speak Cat

This feline has now officially heard everything. Evidentily a TikTok user @alecanewman is teaching other humans how to communicate with their cats. Evidently many humans are interested in this as the videos have accumulated millions of views.

Included in his repertoire is a class that teaches humans how to say “come here” (Ma-AH) He explains this particular command training this way, “This one’s difficult because normally, when you call a dog, they come. When you call a cat, you leave a message.” MOL that’s funny!

Some people say it works and they post videos as proof. The Human hasn’t had a chance to try this on us so I will have to report the results later.

Thief caught stealing beloved store cat named MiMi at shop near Koreatown

OH NO HE DIDN’T!!! This is horrible! The store had a video camera that caught the purrpetrator taking off with MiMi. The incident happened just before 1 p.m. Saturday, June 24th at Harbin Deer Trading Co., an herbal medicine store on Western Avenue near 2nd Street in Los Angeles.

The owners, Andrew Xu and Kelly Kim, spoke with Eyewitness News and said their cat MiMi has lived in the store for about 10 years. MiMi is well known and loved by the store’s customers.

The owners said the thief was pretending to shop before snatching MiMi from a table.

They said they didn’t notice until a couple hours later when they filled MiMi’s bowl and he didn’t show up. They were busy helping customers at the time of the crime.

The suspect was seen carrying a backpack, wearing a striped purple shirt and a lavender tie with blue pants.

The store’s owners are asking anyone who may have seen MiMi to contact authorities. We are sending purrayers that MiMi will be found soon and returned to his humans.

What is the “cat distribution system” and why is it trending on TikTok?

Alberto as a kitten – “Hey Human , I pick you!”

Needless to say the phrase “cat distribution system” caught my attention. Evidently TikTok is flooded with videos showing the “cat distribution system” in action, but what exactly does this mean?

TikTok has coined a term called “the Universal Cat Distribution System.” It refers to the uncanny ability we felines have for finding ourselves furever homes. We show up during people’s walks, we’ll wander into a house or position ourselves by a highway or road. This is the “Universal Cat Distribution System” which describes the phenomenon of people ending up with cats purely through circumstances.

One user commented a simple explanation to TikTok saying, “Cats pick people… people don’t pick cats.”

One note of caution for my readers, if you are chosen by through the cat distribution system, please make sure the cat is not lost, see if they have a microchip and take the feline to the vet to be sure they are healthy before you bring them in your home, especially if you have other cats in the house.

Have you experienced the Universal Cat Distribution System? Meow about it in the comments and tell us your story.

Working Cat Spotlight –Wayne and Saul from the RE Store in Bellingham, Washington

When you shop in The RE Store or Bellingham Wind Works you may hear the soft tinkle of a cat bell, or two cat bells. The bells belong to Wayne and Saul, brothers who found furever homes in the neighboring stores in Bellingham’s Fountain District.

In 2017 a customer gifted The RE Store with two kittens. Customers were invited to participate in naming the kittens. A change jar was placed on the counter and people left their name suggestions in the jar. The winning names were Wayne and Saul.

In 2020 when The Restore was forced to close for three months, the Wind Works offered to house the cats. Now the cats sleep in their own beds at Wind Works and spend time wandering between the two stores, even visiting other stores in the neighborhood.

Wayne and Saul are popular with customers and employees alike, sometimes stopping into the stores just to see the cats. Aaron Smith, a 12-year employee of The Re Store said, “They’re some good boys.”

Good job Wayne and Saul!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 2/22

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Feline Opines

Happy Windy, Wintery, Wednesday furiends! We were sailing along in our neck of the woods, convinced that spring was just around the corner when all of a sudden it turned into Siberia! The Human was outside with the snow blower this morning and as we watched from our warm window perches we couldn’t help but laugh because the wind was so strong it blew most of the driveway snow back on her. She was quite a sight when she came in. Right now it’s a balmy 19 degrees and the wind has died down to 9mph and the town streets are like skating rinks. We felines are happy to burrow under a pillow and stay safe and warm.

“Human, why are you covered in ice and snow? Please keep your distance, I am nice and warm in this chair.”

“Good grief Human! Why are you all wet? find yourself a nice spot on the bed and cuddle up with me and my pillow.”

“I know I’m squishing the chair cushion, what’s your point?”

I hope you all are staying safe and warm!

Cat Music

Oh my whiskers, this is one fun Instagram account! It’s called Cat Videos and here are two we really liked (just click on the image for the video)

One Cool Cowboy Cat Daddy

There are all kind of cat daddy’s out there, even cowboys. Andrew, a true Texas cowboy has turned his home into a cat sanctuary. Today he as seven cats in residence. Andrew has caught attention of the web for posting videos of his relationship with all his cats. His video about his favorite orange cat, Sebby is a real hit. Andrew carries his feline with him wherever he goes, in his hat and in his heart. He also wants to make clear that he loves ALL his cats. You can watch his TikTok video here.

