Tag Archives: Oliver

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 8/9

Posted on by
20

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
I hope you’ve had a good week. The week in our neck of the woods has been a bit dicey. Oliver took a sharp decline last Thursday night when Oliver began running back and forth to the litter box again and began bleeding profusely. The Human was scared and, as we have no emergency vet clinics in our neck of the woods, packed Oliver up and made the hour drive to the emergency clinic in a town nearby. Long story short, Oliver received excellent care there and at our regular stabby place the next day. He has been diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis. Oliver is getting better and he wants to tell you all his story in a different blog post to help your humans understand what this is and what worked (and didn’t work). But, in the meantime, he wants to say hello.

Hi Furiends, I’m not 100% but am getting better. I’ll give you details about my health journey soon. Oliver

This week most of the focus was on getting Oliver healthy but, The Human did do a little experimentation with AI that was added to one of the photo editing programs she has. Let us know what you think.

This is me looking fierce. I love it but The Human thinks I look a bit scary.

The Human loves this one of Oliver. I have to admit, he looks pretty cute.

This is Lily. The Human (and the rest of us) aren’t too sure about this one. The Human said she did like the fact that the picture makes it look like we live in a castle. I’ve included the photo we used to make this AI version below. Quite a difference!

Original photo

That’s it from our neck of the woods this week. I hope you enjoy our news items.

International Cat Day

Although we missed this important celebration by one day, we’re dedicating our news items this week to this important holiday.

Top Cats 2023. The 10 most popular breeds on Instagram this year

Have you wondered what the most Instagrammable cat breeds are this year? Using new research commissioned by Mr Gamble, a Kiwi online comparison site, here are the results. They analyzed different varieties of hashtags for each breed, then researchers added them all up to produce the ultimate list of the most Instagrammable cat breeds. Did any of my feline furiends make the list?

7 Fascinating Wild Felines That Just Might Make You a Cat Person

Cheetah
Rusty Spotted Cat
Sand Cat

Cheetah: The Speed Demon

Holding the records for the world’s fastest cat and fastest land animal, cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) can reach speeds of over 60 miles per hour.

Every part of this fast feline is built for speed. Their non-retractable claws act like cleats, providing traction during high-speed chases. Their tails, measuring roughly 2.5 feet, serve as rudders, allowing them to turn on a dime. Even their breathing is adapted for speed; thanks to their relatively small teeth, cheetahs have room for larger nasal passages that allow for quick air intake.

Cheetahs’ endangered status has made them the focus of captive breeding programs at zoos. Occasionally, these captive cheetahs are paired with canine companions to reduce their shyness and make them more willing to mate.

Rusty Spotted Cat: the Diminutive Hunter

A master of hide-and-seek, the rusty-spotted cat is found in the forests of India, Sri Lanka and, as of its 2016 discovery, Nepal. Using their agility and tree climbing prowess, rusty-spotted cats hunt small animals including rodents, birds, lizards, frogs and insects.

Though these petite predators could potentially adapt to living alongside human populations, threats from domestic dogs and vehicles remain a constant danger to their survival.

Sand Cat: The Dexterous Desert Dweller

The sand cat (Felis margarita), native to the Sahara Desert, Arabian Peninsula and parts of central Asia, is equipped to endure extreme conditions.

These desert dwellers boast thick fur and heavily padded paws, insulating them against temperatures that can fluctuate from a scorching 120 degrees to below freezing. During the blistering daytime, these cats take refuge in burrows, only emerging to hunt under the cover of night.

Adding to their list of desert adaptations is their ability to go weeks without drinking water. Instead, sand cats get all the hydration they need from their food. These bold predators are skilled enough to hunt venomous snakes, alongside easier prey like rodents, lizards and insects.

Be sure and check out the article to learn about the rest of our amazing wild family members.

CATCON THE COMIC CON FOR CAT PEOPLE

Oh my whiskers, if I didn’t hate travel so much I’d have The Human pack us up and take us to Los Angeles. More than 10,000 cat lovers are expected to descend on Pasadena this weekend for the annual CatCon.

Founded in 2015, Cat Con is the brainchild of entertainment writer-turned-Team Cat advocate Susan Michals.

“Everybody thought that cat people were all old cat lady hoarder and spinster types,” Michals said, adding that Eleanor Abernathy from The Simpsons is a prime example. “What I found is that there was a much younger demo that was not being served.”

That ephipany came to Michals in 2014, when she curated a cat art show in L.A. More than 4,000 people showed up to see it, according to Michals.

The inaugural CatCon took place in Downtown L.A. and relocated to roomier digs at the Convention Center in Pasadena in 2017. The event has grown alongside an explosion in pet spending in the country, from $60.28 billion to $136.8 billion between 2015 and 2022, according to the trade group American Pet Products Association.

Cat ownership, according to the same group, now clocks at 46.5 million households.

Cat Con has gone from it’s initial 63 exhibitors in 2015 to 200 this year. It’s a BIG deal!

Here are some highlights from this year’s convention.

Karma Is A Cat

This is an art show, which is an homage to Taylor Swift as a cat icon and cat owner,” said Michals.

The artworks are for sale, and a portion of the proceeds will go to charities.

Internet Famous Cats

Some of the Internet’s most famous cat-fluencers are at CatCon, including Merlin The Mad Ragdoll, Sponge Cake, and Scottish Fold.

The Products

Last year, Americans spent nearly $40 billion on vet care and products. There are plenty of those at this year’s CatCon.

“We have tech companies [offering] the latest in cat tech — trackers or litter boxes that can track if your cat is sick,” Michals said.

“One of the things that’s a growing industry is cat probiotics and cat holistic products. The Two Crazy Cat Ladies are going to be talking about how you can improve your cat health. Imagine sort of Eastern medicine meets probiotics, but for the four-legged set,” Michals said.

If any of my southern California furiends go to CatCon, meow at us and let us know how you liked it.

‘Trickster’ Cat At Shelter Caught On Video Opening Door Himself And ‘Strutting His Stuff’

A cat in a Nebraska animal shelter has made headlines for his skill with a door handle, but he’s still waiting for an adopter to open their door to him.

“Staff started to go crazy knowing they shut certain doors when they left at night but those same doors would be open in the morning……then today we discovered this,” the Capital Humane Society in Lincoln wrote July 27 on Facebook.

The post included a video of a black cat named Grimsen leaping up and grabbing a door’s lever handle with his paws, managing to pull it down to let himself out.

“Grimsen is the ultimate trickster,” the shelter wrote.

The cat’s adoption listing also cites his ingenuity, calling Grimsen a “VERY smart guy” who “has managed to teach himself how to open lever style doorknobs and walk freely amongst the other shelter cats strutting his stuff.”

Early in the morning on the day of the Facebook post, the shelter staff noticed that three different doors were open and Grimsen was strolling the hallway. He was returned to the room he shares with two other cats, but around noon, “Grimsen was spotted walking down the hallway again,” veterinary and behavior assistant Hillary Brandt told HuffPost in a Facebook message.

Not long after, Grimsen was once again returned to his room. This time, he was caught red-pawed opening the door.

Unfortunately for a freedom-loving feline like Grimsen, it’s important that doors remain closed, especially after business hours.

“Doors stay closed at night so we know all cats are behaving properly and not throwing parties after hours, making messes and possibly fighting with others who don’t play well with feline friends,” said Sierra Kurth, the shelter’s fundraising and grants coordinator.

Grimsen had to spend a night in a cat condo inside a locked office before the shelter was able to add a hook apparatus to the doorknob of his regular room to prevent him from getting out ― though he still made an attempt.

The feline’s chaos-causing ways were mostly met with approval by those who commented on the shelter’s video.

“I’m Grimsen’s lawyer,” read a top comment from one justice-minded Facebook user. “My client is innocent.”

His story made multiple local news headlines, with KLKN-TV declaring him the cat who “can’t be contained.”

