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You are here: Home / Archives for Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging

Cat Blogging

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life…

by Anne Laurie|  April 7, 20248:45 am| 89 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Something Good Open Thread

I am gritting my teeth, determined to stay positive, no matter the challenge. The Spousal Unit is currently sulking because — against all earlier predictions — looks like it’s gonna be a lovely sunny Monday in Burlington, Vermont, for the total eclipse. (He didn’t get the round tuit on reserving a hotel room.) Here north of Boston, we’re only supposed to get 93% of totality, which seems like plenty enough to me, but I’m not the astronomy buff in this household…

A new declaration in Mexico gives 19 cats roaming the presidential palace food and care fur-ever https://t.co/rC4s8rv7Pw

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 7, 2024

… Nineteen feral cats have free rein of Mexico’s National Palace, long roaming the lush gardens and historic colonial halls of the most iconic buildings in the country.

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

Now, the palace cats have made hiss-tory after the government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared them to be “living fixed assets,” the first animals in Mexico to receive the title.

“The cats are now a symbol of the National Palace. Just as we understand this world, I wouldn’t understand the National Palace without the presence of these cats,” said Adriana Castillo Román, general director of the National Palace and Cultural Heritage Conservancy. “We have to make sure the cats are taken care of.”…

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Staff say they remember the feral cats living among the cacti and dense brush of the gardens as far back as 50 years ago.

But it’s unclear when they first appeared or how they even got into the building. While 19 live in the building full time, many more come and go, and staff suspect they slip under a small crack in the palace gate by night…

Palace staff worked with vets from the National Autonomous University of Mexico to vaccinate, sterilize and chip the cats, and build them little cat homes and feeding stations around the garden. They also hired Arias to take care of them on a permanent basis and give them a good life.

Neither Bowie, Coco or Ollin commented when asked how they feel about being “living fixed assets.” Coco swished his tail, while Ollin stretched out below a palace pillar and fell asleep.

“Meow,” responded Nube, a gray cat named after the Spanish word for “cloud” who enjoys greeting visitors at the door of the palace.

 
Somebody in Oregon won the $1.3 billion Powerball drawing. Seems like this would be a good week to buy a ticket, since the prize will be much smaller but there’ll also be far less competition?
 

The world's oldest man says the secret to his longevity is luck, plus regular fish and chips https://t.co/CY73950PBK

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 6, 2024

… Englishman John Alfred Tinniswood, 111, has been confirmed as the new holder of the title by Guinness World Records. It follows the death of the Venezuelan record-holder, Juan Vicente Pérez, this month at the age of 114. Gisaburo Sonobe from Japan, who was next longest-lived, died March 31 at 112…

Born in Liverpool on Aug. 26, 1912, a few months after the sinking of the Titanic, Tinniswood lived through two world wars, serving in the British Army Pay Corps in World War II.

The retired accountant and great-grandfather said moderation was key to a healthy life. He never smokes, rarely drinks and follows no special diet, apart from a fish and chip supper once a week.

“If you drink too much or you eat too much or you walk too much — if you do too much of anything — you’re going to suffer eventually,” Tinniswood told Guinness World Records.

But ultimately, he said, “it’s pure luck. You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.”…

Sunday Morning Open Thread: <em>Always Look on the Bright Side of Life… </em>Post + Comments (89)

Just a Quick Update on Zander

by TaMara|  April 4, 202411:47 pm| 86 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging

Today was hard, as we had to say goodbye to the Z-Man. He did really well since his diagnosis (liver cancer) and remained much himself, doing Zander things until a couple of days ago. He was totally spoiled with only his favorite foods, lots of scritches, and visits from his many friends. Tuesday he stopped eating and yesterday he stopped drinking. It was time.

Just a Quick Update on Zander

He will be missed. He was everyone’s cat, never met a stranger, and charmed everyone who entered the house, including a lot of repair people. He was always there to assist. And of course, he worked hardest at the non-cat people, as cats are wont to do. And didn’t leave my dad’s side when he visited last fall.

