2024

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends,

Now before you start meowing at me, yes, I know we skipped last Wednesday. Things in our neck of the woods were a bit harried but I am happy to report we are back on track.

And speaking of our neck of the woods, I do believe spring is really here…finally! Now before you get too excited, spring around here takes it’s time and at the moment this is the state of our weather.

Still, we do enjoy the random bout of sunshine and when it happens, we take full advantage of it as you will see in this collection of photographs I have titled, “Sun Puddles”.

Lily purrfers to enjoy sun puddles on the comfort of the furniture.

Sometimes you get to enjoy sun puddles in solitude…

We hope you’re enjoy the sun puddles in your neck of the woods.

Stowaway cat accidentally mailed to California in returned package

Although I normally stay away from news stories that are all over the internet, I just had to report on this one. First, let me remind you of two things, cats love boxes and cats will climb inside said boxes at every opportunity. Humans, for heaven’s sake, don’t tape up a box before you do a feline inspectikon!!!!

This is the sad tail of a feline who was mailed hundreds of miles in a box that had items being returned. Galena, the Utah feline had disappeared from her Utah home and her humans launched a widespread neighborhood search. But Galena wasn’t in the neighborhood, she was in an Amazon facility in California!

Thankfully she was rescued by a worker there, in good health despite the fact that it had been days since she’d had food and water. This heroic Amazon worker also took her to the vet to see if she had a microchip and that’s how her family was found.

Needless to say, her humans were over the moon to hear she was found and quite befuddled when they heard where she was. The humans flew more than 1,000 miles to California to bring Galena home.

Poor Galena, who had been frightend during her stay in California, stopped shaking as soon as she was in her human’s arms.

Galena’s human encourages everyone to microchip their cats and to “triple check” their Amazon boxes.

A Day in the Life of the World’s Most Pampered Hotel Cat

I don’t usually feature travel articles but I made an exception for this article by James Wong at Fodor’s Travel and that’s because he wrote about Europe’s prestigious Oetker hotels, a chain that provide an elegant welcome with hotel felines.

Their Le Bristol in Paris has Socrate and Brenners Park in Baden-Baden has Kléopatre. The Lanesborough in London is home to Lilibet, a Siberian Forest cat named after the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Lilibet arrived in 2019 as a kitten and is now the hotel’s most spoiled and loved inhabitant. She has a hotel cat committee to see to her every need and quite an online following. The hotel’s social media engagement skyrockets whenever she makes an appearance.

James Wong decided to check into the hotel and experience the presence of Lilibet close up and purrsonal. Here is his report.

“I walked through Hyde Park for my first meeting with a cat, more nervous than the time I tried to get in the same elevator as Anna Wintour. Like Madame W., cats are famously aloof creatures, yet adored the world over. Lilibet has strutted her stuff on BBC News, been photographed for high-end editorials, and is consistently captured by fans on countless social media reels.

I was greeted by handsomely-dressed doormen at the grand entrance, and took a seat at check-in. No sign of Lilibet yet. The suspense! The cat committee was deciding on festivities for her fifth birthday. “Last year she enjoyed a photoshoot with a beautiful cake,” I was told. Lilibet’s an Aries like Mariah Carey, Elton John, and Posh Spice: Darling divas partial to a splash of opulence. I was led through an intricate marble hallway within the former 18th-century home of Viscount Lanesborough, today akin to the V&A museum. A passage flowing with ornamental plasterwork, gold leaf accents, and trompe l’oeil. It’s a catwalk like no other.

It goes without saying my room was equally a showstopper. Each of the hotel’s 93 boudoirs is uniquely furnished with regal interiors and cleverly placed technology. TVs are concealed behind classical oil paintings. My personal butler demonstrated how to operate it. Lili and I would be watching a movie of her choice tonight. “Would you like us to prepare the film on this television, or the other one?” I looked around. Which painting was it in? At the flip of a switch, another screen lifted out of what I initially thought was a bookshelf at the foot of the bed. There’s my answer. “We’ll have popcorn ready for you, and some Dreamies for Lili. They’re her favorite treat,” the butler added.

I noticed a cake decorated with pink paws on the table and a card beside it. The inside read, “Welcome to my humble abode. I can’t wait to spend some quality time with you. Love, Lilibet.”

With a couple of hours before dinner, I ventured down to The Lanesborough Club & Spa, an underground cavern of serenity for R&R. No sign of Lili en route. The concierge offered clues. “She often sits on the balcony overlooking the Basia Hamilton portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and sometimes she helps Victor greet guests at the door.” So I quizzed Victor the doorman. He talked about her kitten days, and how he’s one of the few humans she’s never clawed.

“Lilibet loves being pet by guests, but not for too long, she’ll let you know when she’s done,” he laughed. “Visitors can’t get enough of her, regardless, and gifts are delivered all the time.” Gifts, you say? “Yes, everything, but especially treats. She gets lots of fancy chicken soup.”

Further investigation led me to discover that Lili was once gifted an actual gold necklace by designers Ralph & Russo. The hand-crafted collar features the hotel’s crown sigil with her name and number. Lilibet sports it on special occasions.

Post-nap, I visited The Library Bar, adjacent to Lili’s evening hangout, The Withdrawing Room. It’s here that we finally (finally!) met. She was people-watching as the sunset illuminated the corner of Wellington Arch across the street, unflinching as I reached over and touched her unbelievably soft fur.

Siberian Forest cat fur is hypoallergenic, FYI, so no hiss-terics necessary. While I was tempted to pick Her Majesty up, I remembered my chat with Victor and gave her space. At the bar, I ordered the Lilibet Cocktail, made with Earl Grey-infused gin and frothing with English Chardonnay wine flavored with chocolate. It certainly gave me the pre-dinner meows.

I suggested we dine at Gordon Ramsey’s Lucky Cat in nearby Mayfair. “Lilibet will adore the sashimi,” I said. “It’s always amazing.” Alas, I learned domestic cats aren’t able to eat raw sushi, and even if they were, Lili’s not keen on leaving the premises for supper.

Mary in guest relations clarifies, “She runs right back in when she’s taken outside, but doesn’t mind venturing out for grooming.” No sashimi party for us then; unless it’s for the cat spa, this feline’s staying put. “She’s tried caviar though,” admitted Mary.

