Some sad news. Bonkers, the black cat that brightened the lives of my son and his family, left this world suddenly yesterday. My son was naturally upset when he phoned to tell me, and my daughter-in-law must be sad because Bonkers had been her cat for a number of years. I always enjoyed giving that black cat a stroke whenever I saw her, she was a good ol’ cat with a sweet temperament. It’s a shame that I cannot download the snapshots I have of her on my phone/camera. Goodbye Bonkers, I’ll miss you. _________________________
Kennedy Airport has a problem. It has a large population of feral and stray cats. The cats got there because uncaring owners let them loose on the airport's 5,000 acres. Others are likely to be descendants of pets lost by passengers.
Airport management say the cats are a danger to the millions of passengers who use the airport because the food, put out by caring workers, attracts birds that might get sucked into aircraft engines. They are also concerned about the cats spreading disease. Birds being sucked into engines is a danger it can cause a plane to crash so it is right that the management want to control the cats. How they want to do it is not.
Animal Care and Control, an agency selected by the Port Authority to round up the cats, acknowledges that any cat not readily adoptable will be killed. Since most feral cats cannot be socialized, the stark reality is that a death sentence is waiting for hundreds of those cats. Airport management could instead accept offers of help from animal rescue groups, including the ASPCA. These groups have had success with trap/neuter/release policies, which stabilize the cat population through sterilization, which means that it reduces over time. Read the full story here - Sorry, news story no longer available. _________________________
Who knows when it was that collecting cat plates became popular, but cats, of course, have long been much loved household pets and put together with the interest in collecting plates, you have a subject with millions of devotees. Cat Plates
Wednesday 8th November 2007
When Mr. and Mrs. Davies and their 23 year old son moved into their new home in Gwersyllt, North East Wales they found that as well as the house they had also acquired Barney a six year old black cat. Barney had been left behind by the previous owners and proved to be very lucky for the Davies.
The family had only been in the house six days and were all asleep upstairs when a fire broke out in the kitchen due to an electrical fault on the cooker. Barney usually kept himself downstairs but that night he raced up the stairs and made as much noise as he could and managed to wake up the son. The house was filled with smoke and fumes from burning plastic but due to the heroic efforts of the back cat everyone managed to get out safely.
Barney was named ‘Cat of the Year’ at a ceremony in London in February 2003. The honor was given to the cat by the Cats Protection League an organization which rescues and re-homes unwanted and abandoned cats. _________________________
Kittens should never be taken from their mother (to be re-homed) younger than eight weeks, many vets in fact recommend a minimum of twelve weeks. It is very possible that a kitten will be weaned before eight weeks but will still need the time with mom to learn how to get on with other cats and those strange creatures called humans. Also kittens parted from their mothers too early will likely try to nurse on themselves, on fabric and on humans. _________________________
Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause most inconvenience.- Pam Brown.
Sunday 4th November 2007
Hearing aids for cats? Yes apparently there are such things (quite expensive at around $1000.) Some cats are born with impaired hearing, often white cats with one blue eye are totally deaf. Loss of hearing may be the aftermath of a serious infection in the cat’s inner or middle ear.
Often though, hearing loss is just due to the cat getting older and this is a gradual loss that cats adapt to very well by using other senses, such as smell, to compensate. So well do cats cope with this gradual hearing loss that humans may not notice until their cat is completely deaf.
A cat that has completely lost his or her hearing may sleep for longer than used to be the case. The cat may startled by your touch because it did not hear you approaching, it may meow loudly because it can’t hear itself doing so. It is important that cats with hearing loss should be kept indoors, even if they have been allowed outside all their lives. Outside there is too much danger for a deaf cat that could not, for example, hear approaching traffic. _________________________ Wishbone, a two year old chocolate point Siamese, is just fascinated by that printer! _________________________
A cat that is permitted to roam outside has the chance to satisfy climbing urges on fences and trees and the like. But what can an indoor only cat can do except to make use of your furniture, and in doing so leave a few scratch marks and maybe knock things down to the floor. Cat climbing trees give indoor only cats a place to satisfy their climbing urges without upsetting their humans. Of course many cats that can go outdoors also appreciate cat climbers even though they have many places they can climb outside. Why? Well cats are cats. Cat Climbing Trees. _________________________
Here they are, those cute and cuddly irresistible kittens, and they are all waiting for you in the pages of 2008 Kitten Calendars
Wednesday 31st October 2007
I never expected that. I’d left a couple of messages for my son Martin, on his home phone and his cell phone, but pretty much as usual I didn’t hear back from him. He works for himself and is pretty busy most of the time, at least that is his excuse for not phoning. This time I decided to be pig headed and wait it out until he phoned reasoning that if he can’t find time to phone his old dad . . .
Well eventually he did phone with some news . . . I’m to be a granddad yet again :-) I can’t believe it, this will be number five. You can imagine how happy I am. I’m going to see him, my grandson Jacob and my son’s girlfriend (whom I will congratulate) on Sunday. Life is great. _________________________
Enjoy Halloween tonight but please make sure your cat is safe. Cats and Halloween Safety _________________________
Here’s a terrific submission to the Your Funny Cat Pictures page - Baldy. Enjoy it and don’t forget to share your own funny cat pictures. _________________________
Constipation in cats is not too uncommon. A cat should not strain at the litter box, if it does it is a sign that something is wrong. Feline constipation could be a symptom of something serious or something simple such as a lack of fiber in your cat's diet. Other possible causes include metabolic and hormonal concerns such as low potassium, intestinal scars or problems due to medication the cat is taking - Feline Constipation
Sunday 28th October 2007
Evidence suggests that cats have a memory recall of sixteen hours, cats are able to remember tactics and use intelligence to reason their way out of extraordinary situations. In fact only monkeys and chimps and perhaps a few humans, have a higher IQ than cats! _________________________
Anna believes that it is not a question of you choosing your cat or your cat choosing you. . . You and the cat choose each other. _________________________
Cats cannot tell us what is upsetting them but there are many ways in which they can show their anxiety. A cat excessively grooming, perhaps to the point of causing hair loss, may be giving an indication that she is finding something to be stressful. On the other hand if a cat that normally keeps itself well groomed suddenly looses interest in cleaning her coat, this also may be a sign of stress. Refusing food may be a sign of stress, (although there are many medical reasons a cat may refuse to eat.)
Aggression from a normally sociable and well-behaved feline, whether towards you or other humans, or other of your cats or pets, is often a big clue that your cat is stressed. _________________________
Global warming gets blamed for lots of things such as melting polar ice caps and diminishing fish stocks. Sitting here on a rather chilly autumn evening I could do with a bit of warming but I’ve no doubt that it is a subject that must be treated seriously.
Here is something else that apparently can be blamed on global warming. An article written for Live Science says that the increase in temperatures could be the cause of increases in world wide cat populations. It is true that many shelters across the globe are reporting an increased intake in of cats and kittens. Cats are ordinarily warm spring weather breeders but due to rising autumn and winter temperatures they are becoming year round breeders. And that sadly means more and more people bringing kittens into shelters including in the wintertime.
Whether due to global warming or not the sad fact is that animal shelters are filled with unwanted kittens and cats and we know the usual fate of cats that do not have homes found for them. All of this could be avoided if only more people neuter their cats, it’s as simple as that. Then it would not matter how much the world warms up, there would be less stray and feral cats for which there really is little hope. _________________________
Not long now till the ghosties and ghoulies come out! Halloween Cat Pictures. _________________________
Litterboxes get old. Most boxes are made from one sort of plastic or another and over time will begin to absorb smells, particularly the odor of your cat’s urine. If this happens it does not matter how fastidious you are at keeping the box clean unfortunately your cat will still smell the urine odors and be repelled by them. If your cat suddenly starts going where she shouldn’t after happily using a litterbox for years the reason could easily be that the box has passed its smell by date. Cat Urine Problems.
Sunday 21st October 2007
PE of New York was walking in the park when he saw a black cat sitting in a tree. The cat gave PE a ‘scary look’ and the next day PE’s car got towed. Are black cats a bad omen? PE thinks they may be, what do you think? Leave a comment here or share your own black cat story. _________________________
Have you ever noticed your cat furiously licking herself after missing her footing when jumping off a piece of furniture, or taking some sort of tumble? Yes, it seems cats do feel embarrassment when they goof and often employ a quick licking session to cover it up. Much like humans really. OK we don’t lick ourselves but we do often use diverting tactics to hide embarrassment.
Lucky for cats that they don’t make as many mistakes as us humans do. Cats are very dexterous and sure footed so don’t take a tumble that often. In their feline world they rarely attempt to do things that they are not capable of doing so don’t embarrass themselves much. If they were human they’d be almost constantly licking themselves, bringing up hair balls and no doubt soon suffer from cat hair loss. _________________________ From now until the midnight witching hour, October 31 Site Sell are offering their Halloween Special. Subscribe to one SBI site at the regular price and get a second site at just a spooky $100.
If you have been thinking of changing your life with SBI now could be the time to do so. Half of SBI! owners own more than one SBI! site, an astounding success statistic in itself - so you just might want to save that second site for yourself – or - give it to a friend or spouse or colleague, Change your life, AND that of someone close to you, for the better. Halloween Special
Wednesday 17th October 2007
Thinking of getting another cat? You might consider getting an Ashera priced at a mere $22,000 with any applicable sales taxes on top of that! Yes if you want one of these exclusive designer cats that's what it will set you back.
Like Savannah Cats these felines are a cross of the African Serval and a domestic cat, only this time an Asian Leopard cat is added to the mix which all go to produce a kitty that has both stripes and spots and weighs up to 30lbs.
Ashera kittens are hand delivered to their new owners, cost of delivery is $1,500 if you are within the United States, anywhere else will cost you extra. Alternatively you could choose a beautiful loving kitty at your local rescue center and donate that $22,000. _________________________
What to see a magnificent cat striking a funny pose? Then take a peep at the latest post in the Funny Cat Pictures section. Thanks to K.K. of Ventura, California for sharing her photo of Weeka with us. _________________________
There is still a bit of 2007 left but folks are snapping up cat calendars, doing a spell of early gift shopping perhaps? Or perhaps folks are bagging those gorgeous calendars of cats for themselves so they don’t get left out, who knows. Black cat calendars, ginger cat calendars, Maine Coon calendars, tabby cat calendars, all kinds of fabulous cat calendars.
