Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 4/17

Happy Wednesday my furiends,
This week we’ve been having some fun with cat groups. As you might guess, The Human is a member of multiple cat groups on the web and we have our own Facebook page as well. One of the groups we subscribe to is “This Cat is GROMPY”. The Human was messing around with different features on her camera and submitted this photo to the group This Cat is GROMPY. So far I’ve received almost 500 reactions and comments. Some folks asked for a full cat photo so they could see what I really looked like. I don’t know, do I look that GROMPY?

My GROMPY photo

The photo to show I’m really a nice kitty

We also belong to the group, “This Cat is CHONKY”. Someone put out a requests for photos of CHONKS when they were babies. Here is Oliver’s

Lily, not a GROMP or CHONK had The Human do a few glamour shots .

And finally, here is our photo celebrating National Pet Day on our Facebook page.

Well, that’s a glimpse of our week. I hope your week was purrfect!

Cat looks fur-ious after being chiseled out of wall

This story reminds me of that saying I’ve heard you humans use, “no good deed goes unpunished”. This feline got himself in a pickle and found himself  between two walls and the object of a rescue by firefighters. The Fire Captain said crews, “carefully chiseled” out the hapless feline and that it is now safe and sound.

Despite being rescued from death’s clutches, this cat does not look grateful at all!

Cats Are Finally Having a Big Hollywood Meow-Ment

After reading this article I’m thinking about having The Human find me an agent! Cats are showing up in all kinds of films these days. In Steven Zaillian’s Netflix series Ripley, a Maine Coon with the screen name Lucio, plays a main character role.  

Then there’s  Paramount’s upcoming A Quiet Place: Day One, about a woman struggling to escape an alien invasion with her tuxedo cat, Frodo. Last fall, Disney’s The Marvels co-starred a deadly super-powered ginger cat, Goose. In Matthew Vaughn’s spy comedy Argylle, which has just started streaming on Apple TV+, Bryce Dallas Howard is on the run from assassins with her Scottish Fold, Alfie.

As you can see my feline furiends, there are more and more lead roles for felines who can act. We felines have gotten leading roles in animated movies but live action film parts have been few and far between for us.

There would be the rare cat part such as Disney’s 1965 film That Darn Cat and the Coen brothers’ 2013 dramedy Inside Llewyn Davis and that’s just about it.  The reason for this is stated that cats have long had a reputation for messing up scenes and testing even the most patient of filmmakers.  This has caused us to be treated more like a movie prop than a true actor.

In an early draft of Argylle, Vaughn says his novelist Elly (Howard) likewise left her cat at home before embarking on an adventure with superspy Aidan (Sam Rockwell). “Then I saw a Taylor Swift documentary where she has her cat in a cat-pack and I remember thinking it was a crazy image,” Vaughn recalls when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought having the three of them going on an adventure together would be fantastic. I was nervous about it being a cat, because cats aren’t exactly the most trainable animal.” Yet by the time the movie was released, Aflie was front and center in the marketing campaign.

Zaillian was also wary of giving a cat such an important role in his adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. “I had written the cat into the scripts, and I did it with some trepidation,” says the Oscar winner, who recast the role Lucio twice before finding the majestic and judge-y looking King. “I had this idea that the only witnesses to Tom’s crimes would be animals that couldn’t testify and people who might be uncomfortable testifying. The cat, of course, was the tricky one. [During casting,] owners would bring cats into the office and think you would want them to do tricks. But what we wanted was a cat that could just be really chill, and comfortable with people and cameras.”

And in the upcoming Quiet Place prequel, writer-director Michael Sarnoski (who previously made the Nicolas Cage animal-centric film Pig) likewise gave a cat a hefty role. The movie’s cat wrangler, Jo Vaughan (who also worked on The Marvels), says Day One might be the finest cat performance she’s ever seen in film due to Frodo’s relationship with the story’s human characters, combined with some thrilling action sequences.

Why are cats bring written in as major characters in films? First, cats are a hot item right now and let’s face it, we own the internet.  There are so many cat videos showing off our many talents and these would have to have captured the attention of Hollywood decision makers.  And decision makers like Argylle are realizing how emotive we felines are. Add to this the advancement of CG animation technology and Hollywood is becoming more and more open to hiring felines.

Finally, there are more humans who now know how to teach us to do stuff so acting cats have a much better repertoire.

So my furiends, brush up that resume and film an audition and prepare yourself for stardom!

The cat distribution system worked its magic once again when a kitten followed a man into his home

The Human has been hearing the phrase “kitten (or cat) distribution system a lot lately. Here is a wonderful story that explains what it means.

Redditor r/BurtMaclin23 had never owned a cat although he’s lived lived just about every pet you can imagine like dogs, ducks, chickens, and pigs, reptiles and parrots.

He shared a story of how a kitten walked into his life on a recent post shared to the subreddit r/cats. He was outside one morning when a kitten saw him and followed him back inside. He had seen the kitten previously, but when trying to call her over, she ran away from him and into the woods.

This day, she walked inside with him without hesitation, “trying to infiltrate” his home, he wrote. His dog of 15 years had died two months prior to the kitten’s arrival so he figured the timing was right and let the tiny kitten stay. He turned to Reddit asking users for advice and tips to make her comfortable.

After no one responded to his queries to see if the kitten had a home he took her to the vet and checked if she was chipped. Now he’[s happy that no one claimed her because he’s enjoying her. He said, “We are doing great! She is a handful and very opinionated but extremely affectionate,” r/BurtMaclin23, who asked for his real name not to be used, told Newsweek via Reddit messaging. “I still miss my dog but I think this kitten found me right when I needed her.”

So that is how the cat/kitten distribution system works. Someone needs a cat (even if they don’t know it) and a cat shows up and finds themselves a forever home!

The Human has been hearing the phrase “kitten (or cat) distribution system a lot lately. Here is a wonderful story that explains what it means.

Redditor r/BurtMaclin23 had never owned a cat although he’s lived lived just about every pet you can imagine like dogs, ducks, chickens, and pigs, reptiles and parrots.

He shared a story of how a kitten walked into his life on a recent post shared to the subreddit r/cats. He was outside one morning when a kitten saw him and followed him back inside. He had seen the kitten previously, but when trying to call her over, she ran away from him and into the woods.

This day, she walked inside with him without hesitation, “trying to infiltrate” his home, he wrote. His dog of 15 years had died two months prior to the kitten’s arrival so he figured the timing was right and let the tiny kitten stay. He turned to Reddit asking users for advice and tips to make her comfortable.

After no one responded to his queries to see if the kitten had a home he took her to the vet and checked if she was chipped. Now he’[s happy that no one claimed her because he’s enjoying her. He said, “We are doing great! She is a handful and very opinionated but extremely affectionate,” r/BurtMaclin23, who asked for his real name not to be used, told Newsweek via Reddit messaging. “I still miss my dog but I think this kitten found me right when I needed her.”

So that is how the cat/kitten distribution system works. Someone needs a cat (even if they don’t know it) and a cat shows up and finds themselves a forever home!

The Human has been hearing the phrase “kitten (or cat) distribution system a lot lately. Here is a wonderful story that explains what it means.

Redditor r/BurtMaclin23 had never owned a cat although he’s lived lived just about every pet you can imagine like dogs, ducks, chickens, and pigs, reptiles and parrots.

He shared a story of how a kitten walked into his life on a recent post shared to the subreddit r/cats. He was outside one morning when a kitten saw him and followed him back inside. He had seen the kitten previously, but when trying to call her over, she ran away from him and into the woods.

This day, she walked inside with him without hesitation, “trying to infiltrate” his home, he wrote. His dog of 15 years had died two months prior to the kitten’s arrival so he figured the timing was right and let the tiny kitten stay. He turned to Reddit asking users for advice and tips to make her comfortable.

After no one responded to his queries to see if the kitten had a home he took her to the vet and checked if she was chipped. Now he’[s happy that no one claimed her because he’s enjoying her. He said, “We are doing great! She is a handful and very opinionated but extremely affectionate,” r/BurtMaclin23, who asked for his real name not to be used, told Newsweek via Reddit messaging. “I still miss my dog but I think this kitten found me right when I needed her.”

So that is how the cat/kitten distribution system works. Someone needs a cat (even if they don’t know it) and a cat shows up and finds themselves a forever home!

The artist Gustav Klimt was a Cat Daddy

Famous Austrian artist Gustav Klimt loved cats so much that he let them take over his studio and his heart.  When art critic Arthur Roessler visited the painter’s studio, he was reportedly shocked by the conditions he met.

“As I sat with Klimt and rummaged around in a heap of papers, surrounded by eight or 10 meowing, purring cats, play fighting with each other, so much so that the rustling study sheets just went flying, I asked him, puzzled, why he tolerated such antics spoiling hundreds of the most beautiful drawings,” Roessler wrote.

