Diamond's Lair

Worst day of my life EVER!

2011-03-06T02:43:00.000-05:00

(Until next month...)

First the human jumps me and puts nasty flea stuff in my furs. I have fleas and am miserable enough, do not want fleas stuff in my furs on top of it.

THEN...I sitting quietly minding my own business and she jumps me again and puts new flea collar on me!

Well...I never! So I escaped to the outside where she will not find me.

From now on, I wait out flea and tick season on top of fridge, where she cannot get to me!

Thoughtless Thursday

2011-01-20T04:15:00.003-05:00

"Look here," she says, "and give me nice pose and I will turn you into little Cupie Cat for Valentine's Day. With little wings and all."

Well, maybe I do not wish to be made into little Cupie Cat for Valentine's Day with little wings and all. She ever think of that? I mean, srsly, what I gonna do with bow?

Woofie Wednesday

2011-01-12T06:18:00.001-05:00

My bean find this link on Facebook. These best kind of woofies....they don't woof!

Easy Like Sunday

2011-01-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

This is the way a cute cat sleeps!

Happy New Year from Miss Diamond

2011-01-01T13:07:00.001-05:00

Wishing all my Cat BlogoShpere friends, and Effury Body, a Fury Happy New Year!

Diamond's 12 days of Kissy-Mouse

2010-12-13T21:58:00.001-05:00

So, I have been singing that song about birdies and Kissy-Mouse, since you know, Kissy-mouse is on the way.

On the first day of Kissy-Mouse my human give to me, a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

On the second day of Kissy-Mouse, my human give to me, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

On the third day of Kissy-Mouse, my human give to me, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

On the fourth day of Kissy-Mouse, my human give to me, four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

On the fifth day of Kissy-Mouse, my human give to me, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

"That's not how it goes," she says.

"Yes it is," I meow. "I meow this song every year. All bout birdies. I know how it go."

On the sixth day of Kissy-Mouse my human give to me, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

"It's five golden rings," she says. "In the catholic religion, they represented the five Old Testament books, known as the Law of Moses."

"I pagan," I remind her. "Catholics kill cats."

On the seventh day of Kissy-Mouse, my human give to me seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

On the eigth day of Kissy-Mouse, my human give to me, eight maids with milk for me, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

"That's Eight Maids a Milking."

"That what I sing, now be quiet. Get me my gifts."

On the Ninth day of Kissy-Mouse my human give to me, nine lady birds, eight maids with milk for me, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

"Nine Ladies DANCING, fool cat. This dance represents the nine fruits of the spirit: love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

"Lady birds can dance if they want. I still gonna eat them. Now where was I? Oh yes..."

On the tenth day of Kissy-Mouse my human give to me, ten loons a looning, nine lady birds, eight maids with milk for me, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

"That's ten lords a..."

On the eleventh day of Kissy-Mouse my human give to me, eleven sand pipers sand piping, ten loons a looning, nine lady birds, eight maids with milk for me, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

On the twelfth day of Kissy-Mouse my human give to me, twelve woodpeckers pecking, eleven sand pipers sand piping, ten loons a looning, nine lady birds, eight maids with milk for me, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five ringneck ducks. Four calling birdies, three frenchie hens, two turtled doves, and a partridge and a pear tree (for me to climb).

She throw up hands in disgust.

"There, I all done now. I hungry. Give me treats!"

Cold Night

2010-12-02T05:22:00.002-05:00

So...my bean take me into bedroom to sleep with her because it fury cold out. Tabby bro-fur sleep in laundry basket. I sleep in bed. Or I try to. But first we get all settled in, I think, and I sleep on my bean to stay warm, but she wiggles around, like a fish, all night. How do beans sleep like that? I always sleep, one place, not wiggles all over.

Most annoying.

Fank you all for my purrthday wishes.

Cat's use antigravity to help us drink!

2010-11-12T01:18:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US researchers on Thursday unveiled the secret of how cats lap water or milk with such elegance, a phenomenon that happens so fast it cannot be followed by human eyes.

Cats are among the many species that, unlike humans, cannot close their mouths and create suction.

With help from from high-speed video taken of a felines lapping liquid, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University found that household cats and larger felines like tigers balance gravity and inertia as they imbibe liquids.

The research will appear in the November 12 issue of the journal Science.

Scientists already knew that when cats insert their tongue into a bowl of liquid, the top surface of the tongue touches the liquid first, then the tip curves like a letter J to form a sort of ladle.

This was first observed by an MIT engineer, who filmed a cat lapping liquid in 1940.

However by studying the images researchers have now determined that there is no ladling effect, but instead the cat's tongue darts in and out so quickly that the action forms a column of liquid.

"Cats, unlike dogs, aren't dipping their tongues into the liquid like ladles after all," read a statement from the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Instead, the smooth tip of cat's tongue "barely brushes the surface of the liquid before the cat rapidly draws its tongue back up.

"As it does so, a column of milk forms between the moving tongue and the liquid's surface. The cat then closes its mouth, pinching off the top of the column for a nice drink, while keeping its chin dry."

The liquid column "is created by a delicate balance between gravity, which pulls the liquid back to the bowl, and inertia, which in physics, refers to the tendency of the liquid or any matter, to continue moving in a direction unless another force interferes."

The cat "instinctively knows just how quickly to lap in order to balance these two forces, and just when to close its mouth. If it waits another fraction of a second, the force of gravity will overtake inertia, causing the column to break, the liquid to fall back into the bowl, and the cat's tongue to come up empty."

Cats average about four laps per second, with each lap bringing in about 0.1 milliliters of liquid, the researchers said, adding that larger felines lap at a slower pace.

Model feline Lorenzo on the, er, cat walk

2010-08-27T06:58:00.000-04:00

From our furrriends at Associated Purrresss:

Cats are known for good grooming, but few have a sense of style. Now consider Lorenzo the cat, a notable and hilarious exception. The 2-year-old feline was recently profiled in an AP article because of his love of posing for the camera while wearing outfits.

The cat has scored thousands of fans, including Yoko Ono and Alanis Morissette, on Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. His Web searches on Yahoo! are also clawing their way upward. Over the past 24 hours, online lookups for "lorenzo the cat who wears clothes" shot up 75%.

Click to see a slideshow of Lorenzo the cat's hot looks

Joann Biondi via AP

While Lorenzo has exhibited a willingness to model everything from cabana wear to classic denim, he does have a few rules that must be followed if Joann Biondi, his photographer (and owner), wants his cooperation in front of the camera. First, no pants. Second, no caps. And third, much like David Hasselhoff, Lorenzo's top button must remain open. Hey, the fur's gotta breathe, baby!

Visit Lorenzo Online

Fashion Friday

2010-08-20T04:05:00.000-04:00

For decades, New York's Algonquin Hotel has carried on a tradition of having a resident cat that roams freely around the premises. The current mascot is Matilda, and on August 11, 2010, the hotel celebrated her birthday by throwing a charity fashion show...starring other cats. Here, see some of the hilarious looks -- and the even funnier faces -- worn by the feline guests.

Click here to see slide show!.

What I want to know...how come Daisy not invited?

Jarhead Freed!

2010-08-15T02:44:00.001-04:00

Oh! Good news from associated purrrresss!

OCALA, Fla. – A black bear cub in Florida affectionately known as "jarhead" can finally enjoy a good meal.

A clear plastic container was removed from the 6-month-old cub's head after being stuck for at least 10 days. The cub poked its head into the jar when digging through trash in a neighborhood in central Florida.

Biologists say the cub was days away from death because the jar made it impossible to eat or drink. The team had to tranquilize the mother bear and then grab the cub to remove the jar from the bear's head.

The subdued mother was then put in a trap and the cubs followed. After she awoke and nursed the cubs, the bears were moved to a less populated area nearby.

Bet he happy to have jug taken off head!

NY police find live cat 'marinating' in car trunk

2010-08-11T14:35:00.000-04:00

More disturbing news from the Associated Press:

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Police say a traffic stop led to animal cruelty charges after they found a live cat "marinating" in oil and peppers in the trunk of a car.

Buffalo police say officers heard the cat meowing when they stopped 51-year-old Gary Korkuc of Cheektowaga to ticket him for running a stop sign Sunday night.

They say they checked the trunk and found 4-year-old Navarro in a cage, his fur covered with oil, crushed red peppers and chili peppers.

Police say Korkuc told them he did it because Navarro was ill-tempered. Korkuc was charged with cruelty and released; his phone number isn't listed.

Police say he told them he was going to cook Navarro. Korkuc also told officers a number of things that didn't make sense, including that his neutered male cat was pregnant.

Animal advocates have cleaned Navarro and put him up for adoption.

What I find particularly distrubing is that this human is obviously demented, yet they let him go? Obviously he need lots of mental treatment.

Hopefully Navarro will find a good home. He look like a handsome fellow.

Sensational!

2010-08-07T16:31:00.000-04:00

My Grandbean send me new treats. They are Friskies Natural Sensations with added vitamins & minerals. I get Real Tuna with accents of sunflower and cranberries and Real Salmon with accents of Sunflower and Garden veggies.

They are delish!

Want to know more? Go to www.friskies.com/Cat-Treats.

(Note: I am very sorry but I have to activate Verification Code on my comment box. I get lots of spammers sending me junk. Hopefully this will stop the spammers.)

A furry important lesson!

2010-08-06T00:10:00.000-04:00

I do not like to wear my flea collar because it spoils my natural beauty. But then I get bit by fleas and get allergies and am miserable. See....

So a furry important lesson!

Always wear flea collar. And try not to pout too much when beans put frontline stuffs in fur.

Seven Dogs die after American Airlines flight

2010-08-04T19:05:00.001-04:00

This very sad. From CNN News:

Authorities were investigating the deaths of seven dogs after an American Airlines flight to Chicago.

Flight 851 was an hour late taking off from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tuesday morning, according to Mary Frances Fagan, director of corporate communications for American Airlines. The flight arrived at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport at 8:54 a.m. with 14 dog kennels on board.

All the dogs on Flight 851 were "bound for other locations," Fagan said. When ramp workers began the process of moving the dogs to the other flights, they noticed the animals looked "lethargic." They tried to cool them down. The animals were taken from the airport to a veterinarian, Fagan said. Seven dogs later died.

The incident was under investigation. The dogs are being necropsied. The airline said it has drawn no conclusions on what happened.

"We normally transport 100,000 or more every year. We certainly do value pets that our customers have as well as our own," Fagan said.

The American Airlines website details rules for accepting dogs and cats on aircraft. Among them: "Temperature restrictions have been established to ensure animals are not exposed to extreme heat or cold in the animal holding areas, terminal facilities, when moving the animals between terminal and aircraft or on an aircraft awaiting departure."

The airline's website says pets cannot be accepted when the current or forecasted temperature is warmer than 85 degrees at any location on the itinerary.

The Dallas Morning News reported the temperature at Tulsa International Airport was already 86 degrees at 7 a.m. before the plane's departure, and 87 degrees at 8 a.m.

I sometimes like to hide in car when bean is taking out groceries. She very careful, when I am around, that I not get shut in car, because it get very hot, very fast and I would die. I think this happen with these dogs while they sit on runway.

Now beans lose their beloved pets. Very sad.

Foolish Friday

2010-05-28T09:54:00.002-04:00

This ratty try to come into my house:

Very Tasty!

Doctor casts new light on Oscar the Death Cat

2010-02-03T08:33:00.000-05:00

By Belinda Goldsmith

SYDNEY (Reuters) – When doctors and staff realized that a cat living in a U.S. nursing home could sense when someone was going to die, the feline, Oscar, was portrayed as a furry grim reaper or four-legged angel of death.

But Dr. David Dosa, who broke the news of Oscar's abilities in a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007, said he never intended to make Oscar sound creepy or his arrival at a bedside to be viewed negatively.

Dosa said he hopes his newly released book, "Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat" will put the cat in a more favorable light as well as providing a book to help people whose loved ones are terminally ill.

"After the New England Journal article you got the feeling that if Oscar is in your bed then you are dead, but you did not really see what is going on for these family members," said Dosa, an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

"I wanted to write a book that would go beyond Oscar's peculiarities, to tell why he is important to family members and caregivers who have been with him at the end of a life."

Dosa said Oscar's story is fascinating on many levels.

Oscar was adopted as a kitten from an animal shelter to be raised as a therapy cat at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, which cares for people with severe dementia and in the final stages of various illnesses.

SIXTH SENSE?

When Oscar was about six months old the staff noticed that he would curl up to sleep with patients who were about to die.

So far he has accurately predicted about 50 deaths.

Dosa recounts one instance when staff were convinced of the imminent death of one patient but Oscar refused to sit with that person, choosing instead to be on the bed of another patient down the hallway. Oscar proved to be right. The person he sat with died first, taking staff on the ward by surprise.

Dosa said there is no scientific evidence to explain Oscar's abilities, but he thinks the cat might be responding to a pheromone or smell that humans simply don't recognize.

Dosa said his main interest was not to delve further into Oscar's abilities but to use Oscar as a vehicle to tell about terminal illness, which is his main area of work.

"There is a lot to tell about what Oscar does, but there is a lot to tell on the human level of what family members go through at the end of life when they are dealing with a loved one in a nursing home or with advanced dementia," he said.

"Perhaps the book is a little more approachable because there is a cat in it. We really know so little about nursing homes, and this tries to get rid of this myth that they are horrid factories where people go to die."

Dosa said the story of Oscar, who is now nearly five years old, initially had sparked a bit more interest in families wanting to send their loved ones to Steere House.

Oscar has even been thanked by families in obituaries for providing some comfort in the final hours of life.

But he said Oscar remains unchanged by the attention, spending most of his days staring out of a window, although he has become a bit friendlier.

"The first time I met Oscar he bit me. We have warmed over the years. We have moved into a better place," said Dosa.

"I don't think Oscar is that unique, but he is in a unique environment. Animals are remarkable in their ability to see things we don't, be it the dog that sniffs out cancer or the fish that predicts earthquakes. Animals know when they are needed."

Brave cat fights off Bear!

2010-01-29T10:59:00.002-05:00

Have you seen this video! My goodness! I have fought off woofies and rats, but never a BEAR!

Go and watch it. It very exciting! What is one brave cat!

In the war of dogs vs. cats, clear winner: dogs

2010-01-07T08:01:00.002-05:00

By SUE MANNING
Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Cats. Dogs. Those can be fighting words in some circles.

Cats are "nasty, stinking creatures," says Mark David of Warrensburg, Mo. And dogs? They're noisy, disruptive and "lick you and themselves," counters Sanford Reikes of Louisville, Ky.

Clearly, there are dog people and there are cat people. But it's not much of a contest: 74 percent of people like dogs a lot, and only 41 percent like cats a lot.

Cats win the dislike vote handily, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll. Fifteen percent of the adults questioned said they disliked cats a lot while the number who said they disliked dogs a lot was just 2 percent.

Joseph Moreus, 61, of Westminster, Calif., understands why dogs come out on top.

"They have more personality. They are loyal," he said. "Cats are all about cats but dogs are interested in pleasing their owners. Cats don't care if they please you or not."

And cats can be destructive, said Joy Rasch, 70, of Kennewick, Wash., who gets mad at the neighborhood cats who kill robins, quail and squirrels in her back yard. Male cats will spray their territory or get in the wood pile at 3 a.m. and "screech like bad brakes on a car," she added.

Of course, cat lovers, if smaller in numbers, are equal in passion.

"Cats are 1,000 times smarter than dogs," said Bonnie Hanson, 77, of Sioux Falls, S.D. She and her late husband had a black Siamese cat, Kitty, that she said "always wanted to comfort people, anybody who was ill or unhappy."

"My husband would have chest pains and wouldn't tell me. But Kitty would come and look at me and I'd know. We called him our psychic Siamese," she said. "Every cat I ever had was a help and a comfort."

About 59 percent of American households own pets, according to the poll. About 74 percent of pet owners polled said they had dogs, and 47 percent said they had cats.

Those most likely to dislike cats were blacks, Hispanics and married men. Men were a bit more likely than women to say they disliked cats.

Dog people are more adamant about their preference than cat people, the poll found. Of those who owned only a dog, 34 percent said they disliked cats; of those who owned only a cat, only 5 percent disliked dogs.

David, 28, who runs a landscaping company in Warrensburg, dislikes cats but he says he owes his life to a dog. Two years ago, his 5-year-old black lab Zena was with him when a tractor rolled onto his leg, leaving him pinned and bleeding. Zena went to get his wife.

"She wasn't a Lassie by any means, but she was smart enough to go for help," David said.

Still, all this sniping doesn't mean there is no harmony in the country. Sixty percent of all adults said they liked both dogs AND cats.

Cats are independent so give you a little more freedom but dogs are better companions, said Janet Hardy, 69, of Abingdon, Md., who grew up with both.

David Kyser, 73, has also had both — and can tick off their relative merits.

"Cats take care of themselves. They are very clean. Dogs are not so clean and they need some activity. They are good if you have a house full of children," said Kyser, of Austin, Texas. "Cats just kind of sit around being cats."

And some, of course, don't want either species for a friend.

"I have a fear of dogs and I don't like cats," said Willie Thigpen, 60, of Greenwood, S.C. He and his wife raised three children, but they never had a pet.

"And now I don't want to take care of nothing except me," he said.

The AP-Petside.com poll was conducted Oct. 1-5, 2009, by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. It involved telephone interviews on landline and cell phones with 1,967 adults nationwide, including 1,166 pet owners and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points for all adults. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples.

My human is more partial to cats. She say woofies okay, but give her cat any day of the week! Of course, it probably much more comfortable, have me sleep on top of her at night, than have German Shepard sleep on top of her at night!

Pop culture main reason Calif has Chihuahua crisis

2009-12-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

I have write about this before, but from the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES – California has more Chihuahuas than it can handle, and it has Hollywood to blame.

There are so many Chihuahuas at shelters in Oakland, they have started shipping the dogs out of state, said Megan Webb, director of Oakland Animal Services. They have sent about 100 to Washington, Oregon and Arizona, she said, "and as soon as they get them, they are ready for new ones."

Chihuahuas make up 30 percent or more of the dog populations at many California shelters. And experts say pop culture is to blame, with fans immitating Chihuahua-toting celebrities like Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus, then abandoning the dogs.

The problem appears to be specific to California — shelters elsewhere would love to share the wealth, said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president overseeing the ASPCA adoption center in New York City.

"We never have enough supply for the huge consumer demand for small dogs," she said.

One of Webb's biggest problems is a lack of money to fly the dogs to other states. Buchwald said she would be happy to help.

"Nothing is outside the realm of possibility here. We have a supply-demand isssue," she said.

Chihuahuas are the most popular breed of dog in Los Angeles, so it makes sense it is the most abandoned breed, said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. In Oakland, some days, they get 10 of the 5-pound dogs a day, Webb said.

The problem is so bad that shelters all over California that were built for big dogs had to remodel to accommodate the little guys.

Among the reasons for the glut is the breed's popularity in movies like "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and as celebrity pets, said Dave Frangipane, senior coordinator for Chihuahua Rescue of Beverly Hills. A cute puppy can grow up to have adult health problems or become protective and aggressive.

There are less glamorous reasons, too, like the high vet bills Chihuahuas can bring. And the biggest spikes in California Chihuahua populations are probably due to puppy mills and backyard breeders, Buchwald and Frangipane said.

Chihuahas are cute, but vulnerable, Frangipane said. "People think nothing of kicking a small, yappy dog. And they can be abused by people of all sizes. A toddler can snap a Chihuahua's leg in a second," he said.

On a side note, my bean is going to see the doktor to day to see if and when they can fix her leg. She has been very sick and have something wrong with one of her leg, she has hard time walking. Please purr for her to get better soon.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

8 Wonderful Holly Day Cat-ditions

2009-12-08T09:19:00.001-05:00

Do you have favorite holly day traditions you celebrate with your humans? Many of us do. Cats are an important part of the family and many of us are included in holly day plans. In some cases, cats are an integral part of the holly day.

I'd like to share some holly day traditions with you and even learn about some of your favorite traditions so that we can share them with other cats that are developing their own traditions.

1.Hang Cat Stockings. Why not? If your human has a stocking, you should too. Many of the cats I know have stocking each year that are proudly displayed in their homes. Most pet stores sell some adorable designs.

2.Go See Santa. How about a photo of you and your human with Santa? This also makes a great holly day card. This works with cats that do well with going out.

3.Blessing of the Animals. Find out if there is a local event in your area. Check your local paper or pet store bulletin board.

4.Make Some Cat Treats. Help your humans make some cat treats! You get to snoopervise and be master sampler as well. Make extras to share with your cat friends.

5.Quiet Time. Spend a little quiet time with your human. Even an evening when you helping to decorate the tree or just listen to some holly day music is often a welcome time for you to enjoy your human's company.

6.Bandana. Some cats like to be dressed (most don't) but most will tolerate a simple holly day bandana. How about dressing up with a special holly day-themed bandana?

7.Plan Something Special. A very sweet tradition for many Cats is to do something nice for people that have been nice to you. That may be sending a special card or buy a small gift with your mouse money.

8.A Little Eggnog. Maybe while your human is enjoying some wonderful holly day eggnog, you can be treated to some cat-approved creamer. There are different manufactures of products such as "CatSip".

And don't forget to look under the tree on Christmas Day, especially if you have been a good cat as Santa Claws will leave a present for you!

Now it's time for your holly day tradition. Please leave a comment and let me know if you have any holly day traditions you like to share with your humans!

Myth Monday - The Candy Cane

2009-12-07T09:06:00.000-05:00

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A candy cane is a hard cane-shaped candy stick. It is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint or cinnamon (also known respectively as a peppermint stick or cinnamon stick); however, it is also made in a variety of other flavors and may be decorated with stripes of different colors and thicknesses. The candy cane is a traditional candy surrounding the Christmas holiday, particularly in the Western world, although it is possible to find them throughout the year.

In its early form, the candy cane began as a simple white stick of sugar for children to enjoy - there was no "cane" shape or stripes to speak of. While it is uncertain where the first canes originated, it is clear that by the mid-17th century, if not earlier, its use had already become widespread across Europe. These sticks were made by confectioners who had to pull, cut, twist, and (in later years) bend the sugar sticks by hand, making it a time-intensive process. Candy cane production had to be done locally, since they were easily damaged and vulnerable to moisture. The labor and lack of storage combined to make these candies relatively hard to get, although popular.

