teh kitteh antidote/ anecdote

Street cats in Japan by brilliant photographer toru umeda

2012-01-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

Japanese street cats- want to see the best photos ever? By a totally dedicated Japanese photographer?

Warning: for whatever reason the links aren't clickable in post, unless you click on title to open full post. Aack. Blogger....

This is toru umeda, from his flickr profile, here. http://www.flickr.com/people/toruumeda/

He says:

~~Hello! I take the photograph of the street cats with iPhone 3GS every day. Towns where I often visit are Shibuya, Kabukicho, Ginza, Roppongi, Nakano.It usually is early morning.~~

Go check out his photo stream at flickr, here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/toruumeda/

To the left is one of his latest photos. But all are wonderful. Brilliant, in fact.

toru has a gift for photography, plus technology, as he uses iPhone and not some fancy camera.

Maine coons- how big is your Maine coon? update

2011-12-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

How to measure the size of a Maine coon? How should I measure my polydactyl Maine coon Tootsie? Is it weight or length? How to measure these "Gentle giants" of the cat world?

As far as can tell, one measure is from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail- that would be length. Still, this seems to leave room for error, because it does not specify the posture of the cat. It's the measure from nose to body that has me wondering. Depending on what a Maine coon is up to, seems like this can vary.

Plus, how do you get a Maine coon to sit still to be measured? I used a photo of Tootsie in action to approximate her length. I measured the bricks as reference. It's pretty clear that her body is roughly 12" long, and her tail is certainly (from other measures also) 12" long. >continued below.

But, the body to nose part- well see the two different measures, in different colors. Either somewhere around 6", or 9". So, 32" to 35", nose to tail.
(continued below)

I adopted Tootsie from rescue when she was an adult cat. First visit to the vets, she weighed only 6 lbs. The vet said "she needs to put on some weight". I knew she was small by Maine coon standards, so this didn't quite register. I mean, she was really fluffy. In the two plus years that I've had Tootsie, she has grown to an enormous 9+ lbs. I think next time at the vets she'll weigh in at 10 lbs. And, she still looks mostly the same as when I adopted her. A long body, and not a fat cat by any means. She seems "just right".

But, it has been an eye-opener to me. Why was her weight so low when I adopted her? I think part of must have been the stress of living in a rescue place for 3+ months. Or/ and, was she stressed in her prior home, and not eating well?

That leads me to wonder about how to measure the size of a Maine coon. Weight is easiest to measure, but that doesn't tell the whole story, at least not from my experience with Tootsie. Is there some ideal length to weight measure for Maine coons? Assuming the lowest measure as to her length, 32", and assuming that she is about 10 lbs, what about the ratio of 3.2 lbs per inches of body length?

Readers? Your measures?

Update:
I put this picture on flicker, and in the comments someone pointed me to the "paw to paw" measure, discussed here: http://www.keoka.com/sie.htm Very interesting article- scroll down to "Measuring paw to paw". But, there's still the challenge of catching a very active cat totally stretched out!

My guesstimate for Tootsie is around 40" paw to paw, vs. 32" or 35" nose to tail, as described above. So, the problem continues as to how to measure. Obviously, the metric used for measuring a particular cat needs to be stated explicitly to give accurate comparisons.

Cat Crazies

2011-11-28T05:08:00.001-08:00

What are the cat crazies? Tootsie, a beautiful polydactyl Maine Coon, does them and a lot of cat caretakers attest to them. They are real! But have you seem 'em?! What does it mean?

Cat crazies (CCs) describes a cat that suddenly, for no apparent reason, goes a bit berserk as we understand the word. The cat might chase around, charging at things, jumping onto some cat furniture and doing lots more in quick fire action. This looks odd as most cats sleep and are passive most of the time.

Well, I haven't given it a thought until now. My cats don't do it...LOL...sorry. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

My immediate thought is that the cat crazies is a sudden desire for activity by the cat, which may stem from being too inactive, which in turn may originate in being a trifle bored. That is not a criticism of anyone.

I would be shocked to discover the wildcats doing the cat crazies! If I am correct in that ascertain it would support the idea that the domestic cat crazies is an expression of a desire to be more active. Don't forget cats are designed to hunt and attack prey. Eons of evolution has resulted in this perfect predator (see picture of cat skeleton).

Immediately after a bout of cat crazies, the cat will rest. And here is a really nice picture by VG of her cat, Tootsie, after a spell of the CCs. This is a swirl of fur like an ocean wave following a tsunami.

