Tuesday 2 November 2021

Tongue Out Tuesday




It's Tongue Out Tuesday so what could be better than lots of pictures of cats with their tongues out!






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Monday 1 November 2021

Change A Cat's Life For Ever





If you are wondering whether or not to rescue a cat, either because you find one in trouble or you are visiting a rescue centre, don't think twice. Just do it. Here are some cats that are heart-wrenchingly grateful that a human stepped in to give them a better life.















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Wednesday 27 October 2021

Black Cats Rule



About half the cats up for adoption in shelters are black or black and white. The solid black cats find it particularly difficult to attract new owners.

This is partly because of the superstitions surrounding black cats and lately, with everything shared on social media, people believe they are difficult to photograph. Black  cats are not "selfie-friendly" in this lnstagram age.


“It’s not uncommon for many monochrome moggies to wait many weeks or months to be adopted,” says Gemma Croker from Cats Protection (UK), which takes in 200,000 cats each year.

As for those superstitions, in Scotland black cats are said to bring prosperity and in England and Japan they are believed to be lucky. However, in much of the world they are unfairly associated with bad luck and evil omens.

If you are clever enough to open your heart to a black cat and want to take some great photographs, have a look at this article for great advice about showing off your black cat (or dog) to its best advantage.  











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If you are a cat lover - especially a lover of the grumpier members of the species, have a look at Not So Sweet Toffee, a book written by a gorgeous little diva who has a lot to say for herself! 





            

Tuesday 26 October 2021

Most Beautiful Breeds of Cats

Top Cats: Top left, a Russian Blue; top right, Norwegian Forest; below, the Manx.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say, so a league table of the most beautiful breeds of cat should be taken with a pinch of salt! 

Website All About Cats used the 'golden ratio' to study cats' faces and see which of the best-known cat breeds is the most beautiful, mathematically speaking. Some artists and architects believe the Golden Ratio makes the most pleasing and beautiful shape.

Here is the Top Ten: Three breeds shared top spot, Norwegian Forest, Russian Blue and Manx. Next came the Ragamuffin and Siberian, with American Curl sixth. The Selkirk Rex and Siamese were joint seventh. The Maine Coon was ninth and joint tenth were Egyptian Mau and Turkish Angora.

I disagree with this table. My non-pedigree moggie is the most beautiful cat in the world - to me, if not to anyone else!


So here we have it - the most beautiful cat in the world, my Toffee. I dare anyone to disagree! She is not only beautiful but clever too - and has written a book called Not So Sweet Toffee.


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Monday 18 October 2021

Keep Kitty Cat Happy



We all want to keep our furry companions as happy and healthy as possible. Here are a few tips to keep kitty happy.

1. Keep your cats active: If they don't get enough exercise they can put on weight, which is not healthy.  They love playing so there are many things owners can do to ensure they are active every day. Get a selection of cat toys. There is a huge variety for sale  from the very simple to the eye-poppingly elaborate. 
 
But you don't have to spend any money if  you don't want to. Cats can spend ages batting a scrunched up piece of paper around the house. You can tie objects to string and get your cat to chase them. Warning: make sure you don't leave pieces of string lying about for them to swallow. 

They love to climb so put a treat on something high so they have to scramble up to get it (only a 'little' treat, otherwise it defeats the object of losing weight)!

Cardboard boxes, balls, stones or marbles in secure containers to make a noise are all ideal for a cat to play with.

If your neighbourhood is suitable, take your cat out for a walk. There are many leashes to choose from. Here are a few:  Leash One    Leash Two   Leash Three   Leash Four

Two: Get your cat a companion: It has been shown that indoor cats are happier when they have another companion to play with. This is especially important if you cannot be home all day with your cats. You can easily do this by adopting another cat from a shelter. If you cannot take the responsibility for another cat at the moment, you can set up playdates with other cat owners. Some cats are more solitary than others but many cats love company. Getting a feline friend is a sure way to make them happy.

Three: Bring the outdoors in: If you have a cat, then you probably know that they love to climb. You might have noticed they try to get on every piece of furniture. Naturally, they love climbing trees to sit in and also look for prey. To keep a cat happy, you can help nurture this climbing instinct. Cat trees are an amazing way to do this. You can easily buy one or make your own. You can also add cat shelves to your cat’s favourite rooms so they can exercise and climb for as long as they want. Here are some cat trees: Cat Tree One   Cat Tree Two   Cat Tree Three   Cat Tree Four

Four: Try Some Cat-Friendly Plants: You can plant cat grass indoors - preferably in a pot or two so they can graze. If you don’t know it already, cats eat grass if they have an upset stomach. But when it comes to plants, there's one thing that most cats go crazy for, and that's catnip! There many toys that contain catnip (also known as catmint). Here are a few: Catnip Toy One    Catnip Toy Two   Catnip Toy Three   Catnip Toy Four

Five: Pay Special Attention To The Litter Tray: Cats are very clean creatures and hate it if their litter tray is dirty and smelly. Make sure you keep it clean and empty it regularly.