But despite his number of fans, Grimsen, who came to the shelter as a stray in mid-June, was still looking for someone to adopt him as of Friday. Preferably someone with a good sense of humor.

“He is a very active and comical boy,” Brandt said.

And despite his exceptional intelligence, Grimsen is no snob. His adoption listing notes that he “loves all the pets that you can give him, even when he has escaped and his presence surprises you.”

Someone PLEASE adopt Grimson!!

There Is Now a Newspaper of Record for Felines: SE Taylor Street Cat News

Anybody who says newspapers are dying hasn’t looked closely at the telephone poles in the Buckman neighborhood. That’s where devoted readers find new, laminated editions of the SE Taylor Street Cat News, the monthly newspaper of record for the feline activities from Southeast 14th Avenue to César E. Chávez Boulevard. The Cat News, one page and cartoon-illustrated, chronicles such hyperlocal issues as “Squirrels—Are They Stupid?” and the arrival of Freddy, an orange tom who is seeking summer romance.

It is on its fourth edition, edited by a neighborhood resident who goes by the nom de plume Swamp Cat.

“A lot of the stories I gather from cats throughout the neighborhood,” says Swamp Cat, who is 28 in human years. “I do all the translations myself.”

Swamp Cat lives in a three-cat household herself; her most reliable sources are Tilda, the Baboo, and Big Fat Ted. (All get bylines.) Since its April debut, the Cat News has developed a loyal readership, online and on-pole. Like all media, it has seen the most success with its coverage of violent street conditions.

“Residents on 28th have recently reported multiple incidents between the Buckman Big Boyz and the Sunnyside Skullz,” a June cover story begins. “Tensions between the two cat gangs escalate annually with the arrival of summer and the search for perfect Sit Spots.”

Two paws up for the enterprising “Swamp Cat” and we think there should be more of these local feline news publications.

Walk Through the Web Wednesday – 7/19

Posted on by
15

Happy Wednesday Furiends!

I am pleased to say WOOO HOO and HALEIJUJAH- we’re back. Our Purrsonal assistant is finishing up all her outside activities and will be back this week to focus on her job. She no sooner arrived home from the writer’s conference when she informed us that she would be leaving again in two days! This was Oliver’s reaction when he heard the news.

Traveling?! Again?! Does this mean we will be forced to endure a reduced level of service again?!

Lily too, was less than enthusiastic about The Human’s second departure.

What, you’re leaving again??
Good bye Human, come back soon!

Even I felt a certain kind of way about the Human’s second immediate departure.

Excuse me Human, is this not your travel bag sitting on the bed AGAIN??

Still, we have to cut The Human some slack as this second trip was to go with two other family members to fly to other family members and help them move to our neck of the woods. This makes The Human very happy but The Tribe is withholding enthusiasm as we have not found an upside for us and, in fact, the human relatives have a dog that likes to chase cats so approval is pending from us.

But, we are pleased to announce that not only are the trips over, there are lots of exciting things coming. Here’s a preview of one:

See this book? Well The Human was fangirling all over the place when she met the author, Molly Fitz at the #CozyCon in St. Paul. We will be having a drawing for this book soon! In the meantime, you can read more about Molly, a real cat lady and her books. Meowza, we’re excited to do a book giveaway and we will also be doing an interview with either Molly and/or one of her feline characters. Negotiations are happening as we report this.

And speaking of authors, The Human was so inspired, she is not only finishing her first cozy mystery but she’s already outlined the next five in the series-Meowza!

Okay, enough about what’s happening in our neck of the woods, let’s go to some of the best feline news on the Internet.

Cat Noses Are Marvels That May Inspire Better Scientific Instrument

Hey, is it that dinner I smell?

My readers know that I am not a very sciency feline but I did find this article interesting. Evidently a gas chromatograph, a scientific instrument used to separate and analyze different gasses, could learn a great deal from the cat’s nose, according to a new study . As the first detailed study of the feline sniffer, it reveals a dual-channel system in the nose that the instrument could perhaps replicate.

“We know so much about vision and hearing, but not so much about the nose. This work could lead to more understanding of the pathways behind different nose structures, and the functional purpose they serve,” says Kai Zhao, an associate professor of otolaryngology in Ohio State’s College of Medicine, in a press release.

The channel system for smelling acts like a major highways on a complex road system. We felines inhales air into our nose, flooding both, and they in turn infuse a labyrinth of small passages called turbinates that clean and humidify the air. The turbinates pass the air on to the olfactory region lined with olfactory epithelium, which detects odors. (Okay if this is crystal clear to you, you are definitely more sciency than this cat!)

The study mapped this complex network by CT-scanning the cadaver of a domestic short hair cat, revealing the intricate folds and passageways winding through the cat’s ethmoid bone. Humans also have turbinates, but the human turbinates  consist of a few simplistic folds, and have the comparatively weak sense of smell to match.

“For mammals, olfaction is very important in finding prey, identifying danger, finding food sources and tracking the environment,” Zhao says in a press release.

Dogs possess even more complex nasal passages than cats and humans, allowing them to ruminate on a scent with great focus. Hence the job for canines of “sniffer dog”.

Researchers discovered that with cats, the dual streams serve different purposes. The first channel goes low and relatively slow and spreads through the turbinates before eventually reaching the olfactory region. This gradual pathway resembles a gas chromatograph with a long tube designed to detect more chemicals at a slower rate.

The second stream runs fast and heads straight for the olfactory region, where it allows for quick detection of important smells. This comes at a trade-off however, as the faster an odor passes through the system, the less efficient the detection. While the second lane may quickly detect a predator at close range, the first may be needed to identify one from a paw print.

Once air arrives at the olfactory region, it circulates through parallel channels that make the most of each breath.

“That was actually a surprise,” says Zhao. “It’s like you take a sniff, the air is shooting back there and then is being processed for a much longer time.”

Overall, the cat studied possessed a surfeit of olfactory epithelium tucked inside its turbinate folds, which would have allowed it to out-sniff more rudimentary noses. The researchers estimated that this cat and others like it would have possessed noses about 100 times more powerful than those of similar-sized amphibians with simplistic “straight noses.”

So, some interesting information about cat noses but purrhaps it could have been put in less professional terms. Did you learn anything about our noses?

Shelter Staff Catches Cats Giving Massages To Blind Dog Who Needs Them The Most

Oh my whiskers, the folks at the Dodo have some of the greatest cat stories. When Tam needs a bit of comfort, his friend Elodie is always willing to help. Tam, a pup At the Sunshine Animal Refuge Agadir (SARA), is blind and suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which makes his skin extra fragile and his joints prone to arthritis.

Elodie and her fellow cats at the refuge seem to know that Tam needs extra TLC, and the tribe of cats at SARA have made it their mission to help him out.

“Tam regularly shares his bed with at least two cats,” Hazel Skeet, a long-time volunteer with SARA, told The Dodo. “All the cats adore him and give him cuddles and massages.”

The Farm Refuge is one of three refuges in the SARA network that caters to senior or sick dogs and recently rescued dogs who are ready to be adopted. The Farm Refuge also serves as a temporary shelter for homeless cats — there are currently about 200 of them!

“To be honest, it is quite difficult for anyone to sit down at the Farm Refuge without being immediately surrounded by cats,” Skeet said. “But Tam is the most popular dog. The cats know he will lie quietly and be gentle with them. [He’s] the perfect pillow for a snooze, and Tam enjoys the affectionate closeness.”

Tam was born at the refuge nearly nine years ago. While most of his siblings were adopted, he and his sister Daccia remained at the refuge due to their Ehlers-Danlos diagnoses. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the genetic disorder, but Tam and his sister are well cared for by both their cat and human companions.

Tam will continue to live his best life alongside his sister and cat friends at the SARA Farm Refuge. And he can expect to receive so many more relaxing massages from the cats who care so much for him — as he well deserves!

To help the SARA team care for and rescue more animals in need, you can head over to the organization’s website to donate and learn more about their mission.