Instead we stayed in and did dinner in the hotel–separately (Lili needs space, remember). I tucked into a perfectly burnished Beef Wellington at The Lanesborough Grill under a crystal chandelier, no less, while Lili, somewhere in the building, enjoyed Purina Gourmet slow-cooked beef. Curious, I googled the brand. The website states it, “appeals to cats with a taste for the finer things.”

Lili was waiting for me in the room by the time I’d finished my Carrot and Walnut cake, running around excitedly. Clearly, distance made her kitty heart grow fonder. Our butler had laid out a magnificent spread of treats, including Lili’s snacks, special cat milk, and assorted toy mice. I slipped into a robe and hit play on the Puss in Boots sequel, as Lili dashed behind the floral curtains. After enticing her with a trail of treats, I was able to seat her on my lap for 102 minutes of animated adventure. She purred, fixated on the screen, and stayed with me for exactly four minutes before scurrying behind a sofa. Surely she wouldn’t want to miss Kitty Softpaw’s grand entrance? I thought and I went to pick her up. Out came claws. Lili made it very clear she was not interested in Salma Hayek. Perhaps we should have gone with Halle Berry in Catwoman? My feline friend avoided the TV until her 10 p.m. pick-up, and I was given a plush version of Lilibet for company until her return the next morning.

At 9 a.m., Lili was back and ever so thrilled to see me. She’d thankfully forgotten I’d subjected her to Salma Hayek last night. The butler wheeled in our farewell breakfast: avocado toast with poached eggs for me, and a tuna mousse for Lili. Ravished, she jumped on the opposite chair. I took a mouthful as she stared on, as if to say ”come over, feed me!” And so I obliged. She licked a scoop of tuna mousse on my fingertip and I returned to my chair, hoping that acted as permission for her to dig in, but to no avail. I put down my fork, and well, Lili insisted I hand-feed the whole breakfast to her. Ah, this must be what it’s like to live in a luxury hotel, I figured. Butlers on call, fine dining, and oodles of pampering–life here’s not far from life at neighboring Buckingham Palace. The Lanesborough is where anyone who steps inside gets the royal treatment, even if (and in Lili’s case, especially when) they’re a pet cat.”

Meowza, where does a feline sign up for a job with this hotel chain?

Cats Cameos in Music videos

Dedicated to all you hardworking blogging cats out there….it’s a hard job but some feline has to do it!

Believe it or not, felines have been making appearances in music videos (or making our own music videos). We have obviously conquered Hollywood and now our charisma and ability to capture an audience has moved us into the music field.

Purrhaps one of the most iconic feline musical appearances is in the music video for “The Love Cats” by The Cure. The band doesn’t just refer to felines, they also feature cats on film.

Janet Jackson was one of the early feline adapters is Janet Jackson who featured a cat cameo in her1986 music video “When I Think of You.” A feline wanders through the street dancers.

Ed Sheeran’s “Drunk” presents the story of friendship between him a cat and highlights the bond the human and feline have. Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract,” had a cartoon cat named MC Skat Kat who performs a duet with Abdul.

Some people wonder why artists use cats in their music videos and my response is that we are photogenic, charming and we are capable of showing a wide range of emotion. I mean, all you have to do is purruse the internet…we own it!

So my furiends, if you can’t get a job at a luxury hotel, maybe you want to try the music video biz.

The Cat Distribution System at Work

A young boy went to his local animal shelter to adopt a kitten. As soon as he stepped into the cat section one feline made a beeline to him, wrapped his paws around him in a hug. This my furiends, is a purrfect example of how the Cat Distribution System works, The cat picks you.

And that’s what happened. Although the boy went to the shelter to find a kitten, this cat chose him as his forever human

The smile on the boy’s face says it all. He now has a cat!

I’m starting a new feature on Wednesdays. The Human and I watch so many cat videos on social media and there is always one or two that we feel are outstanding. This is this week’s top cat video. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 8/23

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Feline Opines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kids learn best practices for interacting with cats during etiquette workshop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The global anto-depressant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/4

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Feline Opines

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

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

Frontier Airlines giving free flights in exchange for adopting cats

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

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

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

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

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

Cat Loves to Hop in Shower with Mom

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

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

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

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

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

Cats train themselves to use treadmill

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

How To Track Your Cat’s Whereabouts

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

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

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

1. AirTag

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

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

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

2. Tractive

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

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

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

3. Samsung Galaxy SmartTag

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

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

Tile Sticker

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

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

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

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

5. Cube

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

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

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

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – On Thursday – 11/3

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Feline Opines

siamese cat on a leash walking through a garden

Hello Furiends,
I do apologize that I’m a day late with my feature but I did manage to obtain a little gift for you all as an apology for this (more on that in a bit).

We are in the full throes of autumn here in our neck of the woods and that means much cooler weather, even in the house. The Human keeps meowing about the budget and she has installed a thing called a “nest”. Although we’ve combed the hou8se searching for said “nest” we still haven’t found one but we understand it is to blame for keeping the temperature a frosty 64 during the day. Oh the horrible circumstances we are forced to live under! The temperature situation has forced us to put aside our differences and cuddle up.

Oliver felt a certain way about Halloween. Lily and I hung out in the bedroom but Ollie insisted on staying in the living room and running under the table every time the door bell rang.

And now for the little surprise. My regular readers have followed Oliver’s quest to keep the fall leaves under control but alas, we were having a sunny, non-windy fall and there was no leaf danger. That has changed and, in order to immortalize Oliver’s brave defense of our home, The Human put together this video. We hope you enjoy.

That’s it for us, I hope you enjoy this week’s news items.

Cats May Be Harboring Crime Scene DNA, Scientists Say

You may be wondering why I’ve included this in my news report but I was intrigued and so was The Human as she’s about three chapters away from finishing a cozy mystery she’s writing that includes Oliver and myself in the story and she is considering adding this twist to the story,

Evidently new research has recognized that we felines can be sources of evidence in crimes. How is that you ask? Well the fur of a cat can retain enough DNA shed by a human who has been in their vicinity that it can serve as evidence. So, even though we felines can’t point our paw at the perpetrator and say, “He did it!”, we have other ways of helping to catch the bad guys,

This study is the first to examine how household pets can contribute to DNA transfer and there’s a lot more work to be done but it presents another opportunity to help in crime solving.