The cane shape

The distinctive "hook" shape associated with candy canes is traditionally credited to a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, who, legend has it, in 1670 bent straight candy sticks into canes to represent a shepherd's crook, and gave them to children at church services. The shepherd's staff is often used in Christianity as a metaphor for The Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. It is also possible that, as people decorated their Yule trees with food, the bent candy cane was invented as a functional solution.

(There is a modern allegorical tradition that reinterprets the candy cane's shape as a "J", standing for Jesus Christ. The stripes are said to represent his sacrifice, with the red being blood, and the white being purity. However, there does not seem to be any historical information to support any claim that the cane was originally made with this allegory in mind.)

Christmas usage

In Europe, candy canes were used to decorate Yule trees along with other items of food. In North America, the first documented example of the use of candy canes to celebrate Christmas occurred in 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant by the name of August Imgard hung the candy canes from the branches of a Christmas tree. Christmas cards from the following decades show Christmas trees decorated with candy canes, first white canes, then striped ones in the 20th century. This then spread to the rest of the continent, where it continues to remain a popular Christmas tradition.

Candy canes are primarily used as a decoration for Christmas trees. This is done by using the "hook" shape of the candy cane to hang them on branches of the Christmas tree. A single tree can have many candy canes.

Red stripes and peppermint flavor

The stripes are made similar in fashion to a barber's pole, with the red stripes twisting around the white stick of sugar. These signature stripes did not become part of the candy cane until the 20th century. It is uncertain who first started using the stripes, but evidence of their use only appears after the turn of the century. At around this time, candy makers began using peppermint as a flavor.[12]

Mass production

Bob's Candies was the first company to successfully mass-produce and distribute candy canes while preserving their freshness. Lt. Bob McCormack began making candy canes as special Christmas treats in the 1920s. That decade also saw the company's use of cellophane as a wrapping to keep moisture from damaging the candies, and by the 1950s, they were using a candy cane machine invented by his brother-in-law Gregory Keller to mass-produce them. These two inventions made it feasible to mass produce, ship, and distribute candy canes. The following years saw further refinements in packaging and design to protect the candies from being broken, making it more practical to store them and ship them for longer periods of time.

Candy Canes are a seasonal treat for human children. They should not be given to Cats or Dogs or other companion animals as they can splinter easily and stick in a windpipe, causing aphexiation and death. They only sort of Candy Cane you should get for the Holly Days is the ones that have cat nips in them!

Wordless Wednesday - Decorating for the Holly Daze

2009-12-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

Myth Monday - The Northern Lights

2009-11-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

Auroras, sometimes called the northern and southern (polar) lights or aurorae (singular: aurora), are natural light displays in the sky, usually observed at night, particularly in the polar regions. They typically occur in the ionosphere. They are also referred to as polar auroras. In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621.

The aurora borealis is also called the northern polar lights, as it is only visible in the sky from the Northern Hemisphere, the chance of visibility increasing with proximity to the North Magnetic Pole, which is currently in the arctic islands of northern Canada. Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from further away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis most often occurs near the equinoxes; from September to October and from March to April.

The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree people call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits." In the middle age the auroras has been called by sign of God (see Wilfried Schröder, Das Phänomen des Polarlichts, Darmstadt 1984). Auroras can be spotted throughout the world. It is most visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of darkness and the magnetic field.

Auroras are the result of the emissions of photons in the Earth's upper atmosphere, above 80 km (50 miles), from ionized nitrogen atoms regaining an electron, and oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an excited state to ground state. They are ionized or excited by the collision of solar wind particles being funneled down, and accelerated along, the Earth's magnetic field lines; excitation energy is lost by the emission of a photon of light, or by collision with another atom or molecule:

oxygen emissions
Green or brownish-red, depending on the amount of energy absorbed.

nitrogen emissions
Blue or red. Blue if the atom regains an electron after it has been ionized. Red if returning to ground state from an excited state.

Oxygen is a little unusual in terms of its return to ground state, it can take three quarters of a second to emit green light, and up to two minutes to emit red. Collisions with other atoms or molecules will absorb the excitation energy and prevent emission. The very top of the atmosphere is both a higher percentage of oxygen, and so thin that such collisions are rare enough to allow time for oxygen to emit red. Collisions become more frequent progressing down into the atmosphere, so that red emissions do not have time to happen, and eventually even green light emissions are prevented.

This is why there is a colour differential with altitude; at high altitude oxygen red dominates, then oxygen green and nitrogen blue/red, then finally nitrogen blue/red when collisions prevent oxygen from emitting anything.

Auroras are associated with the solar wind, a flow of ions continuously flowing outward from the sun. The Earth's magnetic field traps these particles, many of which travel toward the poles where they are accelerated toward earth. Collisions between these ions and atmospheric atoms and molecules causes energy releases in the form of auroras appearing in large circles around the poles. Auroras are more frequent and brighter during the intense phase of the solar cycle when coronal mass ejections increase the intensity of the solar wind.

Seen from space, these fiery curtains form a thin ring in the shape of a monks tonsure.

(I wonder why you only see them by North Pole. Now I know.)

More people list dogs and cats on Christmas lists

2009-11-24T08:08:00.000-05:00

Associated Press A Petside.com poll shows 52 percent of pet owners plan to buy their animals a holiday gift — up from 43 percent last year.

Gus and Molly, a pair of German shepherds, Rosie the bulldog and Zoe the cat will get treats and playtoys, "the good sturdy stuff," said owner Norm Authier, 50, of Long Beach.

"We have always done this. We don't have any kids so we spoil our dogs," Authier said.

The bounce in pet gifts is expected despite the fact that fully 93 percent of Americans say they'll spend less overall or about the same as last year, according to a separate Associated Press-GfK poll.

The AP-Petside.com poll found that six in 10 of those who own only dogs planned on shopping for their pet for the holidays. Forty percent of those with only cats planned to pet shop.

Sawyer, a 9-year-old Labrador-border collie mix, will get something special because he was born on Christmas Day, said owner Pat Brown, 74, of Beloit, Wis. He can also look forward to his two favorite homemade snacks—popcorn and ice cubes.

Plush holiday-themed toys are very popular with pet owners, as are candy cane-shaped rawhide chews, said Jessica Douglas, a spokeswoman for the PetSmart pet supply store chain based in Phoenix, Ariz.

Popular clothes at this time of year include a Santa suit, a Mrs. Claus dress and reindeer costumes. A lot of boots are sold to dog owners in cold weather states. Bling-wise, collars and leads are popular.

"Some ID tags are decorated with sparkly embellishments and they can be personalized so it's not just for looks," she said.

According to the poll, 62 percent of female owners said they would probably buy their pet a gift, while just 40 percent of the men said they would.

Janet Rowlands, 53, in Tulsa, Okla., is planning a Christmas celebration for 29 people and pets, including her four dogs. Jack Russell and rat terrier Boodroe, 7, is the only one who steals gifts from under the tree.

"He sees it as part of the fun," Rowlands said.

According to the poll, 59 percent of owners say pets are only a minor consideration when picking out holiday decorations, even though 14 percent reported that their pets have gotten into the decorations before.

There are no cranberries, popcorn or gingerbread men on the tree at Erica Peterson's home in Vass, N.C., because of Logan and the starfish, an ornament she and her husband got on their honeymoon.

On his first Christmas with the family, Logan, a male Labrador-chow, knocked the tree over and everything went flying so he could get to the starfish—apparently because it smelled fishy to him. All edible or scented ornaments were banned.

This year Logan will get a big butcher's bone, while Peterson's female Maltese named Bubbles, 13, will get rawhide sticks made like candy canes. Both will be wrapped and put under the tree.

Last year, Debra Jensen's Labrador named Nightmare and a German shepherd-Siberian Husky named Ticia got stockings with dog treats in them. This year, because her husband recently lost his job, there may not be a stocking, but there will still be treats—they can count on leftover ham.

"The dogs are our only children. I love my babies," said Jensen, 55, of Tulsa, Okla.

Pat McCauley figures his 4-year-old Shih Tzu named Crystal can survive the holidays without a present.

"I'm not going to buy the pet anything," said McCauley, 54, of Princeton, Ill., "I have a daughter who is 17 and she will buy the pets something but I surely wouldn't in any way, shape or form buy my pet a Christmas toy."

McCauley may sound like a Grinch, but he concedes buying pet gifts is not the most ridiculous idea he's heard.

"If I just had a pet by myself and my daughter wasn't around, I'd buy it one or two things a year, like a ball or a tug," he said.

The AP-Petside.com poll was conducted Oct. 1-5, 2009, by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. It involved telephone interviews on landline and cell phones with 1,166 pet owners nationwide, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points for all pet owners.

24 Yorkie, Maltese dogs seized from Lehigh Acres puppy mill adopted

2009-11-19T15:49:00.000-05:00

Fort Myers News Press

All 24 of the Yorkie and Maltese dogs who were seized from a Lehigh Acres puppy mill have been adopted from Lee County Domestic Animal Services.

People started lining up for hours before the shelter opened at 11:30 a.m., said animal services spokeswoman Ria Brown, and within 40 minutes they had all found homes.

Most of nearly 30 animals seized from a puppy mill in Lehigh Acres this week are available for adoption now from Lee County Domestic Animal Services.

The animals – 25 dogs and four cats – were found living in squalor in a shed at 1606 Monroe Ave., according to spokeswoman Ria Brown. The discovery was made after the division received an anonymous call on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

The property is owned by Jess and Kathleen Holden, who were not charged, according to Brown.

They agreed to surrender the animals due to their inability to provided proper care and housing as required by county and state laws. Rather than petition the courts for custody and file charges Animal Services determined that it was in the animals’ best interest to accept their surrender so they could be properly vaccinated, de-wormed and treated for any other problems immediately and placed into appropriate permanent homes without delay. LCDAS will conduct regular checks to ensure that the owners never attempt to house animals in these conditions again. Charges will be filed for any future violations.

The Holdens told authorities they have been breeding and selling dogs for 25 years and moved to Lehigh in April of 2009.

The animals were found in cages inside a 200-square-foot shed. Conditions included poor ventilation, feces and urine on the floor and in the cages, flies and maggots on some of the food and feces.

The animals included 24 Yorkies and Maltese, one German Shepherd, and four cats. They have been examined, received veterinary care and were bathed.

Animal Services’ kennels open are open from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Saturday for adoptions. The shelter is at 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers, next to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office off of Six Mile Cypress Parkway. View all animals available for adoption at www.LeeLostPets.com or call 239-533-7387 (LEE-PETS) for further information.

Cape Coral police dog retires after nearly decade of service

2009-11-19T10:24:00.000-05:00

Zuke steps down over arthritis

By DREW WINCHESTER
Cape Coral Daily Breeze

A senior member of the Cape Coral Police Department retired Wednesday, but the officer is a little different from his fellow co-workers: He stands on all fours.

German shepherd "Zuke," a trusted member of the K-9 Unit, is settling down to a normal life after nine years of service due to arthritis in his hips.

Zuke went out in grand fashion, though, getting a send off at City Hall from dignitaries including Mayor John Sullivan and Police Chief Rob Petrovich.

"This is an impressive record," Sullivan said. "He has a long history of battling crimes on many different levels."

Among Zuke's accomplishments:

- 461 narcotic searches.

- 273 narcotic arrests resulting from the searches.

- 224 tracks for criminals and missing or endangered persons.

- 67 apprehensions.

- 139 public demonstrations.

- Four stops in one month resulting in the seizure of more than 600 grams of marijuana.

- Tracked a suspect which led to the capture of a child rapist.

Born in 1999 in Czechoslovakia, Zuke's registered name is Vicko Z. Krkonossko.

Zuke has had two handlers during his time at the CCPD.

His current handler, Officer Jason Matyas, said the much loved and highly trained dog will spend retirement at his home with his 3-year-old son, Aiden.

"He gets to hang out with his new handler now," Matyas said. "He'll hang out and watch the house when I'm not there."

Feline Fun Fair draws cat lovers to the Cape

2009-11-16T08:13:00.001-05:00

By MEGHAN McCOY
Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The first Feline Fun Fair was held at Four Freedoms Park this past weekend attracting cat lovers to the information and adoption-packed afternoon.

The event was hosted by Cape Dog Bakery & Cat House owners Lou and Anita Simmons and Cape Coral Parks & Recreation.

The Simmons recently added the Cape Coral's Cat House addition to their shop, which jump started a foster program with Lee County Domestic Animal Services at the Cape Dog Bakery.

"We always have kittens for adoption with Lee County Domestic Animal Services at the bakery," Anita said.

The Feline Fun Fair was held this year to help the Platinum Coast Cat Fanciers Association get the word out about their group and ultimately let individuals know about their Breeder Assist Program, along with the annual cat show that is held in July.

The association had long hair exotic cats, which are similar to persian cats, at the fair that were up for adoption.

The Platinum Coast Cat Fanciers Association, a local club, is apart of the Cat Fanciers' Association, which began in 1906 as the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats.

The local club currently has 13 members. They meet every fourth Wednesday at Mel's Diner in Fort Myers. The club encourages anyone who loves cats to join and attend the meetings.

Deb Kuchler, cat consultant and director of the Platinum Coast Cat Fanciers Association said the club participated in the Feline Fun Fair because they wanted to get information about the Breeder Assist Program out to the public.

The Cape Dog Bakery & Cat House hosts a Breeder Assist Program once a month for the Platinum Coast Cat Fanciers Association.

The Breeder Assist Program was started to help breeders seek help in situations that may be out of their control. The program helps by providing advice, food, physical assistance and placement of cats for those in need.

She explained that they also attended the fair because they did not have enough money to put on a cat show this year in Fort Myers, which they hope to start up again in 2010.

"Even though we do pedigree cats, we have rescue cats in the show," cat fanciers association member Becky Shields.

"We are not just pure breed people. We are feline people," Shields said.

Pine Island Animal Rescue had seven kittens between the ages of eight to eleven weeks old and some adult cats for adoption during the Feline Fun Fair.

Kathryn Markham said she wanted to attend the event to find homes for all the kittens she brought.

"We are hoping all these kittens will go today, so we can take more animals in," she said, since the shelter is currently at their capacity with the number of animals they can accept.

She said the Pine Island Animal Rescue has been in existence since Hurricane Charley hit Lee County. The shelter rescues animals that have no home and takes in animals that people drop off at their facility.

Markham said they are currently in desperate need of food donations for the animals.

For more information call 239-826-8093.

CatNap Manager Daryl Davis also had a table set up full of information for the Coral CatNap Inn and Coral Veterinary Clinic, P.A. during the fair.

The Coral CatNap Inn opened their doors in 2001 to provide a cat boarding facility for those who leave town and need someone to look after their animal.

She explained that they have enough room in their Coral CatNap Inn for 24 cats at one time. The Inn is $15.50 per day.

Davis said all cats that are boarded at the facility are required to have up-to-date rabies vaccination, a FVRCP vaccination and a bordatella vaccination.

Grooming services are also available, he said.

The services they offer include a bath, nail trim by clipping, comb out, ear cleaning, blow dry, sanitary clip, neat feet, belly clip, shave down, lion cut, which leaves the head and tail hair long, and a Santa clip, which is a body thinning and shaping cut.

Lee County Domestic Animal Services volunteer Vicki Conn also had a table set up at the festival to encouraged people to donate food for their animal food pantry.

"We supply food for those who would otherwise surrender their pets," Conn said. "We try to keep pets in their homes."

She said the food pantry is in desperate need of cat food, dog food, canned foods for both cats and dogs and cat litter.

"The basics is what we really need," she explained.

Cape Coral resident Barbara Hagan said she heard about the first Feline Fun Fair by reading the list of events in the newspaper. She said the festival sparked her attention because she is a cat lover.

Hagan said she currently owns one cat who is 14 years old.

"Cats are wonderful and when you get older they are the least demanding," she said.

Hagan strolled from one table to the next, checking out all the cats and gathering information that sparked her interest during the festival.

"For the first year, it is very nice," she said.

Hagan said she would "absolutely come next year" if the festival is held again.

"It got me out to discover something new," she explained. Hagan said she had recently moved from Fort Myers to Cape Coral.

Sticky the cat found wrapped in duct tape

2009-11-12T09:25:00.000-05:00

Humans are very twisted. However, I can assure you this twisted story have a happy ending ...

A cat that was wrapped in duct tape and then dumped in a north Philadelphia woman's yard was later discovered covered so tightly from paw to tail in industrial-strength duct tape that she could not even walk.

Law enforcement officers brought the cat to the local Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) shelter, where it took an hour to sedate the cat and then cut the tape off of her fur. They were able to successfully remove the duct tape and the cat, nicknamed "Sticky," is now doing well.

"She's doing great. She is really happy and playful, which leads us to believe she came from a household. 'Sticky' didn't even lose much fur when vets removed the duct tape," said Liz Williamson of the PSPCA.

"Sticky" is not available for adoption yet because the PSPCA is giving the owners some time to step forward and claim her.

The PSPCA wants to get to the bottom of this and find out who would do such a sick thing to an innocent animal - and I'm sure all pet lovers feel that way, too. They are offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to a conviction of the person or persons responsible. No arrests have been made and so far authorities don't have any useful leads. If you have any information about who may have done this, please call the animal cruelty hotline at 866.601.7722.

Hopefully, those responsible for harming this loving animal will be punished for their cruel actions.

If you want to see " Sticky the Cat," check out the video below. It shows how she looked when she was found and how great she looks now. Bravo to the woman who found her and to the rescuers who saved her!

Believe me when I say, I do not know why anyone do such a thing to nice tabby cat like this. It is very sad. Who every do this should be wrapped in duct tape, neck to toe and thrown in holding cell for 48-hours, no food or water. See how they like it. Then we take half their skins off when we remove tape. Serve them right. Also need to be neutered so they do not breed more stupid humans.

Pet abuse is way too common. Do you know what to do if you suspect animal abuse?

Hero cat help save abused child

2009-10-21T09:21:00.000-04:00

As you know, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Again, I change the color of my blog to purple in support of this cause, which very special to me.

Today I want to tell you story 'bout a special cat named Oreo. Oreo belong to 9-year-old Beth* who was being sexually abused by her stepfather. No one knew...except Beth and her cat.

Oreo would bravely lie outside ehr door and night and hiss whenever her attacker appeared. In tryng to protect her, the loyal black and white cat also become victim of violence as he brutally kicked out of the way.

Beth finally have her day in court, but there problem. Oreo could not testify for his owner. Or could he?

Prosecuting attorney Allie Phillips have an idea. She take Oreo to be examined by a veternarian. The results were chilling. Sure enough, poor Oreo had sustained injuries constistant with being physically abused.

When the prosecutor submitted the veterinarian’s report to the jury as evidence showing a pattern of violence in the home, Beth’s allegations gained credibility. In a way, Oreo was able to testify, convincing the jury that the traumatized little girl had been telling the truth.

Beth’s stepfather was convicted and received a long prison sentence. Meanwhile, Beth and Oreo were finally able to experience what every child and animal deserves: a safe home.

There is a often a link between violence to humans in homes and violence to their animals as well. American Humane Society have a new program called "The Link" which help to give animals like Oreo a voice in unmasking and preventing abuse. You can read more bout this program HERE.

It is good that Beth's story have a happy ending. I would be much better if other stories reach a happy ending too.

Help break the silence. You can find out more bout Domestic Violence at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and find out what you can do to help!

(*This is a true story. However, the child’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.)

Travelin' Tales Tuesday

2009-10-20T10:56:00.002-04:00

As you probably realize by now, the little humans have returned to this place they call "school". Mz. Ginger is an inner-city Kindergarden teacher in Broward County and every year, she tries to get 100 post cards to share with her class by the 100th day of school.

This year I thought we get a bit of an early start on the project. So if you could please send a post card to Mz. Ginger from where ever you are, that would be so pawsome of you! The kids really love seeing places they've never been, and may never get a chance to go to.

Here is the address to send the postcards to:

Ms. Brown's Class
Greynolds Park Elementary
1536 N.E. 179th Street
North Miami Beach, FL 33162

Of course, getting more than 100 postcards would be pawsome too!

We cats made the difference last year, and we can do it again this year! So please help and send your postcards!

Special Halloween Treat!

2009-10-19T09:48:00.001-04:00

Halloween candy is absolutely forbidden for cats – lollipop sticks can get stuck in a throat and candy wrappers can cause an obstruction. But the feline in your life likes a treat, too, so here is a recipe that is healthy for your feline companion – and tasty, too.

TASTY CAT CLAWS
Makes 18 treats

1/4 cup warm water
5 tablespoons parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons soft margarine
1 tablespoon cod liver oil
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup soy flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine water, cheese, margarine and oil.

Add flour and form a dough.

Roll to 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter.

Bake at 300 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden.

This recipes is for a special-occasion treat for your cat. it should not replace meals and should be offered sparingly.

If your cat has food allergies or special dietary requirements, check with your veterinarian before offering them.

If your cat is on a special diet, you may consult with your veterinarian and obtain a canned version of that diet. Often the canned formula can be rolled out, cut into shapes and baked. Most treats bake at 350 degrees F for 12 – 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.

(Special thanks to PetPlace.com for this great recipe!)

TV on Thursday

2009-10-08T09:35:00.001-04:00

Very cute video of Stanley and his woofie friend.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T09:32:00.001-04:00

Schizophrenia: I has it!

I not speaking to myself!

Weekend Cat Blogging # 226

2009-10-04T18:02:00.002-04:00

As you know, it is coming up on that time of year again - the holiday known as Howl-N-Scream where the humans get dressed up and go house to house looking for candy. I would not mind the dress up part if they would give me Temptations when I go house to house, but I do not like these Snickers bars everyone seem to hand out.

I was thinking though, what should I dress up as this year if I decide to go looking for treats.

BuyCostumes.com reported in a recent article that the most popular costume search right now is for Michael Jackson.

Searches for the costume, which generally includes tight black pants, a leather jacket and, of course, a glittering glove, have gone up more than a 1000%, according to to the company.

Other popular dead celebrity costumes include Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and infomercial pitchman Billy Mays.

Heath Ledger-inspired Joker costumes, as well as the Dark Knight, may also reappear this year.

Meanwhile, diehard Twilight and True Blood fans have breathed new life into classic vampire attire, and reality celebs John and Kate Gosselin will likely be well represented on the trick or treat circuit.

Purrsonally, I go for more traditional costumes such as a witch or a vampire. Tabby brofur like the witches, he is afraid of vampires. So maybe I will go as vampire - but not a sparkly twilight one - because I do not like those books.