Klimt was pointedly unbothered by the chaos around him. “No, my friend, even if they crumple and tear one or the other pieces of paper,” he told the critic. “It doesn’t matter; they only pee on the others, and, you know, it makes the best fixing agent.”

It hasn’t been determined if Klimt used cat pee as a fixative on his work. Probably Klimt was tired about being questioned about the cats in his studio and made the claim as a joke.  

Klimt was quite a recluse and lifted himself out of poverty with his art. He moved from his country life to live in the elegant city of Vienna.  Although the elite of Vienna purchased his art, they shunned him in society due to his country dialect and manners which were not fit to move in their society.  

No wonder he turned to his furry friends for company. An iconic photo, shot by photographer Moriz Naehr, depicted him standing outside his studio, wearing one of the floor-length caftans he painted in, cradling his beloved cat Katze.

It’s interesting that despite his deep affection for cats he never painted them. Last year, however, the Vienna Tourist Board mashed up the internet’s love of cats with Klimt’s and launched their campaign titled UnArtificial Art. They used A.I. to reimagine Klimt’s iconic artwork, The Kiss, replacing the lovers in the painting with sorrowful felines in a tender embrace.

Image above: Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (1907–1908). Collection of the Belvedere, Vienna. Right: A.I. picture generated on Midjourney by Vienna Tourist Board. Photos: © Belvedere Museum and Vienna Tourist Board.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 4/10

Hello Furiends,

We are finally back in touch with the world – translation, our internet is working again. Meowza that was not fun!

While we were out of touch with the world we were spending time in staff meetings and drawing up some plans for our blog that we think you will like. There will be more about this next week. Oliver, Lily and I are exhausted from trying to keep our Purrsonal Assistant focused. Sigh, it’s a hard job but someone’s gotta’ do it. Here are some snapshots of our week.

I am exhausted from trying to keep our Purrsonal Assistant focused. – Oliver

I was forced, during a work break to find some toys that would amuse the feline staff.-Alberto

I think they’re all idiots. – Lily

A new declaration in Mexico gives 19 cats roaming the presidential palace food and care fur-ever

Paws up; to the humans at Mexido’s National Palace. There has been a colony of feral cats living on the premesis,and the government has made it clear they are welcome to live there. They will greet visitors and roam the grounds and gardens.

 “They have access to every part of the palace, so they walk in on meetings, interviews and wander onto camera,” said Jesús Arias, the palace veterinarian, as a handful of feline friends brush against his ankles.

Now the place of the cats is official after the government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared them to be “living fixed assets,” the first animals in Mexico to receive the title. By declaring the felines as  “fixed assets” López Obrador’s government has obligated the country’s Treasury to give them food and care for them for the rest of their lives, even after the leader leaves office in October. The cats all have names and are loved by palace staff and tourists.

Staff say they remember the feral cats living among the cacti and dense brush of the gardens as far back as 50 years ago. This feline is happy to see this 50 year tradition continued!

‘They thought I was crazy’: Okanagan’s first cat cafe thriving after nearly one year

Here at Feline Opines, we love to feature cat cafes. The Human, who has been an entrepreneur all her life, also loves to hear success stories about these café’s.  Ashley Karnes, owner of the Catelowna Cat Café in Kelowna, Okanagen, Canada, says that despite some naysayers, the Okanagan’s B.C. first cat cafe is thriving nearly one year after opening.

Many people told her she was crazy when she opened the café. Karnes partnered adoption agencies and rescues from B.C. and Saskatchewan and since she opened in June 2023, the cafe has seen 156 adoptions! At this time Catelowna has 30 cats ready to find their furever homes.  

One of Catelowna’s regular visitors said. “I do like coming here. It’s fun to cuddle the kitties because I have dogs at home. I can’t have cats, so this is where I get my cat fix,” Reservations at the cafe. But this café and o9ther cat cafes do much more than give humans an experience, they also offer socialization for the kittens and cats which makes them much more adoptable.

Do you have a cat café near you? If you do, I encourage you to visit them.

Pet food company to pay a cat lover $10K to cuddle with kittens, raise support for adoption shelters 

When I read this I demanded that The Human submit an application immediately. Can you imagine how many cat toys, treats and a fancy new cat tower $10K could buy? Yes, it’s true, ACANA pet foods is going to pay $10,000 to one lucky cat lover for cuddling with kittens. All you humans have to do is reply to a questionnaire.

In addition to the $10K prize, ACANA cat food will arrange for the winner to spend four hours cuddling with cats at Best Friends Animal Society this June. (Best Friends is one of the BEST places and is one of the leading national animal welfare organizations dedicated to ending the killing of cats and dogs in animal shelters). All this is to bring attention to “kitten season” that happens in May through November every year. Kitten season results in an influx of kittens in shelters, often overwhelming the shelter resources.

ACANA wants to educate the public about the kitten problem and to promote adoption. As many of you know Oliver, Lily and I were adopted from our local shelter. ACANA also wants to encourage people to help out at their local shelters.

Let’s spread the word about kitten season and let’s work to empty the shelters so that every cat in our communities has a forever home!

‘Walking my cat on a lead changed my life’ 

Cats on leashes is becoming a phenomenon and their photos and stories are filling up the web. BBC spoke to three owners of “adventure cats”, who have roamed the British countryside with their feline companions and to discover why they take their felines on outdoor adventures.

“He’s fearless, nothing fazes him” said Jade de Monyé. She adventures with Figaro, a Maine Coon cross Ragdoll.  She was Inspired by world-travelling adventure cat Suki, Ms de Monyé, decided to harness train Figaro when he was a kitten.. Figaro took to the harness immediately. “I’ve never seen a cat that’s so happy to just be out – he’s always got the little happy high tail, his eyes are never big and scary,” she said. “I’ll open the car door with his lead on and it’s up to him if he wants to get out. I never push him into anything.” She also phones public venues ahead to check whether she can bring Figaro and avoids places with dogs off leash.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2019, Ms de Monyé said taking Figaro on walks had “changed her life”. “On my days off I’d just shut myself away and feel sorry for myself,” she said. “He almost forces me to get out of the house.”  “It’s not like walking a dog,” she said. “It’s going where the cat wants to go. He does like to sit a lot at the water’s edge and just watch all the birds. “You can 100% train a cat, it’s just a lot harder,” she added.

Anna Dukes Sydney and her cat Roland travel around town in a stroller nicknamed the “meow-cedes Benz” She takes her Sphynx and Blue Point Siamese, Roland and Sydney on trips in her camper van. The cats have explored campsites and beaches across the UK, although they prefer to avoid seawater. “There are signs saying no dogs on the beach, but it doesn’t say anything about cats,” Ms Dukes said. “I’m always mindful if they’re on the lead as I’ve been told, no matter what, cats can escape if they want to.” Cautious about dogs and people with allergies, Ms Dukes stays outside pubs and cafes, with the cats in their “meow-cedes Benz” stroller.

Jordan Gregory, and Jess Young,  consulted a vet before taking British Shorthair, Moss, out on a leash. “We didn’t want her to just stay indoors all the time,” Gregory near Chingford in a house with a garden, but they still take the “chilled out” feline out in a specialist backpack. “We don’t have a car and travel everywhere by train,” Mr Gregory said. “She’ll go to Waterloo in the bag. On the train we’ll take her out… and she’ll just sit on our laps.” Moss is always kept on a leash during her train travel. She has climbed a mountain in the Lake District and, although she “prefers not to be rained on”, also “loves being in a tent,” Mr Gregory said. “There are some people who don’t really get it or somehow take offence,” he added. “[But] I don’t think I’m subjecting her to some kind of cruelty.”

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 3/20

Happy Wednesday Furiends!

The weather in our neck of the woods is teasing us, snow is melting and sun is out and now The Human tells us that the weather people (whoever they are) are saying we’re going to get more snow. Meowza, is it spring or not??? The Tribe has decided to take each day as it comes and are enjoying ourselves despite the unpredictable weather (good thing we’re house cats!)

Rain, snow, I don’t care as long as the fireplace is working.

This is where I stand after my nap (in sight of The Human’s office chair) to beg for treats.

I’m stationed in my favorite bed on the cat tree in the office, snoopervising the neighborhood.

Spring, summer, winter or fall, I don’t care as long as I have my comfy office bed.

We hope that the weather in your neck of the woods isn’t so crazy.

Cat rescued from Minnesota rest stop nearly 2 years ago now a model for Target

The story of Hercules the cat began in June 2022 when bystanders called for help after spotting a car jammed with cats at a county rest stop. The sheriff’s department and Animal Humane Society took 47 cats to vets and shelters from the car on that 94 degree day.