Sunday 15th October 2007
Another cat rescued from a tree, cats have no problem getting up trees but when it is time to get down . . . Calvin the cat went squirrel hunting and got himself in trouble stuck high in an oak tree. Jennifer Carello, the owner of the property where the oak stands heard Calvin's cries but could not locate him as it was dark. The next morning Calvin was seen clinging to the tree, not just a little way up of course but thirty feet up!
Ms. Carello tried the volunteer fire service, the phone company, her neighbors and anyone that she could think of to get someone to rescue the cat, all to no avail. But then she found a man with spikes on his boots and after about 20 minutes of climbing Calvin the cat was rescued. Here is the full story - Rescuer scales oak to save fearful feline. _________________________
Here it is the new page of female cat names. If you are naming a female cat take your pick from Aaralyn to Zoot you are bound to find one to suit your cat. Female Cat Names _________________________
Black and white photographs with their sharp contrasts or infinitely varying shades of gray can be amazingly beautiful. Of course glorious Technicolor is splendid too but think of all those black and white films made in the forties and how atmospheric they are. No less so with black and white cat photo art. A cute kitty photographed in monochrome makes a handsome picture. Cat Photo Art _________________________
Cat Angels Pet Adoptions is a new cat and kitten rescue and adoption shelter in Cary NC. They are an all-volunteer no-kill shelter. Every one of their cats and kittens has been spayed or neutered and is completely vaccinated, tested for Feline Leukemia or FIV, and dewormed. They have a Lifetime Return Policy for all of their cats and kittens.
Darrell, one of the shelter’s volunteers has created a promotional video for the shelter and asked me if I thought the visitors to best-cat-art would like to see it. I couldn’t resist posting it here for two reasons, one is that the shelter is doing a grand job and deserves the support, secondly – the calico cat named Pooki, right near the beginning of the video, looks very much like my son’s girlfriend’s kitten :-)
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In 1996 firefighters were called out to a blazing abandoned garage in Brooklyn, New York. As they were getting the fire under control one of the firefighters noticed a cat carrying he kittens away from the fire one at a time. The cat had been severely burned by the fire but that did not stop her from repeatedly returning to rescue her kittens. Her eyes were blistered shut, so she could not see her kittens so she touched each one with her nose, when she was sure that she had saved them all she collapsed unconscious to the ground.
The brave cat and her family were taken to a veterinary clinic where they were treated. Sadly one of the kittens died of a virus a month later. It took three months of treatment and recovery before Scarlett, as she had been named, and her kittens could be adopted.
The North Shore Animal League created an award for animal heroes in honor of Scarlett. The award is presented to animals that have performed heroic acts to benefit other animals or humans. _________________________
Cat clocks are fun and they can cheer you up, just like cats themselves! How often during your day do you need to look at the clock. Is it time to leave for work yet? Time for lunch? Time to go pick up the kids from school? . . . tick tick tick tick tick . . . . Is it time for this, time for that.
Yes, you spend a good chunk of your time looking at that old timepiece. If you are a cat lover, and how could anyone not be? Wouldn’t it be so much better to look at a cat clock?
Sunday 7th October 2007
As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives And every wife had seven sacks And every sack had seven cats And every cat had seven kits Kits, cats, sacks, wives How many were going to St. Ives?
I guess that we all know this children’s rhyme/riddle. The answer is usually taken to be one as only the teller of the tale states he is going to St. Ives. But the man with seven wives could have been going there as well, in which case the answer would be . . . err, a very large figure indeed! Just the sort of large figure that lawyers like to charge, and as it happens, the patron saint of lawyers is . . . St. Ives!
St. Ives appears in portraits with a cat at his side, and has sometimes been depicted as a cat. I can’t find any explanation as to why, perhaps it is because cats are thought to be crafty and cunning. Then again, when lawyers pick up their large checks they must feel like the cat that got the cream. _________________________
What do you think of this black kitten ? Isn’t he gorgeous. You can leave your comments right on the page. _________________________
Coming soon, a page of female cat names. I’ve had a page of male cat names on this site for a little while now so I suppose it’s time I redressed the balance. Of course, you can name a female kitten with any female name you like, such as Jill or Jane, but sometimes you want something a little unusual or a name that suits your cat’s personality.
Wednesday 3rd October 2007
Why is there no mouse flavored cat food? Is an old gag, but it does lead me to ask another question . . . “Why is there fish flavored cat food?” You could answer “Because cats like fish, you dummy!” And indeed most cats do, but why should that be?
Some of our domestic cats ancestors must have lived near rivers and streams but most would not have done, so how did they get the taste for fish? And cats (mostly) do not like water! This question has puzzled me for some time, so out on the WWW I went to fish for some answers.
Okay, the information can be a little confusing so I hope I’ve got this right. The African wildcat, the European wildcat and the Asian steppe cat which are all taken to be the ancestors of domestic cats, do not have fish in their diets. The Jungle cat, not taken to be an ancestor of domestic cats, does included fish but it mainly eats rodents.
So why then does your cat like fish? The answer must be that fish was introduced to cats by man. After all fish smells strongly so cats probably did not need much persuasion.
Fish for cats as an occasional treat is fine, usually they love it, and indeed some cats become absolutely hooked on caned tuna, but fish should not be their only food or even the main part of a cat’s diet. Fish do not contain enough taurine, which can mean a vitamin E deficiency that can produce an inflammation of the fat tissue in your cat’s body. _________________________
A celebration drink tomorrow night, an old mate has just become a granddad. Long gone are the years when all my mates were getting married and the years when they were celebrating the arrival of their first born. Now it’s our children that are having children. Time moves on, and on. _________________________
It used to be thought that instances of heartworm in cats are rare. Today it is realized that, although felines stand less of a chance of infection than dogs, if a cat does get infected, it is usually far more devastating. This is because there is as yet no approved treatment for cats. Just a few adult worms can severely cripple a cat because of the cat’s small heart size. . . Feline Heartworm
Sunday 30th September 2007
Herodotus was a Greek historian from Ionia who lived in the 5th century and is often regarded as the Father of History. His journeys took him far and wide over the ancient world and he told many tales of ancient Egypt the land where cats were worshipped and revered.
According to Herodotus, the Egyptians were once at war with the Persians and the Egyptians were getting the better of the Persian army. In desperation the Persian general came up with a cunning plan. He sent his troops to capture as many cats as possible and release them on the battlefield. When the Egyptians saw the number of their worshipped cats running lose they knew they could not fight without risking harming the felines. So they simply surrendered to the Persians! Now that really is treating cats with respect. _________________________
Is there soon to be a new baby in your house? In the run up to a new arrival it is easy to forget to give your cat the attention that she or he normally gets. Do your best not to let your cat feel it is being displaced and, even though you will have lots of extra things to do, try to find time to play with, groom and make a fuss of your cat. Remind others in the house to give kitty some attention.
On the other hand it is best not to give your cat too much extra attention because she will expect you to continue when baby is home and you won't have the time. Again others can assist when baby is with you, by giving your cat the attention that you wont be able to, that way both cat and baby can be kept happy.
A new baby in the house will mean many new sounds that may be unfamiliar to your cat. How will your cat’s reaction be to crying, squeals and gurgles? If you can, play recordings of baby noises when your cat is around, you may be able to tape the sound of a friend's baby. . . read more here - Cats and Babies _________________________
Here they are, those cute and cuddly irresistible kittens, and they are all waiting for you in the pages of Kitten Calendars
Wednesday 26th September 2007
What if you could teach a cat to talk - would you do it? What if a cat could not only talk but also hold conversations, question, discuss, harbor opinions, and gossip.
Saki did not think that it would be a good idea to teach a cat to talk. Saki was H. H. Munro, born in Burma and educated in England, he became famous for his humorous and satiric short stories. His mother was killed by a runaway cow in a country lane and so Saki was brought up by aunts who frequently used the birch and whip (nice aunties!) Saki's work is now in the public domain, and most of his stories are on the Internet. Nearly 100 years ago he wrote Tobermory the story of a particularly talkative cat. _________________________
‘Blue Peter’ is a very long running BBC children’s TV show. They held an online poll asking their viewers to name the show's cat and the popular choice was apparently Cookie. This name, for some reason, was rejected by the program’s editors and it was announced that the children had chosen the name Socks and so that was what the cat was called.
Cookie or Socks both great names for a cat but very bad of the editors to lie about the children’s choice. Considering all the wicked things going on in this world this story has been big news. Why the editors did what they did I don’t know, and agree that it was very wrong of them to do so but a cat is a cat and a name is a name . . . Blue Peter says 'sorry' over cat. _________________________
A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I was going to figure out how to download photos from my mobile (cell) phone, because I've got what I think is a great shot of Bonkers, my daughter-in-law's cat. Well technology still baffles me :-(I didn't manage to accomplish the task! To be fair to myself it could be this old computer that is to blame at least I'd like to think so. Shame because that photo would be ideal for a Funny Cat Pictures page. _________________________
There is a new cat at 10 Downing Street. Sybil, (yes the cat was named after Sybil Fawlty,) a black and white cat is the much-loved pet of the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. The Chancellor, but not his family, has moved into the flat above 10 Downing Street from their home in Scotland. (What happened to 11 Downing Street being the traditional home of the Chancellor?)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife do not have a problem with the cat apparently and the cat will have plenty to keep her busy - there is said to be a mouse problem at both No 10 and 11. The last cat at No 10 was Humphrey, also black and white, who had wandered in during Margaret Thatcher's time in 1989. Humphrey stayed on during the Premiership of . . . err who was that bloke that was Prime Minister after Maggie Thatcher? You know who I mean, gray man dressed in gray, but was booted out by the Blairs the cat that is, not the gray Prime Minister.
A black and white cat back in No 10 and just last week Gordon Brown entertained Maggie Thatcher at his home! Coincidence?
