Cat Art Blog Archive 2

Thursday 29th April 2004

Been spending some time going through this site and checking on links to posters and prints. Found a few that led to posters that are now unavailable so I've been replacing those. Probably there are some still to be found, I'll keep checking.__________________

Florence Nightingale (The Lady of the Lamp) is said to have owned more than sixty cats, most of them Persians, during her lifetime. She pioneered the concept of battlefield nursing and cared for thousands of injured British troops in the Crimean War, working night and day in horrific conditions. She returned home to a heroine's welcome, but shunned the limelight saying that she preferred cats to people. At the end of her life she lived alone with her cats complaining of mysterious stains on her paperwork.

Saturday 1st May 2004

I have been reading a news report about a kitten born with an extra pair of ears. Lilly the kitten was born on a farm in the foothills of the Alps in southern Germany, has an extra pair of smaller, nonfunctioning ears just behind the normal two.

Lilly was passed to a local animal shelter, who received dozens of calls requesting to adopt her, after local media published pictures of the black and white kitten. A family that has adopted cats from the shelter in the past has been chosen to have Lilly. The shelter say that they wanted to ensure the kitten did not go to someone who would make an exhibition of her.

Lilly is full of energy, loves to be cuddled and other cats play with her and treat her no differently to a cat with two ears.

Monday 3rd May 2004

It is a public holiday today in the UK, so naturally the weather is not so good. I must admit though, yesterday's weather was fantastic, trouble is that it is for today that I've made arrangements to visit friends in the country. Ah well, I will enjoy the visit anyway.

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Put two new pages up yesterday. The long promised page on Plants Toxic to Cats
and
Poisonous Plant List I hope that you find them useful.

Wednesday 5th May 2004

Serious breeding of pedigree cats did not begin until the 1800's. The first ever cat show took place at the "Crystal Palace" in London England in 1871, this started a trend for exhibiting cats and a professional approach to breeding. Most of the cats shown at these early shows were Persians and domestic shorthairs. A little later, in 1885, Siamese started to be shown. At around this time European and American breeders started introducing their own breeding programs using British pedigree stock and their own native cats.___________

My son and his family have now returned from their holiday in Florida. They had a whale of a time and have golden tans, and extra weight from the large meals served in American restaurants. Anyway, my "chore" of going round to their place to feed Bonkers their cat, is finished. I shall miss the little feline.

Friday 7th May 2004

Another great promotion by AllPosters.com. From now until May 31, 2004 you can save yourself 15% on the entire AllPosters range of posters and prints. You will need to enter the following coupon code in your Shopping Cart: CVP-VHU-Z27-Z84-237

Use the coupon to make a nice saving on their range of Cat Art Prints and Posters as well as any poster or print in stock. Take a peep at their Music Posters, browse their fabulous Fine Art Gallery, boldly go to their Sci-Fi Collection or treat yourself to the Movies.

15% is a saving well worth making, so please don't forget to use the coupon code - CVP-VHU-Z27-Z84-237

Sunday 9th May 2004

Two pages have been added to the Cat Articles section. The first is an excellent article by Lise S. Richards "Developing the "Other Skills" in Your Art Classes" that shows us that we can gain so much more from an art class than just the skills it takes to express ourselves artistically.

The second article Stroking your Cat by yours truly, is about... yes, you've guessed it, the ways that you benefit from giving your cat a stroke.

Monday 10th May 2004

Spent some time yesterday helping my son put up a garden shed. You know the kind, flat packed, self assembly, usually you have to dash back to the supplier to get the part that was missing when you unpack it. We were lucky there, the only thing missing was a few nails and screws and we got those from the hardware shop around the corner. Well, we got the thing up with out mishap, except for me trying to screw in one of the panels upside down. All that was left to do was get the roofing felt on, so we decided it was time for a well deserved break.

There we were sat enjoying tea and doughnuts provided by my daughter-in-law, when Bonkers, the cat that I looked after when my son and family were on holiday, appeared from nowhere. She circumnavigated the new structure and then proceeded to rub the side of her face against each corner. The little cat was doing this, of course, to mark the shed as part of her territory. Just as Bonkers started to rub against the forth corner, Samantha my darling little granddaughter, for reasons known only to herself let out an ear piercing scream. Bonkers shot off like the proverbial scalded cat. I wonder if she will ever approach that shed again.

Wednesday 12th May 2004

The third Earl of Southampton was imprisoned in the Tower of London by Queen Elisabeth 1. Stories would have us believe that his cat named Trixie traveled across London, climbed on to the roof of the Tower and down the chimney to his cell and kept him company for the two years of his imprisonment.

We do know that Trixie did indeed serve time with the Earl, because a portrait of the nobleman was painted of him in his cell showing the cat. But a more likely explanation of the cat's presence is that the Earl's wife smuggled the cat in.