Tootsie resting after a bout of the cat crazies - Photo VG.

World's Tallest Cat

2011-11-27T04:13:00.001-08:00

The title of the world's tallest cat has been transferred from the magical MAGIC to the tallest TROUBLE! Magic is an F1 Savannah cat. She is world famous as she is also the world's largest domestic cat. Now the accolade of the tallest domestic cat has been awarded to another Savannah cat aptly named Trouble. Although I doubt whether Trouble really is troublesome.

Magic measured 17.1 inches to the shoulder. Trouble was measured at 19 inches to the shoulder. He is owned by Debby Maraspini (USA) and was measured at the Silver Cats Cat Show, Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, USA, on 30 October 2011. The title is confirmed on the Guinness World Records™ website.

Trouble was born and raised at Savannah Island Cattery and after a brief spell with new owners from 3 months of age is now back at the cattery. He is special and it is probably fair to say that he requires special care. Look at his size:

Photos copyright Jeff from Aadnesen Savannahs Cattery

I think he should also be awarded the title of the world's longest domestic cat, currently held by Stewie.

Blue Mackerel Tabby and White

2011-11-26T03:38:00.001-08:00

This is a nice picture of a blue mackerel tabby and white Norwegian Forest Cat (NFC). You can tell the difference between an NFC and a Maine Coon by the muzzle. The NFC has a more pointed face whereas the Maine Coon has a squarer muzzle and therefore face. There are other differences.

If you would like to read about tabby and white cats, this page deals with that subject comprehensively plus some more pictures.

Blue mackerel tabby and white Norwegian Forest Cat - Photo by PCB75

The photo copyright protected and is published with the photographer's permission. The photographer is Ainhoa.

He has very nice white markings as they are symmetrical. These are caused by the presence of the white spotting or piebald gene. The mackerel stripes are also clear. Sometimes you see joined up spots or spots that are not quite joined up. The blue color is like a filter overlaying the brown.

Living With Your Dying Cat

2011-11-25T09:37:00.001-08:00

When a cat that you have loved for 19 years begins to die you die a bit with her. You might find that she hides away for hours. If she goes outside she may go under a bush for many hours doing nothing. This is dangerous because flies might settle in her and lay eggs. She may have one of the classic diseases of geriatric cat such a kidney failure. She may drink a lot more and go to the toilet all the time.

She may lose her sense of smell and as a consequence lose her appetite. He illness will also have an effect on her appetite. She will lose weight. Other diseases might accompany kidney failure such as hyperthyroidism and hypertension. She may be anemic.

You may have to decide to do the kind thing and euthanize her. You will be making a decision to kill a companion that you have loved for 19 years. It will be a hard decision. It must be well made.

The key is to maintain an objective approach. Do what is best for her. When her quality of life is so poor and when she is miserable and in discomfort she might stop eating. Then you have arrived at the end of an unnerving journey.

You will need a good veterinarian; one who is knowledgeable and who can assist you in making this difficult decision. A person with experience is essential. Your good vet will ease the way.

When she has been euthanized you will need to immediately go to a crematorium and then you can bring her home so that she will be with you for the remainder of your life and in the hereafter.

Why I let Tootsie become an outdoor cat

2011-11-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

Tootsie is a Maine Coon polydactyl. A genuine Maine coon, except for the the thumbs. Thumbs are not allowed in the professional cat showing world, even though a significant number of the original Maine coons were polys.

I found her online, via petfinder.com.

As you can read below, my adventure in adopting Tootsie was not altogether happy. Nothing to do with Ms. Cat, but rather owing to the final moments of her adoption.

Photo below of her guarding the garden gate.

As I have related before, Ms. Cat has only recently ventured outdoors. She's been really well behaved during the adventure. Previously she would bolt upstairs whenever I opened the patio door. I know it's probably safer to have a cat completely indoors.

Plus, when I adopted her 2 years ago (she's 8 now), I had to sign papers saying I would keep her as an indoor cat. However, after all the paperwork was done, and I was ready to take Ms. Cat home, the adoption person said, "oh, by the way, we didn't actually test her for FeLV/ FIV, because she's always been an indoor cat." Which was NOT what was said on the petfinder ad online. The ad said she was FeLV/ FIV negative.

The adoption person added "but when you have her tested by the vet, if it turns out that she is positive, we will take her back." I can't tell you how gobsmacked I was. Uh, totally pissed off. Like I would just return her as if she were a faulty lampshade?

Well, Tootsie's not FeLV/ FIV positive. But, I figure that the rescue agency's contract had no merit, given the lie in the ad they placed at petfinder.com.