Wednesday 19th September 2007
A couple of years ago I bloged about a news item concerning a psychiatrist who is claming a link between cat ownership and schizophrenia. The psychiatrist was investigating whether a parasite in cat poo could be one of the causes of schizophrenia. He says that people that suffer with schizophrenia were more likely to have had pet cats as kids, or their mothers kept cats during their pregnancies. I believe the theory remains unproven.
Well now it seems there is another report claiming that women who contract a particular parasite transmitted by cats may be sexier and more attractive! But, men who pick up the same parasite are grungy and grumpy! That one is easily disproved. Take me as an example, a man who likes cats and is extremely sexy and attractive, erhhhmp, not at all grungy and grumpy. Well perhaps one or two people have accused me of being a tad grouchy and I suppose when I’m not looking my best grungy might be a word that fits – but I’m sure that is nothing to do with cats. _________________________
Do you want a unique portrait of your cat? If you would like an oil painting that captures the very essence of your feline friend’s character and not just one of a cat of the same type and coat markings then Peggy Krizak can help you.
Saturday 16th September 2007
I was invited to go and see my granddaughters yesterday, yippee! My daughter-in-law had to put in an afternoon shift and the plan was that my son and I would play with the girls in the garden for a while, give them some lunch, put the two youngest up for a nap and then go to the park. The playing in the garden was fun but the girls (and granddad) got a bit over excited. Unfortunately Samantha had to be sent to her room by my son because she got a little out of hand, oh dear – temper tantrums!
Rebecca and Hayley were tired out of course and put to bed for their nap. This left a little time for my son and I to have a chat and catch up on some news. I also managed to capture a great shot of Bonkers the cat with my phone camera. If I can figure how to download from my phone (technology, it baffles me) I’ll submit the photo to the Funny Cat Pictures page.
Anyway, Samantha was allowed out from her room on the absolute promise that she would behave and my son went to wake the other girls. They were still tired right out so my son suggested that I take Samantha off to the park by myself. Now a granddad ought to be able to handle his five-year-old granddaughter, but I admit I was a little nervous seeing how she had been so stroppy earlier. I needn’t have worried; Samantha was a little angel, a proper little lady. She behaved perfectly and took care of her granddad. Even when it was time to go home there were no protests! What an enjoyable day I had. _________________________
Turkish Angora cats love to play, they are full of energy and enjoy racing about the place just for the sheer fun of it. These beautiful cats are born exhibitionists, and many an Angora cat has learned to do tricks. Many owners say that their cat opens closet doors, and some even say that their Angora can turn lights on and off! The Cats That Love to Play.
Wednesday 12th September 2007
Is your cat a howler? Does it drive you nuts? Some breeds are much more vocal than others of course, Siamese are well known for making themselves heard, but whether Siamese owners would describe it as howling is another question. Apart from the breed, cats are individuals and some will howl and some will not.
If your cat howls to get attention then who is to blame for that? Yes you. Harsh, but you have trained your cat to howl every time he or she wants to be made a fuss of. And it is difficult not to pet or cuddle your cat when she is making that noise, trouble is that cats are not silly and they will learn which behavior gets them attention.
So it is best not to respond to howling by giving your cat attention from the start and it will not become a problem. But what if the pattern is already established, can your cat be untrained? The good news is that you can, but it won’t be quick and easy. First thing is to stop rewarding your cat’s bad behavior. No matter how mad it drives you don’t pay attention to the howling, leave the room or put on some loud music. Get to know when your cat is about to start a howl and distract her attention; play with her using an interactive toy. Give your cat attention when she is not caterwauling never when she is. Over time you should be able to reduce the bad behavior if not stop it altogether.
Of course a female cat could be howling because she is in heat, the answer is of course to get her fixed but your cat, female or male, should be fixed anyway. What if howling is not usual behavior for your cat? What if your cat has a sudden bout of howling, could she be in pain? There is a chance that she is and if you cannot ascertain and end the cause then you will need to have a vet check your cat over. _________________________
Sue has sent in her story about Dotsy, her black cat If you enjoy Sue’s story why not give it a rating, leave a comment if you like. Why not tell us about your own black cat? You can do so at this page - Black Cats - just scroll to near the end of the page. We will love to hear about your mysterious (or not so mysterious) black cat.
Sunday 24th September 2006
A folk tale from Nigeria.
Why the Cat Kills Rats.
Long ago in the time when all creatures were friends there was a great and powerful king. This king had an old faithful cat that had been a favorite of his since he was a boy prince. The cat was charged by the king to guard the royal stores. The king also had in his service a young rat who was his house boy. The rat had fallen hopelessly in love with a young girl of the village, but felt that he, being a humble houseboy and also a rat, would not win the heart of the girl.
The rat thought of the royal stores and of the fact that the cat that guarded the stores was now very old. So the rat crept along to the royal stores and sure enough the old cat who should be guarding the stores was sound asleep. The rat stole some corn and sweet pears and made a gift of them to the young girl, who was suitably impressed.
At the month's end, the cat had to give an account of all the things in the royal store to the king. It was discovered that a lot of corn and sweet pears could not be accounted for and the king became very angry and demanded of the cat an explanation but the old cat could give none. The king relived the old cat of his duty of guarding the royal store saying that it saddened him that the cat had become a thief after all those years. The old cat went to live out his days in the village where he happened to see a young girl feasting on corn and sweet pears. The cat soon learned that it was the rat who had made the young girl a gift of the corn and sweet pears and the old cat knew what had happened. Without ado the cat found the rat and pounced upon him and killed him. And from that day to this whenever a cat sees a rat . . .
Ever hear of the Foldex breed of cat? No, neither had I. Apparently it is a cross of the Scottish Fold and Exotic Shorthair, hence FoldEx. The cat is said to have the folded ears of the Scottish Fold and to resemble an owl! (If you want an owl, get an owl, and if you want a cat get a cat is what I say, but. . .) These cats apparently have an agreeable temperament and are on the quite side. They have a round head, shortened neck and large bones.
Like with the Scottish Fold, a folded ear cat must be bred with a straight ear cat otherwise kittens with bone deformities will be produced. All the kittens are born with straight ears, at about four weeks roughly half of Foldex kittens ears will start to fold. _________________________
It really is quite spooky how the time rolls round. Halloween has crept up close once again, yes it is approaching that time of year, the time of shrieks and screams, of howling and halabaloo. Fun for us but maybe not so much fun for cats. Cats and Halloween
Friday 29th September 2006
Have you noticed your cat pawing the floor around her bowl after she has finished eating? Not all cats do this but it is a throwback to when cats were in the wild. They didn't always finish their meal in the one sitting and so they'd cover up or bury the remainder for later. Some of the 'big' cats do this, often their prey is quite large and too much for one meal, so they cover up what's left over so that it can't be smelled and discovered by other cats.
If you have a kitten or a litter of kittens running around your home exploring and investigating, please be extra careful with your refrigerator. Kittens are so quiet and so quick they can dart inside when you have the door open without you noticing. Little kittens cries are faint and refrigerator doors are thick, you would not know that the poor little thing is trapped until you next need the milk for that cup o' coffee. If she is not in there too long she probably won't suffer much more than a chill, but if kitty jumps in there just before you leave for the afternoon . . . _________________________
Have you left feedback telling me what you would like to read on this site yet? It will only take you a few seconds and will be a great help to know what folks want. What Would You Like To Read On This Site?
Cat psychology should help us recognize that when a cat misbehaves she is often only trying to tell us something. . .
Sunday 1st October 2006
My bones ache, every single one of them! I have also got scratches on my arms and grass stains on my jeans. You see, I have been doing something that I never do - gardening, and the hard work of today confirms why I never do it. But it was all part of a fantastic visit to see my son and my grandson who have just moved back into a house that they used to live in. Don't ask me to explain, it's far too complicated.
As soon as I arrived I was greeted with "Guess what granddad, we are going to do gardening." And that is exactly what my son had planned. It must be admitted that their back garden did need some work (it was in almost as bad a state as mine,) I don't think it had been touched since my son last lived there. I looked at the sky, rain clouds. And indeed there had been drizzle this morning, but that wasn't going to deter my son and my grandson from the task. I stalled by playing with Bluebell my son's beautiful part Birman cat, and she really is a beauty.
After about 10 mins of stroking and petting the cat I was more or less frog marched outside and put to work. We cut grass, we cut back bushes, we pulled things up, we carried things from here to there. We all tired ourselves out. " Do you fancy lunch at the pub?" asked my son. I readily agreed with this but forgot that we were out in the country, the nearest pub was a tramp across farms and fields. I can tell you I was more than ready for that Sunday roast when we eventually got to the Bricklayers Arms. The lunch was divine. My son and I enjoyed a couple of pints of cider, Jacob downed a couple of lemonades and then we made the long march back. I stayed awhile longer played with Jacob and the cat and then caught the train home. All in all a tiring but fantastic Sunday.
Tuesday 3rd October 2006
It's back! The is a certain cat book that I've had for more than a few years now, I'm always recommending it to people. I had noticed that it was out of stock at Amazon.com and began to wonder if perhaps it was now out of print which would have been a shame. But I'm pleased to see that the book is back on the (online) shelves. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cats doesn't go too deeply into any one aspect of cats but as a good all round read about felines you don't find many cat books as good as this Here's my review
"Cats, as a rule, don't like lawyers. They have great insight intohuman character" Kinky Friedman
Friday 6th October 2006
Cats do not like being stared at, they find it threatening. Often a cat will make for someone who doesn't like cats, yes there are such people, and avoid cat lovers. This is because folks who don't like cats will often turn their heads and not look directly at the cat, this makes the cat feel comfortable with them. Some people mistakenly believe that this behavior means that cats prefer people that do not like them. I've added this snippet to the cat myths page.