One of those cats (now named Hercules) escaped. Volunteers from Tuff Start Rescue found him a month later, lying motionless, near death, his fur drenched in urine. He had a severe jaw fracture and a maggot infestation that was so bad that it had eroded through his cheek tissue.

Dr. Nicole Perreault at St Francis Vet Clinic in Isanti helped put Hercules back together again. He had multiple surgeries, including several on his jaw, which at one point was held together with surgical thread and blue buttons.

“With his referral care and everything, we are probably $12,000 in on him,” Perreault said. “We basically say they are worth every penny.”

Perreault approached her friend Jill LeBrun, a registered nurse, to foster Hercules and LeBrun said, “It was love at first sight.{“

As a result of his jaw fracture, Hercules’ tongue hangs out a lot. And then, one day his human heard that an animal talent agency was looking for cats with unusual faces. Hercules got the job and did so well, the agency wants him back for more work.

And how much did Hercules earn for his first meowdeling gig? A nice $100.00.  Now The Human is calling us slackers since we’ve never earned any income. How rude!

Owner Pays $350 for Vets To Check Growling Cat—Unprepared for Diagnosis

Brandy Mink of southern Illinois told Newsweek that she decided to bring her cat Remi to the vet for a general exam since her cat was also experiencing some skin problems and also growled and swatted every time Mink picked her up. Mink worried that her cat was in pain

After a $350 trip to the veterinarian, Mink’s TikTok video posted to the account @_toe..beans_ in October revealed that her cat was diagnosed with “tortitude.”

If you humans don’t know about “tortitude” you should learn. All you need to do is watch Remi’s TikTok video for a class on “tortitude”.

Remi is Mink’s second cat. The first cat in the home is a sweet tempered Tabby. Now the house has one sweet cat and one sweet and spicy cat (Remi).

Remi’s TikTok clip has reached over 2.2 million views, 223,300 likes, and 633 comments as of Saturday afternoon.

Now that Mink knows about “tortitude” she better understands Remi. She said about Remi,  “She is loving, playful, and will probably forever have a small side of sass we call ‘tortitude,’ but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

What do all my Tortie furiends think? Is “tortitude” a real thing or is this just another way for people to malign cats?

Which animals make the best friends for your cat?

I love the idea of felines getting along with roommates of another species. This article is helpful if your humans want to bring another animal into your household.

“A cat’s affinity with other animals, whether they’re of the same species or not, will depend a lot on how it has been socialized with its mother and littermates, as well as its character,” says Celia Alesanco, a feline ethologist at Sanicat, a company that manufactures kitty litter. In general, cats tend to get along best with other members of their species and with dogs.

The socialization period for house cats lasts until they are around 16 weeks old, and is key to its later interactions with people and other animals. “If an early introduction is made correctly, it will be much easier for the cat to share its home with other animals down the line. But if it’s done badly, that can generate fear and aversion towards new companions,” Alesanco says.

In general, young animals are more flexible when it comes to adapting to different situations. “For example, if they are born surrounded by sheep, chickens and horses, it will seem totally natural for cats to spend time around those species,” explains Helena-Bat, a psychologist who specializes in ethology and animal wellness. Still, older cats can also live happily with other animal companions. “Despite the fact that cats are more receptive to socializing when they are kittens, that doesn’t mean that an older feline can’t get used to the presence of other animals — just that the process will be a bit more complex,” says the ethologist. Helena-Bat says that middle-aged adult cats exhibit a range of behaviors: “Each one has its own personality and response to interacting with other living beings.”

A cat’s character also influences its way of relating to other animals. “Some establish unexpected ties, while others simply coexist alongside other animals in the home. Links can be formed with dogs, but also rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. With smaller rodents and birds, it’s important to supervise interactions, because the cat’s hunter’s instinct can take over,” says Alesanco.

Each cat is different, so it’s impossible to generalize when it comes to what kind of attitude they will have towards living with other animals. “In some situations, a cat who is already living in a home will perfectly integrate with new companions, while in other cases, adopting a well-socialized cat can result in a harmonious coexistence with the rest of the members of the family,” says Alesanco. But she warns that other cases can be quite different: “Even if you’ve evaluated the cat’s temperament and properly socialized them with other species, it could be that they don’t adapt to another animal and that they are unable to successfully live together.”

The most difficult time for a cat in terms of easily connecting with other companions is when they are more than 10 years old or when they are ill.  “An older cat, especially if they are female or have an illness, will find changes more difficult and more stressful. In these cases, it’s advisable to focus on the needs of the animal so it can be as comfortable as possible,” says Helena-Bat.

When your animal family is due to grow and already involves a feline member, it’s good to keep in mind the following tips towards achieving pet harmony. Ethologist Celia Alesanco recommends the following:

• Look for an animal with a compatible personality. For example, if your current cat is very mellow, avoid bringing them home a hyperactive companion.
• Bring a sense of calmness and patience to the animals’ first interactions to avoid generating conflict. In some situations, coexistence will happen easily and quickly, and in others, it will be a longer process. Either way, it’s best to keep the animals separated initially if you’re not there to supervise, especially if there are small rodents or birds involved, because their lives could be at risk if the cat decides to hunt them.
• Monitor the environment in which the animals spend time together, including details like keeping their rest and feeding areas separate from one another. During their first interactions, you can opt to install a gate that allows them to smell and see each other, but precludes any possibility of physical conflict. Once they make it through this separation period, it is still advisable to continue monitoring their interactions at all times, especially when one of the animals is smaller.

My kitty’s a contender for the world’s biggest CAT – he was the smallest in the litter but now he’s as big as a cheetah

Six-year-old Xartrux, from Brazil, measures 4.2ft in length and weighs just over 10kg (22 lbs) – making him as big as a cheetah.

Now wait a minute. Both Oliver and I are 21 ½ pounds! Does this mean that we’re almost as big as a cheetah? The Human needs to start showing us some respect!

While an average cheetah is much heavier than Xartrux, they are between 3ft 7in and 4ft 11in long – a bracket Xartrux comfortably falls into.

A breed of Maine Coon, Xartrux is expected to be naturally big, due to the breed”s title as one of the largest in the world.

But he has grown to such a monumental size that owners Marcia Oliveira and Jean Martins, from Jau, in Sao Paulo , claim their pet is longer and heavier than the biggest domestic cat currently alive.

They reportedly filed their case with Guinness World Records in January, with footage showing a grumpy-looking Xartrux participating in the Rio Cat Club Exhibition in March 2023.

The breed is one of the largest in the world and was previously considered the biggest until the introduction of the Savannah cat in the mid-1980s.

Cartoon Cats: Fun Facts About Our Favorite Animated Felines

Our very own Felix the Cat

Felix the Cat

Felix the Cat is over 100 years old, but he remains forever young. First introduced in 1919, during the silent film era, Felix was one of the very first cartoon characters to become famous. The grinning, googly-eyed little tuxedo cat is instantly recognizable, and his antics have delighted many generations of fans.

Surprisingly, there’s been much debate over who actually created Felix. While producer Pat Sullivan‘s name is on all the cartoons, Otto Messmer was the artist who animated him, and today most people say Messmer is the true father of Felix. One thing that hasn’t been questioned? Felix is an icon, and the standard against which all cartoon cats since have been judged.

The most hapless cartoon cat: Tom

The first of many legendary cartoon series created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (who would go on to create The Flintstones, The Jetsons and many more popular shows once they formed their own animation studio, Hanna-Barbera, in 1957), Tom and Jerry debuted in 1940 as a series of MGM short films, and has remained exemplary of the age-old game of cat-and-mouse ever since.

The typical Tom and Jerry cartoon centers on Tom, a gray tuxedo cat, as he attempts to catch Jerry the mouse. While Tom may be quick on his paws, Jerry’s wit is even quicker, and he always manages to escape. Tom and Jerry is known for its goofy violence, and inspired the even more over-the-top show-within-a-show Itchy & Scratchy in The Simpsons.

The silliest cartoon cat: Sylvester

“I tawt I taw a puddy tat!” Sylvester, the red-nosed tuxedo cat, and Tweety, the little yellow bird he antagonizes, are one of the best-loved Looney Tunes duos. Created by cartoonist Friz Freleng, Sylvester made his debut in 1945, and has been a legend ever since.

Sylvester, whose full name is the very regal Sylvester James Pussycat, Sr., holds the distinction of having the most Academy Awards of any Looney Tunes character. That’s right: In the ’40s and ’50s, three shorts starring the funny feline won Oscars!