“Collection of human DNA needs to become very important in crime scene investigations, but there is a lack of data on companion animals such as cats and dogs in their relationship to human DNA transfer,” says forensic scientist Heidi Monkman of Flinders University in Australia.

“These companion animals can be highly relevant in assessing the presence and activities of the inhabitants of the household, or any recent visitors to the scene.”

In recent years, DNA analysis technology has become so sophisticated that even the most minute traces of genetic material can be relevant for a crime scene investigation. And we messy humans leave our DNA everywhere. Even just brief contact with an object can transfer traces of our genetic material.

Touch DNA obtained from a surface doesn’t even require that the human to touch that surface. It can be transported by a number of means, in skin cells or hairs that drift from a passing body, for example. Which is where we felines may play a role.

Monkman and her Flinders University colleague Mariya Goray, an experienced crime scene investigator, teamed up with forensic scientist Roland van Oorschot of the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department in Australia to see if they could extract traces of readable human DNA from pet cats.

Their study was conducted on 20 cats from 15 households. At the homes of the study participants, the researchers swabbed the fur on the right side of each cat twice, and collected DNA samples from the study participants. The humans also filled out questionnaires about the daily behavior of the felines in their homes.

Detectable levels of DNA were found in 80 percent of the cat swab samples. For all cats, there was no significant difference between the amount of DNA present, and the time since last contacted by a human, or length of hair on the cat.

The team was able to generate DNA profiles from 70 percent of the cats in the study that could be interpreted well enough to be linked to a human. Most of the DNA was from people in the cat’s own household, but on six of the felines, only unknown human DNA was detected (makes me wonder what strangers were touching those cats!)

One case was cited as being particularly interesting from a two-cat, two-person household. One of the cats, a hairless sphynx, carried the DNA of an unknown third human. The other cat, a short-haired ragdoll, did not. Both cats had interacted equally with the humans in their household.

Possible sources could include direct transport of the DNA from a human, such as by patting, or by the cat brushing against a contaminated surface. The DNA could also have been lingering since the last time the cat had contact with a visitor.

Further research is needed and will be done but in the meantime, if you are planning on committing any crimes…STAY AWAY FROM THE CAT!

Cats Photoshopped being offended by salad

Those of you who follow this blog know what delight The Human takes in photoshopping our Tribe so why should other humans be any different? These images of cat’s “reactions” to salad are pretty hilarious.

Pet owners believe that cats have five different personality types

I have a tendency to get a bit “hissy” when humans attempt to put felines and their behavior in a box.

Solid Gold commissioned a study about feline purrsonaities which was conducted by OnePoll. Participants were asked to define the personality types their cat’s exhibited.

Over half (53%) said their cats were true “revenge seekers” when they hunt down their toys or hiss at the outside world. Nearly as many (52%) said their cats were “tornadoes” infamous for knocking items off of counters and causing a mess of mischief wherever they go.

Cat owners also have a near 50/50 shot of ending up with a “climber (51%) clawing their way up to the highest points of the home, or a “cuddler” (49%) who shamelessly lay across keyboards or piles of clean laundry to get some affection.

The study also found 65% swear their cats act like they’re from a completely different planet. A good portion of that sentiment comes from the strange things owners have caught their cats in the middle of.

Nearly four in five “cuddlers” (78%) are seen as complete angels by their owners when they’re not causing any trouble and 71% of “graffiti artists” are anything but angels when the havoc they bring has to be repaired or replaced by distressed owners.Solid Gold / SWNS / OnePoll

Many shared the wildest behaviors they’ve witnessed from their felines: gifting owners with their “kills” in the form of cat toys and pinecones, begging for bananas or learning to turn door knobs to get into rooms.

“We love our cats because of how unique their personalities can be,” said Steve Ball, CEO at Solid Gold. “No matter what kinds of chaos they bring, there’s no denying the things we would do for our furry friends. At the end of the day, pet parents want to make sure their cats are able to be their unique selves for as long as possible.”

Despite all the drama they cause, 70% of cat owners said there’s “nothing” they would change about their cat.

It seems all the frustration caused can be cured when cats turn cute, which according to those polled, is wherever they’re playing (50%), eating (40%), purring (37%) or sleeping (37%).

More than three in five (63%) said nothing is more exciting to them than mealtime for their cat. At feeding time, cats are most likely to let their humans know they’re ready when they meow (49%), paw (37%) or headbutt (34%).

“Mealtime is a universal ‘stop-destroying-the-home-and-come-eat’ moment for cats,” continued Ball. “It’s so important to make sure your cat is getting the proper holistic nutrition they need in order to get back to doing what they do best.”

While I find all this interesting, I still believe each feline is unique and trying to paint us all with the same brush is just wrong.

Beautiful Video Proves Adopting Two Cats Is Better Than One

My brother Oliver and I are thankful that we were adopted together and this rescue story is great!

TikTok user @ZeroandOllie are a perfect illustration of why sometimes two cats are better than one. Adopted cats can be nervous in their new home and having a litter mate with them can help a feline adjust so much faster.

Sometimes the cats look like brothers. Sometimes they are like Oliver and I, nothing alike but bonded by love nonetheless. I can’t recommend enough that you consider giving two siblings a furever home!

Scientists working on new experimental cat allergy shot that may provide longer-lasting relief

There may be a cure for humans who get sneezy around felines.

Scientists at UCLA say they’ve tested a new form of treatment that might allow people to tolerate symptoms of cat allergies.

After a year, researchers found that those who received a combined therapy of tezepelumab and regular cat allergy shots had maintained resistance against allergic reactions.

Now I don’t know about you, but I am no fan of the Stabby place and getting stabbed and The Human feels the same way.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 8/24

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
I am happy to report that The Human is getting better each day and, as a result, our level of service has begun to return to normal. She’s even cooking again. Once a week she gets a box that has stuff for her to cook. She says it’s easy and is saving her money because she keeps meowing about the fact that she can’t walk our of the grocery store for less than $50.00. Well, she seems to feel this human food delivery system is a good deal and I must admit, there are some tasty smells coming out of the kitchen again.

The other night she made a pork dish and before she could do the clean up, Oliver hopped on the counter and took a nap on the bag that had the ingredients in it.

The Human said it was a tasty dish and Oliver said it smelled great (since Oliver is on a D-I-E-T he wasn’t offered anything.