It was around this time in England's history that men were hung for stealing a loaf of bread to feed their starving family. What was it then, that the Earl had done, to get just two years in what the portrait shows to be quite a comfortable cell?

Friday 14th May 2004

I don't know for sure if this is still true today, but it was at least until very recently. There are 'official' Post Office cats employed by the Royal Mail in the UK.

These cats are used to protect letters and parcels from damage by rats and mice. In Victorian times it was quite common to send parcels of food through the post, and these attracted rodents. It was not thought a good idea to use rat poison near parcels that are sent to peoples homes, also traps were ruled out because of the danger to postmen sorting letters in a confined space. One night a large number of money orders were eaten by mice. The Controller of Money orders put in a request for two shillings a week to feed three cats to stop this from happening again. He was told that the cats will receive only one shilling, that way they will be hungry and catch more mice! I've worked for a few employers like that!

You may want to check out 15% Off Any Purchase at AllPosters.com before the offer expires.

Friday 14th May 2004

I've reworked Siamese Cat Pictures to better reflect the range of posters and art prints of the Siamese cat breed that is available. See what you think.

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Wilberforce was a black and white cat who was employed at 10 Downing Street, the 'official' home of British Prime Ministers. He successfully carried out his duties of keeping the place free of mice during the occupancy of Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher. He once appeared on television with Mrs. T and received far more fan mail than she did.

He was unofficially retired after 13 years but an announcement was not made to the press. Every time a request was made by the press to photograph the cat Wilberforce was rushed from his new home in the countryside. He passed away in 1988.

Tuesday 18th May 2004

There is a news story here in the UK, that postman are refusing to deliver mail to a house in Cranbrook, Kent. Not because of a vicious dog, but because of a vicious cat!

The cat, a ginger tom named Bat, claws at the legs of the postmen if he catches them when outside, or if Bat is inside when they call he swipes at their hands as they post the mail through the letterbox. Bat's owner, Dan Coyne says that Bat is only little but he does tend to get stroppy. The Royal Mail has suspended letter deliveries to Mr Coyne until Bat mends his ways.____________________________

I found a few links to cat posters and prints that led to items no longer available at this page:Cat Pictures So rather than just change those I've changed the whole page to show fresh stuff.

Thursday 20th May 2004

I received a message yesterday from someone who asked the question "What would make a cat eat her kittens? Is this common?"

I do hope the sender has not experienced this personally and I also wish I was better qualified to reply. Here is basically the reply that I sent:

This does happen sometimes, I am far from an expert on this but these are the facts as I understand them. Mother cats sometimes do this if they are stressed, it is in a strange sort of way a survival instinct. The younger the mother cat is the more likely she would be stressed by giving birth.Mother cats can also sometimes eat kittens that are born malformed or so sick that they are unlikely to survive, stillborn kittens are also sometimes eaten. This can be a very distressing thing for us humans to experience, but as cruel as it seems it is all part of nature. Some people advice that if a mother cat does this to one litter she will do this to the next and so should be spayed. I don't know if it is true that a cat will repeatedly do this or not, my feeling is that it is dependent upon stress levels, but spaying is always advisable. I am sorry that I do not have a more knowledgeable answer for you, if this sad occurrence has happened to you I can only advise you to speak to your vet.

Saturday 22nd May 2004

Victorian explorers to remote parts of Ethiopia were told tales by tribesman of a gigantic cat they called a Wobo. This cat was said to be as big as a lion with dark stripes, and was reputed to kill and eat every human that it encountered. Many people claimed to have seen a pelt of this mythical beast, but it is most likely that this was a tiger skin imported from India and stories had grown up around it.____________

Time flies! There is now only 9 days left for you to secure yourself a saving of 15% off of any poster or art print at Allposters.com Not only on their fine cat posters and prints, but any one of the thousands that they have in stock.
To get the saving you simply need to enter the following coupon code in your Shopping Cart: CVP-VHU-Z27-Z84-237 More details on this page 15% Off Any Purchase at AllPosters.com

Monday 24th May 2004

Two new pages have been added, Turkish Van Cats and Turkish Van Cat Breed, you can find both of them on Cat Breeds.

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In the huge 17th century Natural History of Aldrovandus there is a description and illustration of a weird Curly Legged Cat. This seems to be a tabby pattern cat, with both front and rear right legs curled up at the ends. The book says that the cat was born that way, and indeed it could have been a poor unfortunate mutation, but the way the cat is depicted it does seem that the artist went on a flight of fancy.