The most fed up cartoon cat: Mr. Jinks

Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks was another Hanna-Barbera cat-and-mouse creation. From 1958 to 1961, the slapstick cartoons were part of The Huckleberry Hound Show, and they followed a formula similar to Tom and Jerry (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?). Unlike the earlier cartoon cat, Mr. Jinks had not one but two mouse adversaries, Pixie and Dixie.

Mr. Jinks, an orange cat with a blue bowtie, became known for his grammatically incorrect catchphrase, “I hate you meeces to pieces!” While he may not be as well-known as some of the other Hanna-Barbera cartoon cats, Mr. Jinks remains an amusing example of the constantly foiled feline.

The most street smart cartoon cat: Top Cat

Top Cat was created by Hanna-Barbera in 1961. While his show only ran one season, he remains a beloved cartoon kitty thanks to his street smart persona and creative array of get-rich-quick schemes.

Top Cat is the leader of a gang of New York alley cats, and he cuts an unforgettable figure with his yellow fur and snazzy purple vest and fedora. While Top Cat was popular with kids, the series aired during prime time, and the wisecracking, constantly scheming feline was heavily inspired by comedian Phil Silvers‘ Sergeant Bilko character, which gave him a broad appeal to midcentury viewers of all ages.

The most elegant cartoon cat: Marie

The 1970 Disney movie The Aristocats brought an adorable array of cartoon cats into the spotlight, but Marie is the character who stole most viewers’ hearts. Unlike the other cats on this list, Marie is a lady — and she won’t let you forget it!

Marie is a charming little gray-and-white ball of fluff from a posh Parisian family. When she winds up among the alley cats, she’s quick to differentiate herself as the fanciest cat of all, and she wears pink bows on her neck and head that complement her little pink nose and ears. She even has long eyelashes and purplish eyelids (hey, wait a minute — is this cat wearing makeup?). No wonder she was named after Marie Antoinette!

The laziest cartoon cat: Garfield

Garfield debuted as a newspaper comic strip in 1978, and quickly rose to the cartoon cat pantheon. Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, who grew up with cats and noticed a distinct lack of felines in the funny pages, Garfield became a household name in the ’80s as he got his own cartoon TV show and started appearing on all kinds of merchandise.

Garfield is a fat, lazy orange cat who hates Mondays and loves eating lasagna and annoying his owner. Garfield’s sarcasm makes him one of the most relatable cartoon cats, and as his creator described it, “Basically, Garfield is a human in a cat suit.”

The most swashbuckling cartoon cat: Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots was introduced in the 2004 animated film Shrek 2, and became a fan favorite who got his own spinoff movies. While Puss in Boots is computer-animated, and not hand-drawn like the other cartoon cats on our list, he secured his place thanks to his suave, swashbuckling persona.

Voiced by the eternally charming Spanish actor Antonio Banderas and loosely based on the classic fairytale of the same name, Puss in Boots is adventurous and confident. He knows his way around a sword fight and looks quite dashing with his hat, cape and boots, but like many cats, he’s also not afraid to widen his eyes and lay on the cuteness to get what he wants.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 3 /13

Happy Wednesday Furiends,
We are a bit tired of the weather here in our neck of the woods. One day it rains, one day it’s 45 degrees and then the next morning it snows. Oliver, Lily and I have just about had enough of this! During one of his frequent work naps, Oliver dreamed of what it might be like if we each escaped to a climate that was more enjoyable.

I’m dreaming of beaches, jungles and bakeries.

I would like to spend some time in the warmth of the jungle visiting my wild cousins.

It’s a warm beach and a catnip cocktail for this fancy feline!

Ce chat préfère un croissant savoureux! (This cat purrfers a tasty croissant)

We decided to dedicate this week’s information on places that you and your humans might want to consider if the weather in your neck of the woods is getting on your nerves. So, how is the weather in your neck of the woods? Where would you purrfer to be?

32 top US cities to have a cat

“We’re outta’ here!”

This feline would argue that any city or town is a good place to have a cat but if your humans are considering a move, please have them read this before they make any decisions.

These cities rank highly when it comes to quality vet care and the number of rental properties that will be all too happy to let you and your kitty set up home.

Is your city feline furiendly?

1. Orlando, Florida

Orlando frequently tops the list for being the best US city to live in if you have a cat. The reason Orlando ranks so highly is because of the number of cat sitters and boarding options it has, making it a great location if you’re looking for a trustworthy human to look after your fur friend when you’re away.

2. Alexandria, Virginia

Known for its brick sidewalks and 18th and 19th-century buildings, Alexandria is popular with cat lovers and has a reputation for being incredibly pet-friendly. Named a Better City for Pets in 2022, the city has ample cat-friendly housing, good vet clinics, and an excellent animal shelter. And if your cat needs a break from their busy lifestyle, they also recently opened the Happy Cat Hotel and Spa with luxury hotel rooms for your feline friend, as well as enrichment activities throughout the day using a range of fun cat toys, and even room service!

3. Knoxville, Tennessee

With 15 cat-friendly vets and a whopping 70 feline-loving boarding facilities, Knoxville takes their love of cats very, very seriously indeed. They also have a range of rescue centers that deal specifically with cats, and they even have not one but five cat cafes-meowza! 

4. Tucson, Arizona

According to research carried out by Forbes, Tucson is definitely a place you want to consider living if you have a cat. They have the third highest concentration of vet offices in the country, plus cat owners in Tucson pay the 10th lowest amount for cat and kitten vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, vet check-ups, and dental cleaning. The city is also home to the 16th largest concentration of pet stores, so there are plenty of options when it’s time for your humans to shop for you.

5. Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas ranks high on the list, largely due to the more than 260 boarding options it offers, not to mention the 550+ registered professionals who will be only too happy to step up and catsit when your humans go out of town. It also has five cat cafes.

6. Tallahassee, Florida

The city is home to the famous Fat Cat Cafe (not all the cats there are CHONKY, there are cats of all shapes and sizes to choose from!) and have so far managed to find more than 1,300 felines their new forever home. Plus, they also run a cat bookstore and the best bit? They take cats to the homes of senior citizens who can’t make it to the cafe for a cudde.

7. St Louis, Missouri

When it comes to the best US cities to have a cat, St Louis frequently ranks in the top 10. It has an abundance of affordable cat-friendly rentals to choose from, a high number of animal shelters and vet clinics, several cat cafes and plenty of cat sitters who are ready to drop in and take care of youj whenever your humans are out of town.

8. Santa Rosa, California

If living amongst the vineyards appeals to you, and your humans are wine lovers, Santa Rosa is one of the best places to head.  They have one of the most successful feline adoption programs in the country and a ton of boarding options, plus they score highly when it comes to cat sitters too.

9. Richmond, Virginia

Access to animal shelters, the number of vet clinics and cat sitters, and the amount of cat-friendly, affordable housing are just some of the factors that make this feline-loving city so appealing.

10. Salem, Massachusetts

Many of Salem’s hotels and inns will be all too happy to accommodate you and your human which makes it a great to visit if you’re not going to move there. You can even join your humans on a walking tour if you are a leash strolling feline. There are also some stunning cat friendly green spaces too.  There are plenty of cat-friendly long-term rentals on offer and lots of vet clinics in the area.

11. Escondido, California

Settled in a long valley in the coastal mountains of Southern California, Escondido is a brilliant place to live if you’re a cat. On top of all that sunshine, the city ranks highly across the board for everything from the number of vet clinics and cat rescue centers to pet-friendly housing and cat cafes.

12. Kansas City, Missouri

As well as being home to two cat-friendly hotels, Kansas City has the eighth-highest percentage of cat-friendly apartments in the country. The city also has several attractions that will allow cats on at least part of the premises.

The Nelson Atkins Art Museum is more than happy for locals to walk their adventurous felines on their and the 75-acre Loose Park is another great spot for feline exercising. Plus, Kansas City also ranks third in the country for cat veterinary costs with lower fees on checkups, vaccinations, and dental cleaning.

13. Scottsdale, Arizona

If you fancy the desert and lots of sun (and we felines love sun puddles) Scottsdale really is the cat’s meow. When it comes to cat supply stores, vet clinics, animal shelters, and all-round feline-friendliness amongst the residents, Scottsdale consistently ranks amongst the best cities in the US to have a cat.

14. Atlanta, Georgia

The fact that some call it  Catlanta should give you an idea that this city is feline furiendly. With the highest number of cat-friendly rental properties in the country, Atlanta is incredibly fond of felines, and that’s not the only thing it has going for it. It’s also home to the Cotton States Cat Club, which puts on an annual show, and the adorable Furkids Rescue Shelter and Sanctuary, where children can visit and read to any one of their many feline residents.