We were inspired this week by the news story of the artist who makes felines look like royalty so we had our Purrsonal Assistant take a stab at making us royal too.

“Finally, a chair that is fitting for my station!”

“What part of , ‘Yes I AM king of the castle’ do you not understand?”

Well, those are the shenanigans from our neck of the woods this week. We hope you enjoy this week’s feline news.

Cat’s Frown Literally Turns Upside Down After She Finds Forever Mom

This one will have you crying tears of joy. Sad Mouth Sam lived clear across the country in Tucson, Arizona, when Kate Perillo spotted her photos online. The Siamese cat appeared to have larger-than-average lips and crossed eyes, giving her a very unique look. Perillo couldn’t get Sam’s face out of her head, so she took a chance and reached out about the cat and she changed both of their lives forever.

Perillo said that when she saw Sam’s photo she knew she had to adopt her. Sam had been living as part of a feral cat colony with Poet Square Cats, and she had eosinophilic granuloma complex — an allergy triggered by food or environment. It only took a steroid shot, antibiotics and a move indoor to completely heal Sam’s allergy.

Perillo and her mother had always had Siamese cats. The last of the cats passed in 2015 and Perillo’s mother passed in 2017 and she felt it was time to adopt a new kitty. She flew from Massachusetts to Arizona to meet Sam.

It was love a first sight and now that Sam is feeling better her personality is coming through. She loves to find sun puddles and bird watching and she’s a huge fan of playtime.

Sam is a talker and has no problem letting people know what she wants.

Sam and her human are a match made in heaven and Perillo says that having Sam in her home is a small way of keeping the memory of her mother alive.

Artist Reimagines Cats as Royalty in Traditional Portraits of People

Granted, these portraits are waaaay better than the ones our Purrsonal Assistant did but that’s because Galina Bugaevskaya (aka Cat Universe on Instagram) is a real artist.

Bugaevskaya has been creating her Cat Universe for over three years. Her goal is to place photo shopped images of cats in unexpected situations. She says, “I am inspired by their faces: funny, stern, curious—so different. I adore non-standard photos and funny facial expressions, and I also love harsh frowning cats.”

Her series, vintage oil paintings are photo shopped with the expressions of the cats in mind. She has created felines in pink gowns, the robes of royalty and many more regal ensembles. You can follow Bugaevskaya’s latest creations on Instagram.

Chinese teacher fired for cat’s cameo paid in her livesteam class, sues and wins $6,000

Now this really gets my shiskers in a twist. Firing a teacher because her cat decided to make an appearance in the teacher’s livestream class!

An art teacher in China’s Guangzhou city won 40,000 yuan ($6,000; £5,000) in an unfair dismissal case over a cat’s appearance in her online class. The teacher, only referred to as Lou in the lawsuit was running an art class and her cat jumped into the camera’s view five times.

The education tech company that ran the virtual classes fired Lou, citing the feline’s sudden appearances on screen as a reason. (I hiss in the general direction of that tech company).

The company said Luo had taken part in “non-teaching” activities during class, and was also 10 minutes late to a previous class.

Luo appealed the decision in arbitration but the tech company refused to accept the order to compensate the teacher for her unfair dismissal and the court costs she’d incurred.

In a court ruling, Judge Liao Yajing from the Guangzhou Tianhe People’s Court said that if employers require their staff to work from home, they should not have the same expectations as if they were working in an office. Well duh, especially if there is a curious feline in your home.

I am happy to hear the teacher was awarded damages and we hope she-and her feline-will be teaching online classes again soon!

60 Famous Cat Quotes

· “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” –Albert Schweitzer

There are many wonderful quotes about the fabulous beasts we felines are. This article lists 60 of them. Lily, Oliver and I have noted our favorites. You can read the rest of the quotes in the article. And apologies to any of our barkie furiends we may have offended with these quotes.

“To err is human, to purr is feline.” –Robert Byrne

cat with jewelry — “If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.” –Mark Twain

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 5/4

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
Spring is here! The Human caught Oliver sitting on the chair in the foyer staring at three very plump robins sitting on the railing of the front porch. Now bird watching is always fun but I think Oliver’s interest in these guys has a bit of a nefarious purpose due to the recently implement D-I-E-T.

And how is the diet going? I am handling the reduction in portions just fine. Oliver, not so much.

“You want to know how the dreaded D-I-E-T is going , well let me tell you.”

“The struggle and the deprivation is real!”

“For the love of all that is fair and just, someone toss me a few extra kibble bits, a treat, something!!”

“And that, my furiends, is how the D-I-E-T is going!”

“Hey Oliver, you know those delicious treats The Human said she wasn’t going to order anymore because they’re too fattening? Yeah, not in here.”

“Oh my whiskers, all this caterwauling about food! I’m just going to rest on The Human’s shoulder until Oliver settled into this idea of the D-I-E-T.”

And there you have it, I think I’m safe in saying it will be a while before Oliver is on board!

Let’s check out this week’s news.

Cat’s meeting with newborn will make you saw awwwwwwww.

I just love seeing human kittens and feline kittens interacting. This one is just too sweet!

Cat Jumps Onto Her Dad’s Shoulders For Bike Rides

This little fellow loves to sit on his human’s shoulders (kind of like Lily laying across our Human’s shoulders).

Cats need sunscreen when outside

Meowza! Did you know that white or pale colored cats are at additional risk of getting skin cancer? Sarah Elliot from the Central Veterinary Office for Cats Protection warns that white and pale-colored cats don’t have a pigment called melanin in their skin, which is what protects humans from sunlight. The risk of irreparable damage over time, by the sun’s ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of developing skin damage and cancer.

‘Cats with unpigmented noses or ears are also much more susceptible to sun damage and require additional sun protection.’

Sunscreen is helpful but before you slap that gooey stuff on us, be sure to check with your vet first because we felines are very sensitive. If you do let us outdoors for brief periods, make sure there are places of shade for us to get away from the heat and for heaven’s sake, make sure we have access to clean water. Also you can set up a cool place for us to rest outside by wrapping a bottle in a towel and placing it near the outside place we like to sleep.

There is an excellent article about caring for us sun loving kitties and also includes tips of ingredients not to have in any sunscreen you might use on us.