Inside a mid century glass filled home built for cats 

Meowza! This human had his flat redesigned in elegant mid-century style with lots of glass and the main inspurration for the design? His felines!

Man rescues 60 cats and has to rent 3 apartments to house them 

This man is an angel to stray felines. He can’t stop rescuing cats, so he rents 3 apartments for all of them. That guy from the previous study needs to contact this rescuer. To help Yassine save more cats, you can donate here: https://thedo.do/catdonate. You can also keep up with Yassine’s cat saving adventures on Instagram: https://thedo.do/theyasshouse, YouTube: https://thedo.do/Theyasshouse, Facebook: https://thedo.do/TheYassHouse & TikTok: https://thedo.do/yassthecatman.

An update on one of my favorite purrlitical felines -Larry

As my regular readers know, I have previously reported on Larry the Cat at 10 Downing Street. Larry emerged from the front door of the British prime minister’s office to find a red carpet under his paws but was unceremoniously removed from the carpet. The nerve!

Greetings from the writers conference-it’s cozy!

Posted on by
15

Hello Furiends,

Oliver here. We sent The Human (aka the Purrsonal Assistant) to the historic St. Paul hotel in Minnesota to attend the Cozy Con writers conference. As you know, our assistant will soon be finishing her first cozy mystery book featuring yours truly and Alberto. This conference is teaching her lots about the process and genre as well as the business aspects of book writing. We hope she’s paying attention so that she will make Al and I famous felines and earn enough of those green papers to care for us (and Lily) in the manner to which we’d like to be accustomed

This little trip may result in a delay in Alberto’s weekly news feature however we have advised her that she should have plenty of time to get work done on the flight home, as well as respond to all those wonderful comments that are piling up in our mailbox.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 7/5

Posted on by
16

Happy Wednesday Furiends,
I hope you enjoyed the long Fourth of July holiday as much as we did, we had quite a celebration.

Happy Independence Day!

The Human went to watch the loud distressing fire bombs at our human aunt and uncle’s house and we were quite content to stay home and snooze under the overhead fans in quiet peace.

The Human has been going crazy around the house, organizing and changing things up and this type of activity naturally needs to have snoopervision. Oliver and I were happy to oblige.

Hmm, let’s see how she’s doing.
What’s that down there?
I’m puffing myself up so you can’t make me move.
Ok Ollie, I’ll take over snoopervising the bottom of the project.

As you can see, we felines have been working hard, well two of us felines. Lily preferred to stay in her hiding place at the top of the cat condo in the office.

I hope you had a great week and they you’ll enjoy my news stories.

Japanese app aims to help detect pain in cats

Our Angel Tucker was an expert at hiding his pain when he was sick.

Anyone who lives with cats knows that figuring out if we are in pain or don’t feel good is difficult because we are masters at hiding when we’re sick. This comes from our ancestors who knew showing weakness in the wild could be dangerous. Evidently that gene is still in us domesticated kitties.

The good cat-loving folks in Japan are working on helping humans know when we are feeling under the weather. A tech firm and a university in Tokyo have teamed up to produce an app that uses thousands of cat photos that they say can tell you when your feline is in pain.

Since its release last month, “Cat Pain Detector” has racked up 43,000 users, mostly in Japan but also in Europe and South America, said Go Sakioka, head of developer Carelogy.

The app is part of a growing array of tech for pet owners concerned for their furry friends’ well-being, including similar mood and pain trackers made in Canada and Israel.

Carelogy teamed up with Nihon University’s College of Bioresource Sciences to gather 6,000 cat photos. The studied the position of the ears, noses, whiskers and eyelids in the photos. They then used a scoring system designed by the University of Montreal to measure minute differences between healthy cats and those suffering pain due to hard-to-spot illnesses.

The app developers then fed the information into an AI detection system, which has further refined its skills thanks to around 600,000 photos uploaded by users, Sakioka said. He says that the app has an accuracy level of more than 90%.

 “Cat Pain Detector” is already being used by some vets in Japan, but “the AI system still needs to be more precise before it’s used as a standardized tool,” Sakioka said.

How to get house cats to exercise

OK Human, thanks for the 1 minute work out, now I’m done.

Oliver is sick and tired of the words “diet”, “health” and “exercise” but The Human is absolutely obsessive about getting Ollie and I healthier (translation= weighing less than 21 pounds).

The Human has been doing some research on exercises for us, so far we have approved of nothing she has presented. She has picked up a few pointers which were noted in the linked article and which I will now share with you. I will state however, that all my feline furiends should ignore any of the suggestions below.

  1. Determine which toys cats like best. Some pre-exercise observation can help lay a strong foundation for feline fitness sessions. Identify which toys we seem to like best and then use those toys during exercise sessions to entice participation. Use one or two toys each session and swap them every few days so cats do not grow bored with their fitness routines.
  2. Incentivize physical activity. Cats (especially CHONKY cats like Oliver and I)  are more likely to engage in exercise when sessions end with a reward. PetMD notes some post-exercise praise and a few healthy treats can encourage cats to participate willingly in exercise sessions.
  3. Don’t overdo it. Play sessions intended to get cats to exercise can last between 10 and 15 minutes each. PetMD recommends limiting sessions to two or three per day for older cats, while as many as 10 sessions per day can be effective for younger cats.

Try a laser pointer. We like to play with these and even have one that is electric and turns on an off at random. We rarely pay attention to it anymore.

You can get double the results for the time you put in if you also work on some training. In response to some of you humans who may be snickering right now, yes, I realize that you don’t really train a cat but you can redirect behavior and create situations that the cat will actually respond and do things (or stop doing things) that have been habits. The Human recently downloaded the app CATBOSS and she will be using it on us. We’ll see how that goes and I will update you as we make progress.

Photographer Breaks ‘Stoic’ Cat Stereotypes by Snapping Pics of Them ‘Crazy’ on Catnip

blac,kand white cat on the dining room table
You never know where you’ll be when the nip wears off.

Oh my whiskers. If you’ve ever watched your cat enjoying the “nip” you know how hilarious their behavior and expressions can be. Photographer Andrew Marttila has spent the last six years capturing those crazy moments.

Martilla discovered the joy of photographing cats under the influence of catnip when he was playing around with one of his cameras. On a whim, he gave a bit of catnip to his 13-year-old Bengal cat, Haroun, “to see what his reaction is and try to capture whatever happens.”

“I had no idea what I would get. And the result was something really, really incredible and strange and sparked the interest of a lot of people around the world,” Marttila says. The images launched a series of photographs about cats high on catnip that has been turned into a book, and an annual calendar and more.

Marttila says he loves showing cats’ funny, silly sides. “I think there’s a misunderstanding that cats are aloof or very stoic, and it’s only in recent years that the silliness of cats has started to become more prevalent and prominent in pop culture,” he shares. “And I love exploring that side. I love showing cats sort of just enjoying themselves. I like just showing them funny and out of the norm.”

The flash photography allows him to “freeze these little moments” that “the human eye is not able to see,” he adds. “It’s a different window into their lived experience, especially when they’re high. You’re able to get an insight into just how crazy they do get on catnip.”

The artist loves showing people what their cats really look like in a way they’ve never noticed. “Aside from it just being so different and funny, I love seeing the expression of the guardians when they see just how crazy their cat looks,” he says.

When he arrives at a photo shoot, he usually brings five varieties of catnip with him. “I’ll put catnip on a table or on the ground and have the lighting set up to accommodate where I think they will have their little freak out moment and then sort of just let them do their thing. And as they are going wild, I snap photos.”

Marttila says about 70 percent of cats respond to catnip — and every cat reacts very differently. “You never know what you’re going to get,” he shares. “I think it’s the sort of the surprise factor, especially when I’m taking the photos, even I don’t know what I’ve gotten until I go back and review the images because it happened so quickly.” The Human knows this to be true as we’ve had members of our tribe that turn into really “mean drunks” when they have catnip and the rest of us are more goofy.