This is a very unhappy news story that fits in with the mention of the cat myths page. One myth this sad story exposes is that cats always land on their feet, they don't. Another is that cats always climb down from a tree if left alone. It is my belief that they usually do, but usually doesn't mean every time and this cat didn't. Some folks believe that firefighters will always come to the rescue of cats stuck up a tree. More and more often the firefighters are not allowed to turn out to rescue a cat because while they are doing that they cannot attend a fire, there is risk of the firefighters being injured and as said cats usually climb down from a tree if left alone. The story shows that this particular fire dept. does not rescue cats. Here is the story - Be careful if you're a cat in Santa Ana and get stuck in a tree
Sunday 8th October 2006
Things I have learned this fine Sunday. Freshly melted cheese on toast makes a heck of a mess when you drop it on the carpet. A mug of tea makes an equal mess when you knock it off the edge of the table when you bend down to clean up the cheese on toast. _________________________
I had an interesting email from a visitor to this site, they did not give their name. They have an 4 year old neutered male cat who has taken to jumping on their 8 year old neutered female cat and biting the back of her neck. They asked if this was 'dominance' behavior. I replied that I thought it probably was but couldn't offer too much information on the subject. Dominance behavior in cats is something that I will study up on, I'm sure that it will be a fascinating subject.
I do know that neutered male cats will sometimes 'hump' other male cats, doesn't mean that they are gay, it's all the "I'm the dominant cat" thing. When you think of it, cat mating is a pretty aggressive thing so no doubt the male thinks that he is dominant when he mounts the female. Even though a neutered male is no longer 'qualified' it seems he still wants to dominate other cats, of either sex, what better way than with sexual aggression? That does not seem to answer though, why many neutered cats 'hump' inanimate objects, pillows, cushions, furniture etc. Perhaps they want to dominate things as well as other felines. Hmmm, so much to learn about this. When I have the information I'll put up a "Why neutered cats hump" page.
No doubt that you have a few friends who do not like cats, cats are not their cup of tea. But there is a difference in not particularly liking cats and being downright afraid of them. There are folks that cannot stand even being close to a cat. They may start to perspire, have difficulty breathing and may become hysterical. They have a fear of cats.
Tuesday 10th October 2006
The great British war time leader and statesman Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) absolutely adored his cats of which he had many during his long life. He apparently was found of other pets too, he was once seen working at his desk with a budgerigar perched on top of his head, a dog sleeping across his feet and a cat asleep on his lap.
Sir Winston received a ginger cat for his 88th birthday from a man whose nickname was Jock, so the cat too was christened Jock by Churchill, but also frequently referred to him as his "special assistant".
Jock had been with Sir Winston for only two years when the great statesman passed away in 1965, the cat was lying on his master's bed. But the cat was well provided for in Churchill's will, the states man decreed that there should always be a ginger cat called Jock at Chartwell (Churchill's stately home,) not just living there but in 'comfortable residence'. The present owners of Chartwell, the National Trust, have kept up Churchill's request the cat that lives there now is Jock 3 who by now must be a good age.
Sir Winston Churchill, great war time leader and great lover of cats. _________________________
Did you know that a healthy set of teeth and gums is essential for your cat's welfare. To help keep your cat's teeth strong and free from plaque, tartar and gum infections you need to routinely examine your cat's mouth and regularly clean her teeth. . . Cats Teeth
Friday 13th October 2006
Friday 13th, unlucky or not? I don't really believe in all that stuff but found myself taking extra care today (driving etc.) I wonder how careful I would be if I did believe in it, probably stay in bed all day ;-) _________________________
Here's a news story that I missed, it is dated 5 September 2005.
Cat in the pink. Hmm, interesting. If anybody ever found out why Brumas turned pink then I can't find any report about it. Seems this story caused some interest then faded away.
A prank? A hoax? A twisted sort of graffiti artist? The vet seems to rule out paint as the cat's fur was not matted but surely there are dyes (vegetable dyes perhaps) which would not mat a cat's fur. Apparently there was once a type of 'Oriental' cat in Thailand that was pink with a white band around its body.
I can't help it, I've got to sing it . . .
He's in the pink - the pink panther The rinky dink panther, and it's as plain as your nose, that he's the one and only, truly original, Panther-pink panther from head to toes!
Genetic Savings & Clone, a company set up in California to clone pets has gone out of business after cloning just two cats. They were hoping to charge up to $50,000 a time. The Humane Society of the United States is pleased that they have closed down and quite frankly so am I. If I understand it correctly, if a clone is produced from a deceased pet, the clone may not look exactly like the pet, but would likely have the same personality. I can understand someone missing a departed pet, and if that pet was a cat for example they would want to get another cat sooner or later.
Why not simply get a cat from a shelter. It would likely have a different personality than their lost feline but it would be lovable none-the-less. It would possibly save a great cat from euthanasia and save the cat owner $50,000. _________________________
It's very close once again. The time of ghosties and ghoulies, tricks and treats, witches and warlocks, pumpkins and candy and those spooky Halloween Cats
Tuesday 17th October 2006
It's fun to watch cats, they do such entertaining things, they are an animal that is both predicable an unpredictable at the same time, if that makes any sense ;-) Of course the best cat to watch is your own, but it is also fun to be entertained by other felines. And it is for this reason that I have obtained from a secret source, well YouTube actually, a collection of amusing cat videos just for your entertainment - Cat Video
The cat video page will be updated with new videos frequently and if it proves popular I shall build a page of kitten videos. _________________________
I have just been reading a news story about a cat that fell 60ft out of a tree and broke her leg near the hip. I won't post a link to the page because it doesn't seem to load properly and hung up my computer. Anyway, the cat's owners cannot afford the $4,000 it will take to have a plate and pin put in the cat's leg. They have been offered two alternatives, have the cat put to sleep or have her leg amputated. If they are unable to raise the $4,000 to save the cat's leg, they have an appeal going, I really do hope that they don't have the poor thing put to sleep. A cat can live a very full life with a leg missing as my Basil proved. In Basil's case the vet did not offer any alternative, there probably was none, he just went ahead and amputated and never once did I regret that, and I don't think that Basil did either.
Friday 20th October 2006
Pope Leo XII (1760-1829) was a cat lover. His favorite cat, Micetto was born in the Vatican and fed by the pope himself, Leo XII is believed to have hidden the tabby cat beneath his robes as he gave audiences. The present Pope Benedict XVI is also a cat lover, however unlike his predecessor he cannot keep his own cat, Chico, at the Vatican because no pets are allowed now a days. The back and white cat is kept instead at the pope's home in the town of Tübingen, Germany. _________________________
As cats grow older they tend to exercise less, hey just like us humans, but a little regular gentle exercise will benefit an older cat and help prevent her putting on too much weight. One way to ensure that your cat gets that gentle exercise is a daily play session. Read more here . . . Avoiding Elderly Cat Health Problems
Sunday 22nd October 2006
Tonight is a little colder than it has been lately, but usually in October I'm sitting here with the heating on and several more layers of clothing than I have at the moment. There must be something in this global warming thing. _________________________ Did you know that cats have the largest eyes, in relation to their body size, of any mammal? That, along with the fact that cats eyes are forwards on their heads, probably goes a long way in making them so appealing. Kittens especially, with their big round eyes look so vulnerable and in need of protection that you feel compelled to pick them up. Kittens are born with their eyes shut, when their eyes open they are always blue and, usually, change color over time. A cat's hearing is said to be five times better than the average human being. A human's hearing has a top range of about 20 khz, whereas a cat can hear up to 65 khz. A cat can rotate its ears around 180 degrees to aid its hearing, I bet you can't do that.
At this time of year SiteSell.com get a little scary. They offer a spooky good special on Site Build It! - the product that enables you to build a business, not just a website. BOO!
In August 1914 Shackleton and his crew set sail on the Endurance for the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Also on board was a team of 70 husky sledge dogs and one tabby cat. The cat came aboard as a stowaway when he hid himself in the ship's carpenter's toolbox but was allowed to stay as a mouser was considered essential to keep the ship free of rats.
The cat was christened Mrs. Chippy by the crew and this name stuck even after it was realized the cat was in fact a male. Mrs. Chippy was much loved by everyone but particularly so by the carpenter, Henry McNeish, who Mrs. Chippy follow around the ship. The cat took pleasure in teasing the huskies often jumping onto the roof of a kennel and scratching, this drove the poor chained up dog bananas.
In January 1915 the Endurance became stuck in the ice and nothing Shackleton and his crew tried could free it. After a month, and with the ship beginning to break up, the crew left the ship and set up camp on the ice. They had three lifeboats but these were not suitable for the long journey Shackleton and his crew knew that they had to make to seek rescue. So Henry McNeish employed all of his carpentry skills to strengthen the boats to withstand a trip of 800 miles.
As there was barely enough room in the boats for the crew and the minimum of supplies Shackleton made the decision to shoot the dogs and, after feeding him a bowl of sardines, Mrs. Chippy. Henry McNeish was distraught, he never forgave Shackleton for shooting his cat. On the long voyage to the island of South Georgia the carpenter was uncooperative and would not obey Shackleton's orders. After a battle with the elements the crew reached South Georgia and safety.
Despite the fact that his carpentry had played a big part in the rescue, Shackleton refused to recommend Henry McNeish for a Polar Medal because of the carpenter's rebellion. Years later when he was on his death bed, the only mention Henry McNeish made about the Trans-Antarctic Expedition was that Shackleton had shot his cat.
Henry McNeish was given a naval funeral complete with a gun carriage and buried in an unmarked grave. Unmarked that is until June 2004, when the New Zealand Antarctic Society commissioned a life-sized sculpture in bronze of Mrs. Chippy to lay across the carpenter's grave, and now master and cat are reunited.