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Open Thread: A Little Kindness All Around

And remained photogenic even as he spent most of his last days on his favorite pillow, above.  There are more photos here.

I’m off to bed, trying to ignore that empty pillow.

Thanks for letting me share and many, many thanks to everyone who shared their similar experiences last month when I talked about this. It was so helpful to hear what to expect and to not feel so much like a pet person failure. Cancer happens. Cancer sucks. Fuck cancer.

Just a Quick Update on ZanderPost + Comments (86)

Pre-Dawn Open Thread: Are *You* Ready for the Weekend?…

by Anne Laurie|  March 23, 20243:44 am| 99 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Open Threads

look at this cat! his name is Bruce and he is real https://t.co/9uGUlHOgCC pic.twitter.com/qOslqMnA1c

— mang mang, my baby shot me down (@mangmangmang) March 21, 2024

Incorrect assemblage at the factory, always read the instructions

— Momodog (@Dougalpop1) March 22, 2024

According to I Can Haz Cheeseburger:

Bruce was brought into the vet for reasons unbeknownst to us, probably because his owners were wondering what is up with this crazy chimera cat? It turns out that Bruce is fine and healthy, and the vets describe him as a Minuet, which is a combination of a Persian cat and a Munchkin cat…

Munchkin cats have shortened limbs, like dachshunds. So the little dude inherited a (fortunately modified) ‘peke face’ from the Persian side of his gene line, he’s an XXY male with achondroplasia, and considering his pale eyes, probably a whole bunch of other extremely recessive genes as well. And yet, still (to human eyes) adorably cute… which he probably doesn’t love, either.

Probably a chimera cat. Two different embryos fused together in utero. Rare, but not unprecedented. pic.twitter.com/hj9cEH6nos

— RealJeffGfetus (@RealJeffGfetus) March 21, 2024

Pre-Dawn Open Thread: Are *You* Ready for the Weekend?…Post + Comments (99)

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Spring Is Coming — Gradually, Then All At Once

by Anne Laurie|  March 19, 20248:05 am| 143 Comments

This post is in: 2024 Elections, Cat Blogging, Open Threads

Real wages are higher, unemployment is lower, and…oh right…there's no deadly pandemic sweeping America. https://t.co/29hmKtKw0y

— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) March 18, 2024


 
An update on Romeo, from cat rescuer & BJ bleg beneficiary Rob:

I wanted to send you an update on our cat shenanigans. Your post really helped!

We bought a LOT of food. I’m am currently working on improving the cat environment. We are converting the guest room in to a cat room with shelves and fun things.

For the moment, it is the private quarantined room of Mr. Romeo. We have still not caught the matrix twin who beat him up. So, we’re bringing Romeo in evenings.

The BIG plan is to catch his outdoor friend Miss Professor Longhair, get her vaccinated and then bring both in for quarantine and eventual release inside to gen pop. I’m expanding the cat patio so there is more outdoor space.– Cheers,Rob

The Biden-Harris administration understands that when we invest in women, ALL of society benefits. pic.twitter.com/SJhjkPfD0C

— CAP Action (@CAPAction) March 18, 2024

A comment from wise commentor Kay, yesterday morning:

… I think a lot of the malevolent MAGA energy has dissipated, at least where I live (75% Trump). Several other commenters in Trump areas say the same. 2020 really felt like there was a heightened risk – I had an actual sort of road rage encounter with one of them in the days before the election and they did these “rolling rallies” where they essentially shut down a highway by going 20 miles an hour in a caravan and no one in local law enforcement would do anything because they were all Trump cultists too. It was really aggressive behavior and meant to intimidate and frightening because it was clear they had co opted law enforcement.

It’s like the air went out of a balloon now though. I genuinely think the high Covid casualties they took disheartened a lot of them. It’s all fun and games and owning the libs until half your friends die.