For anyone worried the practice may be inhumane, Marttila — who also runs the Orphan Kitten Club rescue in San Diego with wife Hannah Shaw — assuages those fears. “One comment that I get a lot when these pictures are on bigger publications is, ‘This is damaging to the cats. Why are we creating drug addicts in our cats?’ And it’s ignorance. It’s really not understanding what catnip does. And it is a very fast acting type of chemical. It is completely natural. There’s no chance of them becoming dependent on catnip,” he says.

Marttila also encourages people to try it at home. “I highly recommend giving a little bit or a lot of it to your cat just to see what their reaction is. You can follow Andrew Marttila on Instagram.  The Human likes to spread catnip on sheets of newspaper so that we can just roll in it and enjoy. How do you like your nip?

Cat owners called on for UK’s first feline blood bank

Human blood banks have existed in the UK since 1937 and dogs have been participating in blood donations for years. Now, finally, there is a blood bank for felines.  As regulations and logistics have combined to make it difficult for veterinarians to find blood for sick cats who need blood transfusions, they have to search for blood donors when the need is critical. This can cause delays,  blood donations from unsuitable donors (with diseases). Cat blood groups are different than human blood groups and even a teaspoon of the wrong blood could be fatal.  

“The current situation has been very problematic as far as cats dying because there’s not appropriate blood available,” said a veterinary professional.  Although the Royal Veterinary College stores feline blood, that blood is only for animals being treated or referred to the college as it is a transfusion service rather than a blood bank.

In an attempt to rectify the feline blood donation a Portuguese organization called Banco de Sangue Animal (BSA) is hoping to set up the UK’s first feline blood bank to provide a resource for veterinary practices around the country – and it wants cat owners to sign up their furry companions.

“We’ve run a couple of sessions [for blood donation] just to see how it goes. And that’s been going well, but we need more owners and more cats,” said  Samantha Taylor, a specialist in feline medicine, who is working with BSA on the project.

According to new criteria for feline blood banking set out in updated guidance by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) last year, among other requirements, cats donating to a blood bank must be at least 5kg in weight, undergo a cardiac assessment before donation and have their blood pressure checked. Only 10% of the cat’s total blood volume can be taken – a more conservative volume than in general practice.

It is not permitted for animals to be sedated when donating blood for storage in the UK. While dogs can be trained to give blood while awake with relative ease, cats can be harder to handle.

“You may find it harder to find suitable [feline] donors than you would with dogs. But that’s just the nature of cats and we should respect that,” said Charlotte Russo, head of transfusion medicine nurse at the RVC, adding the requirement means it is crucial to find cats with the right temperament for being a blood donor. Well that would definitely rule out Lily, aka Princess Stabby Toes.

The BSA has animal blood banks in Portugal, Spain and Belgium, and has learned how to collect donations safely and efficiently with minimal stress to donor cats, so Taylor said the organization was a natural choice for UK vets to partner with to set up a UK-wide feline blood bank.

“The BSA has undergone a very strict and long process of approval,” she said. The organization was recently granted non-food animal blood bank authorization (NFABBA) by the VMD, and the team is working to build up a network of cats who, can donate blood.

Dr Jenny Helm, a trustee of the charity Pet Blood Bank UK, which mainly provides canine blood to veterinary practices, said there was a significant need for a feline blood bank in the UK, particularly as other products that previously bridged the gap – such as a haemoglobin-based blood substitute – were no longer available.

“[The BSA bank] will benefit so many cats across the country that will be able to access blood products at any time of day just like dogs can, just like people can,” she said. UK felines can register to determine suitability at uk.animalbb.org

Mystery of Lost Cat Found 9,000 Miles From Home Finally Solved

Oh how I love a good feline mystery and this one is excellent. This is a mystery of a lost cat who was found wandering 9,000 miles from its home in Australia .

Melvin the cat was found in Renfrewshire, Scotland, before he was picked up by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). A local resident had been feeding the cat twice a day since Christmastime. However, they started to notice he was not looking well, the Scottish SPCA said in a press release.

After picking the cat up and giving him veterinary attention, the Scottish SPCA checked his microchip, only to find he was registered to an address all the way in Australia.

Laura McIntyre, Scottish SPCA chief inspector, said that one of the first things the charity does, when taking in a lost pet, is to check for a microchip.

“As you can imagine, the team were slightly confused when Melvin’s details came back registered to an address in Australia,” McIntyre said.

After some investigating, it turned out that Melvin belonged to a Scottish couple, Jacqueline and Matt Dick, who had lived in Australia for 14 years. They had recently made the move back home, spending $8,000 to transport Melvin, and their dog, to Scotland. However, Melvin went missing shortly after they settled into a new home, just eight weeks after moving, in August 2022.

Thank goodness the mystery of Melvin’s disappearance was solved and he is back at home with his humans.

“We were devastated when Melvin went missing. We did everything we could think of to try and find him, but by winter we feared the worst,” Jacqueline Dick said in a press release from the Scottish SPCA. “We were over the moon when we received the call that he’d been found by the Scottish SPCA.

“The first night we got him home he didn’t leave my side and was purring really loudly. I was in floods of tears as I never thought I’d see him again,” she added. “We just want to say a big thank you to everyone who looked out for him while he was missing and helped get him back home where he belongs.”

This isn’t the first adventure Melvin has had. During his time in Australia, he was caught up in a fight with a dingo, a type of wild dog. Luckily, he survived the ordeal, using up only one of his nine lives.

Oh how I love a happy ending and again, I will repeat my favorite phrase….THINK LOST NOT STRAY!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 6/28

Posted on by
8

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 – 6/21

Posted on by
5

Hello Furiends,
We’ve been having a cool summer (temperature, not type). The Human is frankly thankful because she chose to live in our neck of the woods precisely because it’s not known for extreme temperatures, although there have been summers with days in the high 90s. For instance, Weather Kitty’s report for today is what The Human considers a purrfect summer day.

As far as other happenings this past week, things have been mostly routine although Oliver has been quite unsettled because of his D-I-E-T. He finds it outrageous that The Human chooses menu options that contain NOTHING he is interested in eating and has decided begging isn’t even worth the effort.

This is an outrage, sprouted grain bread, spinach and an egg!
It wasn’t even worth jumping up here.

In a futile attempt to turn his attention from food to something else, Oliver decided he would “help” The Human put together some table decorations.

Those woody things look nice and crunchy.

When the reduced rations get to him, Oliver chooses a nap to forget about the terrible state of his life.

Lily, the little feline who has never had a weight problem, often encourages Ollie to relax and take some time to smell the roses.

We hope things have been doing well in your neck of the woods and Oliver hopes you get all the snacks, kibble and treats you deserve.

Florida woman leaves inheritance, Tampa estate to 7 Persian cats: Reports

I think a mansion would suit me quite well.

Now this is how you take care of your felines! A Florida woman who died in November decided to leave her estate to her seven Persian cats, along with an inheritance for each one. Nancy Sauer of Tampa, Florida left a stipulation in her will that her seven cats are to remain in her estate with each receiving an inheritance.

This isn’t that unusual, I reported on the inheritance Karl Lagerfeld left to his cat Choupette.  The will left by Sauer indicates that the estate not be sold until the last cat passes away. Despite this stipulation in the will, a a Hillsborough County probate judge recently decided that the cats should be placed in new homes.

A friend of the deceased said that she was worried that the cats would not do well if they were separated.

Sherry Silk, the executive director of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay has stated that the cats should not be alone in a house as large as the one they lived in.  The cats have now been at the Human Society for the last month and Silk said, “I am going to personally make sure that we can keep as many together as we can and that they go to the perfect house.”

 San Antonio Cat Extravaganza

Oh meowza, every city should have an event like this! The event, last weekend, celebrated local feline charities and rescues, there was an International Cat Competition, lots of seminars to learn more about fantastic felines, enjoy the antics of the Rock Cat Rescue’s Acro-Cats and buy a present for your cats at the shopping village.