Friday 27th October 2006
Straight after work yesterday I made the trip to see my three little granddaughters. I don't need to say that I had a fantastic time, kids as young as them are so fascinating. They are mostly full of love and free from all the negative things that adults, and sorry to say older children, often are. Sure, they can be naughty, disobedient and selfish, but still there is no meanness about it. I suppose what I mean to say is that they are so innocent. I love them to bits. Bonkers the cat was about but keeping a pretty low profile, I expect that she has learnt that with three very young ladies in the house nobody has the time to give much attention to a cat, so she finds herself a quite spot out of the way. _________________________
Many of us believe that by choosing a cat from a specific breed we will be assured of a cat with specific personality type. Although it is true that most cat breeds are known to have certain traits, cats are very much individuals and a cat of a breed noted for its independence could be in fact very dependent. A cat's personality does not depend just on the breed but also upon . . . Choosing a Cat
Halloween can be a fun time for humans, especially the kids, but may not be such a happy time for cats. This time of year with jack o' lanterns, witch's costumes, ghosts, ghouls and trick-or-treats can be upsetting and even dangerous for your pet cat. Here are some tips to follow for your cat's safety and protection during the Halloween holiday. Cats and Halloween Safety
Monday 30th October 2006
Her majesty Queen Elisabeth 11 follows a royal custom of sending a congratulatory telegram to any of her subjects that reach the ripe old age of 100 years. The telegram service ended some years ago in the UK, so I suppose they must send a royal courier with some fancy birthday card. Anyway, this weekend one honored recipient of the queen's birthday telegram was not a loyal human subject . . . but a cat!
Chris Evans, of Windermere, wrote a rather tongue-in-cheek letter to her majesty informing her that his cat, a short-haired Burmese called Flook, would soon reach the grand old age of 16 - about the equivalent of 100 human years. To his great surprise his cat received a birthday message and the queen wrote that she was interested to learn Flook had reached "such a remarkable age".
I'm wondering if that has set some sort of royal precedent. Will all cats that reach 16 years now expect to get a telegram from the queen? Will there be feline tears if a moggy's owner neglects to inform Buckingham Palace? Actually, 16 years is not that old for a cat these days, so there could be lots of royal kitty telegrams.
Wednesday 1st November 2006
I start work fairly early and so also finish fairly early. The bus that I catch to get home passes lots of schools just as the kids are pouring out. Now I'm not about to claim that my generation behaved perfectly when we were kids because we didn't, and some like myself were quite badly behaved. But, and I've got to say it, this lot are completely out of control. Like most adults who use buses that kids travel on, I've learned that if you say anything all you get is a mouthful of abuse, so I keep quiet and try to pretend that nothing is going on. Cowardly and not the right attitude I know, but . . .
Tonight there was one kid of about thirteen who had obviously made up his mind to cause as much trouble as he could, to other kids, to other passengers and to the driver. The was also a bloke sat a few seats in front of me who was getting visibly very annoyed by this little monster, like me he did not say anything, but eventually he obviously had enough. The bus pulled up and the driver opened the exit, about a dozen screaming, fighting kids poured out the bus but not our particularly delinquent friend. Before the driver could close the door, this bloke stood up grabbed public enemy No 1 and threw him out on to the pavement, the driver, who I'm sure knew what happened and was very pleased about it, closed the doors and the bus continued.
Three cheers for the lone ranger, he did what I and I'm sure the rest of the adults on the bus would have liked to have done. The right thing to do? Probably not, he could get arrested for assault no matter how much of a little sod the kid was. But he did something. Will the kids behave any better on the bus tomorrow? No, of course not, but the bloke did something, and three cheers for him. _________________________
I'm working on a page about training a cat to walk on a leash, which is something that I've never done. Yes, cats can be trained to accept a leash so you can take them out and let them enjoy the open air without the fear that they will disappear. Not an easy job, you would have to be very patient with your cat, and not all cats would ever submit. It's taking me quite a bit of research but I'll get the page done.
It's nearly Nov.5th and that date is Guy Fawkes night (or bonfire night) in the UK. And around this time I usually climb upon my soapbox and lecture in this blog about keeping cats and other pets indoors on Guy Fawkes night. You may be getting bored with that so I'm going to hand this blog over to a cat to get the feline point of view . . .
" Hello I'm a pet cat, just an ordinary, if a cat can ever be ordinary, cat pretty much the same as your little kitty. Now I don't know what gets into you humans at this time of year, but off you go and spend quite a lot of your money on what you call fireworks, surely that money would be better spent on nice fresh fish for me. Anyway, after buying these strange things you wait until it is dark light the ends of them and then stand there making silly noises like ahhh and oooh as the confounded things explode, shoot sparks, fly into the air or in some other way terrify me!
I just don't understand what it is all about. The bright flashes, the loud noises and even the evil smells really frighten me. Please, can you keep me indoors away from it all if you must indulge in that strange custom. And could someone who loves me stay with me? It would make me a far less nervous cat if there were someone to pet and comfort me if I need it. If I'm left outside I'll panic and run to try and find somewhere away from the noise. Trouble is there will be humans being silly all over the place and I might have to run a long way. In my panic I could easily dash across a busy road straight into the traffic, please I don't want to be your ex cat! So I'm looking at you with my cutest expression to implore you to keep me, your loving cat, and all other pets indoors on Guy Fawkes night."
Sunday 5th November 2006
Can you train your cat to be walked on a leash? Probably, it's not a quick easy task but most cats can be persuaded to walk on a leash. Here is the new page > Cat on a Leash _________________________
Yesterday my granddaughter Rebecca celebrated her 2nd birthday with a party (her birthday is actually today.) I was lucky enough to receive an invitation :-) A jolly good time was had by all with pass the parcel and other games, jelly and cream, jam sandwiches, birthday cake and orange juice. By the time her little friends left mum and dad were a tad worn out, so too was granddad but very happy. Bonkers the cat didn't make herself scarce for once but joined in the fun, going from child to child and getting lots of petting.
Wednesday 8th November 2006
I'm glad to read that the Guinness Book of Records is no longer accepting nominations for the category of world's heaviest cat. They say that having this category might encourage owners to overfeed their cats in the hope of getting a mention in the book. Yes, some people would be irresponsible enough to do that so I for one applaud their decision. _________________________ Lots of news reports of cats and other animals being injured by fireworks on Guy Fawkes night. Some of the cats received their injuries accidentally, which is bad enough, but sickeningly some animals were deliberately hurt. How the dirt bags that do this sort of thing can live with themselves I do not know. Perhaps the people who call for the sale of fireworks to the public to be banned are right. With controlled public displays there would be less chance of cats and people being harmed by morons that should not be allowed out with hot dogs, let alone fireworks.
It's all Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, in the shops and if you are anything like me you think that the stores jump on the bandwagon to early in their efforts to get us to buy now, I know I do. But in reality it is not that long to go now and the lead up to the holidays are busy days, it's easy to find yourself close to Christmas and still having to find gifts for everyone.
Maybe it is not to soon to start planning what you will be giving to whom. If you have cat lovers to find gifts for this page may help - Cat Lover Gift Ideas
Friday 10th November 2006
I don't watch television at home, but I did manage to catch a brief snatch of a program that I would have loved to see right through whilst I was at work yesterday. Animal 24/7 is a program on the BBC that follows an RSPCA inspector (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) as he goes about his daily tasks.
Although I had missed the start, yesterday's program was clearly about a 'crazy cat lady', although you could tell that the elderly lady was not 'crazy', just had a few problems and was possibly very lonely. She had amassed about 20 to 30 cats and kittens, probably feral, and did not have a hope of looking after them properly, although the program made it clear that she was feeding them. The RSPCA inspector and his assistant were trapping the cats and kittens to take them to a shelter. The elderly lady seemed to accept that the cats needed more care than she could give and was not trying to hinder the RSPCA in carrying out their task.
Most of the cats were gathered in what appeared to be some sort of lean-to, or extension, on the lady's house. This lean-to was riddled with rot and in a very poor state of repair. A nice touch was that the RSPCA inspector said he would try and get the lady some help to repair her building because it was in danger of collapsing around her. It was at this point that I had to stop watching and get back to work (boo.) But I do hope that help was also found for the lady herself, otherwise at some point or the other, she will be likely to go back to taking in stray and feral cats, in numbers that she cannot look after, and things will be back to square one. An interesting program, I do wish that I could have seen more of it.
I just enjoyed a truly wonderful weekend. I spent Saturday evening and Sunday morning as a guest of my son and grandson, which was a good opportunity for them to introduce me to their new dog Princess, a Lurcher (Sp?) a breed related to Greyhounds, my son got the dog from a rescue center. Naturally I was more excited about seeing my son and grandson but have to admit that is a great dog they have. She is quite a handful when out for a walk though, she wants to attack every dog that she sees, large or small, so has to be kept on the leash except when out in the countryside where you can see there is no other dog for miles.
Princess gets on great with my son's cat though, they share the house with no problems at all. Talking of that cat - Saturday night my son and I watched a couple of DVDs and shared a couple of bottles of wine. I woke up early Sunday with a dry throat, due to all that wine, so I quietly crept downstairs to make myself a cup of tea. Bluebell the cat was in the kitchen and wasted no time in rubbing herself against my legs. Needless to say she was picked up and made a fuss of which she responded to with a deep purring and pressing her head against me. Of course I lapped all this attention up, even forgetting about the urgent cup of tea, thinking that I was truly loved by this beautiful blue eyed cat. I expect that you are ahead of me here, it was all cupboard love! My son feeds his cat first thing in the morning and so when I showed up Bluebell thought that I would make as good a cat food sever as anybody. When the penny finally dropped, I found her dried cat food, poured out some into her bowl and filled her water bowl. The cat attacked the food with enthusiasm, finished it off and disappeared through the pet door without a backward glance, that's cats for you! What a great weekend, I hope that your's was as good.
Wednesday 15th November 2006
I was having an email conversation with my friend Lesley, owner of the excellent East Devon Guide, when she mentioned that she had just put a new page on her site reviewing a admirable pub called The Hare and Hounds. Which led to a discussion about pubs with animals in their name, I remarked that I couldn't recall seeing one with Cat in the name. And so, I did a little poking around the web . . .
There is a pub called The Cat's Back not too far from where I am in South London, I shall have to check it out ;) I found plenty of pubs called The Cat and Fiddle and a few simply called The Cat, surprisingly I only found one Cat's Whiskers but quite a few named The Fat Cat.
There is a Cheshire Cat unsurprisingly located in Cheshire, but why there is a pub called The Devonshire Cat in Sheffield, Yorkshire is a bit of a mystery! The Cat and Custard Pot is I think a strange name but apparently it used to be called The Cat and Mustard Pot, ahh that makes sense, not! There is The Cat with No Tail on the Isle of Mann now that does make sense. There is a Kilkenny Cat in South Wales which seems not to make sense until you discover it is run by an Irish landlady and is an Irish theme pub. There is a Romping Cat, which suggests that pub is a lot of fun, and a Rampant Cat which might suggest something else!