Although a Dark Knight costume maybe not be bad and would go well with my black furs. What you think?

One cat who do not lack for costumes is Daisy. She has many. Sometimes she even let them speak for her!

Anyway, I know I get late start for Weekend Cat Blogging, but at 2:00 pm on Sunday, I only have two submissions. So this going to be very short round up!

One hopes my fellow house panther, Luna, at Cat Synth is having better turn out, even though she is having computer problems. Happily, teknikal support send over nice bi-color cat to fix. So Luna can take all important cat nap!

Cat of Nine Tales did not submit this post, but it is the story of Snafu and it is a good one. If you have not read, you should certainly do so.

I am having snafu at my house too, as I need to have good brushing but we cannot find my furminator. Tabby brofur not like the furmintor...I think he hide it! My bean have combed me, but it not the same as a good furminating!

Another thing I like is a good roll in the dirt. So does Meowza. Of course, once you do that, you have to give yourself a good grooming.

Vincent is doing some rolling around over at Judi Mind Over Matter

Patchouli, the daredevil kitty is up high over at Sidewalk Shoes!

The Island Cats are not so enterprising, as they take it Easy on Sunday.

Oh No! Most terrible news! Sam Black and Mr. Tigger have run away from home. Please send lots of purrs and purrayers that they will find there way back soon! I do hope they not trying to come and visit me! That is long trip from Texas!

That pretty much do it for Weekend Cat Blogging #226. We not get lot of submissions, very sad. If you need more cats, Luna has the big Ferris Wheel turning for Carnival of the Cats, while Sam Black and Mr. Tigger are hosting Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos - and boy are they ever bad kitty cats today!

Also I wish to remind you that earlier this week, I report on the HAPPY Bill. This very impurrtant bill in the House would allow pet caregivers to take a credit on their tackes, much like the child care credit. We wish to urge all humans to write to their representative in support of this very impurrtant bill!

Weekend Cat Blogging!

2009-10-03T12:53:00.001-04:00

I am so sorry I am late getting this up. I have been busy digging in these boxes here, trying to decide what I want to be for Howl-N-Scream. Perhaps you can help me decide. What are you going to be this year for Howl-N-Scream?

Please a comment and let me know. And happy Weekend Cat Bloggging!

HAPPY Bill would allow Pet Care Deduction!

2009-09-30T08:54:00.001-04:00

From the Naples Daily News:

Pets could soon pay for themselves if a bill that allows owners to deduct the cost of caring for their animal’s passes.

If approved, the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction of up to $3,500 per year for pet care expenses, including veterinary care, according the House Resolution 3501.

“I think it’s great,” said Stacey Huber a veterinarian at Animal Oasis Veterinary Hospital.

Huber, who learned about the bill through a reporter, said veterinary care has gotten expensive for people and, many times, pet insurance doesn’t cover some of the expenses.

If approved, Huber said this tax deduction could help pet owners who have pets that have illnesses and diseases and need long-term treatment.

The tax deduction could be nearly as much as a deduction for a child.

Last year, a taxpayer could claim a qualified child, who is 19 or under 24 and a full-time student, as a dependant for $3,500. In 2009, the deduction will climb to $3,650, according to IRS spokesman Mike Dobzinski of Plantation.

“I don’t think most Americans spend as much on pet care as on child care,” Huber said.

As people are trimming their expenses now, Huber said the bill could allow people to do preventative care for their pets more often, such as dental cleaning or blood work.

A typical flea prevention and heartworm medication supply for a year costs about $200.

Pet owners would be allowed to deduct all their pet care expenses for all of their qualified pets, according to the bill. Qualified pets would have to be legally owned, domesticated and alive, according to the bill. Exceptions include any animal used for research or owned or used in conjunction with a trade or business, according to the bill.

U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich, introduced the bill on July 31. It was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

McCotter could not be reached for comment. Neither could Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers or Rep Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami.

Pet owners know how expensive medical care can be.

Naples resident Nancy White supports the bill because it could possibly offset costs for her domestic American shorthaired 16-year-old cat named Happy.

“I think it’s a good idea, as long as people don’t abuse it,” White, 63 said.

On average, if Happy doesn’t get sick, White spends about $300 a year for his check-ups. But, when he does get sick, the bills increase.

“In today’s economy, I think that people have to make a choice between their pet and themselves,” she said.

After hearing about the bill, several pet owners at the Rover Run Dog Park at Veteran’s Park on Immokalee Road said they would support it.

“It would be nice,” Michaela Henning, 32, said.

The East Naples resident said she doesn’t know if she spends $3,500 a year on her 14-month-old Jack Russell terrier named Vito but she said expenses quickly add up. Henning estimated spending about $2,000 a year on food and veterinary expenses.

Henning added that instead of a tax deduction, she would prefer to have another dog park in Collier County.

Marc Carestia, 22, said a tax deduction could be a good thing but he could see it being abused.

The East Naples resident has three dogs, an 11-month-old Boston Terrier named Skittles; a 3-year-old Catahoula mix named Candy and Rocko, a 2 1/2 year old Doberman mix. He estimated spending an average of $1,500 to $2,000 on his pets, if they remain healthy without needing additional medical visits.

Alan Grosshart, a veterinarian at Petsmart in Naples, said he has seen many pets being left behind and euthanized because of the current economy and would support the bill if it could prevent that from happening.

“What I would like to see is more affordable pet insurance for pets,” Grosshart said.

Sarah the Cheetah, Fastest Mammal on Earth

2009-09-11T09:02:00.000-04:00

From Yahoo Buzz....

Cheetahs always win.

Usain Bolt may get his share of million-dollar jackpots for being a world champ sprinter, but he's got nothing on 8-year-old Sarah. The Cincinnati Zoo's cheetah ambassador just beat the 2001 land-speed world record for mammals.

A male cheetah in South Africa covered 100 meters in 6.19 seconds. Sarah didn't beat that just once, but twice: She first clocked in at 6.16 seconds and then 6.13 seconds—which, by the way, bested Bolt's August sprint by more than 3 seconds. And that's from a girl who has been in captivity pretty much her whole life.

Sarah's feat helped call attention to the species' endangered numbers. According to the zoo, the spotted felines' population has dropped from 100,000 back in 1900 to about one-tenth that number. Cincinnati has been doing its part to nurture more cubs than anywhere else. Not so coincidentally, the zoo was home to another record holder: Moya, who died this past January, held the title for a year before his brother Nyana (over in South Africa) snagged it. Now Sarah's got bragging rights.

She may not rest easy for long. Zaza, an 8-year-old female in South Africa, will be throwing down the gauntlet over in South Africa when the weather clears up, either later this month or in early October. Meanwhile, here are two videos of Sarah's sprint—a quickie AP version and the Cincinnati Zoo's longer one.

Click here to see the Video!

World's oldest dog dies in NY at 21 — or 147

2009-09-01T10:28:00.000-04:00

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK – A wire-haired dachshund that held the record as the world's oldest dog and celebrated its last birthday with a party at a dog hotel and spa has died at age 21 — or 147 in dog years.

The dog, named Chanel, died Friday of natural causes at her owners' home in suburban Port Jefferson Station, on Long Island.

Chanel, as stylish as her legendary namesake, wore tinted goggles for her cataracts in her later years and favored sweaters because she was sensitive to the cold, owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy said Monday.

The playful dachshund was only 6 weeks old when Denice Shaughnessy, then serving with the U.S. Army, adopted her from a shelter in Newport News, Va.

Along with her owner, Chanel spent nine years on assignment in Germany, where she became adept at stealing sticks of butter from kitchen countertops and hiding them in sofa cushions in the living room, Shaughnessy said. She also liked chocolate, usually considered toxic to dogs, Shaughnessy said.

"She once ate an entire bag of Reese's peanut butter cups, and, you see, she lived to be 21, so go figure," Shaughnessy added.

Karl Shaughnessy nominated Chanel for the title of world's oldest dog after noticing the Guinness World Records book had no record.

Guinness World Records officials presented Chanel with a certificate as the world's oldest dog at a Manhattan birthday bash hosted by a private pet food company in May.

Chanel loved the party, especially the cake, which had a peanut butter flavor and had been made for dogs, Denice Shaughnessy said.

Chanel exercised daily and ate home-cooked chicken with her dog food, but good care wasn't entirely responsible for her long life, said her owners, who attributed God.

"Dogs are God's angels sent here to look out for us," Denice Shaughnessy said.

A dog from New Iberia, La., named Max, is vying for the record of world's oldest dog. Owner Janelle Derouen said Max marked his 26th birthday on Aug. 9. She said Guinness World Records officials were reviewing documents to authenticate his age; a Guinness World Records official in London didn't immediately answer an e-mail from The Associated Press requesting confirmation of that.

When asked the secret to her dog's long life, Derouen said she was shocked he's still with her.

"I have five kids, and all my kids are grown and gone," she said. "Now my grandkids are playing with this dog."

If you could talk...

2009-08-26T10:47:00.001-04:00

What would you say? That's what most cat caretakers want to know. Given the gift of speech, what would their cat say to them.

A recent poll shows that 17% think that we would say "I Love You." Of course, we do say this, each in our own special way.

Another 12% thinks their cat would be asking for a lap, or (11%) petting, (10%) a sample of human food, and (10%) a treat.

Most of the attention getting categories all fell together.

Myself, I am usually asking for a treat, or to go outside. Tabby brofur is asking to fed, to left alone so he can sleep, or to go outside.

Mostly we would not be saying "I love you". That reserved for special occasions, not everyday chatter.

Here is the results of the poll:

* I love you 17%
* Sit down so I can get on your lap 12%
* Give me a nice petting now 11%
* How about a little of whatever you are eating? 10%
* How about a treat? 10%
* Shut up and feed me 8%
* Let me outside 7%
* Don't mess with me or I'll bite/scratch you 5%
* Why do you work so much? 5%
* Not so loud - I'm napping 5%
* Hurry home - I gotta go 1%
* Go to work so I can nap 2%
* Other: 7%

While we are not the sort of animals to go chatting around on our blue tooth headsets like humans, or even flapping about singing like birds, we do communicate quite well.

Body language is our biggest tool as we make only a limited amount of vocal sounds. Tail signals, posture and other factors display our moods and our messages. Trust me, few caretakes mistake our meeting when we say "FEED ME".

Learning our other signals just takes a bit more observation. We are always very clear and concise about what we are saying.

So while you think we are wordless creatures, we really are not. Just not quite as chatty as say...a lap woofie.

Save Money, Give me treats!

2009-08-25T08:37:00.001-04:00

It seem like everyone these days is looking to save money in one way or another. Dr. Jon and the PetsPlace.com staff wrote an article giving tips to save money on pet care during this recession.

If you haven't read it - go to 9 Tips to Save Money on Pet Care. It has some good tips.

One way to save money is to spend less on cat treats. Some pet owners spend a LOT of money on treats. (But then, we are good cat, cats and deserve lots of treats.)

Here are a few tips on how you can minimize what you spend on treats while stilling have the pleasure of giving treats:

1. Feed less treats. You don't have to stop feeding them but consider feeding less. Treats are fun to give but there is nothing in them that your cat needs. Cat treats are similar to a candy bar or snack for us. We might like it but we don't need it.

2. Smaller treats. Instead of feeding less frequent treats - break them up in smaller pieces and feed smaller treats. (Try this with my Temptations and I break YOU into smaller pieces.)

3. Make your own treats. One way to cut costs and have fun is to make your own treats. I'll even share some great cat treat recipes with you. These are easy to make and all natural so you know exactly what is in them.

Homemade Cat Treats Recipes
Healthy Cat Treats
Homemade Cat Treats for the Senior Cat

Remember that I will be happy to taste any treats you make before you give them to your own cat! I take my taste testing service very seriously, so you know I will give you good recommendation if you make your treats right!

An update on our Internets

2009-08-24T14:08:00.002-04:00

As you know, we have problems now for like last two months. Well, Friday night the computer die. So bean have to reformat the WHOLE thing and then put everything back on it. She is still putting things back on it, but...

We now have working internets again and can go visit blogs like we could not do before. We also have three (!) working internets browers - Firefox, MSIE and Opera! So I am furry pleased by this.

Thank you for putting up with us while our internets not working. So we could get to post more now!

Dyed Dog Days of Summer

2009-08-22T09:23:00.003-04:00

First there was painted cats. Now from the people who bring you contaminated pet food come another fashionable trend - Dyed Dogs.

People in China are turning to their pets to relieve the stress of their fast paced lives and also to replace the children they cannot have. Couples in China are limited to one child each.

The Daily Mail reported that "In the town of Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, pet owners are taking their beloved dogs to grooming parlors where the poor creatures are not just given a shampoo and cut -- but a full-on, multi-colored fur job."

You can also get a pawticure for your pooch, and I don't think they are using soft claws for this!

There has been a nearly 500% increase in pet spending from 1999 to 2008 in China. Ironically, the country recently drafted proposed legislation on animal cruelty -- China's first such law. Penalties under the proposed law include a monetary fine of up to 6,000 yuan ($877) and two weeks imprisonment.

No word yet on whether tie dying your doggie considered cute or cruel in China, but Boulder, Colorado has put its foot down. Last year, a woman was fined $1,000 for dying her poodle pink -- in honor of breast cancer awareness, the woman claimed. (The matter was later settled out of court.)

China has also undertaken strict measures to control its animal population — it will become compulsory for data chips to be implanted in pets so that owners can be found if their pets are found abandoned. I wonder if this includes woofies who run away from home on purpose?

Dog hailed as hero for guiding rescuers to owner's body

2009-08-11T07:03:00.000-04:00

From Reuters Life!:

SYDNEY – A mongrel has proven that dogs really are man's best friend when he helped rescuers find the body of his owner who was killed in a car crash in Australia.

Moja, a small mixed breed, was in the truck with his owner Henry Drew when it crashed off a highway in Queensland and landed in dense shrubs.

The animal sat by Drew's body, which was hidden by trees, barking incessantly for two days until a farmer went to investigate the cause of the noise.

"If it was not for the man's dog, he may not have been found for some time because his truck was completely covered by trees and our helicopter couldn't see it," a spokesperson for AGL Action Rescue told Reuters.

"This bloke heard the dog barking, it was literally sitting by the man's side," the spokesperson said.

Drew had been reported missing by his wife after he did not answer his mobile phone. Rescue helicopters worked with police to search for the him until the farmer called.

I am sorry it sad ending that the woofie's human died in crash. Cats have stayed by their owners too and help them, but we can't bark and our meows not really that loud.

Survivor Sam the Koala loses fight for life

2009-08-06T08:04:00.001-04:00

A very sad story this morning from Rueters:

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) – Sam the Koala, who won the hearts of the world when video footage of her rescue from Australia's deadly bushfires six months ago hit the Internet, died on Thursday after losing a second battle for survival.

The badly burned koala, filmed drinking from a volunteer fire fighter's water bottle, became a symbol of hope for the survivors of Australia's worst ever bushfires that killed about 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 dwellings, leaving 7,5000 homeless,

But just months after her rescue from the fires in the state of Victoria, Sam was diagnosed with cysts linked to the life-threatening disease Chlamydia that has ravaged Australia's koala population.

The four-year-old koala was to undergo surgery on Thursday to remove the cysts but John Butler of the Morwell Vet Clinic discovered that Sam had severe changes in her urinary and reproductive tract that were non-operable.

"Unfortunately Sam has been put to sleep. It's very, very sad," Peita Elkhorne of TressCox Lawyers told Reuters on behalf of the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter.

"It was so severe that there was no possible way to be able to manage her pain."

The debilitating illness Urogenital Chlamydiosis affects 50 percent of Australia's koala population altough it is not known how koalas have come to be infected with the bacterium.

(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

I cannot help but wonder if this disease is related to the hole in the ozone layer over Australia.

"Gidget" the Taco Bell woofie goes to bridge

2009-07-22T19:54:00.001-04:00

From OMG! news on Yahoo!:

Gidget, the famed Chihuahua who appeared in Taco Bell ads, died Tuesday at the age of 15.

Karen McElhatton, Gidget's owner, tells Usmagazine.com the dog was with her trainer, Sue Chipperton, watching television when she began making "strange noises" and suffered a stroke.

Before the dog's death, "She had a good day and was running around as normal," McElhatton tells Usmagazine.com. "We're happy that she was very well off right until the end."

Gidget -- whose "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" spots debuted in September 1997 -- also had a cameo in Legally Blonde 2, in addition to appearing in other TV spots.

We enjoyed working with Gidget, and she will be missed by many," a Taco Bell spokesperson tells Us in a statement. "Our deepest sympathies go out to her owners and fans."

The dog had an exceptionally happy life, her owner says.

"She lived like a queen," McElhatton tells Us. "She had a great life. We're very sad. She's a wonderful little dog."

McElhatton tells Us the dog will likely be cremated.

Adds McElhatton: "She was old. Of course, we were hoping she'd be around for a few more years, but if you have a dog that lives that long, you can't really complain."

This has not been a good month to be a celebrity - either human or canine!

NYC teen admits to leaving kitten in oven to die

2009-07-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

From the Assoicated Press:

NEW YORK – A New York City teenager has admitted that she failed to let a kitten out of an oven after a friend put the animal inside and left it to roast to death.

After pleading guilty to charges of animal cruelty and attempted burglary on Wednesday, 17-year-old Cheyenne Cherry confronted a row of animal activists outside the courtroom. Cherry stuck out her tongue and told the activists that the kitten named Tiger Lily was "dead."

Authorities say Cherry and a 14-year-old friend ransacked a Bronx apartment before putting the cat in the oven, where it cried and scratched before dying.

The 14-year-old was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and burglary in the May 6 incident.

Cherry will serve a year in jail under a plea bargain.

A year? A year? This girl should be put in oven and roasted to death as well. She obviously has no remorse.

People are very sick and this is just one example of it. Pook kitten. Stay well over the bridge. We will think of you often. You are a martyr to our cause!

Pet Airways takes off!

2009-07-14T17:34:00.001-04:00

Next time I wish to go visit my furriends, I do not have to take road trip. Now I can fly first class!

The Associated Press reports that Pet Airways has left the runway!

Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities — New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet fees at the largest U.S. airlines.

For owners the big difference is service. Dogs and cats will fly in the main cabin of a Suburban Air Freight plane, retooled and lined with carriers in place of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) will be escorted to the plane by attendants that will check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. And at each of the five airports it serves, the company has created a "Pet Lounge" for future fliers to wait and sniff before flights.

The company will operate out of smaller, regional airports in the five launch cities, which will mean an extra trip for most owners dropping off their pets if they are flying too. Stops in cities along the way means the pets will take longer to reach a destination than their owners.

A trip from New York to Los Angeles, for example, will take about 24 hours. On that route, pets will stop in Chicago, have a bathroom break, play time, dinner, and bunk for the night before finishing the trip the next day.

Amanda Hickey of Portland, Ore. is one of the new airline's first customers. Her seven-year-old terrier-pinscher mix Mardi and 2-year-old puggle Penny are taking their first flight soon.

Hickey said the service was a welcome alternative to flying her dogs in cargo when she transplants them from her soon-to-be Denver home to Chicago to stay while she and her fiance travel to Aruba to get married.

"For a little bit more money, I have peace of mind," she said.

It was a stressful experience in a cargo hold that spurred Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel to start their airline. Their Jack Russell terrier, Zoe, flew once in cargo and Binder said they worried about how the dog was doing, but were unable to check on her or get information. The couple soon started looking for a better solution.

"One time in cargo was enough for us," Binder said, walking through an airplane hangar as Zoe trotted in front of her. "We wanted to do something better."

The company, which will begin with one flight in each of its five cities, is looking to add more flights and cities soon. In the next three years, Binder hopes to fly to 25 locations.

The two say they're overwhelmed with the response. Flights on Pet Airways are already booked up for the next two months.

But today, the first flight for the husband-and-wife team's Pet Airways, the first-ever all-pet airline, took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Betsy Saul, co-founder of Petfinder.com, which has ranked the pet-friendliness of airlines for three years, said she's excited about the expected impact Pet Airways will have on pet travel across major airlines.

"The entire industry will stretch because of Pet Airways," she said. "It's a challenge that says 'let's make this (experience) better for pets.'"

Among the big U.S. carriers that offer pet services, AirTran, Spirit, Southwest and JetBlue only allow pets to fly in the cabin. Most U.S. airlines charge between $100 and $125, but Delta and Northwest charge $150 for cabin trips. AirTran is the cheapest among big carriers at $69.

Now, all I have to do is decide where I want to go!

PeeEss: For those that have suggested Google Chrome, we are running a Win2000 system and they do not make Google Chrome for that version. That also why we can't upgrade MSIE. We kind of stuck. I do not know Firefox's problem. I work fine and now suddenly it do not.

Cats Do Control Humans, Study Finds

2009-07-13T16:39:00.001-04:00

From LiveScience.com:

If you've ever wondered who's in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It's your cat.

Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.

This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.

"The embedding of a cry within a call that we normally associate with contentment is quite a subtle means of eliciting a response," said Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. "Solicitation purring is probably more acceptable to humans than overt meowing, which is likely to get cats ejected from the bedroom."

They know us

Previous research has shown similarities between cat cries and human infant cries.

McComb suggests that the purr-cry may subtly take advantage of humans' sensitivity to cries they associate with nurturing offspring. Also, including the cry within the purr could make the sound "less harmonic and thus more difficult to habituate to," she said.

McComb got the idea for the study from her experience with her own cat, who would consistently wake her up in the mornings with a very insistent purr. After speaking with other cat owners, she learned that some of their cats also made the same type of call. As a scientist who studies vocal communication in mammals, she decided to investigate the manipulative meow.

Tough to test

Setting up the experiments wasn't easy. While the felines used purr-cries around their familiar owners, they were not eager to make the same cries in front of strangers. So McComb and her team trained cat owners to record their pets' cries - capturing the sounds made by cats when they were seeking food and when they were not. In all, the team collected recordings from 10 different cats.

The researchers then played the cries back for 50 human participants, not all of whom owned cats. They found that humans, even if they had never had a cat themselves, judged the purrs recorded while cats were actively seeking food - the purrs with an embedded, high-pitched cry - as more urgent and less pleasant than those made in other contexts.

When the team re-synthesised the recorded purrs to remove the embedded cry, leaving all else unchanged, the human subjects' urgency ratings for those calls decreased significantly.