Thursday 27th May 2004

These days we are all familiar with cat litter, but until 1947 all that was available for domestic cats hygiene trays was earth, sand or sawdust. Edward Lowe was working in his father's saw mill when a woman of his acquaintance asked him for a bag of sawdust for her cat's sandbox. Edward had noticed how effective dried granulated clay was in soaking up grease and oil spills around the mill. He urged the woman to give the clay a try. She did so, and was soon back telling Edward how well the stuff did its job, and was asking for more.

Edward did not let the grass grow under his feet. He soon had a prosperous little business selling bags of cat litter to local cat owners. Before long the little business developed into a massive concern, and when he sold off the business in 1990 it had a value of 150 million dollars.

Saturday 29th May 2004

How can someone not like cats? A person is free to choose what they do and do not like I suppose, and we can't all like the same things. But it sure beats me why these small, lovable, domestic pets are not liked by everyone. Okay, so not all cats are friendly and affectionate, but most are, but if a particular cat does not want to know you it keeps away from you - what's not to like about that. Cats and kittens are cuddly, intelligent, loyal(ish), clean, amusing, playful(often), good to look at, and reasonably easy to care for. But if someone doesn't like 'em then you can rarely change their mind. After all I do not like snakes, and no matter how much you tell me that snakes are not slimy etc. I still don't like 'em.___________

Only two days left for the 15% discount coupon promotion at AllPosters.com, so I promise that this is absolutely the very last time that I mention it :0) I know that many of you have already made great savings on some great art. You will need to enter the following coupon code in your Shopping Cart: CVP-VHU-Z27-Z84-237

Use the coupon to make a nice saving on their range of Cat Art Prints and Posters as well as any poster or print in stock. Take a peep at their Music Posters, browse their fabulous Fine Art Gallery, boldly go to their Sci-Fi Collection or treat yourself to the Movies.

Monday 31st May 2004

Cat owners in a small Scottish village are fearing for their cats lives after a series of suspected cat poisonings. Six cats have been found poisoned or have disappeared in Newtongrange, and experts suspect that the cat deaths are no coincidence and that cat hating gardeners could be responsible laid poisoned food to kill the pets.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: "We sometimes get reports of cat poisonings in significant number within specific areas. It often happens around spring time, when gardeners who don't like cats take the law into their own hands and put down poison."______________________

A new page added todayIs your cat talking to you? Often times it seems that our cats talk to us. Can they do this? Can the sounds that a cat makes really be described as talking, and can you hold a conversation with them?

Tuesday 2nd June 2004

June already! That's half the year gone, I know the old saying is that "time flies" but it seems that these days it flies faster than a jet fighter.___________

------------------------------Message to Best Cat Art: Larry you love cats so much. Please get a kitten. Couldn't your son look after it if you have to be away? After all you care for little Bonkers.------------------------------

Did you send the above message? I would have sent a personal reply but you did not leave your email address.

Yes, I'm sure that either one of my sons would care for a cat, or any pet, that I had if I were away. What prevents me from owning a cat is where I live, the traffic is far too busy, and getting busier, and I don't want to lose another feline companion in the same way that I lost Basil. Of course, I could keep an indoor cat, but my view is that cats are happier with free access to the outside. Opinions differ on this, and that is just my opinion, I'm not saying I'm right. If I did not have to leave home for so many hours each day while I'm at work, I may consider an indoor cat, perhaps when I retire. Ideally I'd like to move out to the country where I could keep a cat, or better still several, without worrying about traffic. All I've got to do is win that Lottery :0)

Saturday 5th June 2004

I've an apology to make, well a sort of apology. All last month I kept reminding you about the 15% discount offer from AllPosters.com I was urging you to take advantage of the offer before it ran out at the end of may. Many of you did, and secured yourselves some nice savings. Now I'm not apologizing for that, but...

you know how you are always seeing advertising that says something like buy before - a certain date - and you will get - whatever - and then that date comes and what do you know! The offer is extended! You needn't have bought when you did. Just good business I suppose, but it always seems a little cheesy to me. Well yes you've guessed it, the 15% discount offer is extended to the end of June, and it's that I'm sort of apologizing for. They have changed the coupon code, you now need to enter GET15JUNE2004 at your shopping cart. I'm not saying sorry because it's a bad deal, it isn't it's a great offer, or because AllPosters.com are a bad company, they're not, but because I think that a cut off date should be just that, a cut off date. And to make amends I will not mention the offer again in this blog :0)

Sunday 6th June 2004

Another page added More Pictures of Cats which is, strangely enough, a page of cat art prints and posters, this time from Art.com. Also I've updated the Cat Calendars page to show the new calendars for 2005, and there are some really nice ones there. I shall have to keep plowing through the site to find and change all references to 2004 cat calendars.