But perhaps the oddest thing I found is that a pub in Colchester that for centuries was known as The Black Cat has had its named changed to . . .The George W in honor of you know who! Colchester is a army garrison town and the pub was renamed as a mark of mutual respect to USA and UK troops fighting in Iraq, President Bush is said to have thanked the townspeople and garrison of Colchester for the honor. _________________________
Calendars.com are running a rather good special offer from now until 30th November, it can save you 15% on orders of just $20 or more. Calendars are a great answer to the eternal problem of what to give as a Christmas gift to all those in your life that don't quite deserve the designer jewelry. There's Aunt Rose and Uncle Jack, Cousin Edgar, Madge from the office, Ken and Barbie from down the street. There is a calendar to suit them all. Of course there are terrific cat and kitten calendars and also movie, music, sports, humor, inspirational, motorcycles, just about anything you can think of and you can save 15% on them all. This page has details - 2007 Calendars Special Offer _________________________
Do you know Edgar Allen Poe's Cat? I found this parody very amusing (page no longer online) Unfortunately the flashing scrolling thingy at the top of the page can be a bit annoying but just scroll the page up till it's out of sight.
Tuesday 21st November 2006
Yes, you are at the right site. It's the same Best Cat Art but with a new site header, I hope that you like it. _________________________
I've been playing around with my cat books page. It now has an Amazon Store imbedded in it instead of all those graphic boxes, it now has a neater look to it I believe. Within the store there are pages for general cat books, cat behavior books, cat health books and cat books for kids. Take a look, see what you think - Cat Books _________________________
According to the BBC the EU (European Union) are planning to ban the sale of cat and dog fur in member states. The EU are not my favorite people, not by a long chalk, but that is politics and I suppose doesn't belong in a cat blog! But honestly I would have thought that they would have banned this disgusting trade years ago. The EU Commission says that different countries have taken various action on banning cat and dog fur, such as banning rearing cats and dogs for their fur, or trade and import bans, and compulsory labeling. The Commission says they have no evidence that cats and dogs are being bred inside the EU for their fur. Well that's one good thing, but unfortunately it looks like cat and dog fur is being sold. Wake up EU, you should have stopped this already. Here's the full story - EU proposes cat and dog fur ban.
Friday 24th November 2006
In 1927 Charles Augustus Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York, on his historic solo flight across the Atlantic. He landed 331/2 hours later at Le Bourget Field, close to Paris. Just before he took off someone took a photograph of Lindbergh sitting in his cockpit with 'Patsy' his kitten. This photograph has led many people to believe that the kitten accompanied Lindbergh on his flight, which is in fact not so. Charles Lindbergh is quoted as saying "It's too dangerous a journey to risk the cat's life."
However Lindbergh did take a cat with him on the flight, it was a Felix The Cat doll (some sources say a picture of Felix The Cat.) Some years later Spain issued an airmail stamp commemorating the historic flight. The stamp showed Lindbergh's plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, taking off with Patsy the cat sitting watching. _________________________
Don't forget about the very special offer from Calendars.com. Solve your problem of what to get all those on your Christmas gift list and save yourself a handy 15%. Details here - Calendars Special Offer
Sunday 26th November 2006
This year, Linda and Robert Berzok of Arizona will send out Christmas cards featuring a picture of their cat Rommie. The couple were driving home from their summer place in upstate New York to their winter residence in Arizona when they stopped for the night in Louisville Kentucky. As they opened their car door the cat took the opportunity to bound out into the big wide world and that was the start of a merry dance to get their cat back. It took the couple more than two weeks and a return flight to Louisville to be reunited with Rommie. Robert Berzok says that from now on the cat will be in his cat carrier every time the car door is opened. Here's the full story - Cat-astrophe averted _________________________
Had planned to visit my aunt who lives on the south coast yesterday with my son, daughter-in-law and my three granddaughters. Unfortunately little Rebecca and baby Hayley had not been too well over the last couple of days, nothing too serious just tummy trouble. So it was just my son, Samantha and myself. Still had a great time though, and my aunt was absolutely delighted to see Samantha who was a little bundle of energy and chatter through the day, so she slept like a log on the return home. My son tells me the other two girls are now both right as rain, which of course I'm very glad to hear. Shame that I missed them, ah well next time.
Wednesday 29th November 2006
Edward Lear, the man who popularized 'nonsense rhymes' and the author of "The Owl and the Pussycat" was the youngest of twenty children, (yes 20, count 'em.) Not surprisingly he did not see much of his parents and it was his older sisters who brought him up. He was not a well child and suffered from epilepsy, asthma and rheumatism, which meant that he spent a lot of time indoors so he taught himself how to draw and loved to play around with words. He left home at sixteen to live with his sister Ann and was able to sell enough of his drawings of butterflies and flowers to support them both.
He won a commission to draw and produce prints of the parrots at London Zoo and these became so popular that the Earl of Derby invited him to produce drawings of the animals in his private menagerie. While Lear was making his drawings he became friendly with the Earl's children and made up nonsense limericks for them. These rhymes were later published as the "Book of Nonsense." Lear then set off around the world creating landscapes of the places he visited. Queen Victoria was so taken with Lear's prints she requested that he gave her drawing lessons.
Later Lear settled in Italy where he painted and busied himself in his garden. He had a tabby tom cat called Foss for a companion. This cat was said to have a permanently startled expression and to have had the end of his tail cut of by a servant who believed this cruel act would stop the cat from straying!!! When Foss the cat died he was buried with honors in Lear's garden. _________________________
Today is the 29th and the 15% discount offer from Calendars.com ends tomorrow. So if you want to make a nice saving on all sorts of fantastic 2007 calendars do not delay :-) here is the link - Calendars Save 15%
Friday 1st December 2006
December is here. This is the time of year for preparation for the coming festivities, perhaps frantic preparation, busy, busy, busy. This is also the time of year when there are many worthwhile charities that need a little extra help, and so extra effort is made to solicit donations, at the office, door to door, at the mall and anyplace where crowds gather. Many of us give generously because we know that those donations can often make a huge difference to folks lives, to folks with cancer, to children in need, to the homeless, to folks with disabilities, the list of worthwhile causes goes on. As much as you would like to you cannot help everybody, so you give what you can.
Here is one more worthwhile cause and a way for you to help with a twist. The Animal Rescue Site provides food for some of the millions of unwanted animals in rescue shelters which includes, of course, many cats and kittens. What's the twist? They are not asking for your money, all they are asking for is a click! Visit their site and you will see a purple "Feed an Animal in Need" button, all you have to do is click it and you are helping to feed a rescue animal, no donation to make. The number of cats and other animals helped by the site depends on the number of visitors to the site. You can click once every day, and your click really is appreciated by the Animal Rescue Site and by the animals. Here is the link again - The Animal Rescue Site
Sunday 3rd December 2006
The church of St. Mary the Virgin, in the Gloucestershire village of Fairford is said to have the most complete set of medieval church windows in England. It also has something else that could be said to be unusual - a small memorial of a cat carved in stone that stands just outside the church porch. Tiddles was a stray that 'adopted' the verger and his wife, and became a familiar sight to the congregation for the cat loved to attend services and loved to sit on churchgoers knees. Tiddles the cat spent 17 years as a member of the congregation and when she passed away the local stonemason thought she deserved a memorial as much as some of the people who already had one. _________________________
I'm working on a page about 'cat treats'. We all like to let our cats know that we love them and sometimes we try to tell them that by giving them a tasty treat. Trouble is that if we give our cats treats too frequently then it is no longer a 'treat' but something that the cat has come to expect. Too many treats can lead to a very overweight cat. Anyway, I've a fair bit more work to do on the page.
I haven't got too far with the cat treats page. One reason is that this is the time of year when folks get together for a meal or a drink before Christmas. Last night was one such occasion. It was very pleasant meeting up with friends that I hadn't seen for a while and, whilst we didn't go too mad with the festive drinks, my head wasn't very clear this morning. Fortunately I had a light day at work ;-) _________________________
A new report is suggesting that older cats can suffer from loss of memory in the same way that humans can. It seems that a protein has been discovered that can build up in the cat's nerve cells in their brains and cause mental retrogression. They say that they have known for some time that cats can develop dementia, but now they think that older cat's nervous system can be affected in the same way as can Alzheimer's sufferers. They say to talk to your older cat to strengthen the bond between you and make your cat feel secure - good advice for cats of any age I would say. Here is the full story - Feline Alzheimer's
Friday 8th December 2006
Raymond Chandler the writer, author of The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye, Farewell My Lovely etc. had a cat, a black Persian called Taki. He was said to refer to his cat as his secretary because she was in the habit of sitting on his manuscripts as he tried to revise them. And it is said that it is this cat that caused Chandler to make the quote "A cat never behaves as if you were the only bright spot in an otherwise clouded existence." _________________________
The page about Cat Treats is at last finished. Used in moderation cat treats are OK, they can be very useful as a training aid. Human food should be avoided though, never feed your cat scraps from your plate.
Sunday 10th December 2006
I'm not in such good shape. I've picked up some sort of viral infection I think, coughing, spluttering and a rasping raw throat. I took Friday off from the day job and have not ventured outside all weekend save to stock up on pills, remedies and a rain forest worth of Kleenex. If I were a cat I would take myself to the vets. Somehow I don't think I'll be fighting fit enough to resume work tomorrow.
Good job that I did most of my Christmas gift shopping on the 'net so I don't have to face dragging my germ ridden self around the stores, not that I need an excuse not to endure the crowds.
I ordered my favorite elderly aunt a particularly difficult jigsaw puzzle from Amazon and phoned her just a few days later to warn her to expect a package. To my amazement she had already received it, unfortunately she had opened it so no Christmas day surprise for her, but well done Amazon, that is first class service. The puzzle was not unlike this Classic Cat Jigsaw which should keep any cat lover quite for a while. Not too late to get your gifts delivered by Amazon to your family and friends. For cat lovers check my Cat Books Page. Not too late either to order those Cat Calendars or Cat Posters and Prints to arrive in good time for Christmas.