McComb said she thinks this cry occurs at a low level in cats' normal purring, "but we think that cats learn to dramatically exaggerate it when it proves effective in generating a response from humans." In fact, not all cats use this form of purring at all, she said, noting that it seems to most often develop in cats that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners rather than those living in large households, where their purrs might be overlooked.

The results were published in the July 14 issue of the journal Current Biology.

(Note: we are sorry we have not been online much, be we still cannot surf blogs because Firefox crash every time we go near Blogger. We needs help!)

Woofie Wednesday and Wrascally Wabbits

2009-06-24T05:59:00.000-04:00

A couple of news stories today. The first one from Rueters, is about a dog who did his duty, even after being shot.

BERLIN – A dog in Germany shot by a drunken man with a gun took swift revenge by biting off the end of the man's nose, authorities said on Monday.

Police said the armed man was snooping at night in the yard of a house in Stadtlauringen in northern Bavaria when he shot the Bernese mountain dog from point-blank range.

Before collapsing, the dog leapt at the 39-year-old man and bit off the end of his nose, a local police spokesman said.

Bleeding profusely, the man called police and was taken for treatment in a nearby hospital. His motives for being in the yard were unclear, police said.

Doctors removed a bullet from the dog's shoulder and discharged [him] from a clinic after an operation lasting several hours.

Now that is what I would call a GOOD Dog! He probably deserves a whole box of treats. Do they have Temptations for woofies? If not, what kind of treats they get?

Meanwhile, in Rio Rancho New Mexico, the Associated Press reports that A New Mexico woman with an affinity for rabbits has run afoul of the law after her rascally pets started multiplying like, well, rabbits. Rio Rancho police said Monday that Nancy Haseman was cited under an ordinance that allows five pets per household after an animal control officer found 334 bunnies hopping around in her yard.

The officer spotted the animals last month after a neighbor complained about rabbits eating her garden.

Haseman says her husband rescued a rabbit 12 years ago after a neighbor abandoned it, then the couple began rescuing more bunnies.

She says they kept the males separate from the females, but the males hopped the fence and things got "out of control."

Haseman says the couple hoped to help the animals.

Rescue groups have found homes for about half the Haseman rabbits.

That's lot of eastern bunnies! What? They in the west? Oh well, then that a lot of western bunnies!

(When the western bunny come bring treats? No one tell me 'bout this before. Needs investigating!)

Tail Talk Tuesday

2009-06-23T08:45:00.003-04:00

Once again, I have more "tales" that people believe about cats. Are they true or not?

1. Cats should have a litter before they are spayed.

This is not true. Cats that have a litter before they are spayed are not better for it in any way. In fact, spayed cats are healthier and have eliminated the risk for life-threatening uterine infections.

2. Street cats are always healthier than purebred cats.

This is not true. Both purebred and "street" cats can be unhealthy. Both can have diseases, however, many mixed breed "domestic" cats do not have many of the genetic diseases common in purebred lines.

3. All cats prefer canned food.

Some cats do but some cats will only eat dry food. I purr-fur canned myself, and so does tabby brofur!

4. Cats cannot be trained.

This is not true. Cats are very smart and can be trained to do tricks.

If you do not believe me, watch this crew of performing cats down at sunset in Key West...

Not to mention, look at how well they have that human trained to do stupid tricks!

5. Cats like tasty food.

Cats have poor taste buds and eat primarily based on their sense of smell. Trust me, if we had good sense of taste, grooming would probably not be so pleasant for us!

6. Cats will let you know when they are sick.

This is not true. We generally are very good at hiding that we are sick. This is a survival instinct, as we do not wish appear vulnerable to "prey". Often by the time we show you that we are sick, our disease or condition is quite advanced.

7. Cats don't need heartworm prevention.

This is not true. Cats can get heartworm disease, even indoor cats. Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes, which can come inside.

8. Cats don't need litter box trained – they naturally know where to go.

There is a natural instinct for many cats; however, not all cats understand the litter box concept. Usually a mama cat will teach her kittens. A feral cat, that has never used litter box before, might need to be shown how to use it.

9. Cats are happier and healthier when they are outdoors.

This is not necessarily true. Many cats - myself included - are happy being outside at certain times, especially when the weather is good. However during bad weather – we would all prefer to be inside. But cats are defiantly usually not healthier when outdoors. The average lifespan of strictly outdoor cats is estimated to be approximately 1 year of age; indoor-outdoor cats about 3 – 6 years and indoor only cats have an average lifespan closer to 13 – 15 years.

I am indoor-outdoor cat but I am very street wise and and have lived much, much longer than average indoor-outdoor cat.

Florida Cat Killer Arrested, Charged

2009-06-22T09:06:00.002-04:00

18 year old Tyler Hayes Weinman was arrested and charged with the killing mutilating of cats in two South Florida communities.

He is charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body and four counts of burglary related to the deaths.

The teen, whose parents are divorced, lived in both of the communities where the killing occurred. Evidence seized in the case includes the finding of cutting tools in his room, evidence of scratch marks on his body and the use of a tracking device on his car which puts him in a close proximity to the scene of many of the killings.

An arrest report shows Weinman was arrested for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license on May 15 in a separate incident, just days after authorities said their investigation into the cat killings began. He was also twice arrested as a juvenile, but authorities have not released the details of those cases.

Some people feel he is innocent and is being railroaded by the police...but certainly, the fact that the killing were limited to the two communities in which he lived and occurred during the time he was living in each, is pretty damaging circumstantial evidence.

In most cases, the bodies of the cats were left in plain sight for their families to find - near their homes, on sidewalks, in the front yards, sometimes even on their doorsteps. Despite the arrest, there have two more kills and police suspect the teen may have an accomplice. As such, the evidence in the case has been sealed by court order.

One pet owner, Donna Gleason, said her family cat, Tommy, was "partially skinned" and left dead in her yard.

"Part of his skin was missing underneath ... and part of his legs," she said.

Cats are being urged to stay inside until the person or persons responsible are caught.

If convicted, Weinman could face a sentence of 158 years in prison, State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Terry Chavez said.

"The cat killings weren't something I expected of anyone who's sane," said friend Vincent Warger, 18. "With him he was a nice guy. He was friendly. It's such a violent thing. I just couldn't see it happening from him."

Many people said similar things of Ted Bundy, a serial killer who is well known for his vicious attacks on humans in Florida. It is often noted that serial killers get their start by inflicting pain and suffering on cats before they move on to bigger prey.

Experts say cruelty toward cats, as opposed to other animals, can fulfill a deeper need for control. Cats, unlike dogs, can be more difficult to control. They don't come when they're called and are often more independent, said Dr. Randall Lockwood of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and author of "Forensic Investigation of Animal Cruelty."

Currently the teen is under house arrest after being fitted with an ankle bracelet for electronic monitoring.

The teens father maintains his son's innocence.

He also expressed his condolences to pet owners who lost their cats. "We are cat owners ourselves. We love our pets," he said.

"We certainly understand the grief that other cat owners are going through, and we sympathize with them, but it is not our son," he added.

"We've seen him play with our pets for years and he's a great kid and he plays with pets and he's fine with them," he said.

This is also seen in serial Killer cases. Bundy for example worked as a crisis center volunteer, and was known for being quite popular and charismatic.

I doubt the police would have arrested this individual without a body of evidence against him. Hopefully, the person or persons responsible for these crimes are caught and are taken out of society at large, before they can move to killing humans.

Kitten discovered in Boston mailbox

2009-06-22T08:08:00.002-04:00

I do not think this is what was meant by International Cat in Box Day....

From the Associated Press News Services:

BOSTON – Officials said a two-pound, eight-week-old kitten was dropped in a public mailbox in Boston and later found unharmed among envelopes and packages. According to the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center, the kitten they're calling "Postina" likely was stuffed Friday through a small opening of the mailbox and dropped several feet below.

A U.S. Postal Service letter carrier discovered Postina on Saturday during a scheduled afternoon pick-up.

The MSPCA is offering Postina for adoption after several days of nourishment and a round of vaccinations.

Animal abandonment in Massachusetts is punishable by up to a $2,500 fine and 5 years in prison.

The MSPCA said there has been a 48 percent increase in pet owners citing financial reasons for surrendering their pets.

It cute kitten. I very happy it not hurt after being stuffed in mail box. What if someone had drop package on its head?

Diamond in a Box

2009-06-19T08:24:00.001-04:00

Here I am in box. I do not sit in box much, would much rather be up high. Now, if you put box up high, that would good.

Oh no...what is that tabby brofur of mine up to now. Must go see! Later!

Woofie Wednesday Freebie

2009-06-10T08:21:00.000-04:00

For those of you that have Woofies, my bean have made a mini-kit that you can get for FREE on her blog. It is called Patriotic Pup and it is furry cute:

You don't really have to be a woofie though to enjoy the kit. Their are five papers with bone and paw print motif, and while the bones certainly are woofie oriented, the paw prints can be used with cat too. And there is Uncle Sam's Hat sticker you can put on to make yourself look patriotic!

And the best part is, my bean make nice fireworks that do not go BOOM! and hurt our ears.

You also get 3 ribbons and 3 bows, 2 frames, 2 "Fireworks" flowers, 1 star curtain, 5 stick pins, 2 fireworks, and a flag sticker and 4th of July sticker, plus the Uncle Sam's Hat and two patriotic pup stickers.

And it free - because America is Land of the Free - so you just need to download!

Just go to Digicats to get the freebie!

And if you get your bean to dress you up with it, let me know so that I can seeeeeeeeee!

Tail Talk Tuesay

2009-06-09T08:04:00.002-04:00

Today, I want to talk to you about some old wives' tales about cats. At first this issue confuse me, because I do not know of any old wives having tails. Horns and cloven feet, yes, but not tails - barbed, bobbed, or otherwise.

But then my bean laugh and say no, no, not THOSE kind of tails! So then it make more sense!

There are countless theories and ideas out there on cats and cat care. What should you believe? Is it true or is it merely an old wives' tale that has mutated as it has been passed along?

Listed below are several common cat myths, old wives' tales, and legends and the truth or lack of truth they contain.

1. Cats can suck the breath from a baby. – NOT true! Cats have no intentions or ability to suck the breath from a baby or anyone else for that matter. You should, however, be cautious of allowing a pet to sleep with a small child, in case of other inadvertent injuries.

2. Pregnant women should not scoop the litter box. – This has a lot of truth, but there is NO need to get rid of your cat. Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that a cat can carry without showing signs. This parasite, which can be acquired by handling their feces, is a concern for pregnant women because it can be detrimental to a developing fetus. While it is best for someone other than the pregnant woman to scoop the litter box, it is generally safe if scooped at least once every 24 hours. Pregnant women must also be cautious of this parasite when gardening and handling raw meat. Wearing gloves is best.

3. Cats cause schizophrenia. – This is NOT true! Pets are actually very helpful to the mental health of humans.

4. Cats can see ghosts. – There is no scientific evidence of this. We do have keener eyesight than humans, so we probably see things they can't and they think we are reacting to seeing a ghost.

5. If you have multiple male cats, they will spray and mark. – This is possible, but not necessarily true. Male and sometimes even female cats living by themselves will mark. Neutering before sexual maturity is the best way to prevent marking behavior.

6. Milk is good for cats. – A cat eating a high-quality food should not need milk. Cow's milk contains more lactose than a cat can tolerate, and will often cause diarrhea. If you insist on drinking milk, milk made for cats, such as Catsip, is best for you.

So now you know the truth about these old wives tales. Please note that no old wives were harmed in the writing of this article.

Preventing Heat Stroke

2009-06-06T00:46:00.000-04:00

Another problem you might run into in the summer is heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a condition arising from extremely high body temperature (rectal temperature of 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit), which leads to nervous system abnormalities (such as lethargy, weakness, collapse or coma). Abnormally high body temperature (also called hyperthermia) develops after increased muscular activity with impaired ability to give off heat due to high heat and humidity or respiratory obstruction.

It is more common in dogs but can occurs in cats as well.

First of all, no pet - dog or cat - should EVER be left in a car unattended. Temperatures in vehicles can quickly soar past 120 degrees and will kill you.

If you much be kept in a PTU for any length of time, make sure you are in a well ventilated area at all times and out of the direct sun. If your human is uncomfortable in an area or room, than you probably are too.

Also, make sure you always have access to plenty of fresh clean water.

I do not like these Drinkwell Drinking Fountains they sell, because I do not like running water, but some cats do. If you are interested, Click HERE for a special offer from Pet Product Advisor and save $15 on A Drinkwell 360!

Summer Skin Care

2009-06-05T09:29:00.001-04:00

Did you know you can get sunburned? If left outdoors too long, especially white cats or hairless cats, sunburns can develop. If left untreated, serious skin damage can occur.

There are 3 types of sunburns that might affect you:

1. Superficial partial thickness burns are similar to first-degree burns. Only the top layer of skin is involved. The hair (if present) may still be attached to the skin. The skin appears red and no blisters are seen.

2. Deep partial thickness burns are similar to second-degree burns. The surface layer and some deeper layers of skin are involved. Unlike in humans, these burns infrequently have blisters. The skin is red and some layers of the skin may be exposed.

3. Full thickness burns are similar to third-degree burns. The burn extends through all layers of skin and may even include tissue beneath the skin. Immediately after the burn, the skin may look like leather or the surface of the burn may appear white.

As expected, sunburn occurs in the summer months when animals at risk spend prolonged time in the sun.

White cats, thinly haired breeds and Sphinx cats are primarily at risk.

If you suspect you have a sunburn, veterinary care is recommended.

The diagnosis of a sunburn is based on the time of year and possible prolonged exposure to the sun. The skin will have characteristic signs of a thermal burn.

Blood tests are not initially necessary to make a diagnosis. Depending on the severity of the burns, blood tests may be done later to determine your overall health.

Treatment of sunburn is based on the severity of the burn.

Superficial Partial Thickness

# For these burns, the hair is carefully shaved from the burned area in order to ease treatment and better monitor healing.
# The wound is gently cleaned with povidone iodine or chlorhexidine.
# Topical creams such as silver sulfadiazine are quite effective in burns.
# Most superficial partial thickness burns can be treated on an outpatient basis with the remainder of treatment and care done by your caregiver.

You will probably have to wear one of those nasty collars so you will not lick the effected area.

Deep Partial Thickness

# For these burns, hospitalization is necessary.
# Intravenous fluids are necessary to provide hydration and needed electrolytes.
# Daily wound cleaning with povidone iodine or chlorhexidine.
# Daily bandage changes.
# Topical cream such as silver sulfadiazine.
# If over 15 percent of the body is burned, skin grafts may eventually be required.

Home Care

Cats do not burn as easily as people. More damage may have occurred to the skin than you may be able to initially see, which is why you should seek veterinary Care. After diagnosis and initial treatment, daily treatment with wound cleaning and topical medication may be necessary.

Preventative Care

For cats at risk, apply sunscreen - yup just like a human - before spending time outdoors. As in humans, it is suspected that repeated sunburns may result in permanent skin damage and even possible skin cancer, especially in white cats.

Diamond on Safari

2009-06-04T00:41:00.000-04:00

As you can see, I finally get my bean to make me new blog layout. She is very talented bean, but she have been furry busy of late.

She is now making these Digital Scrapbook designs such as the "Lion Hunt" kit she use to make this blog layout. In fact, she make this design.

AND there is good news! You can even get this "Lion Hunt" for free. But act quickly because it only free through June 14th. After that is goes in her store.

To get this kit, click on this link -->Lion Hunt Freebie.

Please note that this tagger sized kit which is good for making things on the internet and for smaller printing jobs, like making cards, up to 5' x 7".

Do not worry. The silly mane she put on me is not part of the kit, so you do not have to worry your humans put one on you. I even remind her that Lionesses do not have manes, but she ignore me.

I hope you like my new safari theme layout. Now this lioness is going to take cat nap. Hah!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T02:46:00.001-04:00

(Tag done using the All Decked Out taggers kit from Digicats. Alpha courtesy of Free Digital Scrapbooking.)

Tail Talk Tuesday

2009-06-02T09:03:00.004-04:00

Today, I'd like to take a minute to appreciate one of our most beautiful features.... the Tail!

Your tail can vary in position from a graceful swirl around you as you sleep, an elegant lazy feather that floats behind you as you walk, or a perky straight antennae as you run to something with interest. It can also be a thrashing missile as you swish it back and forth.

Your tail is actually pretty amazing. Did you know that about 10 percent of your bones are located in your tail? That is right - up to 20 vertebrae! The vertebrae are enclosed by muscles that allow finely graded movements that lift the tail, move it from side to side, lower it or curl it around the body. Interestingly, the domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold their tail vertically while walking.

Like the cat, many animals use their tails to communicate with other animals. For example, the position of a wolf's tail can tell what kind of a mood he's in. A confident wolf holds her tail up high, and a frightened wolf holds her tail between her legs; a white-tailed deer shows alarm by flicking her tail; and horses flatten their tails between their legs when frightened and lash them back and forth when they are irritated or annoyed.

Likewise, your tail is a barometer of your feelings. A high vertical tail is a sign of happiness. If that high tail quivers from the base up, it indicates that you are really happy and excited. If that tail goes in the opposite direction and is tucked between the legs, then you are afraid or trying to avoid a confrontation.

Wagging your tail means various things, each wag is slightly different. Broad wagging, even whopping, indicates annoyance. You may be curled up next to your human enjoying a nice petting session when suddenly you decides that you've had enough. You will signal this to your human by swishing your tail up and down or its tip from side-to-side. If the human misses the signal, then you may bat at them with your paw, or worse, put the bitey on them, to make your point.

If you're really agitated, you will wag your tail rapidly back and forth from the base. This is a threatening signal to warn other cats (and humans) to back off. On the other hand, a tail that waves back and forth slowly and gently indicates that you're relaxed and happy.

Dogs are different of course, they wave their tails vigorously when they are happy, and slowly when they are tentative about something. No wonder it is so hard to get used to a woofie! We don't speak the same language!

Your may swish your tail when you're in hunting mode. By swishing your tail, you are trying to mesmerize your prey. Since you can't see your prey if it becomes still - our eye sight is geared to notice things in motion -- moving your tail initiates the slightest movement of your target, which you can then see. Mother cats train their kittens in the fine art of hunting by twitching the tips of their tails to provoke playful attacks.

Then there's that little tail flick, which involves just a quick movement of the tail. You may be resting at the foot of your bed and your human says your name and there it is - a little flick. Your eyes are closed and you appears to be sleeping, but you hear your name again, and there it is again – a little flick. That is to let the human know you hear them, even though you're pretending you doesn't. This is a movement of happiness and contentment. It means you trust your human enough to remain sleeping in their presence – and in our own way, we're letting the humans know that we hear them and that all is well.

Myth Monday - The Big Kahuna

2009-06-01T10:06:00.002-04:00

Kahuna is a Hawaiian word, defined in the Pukui & Elbert (1986) as a "Priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession."

I am Cat Kahuna - Best of Cat Profession. At least in this house I am!

Forty different types of kahuna are listed in the book, Tales from the Night Rainbow. Kamakau lists more than 20 in the healing professions alone, including for example Kahuna la'au lapa'au, an expert in herbal medicine and kahuna haha, an expert in diagnosing illnesses.

With the revival of the Hawaiian culture beginning in the 1970s, some native Hawaiian cultural practitioners call themselves kahuna today. Others, particularly devout Christians, disdain the term. The word has been given an esoteric or secret meaning by modern followers of Max Freedom Long and Huna to emphasis a priestly or shamanic standing.

Many myths have grown up around kahuna. One is that kahuna were outlawed after the white man came to Hawaii. For the purpose of this discussion, it is useful to divide kahuna into 3 categories: "craft" kahuna, such as kalai wa'a, an expert canoe maker, and ho'okele, an expert navigator; "sorcerers" including kahuna 'ana'ana; and healers. Craft kahuna were never prohibited; however, during the decline of native Hawaiian culture many died out and did not pass on their wisdom to new students. As an example, when the Hōkūle‘a was built to be sailed to the South Pacific to prove the voyaging capabilities of the ancient Hawaiians, master navigator Mau Piailug from Satawal was brought to Hawaii to teach the Hawaiians navigation, as no Hawaiians could be found who still had this knowledge.

It is often said that the missionaries came to Hawaii in 1820 and made kahuna practices illegal. In the 100 years after the missionaries arrived, all kahuna practices were legal until 1831, some were illegal until 1863, all were legal until 1887, then some illegal until 1919. Since 1919, all have been legal, except sorcery which was decriminalized in 1972.

The first Christian missionaries arrived in 1820. The most powerful person in the nation, Ka‘ahumanu, did not convert until 1825. But it was not until 11 years after missionaries arrived that she proclaimed laws against hula, chant, ‘awa (kava), and Hawaiian religion.

As both healing and sorcery were based in prayer to the ancient gods, the kāhuna went underground for the next 30 years. During that same time, as a result of the high death rate among Hawaiians from introduced diseases, some died before they were able to pass on their wisdom. But many others quietly kept the traditions alive within their families.

King Kamehameha V came to power in 1863. He disdained the law and encouraged the revival of native practices. Many kahuna who had been quietly practicing came forward. On Maui, a group of eight Hawaiians founded the 'Ahahui La'au Lapa'au in 1866. They were not only kahuna, several were also members of the Hawaii Legislature. They interviewed twenty-one kahuna to compile a complete resource of prayers and remedies for the Legislative record. (These interviews have been republished in the book, Must We Wait in Despair? by Malcolm Naea Chun.)

In response to this and other initiatives, in 1868 the Legislature established a Hawaiian Board of Health to license kahuna la'au lapa'au. Kahuna practices including lomilomi massage and la'au kahea healing remained legal for the next twenty years. But the following year, "sorcery" was made illegal, and it remained illegal until 1972.

Both Kamehameha V and his successor, King Kalakaua, invited kahuna to come to Honolulu to share their wisdom. They compiled oral and written histories and documented the prayers, chants, hulas, and remedies for healings. Kalakaua convened groups of kahuna to consult with each other to preserve their heritage. This and many other moves by Kalakaua outraged the Christian residents. In 1887 they forced the “Bayonet Constitution” upon the King. The Legislature outlawed all kahuna practices, including "praying to cure," a law in effect for the next thirty-two years.

In 1919 the Legislature passed a law once again licensing kahuna la'au lapa'au to practice, and since then it has been legal to practice herbal medicine. The Legislature repealed the anti-sorcery laws in 1972 (well before the federal government’s Native American Religious Freedoms Act of 1979) and since then all forms of practice are legal.