15. Fort Collins, Colorado

Just a short distance north of Denver is the historic city of Fort Collins. It’s also home to Wagz Pet Market & Grooming, a shop filled to the brim with the best dry cat food, treats, toys, and accessories, plus, they offer a full-service grooming salon where you can be bathed and brushed, have your nails clipped and even yo0ur ears cleaned! And if you’re an adventure cat and like to hike with your human, there’s no better place to hit the trails than this delightful mountain city.

16. Tampa, Florida

Home to the popular Cats & Caffeine Cafe, where your human can enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a cuddle with a rescue kitty at the same time (if they’re not getting enough love at home, Tampa is well known for being super feline-friendly. In fact, so much so, that the St. Clement’s Episcopal Church even offers cat-friendly Sundays on the third Sunday of every month where you can attend with your humans. All cats receive treats and a blessing!

17. Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a cat loving place. Gem City Kitties is a nonprofit organization that works alongside the Gem City Cat cafe and together the two connect adoptable rescue cats with forever families as well as running classes and workshops to educate the community.

In 2021, they also opened Gem City Vets, a low-cost clinic for low-income families which helps to ensure that everyone can own a happy and healthy cat no matter their financial status.

18. Savannah, Georgia

A coastal Georgia city known for its manicured lawns, antebellum architecture, and cobblestone squares, Savannah is bursting at the seams with breathtaking beauty. It has plenty of cat-friendly rental accommodations, and is home to the Skidaway Island Skate Park where adventurous felines have been known to trot happily alongside their humans on the various trails.

Plus, if you’ve just moved to the city (or fancy getting reacquainted with it), Old Savannah Tours will let you coke along with your human on their trolley tour, and Adventure Tours in Motion will attach a basket to the front of your e-bike so your can ride along with with your human and tour the city.

19. Tacoma, Washington

The famous Mount Rainier looms over Tacoma, WA at sunset

A beautiful city that sits on the banks of Puget Sound just south of Seattle, Tacoma is a fantastic place to live with a cat — especially if you and your feline friend are both the active, outdoorsy types. There are a ton of stunning hiking trails on the outskirts of the city, and Tacoma itself is home to Grit City Kitty, a fantastic cat boarding and cat sitting service that allows you to breathe easy knowing that someone can be there for your pet when you can’t be.

20. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Florida as a state ranks amongst the best for those with cats, so it’s no surprise that Fort Lauderdale is often cited as being a great city for cat lovers. They have the fifth highest concentrations of cat sitters in the country and are second when it comes to boarding options making it a brilliant place for your human to base themself if they often travel for work.

There are also plenty of parks and beaches in the area that will quite happily accept feline visitors as long as they’re kept on a leash.

21. Birmingham, Alabama

A study conducted in 2021 by PetListed had Birmingham placed in the number one spot in the country for the best US city to own a cat. While a few years may have passed since then, they continue to rank extremely high across every important category, including the amount of cat-friendly housing available (81% of properties in the city will accept cats), the number of AAFP-certified cat veterinary practices, the abundance of local animal shelters and welfare groups, and the number of pet stores selling cat products.

22. Austin, Texas

The Lone Star state got a very special award in 2023 when leading real estate marketplace company, Zillow, named Austin as the most pet-friendly city in the country for renters.

A very cool 80% of properties in the city will allow you and your human to move in. And that’s not all Austin has going for it, it’s also home to an impressive six cat cafes and 247 veterinary service locations, so you’re guaranteed that you and your health and well-being will be a top priority.

23. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

There is no shortage of rental properties that will accept you and your human, plus you’ll find a wide selection of cat cafes that will let your human get coffee and a kitty fix if you’re not spending enough time with them. Maybe they’ll even find you a furry roommate.

The Cattfeinated Cafe is well worth a visit — not only are there plenty of adorable adoptable cats to pet, but they also have a cat boutique where your human can purchase merchandise for you and a thrift shop with profits benefiting the local animal rescue.

24. Miami, Florida

Based on Lily’s dream of the purrfect place Miami would suit her fine, The Human not so much because she prefers mountains to beaches.  But if your human likes the beach then this city is great, ranking highly across every category including cat-friendly properties, number of cat adoptions, number of pet stores that stock cat products, number of vets, and number of cat cafes. Plus there’s an abundance of professional pet sitters and boarding options.

25. Minneapolis, Minnesota

A vibrant and cat-friendly city known for its parks and lakes, Minneapolis offers plenty of opportunities for you and your human to get out and about together and explore. Get caffeinated at The Cafe Meow, or why not visit one of the many cat gear and grooming stores in the city center? Plus, there are some great cat trainers and behaviorists who’ll be more than happy to help with any cat behavior problems (not that you have any, mind you, but just in case). And there are lots of lovely green spaces for you and your human to relax in when the weather is good.

26. Denver, Colorado

Denver is on track to become one of the most cat-loving cities in the country, with 2020 seeing them take the title for the highest number of cat adoptions of any US city. The Denver Cat Company is well worth a visit — not only do they serve great coffee and facilitate finding rescue cats new homes, they also offer some super fun activities, like a tarot card reading given by a cat and art and craft classes where all the feline residents join in. There are plenty of great hikes in the area too, plus lots of other options for outdoor activities, so if you’re an adventure cat, you’ll love calling Denver home.

27. Salt Lake City, Utah

If your human likes scenic mountain views and a vibrant local culture with people who are incredibly pet-friendly, then Salt Lake City is a great place to put down roots. It consistently appears in the top 10 best US cities to have a cat across a range of different surveys with plenty of cat-friendly accommodation, community cat rescue and adoption programs, quality vet care and some gorgeous hiking trails for those days when you and your human just want to get away from it all.

28. Dallas, Texas

Apart from having the perfect climate for window perching, Dallas is one of the first cities in the country to receive the BETTER CITY FOR PETS™ certification, as part of the Mars Petcare BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program — a certification that honors the city’s ongoing commitment to creating a pet-friendly community. No surprise then that Dallas currently ranks second in the country for cat-friendly rental accommodation and they’ve also just opened the very adorably named Whiskers and Soda cat cafe.

29. Cincinnati, Ohio

Not only is Cincinnati kind on your wallet (they have some of the lowest vet costs, pet-care provider costs, and pet insurance premiums in the country) but there are also 39 cat-friendly assisted living facilities in the area for seniors who are looking for more daily support but who don’t want to have to say goodbye to their beloved fur friend.

30. Riverside, California

A popular area to put down roots for families and young professionals, Riverside is a cat-friendly city known for its abundance of cafes and parks. They rank highly for their animal shelters and welfare groups and have plenty of rental options that will happily accept you and your human. The vet care in the area is also good and you’ll find plenty of hiking options on your doorstep if you and your human fancy a day out on the trails.

31. Portland, Oregon

Pet-friendly Portland has a plethora of parks and natural spaces that will happily welcome you (if you don’t mind being on a leash) and your human. Many of the city’s beloved breweries will also let you hang out with your human on the patio, and there’s no problem finding quality rental options that will accept your feline renters.

There are also close to 300 different vet clinics to choose from and with more than 60% of residents owning a pet of some kind, you’ll find the locals to be incredibly animal-friendly.

32. Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is one of the best cities in the US to have a cat when it comes to feline-friendly rentals, with more than 85% of the accommodation options in the city welcoming cats. The Crooked Tail Cat Cafe was also the first of its kind to open in North Carolina and the city ranks well for quality vet care.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 3/6

We’re BAAAAAACK!
As we’ve noted before, we’ve been having some staff issues and we do apologize. Our Purrsonal Assistant has been a bit of a trial but we believe we finally have her under control. Dealing with this woman has been like herding cats!

First it was family moving to her town, Christmas and a family wedding. Then it was a horrible flu (the coughing really disturbed our sleep for two weeks!) and then it was finishing her first book in her cozy mystery series. We sat her down and told her she had FOF, fear of finishing, and she needed to get the last chapter done! Since this is a series that has both Al and I in it, we have a vested interest (Lily may be written in later).

So there you have it. As we seek to overcome this last time drain on our Purrsonal Assistant’s time we are looking forward to offering you, our beloved furiends more content and on a regular basis. Oliver did have some advice for her (he’s such a caring guy)

And we all felt a certain kind of way about our purrsonel issues.

So there you go, paws crossed that the issues with our PA are resolved!

 Cat Reunites with Its Owners in Montana After It Was Displaced by the Maui Wildfires

Oh my whiskers, I’m a sucker for stories about kitties reunited with their families. The Maui Humane Society in Hawaii reunited a cat with her owners after she was lost during the wildfires last year.  A post on the shelter’s Facebook page announced that the cat, named Mahina, was found after surviving 100 days in the burn zone.

Mahina’s humans were relocated after the fire.They filed a missing pet report about Mahina right away. Eventually they moved to Montana and they lost hope of ever finding their feline again.