Tuesday 8th June 2004

Slippers was one of two cats owned by President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt. He was an unusual cat in that he was a polydactyl cat, he had six toes on each foot. Polydactyl cats are also known as 'boxing cats' and one of Roosevelt's pastimes was boxing. This gray tabby had a self-assured air and deferred to nobody as he strolled around the White House. One evening in 1906 he forced a procession of dignitaries to detour around his prostrate form as they moved from the State Dining Room to the East Room. ___________________

Owww! Toothache. for the past 10 days I've been suffering, on and off, with severe toothache. My own fault I don't take enough care of my teeth and don't go near a dentist unless I have to. Well I had to this time, I've to have five extraction's done altogether, something I'm far from looking forward to.

Don't be stoopid like me, look after your teeth and go for regular dental check ups. Also don't neglect your cat's teeth - Pet Dental Health

Thursday 10th June 2004

What do you think of the Drain Cat Breed? Aren't they just so attractive? What, you've not heard of them, and don't think that any cat called a drain cat could be good to look at! Well, in fact this was the name given to the breed of cat found roaming the streets of Singapore before it got its official pedigree title of Singapura. Apparently the residents of Singapore were not that fond of cats and some persecuted them, so many of this breed of cat sheltered in the sewers for safety. When western visitors became interested in the cats and started exporting them it was thought prudent to come up with a more attractive name, hence the term Drain cat disappeared!_______________

This toothache is not getting any better. My appointment for the first of the extraction's is not until Wednesday, it can't come quick enough. I never thought I'd ever be keen to get to the dentist to have work done!

Saturday 12th June 2004

Walking home from the supermarket today (I don't have a car at the present for too many reasons to go into,) I spied a large tabby sat plumb in the middle of the pavement, not too far from my flat. As I got a little nearer this mini tiger started meowing, making quite sure that he'd get my attention, he then leapt up onto the wall beside him. This put the cat a just the right height for a stroke. Putting down one of my bags of goodies, I started to stroke the big fellow, which he accepted readily as I knew he would.

Lost for a moment in petting this moggie, I was just wondering what I must have looked like, a slightly soft, middle aged man stopping to stroke a strange cat! I was thinking I must have looked a bit soppy, when there was a voice from the right of me which snapped me out of my thoughts. It was an occupant of the building just going in doors. We got talking, the cat, whose name I was told is Morris, belongs to someone else in the building. Now I've lived in my flat for many more years than I care to remember, and I must have seen this man countless times, but, as is the way with city dwellers, we had never spoken to one another. The next time that we see each other I expect we will nod and mutter "morning" :0) And this great advancement in human interaction has been brought about by Morris the cat!

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Another new page added to the site today. Kitten Calendars A selection of calendars crammed full of kittens.

Saturday 14th June 2004

In the year 936 Howel The Good was the Prince of Wales. Howel was a prince with insight, he knew the value of the humble cat as a protector of crops from rodents. He not only introduced severe fixed penalties for killing or stealing cats, but also set down a scale of prices for kittens and cats. The value of a new born kitten was deemed to be [i]one legal penny,[/i] a kitten that has killed two mice [i]two legal pence,[/i] more than two mice [i]four legal pence.[/i]

If a cat failed to kill any mice, or if it was a female that did not produce kittens, the buyer could claim back a third of the price! Howell also proclaimed that the cat was equal in value to a calf or a filly!

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Have you seen the range of cat related goodies at GoCollect.com, some nice stuff there, take a peep.GoCollect.com - The Web's Widest Selection of Collectibles & Gifts

Wednesday 16th June 2004

Well, I've finally had the first two teeth out, and I'm happy to say that dentists are nothing like they used to be, it was painless! The dentist is a lady of very small stature, does not look strong enough to pull teeth, but pull them out she did, and they were two of the big ugly ones at the back. Two more out next week.

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An old Irish legend tells of a gigantic cat known as the King of Cats that lived in a cave at Knowth. This cats name was Irusan, and he ruled over every other cat in Ireland. He learned of a poet who had made unflattering remarks about cats, and hiding himself behind a very large boulder he waited to ambush the poet. Before long the poet came strolling by and Irusan leapt upon him intending to do him harm. But what the King of Cats did not know was that following close behind the poet was a saint who killed the feline monarch by driving a red hot bar right through him.

In another tale a man was killing a cat, but with its dying breath the poor cat told the man that he could boast to all that he had killed the King of Cats. Arriving back at his village, the man started bragging to everyone that he met that he had heroically slain the King of Cats. The mans own cat overheard his boast and jumped upon him and ripped him to shreds.

Friday 18th June 2004

For over 20 years 'Beerbohm' the cat was employed on mouse catching duties at London's Globe theater. He was a firm favorite with the actors and actresses who played there, despite the fact that he would, on occasion, find his way onto the stage during a performance. His appearance always brought howls of delight from the audience.