In 2001, a licensing law was put in place which allows native practitioners to be certified by Papa Ola Lokahi and the community health centers (not the State). Some have come forward to be licensed, while others refuse to participate in what they see as fundamentally a Western process.

While all this legal maneuvering has been going on, many traditional practitioners have continued to practice as they and their ancestors have always done.

Let's Go Surfin' Now

The use of the term in reference to surfing can be traced back to the 1959 film Gidget, in which "The Big Kahuna", played by Cliff Robertson, was the leader of a group of surfers. The term then became commonplace in Beach Party films of the 1960s such as Beach Blanket Bingo, where the "Big Kahuna" was the best surfer on the beach. Eventually, it was adopted into general surfing culture. Hawaiian surfing master Duke Kahanamoku may have been referred to as the "Big Kahuna" but rejected the term as he knew the true meaning of the word.

World's Smallest Cat?

2009-05-21T08:49:00.001-04:00

Itsy Bitsy, a full grown stray cat in Florida, may be the record holder for being the world's smallest cat. She is only 1.5 lbs. The current record holder, that lives in Louisiana is 3 lbs, but is a little bit shorter than Bitsy.

Watch the Video on Yahoo today at http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/13569249

Woofie Wednesday

2009-05-06T13:36:00.000-04:00

What a fun story for Woofie Wednesday!

She's the world's oldest pooch, with 21 years under her collar, but she never learned how to beg.

"She's independent. If she didn't want to do something, she had a look she would give, and she usually got her way," Long Islander Denice Shaughnessy joked of her aging dachshund, Chanel, whose 147th birthday -- in people years -- is today.

You can see pictures of the senior wiener and read the whole story in the New York Post.

Chanel is named as the world's oldest dog in the Guiness Book of World Records. The previous title holder what a 28-year-old Beagle from Virginia who died last spring.

Most popular breed of cat!

2009-05-05T08:48:00.002-04:00

According to the CFA, the Currently the top 5 Most Popular cat Breeds are:

1. Persian
The most popular cat on the planet. Undeniably beautiful, elegant and regal. Learn more about the Persian

2. Maine Coon
This made-in-America breed is prized for its large size, sweet personality and silky all-weather coat. Learn more about the Main Coon

3. Exotic
Sometimes called the lazy person's Persian, the exotic has the same body and head type as the Persian but with a short, easy-care coat. Learn more about the Exotic

4. Siamese
Siamese are sleek, vocal cats with big baby-blue eyes and striking pointed patterns. Learn more about the Siamese

5. Abyssinian
The Abyssinian is popular with cat lovers who enjoy busy, active, playful cats. Life with the "Aby" is never boring. Learn more about the Abyssinian

This is very nice, but I think it is wrong. The CFA does not register Domestic Cat and I think that if every cat was registered, we would discover that my breed - Domestic Shorthair Cat - is the most popular breed on the planet! In fact, I think there are more Domestic Shorthair Cat than their are Persians, Maine Coon, Exotic, Siamese and Abyssinians all put together. Hah!

And let us not forget that if it was not for Domestic Cat, that none of those breeds would exist in the first place! All those so call purebred cats all started out, many, many, many sleeps ago as Domestic Cat.

So, let us here it for Domestic Cat - the most Popular Breed of Cat of all!

(P.S. And a Happy Cinco de Mayo to you as well!)

Iguana Mia!

2009-04-30T01:35:00.000-04:00

I think I wrote once before about the problems with Iguana on Gasparillo Island. In sort, someone's pet Iguanas get loose, and start breeding. Because they island does not have much in the way of natural predators, now, many years later, the island is overrun with Iguanas that are quickly defoliating the place.

One of the public health agencies offered up the following advice on how to deal with an Iguana problem, which I hear on the radio.

"If you are having problems with Iguanas, you should hit them over the head to stun them, and then decapitate them. Please dispose of the bodies properly and remember not to hit them over the head more than once because that would be animal abuse."

And decapitating them is not animal abuse? What you supposed to decapitate them with?

Better maybe just ask me, to come by, and take care of your Iguana for you. I very good catching lizards. Even big ones.

Humans!

Won't Go Wednesday

2009-04-29T09:11:00.002-04:00

My Bean bringing in her hunting from the car, and I help. I jump up in the car and lay down in the window in the back seat. This is where I like to ride when I have to ride in the car.

"Let's go for a ride," I meow.

"Where do you want to go?" she say.

I don't know. Somewhere. I a cat. I never go anywhere, so I don't know where we should go. But I all ready for a ride, so I think we should go for a ride.

"Silly baby kitty," she tell me. "You don't know where you want to go."

So she take me out of the car and carry me into the house and give me dinner instead.

So no car rides.

Here is a funny video of a little kitty that not get his way either...

If the video thing doesn't work, you can click HERE to see it!

Blown-away Chihuahua reunited with owners

2009-04-28T10:26:00.001-04:00

From the Associate Press:

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Tinker Bell has been reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked up the six-pound Chihuahua and tossed her out of sight.

Dorothy and Lavern Utley credit a pet psychic for guiding them on Monday to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise OK.

The Utleys, of Rochester, had set up an outdoor display Saturday at a flea market in Waterford Township, 25 miles northwest of Detroit. Tinker Bell was standing on their platform trailer when she was swept away.

Dorothy Utley tells The Detroit News that her cherished pet "just went wild" upon seeing her.

Probably good idea, not stand in high place during high winds.

Sorry I have not been posting, but the weather has been so nice, I have been going outside everyday to bask in the sunshine. I love napping in the sun!

T-13: Crazy Calicoes!

2009-03-26T00:56:00.000-04:00

Since the computer Deaded, we are digging in the archives again to bring you 13 Calico Cats this time around!

Hopefully computer will be fixed in time for next week's T-13!

1. First up, we have Daisy, from the Jewell Cats!

2. The furry lovely Powder...

3. and Puff from Perfectly Parker.

4. Abigail of the Turkey Cats.

5. The poor misunderstood Tesla...

6. Gretchen, who is kind of a Torti-co...

7. My Calico dilute Furriend, Sarah - who also make good April Fool!

8. Special Calico mystery guest at my Masquerade ball who turn out to be...POWDER! Again!

9. Tinkerbell, a.k.a. Stinky Tinky - another for my Xanga furriends!

10. Miss Caitie, who knows that it's all good!

11. Willow, another of our sweethearts!

12. Dazey, of the Cyclone Cats, who we just visit in the road trip,

13. and Maggie May, who we also visit on the road trip!

On a side note, my bean is participating in the Hippity Hop Blog Train, which start on Monday, March 30th. If you are into digital scrap booking and graphics, be sure to stop by her blog, Digicats, on that day to download her piece of the Hippity Hop Blog Train so you can have plenty of Easter things to dress your pictures up in!

Wordy Wednesday Challenge

2009-03-25T09:23:00.001-04:00

Dear Mz. Ann:

I am sorry our Wordy Wednesday Challenges get posted late today, but the the computer get visited by the blue screen of deadedness this morning. So Bean must post from work. Here is my word:

I do not have anything to do with the blue screen of deadedness coming to visit, BTW. It happen after bean attach chippy thing to USB port. So tabby brofur probably break USB port while he surfing the net for Kitty Porn.

Because of this our T-13 tomorrow is going to be a repeat, because the new T-13s is on the Deadedness Computer.

Thank you for the wonderful artworks of me.

Purrs and head butts,

Miss Diamond Emerald-Eyes Precious Black Angelic Cat

who never does anything wrong.

Ever.

Really.

Tips on Tuesday - How to prevent accidental poisonings

2009-03-24T08:26:00.002-04:00

Cat poisonings are common and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ®) is cautioning pet caretakers everywhere to be mindful of exposing their furry relatives to substances and other items that may prove harmful to them.

"Every year thousands of animals are hurt and sometimes seriously injured by poisonous items-many as seemingly innocent as a plant," says Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president of the ASPCA's Midwest Office in Urbana, Ill., which also houses the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. To help our caretakers identify potentially dangerous objects, the ASPCA has the following tips:

Be aware of the plants you have in your home and yard: Some plants such as Sago Palm, Oleander and Rhodendron can be toxic to pets if ingested. Lilies can be especially toxic to cats.

Do not allow your cats to have access to the areas in which cleaning agents are being used or stored: Cleaning agents have a variety of properties; some may only cause mild stomach upset, but others can cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth and stomach.

Be careful when using rat and mouse baits: "The most common active ingredients found in rat and mouse baits are anticoagulants, which interfere with blood clotting processes," says Dr. Hansen. "Ingredients of this type include warfarin, brodifacoum, bromadiaoline, difacinone and difethialone. Other formulations can contain bromethalin, cholecalciferol, zinc phosphide or strychnine, which are designed to kill rodents by affecting various other critical body systems. Some baits also contain inactive ingredients meant to attract rodents, and these ingredients can sometimes be attractive to pets as well."

Read the label first: Always read the label before using flea products on or around your pets. For example, some flea products for dogs can be deadly if given to cats.

Keep all prescription and over-the-counter drugs out of your cats' reach, preferably in closed cabinets: Pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins and diet pills are all examples of human medications that can be lethal to animals, even in small doses.

Be aware of foods that are inappropriate for pets: Food items that potentially could be dangerous to pets include onions, onion powder, chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk, dark), products sweetened with xylitol (such as chewing gum), raisins and grapes, alcoholic beverages, yeast dough, coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans, tea (caffeine), salt, macadamia nuts, hops (used in home beer brewing), tomato leaves and stems (green parts),), rhubarb leaves, avocados (toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle, and dairy goats), moldy or spoiled foods.

Common household items can be lethal to animals: Many liquid potpourri formulations contain ingredients such as essential oils and detergents that could be quite hazardous to pets. "Because of the risk for serious illness, pet owners should place potpourri simmer pots and unused liquid in rooms where pets cannot gain access," says Dr. Hansen. "Also consider using relatively safer alternatives, such as plug-in or solid air fresheners used in out-of-reach locations, not in close proximity to pets with sensitive respiratory tracts such as birds." Other items potentially dangerous to pets include mothballs, pennies, tobacco products, homemade play dough, fabric softener sheets, dishwashing detergent, and batteries.

Automotive products such as gasoline, oil and antifreeze should be stored in areas that are inaccessible to your pets: As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly to a cat.

Make sure your cats do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until they have dried completely: Always store such products in areas that are inaccessible to your pets. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, contact the manufacturer for clarification before using it. (MoMo know all about this one!)

About the ASPCA:

The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center is the premier animal poison control center in North America. An allied agency of the University of Illinois, it is the only facility of its kind staffed by 25 veterinarians (nine of whom are board-certified toxicologists and 14 certified veterinary technicians. Located in Urbana, Ill., the specially-trained staff provides assistance to pet owners and specific analysis and treatment recommendations to veterinarians pertaining to toxic chemicals and dangerous plants, products or substances, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information on potentially dangerous substances in the home or to reach the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, please call 1-888-426-4435 or visit www.aspca.org/apcc .

Myth Monday: Mothering Sunday

2009-03-23T00:19:00.001-04:00

Mothering Sunday was yesterday for our U.K. furriends. I thought that it was just another name for Mother's Day, and while there are certain similarities, I find that is not the case.

Mothering Sunday is a Christian festival celebrated throughout Europe. Secularly it is used as a celebration of motherhood, and is synonymous with Mother's Day as celebrated in other countries; the latter name is also increasingly used.

A religious festival celebrating motherhood has been existent in Europe since approximately 250 BC when the Romans honoured the mother goddess Cybele during mid-March. As the Roman Empire and Europe converted to Christianity, Mothering Sunday celebrations became part of the liturgical calendar as Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent to honour the Virgin Mary and the "mother church".

During the sixteenth century, people returned to their mother church for a service to be held on Laetare Sunday. This was either a large local church, or more often the nearest Cathedral. Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", although whether this preceded the term Mothering Sunday is unclear. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, if prevented by conflicting working hours.

The Epistle for the fourth Sunday in Lent as set out in the Book of Common Prayer gives a special place to the theme of maternal love: Galatians 4:26 states that "Jerusalem which is above is free; which is Mother of us all."

The other names attributed to this festival include Simnel Sunday, Refreshment Sunday and Rose Sunday. Simnel Sunday is named after the practice of baking Simnel cakes to celebrate the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent. Because there is traditionally a lightening of Lenten vows on this particular Sunday in celebration of the fellowship of family and church, the lesser-used label of Refreshment Sunday is also used, although rarely today.

Rose Sunday is sometimes used as an alternative title for Mothering Sunday as well, as is witnessed by the purple robes of Lent being replaced in some churches by rose-coloured ones. This title refers to the tradition of posies of flowers being collected and distributed at the service originally to all the mothers, but latterly to all women in the congregation. The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, however, asserts that "the Golden Rose, sent by the Popes to Catholic sovereigns, used to be blessed at this time, and for this reason the day was sometimes called 'Dominica de Rosa'."

This Sunday was also once known as "the Sunday of the Five Loaves", from the traditional Gospel reading for the day. Prior to the adoption of the modern "common" lectionaries, the Gospel reading for this Sunday in the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Western-Rite Orthodox, and Old Catholic churches was the story of the feeding of the five thousand (for instance, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer stipulates St John's Gospel 6:5-14).

Another tradition associated with Mothering Sunday is the practice of "clipping the church", whereby the congregation form a ring around their church building and, holding hands, embrace it.

For some Church of England churches, it is the only day in Lent when marriages can be celebrated.

In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mothers and other family members.

Mothering Sunday remains in the calendar of some Canadian Anglican churches, particularly those with strong English connections.

Mother's Day in the United States was inspired by the U.K. celebration, however, it does have different origins. It is celebrated in May here in the States, and I will cover the history of Mother's Day in the United States in a Myth Monday post then.

To all of our U.K. and European mom-cats, we wish you a very happy Mothering Sunday!

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos #89

2009-03-22T16:59:00.002-04:00

Friday was first day of Spring! and it has been very spring like weather here in Florida, which make me happy! I get to go outside and enjoy the spring breezes.

The Mind of Mog has noticed that Spring has Sprung as well. I wonder what tip her off? Now...on to the festival...

Starting us off on today's Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos, is something not bad at all, but is some of the cutest kitten pictures on the internets over at AA+ Cat Pictures.

In spring a young tomcats thoughts turn to the making of kittens and one of my neighborhood suitors has been coming by, but I do not make kittens, of course, so he need to take his interest elsewhere. Besides, he is no where near the Mancat my Zed Monster is!

Evidently in spring, thoughts turn to spam too...as we seem to get lot of it this time around.

Elms in the Yard wish to share with us a pair of Bad Kitty Cats flashing their bright laser eyes!

As you know St. Patrick's Day was this week and Meowza share his celebratory pose with us.

He is, of course, in fine company with all the kitty cats you join me for the Purrading of the Green on Thursday!

Ceecee is waiting outside for the Purrade to start, or for his Temptations, which might be pretty much one in the same thing.

Sanjee and company were celebrating St. Patrick's Day this week as well, over at the House of the Mostly Black Cats.

If you are looking for Bad Kitty Cats, look no further than the House of Chaos as Freya is being the Mistress of Mayhem. With a head butt here and head butt there, here a butt there a butt everywhere a butt-butt...

Speaking of which, my tabby brofur's butt was red and sore earlier this week, which necessitated a trip to the vet. He of course took the excursion in typical Mancat Monday style.

Meanwhile What a Good Cat engages in some traditional weekend cat blogging.

Irish Coda shares a picture of the lovely Amber this week, on Camera Critters.

Over at Chey's place, Cheysuli is appalled by the male human's behavior. Not surprising after all, men, and Mancats, do some of the strangest things!

Luna made sure to request that the next time I take road trip, I come see her in sunny California. I must definitely plan west coast road tip soon. For now, I will just have to settle for Weekend Cat Blogging with my fellow House Panther.

Over at the Kitty Cat Gazette, Erin McBagby was arrested for impersonating a Scotting Fold. Um...shouldn't that be impurrsonating? On has to wonder how my furriend Misty Whispurrs feels about that!

At Watermark, it seems that the monkey haz a flavor. But the question is...what kind of flavor?

Did you know nicotine have a flavor too, and that it can be fatal?

Cigarettes and cigarette butts, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and chewing tobacco can be fatal to dogs, cats and birds if ingested. Signs of nicotine poisoning can appear within an hour and include hyperactivity, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Advanced signs include muscle weakness, twitching, collapse, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest. If anyone who lives in or visits your home smokes, tell them to keep tobacco products out of reach of pets and to dispose of butts immediately. That is my cat care tip for you today on this Sunday!

Need more cat blogging? Samantha and Mr. Tigger are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging at Life from a Dog's Perspective.

They claim it was too hectic at their house this weekend for them to be bad! So they are just being Easy Like Sunday Morning.

And yes, it's true! I have absconded with the big Ferris Wheel for this weekend's BKCFoC, but don't worry, there's still plenty of fun to be had at When Cats Attack! as they host the Five Year Anniversary of the Carnival of the Cats!

It's Festival Time at the Black Cat Pub

2009-03-20T11:19:00.000-04:00

Oh! So THAT is what happened to our internets!

But we are back on line now and all ready to host the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos this weekend...the only Festival where being bad is GOOD!*

So be sure to submit your posts and get in on the all the badness this weekend! I know my tabby brofur can teach some of you a thing or two about being bad!

* Note: I am not a bad kitty. I am a very good angelic kitty. I never do anything bad. See:

T-13: Purrading the Green

2009-03-19T00:05:00.000-04:00

It is said there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who are Irish, and those who wish they were. Purrhaps that applies to fursons as well. I certainly enjoy being an Irish cat. Today I am joined by a dozen of my friends who enjoy it as well - if only for a day!

1. I thought I would start off our purrading of the green with a genuine leprechaun, and I do not have to look any further than Banshee! Of course, her furkin at Sumac Stories probably wondering where she hiding that pot of gold...

2. Nixon, of Purs & Snorts, also has a pot of gold, which I think he get from a Leprechaun!

3. Forget the gold, Ping from Manx Mnews just wants some kisses...from Gemini purrhaps?

4. Pumpkin too, looking for some kisses. It would be hard to resist an offer from such a handsome mancat, but he has some green beer to share as well, if you need some extra purrsuasion!

5. My furriend Misty Whispurrs is a wee Scottish Fold lass, but when St. Patrick Day roll around, she is Irish for the day! I wonder if she know how to play those bag pipes?

6. Rocky of The Hudson Furkids looking furry handsome today as well in his St. Patrick's Day outfit, and he is bringing you the luck of the Irish!

7. Irish Coffee anyone? Mazie Grace, who is a March kitten, as found her way to the Irish Coffee Bar...

8. Budah Pest find something better than Irish Coffee I think, and it is green as well. I think that his pot of gold is filled with catnip!

9. I could not find cat in Ireland that blog, so I settle for the U.K. Aoise joins us as we purrade the green! (And I think I need to go visit my U.K. furriends one day soon!)

10. Tybalt is a March kitten as well, so it only appropriate that he join the festivities. I see he going with the Baily's Irish Cream through, instead of the green colored Budweiser!

11. Rudy looking fury much like an Irish Gent out for a morning stroll...must be all that red hair!

12. Real authentic Irish? Well, I couldn't find Irish Setter, but I find Irish Terrier instead! Please welcome Keeley all decked out in Irish Green and Celtic Gold!

13. And of course, when I comes to St. Patrick's Day, I am the Queen of the Green!

Do you like my lovely green necklace? (No, I cannot play that harp. I do not have any fingers to pluck it with!)

Thank you for joining us at Diamond O'Reilly's Black Cat Pub as we celebrate all things Irish!

Next week we visit Hollywood for our T-13. Purrhaps we will find some starlets that we didn't know about on the "cats"-ting couch?

(Please remember that all guests are welcome to use their tags on their own blogs as well. Just click to go to the Photobucket page where you can download the photo, or the copy URL link!)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T08:19:00.001-04:00

An Irish Blessing

2009-03-17T08:04:00.001-04:00

Myth Monday: Canberra Day

2009-03-16T09:18:00.002-04:00

Victoria bush fire tags created with the Phoenix Charity Collab kit from the Aussie Scrap Store. All proceeds benefit the victims of the Victoria Bush Fires.

Canberra Day is a public holiday held annually on the second Monday in March in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to celebrate the official naming of Canberra, the Capital of Australia. Canberra is similar to Washington D.C. in the United States.

Canberra was named at a ceremony on March 12, 1913 by Lady Denman, the wife of the then Governor-General Lord Denman.

On 3 March 2007, ACT Minister Andrew Barr introduced a bill to change the day of Canberra Day to the second Monday in March so it falls closer to the actual birthday of Canberra. Previously it had been held on the third Monday in March.

With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney, and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne. The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities.

It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely purpose-built, planned city. Following an international contest for the city's design, a design by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The city's design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title "bush capital". Although the growth and development of Canberra were hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression, it emerged as a thriving city after World War II.

As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Library of Australia. The federal government contributes the largest percentage of Gross State Product and is the largest single employer in Canberra.

As of 2006, the population of Canberra was 323,056 people and the city has a population density of 1,005.0 persons per square kilometre (2,602.9/sq mi), which is dense with respect to other Australian cities. The 2006 census showed that 1.2% of Canberra's population were of indigenous origin and 21.7% were born overseas. The largest group of people born overseas came from English-speaking countries, led by the United Kingdom and then New Zealand. Significant numbers of immigrants have also come from Germany, Italy and Vietnam. Recent immigrants have arrived from countries in east and south Asia. Most Canberrans are native speakers of English; many have a second language, the most common being Mandarin, Italian, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Greek.

Canberrans are relatively young, highly mobile, and well educated. The median age is 34 years, and only 9.8% of the population is aged over 65 years. Between 1996 and 2001, 61.9% of the population either moved to or from Canberra, which is the second highest mobility rate of any Australian capital city. As of May 2004, 30% of people in the ACT aged 15–64 had a level of educational attainment equal to at least a bachelor's degree, significantly higher that the national average of 19%. Approximately 60% of Canberra residents describe themselves as Christian, the most common denominations being Catholic and Anglican; 6% of the population practice a non-Christian religion and 23% are not religious.

As of 2002 the most common crimes in Canberra are property related crimes, unlawful entry with intent and motor vehicle theft. They affect 1,961 and 630 of every 100,000 persons respectively. Homicide and related offenses (including Murder, Attempted Murder, Manslaughter and Driving Causing Death) affect 1.5/100,000 persons which is below the national average of 4.9/100,000. Rates of assault and sexual assault are also below the national average.

