Emergency! The Cat's Eaten My Bacon

Words failed me when I read this story. A man from Yorkshire in the UK dialled 999 (the same as 911 in the USA) to ask the police to arrest his cat for eating his bacon.

I know most carnivores are partial to a nice piece of sizzling bacon and it would be very annoying if your cat stole it - but getting puss arrested is a bit extreme!

The emergency services operator  began with the standard:  "What's your emergency?"

He replied: "Er..me girlfriend has let the cat eat my bacon."

The very patient but puzzled operator asked him to repeat his problem and then asked him what he would like the police to do.

He told her: "I want to press charges."

The call handler then asked him whether he wanted the police to arrest the girlfriend or the cat!

The man replied: "Both."

She told him: "Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. And we don't arrest cats."

He started to protest insisting it was his girlfriend's fault for allowing the cat to do it.

The call handler firmly told him it was not a 999 emergency and the call came to an end.

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Bad Hair Day

Something for a bit of a giggle today! We've all been there - some days our hair refuses to be tamed and we look like we've been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Our feline friends are not immune to this phenomenon - although they tend to look a lot cuter than we do when their coiffure is less than purrfect. Here are a few pictures to cheer you up if you are having a bad day.

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Film Maker's Feline Surprise

Paris Zarcilla's first Tweet about finding the cat and kittens

Two years ago London film-maker Paris Zarcilla was shocked to find an unknown cat and four kittens under his bed. And, as cats do, these five strangers soon wriggled their way into his heart.

As he tweeted over the following days it was possible to track the way his life was changing.

He told his followers he had fallen asleep downstairs, and only noticed the new family after going upstairs to get a jumper. He found the jumper  - but it was not quite in the same condition as it was as momma cat had given birth on it.

He put up posters all around the area in an effort to track down the owner and later had momma cat checked for a chip, but she had none. So, there he was, in the for the long haul! 

The subject of cat hair (we cat owners know all about that!) was soon broached. One follower tweeted:  "As per Cat Protocol the hair will only become apparent once you’ve left the house without a sticky roller. @ParisZarcilla, buy a sticky roller." To which he replied: " Hair will likely stay on. Trying to assimilate as new Cat dad."

He was obviously smitten by being a new dad. "Paternal instincts kicking in. Overwhelmed with feels. Don't know how to deal," he tweeted. And later, "Cancelling all my plans. Crawling under the bed to spend the rest of the day with my four new children."

His life started to change.  "Just cancelled my order for comics and single malt whiskey. Now buying cat food. This is fatherhood yo! I'm here for this," he tweeted.

Before establishing that momma cat was either a stray or abandoned, Paris was preparing himself for potential heartbreak.

"I've been meditating on this wonderful but bizarre situation and I've arrived at a place where I'm ready to accept whatever the outcome is. I can only love and care for them now in this moment. I will give them everything they need until they need me no more. All will be good."

On a serious note, Paris said he had some mental health issues and the new arrivals had really helped him.

“My life is changing in real time,” he adds. “This stony heart of mine is being chipped at with every mew. I think I love them. Like, actually love them with my heart. Ugh. I can’t help it. I’m going to give them everything they need until they need me no more.”

So, two years down the line, did this story have a happy ending. Look at this picture, and make up your own mind!

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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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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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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! 

            

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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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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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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