Feline Water Fascination

Some of you less informed humans may think that cats hate water. This is not the case for all of us! There are cats that like to swim, ride on paddle boards, take to the sea in a boat or, as in my case, stick your head under the faucet (my regular morning routine) and enjoy the wetness.

The perks of adopting a wallflower

Lily was a bit shy when The Human first met her at the shelter.

This is a reminder that just because a kitty doesn’t run up to you to greet you when you’re looking for a new feline furiend at the shelter doesn’t mean this kitty isn’t loveable. Our very own Lily was quite shy (she still is in some circumstances with people she doesn’t know) is known as “Bug” or “The Bug” because she is such a love bug and she loves to curl up against the Human and go to sleep.

It does take time and patience to win over a timid cat but it’s worth it. Amanda Kowalski, vice president of behavior programs at San Diego Humane Society says, “The first time they start to interact with you, like giving you a nose touch or rubbing against you, is so gratifying and worth the wait.”

Sometimes it’s the environment like shelters or foster homes that make a cat shy. When looking at cats in a shelter or rescue, it’s important to remember that “what you see is not necessarily what you’re gonna get,” says Nancy Puro, volunteer and behavior programs manager at Cat Adoption Team, the largest cat shelter in the Pacific Northwest. She explains that the behavior a cat is displaying at a shelter or rescue may not reflect what their personality will be like once they settle into a home.  Again, this was the case with our Lily.

There are many types of shy cats. Some weren’t fully socialized when they were kittens, some act fearful because they’re overwhelmed by their surroundings. Any of you humans who have given a shelter kitty a furever home can attest to the fact that their personalities change quite a bit once they are comfortable and safe in their new home (and that often takes a while to achieve).

This doesn’t mean that a very shy cat will eventually turn into a social, stranger loving feline. Many shy cats, even after they’re out of their shell, will continue to be reserved and often will find a place to be alone to reenergize.

Please don’t disregard bringing a shy cat into your home. The article, linked above, has links to information to help you bring a shy kitty out of their shell. Oliver and I and the Human are glad The Human decided to bring shy Lily to our house.

It’s always good to have a snuggle bug in the house.

HHOLOVE Launched the World’s First Companion Robot for Cats. A robot cat sitter…hmmm

HHOLOVE, a rising digital pet brand under HHO, has launched the world’s first cat smart companion robot—O Sitter on Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform, on June 16 at 9am EST .

The system has integrated functions of AI Smart Life Recording, Interactive Companion, Reliable and Visible Feeding, O Sitter is considered a  groundbreaking differentiated product. The company says that the product is purrfect novice cat owners, frequent travel owners, and those who have to keep track of their cats when they are at work.  

The company says the O Sitter uses AI dynamic computing to automatically record the daily activities of your cats that can then viewed on an app.  

It also has a high-speed silent gimbal camera, combined with a laser and rich expression interaction design that will follow active cats.  There is a 360° horizontal + 110° vertical panoramic view which gives the cat owner a clearer “digital” view with its 4x digital zoom. O Sitter can detect the cat’s movement within 3 meters (about 118 inches), so that you can quickly target where they are.

And if all this tracking wasn’t enough, there’s a built in laser that can be manipulated by the app, either by the human directly or it can be preset.

The build-in laser can be manipulated by cat owners via APP to accompany their cats for remote play. It is also available to select a preset laser motion track.

And what good would a cat sitting robot be if there wasn’t a voice option for the human?  There is real time voice interaction as well, of course.

What else could you want? How about a customized feeding plan? Owners can add their cats’ information on the app and choose a feeding plan.  

What happens if there’s a power failure? The system will switch to battery-powered mode, and after the network is disconnected it will enter offline mode immediately, and the device will dispense food at regular intervals as scheduled.

O Sitter was made available on Kickstarter on June 16 with discounts of up to 50% off.

As wonderful as this all sounds, The Human isn’t sure she wants one more intrusive device in our home. She can’t say anything with Alexa plugged in without seeing ads for the things she’s talked about. She gets so annoyed; she doesn’t leave Alexa plugged in. And don’t get her started on Facebook that even seems to know what she’s thinking about purchasing! My guess is, this will not be part of our household. What about yours?

Walk Through The Web Wednesday (on Thursday) – 6/1

Posted on by
18

Dear Furiends,
Evidently we are repeating what seems to have become a habit here at FelineOpines central and that is getting our Wednesday feature out on Thursdays. We have extended quite a bit of grace to our Purrsonal Assistant but this slacking has to stop. Here are the lame excuses she used for running behind.

“It took me an entire day to get both Alberto and Oliver to their wellness appointments at the vet.

    Oh pulleeze! Taking to cats to the vet’s office isn’t that big a deal. Granted, Oliver and I each weigh 21.5 pounds so she has to take us in separately (which means two different trips to the vet) but still. Maybe she needs to work out a little more if she can’t handle 21.5 pounds on each side. And why is she making such a big deal about it? We’re the ones who suffer. And what about Lily you ask? Well Lily is no fool, after trip number two, Lily took off and went into deep hiding. The Human searched for over an hour and finally had to call the vet and reschedule. Note to self, be like Lily!

    Come one more step near me and the claws are coming out!
    That’s it, I’m done!

    “It was my birthday and I thought I deserved a little time off.”

    Seriously? We felines are constantly working, posing for photos, dealing with delayed feeding times and, now that she’s working from home, nap interruptions. But in her defense, she does love us a lot and we have a pretty cushy set up here so, we granted her a little time off but reminded her, next week’s feature better be back on schedule! Check out this amazing cake she received.

    So Human, we wish you a happy birthday and we’re always grateful for the gift of a furever home you gave us!

    Well, it’s time to get to the news at hand. June is Adopt a Cat Month and we’ve included two news items that celebrate cat adoption. Oliver has a little PSA he’d like to share with you.

    It’s always easy to look at the world with rose colored glasses when you have a furever home!

    Stray Cat’s Transformation Stuns Internet After Finding Forever Home

    You humans can make such a difference in a cat’s life and Tom-Tom’s story is proof. Once the “neighborhood feral cat” in Portsmouth, Virginia, until Katie Cats Sims noticed him outside her house in March 2022.  Sims spent four months earning his trust and eventually lured him inside.

    “He looked like he was in pain and his little damaged ears just tugged at my heartstrings,” Sims told Newsweek.

    “The way Tom-Tom looked at me, I just knew that he was asking for my help.”

    Now, a year later, Tom-Tom is settled into his new home with Sims and her three other felines—Envy, Bru, and Mila.

    To celebrate the anniversary of his “gotcha day,” Sims shared Tom-Tom’s tale to TikTok, including a clip of the first time she spotted him. Looking sickly and disheveled, the feral feline melted hearts with the video receiving almost 230,000 views.

    And how did she earn Tom-Tom’s trust to come to this happy ending. When she started approaching him, he would run and hide under her car. She talked to him from a distance. Time started to run out because she had to move and she wanted to take Tom-Tom with her so she had to speed up her plan.  

    She began to leave food out for him and every time Tom-Tom came to eat, she inched the food closer.  She then contacted a local rescue center, who provided her with a humane trap. Tom-Tom refused to go inside, even when tempted by treats. So, she purchased some chicken nuggets from Chick-Fila-A and tried to lure Tom-Tom into her kitchen instead.

    She left her back door open, put the nuggets on a plate beside in the middle of the floor and she hid behind the door. It took Tom-Tom ten minutes to come in and nibble on the chicken. Sims shut the back door,and Tom-Tom panicked, trying to climb out the kitchen window and then ran and hid in one of the bedroom closets. Sims began talking to him like she did outside to calm  him down.

    The next day he was taken to the vet, neutered and tested for any diseases. He received antibiotics for his infected ears but sadly diagnosed with liver disease, a heart murmur, high blood pressure, a broken tail, and diabetes. Sims was up to the challenge and over time, despite his hissing at her he finally came to trust her.