Much like it's American counterpart, Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia. Many Commonwealth government buildings in Canberra are open to the public, including Parliament House, the High Court and the Royal Australian Mint. Lake Burley Griffin is the site of the Captain Cook Memorial and the National Carillon. Other sites of interest include the Black Mountain Tower and the Australian National Botanic Gardens on Black Mountain, the National Zoo and Aquarium on Scrivener Dam, the National Dinosaur Museum and Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre.

The Canberra Museum and Gallery in the city is a repository of local history and art. Several historic homes are open to the public: Lanyon and Tuggeranong Homesteads in the Tuggeranong Valley, Mugga-Mugga in Symonston, and Blundells' Cottage in Parkes all display the lifestyle of the early European settlers. Calthorpes' House in Red Hill is a well preserved example of a 1920s house from Canberra's very early days. Duntroon House, in the suburb of Campbell, was one of the district's earliest homesteads and is now the officers' mess at Royal Military College; it is occasionally open to the public.

Canberra has many venues for live music and theatre: the Canberra Theatre and Playhouse which hosts many major concerts and productions; and Llewellyn Hall (within the ANU School of Music), a world-class concert hall are two of the largest. The Street Theatre, also located on Childers Street, operates as a venue for local professional and amateur production companies, as well as producing a season of professional shows each year. The Albert Hall was the city's first performing arts venue, opened in 1928. It was the original performance venue for theatre groups such as the Canberra Repertory Society and the Canberra Philharmonic Society. The city boasts a very large number of amateur theatre groups for its population base, including many that focus primarily on musicals.

Stonefest at the University of Canberra is Canberra's largest music festival. Canberra is also the home turf of an Australian hip-hop duo, Koolism. There are numerous bars and nightclubs which also offer live entertainment, particularly concentrated in the areas of Dickson, Kingston and the city. Most town centres have facilities for a community theatre and a cinema, and they all have a library. Popular cultural events include the National Folk Festival, the Royal Canberra Show, the Summernats car festival, the Canberra Multicultural Festival in February and the Celebrate Canberra festival which is held over 10 days in March in conjunction with Canberra Day.

Internets Down

2009-03-14T14:21:00.002-04:00

FYI: Our internets are down. I have to go to bean's day hunting place and use the computer there to get on the internets if I want to post. Bean is trying to get it fixed, but she says the embarqs people maybe need to send us new router, so it may not be middle of week.

Just so you know and don't worry bout us if we don't post.

Brofur has mild fever and some intestinal problem. VET give him antibotics to take. (Better him than me).

Hungry Calico found in couch

2009-03-13T08:12:00.003-04:00

I see this story on the Associated Press services:

SPOKANE, Wash. – The mysterious mewing in Vickie Mendenhall's home started about the time she bought a used couch for $27. After days of searching for the source of the noise, she found a very hungry calico cat living in her sofa.

Her boyfriend, Chris Lund, was watching TV on Tuesday night and felt something move inside the couch. He pulled it away from the wall, lifted it up and there was the cat, which apparently crawled through a small hole on the underside.

Mendenhall contacted Value Village, where she bought the couch, but the store had no information on who donated it. So she took the cat to SpokAnimal CARE, the animal shelter where she works, so it could recover, and contacted media outlets in hopes of finding the owner.

Sure enough, Bob Killion of Spokane showed up to claim the cat on Thursday after an acquaintance alerted him to a TV story about it. Killion had donated a couch on Feb. 19, and his 9-year-old cat, Callie, disappeared at about the same time.

So...something new to watch for. When donating furniture, make sure cat not inside!

PeeEss: I hear my tabby brofur has to go to the V-E-T! He has case of squirts! Ucky!

Update: Tristan is going to see Dr. McKelvie tomorrow at 10 AM. This is the doctor that took care of him when he got a fishhook stuck in his mouth. This happened before he came to live with us, I'm looking forward to hearing all the dirt on our tabby cat.

T-13: American Road Trip

2009-03-12T00:16:00.001-04:00

I have to say, taking a road trip to visit 13 of my furriends across the United States has been very interesting and a very good learning experience. I never know so many things!

1. Since live in Florida, the very first place I visit is right up the coast from me...Sarasota, where I stop to check in with Peanut Butter and Jenny.

As you know, Florida is very apply name "The Sunshine State" and our main export is Sunshine, both in the form of Florida Citrus, and as a popular tourist destination. with 35 miles of silken beach front, and a rich cultural history, Sarasota is a popular location for the tourist crowd.

2. From Florida, we take a drive along the gulf coast but eventually leave it to head into Arkansas, where we visit with Cookie and her fur-sybs. Arkansas is known as the Natural State, and it is also a pretty good name for it. Arkansas is famous for its natural scenic beauty, clear lakes and streams, and abundant wildlife. Arkansas has 52 state parks, three national forests, five national parks, and the nation's first national River (the Buffalo National River, which meanders through the heart of the Ozarks, is America's first federally protected stream).

The apple blossom is the official state flower in Arkansas. It was once a major apple producing state and still has an Arkansas apple festival each year in the town of Lincoln, in Washington County.

3. Next we go to Texas, the "Lone Star State" where we visit Angus Mhor, our Pixie Bob furriend. The nickname originates from the star on the 1836 flag of the Republic of Texas. The world-famous "Lone Star" is also found on the Texas state flag, the great seal, the state quarter, and is recognized as the official state gemstone cut of Texas.

While many people think of the old west when they think of Texas, in the modern day world Texas is known for it's "Black Gold" - oil for an energy thirst nation.

While oil is no longer the predominant force behind Texas' economic development, in the century since Spindletop roared to life on the Texas Gulf Coast, oil has touched the lives of many Texans, and it continues to provide benefits to residents of the Lone Star State, as well as to people throughout the country.

4. From Texas, we take a long drive through New Mexico and Arizona to get to Las Vegas, Nevada, where I stop to visit with Fin, the famous author of House Cat Confidential. The so called "Silver State" Nevada became huge during the silver rush days of the id 1800's. At that time, silver was literally shoveled off the ground in Nevada. Heavy gray crusts of silver had formed on the surface of the desert over millions of years and were polished by dust and wind to the dull luster of a cow horn.

A big silver bed could be tens of meters wide and more than a kilometer long (worth $27,000 a ton in 1860's dollars). The territory of Nevada and surrounding states were picked clean of silver within a few decades.

Today, Nevada's economy is overwhelmingly based on tourism, especially following the legalization of gambling in 1931, and the resort industries that center around Las Vegas and to a lesser extent, Reno and Lake Tahoe. Gambling taxes are a primary source of state revenue, and service industries employ about half of Nevada's workers.

Much of Nevada's land - about 80% - is Federally owned and is given over to military and related use. Nellis Air Force Base and the Nevada Test Site have been the scene of much nuclear and aircraft testing; Yucca Mountain is slated to be the primary depository for U.S. nuclear wastes.

5. Leaving Fin to enjoy the lights of his home in so-called "Sin City", we head north through Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota, eventually arriving in St. Paul, Minnesota, there to visit with my Tuxi furriend, Theo.

St. Paul is one of the so called "Twin Cities". Minneapolis and St. Paul grew up side by side on the banks of the Mississippi River, while lumbering was the predominate industry in Minnesota in the late 18, and early 1900s. The river provided easy transportation for the huge logs that were cut from the Minnesota forest land.

Their economy has transformed though in the past 200 years from one based on raw materials to one based on finished products and services. Minnesota is part of the growing biomedical industry spawned by research and Rochester is home to the world-famous Mayo Clinic.

The principal economic sectors in Saint Paul are services, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and government. Along with Minneapolis, Saint Paul is the site of one of the largest concentrations of high-technology firms in the United States and ranks among the major commercial centers between Chicago and the West Coast. The city is also among the two or three largest livestock and meatpacking centers in the nation. Sixteen of the Fortune 500 largest U.S. corporations are headquartered in the Twin Cities. The area is also home to 30 Fortune 1000 companies and several of the world's largest private companies. Local companies are involved in the manufacture of super computers, electronics, medical instruments, milling, machine production, food processing, and graphic arts.

Also known as the land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota remains a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, who enjoy the various fishing, hunting, hiking and boating activities around the state.

6. Much as I enjoy visiting with Theo and his brofurs, we must leave and head out on the next part of our road trip. We are going to Boone County, Iowa, where we stop to visit with Dazey and her family!

Iowa is called The Hawkeye State as a tribute to chief Black Hawk, leader of the Sauk Indians (relocated to Iowa after unsuccessful fighting of settlers). Also called The Corn State (90 percent of the land in Iowa is devoted to agriculture).

While we are there, Dazey arrange a trip for us to visit the Iowa Speeday! The Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa is a 7/8 mile long paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tiered Recreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.

The track opened in September 2006 with the Soy Biodiesel 250, won by Woody Howard, for the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Four Champions playoff. The Indy Racing League announced a race there on June 24, 2007, the Iowa Corn Indy 250, which was won by Dario Franchitti, who barely nipped Marco Andretti at the finish line. The track has secured a combined NASCAR Camping World East-West race where results will count towards both series' championships. That race delivered a dramatic battle between 17-year old Joey Logano from the Busch East Series, who defeated Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick, 1998 West Series champion, who represented the West Series at the end of the race. The track has been awarded a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2008, and a Nationwide Series race for 2009. An agreement has been reached with the IRL that will see three more years racing at Iowa from 2009 onwards.

7. That was very much fun. From the Hawkeye State we drive south to arrive in the Show Me State, Missouri, where we visit with Bhu. There are several stories concerning the origin of the "show me" slogan. The most widely known story gives credit to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver for coining the phrase in 1899. During a speech in Philadelphia, he said:

"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."

The phrase is now used to describe the character of Missourians - not gullible - conservative and unwilling to believe without adequate evidence.

Missouri's economy rests chiefly on industry. Aerospace and transportation equipment are the main manufactures; food products, chemicals, printing and publishing, machinery, fabricated metals, and electrical equipment are also important. Coal in the west and north central sections, lead in the southeast, and zinc in the southwest are among the resources exploited by Missouri's mining concerns. Lead (Missouri has been the top U.S. producer), cement, and stone are the chief minerals produced.

Missouri remains important agriculturally; with over 100,000 farms, the state ranks second only to Texas. The most valuable farm products are soybeans, corn, cattle, hogs, wheat, and dairy items. The development of resorts in the Ozarks, including Branson and several lakes, has boosted tourism income.

Bhu's home in Columbia is fury pretty. It was a fury nice place to visit and we greatly enjoyed ourselves.

8. From Missouri, we head north again, driving though Illinois and Indiana to get to Michigan, where we visit with Zoey and the rest of "The Island Cats". Michigan is named the Great Lakes State, as it is situated in and surrounded on three sides by the Great Lakes.

The name Michigan is based on the Chippewa Indian word "meicigama" meaning great water, and refers to the Great Lake. Thirty-two counties in Michigan also have names drawn from Native American languages.

The Upper Peninsula is northern woods country, with what has been described as “ten months of winter and two months of poor sledding.” The abundance of furred animals and forests early attracted fur traders and lumberjacks. Animals were trapped out, virgin forests were stripped, and, in addition, pure copper and high-grade iron ore were rapidly wrested from the earth, so that virtually all of the Upper Peninsula's mines have been closed. Deer, bear, and other game in the forests, as well as abundant fish in streams and lakes, keep the area a rich hunting and fishing ground. Selective cutting and replanting of trees are now employed in the second-growth forests.

The Lower Peninsula is less wild, but in parts no less beautiful, than the Upper. Its forests were also cut over in the lumber boom of the late 19th cent., when Michigan was briefly the world leader in lumber production. The soil of these cut-over lands, unlike the productive earth in other areas of the Lower Peninsula, proved generally unsuitable for agriculture, and reforestation has been undertaken.

Abundant natural beauty and excellent fishing help to make tourism a major Michigan industry. Michigan's historic lack of manufacturing diversity has made it particularly susceptible to the fluctuations of the national economy, and in recent years it has tried to diversify, attracting high-technology industry and developing the service sector.

9. We leave the Michigan Peninsula to head to Ohio to visit with our good furriend, Mr. Hendrix. Ohio's nickname, the Buckeye State, comes from the many buckeye trees that once covered Ohio's hills and plains. The name buckeye stems from native Americans - Indians called the nut "hetuck" (meaning buck eye, as the markings on the nut resemble the eye of a deer).

Ohio has been one of the states that has been hard hit, economically, during current recession. Most of Ohio's economy involves farming or mining, although manufacturing is an important economic activity in Ohio as well. Coal is the number one source of income in the mining industry, followed by natural gas.

Ohio leads all of the other states in the production of building sandstone and in the production of lime, made from limestone to produce cement, chemicals, fertilizer and steel. Clays for bricks, tile, cement, pottery and stoneware are also mined in the state. The oldest mined product of the state is salt and the deepest salt mine (2,000 feet) in the country is found in Ohio. Other mined products are petroleum, sand and gravel, dolomite and gypsum.

Milk, hogs, eggs, beef and turkeys are all raised in the state. Sheep ar raised for mutton and wool and Ohio is the biggest wool-producing state east of the Mississippi River.

Health care is becoming a big industry in the state as well, with the Cleveland Clinic being one of the leading health care facilities in the world.

I was surprised to learn that the official Rock Song of Ohio is "Hang on Sloopy" - I did not know this! The Red Carnation is the official state flower.

10. We jump back in the car while humming "Hang on Sloopy" and head off to Pennsylvania, to visit with Tinker of The Cat Street Boyz.

Pennsylvania's nickname is The Keystone State because it was the middle colony of the original 13 colonies and because Pennsylvania has held a key position in the economic, social, and political development of the United States. The state song of Pennsylvania also mentions the state nickname in the second verse: "Birthplace of a mighty nation, Keystone of the land." The word keystone is from architecture, it describes the central wedge-shaped stone in an arch which holds all the other stones in place:

Three of America's most treasured documents were written in Pennsylvania: the US Constitution, the Declaration of independence, and the Gettysburg address.

Pennsylvania was once the nations leading steel producer, but the industry had declined dramatically in recent years. Heavy industry has declined in general, but the state still manufactures metal products, transportation equipment, food stuffs, machinery, chemicals, and a wide variety of plastic, rubber, stone, clay, and glass products.

The Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, situated at opposite ends of the state and dominating the commercial and industrial life of their regions, present startling contrasts in production and culture. Other leading cities are Allentown, Bethlehem, Erie, Reading, Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre.

11. From Pennsylvania, we head up into New York to stop in Buffalo and visit with Pride and his family. Pride's bean has just become a docent at the Buffalo Zoo, so of course we have to visit the zoo while we are there!

Buffalo is "The Queen City" of "The Empire State". New York is nicknamed The Empire State for its national and global significance. The origin of the nickname is unknown - some sources credit George Washington, who referred to New York state in December 1784 as "at present the seat of the Empire."

Buffalo is much smaller than the better known New York City, but it is still the second largest city in the State of New York, and is the 46th largest in the United States. Situated near the Canadian border, it is close to Niagara Falls and serves as both a gateway to the falls and to our neighbors to the North.

The city has a rich architectural history and here is a wonderful walking tour you can take of downtown Buffalo which is explains the fascinating history of many of the buildings were. Buffalo was once a major manufacturing city, but that has since declined dramatically. Today, Education, Health Services, Professional and Business Finance Areas comprise employment for most of Buffalo's residents.

Most popular accounts hold that the name "Buffalo" is a corruption of the French phrase beau fleuve, "beautiful river," a phrase said to have been exclaimed by French explorers upon seeing the Niagara River. This speculation, however, is contradicted by primary sources. French explorers actually referred to the Niagara River in print as Riviere aux Chevaux, "River of Horses." The earliest name origin theory to appear in print (1825) relates a story about stolen horsemeat being passed off as bison flesh, with the site of the illicit picnic henceforth remembered as "Buffalo," but the author who conveyed this tale expressed his skepticism. What is clear is that there were no bison in the area; that the settlement of Buffalo took its name from Buffalo Creek; and that Buffalo Creek first appeared on a map in 1759-1760. Although the Beau Fleuve theory is the least plausible of several theories, it is unlikely that Buffalo's true name origin can be conclusively established.

(There are Bisons in the Buffalo Zoo!)

12. From New York we drive through Pennsylvania again, and Delaware to get to Richmond, Virginia, where we stop off to see Sanjee and the rest of the Hotties. The state of Virginia was named after England's Queen Elizabeth I. In the early 1600's, all of North America that was not Spanish or French was then called "Virginia" in honor of "The Virgin Queen," and the earliest English colonial expeditions were sent by the Virginia Company of London. Virginia became the 10th state on June 25, 1788.

Richmond is the Capital of Virginia, and like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Greater Richmond area. Surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield counties, the city is located at the intersections of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64, and surrounded by Interstate 295 and Route 288 in central Virginia. The population was 200,123 in 2007, with an estimated population of 1,212,977 for the Richmond Metropolitan Area — making it the third largest in Virginia.

Richmond's economy is primarily driven by law, finance, and government with several notable legal and banking firms, as well as federal, state, and local governmental agencies, located in the downtown area. Richmond is one of twelve cities in the United States to be home to a Federal Reserve Bank. There are also nine Fortune 500, and thirteen Fortune 1000 companies in the city. Tourism is also important, as many historic sights are in or nearby the city.

Sanjee is Queen of Richmond and she have her chafer take us on a tour of the city. It is very beautiful at this time of year, with mild days and cool nights.

13. From Richmond, we head to North Carolina, the last stop on this road trip, where we stop to visit Maggie May.

North Carolina has the rather interesting nickname of the Tar Heel State, which seems to come from North Carolina's long history as a producer of naval stores (tar, pitch, rosin and turpentine from the state's extensive pine forests). North Carolina was a world leader in naval stores production from about 1720 to 1870.

Strawberry's are the official red berry of the state and are grown throughout North Carolina. There are even pick your own berry farms located around the state. Both Strawberries and Blueberries are important to the agricultural economy of North Carolina. Strawberries brought in over $19 million in 2005 and blueberries over $37 million in 2005. According to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina was ranked 3rd in the nation in 2006 in strawberry production, and 5th in blueberry production.

North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco and is a major producer of textiles and furniture. It grows 40% of all U.S. tobacco, but the continuing trend is toward diversification. Broilers, hogs, turkeys, greenhouse products, sweet potatoes, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and eggs are important. Plentiful forests supply the thriving furniture and lumber industries. The state has long been a major textile manufacturer, producing cotton, synthetic, and silk goods as well as various kinds of knit items. Other leading manufactures are electrical machinery, computers, and chemicals; the Research Triangle complex near Chapel Hill has spurred high-tech manufacturing, as well as bringing federal jobs into the state. The state also has mineral resources: It leads the nation in the production of feldspar, mica, and lithium materials and produces substantial quantities of olivine, crushed granite, talc, clays, and phosphate rock. There are valuable coastal fisheries, with shrimp, menhaden, and crabs the principal catches. Charlotte developed in the 1980s into a major U.S. banking center, and related businesses have flourished in the area.

This has been a very exciting trip. Since we only get to see 13 states this time around, I look forward to another road trip in which I can discover more about the diversity of this fascinating country in which I live. I would also like to go visit my Canadian furriend someday and learn more about their homes.

I hope you enjoyed your journey along with me. Next week is St. Patrick's Day and we will have 13 cats purrading the Green as part of our celebration here at Diamond O'Reilly's Black Cat Pub!

Myth Monday: The Leprechaun

2009-03-09T00:02:00.000-04:00

In Irish mythology, a leprechaun (Irish: leipreachán) is a type of male faerie said to inhabit the island of Ireland. They are a class of "faerie folk" associated in Irish mythology and folklore, as with all faeries, with the Tuatha Dé Danann and other quasi-historical peoples said to have inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts.

Leprechauns and other creatures of Irish mythology are often associated with "faerie forts" or "faerie rings" — often the sites of ancient (Celtic or pre-Celtic) earthworks or drumlins.

Leprechauns usually take the form of old men who enjoy partaking in mischief. Their trade is that of a cobbler or shoemaker. They are said to be very rich, having many treasure crocks buried during war-time. According to legend, if anyone keeps an eye fixed upon one, he cannot escape, but the moment the gaze is withdrawn, he vanishes.

The supposed wealth of leprechauns is noted in popular folklore. They are said to like to hide their gold in secret locations, which can only be revealed if a person were to actually capture and interrogate a leprechaun for its money. Another popular belief is that you may find a leprechaun and his pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

There are a number of possible etymologies of the name "leprechaun". One of the most widely accepted theories is that the name comes from the Irish word leipreachán, defined by Dinneen as "a pigmy, a sprite, a leprechaun; for luchorpán"; the latter word Dinneen defines as "a pigmy, a leprechaun; 'a kind of aqueous sprite'"; this word has also been identified as meaning "half-bodied", or "small-bodied". This is the etymology given in the Collins English Dictionary.

The word which is widely believed to be the root and one of the ones quoted by the Oxford English Dictionary is luchorpán. An alternative derivation for the name and another one quoted by the Oxford English Dictionary, is leath bhrógan, meaning shoe-maker — the leprechaun is known as the fairy shoemaker of Ireland and is often portrayed working on a single shoe. Another derivation has the word "leprechaun" deriving from luch-chromain, meaning "little stooping Lugh", Lugh being the name of a leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The word leprechaun was first recorded used in the English language in around 1605 in Dekker's The Honest Whore, Part 2 as lubrican. The original meaning was of some kind of spirit and not specifically associated with the Irish mythological character:

"As for your Irish Lubrican, that spirit
Whom by preposterous charms thy lust has raised."

Some alternative spellings of the word leprechaun that have been used throughout the ages are: leprechawn, lepracaun and lubberkin. The word leprehaun has also been used.

The leprechaun originally had a different appearance depending on where in Ireland he was found. Prior to the 20th century, it was generally agreed that the leprechaun wore red and not green. Samuel Lover, writing in the 1831 describes the leprechaun as,

... quite a beau in his dress, notwithstanding, for he wears a red square-cut coat, richly laced with gold, and inexpressible of the same, cocked hat, shoes and buckles.

Yeats, in his 1888 book entitled Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry describes the leprechaun as follows:

He is something of a dandy, and dresses in a red coat with seven rows of buttons, seven buttons on each row, and wears a cocked-hat, upon whose pointed end he is wont in the north-eastern counties, according to McAnally, to spin like a top when the fit seizes him.