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From the mid sixties to the mid seventies Spillers, a British pet food manufacturer ran a series of television commercials staring Arthur the Cat. Arthur could scoop cat food with his paw straight from the can and each commercial in the series was based around this. The antics of the paw scooping feline became very popular with the public, sales of the cat food soared, and it was reported that in order to protect their interest Spillers had bought Arthur for £700( a fair sum for a cat, in those days.) However, a young actor denied the sale and claimed that Arthur was still his.

A long and costly battle through the courts ensued to try and prove ownership. During the case Arthur the Cat mysteriously disappeared, the actor claiming that the feline superstar had sought asylum within the Russian Embassy! A spokesman for the embassy refuted this claim, somewhat irately stating that soviets had better things to worry over than high earning, capitalist felines! Unable to produce the cat, the actor was imprisoned for two weeks for contempt of court. The case spanned two years, and ended with the actor unsuccessfully claiming damages of £150,000.

Sunday 20th June 2004

A mountain lion that had been feeding on domestic cats in Spearfish, South Dakota, has been cornered and shot. When Spearfish police officer Mark Weber found the 3 year old lion it was feeding on domestic cats. The officer took one shot at the mountain lion which then took off and was tracked for several hours before being cornered and shot by a state trapper. In the chase the 80-pound mountain lion jumped off a 40 foot cliff, followed by a tracking dog. Unfortunately the hound didn't survive the fall.

I glad to say that there are no creatures like mountain lions around here. The only thing that cats have to worry about are the city foxes, of which there are many, oh, and of course, the endless stream of traffic.

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Spent some time today tidying up this page kitten and cat pictures It was one of the very first pages that I built for this site and needed reorganizing and updating.

Wednesday 23rd June 2004

It has been some time since I visited Animal Den - Animal Lovers Gift Shop And I'd almost forgotten what a wonderful range of cat products they have. As you may expect they stock cat tee shirts, cat calendars etc., and not so usual cat items, such as cat clocks, cat wind chimes, coin banks, picture frames, cat jewelry, cookie jars, mugs, mouse pads, floor mats, and even cat umbrellas!

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Another visit to the dentist today, two more extractions. Don't forget, look after your teeth (and your cat's teeth)

Friday 25th June 2004

Yes, yes, yes! Freedom from the day job for the next two weeks ;0) No waking to the radio alarm at 05.30, no punching the clock, no foreman, and best of all, no getting home in the evening feeling shattered. So where will I go for my holiday (vacation)? Well, it won't be the Bahamas, the South of France, or even Benidorm this year. I've people to visit, things to do, and plenty of repairs to be made around this place, and of course, it will give me lots of time to work on this site.___________________

Cobby, a gray Persian cat, was the much loved pet of Thomas Hardy, the English novelist(1840 - 1928). The cat was continuously by Hardy's side until the day that the novelist died, when Cobby mysteriously disappeared. Another author, Frank Smyth, offers this rather macabre explanation.

Tradition dictated that Thomas Hardy should be laid to rest at Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey, but as during his life he had given his heart, metaphorically speaking, to the village of Stinsford, the decision was made to give his heart, literally, to the village. Whilst his corpse was lying in his house, Hardy's heart was cut out and wrapped in a towel and placed in a biscuit tin, and left beside the body. Cobby had spent his life next to the departed author, and was looking to be fed when he smelled fresh meat in the biscuit tin. Being as dexterous as any cat, it did not take him long to remove the lid and unwrap the towel.

The next day the undertaker arrived to take the heart for burial in the village graveyard. All that he found was an opened biscuit tin, a few scraps of heart, and an overfed purring cat! The undertaker had his duty to do, bury the famous heart. Without hesitation he strangled the cat, placed it in the tin and proceeded to the churchyard. At St. Michael's Church in Stinsford stands a tombstone with the legend "Here lies the heart of Thomas Hardy", no mention of a cat.

I told you it was a macabre story!

Monday 28th June 2004

Many people enjoy pictures of kittens that are cute. Well, all kittens are cute aren't they, I can't recall seeing one that was not! But anyway, I've put up a page of Cute Kitten Pictures If you like kittens, and who doesn't, take a look.

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A friend of mine is into Scrapin', no, I don't mean that she likes to get drunk on Friday nights and fight allcomers :0) It's short for Scrapbooking, a pastime that has a growing interest. She is hard at work building a web site full of tips and information about Scrapbooking and how to get the best from it. If you are at all interested in this absorbing hobby, or you want to learn about it, here is the site Online Scrapbooking Guide

Wednesday 30th June 2004

We are all familiar with the term mongrel to describe a non pedigree dog, but did you know that this is also the correct name for a non pedigree cat? But who uses that name for a cat, we are much more likely to use moggie (or moggy). The term moggie started out as a variation of Maggie, meaning a scruffy old woman, but it was soon used to describe scruffy, feral cats as well. In some places, in the years between world war 1 and world war 2, the shortened term 'mog' was used, but this seems to have fallen completely out of use.