If you’re a feline fashionista and not opposed to wearing hats, you might want to give that a try.

Cat rolls down the stairs this way at least five times a day

Posy, or Roly Posy as she’s known on Instagram makes a definite entrance when she uses the stairs in her house.

Welsh Siamese cat found hundreds of miles away in Essex Garage

Here’s one of those “cat travels far away from home with happy ending” story that I like so much.

Ashley, a two-year-old Siamese, escaped through an open window of her home in Glan Conwy, Wales on 15 April and was discovered six days later in a garage of the Monk family in Essex, England by their dog Bobby who scratched and cried and insisted that the Monk family follow him and see what was in the garage.

When the family saw Ashley, they contacted a local group that helps reunite pets with their humans. The cat was scanned, microchip information was found and Ashley’s family in Wales received the happy call that Ashley had been found.

Ashley’s humans surmised that she made a break for it when the house cleaners left the bathroom window open. Ashley had a 15 foot jump from that window to the ground.

Ashley’s owner said that the entire village of 4,000 people were out looking for her, but couldn’t find her. They thought they’d never see her again.

Just how Ashley made her way from Wales to England remains a mystery although some have promoted the theory that she’d gotten into someone’s car.

Thank goodness this is another happy ending for a story about a wandering feline.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 8/4

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,

How are things in your neck of the woods. While I always like to keep this weekly news segment pawsitive, this has not been my favorite summer! Unseasonable heat and many forest fires have sorta’ taken the fun out of things. This is what it looks like in an area called Trestle Creek, about 20 minutes from us across the lake. You can imagine how bad the smoke is too. The Human won’t let us out on the upstairs deck because the smoke is so thick. Meowza, we’re not having much fun!

As for Lily, she is lounging and just waiting for winter.

And The Human, silly as she is, decided that this would be the weekend she’d turn the very heavy memory foam mattress (she does this regularly). That thing is H-E-A-V-Y and it’s amusing to watch her struggle with it. This time I decided to add my substantial 20 pounds to the endeavor. It was like some sort of fun carnival ride! Boy did she gripe about my purrticipation though.

That was fun! Let’s give it one more turn!

After my little adventure, I needed a bit of a rest and a cooling off.

Well, enough of my update, purraying that you all have a clean air, fire free, temperature purrfect week, and try not to be too hard on your humans!

Minneapolis neighborhood hosts a wacky tour of window cats that draws hundreds

Every summer, John Edwards takes cat lovers through his neighborhood, stopping to meet the resident felines who display themselves in windowsills, or who come out to meet the tour in purrson.

This is no small neighborhood event. There are buttons, news coverage, tote bags and t-shirts. Edwards leads the tour holding up a “Caution! Cat Tour Approaching” sign. Last year was a virtual tour but in 2019 the tour had 300 purrticipants who met over 50 cats.

This whole thing started with Edwards spotting neighborhood window cats on his walks. He documented the felines he met on social media and soon #CatsoftheWedge on Wedge Live took off.

Edwards says that if you walk in his neighborhood you’ll spot cats all the time.

There are sometimes surprises on the tour. One year a human exited his house wearing a black and white cat head that matched his cat.

The weird thing about this human, Edwards is that he doesn’t have any cats in his home…go figure. He explains it this way, “It would sap my motivation to do a cat tour if I actually had a cat. It keeps it special when I see a cat — I can get a little bit excited about every new cat I meet.”

The Unappreciated Importance of Cats (to Medical Science)

Leslie Lyons, veterinarian, specialist in cat genetics and cat owner, says there are many reasons why studying the diseases that cats suffer can benefit humans. Among the advances in veterinary medicine an important drug in combatting Covid , was first used successfully a cat disease caused by the virus.

Lyons is a director of the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative and, as part of this project, she and her colleagues recently produced the most detailed genome of the cat to date which now surpasses the dog genome!

The good doctor’s mission has been to get humans to recognize that pets have the same diseases we do and the information and research on these diseases can help people understand their diseases and the treatment of those diseases better as well as treating the diseases that are common in cats.

For instance, dogs get cancer more frequently than cats. There is a signal or clue in the genome of the cat that allows science to zoom in better to understand why cats get the kind of cancer they do and to understand the difference in cancer in cats, dogs and humans.

I was concerned about my feline furiends being involved in research but all that happens to the cats that are studied is a blood sample.

This feline says studies like this are great. We lost our Angel Tucker to cancer. Had we known about these studies we would have asked our vet to find out if there was a way to donate some of the regular bloodwork he had to a good cause such as this.

The Stray Cat Game is revealed

French developer BlueTwelve Studio has created a game called, Stray.

When you play Stray you become a stray cat who, through some mysterious circumstance, has arrived in a bleak, futuristic city inhabited by humanoid robots. (That sounds scary and creepy to this feline!) During the adventure as a feline you’ll explore and solve puzzles as only a cat can, navigating an inhospitable world with the feline’s natural acrobatics and wit.

“It was important for us to show a glimpse of all the playful interactions that [the cat] can have with his environment,” producer Swann Martin-Raget explained via PlayStation Blog. “Some of them are useful and will help solve puzzles as you progress, and some are just here because cats will be cats—and as most cat owners know painfully well, no sofa can be left unscratched.”

Stray’s fuzzy hero eventually comes into possession of a small drone (I wouldn’t mind having my own drone!) that allows him to communicate with the city’s robotic inhabitants and interact with the environment. All in all, this might be fun for you humans and give you a little idea of the hard life strays have (minus the humanoid robots)

For 4-Her Kristopher Carver, cats are the purrrfect Fair project

I’m sure when most of you humans think about 4-H animals you think of sheep, cattle, horses and pigs. Well there’s more to 4H animals than that, like cats for instance.

Kristopher Carver shows his cat, Kyo in the county fair and he and Kyo have been working hard on kitty poses in prep-purration to wow the judges.

Kristopher’s mom suggested joining 4-H. and doing the cat project. He meets several times a month with the other cat project kids to practice showmanship and to learn how to groom their felines to get them ready for their big moment. There was also training at home with the cat to teach him to comply on demand, teach him the proper poses and show off Kyo’s teeth and gums.

“We show off all the cat’s features,” said Kristopher. “I work with him at home and at meetings so he is used to it. The hardest part has been getting the cat used to the harness and leash. He doesn’t like it; we’ve been working on that!”