In a poem entitled The Lepracaun; or, Fairy Shoemaker, the 18th century Irish poet William Allingham describes the appearance of the leprechaun as:

...A wrinkled, wizen'd, and bearded Elf,
Spectacles stuck on his pointed nose,
Silver buckles to his hose,
Leather apron - shoe in his lap...

Some commentators accuse Allingham of leaving the legacy of the modern image of the leprechaun described below.

The modern image of the leprechaun is almost invariant: he is depicted as having red hair (often with a beard), wearing an emerald green frock coat, and bestowed with the knowledge of the location of buried treasure, often in a crock of gold.

One school of thought suggests that the popular image of the leprechaun is an entirely American invention, its roots being in anti-Irish cartoons of the nineteenth century.

Films, television cartoons and advertising have popularized a specific dim-witted image of leprechauns which bears scant resemblance to anything found in the cycles of Irish mythology. Irish people can find the popularized image of a leprechaun to be little more than a series of offensive Irish stereotypes. However, a very good modern story involving a Leprechaun is The Woods Out Back by R.A. Salvatore. The Leprechaun in the story uses illusionary magic to very good effect.

Some of the Leprechauns mythical power's include magical control over the intricate workings of the Earth and the materials that reside there i.e. gold, silver... In several Irish myths Leprechauns have a power of hypnotism or trickery that confuses their target, either allowing the Leprechaun to escape or just to play tricks on unsuspecting victims.

Of Rats and Mice

2009-03-07T17:01:00.002-05:00

A Hunter's Guide

There has been some confusion about the prey me and my tabby brofur bring home. We hunt RATS not MICE. If fact, I have not seen any mice since we moved from North Fort Myers. The only rodents we have on Cape Coral are roof rats (or the occasional escaped domestic rat).

Roof Rat: Also known as the Black Rat, Ship Rat, & in Florida, the Fruit or Citrus Rat.

This is the only rat we have to worry about although Norway Rats are known in Florida, we never see them this far south. They generally stick to the panhandle, where it is cooler.

Roof rats are usually gray to slightly brown in color. Adults are typically 8 inches long, with a 9 inch long tail. The tail is long, dark, and scaly. Roof rats prefer warmer, more tropical climates than Norways. Roof Rats get their name because they spend about 90% of their time above ground. The live in trees, run on power lines, the tops of fences, and they really love to live in the attics of houses.

Females have 4-6 litters per year, with 6-8 young per litter. They are fully weaned within a month, and sexually mature in as little as two months. They don't live very long in the wild, seldom more than a year, and even less if I am around.

Roof Rats are nocturnal, which is why you hear them scampering in your attic in the middle of the night. This is also the best time to hunt them.

House Mouse: The House Mouse is commonly known, but rarely seen in Florida. Many people who claiming to have seen mice, have in fact seen juvenile Roof Rats. Mice are very small, less than an ounce in weight. They exhibit behaviors similar to rats. They are nocturnal, like to live in homes, and destroy food and property with their chewing.

Sometimes we eat the rat and sometimes we do not. Because I live feral for a while, I am more likely to indulge in the eating of prey than my brofur seem to be. If I catch juvenile roof rats, especially, I love to munch down on them. The older ones not so tasty.

The hunting of rodents is a very serious business for us. Rodents can be very damaging to properties. Their teeths grow all the time and so they are always gnawing on things, like woodworks to wear their teeths down. This can very damaging to homes.

They can also carry diseases such as rabies, not to mention parasites like fleas, ticks and mites.

Remember, they are not like the cute fancy rats some people keep as pets. These are wild animals and are likely to bite you if you try to play with them. Rat bites, BTW, are very painful.

The best way to kill either rats or mice is to use the pounce technique. Basically you sneak up on the animal and then very quick pounce on the rodent's back. This usually breaks their back and prevents them from running much, so you can control them better until you get a killing strike in. Remember that you must move fast with them as they will bite back and you do not wish to get nibbled.

We were given the Kreativ Blogger award by -d ma and the crew at .

I winned this award last month from Karen Jo as well. So I am just going to re-purr-t what I write then:

List 6 things that make you happy. Pass the award on to 6 bloggers who you think are Kreativ. Link to the blogger who gave you the award. Link to the blogs receiving the award. Notify the recipients.

Here are six things that make me happy:

1. Temptations
2. Being with my bean.
3. Getting combed with my shiny comb.
4. Fev-vers!
5. Laying in the sun on a warm summer's day.
6. Getting lots of comments, so please make sure you leave me one!

I would now like to pass this award on to:

Misha, for his Purresident of the world contest,
Top Cat Rules, for their beautiful scrapbook pages,
Goma, for a furry Kreativ blog,
Daisy & Harley, who always has fun and Kreativ things on their bloggie,
Cat Synth - for all the music,
and everyone at CCSI for all the hard work and Kreativity that goes into their productions.

T13: Gorgeous Gingers

2009-03-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week we dip into the archives again, and take a look at 13 Gorgeous Gingers from around the Cat Blogosphere!

1. Rudy, from Perfectly Parker.

2. Dante, from the Purrageous Pirates

3. Sunny, a.k.a. Mommy's Little Fat Boy.

4. Brainball from Ballicus Blog.

5. Billy Sweetfeets, from Meezertails

6. Beezer, from the Beezer' Song blog.

7. Goldie, from Sumac Stories.

8. Ping, from the Manx Mnews

9. Moe from Team Tabby

10. Wally, from The Island Cats.

11. Eric & Flynn

12. Pumpkin

13. Kellie the Orange Cat

And a furry special extra today, Winton in memory.

I appoligize to those I miss, but I only have room for 13 this week! Coming up next week, we are going to be doing an all new Road Trip T13, so be sure to join us as we tour the United States!

Playtime!

2009-03-04T08:22:00.003-05:00

What kind of toys do you like?

It should be no secret that the secret to feline happiness is our playtime. We love to play!

Playing not only provides us with exercise, but it keeps our minds sharp and our predatory instincts honed. As playing generally take the form of stalking and catching prey, it should come as no surprise that each us has a certain type of toy or "prey" that we like to play with.

Toys can be broken down into three general categories: birding, mousing and bugging.

These are my favorite toys! I love my little mousies!

Birding toys simulate bird movements and may chirp and flutter, and are usually made of fev-vers. Mousing toys sometime squeak and are often made of fur or fabric. They are often thrown or tossed and we much chase them.

Bugging toys tend to skitter around. The "red dot" laser toy is a popular bugging toy, as is a old fashioned string with a knot in the end.

When I am not mousing, I very much like to play with this rainbow ribbon toy!

Toys should be kept in good condition so they are safe for us to play with. They should be no loose parts that we might accidentally swallow and choke on.

Myself, I am a mouser type of cat. I favor small furry mice, although the fev-ver butt mice are very good too. I will also play with sparkly wands, but only if they are small.

Tabby brofur prefers these fev-ver wands.

The big turkey bird toy is my Tabby Brofur's favorite (well not counting catnip that is), and he likes to jump and catch. He also like little balls that he can bat round and pounce on.

What is your favorite toy? Please leave a comment and let me know!

Myth Monday - The Shamrock

2009-03-02T01:19:00.002-05:00

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland. It is a three-leafed old white clover. It is sometimes of the variety Trifolium repens (a white clover, known in Irish as seamair bhán) but today usually Trifolium dubium (a lesser clover, Irish: seamair bhuí).

The diminutive version of the Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamróg", which was anglicised as "shamrock", representing a close approximation of the original Irish pronunciation. However, other three-leafed plants — such as black medic (Medicago lupulina), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and wood-sorrels (genus Oxalis) — are sometimes designated as shamrocks. The shamrock was traditionally used for its medical properties and was a popular motif in Victorian times. It is also a common way to represent Saint Patrick's Day. Perhaps because they are rare, 4-leaved Shamrocks are said to bring good luck.

The shamrock has been registered as a trademark by the Government of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, it is also used by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The shamrock is also informally used as an emblem for sports teams, state organisations, and troops abroad from Ireland: the IRFU, Cliftonville F.C. Shamrock Rovers F.C., Aer Lingus, IDA Ireland, University College Dublin, University of Notre Dame, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Fáilte Ireland use it as part of their identity, but it should be noted that according to the Irish Constitution, the Gaelic or Celtic harp (often called "Brian Boru's Harp"), is the primary symbol for Ireland, appearing on postage stamps, government insignia, armed forces insignia and the coat of arms of the President of Ireland. It is registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization as a symbol of Ireland. According to what the Oxford English Dictionary calls "a late tradition" (first recorded in 1726), the plant was used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. The posthumous timing of this legend (coming some 1200 years after his death), and the lack of supporting evidence found in St. Patrick's writings have caused some to question its authenticity.

The shamrock is featured on the passport stamp of Montserrat, many of whose citizens are of Irish descent. In addition, the shamrock is frequently used as a name and symbol for Irish pubs throughout the world.

The flag of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada has a shamrock in the lower right quadrant. The shamrock represents the Irish population, one of the four major ethnic groups that made up the population of the city in the 19th century when the arms were designed.

The coat of arms on the flag of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation was cradled in a wreath of shamrock.

The Erin Go Bragh flag uses an angelic Cláirseach, a medieval Irish harp, cradled in a wreath of clover. A flag strongly symbolic of Irish nationalism, it is often seen on Saint Patrick's Day, usually displayed during the parades.

The four-leaf clover is often confused with the shamrock. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a different significance.

Psst! Want to show off your Irish Spirit? My bean is giving away a free St. Patrick's Day themed Blog in a Box on her bloggy! It comes with easy to follow destructions in case you are a blogger dummy. And you don't even need a graphics program to edit it. She'll tell you how to put text on the banner and the labels without one!

And remember -- pet me! I'm Irish!

Feline Friday

2009-02-27T00:30:00.003-05:00

"The naming of cats is a difficult matter
It isn't just one of your holiday games
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you a cat must have three different names"

Despite what was written in Ole Possum's Book of Practical Cats, most cats end up with only one name - the one the family calls them daily.

But even so, some of those names can be interesting. Here's a list of names compiled by PetPlace.com that some humans have named the stray cats that have taken over their lives, and hearts:

Abby - which was short for Abandoned Kitty.
Alley - found in an alley
Attitude - Atti-cat
Natasha
Angel
Berm - found by the side of the road
Bones - skin and bones when they found him
Buddy
Bum
Bumper
Cat Yeta - for yet-a-nother cat!
Cantmandu - for the city
CDC - for my "co-dependent cat" – he is always at my side (see Velcro)
Chance - you took a chance on each other, or you have him a second chance at life)
Clinger – they way they stick to you
Caymen – he just "came in"
Diamond - a precious find *
DC – darn cat (or as my by bean's grandmother called her's: "damned cat")
Dumped - he was Dumped and then taken in
Dreamer
Eponine - after a character, a homeless girl, in "Les Miserables"
Fleabag – found with fleas
FIONA CAT- If ya own a cat...ya may as well own 10.
Fightclub – took in a cat that had been in a fight and wounded
Found - pair of kittens were named Lost and Found! (See Lost, below)
Foster - for foster child
Gimpy – found limping
Glory
Gulliver - And yes, Gulliver did travel...
Gypsy
Happy
Hazard
Heaven - you found a little piece of Heaven
Heidi – used on cat that was scared and "hiding"
Hideaway
HodgePodge
Hobo
Houdini - He would disappear but always wanted to be found.
Hope – for a pet given home for a second chance
Hoover – the stray would eat anything
Gem - found a real gem!
Impulse
Indira
Ivy - she "grew on me"
Jackpot – cat hit the jackpot when he found this home
Jesse - It means gift and he truly named for a cat that was a gift from God
Je t'aime - This is actually French for "I love you".
Journey - Cat was on a journey that led to you...or vise versa
Karma
Kabootle
Keeper
Kitty Cat
Kit Cat
LOST - See "Found", above
Lotus
Lottie - found in a parking lot
Noname
NONA - no name for a cat that didn't have a name
Tenshu - 'little thief'...for a stray that kept eating all the outside cat food until the bowl was empty
Lechat - (pronounced le sha) French for The Cat
Lucky
Main Street - found on Main Street
Malachi - meaning a special messenger from God
Tunji- American Indian Miwok- Means "cat"
Maybe – maybe she will make it and maybe I'll keep her
Margarita - just like tequila bottles have a worm in the bottle, she had a worm in her neck when she showed up
"Mo" - as in "One Mo' Kitty"!
Miss Kittie
Mystakat - he was a mystery cat
Oops
Omi - pronounced: "oh-mee"
Paycheck – started costing his humans their paycheck!
Pest
Palomine - for "Pal of Mine"
Mr. Purrsuasive -"Purrs" or "Mr. P" for short!
Pooka - means good luck charm
Poser - who posed as a resident long enough to fall in love with
Random
Reiki - in Japanese means "spiritually guided life force energy" practiced by reiki masters who lay their hands upon the sick or injured to heal.
Pickles - was in a "pickle" when found
Podunk - found out in the middle of nowhere
Retread - found in an old tire along the road
Riffraf
Riley – now the cat is lving the Life of Riley
Romeo - for a cat that was roaming around and seems to be a real lover!
Rookie! For the new kid on the block
Reuben - Hebrew for "He has seen my misery."
Ruckus - he created a Ruckus when he was brought him home
Secret
Scram
Scampy
Stitch
Solo - she is very much a loner amongst the rest of the cats
Snafu
Stray Kitty
Sticky - cat stuck to us and sort of "chose" us
Stucker - After the kitten got stuck up a tree, then stuck in a car, then stuck in the neighbor's garage overnight. And then he stuck to his new home.
Sweetie
TC – that cat. His humans called him "that cat" for so long, they named him TC when they adopted him
Treasure – a real find
Tramp
Tuesday - Kitty found on that day of the week
Turnup – for a cat that just "turned up"
Vader - short for "Invader"
Velcro - he sticks with you
Yonchi- means Lucky in Chinese (he's a rescued formally feral cat)
WN WN - pronounced one one – waste not/want not

Some call names that my bean have used on strays and ferals she has fed and taken care of:

Wellfair
Goodwill
Nuisance
Bother
"Tommy Cat" - she use this one a lot, as well as "Tigger" for stray ginger tabby males.

Need more names? Try this list of Top 1,200 Pet Names!

Do you have an interesting story as to how you get your name? Leave a comment below and tell me about it!

* My bean say "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!" Hah. For the story of how I get my name, click HERE.

T13: Pawti Gras!

2009-02-26T00:05:00.005-05:00

Welcome to our annual Pawti Gras purrade here in Catatonia! I, Miss Diamond, Queen of Parti Gras have looked into my crystal ball and foreseen fun on the horizon for all!

Remember that here in Catatonia, we accept the Chey Pay and Yao-Lin Loot as the official currencies of Catatonia, and all of our fine establishments accept the Bank of Catatonia Debit and Credit cards as well. As you wander down Whiskey Cat Street, please remember to Paw-ty responsibly, and use a designated teleport operator on your way home. No sense ending up in Doghouse Town unless you really meant to go there.

Oh look, here comes our first Paw-ti cat - it's Miss Samantha Black. My, that is a lovely mask you have on there!

Don't forget to collect lots of beads and treats to take home with you!

Royce has quite an interesting mask as well. It will probably prove great fun to play with, once you get done wearing it!

No mask for Rori, but she's certainly making up for it on the bead end of things. She even has a bag to collect them all in.

You throw 'em, we'll show 'em! Beads Lady! Beads! (And throw Temptations too!)

Sweet Praline come with her own built in mask! I guess that means she is always ready for a bit of a Paw-ty!

Wow! Allie's way done up and has a float as well! What fun that looks like!

Rosie is the our Princess this year, and doesn't she look lovely wearing her emerald crown?

Khyra of course, loves to Paw-ty with the Kitty Cats. Don't let my brofur see that get up you're wearing though, or he'll want one just like it!

Marilyn Monroew has shows off her lovely Paw-ty hat! It is, of course, no where near as lovely as she is!

It looks like Skittles has founded Krew Skittles - she even has her own Doubloons to toss to the crowd!

Well, I guess every court needs a court jester. I need look no further than my own living room to find Tristan Tabby Cat Longtail, nipped out again as usual!

That boy has a serious abuse problem.

I do not know if they celebrate Carnival in New Zealand, but my bean say all the Kiwis she meet, always up for a Paw-ty. So it should come as not surprise to find Cosmo all decked out and enjoying herself!

Before you leave, don't forget to stop by and say hello to Zed Monster, the king our little festival. You can forget the beads where he is concerned, just bring him Fev-vers!

My...that purrade of pusses over way too quickly! But you join our celebration by leaving us a note and telling us how you've been enjoying the Paw-ty!

Let the good times roll!!!

(As always, our guests are more than welcome to use their tags on their blogs or Catster pages!)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T00:08:00.000-05:00

Tuxi Tuesday

2009-02-24T01:58:00.001-05:00

What you mean, it have my fingersprints all over it?

I don't have any fingers!

Myth Monday - Mardi Gras

2009-02-23T00:46:00.001-05:00

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) in New Orleans, Louisiana, is one of the most famous Carnival celebrations in the world.

The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Catholic season of Lent, starts on Twelfth Night (January 6). It is a season of parades, balls (some of them masquerade balls), and king cake parties. It has traditionally been part of the winter social season, at one time closely related to "coming out" parties for young women at debutante balls.

Celebrations are especially concentrated for about two weeks before and through Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. There is usually one major parade each day (weather permitting); many days have several large parades. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the season. In the final week of Carnival many events large and small occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities.

The parades in New Orleans are organized by Carnival krewes. Krewe float riders toss throws to the crowds; the most common throws are strings of plastic colorful beads, doubloons (aluminium or wooden dollar-sized coins usually impressed with a krewe logo), decorated plastic throw cups, and small inexpensive toys. Major krewes follow the same parade schedule and route each year.

While many tourists center their Mardi Gras season activities on Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, none of the major Mardi Gras parades has entered the Quarter since 1972 because of its narrow streets and overhead obstructions. Instead, major parades originate in the Uptown and Mid-City districts and follow a route along St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, on the upriver side of the French Quarter.

To New Orleanians, "Mardi Gras" refers to the whole Carnival season; visitors tend to refer to Fat Tuesday as "Mardi Gras." Some locals have thus started to refer to the last two days of Carnival as "Lundi Gras" (Fat Monday) and Fat Tuesday to avoid confusion.

Mardi Gras was brought to Louisiana by early French settlers. The first record of the holiday being celebrated in Louisiana was at the mouth of the Mississippi River in what is now lower Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on March 3, 1699. Iberville and Bienville and their men celebrated it. The starting date of festivities in New Orleans is unknown. An account from 1743 notes that the custom of Carnival balls was already established. Processions and wearing of masks in the streets on Mardi Gras took place, were sometimes prohibited by law, and were quickly renewed whenever such restrictions were lifted or enforcement waned. In 1833 Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, a rich plantation owner, raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration.

On Mardi Gras of 1857, the Mistick Krewe of Comus held its first parade. Comus is the oldest continuously active Mardi Gras organization. It started a number of continuing traditions (for example, the use of floats in parades) and is considered the first Carnival krewe in the modern sense. In 1875 Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal state holiday.

War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades, especially during the American Civil War, World War I and World War II, but the city has always celebrated Carnival.

1972 was the last year in which large parades went through the narrow streets of the city's old French Quarter neighborhood; larger floats and crowds and safety concerns led the city government to prohibit big parades in the Quarter. Major parades now take place outside the Quarter.

In 1979 the New Orleans police department went on strike. All the official parades were canceled or moved to surrounding communities, such as Jefferson Parish. Significantly fewer tourists than usual came to the city. Masking, costuming, and celebrations continued anyway, with National Guard troops maintaining order. Guardsmen prevented crimes against persons or property but made no attempt to enforce laws regulating morality or drug use; for these reasons, some in the French Quarter bohemian community are fond of calling 1979 the city's best Mardi Gras ever.

In 1991 the New Orleans city council passed an ordinance that required social organizations, including Mardi Gras Krewes, to certify publicly that they did not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, in order to obtain parade permits and other public licenses. In effect, the ordinance required these, and other, private social groups to abandon their traditional code of secrecy and identify their members for the city's Human Relations Commission. In protest, the 19th-century krewes Comus and Momus stopped parading. Proteus did parade in the 1992 Carnival season but subsequently also suspended its parade for a time. In 2000, Proteus returned to the parade schedule.

Two federal courts later declared that the ordinance was an unconstitutional infringement on First Amendment rights of free association, and an unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of the groups subject to the ordinance. The decision of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals appears at volume 42, page 1483 of the Federal Reporter (3rd Series), or 42 F.3d 1483 (5th Cir. 1995). The Supreme Court refused to hear the city's appeal from this decision.

Today, most krewes operate under a business structure; membership is basically open to anyone who pays dues, and any member can have a place on a parade float. In contrast, the old-line krewes were social groups that used class and economics to create exclusive groups. They used the structure of the parades and balls to extend the traditions in their social circles of the debutante season.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in late 2005 caused many to question the future of the city's Mardi Gras celebrations. The city government, essentially bankrupt after the storm, pushed for a massively scaled back celebration to limit strains on city services. However, many krewes insisted that they wanted to and would be ready to parade, so negotiations between krewe leaders and city officials resulted in a compromise schedule. It was scaled back but less severely than originally suggested.

The 2006 New Orleans Carnival schedule included the Krewe du Vieux on its traditional route through Marigny and the French Quarter on February 11th, the Saturday two weekends before Mardi Gras. There were several parades on Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday the 19th a week before Mardi Gras. Parades followed daily from Thursday night through Mardi Gras Day. Other than Krewe du Vieux and two Westbank parades going through Algiers, all New Orleans parades were restricted to the Saint Charles Avenue Uptown to Canal Street route, a section of the city which escaped significant flooding. (Some krewes unsuccessfully pushed to parade on their traditional Mid-City route, despite the severe flood damage suffered by that neighborhood).

The city placed restrictions on the length of time when parades could be on the street and how late at night they could end. National Guard troops assisted with crowd control for the first time since 1979. Louisiana State troopers also assisted although they have maintained a presence during Mardi Gras for many years. Many floats had been partially submerged in floodwaters for weeks. While some krewes repaired and removed all traces of these effects, others incorporated flood lines and other damage into the designs of the floats.