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Spring Is Coming — Gradually, Then All At OncePost + Comments (143)

Fun Saturday Read: Cats Aren’t Jerks…

by Anne Laurie|  March 16, 20246:30 pm| 110 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Excellent Links

Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood. https://t.co/kpEn1zTYSo

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 12, 2024

Right now, I’d only go as far as ‘Not all cats are jerks’, because the Spousal Unit’s cat Rocky is being… a pain in the neck, which is his default status. Per the Washington Post, “Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood.” [gift link]:

If you’ve lived with cats, you’ve probably found yourself staring at them after they’ve toppled a plant or swept a mug off the table, thinking: “Why did you just do that?”

A precise answer isn’t easy to come by. Some recent studies have made strides in assuaging the more self-conscious human anxieties about cat ownership (allegedly, they know their names and they emotionally attach to us). But by and large, research that sinks its claws into domestic cat behavior, genetics and psychology remains somewhat nascent, especially compared to what’s available about dogs…

Cats indeed descended from solitary creatures, but this doesn’t mean they’re hermits. In wild or feral colonies — which form the basis of most feline social research — cats develop dynamic relationships with their peers, selecting a few “preferred associates” (Hollenbeck’s words) to hang out with…

Research into feral colonies shows that cats tend to form matriarchal social bonds; females will adhere more closely to one another (typically in a community of mothers, aunts and sisters). Males, once they’re about a year old, are more likely to move about nomadically. Even though existing research focuses primarily on feral cats, any person who has lived with more than one feline can attest that the domesticated ones form bonds with each other, too — if they so choose.

Monique Udell is the director of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, which has been investigating the social potential of domestic cats. According to Udell, cats actually have a “flexible” social structure, meaning they can exist successfully on their own or in groups, depending on early life experiences (such as whether they were exposed to humans as babies) and their environment.

“What we’re finding is that when we give them the same kinds of opportunities or challenges that we regularly give dogs, that oftentimes cats not only can engage in high levels of social behavior, but many cats actually prefer social interaction,” Udell says.

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Of course, no one — cat or human — wants to be around others all the time. Leslie Sinn, a veterinary behaviorist in Ashburn, Va., says domestic cats, just like their wild ancestors, navigate conflict by dispersal; they remove themselves from an uncomfortable situation as protection. “That’s often where we run into issues in our home, because there’s limited movement that can take place in order to be able to avoid conflict,” she says…

Still, some cats will never be best friends. Differences in age, energy level and lived experience can all fuel clashes. And some cats’ personalities simply don’t gel, Serpell says. Researchers in Denmark are preparing a study now, he says, to figure out why some cats get along easier than others, and to learn more about the roots of their individual personalities. While you can reduce the drama by creating a world where they’re not forced to share every necessity, some furry housemates just aren’t terribly compatible.

“You will get what looks like … almost cruel, kind of bullying that goes on,” Serpell says. “There are cats who will just seemingly get pleasure out of persistently annoying another cat.”…

“A lot of the so-called mischievous behavior of cats is simply an attempt to get the owners’ attention,” Serpell says. “They’ve learned by trial and error if they sit on your desk and throw your pens on the floor, eventually you’ll give them attention or get up.” Taking an extra 30 minutes every day to interact with your cat could lead to a happier dynamic.

Hollenbeck emphasizes that “misbehaviors” in cats rescued from unknown circumstances could also stem from past trauma. An animal who was hungry all the time in an earlier life may be defensive or agitated around meals, just like a cat who was mistreated by previous owners might be anxious around people. “As a survival instinct,” Hollenbeck says, “they are really good at generalizing that fear.”…

At the Human-Animal Interaction Lab, Udell and her colleagues lead classes for both children and adults to strengthen their bonds with cats by participating in activities together, including learning tricks or chasing a toy. While it depends on the individual animal, many cats coming through the lab have demonstrated an interest and ability to walk on a leash, play fetch and perform tricks when they’re given the attention and time, she says.