Cleaning the cat’s teeth and gums, clipping its nails and a proper feeding schedule are just a few of the things that go into raising a show cat. Kristopher shared that brushing his cat’s teeth is easier, and cheaper, by simply using his finger and salt water. Cleaning his ears requires the same as human ears, a Q-tip or cotton ball and cleaning his eyes simply requires a damp, soft rag. Keeping them healthy and at a good weight is also very important.

“You have to keep them healthy and at a good weight,” said Kristopher. “I have Kyo on a feeding schedule so he doesn’t get overweight. Oh well, I guess Oliver and I won’t qualify for any 4-H cat shows!

If you have little humans around your house you should have them check into the 4-H cat program. We have one in our neck of the woods.

The best clothing for cats

The BEST clothing for cats?! How about NO clothing for cats? My human reminds me though there are some felines who like to get dressed up and some felines who have no fur who often need to wear clothing as well. And sometimes, cats have to wear clothes for medical reasons (to keep them from licking wounds, etc.). I suppose a tasteful ensemble would be better than the cone of shame!

If you are dressing your cat to help wounds heal after a medical procedure, make sure the wound is clean and of course, check out the clothes idea with your vet first. You will want loose fitting clothes that are lightweight and breathable, like cotton. Choose something very simple like a t-shirt or sweater. Stay away from costume or tight fitting ensembles.

If you just can’t face the holidays without dressing up your cats, make sure your feline is just as enthusiastic about it as you are. If kitty gives you the okay, then go ahead and have a ball. If your cat is a bit on the CHONKY size (like Oliver) you may have to shop in the “not so small” dog section – MOL!

Still, you can find feline finery such as the hairless cat shirt made for Sphynx cats by DENTRUN, a professional recovery suit for cats, and, if you have a fancy feline you can even find party/wedding dresses. I have warned The Human that I have no interest in fashion and I think the incident of attempting to shove me in a sushi costume is still fresh in her mind.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 6/23

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends!
I don’t know how things are in your neck of he woods but things are heating up in ours – literally,. It rarely gets really hot here so when it does heat up for that one to two week time period we really suffer.

Lily chose to ignore the uncomfortable temperatures and put on her fairy (or as she says faerie) garb to celebrate yesterday’s holiday.

Oliver, on the other hand is still yammering about the D-I-E-T so we decided he should celebrate today’s holiday, “Let It Go Day”.

As for me, I wouldn’t mind a few new Cat TV channels. I am beginning to feel a great ennui as I am forced to watch the same old birds on my iPad. Oh the trials and travails of a first world cat . Life is rough. .

Well that’s it from our neck of he woods this week. We hope you and your humans are staying cool and comfortable!

Cat turns liquid to squeeze under door

Holly the feline has become an overnight TikTok sensation as she appears to turn into liquid to get under a door that looks far too narrow for her to squeeze through.

The video has so far been viewed more than 29.7 million times and surpassed 5.7 million likes. Meowza!

I don’t understand why you humans are making such a big deal about this. We felines are expert at getting into, over and under things that look impossible to you!

Take a look at Holly’s video and let me know what you think. And by the way, you humans have been wondering about the feline ability to fit through small spaces for years. Cats Maru and Hana were subjects in an experiment that their human conducted on this subject.

Is my cat happy or hurting? This app will help

“So human, tell me what kind of a mood I’m in.”
Oliver

We felines recognize that our health and happiness is of the utmost importance to you humans and this is why you will be thrilled with this new piece of news. There is a new app in development called Tably that was released by Silverster.AI a joint venture between two Canadian companies. .Now you may be asking, “Alberto, how did this come about?” Well the developers discovered the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) that was developed to assess acute pain in cats based on facial expressions. This made the Tably folks wonder, could we figure out a cat’s mood with the right app?

Now any of you humans that share a home with felines know that we give you lots of clues when we don’t feel good but the cues are subtle. “

“Depending on the cats’ muzzle, eyes, ears, whiskers, or head position, you can determine whether or not a cat is in pain,” says Paulo Steagall, lead author of the FGS publication and associate professor of veterinary anaesthesia and pain management at the University of Montreal. The FGS was created by Steagall and his team to be used by veterinarians, other veterinary technicians, and cat owners.

Alta ML coupled the FGS with machine learning to make it more accessible to the general public. The app picks up relevant points on our faces, maps them out based on the FGS, and shoots out a reading – happy or not – along with a percentage. The percentage isn’t correlated to the level of happiness, but rather the level of confidence the machine has.

The developers say that Tably, with a high quality and full face front image of the cat, will be 97% accurate.

The app company reports that most humans are using the app to check on their kitties after they’ve had surgery or to figure out if a cat exhibiting hiding or other behaviors is experiencing pain. The company says the app will help humans know when it’s time to take us to the stabby place but I don’t know, our Human always seems to know when we need to go there.

The company will soon be releasing an ios and android version for the app and their plans are to make it part of a veterinarian’s post-appointment follow-up process.

Elderly cat spends birthday in animal shelter, celebrates by getting adopted

Oh my whiskers! If you can read this story without getting leaky eyes then this feline would have to question your humanity! A cat arrived at a shelter in Cincinnati after his owner had to go to assisted living and couldn’t take Sammy along.

When the staff at Kitty City learned it was Sammy’s 19^th birthday, they threw him a birthday celebration — complete with party hats and bright decorations. Well, if Sammy’s birthday wish was for a new furever home, his wish was granted. This sweet guy will live his golden years with a new family full of love for him.

And by the way, there are a few other senior cats at the shelter if any of you Ohio folks are looking to make them happy too.

When it comes to heated divorce, pets aren’t people to o

We are here for all your feline legal needs.

This may make you howl but according to human law, pets are considered property in a divorce. Still, there are ways of working out custody with special mediation and “petnups” that will keep your humans from getting into a cat fight in court.

Some of the more enlightened states in this area are Alaska, California and Illinois. There is a bill in New York state to give judges more leeway to consider the best interests of the pets as these other states have done.

The subject of fur kids comes up a lot when you humans divorce. Adam Citron, a New York lawyer who has handled dozens of divorces, said pets are “constantly an issue.” He’s among lawyer who’ve sometimes see the worst in people in divorce court and advocates for prenups covering pets. A “petnup” is especially helpful for animals acquired during the marriage.