So, Ms. Cat gets to go outdoors. Very occasionally, and under my strict supervision. In a very protected neighborhood. And, she comes when I call her.

She is no longer scared of every little noise, and seems much happier and confident as a result of being allowed to have "outdoor cat" status.

And, sorry for the rant, but I guess it's been brewing in my subconscious for a while. *g*

Oh, this might be obvious, but as a result of my adventure, I would say that people involved in cat rescue are not necessarily to be trusted. Dim view I know. Ask the hard questions first.

Polydactyl Maine coon becomes brave outdoor cat

2011-11-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Tootsie's first outdoor adventure. She is sitting just outside the threshold between inside and outside, all but her tail and back end hidden by the curtain across the door.

My rescue cat, Tootsie is a Maine coon polydactyl.

Tootsie becomes the bravest cat in the world. These events transpired about 6 months ago, but I have not updated blog of late, due to real life demands (I mean other than Tootsie).

When I got her, she was scared of almost everything. Loud noises, sudden moves. But, especially of "outdoors". If I'd even open the patio door, she would run her fluffy pants away as fast as possible.

I wasn't and am not trying to make her an outdoor cat or an indoor outdoor cat. But, photo lighting is so tough indoors, I thought that if I could occasionally coax her into the outdoor sunlight for a "photo op", that would be nice (for me!).

So, today, I had the French door to the patio open- nice warm day. I got up from the computer, and walked into the next room. And, she heard me, and came thundering in from "the big outdoors"! Wow!

I went outside, and tried to coax her out again, even using the "treats" maneuver, invariably reliable in other venues. No go.

Then I pretended to be invisible, and lo and behold, I caught her sneaking out the door again. What a brave kitty!

Rest assured, I'm not going to let her roam the neighborhood. And, she's not a "sneaky" cat who does bad stuff while my back is turned. But, I was pretty intrigued by this new bit of cat behavior!

Tootsie is a rescue cat, Maine coon.

When I got her, she was scared of almost everything. Loud noises, sudden moves. But, especially of "outdoors". If I'd even open the patio door, she would run her fluffy pants away as fast as possible.

I wasn't and am not trying to make her an outdoor cat or an indoor outdoor cat. But, photo lighting is so tough indoors, I thought that if I could occasionally coax her into the outdoor sunlight for a "photo op", that would be nice (for me!).

So, today, I had the French door to the patio open- nice warm day. I got up from the computer, and walked into the next room. And, she heard me, and came thundering in from "the big outdoors"! Wow!

I went outside, and tried to coax her out again, even using the "treats" maneuver, invariably reliable in other venues. No go.

Then I pretended to be invisible, and lo and behold, I caught her sneaking out the door again. What a brave kitty!

Rest assured, I'm not going to let her roam the neighborhood. And, she's not a "sneaky" cat who does bad stuff while my back is turned. But, I was pretty intrigued by this new bit of cat behavior!

Gray Traditional Persian Cat

2011-10-29T05:52:00.001-07:00

Belly Rub, a photo by fofurasfelinas on Flickr.

This is a great photo of a gray, traditional Persian cat. They are called "doll face" Persian cats or "doll faced". Their sweet faces explain why. Their faces are not overbred and flat. This cat has a Persian cat face that is very similar to Persians of over 100 years ago in the UK.

I love the texture of the long fur. It is highlighted because the cat is lying on a plain white background.

The cat's name is Godard and his human companion is Aline Garbati. They both live in Brazil.

The photographer is Giane Portal whose Flickr name is fofurasfelinas who allows me to publish her photographs. They are protected by copyright incidentally.

Giane is a fine cat photographer and well known.

Controversial Cat Swimming Video

2011-09-27T22:52:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting video not because of the video's contents but because of people's reactions and arguments in the comments. You can see the comments here but please read this first!

Here is the video:

The problem I have with it is that it appears that the women are being careless and a bit silly in putting the cat in the swimming pool and it looks like the cat has been forced to swim just to amuse the ladies and to make a video hit (it has received 2.8m bits). It always astonishes me how pretty average videos can get so many hits.

So, is the video good or bad? Neither. Cats are natural swimmers. Some wildcats spend a lot of time in the water because that is where - in an around the water - the food is (see water cats)

So a cat placed in a swimming pool will naturally swim to shore. I don't think there is much chance of a cat drowning unless he or she can't get out and there was no chance of that happening.