Six: Show Them Love: This one is the easiest of all! At the end of the day, this simple step is the most effective for keeping your cat happy. Domesticated cats need attention from their owners and they crave it when it is not there - they’re just a little more subtle about it than dogs are. Give your cat attention every day. Pet your cat regularly. Sit down for a snuggle, and spend time with your cat. Dedicate time to play and keep your cat active and do not leave it all up to the toys alone. Loving your cat goes a long way to keeping your cat happy and delighted all the time!


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Wednesday 13 October 2021

The Language of Cats' Eyes


Communicating with your eyes is not just for humans. Cats too use their eyes to show their feelings but there are some differences between cat and human language which you must be aware of if you want to "talk" to your cat.

We might like to stare adoringly into a lover's eyes but for a cat, prolonged eye contact is threatening. If he fixes you with a stare - it's not a loving look but means, at its least, that he doesn't trust you and, at its worst, that he's threatening you. Rival cats will try to out-stare each other.

That's why in a room full of people, the cat will often head straight for the person who doesn't like cats. It's because people who like cats will be looking at him while those who don't will be looking away, hoping he will leave them alone. So, ironically, the cat lovers are perceived as being threatening, while the cat haters look like they pose no threat.

You can "kiss" your cat by looking him in the eye and then slowly blinking. You are, in effect, telling your cat: "I'm no threat to you. I love you." The first time you do this, he might not respond but soon he'll blink at you in return. 


The first time this happened to me, I felt a real sense of connection, like I was really "talking" to my cat because in the feline world closing the eyes when with another animal is the ultimate sign of trust.


If you want to see what your cat is thinking when there are visitors in your house, take a close look at his eyes. The more frightened he is, the wider his pupils will expand. If he is angry, the pupils may become narrowed.

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Tuesday 12 October 2021

The Purrfect Star Wars



I'm not a huge Star Wars fan but the films and TV series can be quite entertaining! The other night we watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens with all the old favourites, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.  Coincidentally, I came across the Youtube video above which made me laugh! Hope it makes you laugh too!

Below is another one! 



                     

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Saturday 2 October 2021

Helpful Cat Minty Wins Award


Minty and Connor.

A sweet cat who helps a six-year-old boy cope with severe learning difficulties has been crowned the winner of this year’s UK National Cat Awards, held by charity Cats Protection and sponsored by Purina

Minty, from Holywell, Wales, beat hundreds of other entries to the top spot due to his ‘special bond’ with Connor Raven.

Nine-year-old Minty was recognised by Cats Protection for the support he gives Connor, who as well as severe learning difficulties has a range of medical conditions, including ataxic cerebral palsy.

The cat, who only has three legs following a road accident, helps Connor cope with daily life, from keeping him settled at meal times to providing a calming presence at bedtime.

The pet comes to Connor’s aid when things get difficult, rubbing his face on Connor’s hand. He  also helped Connor learn to climb the stairs.

“Minty would spend hours jumping one step at a time, stopping to allow Connor to catch up,” said Connor’s mother, Siobhan Cobb.

“It was incredible to witness him patiently encourage Connor to achieve something he found so difficult.

“Connor can be very loud, and his medical conditions mean he’s very wobbly and clumsy. Many pets would understandably keep their distance, but not Minty – when Connor is at his most in need, Minty is there like a shot.”


Minty the cat with mum Siobhan Cobb and son Connor Raven, age 6.

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If you are a cat lover - especially a lover of the grumpier members of the species, this is the book for you. Written by Toffee who, despite her name, is the least sweet cat you can imagine. The world according to Toffee exists to serve her and woe betide anyone who forgets it. Paperback on left, Kindle version on right.



            

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Tuesday 21 September 2021

The Cat Who Wears His Heart On His Butt



Meet Smooch, the fabulous feline who wears his heart on his butt.

Smooch was a feral cat who was rescued by Cathrine Garnell, from Nottinghamshire, in the UK. He, his mother and five siblings were feral cats living under a shed in her mother's garden.