Thursday July 1st 2004

Sometimes it's good to keep the television switched off and curl up with a good book. Reading your favorite type of novel is good, also good is reading factual books. You can learn an awful lot about your cat, how best to take care of it, health issues, the history of cats and all sorts of feline things from reading cat books. You can a selection of the best here >Cat Books

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Visit Amsterdam, go to the Sigel Canal, one of the many famous waterways in the heart of city, and you will find a floating cat sanctuary. In 1969 cat lover Henriette van Weelde wanted to contribute a home for some of the many stray cats of Amsterdam. At first she used her house as a sanctuary, but the number of cats soon became overwhelming. The answer was a barge, that became known as The Poezenboot. The barge was opened up to visitors and this provided much needed funds. In 1971 Henriette found that she was giving shelter to so many cats that a second barge was needed. The original barge holds the sick and elderly cats, and the newer barge is a home for the younger and healthier cats awaiting adoption. Needless to say The Poezenboot is one of the city's top tourist attractions.

Saturday July 3rd 2004

I understand that this is a holiday weekend in the United States, if you are a visitor to this site from the US then enjoy your break, I hope the weather is good.

This page has been rearranged and updated Pictures of Tabby Cats I've changed the layout and removed a link to an out of stock product. I've also added a new article to the site entitled Your Cat The Hunter which, as you might guess, is about the reasons that your cat will go-a-hunting even though you keep it well fed.

Monday July 5th 2004

Forgive me, this has nothing at all to do with cats. It's a rant. Another shooting, a killing, cold blooded murder not too far from where I live. This is not the Wild West but sleepy old London Town, Bobbies on bicycles two by two and all that. Well, perhaps it was like that once, but now it seems that every other day there are gun crimes. This latest one, it seems, was drug gangs fighting over turf, no surprise there. The killing happened in broad daylight with innocent bystanders dodging the bullets.

What sort of society do we have today? I know there has always been crime, but it does seem to be out of control, politicians promise this and that but do nothing. My grandchildren have to grow up here, I am not happy. Thanks for listening.

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Put up a page of Felix the Cat Pictures, posters and art prints. It is just a collection of Felix the cat posters, but I will be adding a page about the cat that kept on walking, to make a start on a section about cartoon cats.

Wednesday July 7th 2004

I've added a page about How to find a lost cat It is a worrying experience if your cat goes missing, should it happen to you, use these tips when searching for your pet. I hope that you never need them.

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Cats have been used heavily in advertising campaigns through the years. Both Toulouse-Lautrec and Steinlen featured felines in their brightly colored posters. Naturally cats are used to promote cat food in television commercials, and some of the cat 'stars' of these ads became super famous, Arthur in Britain and Morris in the USA. Cats have been used to sell many products besides cat food, from cigarettes to chocolate.

Friday July 9th 2004

The term that we use for a male cat is "Tom", but it wasn't always so. Before 1760 male cats were known as Boar cats, or Ram cats, but a very popular story was published in that year called The Life and Adventures of a Cat the hero of which was a cat called Tom. So beloved was the tale that before long anyone referring to a male cat used the word Tom, and this has stuck long after the story has been forgotten.

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Do you read cat magazines? You can find a nice selection (and often make a saving) at this page from Amazon.comCat Magazines

Saturday July 11th 2004

Felix the cat made his first screen appearance in 1919 and immediately won the hearts of the public. His name and image was used to sell stuffed toys, dolls, cigars, baby oil, clocks and many other consumer goods. Comic strips of Felix's adventures were syndicated around the world. His popularity grew with each new film until the arrival of sound... read more here The history of Felix the cat.

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A very obese cat called Tiddles lived in the ladies toilets in Paddington Station London, England. He was adopted in 1970 as a six week old kitten by lavatory attendant June Watson. Over the years Tiddles gained many admirers who fed him on chicken, lambs' tongues, kidneys, rabbit and steak, and he even had his own fridge. Not surprisingly being so grossly overweight led to health problems, and the Vets put the 30 lb. cat on a diet. Unfortunately the fans did not stop feeding him treats and he was put down in 1983 after 13 years of being the famous lavatory cat.

Tuesday July 13th 2004

Looking at the date of my last post to this blog has got me confused! Today is Tuesday and I last posted on Sunday - ever heard the expression "he doesn't even know what day of the week it is" :0)

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While most animal shelters around the world have to deal with an unending stream of abandoned and feral cats, it seems it is a different story in the small island of Guernsey. Cat owners have been so responsible about getting their cats spayed there is now a shortage of kittens on the island. And the situation is leaving many of Guernsey's cat lovers disappointed in their search for a new kitty.

The Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) have now revised their previous advice on spaying. A spokesperson states "What we now say is that if responsible owners want to let their cat have one litter before spaying, not litter after litter, then they should go ahead as long as they do it properly." Well done Guernsey, now if the rest of us could only be as responsible 7 Good Reasons to Have Your Cat Spayed or Neutered

Thursday July 15th 2004

The Black Cat is a short horror story written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1843. The back cat in question is named Pluto and suffers cruel treatment by its owner who is slowly being driven mad through drink. The drunkard ends up killing his pet and is then haunted by huge black cat. This should have turned him off the drink, but it didn't and he went on to murder his wife and wall up her body. The phantom cat alerts a search party to the location of his wife's corpse and the killer is introduced to the hangman. Strange that with a cat called Pluto already famous, Disney should give that name to his dog character.

Sunday July 18th 2004

At some time in its life your cat will certainly need a cat carrier. It is essential to have a safe means of transporting your pet to the vet, and to take your cat along with you on trips. A new page, Cat Carriers, has been added, find out which type of carrier will best suit you and your cat.

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The death of a much loved pet cat is very distressing. Many owners are further distressed by the fact that their cat had hidden itself away to die alone. They feel that in acting this way their cat has indicated that it did not trust, or love, them as much as they thought it did. Grieving owners should not feel that way, many cats do indeed seek out a secret place to die. There have been many theories as to why cats do this, most center around the fact that cats do not understand what is happening to them, they only know that all is not well, and so find somewhere alone and to their way of thinking safe from danger.

Tuesday July 20th 2004

I had an early morning visitor to my back garden this morning, describing the space as a garden is perhaps stretching things a bit, but anyway, there was this faded ginger tabby busily exploring. I was able to observe him for a short time as I was getting myself ready for work.

One thing that was noticeable about him was that he did not have a collar. That's not too uncommon here in the UK, most cats that you see out and about do not have collars, and therefore a means of identification. These are, for the most part, not feral cats but outdoor cats, that is cats that are allowed out for at least part of the day. Most cats in the UK are allowed out, the situation is different in the US, so I believe, where most cats are indoor only cats. A collar with an identification tag can mean the difference in getting a lost cat returned, or not.

Most outdoor cats do not normally stray too far from their homes, but the possibility exists of kitty being chased by a loose dog or other animal. Even indoor cats should carry identification, indoor cats can and do get out. Cat collars with ID need not cost much and can save a lot of heartache,Cat Collars at PETsMART.com

Thursday July 22th 2004

I have been reading a news report about what is thought to be the worlds smallest fully grown cat. Mr. Peebles extremely small stature was noticed at the Good Shepherd veterinary clinic in Pekin, Illinois, USA. The 3 pound cat has a genetic defect, and because of this it is expected he will hold on to his title for some time. Mr. Peebles is already past the age at which he should have grown to his full size so he gets a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The little cat eats four meals a day.

Sunday July 25th 2004

Cats hearing is far superior to humans. Humans can hear sounds up to 20,000 cycles per second at best, this drops down to about 12,000 cycles per second as we grow old. Cats hear sounds up to 100,000 cycles per second, which is very handy for them in hunting small rodents as mice and the like emit very high pitched sounds.

The quality of cats hearing explains why they hate loud noises, music, shouting etc. This also explains why cats are sometimes able to react to things before those things appear to happen, they hear the ultrasonic sounds that come before a noise, and are off before we know something is happening! When asleep a cat's ears are alert, if the ears detect something to be alarmed about, kitty is up and away in a twinkling.

Tuesday July 27th 2004

I had a phone call today from Pat a very nice lady who is a cousin of Andy, a work colleague of mine. I was expecting the call. Andy was telling me that Pat has the opportunity to 'adopt' a three legged kitty but has some concerns. He knew that I use to have a three legged cat and asked if I minded Pat giving me a call. Anyway, Pat was wondering how much of a normal life a cat with a limb missing can have. I pointed out to her that the cat would have a life with the same amount of normalness whether she or someone else adopted him, but if no one adopted? I'm glad that Pat understood the point I was making.

I then went on to tell her all about Basil, and how life on three legs was for him perfectly normal, and that I'm convinced that Basil never realized that his leg was absent. I pointed out that all cats are different, whether three or four legged, and her experience may not be the same as mine. Pat excepted this and said that she had lots of love to give any cat. I think that a little three legged cat is gonna get adopted :)

Saturday July 30th 2004

Just read that there are approximately 100 different breeds of cat. Approximately because some breeds are recognized by some cat associations and not by others. All cats, no matter what breed it is they are, are descended from the same species, the Felis Catus. Even with all the different breeds and new ones being developed all the time, the moggie (moggy) remains the most common cat by far, in fact only 7% of domestic cats are purebred.