Man with world’s tallest cat forks out eye-watering £400 a month on food

When The Human read this she nearly fainted. This converts to $481.87 per month. Meowza! But, William Powers, a physician from Farmington Hills, Michigan, owns six cats – including the world’s tallest and one with the longest tail ever measured. Our Human is no slouch and spares no expense for our healthy meals but we usually cost her about $145.00 a month for the three of us.

His cat, Fenrir, the worlds tallest cat is a Savannah cat and measures an impressive 18.83 inches and weighs 36lbs. I can see where his food consumption might be a bit more than ours!

William also has the Guinness World Record holder feline in his house, a Maine Coon called Altair who holds the world record for the longest tail (40.83 cm or 16.07 inches)The other four feline siblings are, two Bengal’s and two other Savannah cats. Fenrir has a custom diet made out of mostly raw meat, primarily chicken but sometimes other meat. Then the cats get a special blend of supplements such as amino acids, long chain fatty acids, porcine bone meal, and other additives like nutritional yeast for flavor.

Sometimes he’ll use some regular domestic wet cat food as a topper or mixed into their raw diet to improve the flavor.

William’s home is “designed with the cats in mind”. They have an outdoor enclosure, their own master bedroom with huge glass windows, and tons of towers and wall mounts for their enrichment.

Fenrir is quite the local celebrity with over 8,900 followers on Instagram, and often goes to William’s office to visit patients and do the work of a true therapy cat.

Fenir is a bit of a fraidy cat and will often hide if he’s in close proximity to other cats and dogs.

William and Fenir also make appearances at local shelter events.

Adobe is hosting a cat-themed photo contest in Japan

The contest is for both photography and videography. You don’t have to use professional gear to take your photo or video but you do have to edit your submission using some form of Adobe Creative Cloud software, including but not limited to Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Rush, Premier Pro and Adobe Express. Any image with a cat as the subject is allowed.

Despite being launched by Adobe Japan, the competition terms and conditions do not state anywhere that entrants must be from a certain area or region to enter the contest – but the prizes up for grabs are all in Japanese yen.

To enter, you must be following the official Adobe Japan Creative Cloud Twitter or Instagram accounts, and post your image with the hashtag #アドビにゃん (Adobe cat) which must also be accompanied by one of the following hashtags: #写真部門 (photo), #動画部門 (video) or #猫大喜利部門 (cat ogiri) depending on which you enter.

divisions are the ones that have the highest award, also including what the competition refers to as an Excellence Award.

The grand prize for the photo division is an Amazon gift card worth ¥100,000 (equivalent to $745 / £614 / AU$1,088 approximately), and two people will also be selected for the Excellence Award and receive an Amazon gift card worth ¥50,000 (equivalent to $371 / £307 / AU$545 approximately). These will be exactly the same prizes and amounts for the Video division winners.

Just remember that, while the T&Cs don’t explicitly prohibit foreign entries, it’s unlikely that prizes (including Amazon vouchers) will be redeemable outside Japan but still, you could have some fun entering.

California cat shelter goes viral for sharing its hilarious ‘nice or naughty’ feline of the week

As a former shelter cat, this feline loves stories about creative ways shelters use to find forever homes for their cats. An adoption center and cat sanctuary in Los Angeles has gone viral after launching its “nice and naughty” cat of the week series.

Toni Barrett, development manager for Heaven on Earth Perry’s Place, said she and her staff were inspired by a popular cat influencer on TikTok who goes by the name “Pot Roast’s Mom,” who would label her own cats as “good or bad” cat of the week.

Barrett thought the idea was funny and decided to apply it to her work at the sanctuary, she told Fox News Digital.

“We should do that at Perry’s Place because we have so many cats, and we always have someone doing something naughty or volunteers telling us how much they loved [how] this cat was well-behaved this week,” Barrett said.

The series was launched on the shelter’s Instagram page in March of 2022, but did not take off until the fall, according to Barrett.

“It was slow [at first], people were enjoying it, and then all of a sudden we had this one [post] that kind of went viral,” Barrett commented.

Two felines named Elijah and Popsicle were awarded nice and naughty cat of the week, respectively.

“Elijah has opened up and shown the staff how much he loves belly rubs,” the post read in reference to the “nice cat” of the week.

“Popsicle stole treats from Daniel, his BLIND roommate,”the post also said, regarding its “naughty cat”.

Barrett quickly noticed a massive increase in Instagram followers as well as likes. Since then, thousands of users have been reacting to the posts.

Heaven on Earth’s Perry’s Place is the current residence for roughly 111 cats and 91 foster cats.

Volunteers and staff members are the ones to nominate a cat to be selected for the “nice and naughty” cat of the week award.

“Our adoption team has done such a great job that sometimes I’ll have a cat ready on Tuesday, and then on Friday that cat will be adopted, so then I have to scramble and find a new cat,” she commented. Now that’s the kind of problem every shelter would like to have!

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