    Just when Tom-Tom was acclimating to his new home he suffered a seizure and spent five days fighting for his life in an animal hospital.

    “It was recommended that I consider his quality of life and not let him continue to suffer,” Sims said. “To all of our surprise, he made a full recovery. He’s quite the fighter.” He had the seizure in October and by Christmas was playing with toys, exploring the house, and bonding with her other cats.

    “I’m incredibly proud of his progress,” Sims said. “Since January, he has not gone into the safe place at all and meows very loudly when I leave the room.”

    Tom-Tom now living his best life with his fam ily. Photo courtesy of Newsweek

    Two paws up for this wonderful lady who was willing to take on all the risks to give Tom-Tom his life back and a loving home!

    He Adopted The ‘Feisty’ Cat No One Wanted, 9 Months Later They’re Living Happily Ever After

    And if you loved Tom-Tom’s story, you’ll love Nibble’s story and the photos at Cheezburger with these two pals. This man was warned at the shelter that the cat was “feisty” (whatever that means) and no one wanted to adopt him. Well this man adopted him and they are now living their best lives. Be sure and visit the site for more photos and the comments from people who love this story.

    The Mystery of the Great Plant Murder

    The Human loves to read, write and watch murder mysteries. Needless to say this title caught her eye. One of this man’s cats “murdered” his plant — and you’ll never guess which one. Watch the video below to see if you can figure out who the perpetrator is.

    .

    A Twin Cities cat has quite the story to tell after surviving a road trip.

    No matter what kind of a loving forever home a cat has, sometimes they get a bit curious and that takes them far from that home. This happened to a cat named Noah who was found n a semi-truck traveling from Brooklyn Park at an Amazon facility in Eagan.

    When Noah was discovered by the station manager, it was clear he wasn’t a stray as he was purring and seemed very happy to be found.

    The good folks at the warehouse were able to use Noah’s microchip to find his owner in Columbia Heights. Noah was reunited with his owner; who had no idea how he got into the truck.

    So my furiends, please remember these two things, make sure your humans have you microchipped and for heaven’s sake stay out of trucks!

    Walk Through the Web Wednesday – 5/24

    Posted on by
    10

    Hello Furiends!
    I hope you’ve had a good week. We seem to be seeing the start of summer in our neck of the woods and that makes us happy!

    This week Oliver insisted on pitching a little film about his work day. Lily and I (and The Human) were not fans of the idea but Oliver can be a bit pushy so we caved. Here is his little video about what he does all day.

    Contrary to what Oliver said in the video, this is a TRUE representation of how he spends most of his time.

    Well, enough about us, let’s take a look at this weeks feline headlines.

    This Leggings Hack For Keeping Your Cat Out of Your Plants Is Purrfect

    Hey Human! Could we get real flowers in this house??

    The Human never has real plants or flowers in the house because we eat them or dig them up. She is seriously considering trying this.

    TikToker Fridlaa (@fridlaa) has a simple, quick and effective method for cat-proofing plants. She uses an old pair of leggings to create a basic barrier between the plant’s base and any prying paws. Watch her video and see if this would work for you.

    Fridlaa’s video starts with an old pair of leggings and a sharp pair of scissors. The leggings should be a cotton-elastic blend for easy stretching, but any old pair should work. She cuts off a section of the legging around the thigh area to make a stretchy tube of fabric. Then she pulls the tube up over the bottom of the pot. The legging tube slides up over the ceramic, then loosens inward toward the base of the plant which creates a flexible barrier over the potting soil, meaning that dirt digging felines can’t mess with the plant’s roots anymore.

    So if you see your humans putting leggings on the pots inside the house, your digging days are over!

    Kitty Costume Competition

    My regular followers know how much I HATE costumes. I’ve blogged about the disasterous dinosaur costume and the super failure of the sushi costume. It seems though as if my aversion to fancy dress does not apply to all felines. Melody Boyd captured photos of costumed cats at The Cat Fancier’s Association costume competition. The cats are judged by the clapping of the audience and unless there is a specific theme announced, people can dress their cats in any costumes they like.

    Melody insists that none of the cats are unhappy with the fact that they’re wearing clothes for the occasion. This feline would beg to differ. Just purruse the photos of the costumed cats and come to your own conclusion, IMHO none of them look too happy (and neither do the humans involved).

    Website bills itself as Carvana for rescue cats in need of a home – with felines given car-inspired names

    Ah how I love humans who use their creativity to help kitties find furever homes.

    Kayla Delcoure, a volunteer at Pippi’s Place Pet Rescue in Lawrenceville, Georgia created listings for cats looking for their fur-ever home, under the name Cat-vana. Delcoure was inspired when her husband recently searched for a new truck.

    All the  cat’s listings are written like vehicle listings and include details such as year, make, and model information. There is a listing for a Furrari, Apura or a Pursche.  

    The  listings included as a 2022 Catillac Simon with impact sensors and green headlights or for more sporty types a 2014 Furrari Arlis with custom white decals and a seat heater as well as a 2015 Furcedes called Buddy and a 2022 Meowzda called Cassie. 

    For those looking for a smaller model, a 2023 Mini Pooper with two-tone exterior and all-paw drive is on offer – or how about a two-speed automatic (nap and ZOOM) with self-cleaning capabilities?

    Delcoure said the favorite ad she made was for a cat known as Mr. Goodbar, a ‘2023 Mini Pooper.’ She said, “His listing was the last one I needed to create and I knew I wanted it to be something adorable and relative to his size. I happen to own and adore a Mini Cooper and I knew the ‘mini’ part would fit him perfectly, so that’s what I went with!’

    I say two paws up for this wonderful creative lady who’s helping cats in  her area find furever homes.

    Stash of never-before-seen photos of stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age cuddling with their cats are uncovered

    I’ve shared vintage photos of stars with their favorite felines and now, art collector Klaus Moeller has uncovered a cabinet of files containing some 25million negatives that had lain unopened for decades. 

    There are photos of Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren.  What I especially enjoyed was the many photos of beautiful Siamese cats, some looked just like me! Take a look at all these great photos here.

    Woman creates a delicious ‘cat-uterie’ feast for her feline friends

    This is a note for our Human , you need to up your game. Some random cat treats will no longer do after we’ve seen this spread!

    Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 5/17

    Posted on by
    9

    Okay, you got us. Another week and another day late. This was however, due to our hard and diligent work as feline authors, bloggers and content creators. Since The Human has shifted her focus to writing (our books and blogs), marketing said writing and finally adding items to our merch shop we have been very busy felines. No more just lazing around the office, we all have a job to do and fame to deal with. Here is a glimpse.

    All these book signings are wearing my paws out. Writing is not just writing you know and as the marketing side of the business I’m very busy.
    My Wednesday news features are important and this feline is sometimes a bit overwhelmed. I’ thinking about hiring some kitten interns.
    Oh my whiskers, being the “face” of this enterprise is exhausting. So many interviews and then there’s the fans to deal with. It’s a hard job but some cat has to do it.

    Well there you go, lest you think The Tribe is not pulling their weight, we’re working our paws to the bone! Now, let’s take a look at the feline news this week.

    Friendly Cat has new collar with a warning

    Sometimes a cat’s gotta’ do what a cat’s gotta’ do. Cleo the cat is a lover of people and very friendly. So much so that she will follow strangers down the street. This behavior has forced Taylor Williams, Cleo’s human to have a collar made for her that let’s folks know about her wandering ways. Sometimes Cleo even tries to get on the bus with other humans and the collar has helped keep her in the neighborhood.  

    Taylor Williams frequently receives messages from her neighbors about their encounters with four-year-old Cleo.  Cleo will regularly follow people to the bus stop, wait for the bus to arrive and hop on board before being shooed away.