Really, it is not whether your cat is purebred or not, or whether it is longhaired or short, or the color of it's coat, it is the love you get from and are able to give to your cat, that is the important thing. And cats are lovable, even if your cat is not of a very demonstrative personality, what you could call aloof. We tend to accept this from cats, we love them even if all they seem to demand from us is their food and show no other interest in us. Not all cats are like this of course, many are extremely warm and affectionate.

Tuesday 3rd August 2004

August already, where do the days of the year go? It sure is good to enjoy some summer sunshine, I spent Sunday at the coast with my son and grandson and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

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If you are planning to fly with your cat make sure that you have a suitable cat carrier, check with your airline as to which types they accept. Some airlines will not accept pets if the temperature is too high or low and most have a limitation on the number of animals carried on a flight. Be sure to make your reservation well in advance and confirm it 24 hours before taking off. If you are making an international flight check with the country's embassy or consulate ahead of time, some countries will not let cats in at all and others will require a long quarantine.

Friday 6th August 2004

The cat cops are coming! Rats and mice had overrun the Pacoima police station, according to Los Angeles police. The rodents ran along the hallways, through offices and got all over the 43 year old building. The rats and mice had themselves a feast by eating their way through a pile of internal police records. So a rescue group (Venice Animal Allies) was called in who introduced three feral cats into the police station basement and within a few weeks most of the rodents were gone. Plans are underway to establish the cat cops at all of Los Angeles' police stations.

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New page added today - Automatic cat litter boxes Self cleaning litter boxes save you the trouble of cleaning out the litter pan each day, and for those of us who despise this chore, self cleaning litter pans are heaven sent.

Monday 9th August 2004

According to the Guinness Book of Records the worlds largest collection of cat related items is held by Florence Groff of France, she has 11,717 of them. Florence, who lives with her four Siamese, began collecting cat stuff in 1979. Within her vast collection are 2,160 different cat figurines, 86 decorative plates, 48 fridge magnets, 60 pieces of crystalware, 36 stuffed toys, 140 metallic boxes, 2,666 cat postcards, 41 painted eggs and 9 cat lamps.

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Again according to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest single whisker recorded on a cat (6.5 in) was found on Ellie, a black and brown Maine Coon cat who belongs to Sheri and Mitchell Rutherford of Woodland Hills, California. The Rutherfords adopted Ellie from a rescue shelter when she was in a poor state, her fur was falling out and she had no whiskers. After some months of TLC she regained her health and her whiskers!

Thursday 12th August 2004

I've added a new article about Introducing a New Kitten to Your Older Cat. The process of introducing a new kitten to an older cat, can often be relatively stress free and need not be full of problems, if you follow a few simple tips.

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I've been reading an interesting press release about 'Dell' a back and white kitten rescued by Cats Protection volunteers from an unused garden well. Dell and one of her siblings became feral kittens when their mom disappeared, and had made a home for themselves in a garden in Crook, Co. Durham. The homeowner thought that the best thing that could be done for the kitties was to call in the Wear Valley and Darlington Cats Protection. However when the volunteers arrived there was no sign of the feline pair.

After an extensive search Branch volunteer, Ruth Ockendon, located Dell about four foot down the disused, well perched on a crevice. Sadly, the other kitten was not found despite another long search in the garden and surrounding area. Dell has fully recovered from her ordeal, growing into a playful kitten with a lust for life!

Sunday 15th August 2004

I've added another page in the series of cartoon cats. This one should have been mostly about Tom, but the little mouse Jerry gets equal attention, it just came out that way. Tom and Jerry The next in the series will be about that bad old cat Sylvester, I don't suppose that I'll be able to keep Twetty Pie out of it completely though :)

Whilst researching for the Tom and Jerry page I was taken back to watching those cartoons in the cinema as a child. As far as I can remember the cartoons were not advertised, you never knew that you were going to see one. What a bonus when you did. These cartoons, Tom and Jerry and others, have been often criticized for their violent content, some people think they are a bad influence on children. But do children really think that it is OK to act in the same way that the characters in cartoons do? Just my opinion but I don't think they do. I think kids do separate the world of cartoons from the real world. Those old cartoons where little mice got the better of cats that were determined to eat them, funny looking rabbits outwitted hunters and cats beat fearsome looking bulldogs, gave adults and kids alike a barrel of laughs. Pity that there is nothing like them today.

Thursday 19th August 2004

Do you read cat magazines? You can find various cat magazines featuring all kinds of cat related subjects, cat and kitten health, cat breeding, grooming etc. And you may be able to make a saving on the cover price by taking out a subscription online -