Cathrine soon transformed the shed into a house for the cats.
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 She said, 'After I began to feed them, I was slowly able to gain their trust over time. This enabled me to move them into the shed, where I made them all little cat houses complete with comfy beds, to try and provide them with the best possible cat life.




‘Once they were all old enough, I was able to take them to our local veterinary clinic and have them all neutered.’

But when Smooch was 18 months old he was in a car accident which resulted in him losing his back leg.



‘After his surgery, I took him back to my mum’s house for a few weeks where we kept him inside,' said Cathrine. ‘I knew once he was fully healed and able to roam free, there was a strong likelihood he would try and cross the busy main road again. I feared next time he may not be so fortunate.’

So Cathrine took Smooch to live with her and her five former shelter cats: Amber, Parsley, Fudge, Pandora and Melvyn.

Smooch is one cat that's fallen on his (three) feet!


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If you are a cat lover - especially a lover of the grumpier members of the species, this is the book for you. Written by Toffee who, despite her name, is the least sweet cat you can imagine. The world according to Toffee exists to serve her and woe betide anyone who forgets it. Search Not So Sweet Toffee under books on Amazon.





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Friday 10 September 2021

Cat Helps Save Owner's Life


Piran who helped save his owner's life.

A cat helped save his owner's life after she fell 70ft through barbed wire, down a ravine and into a stream.

A worried friend of the woman, who is 83,  had alerted neighbour Tamara Longmuir that she was missing. 

"I went off in my truck to search our farm and fields but there was no sign of her," said Tamar. She was joined by other members of her family who live and work on the farm.

The searchers then noticed the woman's cat Piran sitting in the gate to one of the maize fields - meowing at them incessantly.

Tamara said, "The cat is very attached to her, and he was going back and forth in the gateway and meowing, so I decided to go and search the maize field."

The crop was 7ft high, with only a small track around the edge for access. Tamara said: "I walked right around to the bottom of the field, calling the lady's name.



"My cows could hear me calling and were mooing back - I was hoping they would go quiet so I could hear.

"Just as I was going to go off the path and start going through the crop, I heard a very faint response to my calling... I then quickly realised my neighbour was down the 70ft ravine.

"She had gone through the barbed wire and was lying in the stream - we think she had been in there for hours."


The rescue in progress.

Tamara managed to scramble down the incline to get to the pensioner, and checked her over for major injuries - but there didn't appear to be any, even from the barbed wire.

She then had to scramble halfway up the bank and hang off a branch to get a single bar of service on her cell phone in the remote area, allowing her to call other members of the search party, who rang the emergency services and came to help.

Tamara said: "After about two hours she was carried up to safety and into the air ambulance.
"Without the cat waiting at the gate to that field, it could have been hours later that I or anyone else would have checked in there."



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If you are a cat lover - especially a lover of the grumpier members of the species, this is the book for you. Written by Toffee who, despite her name, is the least sweet cat you can imagine. The world according to Toffee exists to serve her and woe betide anyone who forgets it. Paperback on left, Kindle version on right.


            





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Thursday 26 August 2021

Holy Catrimony


Adam Lawrence and his friend's cat


A British man flew to the USA to meet a Chicago woman who had "liked" a picture of him holding a cat on a Facebook page - and now they're engaged!

Adam Lawrence, 29, and Anna Hosey, 26, were both in a Facebook group called This Cat is Chonky for chubby felines.

Adam posted a photo of himself holding a friend’s cat's. He messaged cat owner Anna after she called him “cute” in the comments and, two months later, he flew to the States to see her - and her cat Kidden.


Anna Hosey and Kidden

They dated long-distance and when Adam’s next visit was cancelled owing to the pandemic, Anna flew to London. She moved into his apartment in Ealing, West London, and now they are engaged a year after their online meeting.

Graphic designer Adam said: “Anna was leaving and I wanted our relationship to carry on so I just decided to propose. My friends and family all love her."

Hairdresser Anna said: “I was scrolling by and I thought, ‘Oh he’s so cute’ so I decided to comment that. The next day, he sent me a private message saying that he thought I was super cute as well and that we’d have to meet up if he was ever in the States. We ended up just chatting non-stop.


We're engaged!

“Our first phone call was a five-hour call — we were just sharing similar interests and they were all just so spot on to one another.

“I remember saying to my friends, ‘I don’t know why, I don’t know this guy but I feel like I’m going to marry him!’ ”

They plan to marry in London, with Anna moving to the UK full time. Her cat Kidden will also  join them.






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