    Taylor can see Cleo from her living room window, following people down the road. Cleo has a loving family at home, which is why she now wears a color that says, ‘I follow people but I have a home’. So if you meet Cleo on the street, know that there are humans who love her at home.  

     Researchers say they’ve found a way to get a cat to come to you, MOL!

    Hey Guys, turn around. I think that human is talking to us.

    Ah, you human researchers, always claiming to have figured out the mysterious ways of the feline population.  Now a group of French researchers have looked into “the nuances of cat-human conversation,” with some expected findings and some a little more surprising. The study was published recently in the journal Animals, by a research team out of Paris Nanterre University led by Charlotte de Mouzon. The team wanted to see if cats responded better to people if the humans involved used visual gestures, vocal cues, or both. De Mouzon selected herself as the main participant, heading into a cat cafe with a dozen felines.

    Once the cats became accustomed to her, De tried four different ways of interacting with her furry subjects. First, she called out to them only. Second, she silently made gestures toward them, such as reaching out her hand. Next, she tried doing both a vocal and visual cue simultaneously, and finally, for the control part of the experiment, she just sat back and did nothing.

    The cats in de Mouzon’s study came up to her more quickly if she used both visual and vocal cues. If she used visual cues alone the cats reacted faster than when she only called out to them. If she was just sitting there, doing and saying nothing, the cats would flick their tails, often a sign of discomfort or stress. So what can you humans take away from this? I guess if you want your felines in residence to pay attention to you, use both vocal and visual cues to get our attention.

    Winnipeg woman, 99, crocheting blankets for cats

    You are never too old to do something good for felines. This lady in Winnipeg, Canada keeps herself busy crocheting little blankets for cats.

    Gladys Wheeler picks up her yarn and creates small rectangular blankets for the cats at the Winnipeg Humane Society’s satellite location at Best West Pet Foods.

    “The cat gets a mat and the mat stays with the feline when they go to their furever home.  Taking the mat with them to their new home makes the transition to the new place easier for them.

    Wheeler has been making these cat mats since 2006 and since then about 1,000 blankets have been given to cats and their adopted families.

    In the 17 years, about 1,000 of her blankets have been given to cats and their “I can’t not do it. I get a minute to spare, there I am crocheting,” she said.

    Wheeler’s companion Susan Taylor helps her out with the blankets by tidying up the ends and picking out yarn.

    Giving back has always been an important part of Wheeler and her family’s life. She says, “ “Here I am, doing something for the animals and I got my health and I got my family, what else do I need?”  Two paws up for you Gladys!

    He Made Cats Famous before the Internet was even invented

    Walter Chandoha was the pioneer in cat photography waaay before the internet or cat blogs like this one existed.

    In the 1950’s and 60’s, Chandoha’s cat photos were everywhere: advertisements, greeting cards, calendars, jigsaw puzzles. They could also be found on posters, T-shirts and cans of cat food.

    He authored more than 30 books during a career that lasted over seven decades. Some are collections of his cutest cat photos and some are “how-to” books for both budding and professional photographers.

    Chandoha took photos of dogs and other animals, too, but he was always drawn to cats.-of course!

    “I relished the challenge of mak­ing photographs of cats and quickly saw the potential of attempting to capture their naturally expressive personalities,” he wrote.  

    Chandoha’s career took off shortly after adopting a stray kitten in 1949. The freelance photographer was walking back from classes at New York University when he saw a tiny kitten shivering in the snow. He put the cat in his coat pocket and brought him home to meet his wife, Maria.

    They named the cat Loco, and Chandoha started taking pictures of the new family member. He sold some of those photos to various publications, and before he knew it his career was created and ended up earning the title, “the world’s most famous cat photographer”. It’s estimated that over his lifetime he produced more than 90,000 photos of cats.

    “If he didn’t have an assignment, he’d go outside. He’d see that one cat just had kittens, and he’d be there all day taking the pictures,” his daughter said.

    And, when the internet came along, Chandoha embraced it, posting cat photos and offering cat photography tips.

    He advised people that they need to know their subject and their behavior and have patience, lots of it!

    7 Superstitions About Cats From Around the World

    Meowza! After reading these stupid myths, this cat needs a glass of wine!

    Okay, we felines are a bit weary of some of the tall tales you humans tell about cats, presenting these fabrications as though there are the gospel truth. Here are some that might be new to you, all a bit crazy if you ask me!

    1. Cats are gossips.

    Excuse me?? Everything I meow is the truth but in the Netherlands, cats are often believed to be gossipy creatures who will happily blab all of your deepest, darkest secrets. For that reason, people try not to have important or private conversations while a cat’s in the room, just in case it’s listening. Well, let me tell you, it’s too late for our Human because our Tribe will blog about everything she does, MOL!

    2. A grooming cat means unexpected visitors are coming.

    According to Japanese superstition, if a cat washes its face with its paws, it’s not just grooming—it means that visitors are on their way. There are similar superstitions in other countries, too, with some people in the U.S. expecting a visit from a member of the clergy if a cat starts cleaning its whiskers. Let me tell you, none of the grooming of the three of us has every resulted in visitors.


    3. A sneezing cat is lucky (except when it isn’t).

    In Italy, hearing a cat sneeze is supposed to be good luck. Specifically, if your feline gets the sneezes, it means there’s money coming your way. If a bride hears a cat sneeze on her wedding day, it means the marriage will be a good one. Beware, though—while one sneeze might be good luck, if a cat sneezes three times it supposedly indicates that you’re going to come down with a cold. Oh my whiskers, you’d have to carry a calculator and a list to figure out the meaning of your cat sneezes.

    4. Black cats sink ships.

    Of all the kinds of cats there are, black cats are the ones with the most superstitions attached. Maybe that’s due to the ancient Egyptian belief that black cats were associated with the goddess Bastet, and keeping one would bring her favor; maybe it’s to do with the European conviction that witches had black cats as familiars making them evil omens. One black cat superstition you might not have heard is that if a black cat walks onto a ship and then back off again, the ship will sink on its next voyage (though according to an old Irish and British superstition, black cats were actually good luck for a ship). In other words, you humans have no idea what you’re talking about.

    5. Cats can raise the dead.

    In parts of Southern Europe, folklore has it that if a cat jumps across a person’s grave, they’ll rise again as a vampire. Oh spare me, this is really ridiculous.

    6. Being a cat lady can help you get married.

    Although pop culture has turned cats into a symbol of eternal singledom, according to one book on Pennsylvania German tradition, cats can help a woman who is anxious to get married. All she has to do is “feed the cat from her shoe,” although the superstition doesn’t say what’s supposed to happen next—or how to get the uneaten cat food out of the shoe. Hmmm, since The Human isn’t married maybe she should feed us out of her she but then again, we’ve got a good gig going here and maybe there’s no need to bring a stranger into the mix.

    7. Wet cats can make it rain.

    You might suspect there’s some cause and effect confusion going on here, but in parts of Indonesia, cats are associated with the weather. If people wanted it to rain, they’d pour water over a cat. Presumably the cat in question then made it rain as revenge. Any of my regular readers know that I take my version of a kitty shower every day and no, it doesn’t rain very day around our house

    Posted on by
    9

    Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 5/10

    Hello Furiends,
    Well, it looks as though someone forgot to push the button that would have published our Wednesday blog on Wednesday. Mind you, I’m not casting any aspurrsions on anyone but one would think that when you have a Purrsonal Assistant that now has a more flexible schedule, said assistant might be better organized. Oh well, she’s a work in progress.

    We are all making adjustments to having The Human work from her home office. In some ways we’re feeling a bit uncomfortable as our regular daily routines are constantly interrupted but, truth be told, it’s kinda’ fun having The Human around more. I’m not sure what’s up with Oliver but he seems to be a bit discombobulated with the new routine.

    The Human started her day with this view as she headed to the kitchen for her morning coffee.
    Upon closer observation The Human noticed that Oliver had eschewed the new Chewy box for this new sleeping position.