Most of the locals who worked on the floats and rode on them were significantly affected by the storm's aftermath. Many had lost most or all of the possessions in their homes, but enthusiasm for Carnival was even more intense than usual as an affirmation of life. The themes of many costumes and floats had more barbed satire than usual, with commentary on the trials and tribulations of living in the devastated city. References included MREs, Katrina refrigerators and FEMA trailers, along with much mocking of FEMA, local, and national politicians.

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple (Justice), green (Faith), and gold (Power). These colors are said to have been chosen by Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch Romanoff of Russia during a visit to New Orleans in 1872. This doctrine was reaffirmed in 1892, when the Rex Parade theme "Symbolism of Colors" gave the colors their meanings.

Each year; the Mardi Gras (or Carnival) season starts on January 6, also known as Twelfth Night. The Twelfth Night Revelers, one of Carnival's oldest Krewes, holds a masked ball each year to mark the occasion. Like Twelfth Night Revelers, many of Carnival's oldest groups, such as the Elves of Oberon and the High Priests of Mithras, hold masked balls, but do not parade in public.

The parade season starts off some three weekends before Mardi Gras Day with the Krewe du Vieux parade.

There is usually at least one parade every night starting two Fridays before Mardi Gras.

Friday Freebie and an Award

2009-02-20T08:18:00.001-05:00

My bean have released her first ever scrapkit! It is a St. Patrick's Day themed taggers kit and you can find it on her bloggie.

Click to bigify

It have 15 papers and 87 elements, so there is lot so things for you to play with. One of the things is Squirrel O'Malley:

I have never seen a green squirrel before, but I would like to catch one. I think it would taste like Feline Greenies!

I of course snoopervise the project. Taggers size means that the papers are 800 x 800 pixel and 300 DPI. It is suitable for online graphics, for creating blog layouts, and for creating and printing "brag books" pages of up to 5 x 7 inch size.

We hope that you will enjoy this little freebie from us on Friday. Sunshine, rainbows and a pot of gold - pretty good freebie, I think!

Also, PB&J have given me the Proximidade Award:

Here are the rules for this award:

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I have already recieve this award once before from Jewel Girl and the Jewel Cats, and pass it on to eight other bloggers, so I will not pass it on again.

Unless of course you do not have it & would like it. Then feel free to take it and say I have awarded it to you!

I know, I have been furry remiss about putting the awards on my sidebar, I needs to work on that!

T-13: Thursday Grr's Day

2009-02-19T01:01:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to do 13 Patriotic Cats this week for Purresidents' Day, but my bean tell me not to promise last week, and I did not. As it turn out, she never even get started on the project, as she have too many other things going on. So this week, I am instead dipping into the archives again, and - in honor of Thursday being Grr's Day -- T13 with Grr!

Basically Grr

Grr just wanted to go to the beach, like the rest of the cats for spring break. But she use the El Cheapo travel service, instead of booking with Catatonic Air, and end up with some very interesting results!

Heading south, so she do not fall off the edge of th world, Grr finds more water, a strange park where people stand around in lines for hours on end, and a very large and frightening woofie!

Maybe she shouldn't have gone on the bar crawl, but what's this? Aliens? Can Grr save the world? Or maybe she should just put on that pair of ruby slippers...

Welcome home Grr, to the one place you reign supreme!

Cowgrr Baby!

Electric Blue

Fade to black

The better to bite you with, my dear!

Heart of Darkness!

Cause she is living in a material world, and she is a material Grr!

A classic from Grristmas, as we contemplate what happened to the all the needles that used to be on that Grristmas tree!

And of course, Grr, celebrating Grristmas with her (formerly) blond girl.

Next week we are going to be celebrating Mardi Gras we WILL get that one as we are all quite looking forward to a great big paw-ty in Na' Orleans!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Karen Jo of Kitty Limericks have given me this Kreativ Blogger Award for all the nice images we've been doing.

Here are the rules:

List 6 things that make you happy. Pass the award on to 6 bloggers who you think are Kreativ. Link to the blogger who gave you the award. Link to the blogs receiving the award. Notify the recipients.

Here are six things that make me happy:

1. Temptations
2. Being with my bean.
3. Getting combed with my shiny comb.
4. Fev-vers!
5. Laying in the sun on a warm summer's day.
6. Getting lots of comments, so please make sure you leave me one!

I would now like to pass this award on to:

Misha, for his Purresident of the world contest,
Top Cat Rules, for their beautiful scrapbook pages,
Goma, for a furry Kreativ blog,
Daisy & Harley, who always has fun and Kreativ things on their bloggie,
Cat Synth - for all the music,
and everyone at CCSI for all the hard work and Kreativity that goes into their productions.

Woofie Wednesday - Here a Chihuahua, there a Chihuahua

2009-02-18T00:32:00.000-05:00

There is a Chihuahua overpopulation crisis, and many pet experts are blaming Paris Hilton and other Hollywood Starlets who flaunt the little dogs as fashion accessories.

Animal Shelters - especially in trendy California - are full to bursting with the little woofies, who were purchased and then dumped when people get tired of caring for them.

"Chihuahuas are not a toy or fashion accessory," said Lynnie Bunten, chairperson of the Chihuahua rescue for the Chihuahua Club of America in a recent interview reported by FemaleFirst.co.uk. "But because some people think they are, then realize they are wrong - there's a growing problem of abandoned Chihuahuas."

She says that many young girls see Paris with her dog Tinkerbell and want to emulate her. Because of this, the club will not allow adoptions to anyone under the age of 21.

"They just want the dog for the wrong reason," Bunten stated in the article. "I think it's just plain silly when you see a woman walking around with a Chihuahua in her purse because she thinks it's fashionable.

Movies like "Beverly Hill Chihuahua" and "Legally Blond" have not helped matters. A similar situation occurred when Taco Bell was using the adorable pups in their advertising campaign.

While the shelters try their best to place the dogs, many sadly, are euthanized as unwanted.

Some of the shelters have been criticized for their attempts to get the dogs adopted as well. A shelter in Santa Barbara, California, held an "Adopt A Chihuahua Week" - offering a fur-trimmed pink carrying case to anyone who adopted one of the little woofies from them. But this simply furthers the image of the dogs as a fashion accessory! Instead, pet experts suggest reduced adoption fees, free training classes, and responsible ownership packages including vaccinations and free bags of food as better incentives.

In 2005 readers of two different dog magazines voted Hilton the worst pet owner in show biz. At one point Hilton "lost" Tinkerbell, and replaced him with a smaller, cuter Chihuahua. Tinkerbell had reportedly gotten too large to be toted around in Hilton's purse. Since then she's also been seen with a ferret and an illegal kinkajou monkey.

Tinkerbell became a celibri-pup after he was glamorized in a book called "The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries: My Life Tailing Paris Hilton" in 2004. While he's still on the scene, she's definitely not the only pup in Hilton's purse.

Last year (2008) the hotel heiress was investigated after admitting she owned 17 dogs, allegedly breaking U.S. laws that ban non-breeders from having more than three per address.

While websites like famouschihuahua.com provide good information for dog owners, they also glamourize the pups. More information on these miniature woofies can be found at the Chihuahua Club of America.com which also has a listing of rescue organizations by state.

The American Kennel Club(R) reminds potential owners about the importance of making careful, educated decisions when considering adding a dog to their home. People can help ensure that all Chihuahuas - and all dogs -- find themselves in loving, life-long homes by consulting resources such as The Chihuahua Club of America and the American Kennel Club.

Talkative Tuesday: Secondhand Smoke

2009-02-17T00:05:00.001-05:00

My bean's sister has been going through some difficult times of late, many of which she bring upon herself. But recently she loose her cat, Kee to cancer and now, their wiener woofie has developed cancer too. My bean's sister is a heavy smoker. She has smoked since she was 11 or 12, something she started as an act of rebellion against her mother.

Of all the overwhelming reasons to quit smoking, this one should make pet lovers sit up and take notice: there's ample scientific evidence to suggest that secondhand cigarette smoke can cause cancer in companion animals.

And we don't just inhale smoke; the smoke particles are also trapped in our fur and ingested when we groom ourselves with our tongues. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that dogs in smoking households had a 60 percent greater risk of lung cancer; a different study published in the same journal showed that long-nosed dogs, such as collies or greyhounds, were twice as likely to develop nasal cancer if they lived with smokers.

And in yet another study, vets from Tufts University found that cats whose caretakers smoked were three times as likely to develop lymphoma, the most common feline cancer.

Because dogs age almost seven times faster than their human companions, secondhand smoke can cause problems fast. While taking your pet in for frequent check up is a good idea, the vets do not do any specific tests to check for early signs of cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

This is not to say that second hand smoke is the cause of cancer in the two animals that live(d) in my bean's sister's household. Indeed, the cause may be completely different. But scientific studies have linked secondhand smoke to many health problems in companion animals: bronchitis, heart disease, and cancer.

Dr. Lynn Weber, a pharmacist, professor and researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, has found some significant changes in the blood vessels of dogs who live in the homes of smokers. During an interview for Dr. Phil Zeltman's pet newsletter, she said: "In people, these changes are linked to stroke and heart attacks. Granted, these diseases are rare in dogs, so I am trying to understand what these changes mean in dogs."

In testing companion animals who live with smokers, researchers in Colorado found toxins from cigarette smoke in dogs' urine. A 2007 study done at the University of Minnesota shows that cats who live with smokers also have nicotine and other toxins in their urine.

According to a study done in 1992, a dog that has exposure to a smoker in the home is 1.6 times more likely to develop lung cancer than a dog that is not exposed to a smoker. Of course things must be taking into consideration when determining the risk factor including the number of smokers in the home, the number of packs of cigarettes smoked in the home per day by the heaviest smoker, and the time the dog spent inside the home, plus the age, sex, body size and skull shape of the animal.

Both Kee and Pee Wee spent a great deal of time in the bedroom with my bean's sister, where she smoked most frequently. Sadly Pee Wee's cancer has progressed to the point that he will have to be helped to the bridge to easy his suffering.

When I live with Loretta-bean, she smoke. But my bean now does not and I do not like the smell of smoke on humans anymore. We have a new neighbor that smoke, and I have started coming and going through the back door, something I never have done before, so I do not need to pass near them.

Sadly while the public is slowly becoming aware of the effect of secondhand smoke, the concept is still unknown to many. Many veterinarians are even unaware of the studies, and as a result, do not talk to their clients about the potential negative effects of secondhand smoke.

The Smoke Free Society has a free flyer that you can print that outlines the effects of secondhand smoke on pets. If you know a pet lover that smokes, be sure to print this out and give them to them so that they are aware of negative effects they could be having on their beloved companion animals. Perhaps it will help them to kick the habit, and save more than the life of their pet.

Please note that my tabby brofur and I are sorry about our erratic posting of late, but my bean have been very busy with this tackes thing she does at day hunting. We will try to post as much as we can, but we hope that you will understand that her tackes hunting is what brings in the green papers to keep us fed and housed, so it is a bit more important than our blogging, which does not.

Myth Monday - Presidents' Day

2009-02-16T01:34:00.003-05:00

Presidents' Day is celebrated in February to honor two of the United States greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. The holiday is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday in February.

Titled Washington's Birthday, the federal holiday was originally implemented by the United States of Britain federal government in 1880 for government offices in the District of Columbia (20 Stat. 277) and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices (23 Stat. 516). As the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen, the holiday was celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. On January 1, 1971 the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. A draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday to Presidents' Day to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968 kept the name Washington's Birthday.

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents' Day" began its public appearance. The theme has expanded the focus of the holiday to honor another President born in February, Abraham Lincoln, and often other Presidents of the United States. Although Lincoln's birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, approximately a dozen state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday observances as "Presidents' Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other such designations. However, "Presidents' Day" is not always an all-inclusive term. In Massachusetts, while the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday," state law also prescribes that the governor issue an annual Presidents' Day proclamation honoring the presidents that have come from Massachusetts: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge, and John F. Kennedy. (Coolidge, the only one born outside of Massachusetts, spent his entire political career before the vice presidency there. George H. W. Bush, on the other hand, was born in Massachusetts, but has spent most of his life elsewhere.) Alabama uniquely observes the day as "Washington and Jefferson Day", even though Jefferson's birthday was in April. In New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois, while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, Abraham Lincoln's birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week. In California, Lincoln's Birthday is also a legal state holiday, however, observance is frequently moved to the Monday or Friday occurring closest to February 12. When Lincoln's Birthday is observed on the Friday preceding Washington's Birthday, the resultant four-day weekend is commonly called "Presidents' Day Weekend", particularly by retailers in their sale advertisements.

In Washington's home state of Virginia the holiday is legally known as "George Washington Day."

Many American schools use the days leading up to Presidents' Day to educate students about the history of the Presidents' of the United States, especially Washington and Lincoln.

Today, the February holiday has become well-known for being a day in which many stores, especially car dealers, hold sales. Until the late 1980s, corporate businesses were universally closed on this day, the way they are on (for example) Memorial Day or Christmas Day. With the late 1980s advertising push to rename the holiday, more and more businesses are staying open on the holiday each year, and, as on Veterans Day and Columbus Day, most delivery services outside of the U.S. Postal Service now offer regular service on the day as well. Some public transit systems have also gone to regular schedules on the day. Various theories exist for this, one accepted reason being to make up for the growing trend of corporations to close in observance of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. However, when reviewing the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill debate of 1968 in the Congressional Record, one notes that supporters of the Bill were intent on moving federal holidays to Mondays to promote business. Over time, as with many federal holidays, few Americans actually celebrate Presidents Day, and it is mainly known as a day off from work or school, although most non-governmental workers do not get the day off.

Consequently, some schools, which used to close for a single day for both Lincoln's and Washington's birthday, now often close for the entire week (beginning with the Monday holiday) as a "mid-winter recess". For example, the New York City school district began doing so in the 1990s.

The federal holiday Washington's Birthday honors the accomplishments of the man who has been referred to, for over two centuries, as "The Father of his Country". Celebrated for his leadership in the founding of the nation, he was the Electoral College's unanimous choice to become the first President; he was seen as a unifying force for the new republic and set an example for future holders of the office.

The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington's 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart recognizes injuries received in battle. Like Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Washington's Birthday weekend offers another opportunity to honor the country's veterans.

Community celebrations often display a lengthy heritage. Historic Alexandria, Virginia, hosts a month-long tribute, including the longest running George Washington Birthday parade, while the community of Eustis, Florida, continues its annual "George Fest" celebration begun in 1902. At the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and at Mount Vernon in Alexandria, Virginia, visitors are treated to birthday celebrations throughout the federal holiday weekend and through February 22.

In Alabama, the third Monday in February commemorates the birthdays of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who was born in April).

In Arkansas, the third Monday in February is "George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day," an official state holiday.

In New Mexico, President's Day, at least as a state government paid holiday, is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving.

In 2007, the country celebrated both Washington's 275th birthday and the 75th anniversary of the rebirth of the Purple Heart medal.

Since 1862, there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington's Farewell Address be read on his birthday. Citizens had asked that this be done in light of the approaching Civil War. The annual tradition continues with the reading of the address on or near Washington's Birthday.

Do Cats really love?

2009-02-13T00:11:00.000-05:00

The human English language has just one word to describe the different types of love. The ancient Greeks were a bit smarter in this respect; they used different words to describe the love for a spouse, a sibling, a parent or a friend.

You have to wonder which word they used to describe the love between pets and people. Humans know how they feel towards their pets, but it is a little harder for us to convince them that we experience the same emotions toward toward them. Is it really love, or is the bond simply a mixture of instinct, dependence and social role?

In short, do we pets really "love" humans, as they understand it? In a word, the answer is yes, according to clinical evidence. Food does play a large role in feelings of affection between pet and caretaker. But dog does not live by biscuit alone – and neither does a cat's affection depend solely on treats. (Although treats are very nice.) The mere presence and/or touch of a preferred person has been shown to reduce our heart rates – a sign of bonding. (The same is true with horses.)

We Cats are said to be independent, aloof, and not in need of company except on our terms. This is true only of some cats; certainly not all. Cats raised by people from an early age either think they are almost human, or that the human is almost a cat.

In fact, throughout a cat-person bond, the two may switch roles without realizing it. On occasion, a cat will bring home a dead or half-dead animal as a token of her love and respect (a touching, if gruesome by human standards, method of confirming the bond).

Bringing home "love offerings" of this type is a sign of attachment and belonging. There are others that require less clean up. When the bond is strong, a cat will:

Tend to follow his or her human around. She may not follow immediately, but after a moment or two she might casually saunter into the room where they're sitting (as if she's trying to play the whole thing down). The cat may jump in their human's lap or may just find a chair nearby. Either way, she prefers to spend time with her human.

(I do this all the time, but I'm probably not subtle, as I will blast by my bean on the way to bedroom and be all ready to be petted and combed and snuggled with during our reading time together!)

Some cats may become slightly depressed when their humans leave, and will greet them enthusiastically upon their return. She may learn to recognize the sound of the car pulling up and run to the door, to wait for the human's presence.

If I am outside, I will go and greet the car when it pulls up. If I am inside, I am almost always waiting by the door. I do not really become depressed when my bean go day hunting, but if she is out extra-long for some reason, I become concerned. And I always get mad when baseball season start, because she leave me alone! Supposedly cats do not get jealous in the same way that human do, but I do! Just like I do not like to see her fussing over that tabby intruder. She is my bean. He need to go find his own bean!

Some Cats will send subtle signals of affection to their humans throughout the day. These often take the form of classic "cat kisses" – staring at their human adoringly, then squinting or slowly closing our eyes. I do not do this, but sometimes my bean sends cat kisses to me! I love when she do that!

Then there are the not-so-subtle signals, such as rubbing our head upon our human, to mark them with our scent, and of course, purring.

Lying on our back, with our stomach exposed is a sign of trust. Because we are now in a vulnerable position we are showing that we trust the human never to hurt us. Many humans mistakenly think this is a request for a belly rub. It usually isn't. Although I can be a really belly rub fanatic some days!

This is the way we express our affection at its most intense. We can't hold hands, and we're not given to jumping up and kissing you the way dogs do. But there's no difficulty to describe this sort of relationship as love.

Do you have any special behavior(s) that you use to show your human how much you love them? Please leave a message in my comment box and let me know!

T-13: Romantic Cats

2009-02-12T00:17:00.003-05:00

As Valentine's Day is Saturday, for today's T-13, LOVE is in the air, here at my Sweethearts Club, and I am featuring 13 of the most romantic cats from around the Cat Blogosphere. For some of you, this is your first time of being a guest here at my Sweethearts Club, so before you ask, YES! you can use your pictures on blog. Simply click on the picture and it will take you to the Photobucket page where it is stored, and you can copy the link information, or save the image to your computer.

Are we ready then? Good. Let's start out with a new visitor...

1. Crikey is all dress up in his Valentine's Day Tuxedo. But does Miss Olivia hold the key to his heart?

2. Millie looks just darling, as she waits for her sweetheart to call!

3. Missy Blue Eyes looks lovely in pastels, but who is her secret love?

4. No secret where Miss Parker is concerned. We all know she's smitten with a certain crazy tabby!

5. Does Miss Caitie have her heart set on someone, I wonder? "Be Mine" says the Devious Diva!

6. Fat Eric is waiting for his lady cat love to show up. He's all ready for a nice snuggle!

7. China is manning the Kissing Booth. Send some smooches her way!

8. How could we have a Valentine Extravaganza without Monty Q, the lover boy of the Blogosphere?

9. Willow is looking quite lovely, as she wait for the love of her life to come!

10. Nicky is a Red Hot, and he is looking to snag the key to unlock a lady cat's heart!

11. Beau Beau is looking more like a Bon Bon surrounded by all that sugar! But is a trifle, or a truffle?

12. Puff seems to have collected the most hearts of the bunch, and that's quite a pretty collection she has there too!

13. And last but not least, we have one of the most foremost couples in the Cat Blogosphere, for what Valentine's Day would be complete without the lovely Miss Peach, and her handsome mancat Mickey!

That completes today's presentation, but be sure to stop by on Sunday as I post the cards I have made for the members of my Sweethearts Club. Meanwhile, be sure to stop by Skeezix 3rd Annual Valentine's Contest and check out all the lovely entries there!

If you like any of these tags and are wondering how we make them, be sure to stop by my bean's blog at Digicats to find out what kits we use and where to get a copy of them.

You and Your Human Look-A-Like Contest

If you and your Human turn heads on the side walk, enter today for a chance to win a $200 Pet Store Gift Card.
Visit Photobucket for more details. Five winners will be chosen!

Puppy Mill raided in Tennessee!

2009-02-11T20:15:00.000-05:00

Puppy mills are large-scale breeding operations where animals often live in filthy conditions that foster disease and frequently suffer from the absence of even basic veterinary care. That certainly describes the conditions in which more than 250 dogs were found this morning, when the White County, Tenn., sheriff's department initiated a raid on a puppy mill.

American Humane Society responders are in Tennessee, providing emergency sheltering for the seized animals. Several of the responders were on-site during the raid, while others prepared and staffed the emergency shelter to accommodate the dogs being transported to safety. The overall effort is being led by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which is managing operations in the puppy mill investigation by the sheriff’s department. ASPCA disclosed that the dogs suffered from “...little to no food or water, lack of proper ventilation in enclosed areas, and feces encrusted pens. Conditions such as matting, sores, mange, poor teeth, abscesses, and a host of other medical conditions are prevalent.”

Because this operation is a legal case, additional details are pending. However, a local newspaper, The Expositor, reported this afternoon: “The animals being rescued were housed in the residence and multiple buildings on the property. The dogs are small breed under 20 pounds, including Boston and Jack Russell terriers, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, Chihuahuas, poodles, miniature Pinschers, and Schnauzers. The animals were examined immediately on the scene, with those needing emergency care transferred to White County veterinarians, who lent their services. The rest of the animals were transported to a temporary emergency shelter staffed by the American Humane Association.”

You can read the article in the Sparta Expositor. Which also has pictures and a video of the raid.

According to Isom, the investigation will continue with the possibility of charges of aggravated cruelty to animals once the extent of the operation is uncovered.

"We are going after anybody that commits a crime – no matter what the crime," said Sheriff Oddie Shoupe. "We have enlisted help from the Humane Society and the ASPCA during this investigation. White County has a sheriff’s office that does care about all animals. And this type of operation won’t be tolerated."

It is good to hear that these people will be prosecuted! After looking at the pictures, the conditions these poor woofies were housed in are just atrocious!