Right, I'm off to take another pill to clear my head, or perhaps a little slug of Scotch will work better ;-)
Wednesday 13th December 2006
Back at work now, the virus thing is still hanging on but at least I'm not coughing every second, just every other second.
Be careful what you give your cat. You'd think that cat grass was pretty harmless, just something for cats to chew on and frolic in. But apparently it's an addictive class B drug, before you know it your kitty will be on the slippery slope to addiction. Cat grass - the new drug
Well it's not long now, got all of your Christmas cards sent? (I haven't so I'll have to get cracking.) Looks like some of the posters and prints from Allposters and Art.com are now not available for guaranteed delivery in time for Christmas. Still time to order those last minute gifts from Amazon though, that is if you hurry.
Friday 15th December 2006
I'm going to visit my granddaughters, my son and daughter-in-law tomorrow, it is the Christmas visit of course so I will be laden down with gifts. I don't suppose that I will be wearing a big red suit and be sporting a long white beard (even though I have a suitable waistline,) but I might manage a Ho, Ho, Ho or two ;) I'd love to be watching my granddaughters when they open their presents on Christmas day but that cannot be, but I will get to see my grandson, and my other son, on Christmas eve. _________________________
I'm reading an article that says up to a third of all cat owners buy their cat a present for Christmas. Well that's nice. It must be fun watching kitty tear at the paper, and perhaps be more interested in the paper than the present. I wonder if that 'third' is a real figure or just hyped up by cat toy and accessories manufacturers. After all if you think that it is the usual thing to buy your cat a gift at this time of year, then that is likely what you will do, and nothing at all wrong with that. Just don't expect a present back from your feline.
Have you left feedback telling me what you would like to see on this site yet? It will only take you a few seconds and will be a great help to know what folks want. What Would You Like To Read On This Site?
Sunday 17th December 2006
My visit to see my granddaughters was a real treat yesterday. A big surprise was that my other son also turned up with Jacob my grandson :-) So I enjoyed all my grandchildren at the same time, it was a little hectic but I loved it. I even managed to get a few smiles from baby Hayley and that was a joy.
At this time of year lots of us spend time away from home. Sometimes this presents us with a bit of a problem if we share our life with a cat. Some cats just do not take to being boarded out, but if yours does not mind this may be the answer especially if it is just for a few days. Finding a cat sitter may be difficult over the Christmas period. Take your cat with you? Yes, it can be done. Many cats do not immediately take to traveling, but with a little preparation > Cat Travel Tips.
Police investigating a possible stalker leaving Beanie Babies, the popular children's toys, in residents' yards said they have a surveillance video of a suspect . . . the family cat! Beanie Baby bandit cat _________________________
Children in Iceland hope for all sorts of gifts at Christmas, iPods, bikes, skateboards and the like, just like children the world over. But Icelandic children specially hope for at least one item of new clothing for if they don't get a coat or a T shirt, or even just a scarf, folk-law has it that they will be eaten by the Christmas cat!!!
The Christmas cat is nothing like your own harmless kitty, but rather a fearsome beast, the pet of a frightful and gruesome troll. Each Christmas the cat escapes from the troll's sack and prowls around Iceland looking for kids who did not get new clothes for Christmas. Apparently this piece of folk law has been around since the nineteenth century. Hmmm, I'm wondering if the legend of the Christmas cat could have been started by Icelandic clothing merchants, no surely not. :-)
Once again SiteSell, the company that produces Site Build It! (SBI) has got into the Christmas spirit and is offering a two for one special. SBI is the software that makes building a website, that folks actually find, so sweetly simple.
Yes, that is two SBI's for the price of one, a true Christmas bargain. If You have been thinking about SBI!, do it now. Team up with a friend to get two sites and split the cost, or giveone to a son or daughter (or to a mother or father!). How often do you get to give a life skill as a gift?The Gift That Keeps On Giving... And Earning
Saturday 23rd December 2006
Here is something that you may enjoy. A story about a Siamese cat that was first published in print form in 1975 and now available to read online for free, well it is Christmas. A warm and gentle cat story (I must confess that I have not finished reading it yet,) with many fine illustrations - Gian Carlo, a Siamese Cat. _________________________
This is where I wish you a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and that goes even if you celebrate another religious holiday at this time of year, or if you do not celebrate at all. Whatever you are doing for the holidays have a great time and keep safe and well.
Tuesday 26th December 2006
Well that's it, the Christmas break is almost over and it's back to work tomorrow, for me anyway. Of course some poor souls had to work yesterday otherwise there would be no medical or ambulance service, sadly needed at Christmas as much as any time. If you were at home for Christmas I hope that you were not as gluttonous as I was and now feel decidedly uncomfortable. _________________________
The Buchanan family was very upset by the disappearance of Vegas their cat. They searched high and low including all of the places that the cat used to haunt. Finally the family gave up any hope of finding their cat, choosing to believe that Vegas had been stolen at least that might mean someone was caring for the cat. Mrs. Buchanan's father offered to buy the family a new cat and so one was chosen from the local rescue shelter.
A new cat to replace the family feline that went missing . . . I bet that you can guess the happy ending to this news story. A white cat Christmas. _________________________
We know what happens right after Christmas don't we, out come all the bargains. As if we haven't spent enough over the festive season! Well, not to be left out here are some great pet products deals from Amazon.com. Some automatic cat litterboxes at nice prices. Pet Products Deals
Friday 29th December 2006
As it is the space between Christmas and New Year things are a little slow at work, (I don't mind that one bit.) Three old fogies, including me, have found plenty of time for standing around gassing. One topic of conversation was old movies.
One of our number mentioned seeing a film about a giant cat. We scratched our heads wondering what film that could have been, then it hit us. It wasn't a giant cat that our friend recalled but an ordinary pet cat menacing its human that had shrunk down to the size of a Barbie doll.
That movie was The Incredible Shrinking Man a 1957 b+w Sci-Fi adventure. The 'hero' of the film became contaminated by a radioactive mist, being radioactively contaminated was a must in 1950's Sci=Fi films ;-) Anyway, the man soon found that he was shrinking, his clothes did not fit and he had become shorter than his wife. Smaller and smaller he got and had to overcome all sorts of problems not least of all being trapped in his basement and being menaced by a cat.
For 1957 this scene was extremely well done, the camera shots and the special effects turned the cat into a real monster, the mouse sized man having to dodge this way and that to keep from getting swiped by giant cat claws. The fact that it was the man's own pet cat made it all the more terrifying.
What if you were the size of a mouse? Would your feline pounce upon you and try to devour you? "No, not my puddy cat" you may think, but remember this - a cat is a cat and prey is prey, no matter that the prey was once large enough to work the can opener. Just a thought.
Sunday 31st December 2006
Wooosh! There goes another one. It's true what they say, the older you get the faster they fly by, years that is. 2006 wasn't such a bad one for me. True that I did not achieve many of the goals that I had set for the year (including getting a new home suitable for keeping a cat,) but all in all I enjoyed myself. And . . .
. . . the year brought me a beautiful new granddaughter. I really hope that 2006 was as good for you. And now we all stand on the threshold of a sparkling new 2007. _________________________
I've uploaded two new videos to the Cat Videos page, and one to the Kitten Videos page. I hope that you enjoy them.
Tuesday 2nd January 2007
Have you ever heard of a Skookum cat? No, neither had I. Apparently it is a cross between a Munchkin Cat (A breed with very short legs,) and a LaPerm ( a breed of cat with a 'Rex' type curly coat.) Not surprisingly Skookum cats inherit the short legs and curly coats.
To sidetrack a bit here, I wonder what the sense is in deliberately breeding cats with short legs. I mean, if a cat happens to be born with short legs that's OK it is just as capable of receiving and giving love. But why deliberately breed short-legged cats? OK but to the Skookum cats.
These cats are not yet fully recognized as an official breed but are as an experimental variety, it can however compete at championship level in Australia. Skookum is a Chinook word which can have a range of meanings from 'strong' or 'powerful' to 'good' 'best' or 'reliable'. The cats are described as sweet and affectionate and love nothing better than a playtime. _________________________
Is a taking out a health insurance policy for your cat the best decision for you? Veterinary treatment can certainly be expensive, sometimes very expensive. But is the taking out pet health insurance the best thing that you can do to protect your self from unexpected veterinary costs? It may be that it is but the decision to insure your cat is not necessarily an easy one to make. Read more . . . Pet Health Insurance for Your Cat
Friday 5th January 2007
Old folk tale.
Why The Cat Always Lands Upon Her Feet.
A good and kind magician, who was always gentle with all the creatures of the earth, was traveling in the great forest of the north. As he looked far ahead he could see a great and fearsome serpent hanging from a bough that was about to drop upon and devour a little cat that was unaware of the danger above.
The good and kind magician softly whispered "Watch, little cat, watch". The whisper was barely load enough for the wasp that buzzed around the magician's head to hear, let alone the little cat ahead. But no sooner had the whisper left the magician's lips than the little cat leapt up and sprang away leaving the great and fearsome serpent to drop to the ground cheated of his meal.
The good and kind magician traveled on through the great forest of the north and the wasp continued to buzz around his head. The sun was now high up in the heavens and the magician felt the need to take some rest. He laid himself down at the foot of a mighty tree and soon the music of the forest lulled him to sleep.
As the good and kind magician lay slumbering a great and fearsome serpent, the very same that was deprived of the little cat, came softly from the thicket. It lifted high its ugly head and saw the magician slumbering at the foot of the tree. The serpent was mightily vexed "I will kill him!" it hissed. "I could have eaten that little cat if he had not called, "Watch, little cat, watch!" "I will kill him, I will kill him!"
Closer and closer the fearsome serpent moved. The good and kind magician stirred in his sleep. "Watch, little cat, watch!" he said softly. The serpent drew back, but the magician's eyes remained shut, and so the serpent decided to slither closer. It hissed its most terrible hiss still the sleeping magician did not move. Far, far up in the highest branches of the tree the little cat lay hidden. She had seen the great and fearsome serpent when it came softly from the thicket. She watched it as it went closer and closer to the good and kind magician and she heard it hiss its most terrible hiss. The little cat's body quivered and shook with anger and with fear, for she was so little and the serpent was so fearsome and ugly. "The magician was very good to me," she thought, and she leaped down and down upon the serpent.