One tip for states that haven’t taken the new approach to consider the best interests of the fur kids would be agreeing at the time a pet is acquired during a marriage whose name will appear alone on registration or adoption papers. That person should pay any costs out of a separate bank account. Such measures are especially helpful if one party is trying to weaponize a pet in exchange for other coveted property. (Boy you humans can really get vindictive!)

It’s best, if you humans insist on divorce to put fur kid custody at the top of divorce negotiations. The Animal Legal Defense Fund, says more laws empowering judges to consider the emotional needs of pets are needed.

A spolespurrson for the Animal :Legal Defense Fund said, “What we would like to see is to have animals considered in the most holistic way possible,” she said. “Who is the animal bonded to? Who can provide for the animal’s overall health and well-being going forward?” Now that lady has the right idea.

Here’s hoping all your humans will stay together and that you will never need the services of some legal beagle (or feline purrsonal attorney) to sort out the best interests of your cats when a split happens.

Family ‘absolutely shocked’ when cat they thought they cremated returns home

When Frankie the cat went missing on May 19, his family in Warrington, England was devastated. Frankie was a beloved rescue who had been adopted by his family 14 years ago. His human, Rachel Fitzsimons, said he was a “real hunter” who went out and brought “gifts” back to the family — but was never gone for long as he always came home to sleep with their 7-year-old son every night.

But on Wednesday evening of May 19^th Frankie left at about 7pm and didn’t come home. The family wasn’t too worried the first night because the weather had turned bad and they figured Frankie had taken shelter somewhere. The next day the family did become worried when Frankie didn’t return and they went all over the neighbourhood looking for Frankie. Their 7-year old son Remy cried every night.that Frankie did not return.

Then on Saturday, Fitzsimons said she spotted the body of a cat on the side of the motorway near their home — fearing the worst she got as close as she could to look at the cat.. Still they continued to search but they returned to the cat on the roadside. The cat had been badly injured so identification was difficult but the fur and tail were strikingly similar to Frankie’s. The family was convinced it was him.

The family was in mourning for Frankie. They collected Frankie’s remains from Highways England who had picked him up and they took Frankie’s body to their vet to have it cremated. They lovingly placed his ashes in a box with his name on it and their son kept it in his bedroom. They also kept Frankie’s bed and his toys.

Then just over three weeks from the day he went missing, the family heard a cat outside. Mr. Fiitzsimmons ran into the garden and then started shouting, “‘Come out! Come out quick! Come out!’ Mom and son ran outside and there was dad…holding Frankie!

Sure enough, Frankie had returned home — albeit a frailer, thin version of himself. The family, who was “absolutely shocked,” gave him food and had him checked at the vet who noted Frankie had an abscess in his mouth and might have suffered some head trauma but Frankie is recovering and eating more.

The family is so thankful to have him back and to have had him all those years before and now are even more thankful to have Frankie in their lives again, living his best life.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 6/15

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Feline Opines

Hello Furiends,
How are things in your neck of the woods? The Human has decided not to take anything seriously this week and has turned all our photos into cartoons. While I am a feline with a good sense of humor, I do think she’s carried things a bit too far. I will let you all decide if we need a cartoon intervention.

“Yes, it’s me Oliver with my best cartoon face judgy look.”

“You may be judgy Oliver but I am Queen Lily, ruler of all I survey.”

“I must conquer that demon brush and save the household.” -Oliver

As for me and what I think of this cartoon craziness? They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Well enough with this silliness, let’s get on with this week’s web wanderings.

Cats in love reunited soon after separation

A human in North Carolina created a very nice catio for her cat Patches. It had everything a cat could want, sleeping areas, a beautiful view and even a water fountain.

A few years ago Patches’ catio was invaded, not by a bad guy but by a feline named Jack. They would hang out all day, go for walks to the lake together and spend all their time developing their friendship.

This relationship was going so well but then Jack’s human, Jill Roberts, said they were moving to Maine. Patches’ human made a very hard decision and decided that these two felines shouldn’t be separated and so she gave him up so he could live with Jack’s family.

Jack, Patches and their human then moved to an AirBnb in the area for a few weeks as all was readied for their move to Maine. And then, one day tragedy happened.

Patches and Jack were playing together and they fell out of the screened-in window. Patches was confused and ran away, leaving Jack alone.

Jack slept on Patches’ bed for days, mourning the loss of his buddy. Thank goodness Patches former human and Jack’s human did not give up looking for Patches. They hired a company with k-9s who locate lost cats and also put signs around a nearby campus where Patches had last been seen.

A campus police officer found Patches on his patrol and coaxed her out from under a house where she was hiding. Now this is all wonderful but, Jack and his human had already moved to Maine.

Paws Up award by FelineOpines.net for humans who do amazing things for cats

But don’t worry dear readers. Jack and Patches were reunite on Zoom and will soon be reunited in purrson. Patches former human will drop her off at Jack’s house and they will be together again.

Oh how I love a love story with a happy ending! And what about Patches’ former human? I say she deserves a Paws Up award!

Man slept in couple’s bed, stole cats during their vacation

All I have to say is, “What is wrong with you humans??!!” Last week I reported about a cat-napper and now this week I find another story. This one is really wild. A Pennsylvania man is accused of breaking into a couple’s apartment, sleeping in their bed and stealing their two cats.

Austin Shaffer, 21, is charged with two felony counts of burglary and criminal trespassing, along with multiple theft misdemeanors.

According to the Portage Borough Police Department, the couple called authorities after they returned from vacation on May 26 and discovered that someone had broken into their apartment, WJAC reported. The front door was tampered with, blankets from the bedroom were on the floor and the two cats were missing.

Multiple witnesses told police that they heard and saw Shaffer break into the apartment and, when he was questioned by police, Shaffer said he went into the apartment to avoid bad weather as he was homeless. Then he told the police that he thought the cats were abandoned. Yeah, right.

Now the biggest question we have is, were the cats found and are they home again? We had our Purrsonal Assistant purruse the web in every nook and cranny and could not find out any information about the cat-napped kitties. We sure hope they are home and okay. If any of my readers know, meow about it and let us know.

England’s Accidental Cat Pub

The Bag of Nails pub is not your run of the mill drinking establishment. You may see cats sleeping in the window and you definitely will see a big sign that says no dogs are allowed due to pub kittens in training.

