Thursday, December 31, 2009

...aaand we're back!



I know, I know! I have been a bad kitteh.

I was home in Michigan and BOY do I have tales to tell! Stay tuned for the long-awaited cat show pics, details on Pearl's first (and only?) plane trip, and even some exclusive shots of Pearl with her new boyfriend! (Don't act shocked, you've seen how gorgeous she is; it was love at first sight...)

Until 2010!

xoxo >^..^<

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Lynx Links



I'm not picky when it comes to cat photos. You'll be hard pressed to find one I don't like, I admit it!

That said, I don't know who could look at this photo and not think it's heart-stoppingly adorable. Click here to see a larger version, plus lynx (haha) to more wild cat photos!

I saw some purebred cats at my oft-discussed albeit not-yet-posted (sorry!!) cat show outing recently that are built on a foundation of domestic-wild cat hybrids. More on that later.

Do any of my dear readers own an exotic breed, like a Savannah or a Bengal?

P.S. Thanks to Meghan for the lynx! Literally.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Strop It!


Strop! In the name of Love!

It's no secret that cats love to scratch things. What was news to me was that there’s a special term for this behavior—stropping.



The hallowed tome, Know Your Cat

Side note: I saw this book at Barnes & Noble recently and had to get it. The cover was eye-catching and the author’s name is Francesca (Riccomini), so it was obviously a sign! I’ll share other neat tidbits from The Other Francesca as we move forward.

According to TOF (The Other Francesca), stropping serves several purposes, like marking territory (cats have tiny scent glands in their paws!) to sharpening their claws. You may notice that your cats will even strop on walls! The higher the mark, the more dominant the marker will be perceived. Cats also tend to strop near doorways. They especially like to strop when they wake up, so consider it wise to keep a scratching post near their favorite napping spot.

Ollie LOVES to strop, particularly next to my closet door. This makes sense, since the closet serves as the base of her operations.

Do your cats strop? Have you ever heard this term before?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Catnap, Catscratch, Catnip, Caterwaul?


The results are in! Friskies cat food gave fifty house cats hi-tech camera collars that took a photo every fifteen minutes to find out just what exactly it is that cats do all day. I have to say, the results took me by surprise!

Now, here's the best news. My friend Lara and her cat Phoebe were partipants in this informal study! I'm going to see if I can get any inside information.

Take a moment to guess what you think this collection of cats spent the most time doing. Then click on this link to read the full Huffington Post article to see the cats' favorite activity for yourself!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Hello Kitty!


Check out that photo! And there's more where that came from!

The Cats’ House, designed by Japanese architecture firm Fauna +DeSIGN, was built for the owners' 16 (!) cats and 5 dogs. I read about this Japanese house specially tailored for cats on MODERNCAT. Click here for the full post; it's absolutely worth a read. I am blown away by the quality and aesthetic flair of this casa. (I know this is for cats, but I would have really enjoyed some of these hideaways as a kid, too.)


I'd really love to do floor-to-ceiling scratching pole for Theo and Ollie... I could devise a scratch wall, I suppose, but it would have to have a big pay-off, like a perching ledge or something. Hmm. The wheels are turning.

Have any of my dear readers tried cat shelves, like this house has on the walls?