Mahina was found by the Maui Humane Society’s Fire Task Force in February. After checking for a microchip (the family had updated the information when they moved). The family was thrilled to hear Mahina had been found.

It was no small feat getting her to Montana from Hawaii. Thanks to the efforts of the Maui Humane Society who covered the cost of Mahina’s health certificate and travel to her family via Hawaiian and Alaska airlines, with a transporter helping to get her from Seattle to Montana.

Mahina is now home and doing very well. She is an inside kitty (she’s not fond of the Montana snow) and very happy to be inside.

Cat lost for four years turns up over 150 miles from Northern Ireland home

It was four years after their cat had disappeared and the Smyth family had given up hope when they got the call, “We have your Blueberry”.

Blueberry disappeared in November of 2019 from his home in Bangor, County Down, on Northern Ireland’s coast and turned up in County Galway in western Ireland.

He was noticed outside the SuperValu supermarket, looking ill. A man took him to the local veterinary practice to have him looked over. The vet diagnosed him with the cat flu and knew the cat had been owned by someone because he was very affectionate at the clinic.

Blueberry had a microchip but there was no information on him. The vets then tried Europetnet, which covers 26 European countries, and found a match in the UK. They discovered his name was Blueberry, that he was 10 years old, and that he had started his odyssey four years earlier and more than 150 miles away.

Blueberry’s family couldn’t wait to bring him home and he is happily enjoying being with his people again.

Humans, allow me to say again that keeping your feline ‘s microchip info current is critical. Neither Blueberry or the cat in the previous story would be back in their homes if their humans hadn’t kept the microchip information current.

Cat pics will pay your fines at Worcester’s libraries

Meowza, here’s a creative, feline friendly idea! Patrons at this library can clear their damaged or lost library fines by visiting the library with an image of a cat. They ‘re calling the program “March Meowness.”

 “Even if you don’t have a cat in your life, you can still draw one,” said library Executive Director Jason Homer. The library created the program in an effort to bring people back to the library system’s seven locations, regardless of whether they have fees under their account.

The library has done fee-forgiveness programs in the past, but Homer said the staff wanted to try a new, more creative approach.

In addition to fee forgiveness, the library’s March calendar is littered with other cat-themed programming. There’s a cat eye makeup tutorial (for humans, not cats), a lecture from a certified cat behaviorist, an event to de-stress with cats from the Worcester Animal Rescue League and more.

“We librarians love our cats,” Homer said. “We’re really leaning in on the fact that, all in all, librarians are cat people, so we thought, let’s lean in on the joke, let’s be part of the joke, and let’s have fun together.”

Peoria library has a pop up cat café

Who knew libraries were such lovers of cats? Patrons at the Peoria Public Library North Branch held a pop up cat café and the response was great, the lines to get in wrapped all around the building.

The pop-up cat café was sponsored by the Peoria Humane Society to bring awareness to all the cats up for adoption at PCAPS.

 “They do a lot of story times, and they have an active group of people that come out here all the time. So it was just an easy way for us to bring some cats, get some attention and focus on reading and literacy and just really focus on finding homes for homeless cats.”

Kudos to this forward thinking, feline friendly library!

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 2/14

Happy Valentine’s Day Furiends!

We hope your humans are showing you love and that you have offered extra head bonks and purrs to your staff…errrr…humans. Oliver and Lily and I decide to create our own valentines for you and this week our theme is love and Valentine’s Day celebrations.

We hope your day is filled with love!`

Cat crashes wedding

Cara and Matt Hamdan were in the middle of exchanging vows when a loud purring was heard by the entire wedding party and it seemed to be coming from a bush.

The bride was focused on the vows her husband had written when people at the wedding  began laughing. When she turned around the source of the laughter was seen, a loud purring Tabby.

The groom chose to finish his vows before he reacted to the interruption.

After the wedding the groom’s mother kept in touch with the venue to find out if the cat was still there and how it was doing. The venue employees as well as the bride and groom were cat lovers and so a plan was created to catch the cat. It took two weeks but they were finally successful. The cat was taken to the local shelter were the newlyweds arrived to adopt it.

The new feline now lives with another cat named Gatsby. The kitty is loving and affectionate and enjoying her new life with her feline sibling and her humans.

‘It’s the ultimate revenge

The Humboldt & District SPCA in Saskatchewan, Canada animal shelter’s latest fund raiser for spaying and neutering cats is a special event for Valentine’s Day.

For every $50 donation the non-profit will name a cat after the ex-partner of the person’s choosing  will spay or neuter the cat.  

Although this is a bit of a cynical take on Valentine’s day, it appealed to a lot of folks as the shelter’s Facebook post announcing the event received 600 likes in the first 24 hours.

Evidently this spay/neuter Valentine’s day program is being offered in numerous shelters in the
U.S. and Canada and they seem to be successful  indicating that not everyone has warm and fuzzy feelings about Valentine’s Day.

Love stinks! Ohio animal charity will dedicate a shelter cat’s litter box to your ex

And if you are not sentimental about Valentine’s Day but not excited about the spay/neuter fundraiser, another shelter is running a program called “You deserve better!” The Animal Charity of Ohio. wrote on their social media page, “Treat yourself this Valentine’s Day by having us write your ex’s name on a litter box and we’ll let our rescue cats do what they do best!”

You can make a donation here.

Dorchester’s curious cat wins over hearts of Dorset town

It’s easy to fall in love with a feline but this feline has captured the hearts of an entire town.

Susie the cat moved from Upwey to Dorchester, Englad with her humans Linda and Michael Crow. She settled into her new home quickly and has been spotted by hundreds of people across the town, and has achieved such fame that she’s  featured in postcards promoting Dorchester.

Evidently everyone in Dorchester is Susie’s valentine.

Cats Get Into Valentine’s Day Spirit With ‘Adorable’ Heart-Shaped Cuddle

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with this photo of two cats in a heart-shaped snuggle?

These 2-month old siblings are named Psilo and Meskie live their best life with their human in Bengaluru, India and they spend the day playing together and then groom each other every night before they go to sleep.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 2/7

Hello Furiends,
Yes, it’s true, the deadline for our feature last week came and went and our Purrsonal Assistant completely dropped the ball. I am pleased to tell you that after an intense staff meeting and a stern warning (and some extra treats), The Human has changed her ways and promised to meet our stringent editorial standards. This also includes handling our comments on the wonderful blogs many of our furiends run. We advised her that there would be no future slacking (yes, she was quite ill but this should not effect the level of service at Feline Opines.

We have been blessed (or cursed depending on your point of view regarding snow) this winter and although we’ve had a lot pf purrcipitation here in the Inland Northwest, it’s been mostly rain. We indoor kitties have no opinion either way but The Human was thankful she was spared snow shoveling when she was sick. Since the subject of snow came up this week Oliver, Lily and I decided to imagine ourselves in a snow setting and each of us had graphic made to reflect our preferences. We then decided this week’s web wanderings would be about cats and snow.

Oliver said he fancied himself in the snowy woods on a snowmobile. Yeah right, Oliver can’t even stay in the room when The Human rolls out the vacuum monster.

Lily purrfers the gentler, more old fashioned snow activities and thinks sailing down a mildly sloping hill on a hand carved sled would be her winter activity.

As for me, I’m not so excited to get out in the cold but I’d be happy for a rest in a tepid spa (I do love water) with a catnip cocktail and a nice view of the snow outside.

And now on to our wintery web news finds. I hope you enjoy.

Blueberry, a 5-year-old cat, was brought to the Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama after her owners began noticing she wasn’t feeling well. The cat remained at the clinic over the weekend and on Tuesday morning the cat took a turn for the worse.  Two of the clinic’s technicians came in, braving the ice and snow to take X-rays that showed the cat had ingested something and was in need of immediate surgery.

Dr. Nicole Martin knew she had to get to the clinic to help Blueberry. The temperatures were frigid and the roads were so icy drivers were warned to stay off the streets. Martin decided that since she lived the closest and she needed to get to Blueberry so she set off and walked the three miles to the clinic.  

The operation was successful and the object that Blueberry had ingested was removed. Blueberry is recovering fully thanks to the dedication of Dr. Martin and the technicians at Caldwell Mill Animal Clinic.

As a side note, we were a bit surprised about snow in Alabama so we sent our researcher to find out. She located a site called Does It Snow.com, checked Alabama and found out this isn’t unusual. Who knew?

A stray kitten was stuck outside during Wisconsin’s snow storm until volunteers came to her rescue.

Rescuing a kitten in a snow storm was probably not on Sara Dykstra or Karen Hendrickson’s list of 2024 goals.  They had been receiving reports of a kitten living in the rocks along Bradford Beach. Volunteers from the Urban Cat Coalition in Milwaukee spent over a week trying to trap the kitten. They estimated it was three or four months old and they knew she was in rough condition.