But, the domestic cat won't enjoy it. It might be a bit stressful, depending on the individual cat's character. And once again I find the video a bit exploitative. It is that element of it that I find a bit distasteful.

It has provoked polarized opinions, understandably.

Exploitative Kitten Video

2011-09-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am sure people will think that I am being far too serious. I don't think I am being too serious but the average YouTube video viewer will think that I am!

Here is a video of kittens sliding down a children's slide. This is not part of kitten play in this instance. It occurred accidentally, it seems to me. It probably caused a bit of stress in the kittens and mother collected them - very cute.

But even though, in typical YouTube style, the video has collected over 3 million hits, it is essentially exploitative because people are provided with amusement at the expense of scared kittens.

That's just me. Most people will think I'm quite mad.

Pancake is Making Biscuits!

2011-09-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

This is Pancake, a very cute Exotic Shorthair cat. He is making biscuits or more accurately kneading a cushion. He thinks the cushion is his mother's nipple. The kneading helps create milk flow. Pancake is an orange tabby and white cat.

The Exotic Shorthair is a short haired flat faced (contemporary) Persian cat.

It is a very cute video. But on a more serious note, the flat face carries health issues.

World's Most Efficient Kitteh Video

2011-09-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most efficient YouTube video on the internet. What I mean is the duration of the video at 17 seconds in relation to the number of visits at over 54 million at the date of this post! Wow. Maybe we should do a survey. I would expect this video to win. To get over one million hits is very rare but 54 million is astonishing. In fact to get 5,000 views is very good. Most videos receive views in the hundreds.

I wonder what is going on? The kitten mimics the hand of the person. This in fact is not uncommon and probably common sense. Kittens learn from their mothers and close family members. They learn by watching and copying. Obviously this mainly concerns hunting skills.

In this case the kitten is just plain copying despite no benefit. And the mother is a human. We keep out domestic cats in perpetual kittenhood by feeding and caring for them. This is why cats knead us.

Great video. It shows how it is possible to create a mega hit video from simple material and this is not a sophisticated video. It's all about what is happening. The presentation is very secondary.

Serval Kittens

2011-09-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

Can I take the liberty of showing you the birth of three serval cubs? This is a video that I have had on my YouTube channel for while and thought that it would be appropriate to show it here. At least I know the video will play! Sometimes they get pulled off YouTube for various reasons, usually because of breach of copyright, and that leaves a blank screen.

It is rare to see the birth of wildcats. The video material comes from A1 Savannahs Farm in OK, USA. It was made by Kathrin Stucki. They breed Savannah cats. It is probably the best breeding cattery anywhere. A fantastic facility.

The serval has the longest legs to body size ratio of any cat including the cheetah. This popular wildcat also has long, tall ears. The serval depends of acute hearing to detect prey in long grass. It will pounce on small prey based on sound and stun the prey.

In the video you will see Dea, the mother, eat the placenta. This is because it is an efficient use of available nutrients even if they are her own and it probably is a safety precaution from predators.

Calico cat Essouira wharf

2011-06-04T09:06:00.001-07:00

Calico cat Essouira wharf, a photo by valleygirl_tka on Flickr.

This is a Moroccan cat. It is notable that the cat looks well fed and healthy. I think this cat is semi-domesticated; the kind of relationship that cats had with their human companions in America some 300 and more years ago.

I like the photo because the tortoiseshell colours of orange and black fur (in this case diluted black turned to grey) are somewhat reflected in the rusty metal container behind the cat and the grey paving slabs. The dilution of the black seems to be more apparent on the flanks than on the top of the back.

"Calico" is an American term for tortoiseshell and white, which is used in the English cat fancy.

The tortoiseshell element is an intermingling of orange and black fur (or in this case dilute black by the presence of the recessive d gene). Sometimes the whole coat can be diluted too. This page shows a nice dilute calico cat.

The O gene (orange) turns the black hair orange. The white fur is created by the white spotting or piebald gene indicated by the symbol S. Where the fur is black it has not been turned orange. The orange colour is due to the orange pigment, "phaeomelanin".

The presence of the white fur causes the orange and black to form clumps of varying size and shape. Any amount of white is acceptable in a calico cat.

Tortoiseshell cats and calico cats are nearly always female because the O gene is sex linked. You can read more about this in this page: Calico Cats.

Apparently one in every 3000 male births are tortoiseshell. Not sure about that. There are four possible genetic reasons for this, which are far too complicated to either understand or write about here!

This cat is in fact a tabby calico cat as you can see the orange banding on the hind legs and the black banding on the tail.