“People who have participated in these programs, they’ll send us back pictures of taking their cats on hikes and taking them on kayaks, and all sorts of adventures,” Udell says.

Separate from Udell’s findings, another study from researchers at the University of Sussex last year also found that cats can play fetch — although it was unclear if the behavior was more rooted in a bond with the object than the owner. Classic.

Cats prefer the jerk branding and this coming out is going to make them very upset.

— Bob Sampson (@bobsalpha1) March 12, 2024

Fun Saturday Read: <em>Cats Aren’t Jerks… </em>Post + Comments (110)

Open Thread: A Little Kindness All Around

by TaMara|  March 9, 202410:37 am| 130 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Dog Blogging, Make The World A Better Place, Open Threads, Pet Blogging, We All Need A Little Kindness

Just a quick hit of kindness before I run off for the day.

Best thing you’ll see today….Providence College students raised money for their security guard, James, for a trip to Nigeria so he can visit his family….I’m not crying, you’re crying 🥹🙏 pic.twitter.com/zxPEo9r7JB https://t.co/TUUYFiqbTe

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) March 9, 2024

PROVIDENCE, R.I. —

From Raymond Hall on campus at Providence College, students were on a mission to surprise their favorite person in the building, James, who’s the security guard, with a gift.

“You told us a while ago that you wanted to see your family in Nigeria that you haven’t seen in a long time, so we came together and spread the word, and we started a GoFundMe because we take care of our own because that’s what we do at Providence College. They’ve done that for me, we’ve done that for each other, so now we’re doing it for you. You’re of the family, so our gift to you is a trip to Nigeria,” said sophomore student Daniel Singh.

Nearly $3,000 was raised within 24 hours for James to see his family, including his son, in Nigeria.

“He’s just the kindest soul anyone has ever met in this building. He means so much to us he’s so important. It was amazing how fast everyone connected and were able to put it together for him,” said freshman student Brandon Reichert, who helped organize the GoFundMe.

Singh and Reichert say it was a no brainer to start the GoFundMe after learning it had been 11 years since James had seen his family.

A moment that no one in the room to witness the act of kindness will forget.

“Tears to my eyes. Such an act of kindness. It was such a great reminder of the good our Friars are bringing into the world and a great reminder of how we can all do a small act of kindness every day that can make a difference,” said Dean of Students Sean Sears.

You can watch the entire story here

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Keep a good thought for Zander – he’s been doing poorly and without some seriously invasive tests, so far everything has been inconclusive. He’s in good spirits, though.

Open Thread: A Little Kindness All Around

and we’ll take it a day at a time.

Name the band:

Open Thread: A Little Kindness All Around 1

And Trixie just watching the world go by out the window:

Open Thread: A Little Kindness All Around 2

That’s it for me. My house is filled with 5 dogs, 3 cats, 4 people and we’re spilling out the seams. We are off to watch my niece in a drumline competition, which is always fun and I’m glad they come to CO once a year for this event so I can see her play. She’s amazing on the marimba. Heck, she’s just plain amazing. And I’m not saying that because she introduces me to her friends as “the person who made me cool.”

This is an open thread. Play nice

Open Thread: A Little Kindness All AroundPost + Comments (130)

Open Thread: Biden Speaks on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Supplemental Agreement

by TaMara|  February 13, 20241:15 pm| 106 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Open Threads, Politics

No idea when this will finally start, but it seems significant.

Bonus Zander wondering if I’m going to share dinner with him last night:

Open Thread: Biden Speaks on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Supplemental Agreement
I see you’re having breakfast for dinner. Care to share?

I’m off to walk the dogs so I don’t implode, work is not going the way I planned today. LOL

This is an open thread

Open Thread: Biden Speaks on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Supplemental AgreementPost + Comments (106)

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