After snowstorms battered the area for a week an Arctic blast plunging temperatures to below zero was predicted. The kitten survived the storm but rescuers were worried she’d freeze. They knew they needed to trap her and get her inside.

This is why Sara Dykstra, of Milwaukee, and Karen Hendrickson, of St. Francis, found themselves at Bradford Beach early one morning.

“We had such a limited time frame to get her before this -25 wind chill temperatures were coming in that night,” Dykstra said. “If we didn’t get her, we didn’t think she would survive.”

It was difficult for them to think that this little kitten had survived the conditions at the lake but survive she did. They were able to locate the kitten in the rocks but she refused to come out. When she did venture out a bit to check out the trail of food they’d place leading to the trap.

“We could see her and she would meow to us, but we just couldn’t reach in and grab her,” Hendrickson said. “She was too far down and too scared to come out.”

After two hours in the cold, neither woman wanted to give up. They didn’t want to leave the kitten to a certain doom. They tried another tactic, removed a shoe lace from one of their boots and hoped the kitten would be enticed to play with it. One played with the shoelace that fascinated the kitten and the other one fed her ham. She got close enough and they were able to swoop her up.

Once in the cage Ruby was taken to the home of one of the rescuers so she could be warmed up. She was then taken to the veterinarian for a checkup. She was declared healthy with only a flea problem. Her weight was good and so was her fur and there were no eye or respiratory infections.

Ruby spent a few weeks with Henrickson. She is slowly being socialized and the hope is to pair her with another single kitten and to have the two adopted together at the Urban Cat Coalition.

What a wonderful story of survival and kindness and determination of these wonderful women.

Cat enjoys “zoomies” on frozen pool

@abcnews

This cat had a grand time slipping and sliding on a frozen backyard pool in Texas. #cattoks #catsoftiktok #catzoomies #texascold #abcnews

♬ original sound – ABC News – ABC News

It’s always fun to see felines joyfully embracing winter.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/24

Oliver has a special message about this past week.

In light of the suffering The Human has endured this week and the Tribe’s efforts to sooth her with purr therapy, I thought it would be a good week to talk about how we’re good for human health (even emotional health) and sometimes even saving your life! We hope you enjoy and that your humans stay healthy!

Cat tries to heal owner’s headache

This cat’s response to his owner’s headache has melted hearts after his healing attempts were shared on TikTok.

Since L.A.-based hairstylist @jenjo_original shared the video it’s gained more than 3.5 million views, sparking conversation about the unique bond between humans and their feline friends.

In the clip, rescue cat Calvin swiftly responds to his owner’s discomfort, positioning himself beside her head, purring and gently nuzzling her face. Alongside the video are hashtags including #headacheremedy and #healingcats.

While there is no definitive scientific evidence that cat purrs have healing properties, some studies and hypotheses suggest potential benefits. For example, a 2001 paper found how the frequency of cat purring is similar to vibrational and electrical frequencies used in treatment for fractures, pain, muscle strain, joint flexibility, and wounds.

4 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health

Research has proven that pets improve your health. Here are a few.

Fight Allergies

People  used to think that if a family had a pet the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. Now a growing number of studies are suggesting that kids raised with furred animals, like felines, will have less risk of allergies and asthma.

New studies indicate that infants with furried animals in the home were less likely to show evidence of pet allergies– 19% vs. 33%. They also were less likely to have eczema, a common allergy skin condition that causes red patches and itching. In addition, they had higher levels of some immune system chemicals — a sign of stronger immune system activation.

Aging

“Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s patients have fewer anxious outbursts if there is an animal in the home,” says Lynette Hart, PhD, associate professor at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Their caregivers also feel less burdened when there is a pet, particularly if it is a cat, which generally requires less care than a dog,” says Hart.

Walking a dog or just caring for a pet — for elderly people who are able — can provide exercise and companionship. One insurance company, Midland Life Insurance Company of Columbus, Ohio, asks clients over age 75 if they have a pet as part of their medical screening — which often helps tip the scales in their favor.

Healthy Mind and Soul

Pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. “The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets,” says researcher Judith Siegel, PhD.

In one study, stockbrokers with high blood pressure who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did people without pets.

People in stress mode get into a “state of dis-ease,” in which harmful chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine can negatively affect the immune system, says Blair Justice, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health and author of Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods, and Thoughts Affect Your Health.

Studies show a link between these chemicals and plaque buildup in arteries, the red flag for heart disease, says Justice.

Like any enjoyable activity, interacting with your cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine — nerve transmitters that are known to have pleasurable and calming properties, he tells WebMD.

Good for the Heart

Heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without, according to several studies. Male pet owners have less sign of heart disease — lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels — than non-owners, researchers say.

So there you go humans, we felines are good for your health!

How pet cat saved a Fresno woman’s life after mobile home catches on fire

Fireman Alberto

We’re not just good for your health, we can save your life too.

The Fresno Fire Department said a woman’s life likely was saved after her pet cat woke her up during a fire inside her home.

Fresno Fire said a woman, who lives alone in a mobile unit in the area of Blackstone and Herndon avenues, fell asleep after cooking Tuesday.

She, however, left a stove top burner on and it somehow caused a big enough fire that part of her mobile home ended up damaged, Fresno Fire said.

With no smoke detectors found inside the unit, Fresno Fire believes the woman might not have known about the fire until it was too late had her cat not come to her rescue and nudged her awake.

 “If it hadn’t been for the cat, there’s a strong possibility she might not have made it out,” Fresno Fire public information officer Joshua Sellers said.

Sellers said the woman suffered only minor smoke inhalation.

Though part of the mobile home was charred, much of the residence was saved thanks in part to a fire engine showing up within a minute of reports of a fire.

Sellers said the fire engine just so happened to be driving by for training when the call came in for help.

That kitty deserves a big bowl of tuna!

  Meet the Jewish funeral cats of Sacramento

Sometimes our humans suffer from something that isn’t illness but grief. We felines care when our humans suffer from grief and we can help with that too.

Jason Lindo sat alone in the Lombard Funeral Home in Sacramento, reading psalms while performing shmira, the Jewish ritual for the 90-year-old Jewish mother of a close friend. His beloved dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge that morning making his grief all the more heavy. He heard a sound, looked down and saw Lana, a 5-year old brown tabby with black stripes. Lana lives at the nondenominational funeral home, one of two primary partners with the Jewish cemetery Home of Peace in Sacramento.

Lana and Oreo and Zuko, two felines who comfort those mourning at Home of Peace Jewish cemetery in Sacramento also offer love and purrs to those whose hearts are broken.

Despite his cat allergy, Lindo suffered through the sniffles and itchiness  and said,  “But I thought: You know what? This is worth me putting up with, because I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s something really special,” Lindo said. “And I’m not going to interrupt that.”

Lana has comforted many who mourn and folks often leave with cat hair all over their mourning attire.

Lana works healing therapy for those who mourn. There is a place for cats to comfort those who mourn and we should never underestimate the healing power of felines.

Walk Through The Web Wednesday – 1/10

Hello Furiends,
I hope the new year is treating you well in your neck of the woods. I know some of you are having a purrticularly brutal winter and hope you are all staying warm and cozy. It’s snowy in our neck of the woods but not too bad and that’s how The Human likes it.

Since I had the opportunity to opine last week Oliver has insisted on a turn so, before we go into our news items, Oliver will provide his two cents. Also, this week we have a theme which is felines who live life as long haul truckers. We found some great stories and hope you enjoy them too. And now, heeeeeereeees Oliver!

Hello there furiends. I felt compelled to say a few words about traveling cats due to the theme of this week’s feature. Now I’ve never traveled in a semi-truck but I have made a number of trips in the car. As a matter of fact, I am the only member of our tribe who travels in the car mostly without the dreaded cat carrier (because I’m a very well behaved kitty). Why I even took a trip to Starbucks to make my film “Bring Me My Catpuccino!”

Oliver takes a little jaunt in the car to Starbucks

I quite enjoy the occasional car trip and even did an hour trip to the kitty spa with The Human in October. Still, I wonder what it would be like to live in a big truck. I wouldn’t mind watching the scenery go by but I’m not so sure the level of service I experience here would be available to me. For instance, do trucks have big enough beds for a human and a 21 1/2 pound feline to sleep comfortably? And what about the breakfast schedule and daily snack schedule? Is there room for me to play with my favorite toys at midnight and enough space for me to run full speed down a hallway at 2:00am?

I may not want to live a truckers life but I salute all those truckers who travel with their felines.