Related Page:

Cat Genetics

The Cat on the Treadmill

2011-04-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

The cat on the treadmill video where the cat just flops is a classic reinforcement of the perception that a good number of people have that the domestic cat is lazy. People who dislike cats add to that by saying that they are useless and they sneer at you, and so on. All rubbish, I am afraid!

Most often when writing about the "lazy cat" people make fun of it. It is one of those funny cat stories, photos or videos. This is the more serious side, in defense of the cat side - typical of me.

I don't think cats are lazy. Taking a global view, wildcats are certainly not lazy especially the small wildcats. They do a lot of hunting at night, frequently all night and they travel what we would consider long distances. The sand cat can travel about 20 kilometers a night searching for food. Lazy? When wild cats are efficient at catching prey or when prey is abundant they will have more time to rest and sleep - common sense it seems to.

As to the companion cat, the humble domestic cat, he or she was not always a full-time house cat being feed and cossetted by their human master. In the early days of domestication cats were outdoor cats and working cats, mousing for a living. It is said that the early long haired cats of Maine that were to become the beautiful, popular and pampered Maine Coon were barn cats hustling their way to a decent living. The Norwegian Forest cat was pretty much just that, a cat living in a forest before also becoming semi-domesticated and eventually a glamorous show cat from the 1930s onwards. The early days of domestication of the companion cat were not easy on the cat.

I won't linger on the subject of feral cats. We all know that life is brutal, grim and short. No time to be lazy.

So lets turn to the cat we know the best, our cat. Our cat lives in a land of giants who protect and feed her. No need to chase rodents, to "earn a living". It's all on a plate, literally. If she is a full-time indoor cat and the human companion is out all day or a good part of it, what do you do? You wait. You rest and snooze until something happens or someone turns up. Common sense it seems to me. A natural reaction under those circumstances but not a demonstration of laziness.

The cat on the treadmill is a large floppy cat. Well actually there are tons of cats on treadmills in Internet videos but the one below it large, floppy and I say a bit confused about what to do on a treadmill.

I don't think this cat is disinclined to exercise and be active. I just think he or she doesn't understand the concept of a floor that moves but yet is static! Or is this cat a Ragdoll mix (Raggies are pointed)!

Oh, one last thing. Most cats use a treadmill pretty nicely thanks. They love them. The kind of cat breed that is more inclined to be active is the wild cat hybrid. The kind of cat that is likely to be less inclined to be active is the Persian.

Tootsie Maine coon polydactyl is famous!

2010-05-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

My Maine coon polydactyl is famous! She rules her small corner of the internet, that is.

I was googling for info on Maine coon polydactyls, and knock me down with a feather! In the images 3 of the 5 were of Tootsie, cat Ms. Beauty cat! The rescue cat. I had an internet friend "from away" who has no Maine coon or Tootsie "priors" do the same search, just to make sure it wasn't biased because of my "priors"... all those internet searches that google mysteriously saves *g*

So, however did this happen? Well, first I had to adopt Tootsie. And then, get her to agree to some photo ops...

The first pic in the series links to this article at Pictures of Cats: Polydactyl Maine Coon Cat Tootsie. Ah, that explains it! POC is the number one cat site on the internet, and Michael was kind enough to start hosting my kitteh blog, even before Tootsie came into my life! And, the other Tootsie pix are from my blog.

Michael, thanks for making Tootsie famous! I knew you had a soft spot for her... *g* And, so do I...and you can see why...

flickr image here.

Maine coon still nutty for twist tie toys

2010-03-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

My Maine coon polydactyl is nutty for twist ties. They are her favorite "prey". When it's time for me to toss the twist ties for her, she makes that very clear. I know her ways by now. She gets that fluffy attack cat look about her, and lets me know. I toss them in the air to land on the bed, and she runs from faraway places to attack them, like a rocket cat. Her hearing is very precise, and she has them in an instant. But, after some time on the bed, the game is for me to toss the twist ties onto the hardwood floor. Oh yes! More captured prey! But, sometimes I hear her whapping them about, in the middle of the night. Very resourceful, she is.

Oh, and yes she is resourceful! She invented this toy herself!
Twist ties- favorite cat toy of my Maine coon

Tootsie isn't always an attack cat. Sometimes she is quite composed, and really likes to stare at me.

Oh, I got am email from my vets today, along with a "Happy Birthday" card for Tootsie! She is 7 years old today, but still acts like a kitten. I think it's a Maine coon thing!