Once inside you will meet the resident felines walking across the bar or sitting on a bench. This pub is located by the Floating Harour in Bristol, England. The owner, Luke Daniels is always very specific that this is a pub with cats, not a cat pub (I guess so as not to be confused with cat cafes but hey, we love cat cafes too).

The 15 cats of the pub, mostly of the Tabby purrsuasion, were all born in the pub and are all descendants of Malcolm, a British short-haired silver tabby and a black female named Beresford. Malcolm is nine years old. Daniels adopted him the week he took over the pub in 2011 and says that at one stage, there were 24 cats and things got a bit crazy. He had to adopt a number of them out to bring the tribe number to 15, all spayed and neutered to avoid another feline population explosion.

Daniels is somewhat mollified that the pub is more famous for the cats than the beer. Someone said that this pub is purrfect for those who like whiskers and whiskey (that would be a great name for another cat pub!)

COVID made it very hard for the pub as it had barely any income but plenty of bills. In April he had to resort to crowd funding to keep himself and his felines going. He was shocked at how the public rallied, raising more than 20,000 GBP (a little over $28,167.00 USD) in only a few days. He was able to pay the rent for the first time in a year, feed the cats and pay their vet bills.

Now the Bag of Nails is open again and felines are ready for visitors. We know our human would high tail it over to Bristol if she travels back to England.

A CAT ELEVATOR, FOR THE DISCERNING LAZY FELINE IN YOUR LIFE

Oh my whiskers! When Oliver saw this he immediately ordered The Human to order one. The problem is that we don’t go outside unattended so it would be a waste of money at our house.

Still, we felines are used to food delivery, kitty bathroom clean up, drinks served whenever we need them so why shouldn’t we have an elevator?

This smart elevator senses an infrared device and then locks the door when the feline is in the elevator. I’m guessing that the cat wears something on it’s collar to identify it to the elevator. If not, I can only imagine what would be appearing at the top of that elevator. In our neck of the woods it would probably be a trash panda or a skunk!

Rare vintage photos of celebrities with cats

I always love hearing about famous people who love cats and like finding photos of famous people with cats. Here is a blast from the past with some old Hollywood icons and felines. I especially like the photo above because everything thinks of Judy Garland with a dog!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday 10/21

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Feline Opines

Happy Wednesday Furiends,

Fall has come in all its glory to our neck of the woods. Oliver loves to sit on the living room window sill and watch the leaves fall and check out what beasts are in the forests, racoons, deer, moose, bear, skuk, even the visiting neighborhood felines hunting mice. A cat never knows what he’ll see down there!

Lily is far less interested in what goes on in the woods and is much more intereted in what’s going on inside the house.

Oliver is struggling during this time of “weight management”. The Human took a seminar on feline obesity and life hasn’t been the same for poor Ollie. He struggles between attempting to squeeze himself in tight places and begging for tuna casserole. Sigh, life is hard for a portly feline.

Oh come on, just a little bite of tuna casserole won’t set my diet back that far!

Well, that’s the news from our neck of the woods now let’s check out the feline news from around the web.

Cat Cafe opening in Georgetown thanks to local home builder

Stories where you humans go above and beyond to help kitties find furever homes just make my whiskers quiver. And, thanks to Paul Haddix and Haddix Construction the Central Purrk Café will be opening in a few months.

The company is donating their services to help build the interior cat lounge where adoptable cats will recline in fancy modern digs.

Adoptable felines from the Lexington Humane Society and Scott County Humane Society will occupy the cat lounge area of the café.

Visitors can reserve time in the cat lounge at $12.00 per hour, $6.00 per half hour. The lounge has a “free roam” area where visitors can get know the cats in an environment that is more like a home, allowing the humans to picture the kitties in their own homes.

Central Purrk will also host special events like Yoga with Cats, Trivia Nights, Beer & Wine Tastings, and offer birthday or other party packages. All cats are adoptable directly from the cat café and 100% of the adoption fees go to the respective humane society. Cats will be spayed or neutered, up to date on their vaccines and be microchipped.

Scaredy Cat first horror movie for cats

Temptations, the cat treat company premiered the first ever horror movie for cats last week.

The story is about a kitty who makes his way through a haunted house. While storm rages outside, a ball of yarn leads the cat from room to room with all kinds of scary things around each corner. The kitty finally ends up in the kitchen to face the scariest thing of all…a cucumber!

So have your human break out the Temptation movie treats and watch this together this Halloween.

Behind prison walls, cats and inmates rehabilitate each other through animal care program

We felines don’t care much about your past. We just want you to pet us and love us and feed us. This arrangement works out purrfectly at the Pendleton Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in Indianapolis.

Six hours every day, seven days a week the handful of men selected for the FORWARD program (Felines and Offenders Rehabilitation with Affection, Reformation and Dedication.) care for more than 20 cats. Those kitties repay the care and housing they receive while they’re prepared for adoption with love and affection for their inmate caretakers. The inmates gain skills such as empathy, responsibility and self-esteem. Many inmates have said that caring for the cats gives them a reason to get up in the morning. I say this is a purrfect “win-win’ situation!

A tale of two kitties: Blind cat and feline friend win $1500 for local shelter

This is an encouraging tale for all my feline furiends who have challenges. Determined kitties can accomplish great things with the help of their humans. These best furiends, Penelope and Orville just helped their local shelter, Hancock County Humane Society, win $1,500.00, $1,000.99 in cash and $500.00 for food.

Shelter volunteer Kathleen Free wrote the story about Penelope, a kitty born with no eyes, and Orville, the kitten who befriended her and became her “seeing-eye cat. The story won the Clear the Shelters Adoption Story Challenge hosted by The Animal Rescue Site and GreaterGood.org.

Clear the Shelters Adoption Story Challenge hosted by The Animal Rescue Site and GreaterGood.org. Winners were chosen by online voters.

The story earned them 6^th place and the cash and food for their shelter. Pawsome job pussycats!

Fancy Feast Feline Advent Calendar

Humans, it’s never too early to spoil your felines for the holidays and at this price ($23.00) you can’t afford not to buy it. And since humans like Christmas too, there’s a beautiful kitty ornament included. Don’t wait, go to Chewy and make your felines happy for the holidays.