I’m not so sure this life on the road would be for me and, as much as I hate to admit it, I would miss my brofur Alberto and Lily (aka Princess Stabby Toes). Sigh, I guess the traveling life isn’t for me after all but I do think you will enjoy these stories about felines who love the vagabond life.

Trucker’s lost cat returned home after journey through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming

Taking a feline on the road with you alleviates lonliness for truckers and this is why Chad McIntyre traveled with his feline buddy, Tyler.  

Then, two months ago in November, while changing Tyler’s litter box and getting ready for the next trip, Tyler escaped from the truck at the Flying J Truck Stop in Fernley, Nevada.

Chad had a deliver to make and had to leave. He returned after two and a half hours to search for Tyler. He had to leave for  California the next day and Chad returned the next night to search again.

Chad’s wife, Brandy, posted all over social media and found Facebook groups and Trucker groups to share the information about Tyler. And, miracle of miracle, five days later she found out that Tyler was at an animal shelter 670 miles from where he went missing. Tyler was in a shelter in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Rock Springs Animal Control supervisor Lydia Gomez said Tyler was found by a concerned citizen at a Flying J in Rock Springs. They scanned Tyler for a microchip and found his humans.

“We were able to check him in and he was microchipped, so we were able to locate an owner,” Gomez said. Then Gomez worked with independent transport coordinator Joan Nickum to help get Tyler back to his home in Decatur, Illinois.

Nickum coordinates transports by finding people to drive shorter legs of long road trips to transport animals from shelters to rescues, rescues to owners, and shelters to adopters. She drove four hours to help reunite Tyler with his family.

Tyler was reunited with his family on New Year’s Eve. The theory is that Tyler hitched a ride with another trucker to the Wyoming truck stop.

Tyler has been temporarily suspended from traveling but we’re sure he’ll be on the road again soon. And people, please, please microchip your felines and make sure your registration information is up to date!

Instagram Truck Traveling Felines

Maverick and Peanut travel America in a semi-truck, and when not traveling they’re visiting family or just relaxing at home with their furry siblings. They have an Instagram account and this video on YouTube.

Lonely Truck Driver Adopts Abandoned Cat And Now He’s His Official Co Pilot

Paul Robertson works as a truck driver. For many years he was accompanied on his trips by his cat Howie. When Howie crossed The Rainbow Bridge, Paul missed his friend on long trips. Paul went to a shelter and adopted another cat to be his road trip buddy. It looks like Paul’s new co-pilot is taking to life on the road.

Truckers and their co-driving cats Facebook group

This might be one of the groups that Tucker’s human posted information when he disappeared from the truck stop. This is a public Facebook group that offers great photos of truck traveling felines.

Trucking with a Cat – What You Should Know

If these stories have made you wonder if your feline would make a good companion on road trips, here is an article from ezfreight factoring with some tips. Happy traveling!

Life on the road gets lonely, that’s a proven fact. If you’re a trucker looking to potentially bring a furry friend along on your drives, consider getting a cat! Trucking with cats can be simple and rewarding if it’s done right, but if you are planning on bringing your kitty along, it would be a very wise choice to invest in some cat insurance in case anything unsuspected happens to your travelling companion while out on the road.

Benefits of Trucking with a Cat

• Cats are low maintenance. They eat once or twice a day, are comfortable in contained spaces and don’t require being let out every few hours like a dog.
• They offer companionship. Once a cat warms up to you, they’re extremely loving. They crave human attention and enjoy nesting themselves close to you, wherever you are. Bringing a feline friend on the road is a great way to prevent being homesick.
• They’re obedient. Cats can be trained to walk on a leash, sit on your shoulder or perform tricks if you have treats and patience.
• They’re protective. If something sounds weird or looks off, your cat will let you know. They might not be as intimidating as a dog, but they will still alert you to dangers.

How to take your cat trucking

Before you just stick your cat in your truck and take off, you need to do some preparation.

Cat-Proof Your Truck

You’re going to need to make some slight additions to your truck if you’re planning to bring your cat along.

First things first, make sure you have bowls for food and water. Some drivers like to attach Velcro to the bottoms of the bowls so they’ll stay in a certain place then the truck is moving. Try and purchase bowls that are deep so water doesn’t splash out while you’re on the road.

If you want to take your cat trucking, you’re going to need to get a litter box. Contrary to popular belief, litter boxes don’t always smell. If they’re tended to correctly, your truck nor your clothes will smell like cat excrement. Use scoopable litter, clean it once a day and deep clean it once a month. For added smell protection, sprinkle in a box of baking soda.

Trucking with cats is no different than living with cats. That being said, make sure there are a few comfy spots in the truck where your feline friend can hang out while you’re driving. Put a blanket in the sunshine, have a few toys lying about and bring some treats along. Making your truck feel like home is a big step toward getting your cat to consider it one.

If your cat has claws, consider purchasing a scratch pad. They’re relatively inexpensive and will go a long way in keeping your trucker cat happy and your semi rip-free.

Train Your Cat

Most felines aren’t going to hop into a semi and happily drive off with you on the first try. It takes a little bit of work to get your cat assimilated to the movement of the truck and life on the road.

Start putting your pet cat in your truck while it’s off. Place their favorite toys and blankets inside the cab and let them play and explore. Reward them with treats if they’re being good.

Once you’ve done that a few times and your cat appears more comfortable, turn your truck on. The noise itself might be startling at first but reward them with treats and affection until they become used to the noise. This is a good time to also place a litter box in the truck. Place your cat inside and give them treats, so they know it’s an OK place for them to go.

The next step is taking your truck out for a short and slow drive. This is your feline’s first attempt at being a trucking cat! It takes some animals longer than others to adjust to the movement and feel of the semi, so be patient. Your cat should eventually warm up to being in the space and associate being in the cab with hanging out with you and getting treats.

Hit The Road!

If your truck and cat are both ready, it’s time to hit the road! Make sure to have your trucker cat’s papers with you, you never know when you might have to stop at the vet. Also bring extra cleaning supplies! Your cat sheds, the litter box granules escape, etc. You’ll thank yourself later.

If you need money to fuel up while traveling with your feline from point A to point B, consider truck factoring. Truck factoring lets you sell your active invoices for a cash advance, allowing you to transport your goods where they need to go without pulling money out of your own pocket. Have questions? Give us a call. Our factoring experts are ready to answer any question you might have.

Welcome 2024!

Hello Furiends,
I hope you had a purrfectly wonderful New Year’s celebration. The holidays at our house have been a bit whacky. The Human’s family arrived in full force. They celebrated Christmas and New Year’s together and will soon be celebrating a wedding. Good grief, The Human lives a fairly sedate social life and suddenly she’s turned into a social butterfly!

While she was galivanting around Lily, Oliver and I held a Feline Opines staff meeting and decided that we needed to get our points of view out in this blog so we have created some spots for all three of us to share our views of the world with all of you, Here is our first stab at this new endeavor, we hope you like it. (We are not abandoning our #WalkThroughTheWebWednesday feature)

Well furiends, we made it through this holiday season-barely. While The Human was dancing around to family social engagements we were left to fend for ourselves. Because of this dereliction of duty, we made sure to demand extra treats on a regular basis (evidently this technique had consequences as my collar is now a little tighter.)

In The Human’s defense, she did order us some nice things from Chewy and there were lots of skritches when she finally got home from her soirees. Still, when she was here, she was completely absorbed in finishing her book. She was maniacal in her maniacal quest to get the job done and despite our skepticism she actually did it!

When we innocently requested a kitty tale for the new year, she decided to tell us a Christmas story about Jólakötturinn, (Yule Cat) an Icelandic Christmas story. If my brief recap gives you the desire to learn more you can go to the Icelandic Folklore website, a research project managed by the University of Iceland. Oh my whiskers was that request a mistake!!

Jóhannes úr Kötlum, an Icelandic poet, wrote about the Yule Cat in his book, Jólin koma (Christmas is Coming), published in 1932.

The poem tells the tale of a huge cat with eyes that glow. This frightening feline roams the country, looking for children that are not wearing the new clothes they got for Christmas. Good grief, this is a bit of an overreaction, don’t you think? I guess if I were a little human in Iceland I’d be sure to wear every piece of clothing I received for Christmas!

As for this feline, I strongly object to a story that makes us the bad guy and scary to kids. Everyone knows kitties are furiends to all children…as long as they don’t pull our tails or treat us cruelly.

This story, along with all the fireworks going off outside at midnight, gave Oliver quite a fright. Lily just stayed buried under the covers until it was all over.

The Human has advised us that we’re in for quite a bit of snow in the next few days. We felines will sit by the fire and enjoy the view from the dining room window.

We all wish you a 2024 full of blessings and treats!

Purrs and Head Bonks,
Alberto, Oliver, Lily and The Human