Happy Wednesday Furiends!
We hope things in your neck of the woods are going well, although we know some of you are really suffering through a crazy winter. Still, it’s all about your purrspective. We are getting spring fever with these high temperatures and The Human even ran out of the house without a coat this morning. Weather Kitty understands our purrspective here in the Inland Northwest as evidence by the photo today. You may call it chilly, we call it spring!

What a difference a week makes. This video was taken last Friday. It was, in the words of Winnie the Pooh, a rather blustery day.

And when the weather’s like that, this is how you’ll find us.

We found some great holidays to celebrate this week, we invite you to enjoy them too!

Well, that’s it for our neck of the woods. We hope you enjoy your week and whatever holiday you wish to celebrate (except maybe Awkward Moments Day!)

Consenting Cats Are Happier Cats

The heading of this article made The Human but after we read it, it made a lot of sense.  The sense of self control in situations is strong in humans and dogs and MUCH stronger in cats because, to put it bluntly, we felines like to have control

We felines, this shouldn’t be viewed as a negative trait; control gives us a sense of safety.   With cats, the idea is to reward and reinforce good behavior and that constitutes allowing the cat to give consent or to participate.

In the example of carrier training, if the only time a cat sees or is shoved into a carrier is to go to the vet; the cat will be less than enthusiastic about the carrier.

The following cat carrier trips are from Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., and Steve Dale:

Leave the carrier out 24/7. If the cat was previously afraid of a carrier because of the negative association made with the veterinary visit, purchase a new carrier that looks different.

Randomly drop treats into the carrier so it becomes an automatic treat dispenser.

Once comfortable inside the carrier, begin to feed the cat in the carrier. Most cats may now hop inside, expecting a treat for doing so. Cats do train people—and now you comply.

Now, ask your cat to hop into the carrier on cue—and always offer high-value award for doing so.

Ask your cat to leap into the carrier, close it, and walk to another part of the house. Once there, open the carrier and feed. Good things happen after being inside the carrier.

Finally, teach the cat that car rides aren’t bad—before going to the vet, just drive around the block, and when returning home give them a meal. And when you do go to the veterinarian, go for a happy visit—no exam, only treats.

These steps are much better than force and working with your feline to make him see the carrier as something other than an item of fear will be beneficial.

Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., and Steve Dale address the issue of petting and over-stimulation as well, saying that “petting is okay as long as the cat consents.”

They say, “For cats who typically allow only a minute or two of petting, stop petting after around 30 seconds. Quit while you’re ahead, leaving the cat to decide, “I want more.” If so the cat asks to be petted more, offer only a few seconds, continuing to leave the cat wanting still more. At some point, the cat will likely say, “Okay, that’s enough.” You can increase the time you spend petting your cat while still allowing the cat to maintain control.

Likewise, if you want to play with your cat, be sure your cat tells you it’s okay. Cats, dogs, and other animals clearly express their intentions and have to consent for fair play to continue; it’s best to be sure they want to play with you.

The article notes that “giving cats control by granting them agency and asking for their consent supports their need for safety, security, and trust, makes them happier, and enhances the social bonds you form with each other.” This feline agrees wholeheartedly.

A cat lover tried to leave a fortune to her town’s strays. It almost didn’t work out

When Barbara Thorpe passed away in 2002 she put most of her money in a charitable trust. A trust is a legal arrangement where the money set aside must be spent according to the wishes of the person who sets up the trust.

Barbara wanted her fortune to benefit the cats of Dixfield, Maine but for many years her money sat in the trust, unused which was contrary to the law. Eventually, Brenda Jarvis along with four other cat ladies in town joined together to sue to liberate the money on behalf of the cats of Dixfield. The cat ladies lost their lawsuit but their efforts attracted the attention of Christina Moylan, who is an attorney working for the Attorney General of Maine. Christina’s job is to ensure trusts are handled properly.

In the matter of trusts, Christina says that the law must follow the instructions of the dead forever, even if the world changes, even if the instructions seem vague.

It took a few years but Christina did find a way to honor Barbara’s wishes and she found an animal shelter that was willing to manage the money and now, the shelter is taking in stray cats from Dixfield. 

We say two paws up for Christina Moylan and for following the law and finding a way to honor Barbara Thorpe’s wishes to care for the feral cats of Dixfield, Maine.

Toiletries? Yes. Cats? No. TSA agents find cat in passenger’s carry-on at X-ray checkpoint.

People, people, people…how many times will I have to report on a cat going through an airport scanner before this madness stops?!

A cat was discovered inside a passenger’s carry-on baggage when it went through the security checkpoint in a Virginia airport.

Good grief, if you remember to take your computer out of your bag before it goes through the scanner how can you forget your cat in his travel case?????

This feline can’t wrap his mind around this and all I can do is reiterate, TAKE YOUR CAT OUT OF THE CARRY-ON BEFORE IT GOES THROUGH THE SCANNER!!!

On its website, TSA provides travelers information about guidelines on traveling with pets stating they should never be put through an airport’s X-ray tunnel.

Dogs and cats, for example, can either be screened privately in a separate room or walk with a traveler through the metal detector on a leash and then the empty carrier can be sent through the X-ray machine.

50 Cats In Random Circumstances That Have Accepted That This Is Their Life Meow

We love the folks at Bored Panda because they find some of the funniest cat photos. They found some of these on the Reddit community thread called “This Is My Life Meow” and when you’re done checking the Bored Panda photos you can always find new ones on the Reddit thread.

This one was the Tribe’s favorite. Let us know which one is your favorite.

My cats own me! Pet lover treats felines like her kids with their own room, full-sized bed and £100 of treats per month

The felines in residence at the home of two  Redditch, England humans are living La Vida Loca. They have  their own bedroom (that cost over 300 UKL ($361.00) to furnish) with a full sized double bed, crown shaped cat beds, lots of toys and a budget up to 100 UKL ($120.32 at today’s rate of exchange) a month for treats.

Hannah Whitmore, 24, a service adviser for a car dealership, loves cats, so when she moved in with her boyfriend, 25-year-old bricklayer Tommy Taylor, the couple adopted two felines – Simba, 10, and Nimbus, one. Kudos to them for adopting an older cat!

Tommy refers to himself as a “cat dad” and always speaks to the cats when he gets home.  Hannah changes the cats’ bedsheets in their room every week.

“I would say the cats own us rather than the other way around!” Hannah laughed.

She continued, “They are here for a short time, and they should be our priority. They very much come first in our house, but I think that’s the way it should be. I definitely spoil them in a materialistic way. But Tommy is very affectionate with them. When he gets home, he’ll talk to the cat before he talks to me!

Tommy, the self-proclaimed cat dad had to be convinced to adopt the cats but during COVID when he and Hanna stayed with is grandparents and their cat, the cat won him over.  When the couple moved into their three-story townhouse they went to Cats Protection in Birmingham and adopted Simba.

Nimbus joined the family about a year later.

The casts are inseparable, sleeping together, washing each other and loving each other.

And what if the couple has children and move into a bigger house? According to Hannah, the cat’s new bedroom will have to be twice as big.

These cats are living the high life and I’m thinking The Human needs to step up her game.