Those Maine coon cat eyes

2010-03-08T18:19:00.001-08:00

My friend Michael (and tka blog host) has a new entry up at his awesome and high traffic site Pictures of Cats*. It delves into the details of cat anatomy , from whiskers to ears, to noses and beyond, and oh yes, cat eyes. (*note- all proceeds from POC and tka go to fund cat rescue.)

So, I'm prompted to post a photo from yesterday of Tootsie my beauty cat Maine coon (who, as it happens, is a rescue cat).

I didn't realize until I looked closely at the photo, but amazing eye detail! TY Tootsie. I can almost see where the boundaries of the irises are. And, that purple stuff beyond, which makes her eyes look like the surface of the moon, I'm assuming show the blood vessels that supply the eye. Michael can correct me on that, if needs be.

Tootsie, it is clear, has yellow eyes. I've looked hard, hoping they might be green *g*. But, just as when I find an absolutely wonderful Harris Tweed jacket that I might purchase for a friend who is a great lover of such, but the jacket is too small- no amount of looking is going to change the size of the jacket *g*

I got to be minor expert on cat eye colors when I did research for an earlier post here , which includes the best of flickr cat eye photos.

Here, we has cat essence of yawn

2010-03-05T19:46:00.001-08:00

Big, Bad, Brady-NOT!!
Originally uploaded by pinkelephantcreations

I love this amazing photo!

Polydactyl Maine Coon- Cat Ms. Beauty Cat

2010-02-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Polydactyl Maine Coon- Cat Ms. Beauty Cat. Tootsie did well on this photo op, I think.

I call it her "Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" pose.**

It's really a way better pic than the one that appears on her "driver's license" (see below). *g*

** Movie trivia = Sunset Boulevard

My cat got her driver's license!

2010-01-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

My cat got her driver's license! Well, that was my first reaction when I was given this, shortly after I went to pick Tootie up from the vet. I mean like, same plastic, same size, same terrible picture! I was so laughing.

(some details above have been obscured to defeat potential catnappers)

Being the YouTube addict that I am, I HAD to go looking for cats who drive. UH OH! Toonces the driving cat! SNL.

Now I learn! Toonces has quite the history.... (quote from wiki)

Toonces was the family pet of Lyle (Steve Martin in the first sketch, thereafter by Dana Carvey) and Brenda Clark (Victoria Jackson), an enthusiastic couple who would allow their cat to drive the family car. At first, they were delighted that their cat had such an ability, but were always horrified to discover (too late) that Toonces was actually not a skilled driver at all.

Double UH OH! Can you say silver tabby? Shh....

p.s. for Michael my blog host- standards for getting a "driver's license" in many states of the US are appallingly low. Seriously, in some places... a cat might.... I have some perspective. I passed the UK driving exam on the first go-round, and I trust you know the significance of that. *g*

Cat goddess Bastet temple found

2010-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

Cat goddess Bastet temple found---
Egyptian cat god's 2,200-year-old temple unearthed in Alexandria. The link is to a Guardian UK article. Trust the Brits to call Bastet a god, not a goddess. Sheesh.

Oh, not all Brits- I'm sure Michael at my host site knows that Bastet is a she not a he.

A statue of the the cat god(dess) Bastet that was found in the remains of a temple belonging to Queen Berenice, the wife of King Ptolemy III (246-222 BC) in Alexandria, Egypt.

From the article:

A 2,200-year-old temple that may have been dedicated to the ancient Egyptian cat god Bastet has been unearthed in Alexandria, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said today.

The ruins of the Ptolemaic-era building were discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in the port city founded by Alexander the Great around 331BC. Alexandria was the seat of the Greek-speaking Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for 300 years until the suicide of Queen Cleopatra.

More about Bastet at Wiki

Course, if you've read the "Amelia Peabody Emerson" Egyptian tales by Elizabeth Peters, you're already familiar with a later incarnation of Bastet. *g*

Those crazy Maine coons!

2009-12-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

Maine coons are endearing cats, in part because they still remain kittens at heart. I know- I haz Maine coon (Ms. Tootsie the rescue cat).

Human says:
Sammy is a 10 year old Maine Coon cat who for the past 6 years has carried a 4" paint brush around the house; he moves it several times a day. He likes to have it near him; so every night at bedtime he carries it upstairs where it stays until morning. He then carries it to the first floor and leaves it in the mud room in front of the sliding glass door to the deck. He also carries it to the basement (this is where his litterbox is located).

Happy Thanksgiving from the Kittehs

2009-11-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving cats- including turkey. Happy Thanksgiving, all, to you and yours.