    As I said, we’re all getting used to the new routine. Here are some moments from this past week.

    It’s nice to have breakfast with The Human as she doesn’t have to rush out of the house every morning.
    Excuse me Human, I normally watch bird TV in the afternoon. You can just toddle back to your office and leave me alone.
    Hey Al, I’m getting a little tired of The Human checking on what we’re up to during the day. Can’t a cat have a little privacy?
    It’s okay Oliver, let’s just snuggle up and take our pre-afternoon nap and forget about it.
    I will not snuggle up to those fatties, my tiny little body would be crushed. I’ll just take my pre-afternoon nap alone, thank you very much.

    And now let’s take a look at the feline focused news of the week.

     New Findings on How to Get a Cat’s Attention

    I can’t hear you

    I find it amewsing that you humans are always writing about how to figure out the mysterious felines in your home. Now researchers are asking the question, how do cats get their information. It’s been assumed over the years that, like horses and elephants, hearing is the most honed sense of the feline species. This has been assumed because our closest relatives—tigers, lions, and other big cats—are vastly superior at hearing than at any other sense. Now, a recent study casts doubt on these assumptions.

    Researchers tested four conditions: only hearing, only seeing, both, and neither. The question was which of these conditions was most likely to draw a cat’s attention  to the experimenter. While it should be acknowledged that the sample size of the experiment was somewhat small (18) and that the cats that served as subjects have “worked” in a cat cafe for years, and so presumably had had more exposure to humans than other cats, the results were pretty clear and extremely surprising: Vision alone, and vision plus hearing, were by far the most efficient ways of grabbing the cats’ attention.

    How did the senses of big cats get reversed in house cats? An obvious explanation, and one consistent with the details of this experiment, is that the mental life of house cats have been adjusted to the human social environment. The visual cues that the experimenters used were mainly visual social cues, like eye contact and slow blinking. So what the results really show is that cats are good at visual cues as long as they are also social cues.

    Another myth you humans need to completely debunk is that we felines are not loving. Recent experimental results show how mistaken this belief is: Cats may like to hide it, but they really do care a lot about their owners. Dogs just show this in a more obvious manner. So there you go and this feline is very happy that some of these ridiculous stereotypes are being destroyed.

    The Product Cats Have Always Wanted: “Just a Box!” From Hepper

    Why are you silly humans buying boxes?

    Some brilliant humans have created “Just a Box“, the first box created for and sold to felines.

    The idea was born from a conversation between the company Hepper’s CEO and Director. After spending years creating products that please both cats and humans, this time, they decided to go straight to the source and to provide a product that cats really want…a box!


    Just a Box is a darn good box and yes, it’s made from cardboard. Hepper added their signature touch, a delightful collection of illustrations crafted by Hepper’s creative mastermind, Sofia Feraboli. And because every cat deserves the royal treatment, Hepper threw in a fluffy, cozy blanket to ensure their feline customers experience pure box comfort.

    And this was no fly-by-night idea. It took months of research (i.e. watching cats nap).  

    The Human recently purchased two very squishy, furry and comfy cat beds for The Tribe and she still finds us snoozing in the latest Chewy box so this feline does not find this new product surprising.

    Learn more about Hepper’s “Just a Box” here.

    TikTok Tracked a Cat’s Account to Spy on a Journalist

    Looks like we need a good feline detective for this one!

    For you humans who are concerned about outside entities tracking you, now you need to be worried about your cat’s privacy being invaded as well. A handful of ByteDance employees in the US and China tracked a cat’s TikTok account in order to find the IP address of its owner, a reporter covering the company.

    Buffy, a black and white Maine Coon-looking kitty reportedly had 170 followers and 20 posts when the employees viewed the data. The traumatizing tracking has reportedly forced Buffy off of social media: Cristina Criddle, the cat’s owner and a reporter for the Financial Times, said Buffy “sadly is no longer making content.” Meowza, this is concerning for these journalist felines but we do not use Tik Tok.

    Criddle revealed details of the tracking in a recent article detailing the moments TikTok fessed up to tracking her location in a botched effort to sniff out a leaker in the company. Criddle says she received a “cryptic” phone call from a TikTok PR director in December right before the holidays informing her she was one of two journalists who had been surveilled by four employees. The employees monitored the reporters’ location data to see if they were in the proximity of ByteDance employees who could be connected to the leak. It didn’t work.

    “It was just really chilling and horrible and, personally, quite violating,” Criddle told the BBC. Criddle said she used the account from her mobile device but that her own name and occupation were not included in the bio. The reporter says she still hasn’t received complete answers from ByteDance about how long she was tracked. TikTok did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.

    The journalist still reports on the company but says she now uses her old device as a “dummy phone” stored at her office and kept solely for accessing the app. Criddle said she’s had to cut back on both her and Buffy’s social media use across platforms following the incident. Even now, months later, she says anxiety induced by the monitoring still keeps her up at night.

    “At times I have struggled to sleep, thinking about what ByteDance employees might have found out about me,” Criddle said. “For a while, I often canceled plans out and, whenever I spoke to or met new sources, I felt on edge.”

    The tracking effort ultimately failed to find the leaker and resulted in a publicity nightmare for ByteDance and TikTok. As a result of the snafu, ByteDance fired all four of the employees involved in the scheme and re-structured its internal audit team. Still, the missteps only emboldened the company’s critics, who’ve spoken out about Chinese employees accessing US user data. Lawmakers from both parties grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew over the issue during a combative hearing in March. Chew claimed the monitoring didn’t amount to “spying.” Either way, the employee’s actions caught the attention of the Department of Justice, which has launched an investigation into the company.

    Good grief, not even cats are safe on the web any more!

    Calls for statue to honor Liverpool station cat

    A statue in memory of a cat which frequented a railway station for 13 years should be erected in its honour, fans of the feline have said.

    The mischievous feline, named Paul Newman after the Hollywood star, died this week aged 15.The pedigree Bengal cat was well-known by commuters and travelers passing through Liverpool South Parkway. A Facebook page following his antics over the years has nearly 5,000 followers.


    Paul Newman’s owner, Steff Hudson, said her pet had brought people “a lot of joy”.

    “He loved people so he found a niche here because people always stopped to say hello to him because he always stopped to say hello to them,” “I was very lucky because he was mine, but he was also all of theirs as well and he gave them a lot of joy.”

    In a tweet Merseyrail said: “We are sad to hear that Paul, our much loved feline friend often found at Liverpool South Parkway, has passed away. He will be missed.”

    James Smith, Merseyrail acting HR Director, said Paul the cat was “a much-loved character” and “valued by Merseyrail staff as much as our passengers”.

    “Discussions are ongoing internally about the best and most appropriate way of remembering Paul and the wonderful, positive impact he made to thousands of travellers on the Merseyrail network,” he said.

    Following the announcement of his death, Paul’s fans took to the Facebook page to share memories of their furry friend. Ms Hudson said she would have “no objection” to a statue in his honour “as long as it was a good likeness to him because he was very, very handsome, like his namesake”.

    These US states prefer dogs over cats: or so they say

    You’ve got to be kitten me, we all know cats rule!

    The age-old debate of “cats versus dogs” has long been a topic of playful rivalry between the two household pets, both of which have maintained their positions as the most popular pets in America for decades. Instacard used data from  pet food purchases to bring some data to the argument.

    Dogs dominate in the U.S. with 36 states showing more dog food purchases, including the entire South, and nearly all of the West Coast, Midwest, and a bit of the East Coast. 

    Fourteen states plus Washington, D.C. are team cat, including nearly the entire Northeast – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, and others – as well as Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. 

    Based on Insta Cart purchase data, here are the top 5 cat treat brands that have clawed their way to the top.

    All I have to say to the folks at Insta Cart is, “NOT SO FAST” . Although I understand you are using your sales data, please note, there are other pet food delivery companies and I wonder what their data would show. This Tribe orders all their food and supplies from Chewy.