The serpent was hissed and hissed with anger, and the flames shot from its eyes. It struck out wildly and repeatedly at the brave little cat, but now the cat knew no fear. Again and again she leaped upon the serpent's ugly head, and at long last the fearsome creature lay dead beside the sleeping magician whom it had so much wished to kill.
When the good and kind magician awoke, the little cat lay on the soft grass, and not far away was the serpent, just as ugly but quite, quite dead. He knew at once what the little cat had done, and he said, "Little cat, what can I do to show you veneration for your brave fight? Your eyes are quick to see, and your ears are quick to hear my soft whisper. I know what I shall do for you. You shall be known over this good earth as the friend and companion of man, and you shall always have a place by the heath in the home of man. And one thing more, little cat, you leaped from the high tree to kill the great and fearsome serpent and now as long as you shall live, you shall leap where you will, and you shall always fall upon your feet."
Ah Sunday. What a relaxing peaceful day it has been. Sometimes Sundays can be extremely noisy around here, with everyman and his cat shouting, playing loud music and making more noise than you'd think possible. But today perfect peace :-)
Just what do you say to your kids when they ask for a pet? It is perfectly true that cultivating good feelings towards pet animals helps kids to develop a sense of self-esteem and to establish trusting relationships with other human beings. But before you give in to your kid's demands there is plenty for you to think about. The Best Pets For Kids
There are many reasons a cat may lose hair. Cat hair loss on the stomach and inner thighs may be caused by the animal obsessively licking, biting or scratching due to irritation from fleas or other parasites. Many cats are allergic to parasites, one bite can result in a severe reaction, resulting in the cat tormenting the area so much that it loses hair and eventually . . . Cat Hair Loss
Tonkinese cats are renown for having the points of Siamese cats, but with softer contoured bodies and quieter, less assertive natures. These cats are said to be the perfect balance the between the length of the Siamese, and the slight inclination to plumpness of the Burmese. Tonkinese Cats
Tuesday 9th January 2007
Church the cat. I'd forgotten all about Church the cat from Stephen King's horror novel Pet Sematary. I read that book years ago and, oh boy, was that cat scary.
While the 'hero' of the novel's family are on a trip his daughter's cat gets run over. With a helpful but somewhat weird neighbor he takes the cat to a pet cemetery, he tells the neighbor that he doesn't know how he is going to tell his daughter about her cat's death, so the neighbor instructs him to bury it in another part of the cemetery. After the cat is put to rest the neighbor explains that pets buried in that part of the cemetery don't stay put!
He dismisses this news as bunk, but the next day Church is back and he ain't purring, he is snarling mad and stinks like crazy! How could I forget about a cat like that!
I love Stephen King's early novels and short stories but don't much care for his later works, they don't seem like they were written by the same man. _________________________
Here is a cat that spent four days up a tree. Aptly named Trouble, the cat was down from the tree in time for Christmas . . . Cat rescued after four days up a tree.
Friday 12th January 2007
I never knew that Peg-Leg Pete (AKA Black Pete, Pistol Pete) was supposed to be a cat! I'm talking about the big anthropomorphic animal with a wooden leg that appeared in many of the old Mickey Mouse cartoons.
He looked more like a bear or a dog than a cat, but as he always was the villain to Mickey Mouse's hero character it makes sense that he was a cat. You could have fooled me though. Apparently he didn't always have the wooden leg, the cat would often appear with two legs but was meant to be the same character. His name kept changing from cartoon to cartoon as well. Often known as Black Pete, Bootleg Pete, Pierre the Trapper, Terrible Tom and lots of other aliases as well as Peg-Leg Pete of course.
It seems that the big bad peg-legged cat featured in Disney's cartoons before the first appearance of Mickey Mouse making him the longest surviving Disney character. _________________________
At this, the outset of an exciting New Year we all need calendars, to help us plan out the amazing things that we are going to do. And I've got a feeling that 2007 is going to be pretty amazing for all of us.
How lucky then, that Calendars.com are offering 15% off their entire rage of magnificent 2007 calendars. All you have to do is enter the coupon code AF15OFF7 at the checkout.
I'm excited! Next Sunday my two sons, my daughter-in-law, my four grandchildren and me are going to take a trip on the Bluebell Railway. The Bluebell is one of those preserved steam locomotive lines that kids (and granddads) love.
It will be fantastic being with all those that I love at the same time. Everything depends upon the weather of course, but a picnic is being planned along with a visit to the pub at the far end of the track which I'm told is very good.
My son sent me this photo of my three gorgeous granddaughters a few weeks ago. Samantha (4) is the one posing at the back, Rebecca (2) has her cheeky smile in the middle and baby Hayley is looking perplexed at the front.
Enough of steam trains and grandchildren and on to cats.
They look like ferrets but they are every inch cats! Munchkin cats are those cats with incredibly short legs, in every other respect these cats are normal but they move very close to the ground.
Now, like me you may have reservations about breeding cats that have what would normally be thought of as defects. But these cats have not been genetically engineered but are a naturally occurring phenomenon. That does not mean I don't have concerns about them, I do, but apparently their owners claim Munchkins get about just as well as any cat and are outgoing, adventurous, playful and display a great deal of intelligence.
If you are easily upset you may not want to read this news story. I have mixed feelings about this. Yes it is terrible, of course, that somebody's pet cat was mistakenly euthanized. It was also wrong of the assistant to alter the records and to lie.
I don't know what the situation is in Delaware County, but I would think that in most places if a cat has ID then it would not end up in a shelter just because the cat was outside. So perhaps the cat should have had a collar and tag. We all wish that all rescue shelters had no kill policies. Many do, but unfortunately due to the high running cost and the never-ending stream of unwanted cats some shelters do not.
As a side note - this story highlights two important things, we should spay or neuter our cats and fit them with a collar and ID.
The assistant made a mistake, a bad mistake, but mistakes do get made. She should not have lied and tried to cover it up and she should not have been rude to the grieving owners. Perhaps it would have been best to be upfront about the mistake. A hard thing to do but the poor cat's owners probably would not feel as bad as they do now. Accidental cat euthanization
Don't forget to grab yourself a nice 15% discount at Calendars.com.All you have to do is enter the coupon code AF15OFF7 at the checkout.
I've just had the most fantastic day :-) Yes, I'm talking about that trip on the Bluebell Railway with my grandchildren, well not quite all of them because my son Martin and grandson Jacob couldn't make it. Disappointing but perhaps they may make it another time.
The three girls enjoyed it very much and so did their mummy and daddy. The weather was very kind to us, it was not a bit like January. Rather than go into detail here about the marvelous Bluebell Line I'll give you the link to their site - Bluebell Railway
Ah! You didn't think that I would have a day out without a cat coming into it did you? Yes I do have a little story about a cat.
We had enjoyed lunch and a taste of the local ale at Sheffield Park station at the far end of the line, and were taking a walk along the platform. A train was at the opposite platform and a steam locomotive was being unhitched from one end and another was backing up to be attached to the other end.
Sauntering up to the edge of our platform was a fine black cat. He is on the hunt, I thought. Then this station cat leapt down to the track, crossed to the other track and sat himself upon the rail between two wheels - with the train likely to move any time!
My son had his camera with him and so lined up a shot. Unfortunately just before my son snapped our feline friend dropped down from on top of the rail. And sat in front.
As you can see the cat does not look in too much danger in that shot. But then, with literally seconds to go before the train was to move . . .
. . . the cat jumped back on the rail and went underneath the train! (You can just about see one of the wheels in the top left corner.)
The whistle blew, steam hissed and the train chugged off. Did the station cat make it out the other side safely? We sort of knew that he had, after all he probably put on his little show for the tourists. We were relieved not to see any sign of a mangled cat anyway.
We then climbed the footbridge to the other platform to take a look in the souvenir shop. What did we see when we went inside? Our death defying station cat, safe and sound, lapping water from his bowl right by the counter! We learnt that his name is Vandal (what a great name for a station cat.) He sleeps in the souvenir shop and does a grand job of keeping the station free of rodents (and a grand job of entertaining the tourists!)
Wednesday 24th January 2007
Brrr snow. I hate the stuff, I can't walk on it and I hate driving on it. This morning I awoke to find London covered in an inch or so of snow, I know that is nothing to what some countries get but quite enough for me thank you. Fortunately by the time I had to do a little driving it had practically disappeared. I hope that tomorrow will be snow free.
Albert Einstein was once asked to explain how radio works, here is how the great scientist described it:
"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." Hmmm, pull the tail of a long cat in New York and you'd likely get a hiss and a scratch in New York I should think!
I've updated this page - Cat color Photo Art. Much of the cat art linked to had become unavailable, now all links should go to items in stock. I'll continue checking through this site for other cat art links that need updating.
Saturday 27th January 2007
A Norwegian folk tale featuring a cat.
The Severed Hand
There once was a miller whose mill mysteriously burnt down on Whitsuneve one year and then again the next Whitsuneve. Just before the Whitsuneve of the third year the miller hired a tailor to make him some fine clothes for Whitsunday.
The miller asked the tailor if he thought the mill would burn down again. The tailor said that if the miller would give him his trust he would guard the mill and ensure that it did not burn.
This was agreed upon and when Whitsuneve arrived the tailor went to the mill, which was empty having just been rebuilt, and placing himself in the middle of the floor he proceeded to guard the mill. In the dead of night the door all of a sudden flew open, and there swarmed in a multitude of black cats.
The cats began hopping and dancing round and round the mill and set a large earthen pot in the chimney and lit a fire underneath it, so that it began bubbling and hissing as if it were full of boiling pitch and tar.
This is a strange thing indeed that these cats should be in the mill boiling tar thought th
which should keep any cat lover quite for a while. Not too late to get your gifts delivered by Amazon to your family and friends. For cat lovers check my 
