Paw de Chat

S.F. Crime Lab's New Woes - Army of Feral Cats (!!!)

2010-04-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS!

All right... not exactly breaking news, I'll admit it, but the story does provide some key insight as to how the Scourge of Scamps continues to dominate the crime lab. For example:

"It turns out that the Police Department itself introduced cats to the lab site several years back, Godown said, because they eat the rats. Someone at the lab was also giving them canned food, which sort of defeated the purpose, and the cats turned out to have a way of multiplying and getting out of hand."

Doh! Fancy Feast trumps sinewy San Francisco rats every time, obvs. Click here to read the full article.

A friend of mine said that if I were a cat, I'd look like this one. On one hand, this kitten looks possessed, so I'm not sure what to make of that. On the other hand, its fangs are very white. I am flattered.

On a serious note, to my readers in San Francisco / East Bay, keep an eye out for these kitties! The plan is to observe them and the ones that aren't (too) feral will be up for adoption.

We've MOVED!

2010-03-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well LOOK what the cat dragged in!

You all probably thought the entire Paw de Chat crew disappeared off the face of the Earth. Not entirely true, but there were times when we felt like we were being sucked into a big black hole.

You see... we moved!

"Moving is easy!"

That's right! We relocated from San Francisco, California back down to sunny Los Angeles.

Theo and Ollie are especially excited, since this is where they both were born. We're finally almost all settled in, so please consider us back in action.

More soon!

"I'm all packed!" says Ollie.

"I'm liking this new cat tree," thought Theo.

I Think I'm Turning Japanese

2010-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have never traveled to Japan, but I hope to pay a visit someday because of the national love for cats. None of that cats-as-witches'-familiars style shenanigans there! NO! I mean, their Love for the Kitteh is nowhere near Ancient Egypt's, true, but let's give credit where credit is due.

In the glorious land of Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck.

Holla!

And, in the glorious land of Japan, cats may work hard, but it does seems as if they play hard, too. Click here to watch the ad below! It's fantastic!

Meow-meow, meow-MEOW!

Goodbye Kitty, 3

2010-02-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

The Story of Pearl: Chapter One
The Story of Pearl: Chapter Two

The Story of Pearl: Chapter Three
The following Friday, the night before I planned to take Pearl and Rose back to the Shelter (Pearl for her lady-operation, and Rose to find a home, gulp), a mass email went out from the EBSPCA! A litter of kittens with some sort of contagious disease had been admitted. The sickness was particularly deadly to kittens! All foster animals were to stay at their foster homes for a mandatory 10 days to ensure that the virus died off.

10 days passed, and the kittens grew and grew. They were definitely over 2lbs now! They were almost kitTEENS! I was eager to get them back to the shelter, because I figured the smaller the kitten, the greater the chances of its adoption.

Yet Fate was not on the sisters’ side. (Or was she?) Yet another litter of virulent cats had come into the shelter, so a new 10-day period was instated. Pearl would be fine; she was spoken for. Now Rose was my biggest concern. She was a young kitTEEN now, but a kitTEEN nonetheless. She could not wait 10 days longer. I needed to take matters into my own hands.

And so I began my own outreach, just like in the olden days of Los Angeles Kitten Hunting. I told all my favorite baristas about Rose’s plight (baristas are incredible allies), I posted on Facebook, I even posted on Craigslist, to gauge interest.

Lo and behold, an appointment was set with someone who seemed like the perfect match. He had two cats already; one was senior and loving, and the other was young and playful. Rose would be the perfect balance!

When Rose’s Future Hero walked through my door, I felt like I was watching a movie because the scene was so perfect. Rose was sitting under the track lighting, one of the beams shining down directly on her, making her fur sparkle, her pink ears glow, and giving the overall impression of a fluffy white halo around her. The two of them got along perfectly.

Unlike the old days, I was working through a shelter, so I coordinated the adoption much like how I’d guess a social worker would. Luckily, it all worked out! Here’s a photo of Rose in her new home, with a new friend.

Was it all just a dream?

Her Hero is such a kind guy that he even sent me a gift for Christmas:

Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or

How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat.

And so, that brings Rose’s story to a happy conclusion. She is successfully adopted and living in a loving home with friends. As for Pearl…

Tomorrow…

Goodbye Kitty, 2

2010-01-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

The Story of Pearl: Chapter Two

Rose was a sweet and gentle soul, through and through. Pearl was a capricious kitten filled with moods and whims, bouncing around one moment, cuddling the next. It was her inconsistency that made her so addictive.

Rose is The Constant

Pearl is The Variable

While I grew very close to both girls, they continued to grow—BIG. It wasn’t long before they were close to 2lbs. I seriously considered keeping Pearl, but the two sisters were pretty bonded, and three cats is a lot… I brought them to the shelter just before it closed on a Friday, so that the kittens would be up and at ‘em bright and early on Saturday morning—that way, they’d have the greatest chance of being adopted over the weekend. I said a tearful good-bye, then sat in my car in the shelter parking lot and cried. And cried. And cried.

What would become of them?? Especially Pearl. Rose was the sort of cat that I didn’t need to worry about. Her personality was easygoing, and she got along so well with other cats… Rose would be fine.

Pearl, on the other hand, was a very unique kitten. She needed lots of attention, activity and, most of all, space. I could see Pearl’s antics warming the heart of a future owner, but I could also imagine her as a destructive cat if she got bored and had nothing to do. Pearl couldn’t go to just any home. Had I made a mistake? I’d come close to keeping a foster kitten before, but never this close.

I was all worked up and in no condition to drive. And so of course, I called my mother. I shared The Story of Pearl and begged for advice. Should I adopt her? Ollie loved her, but she hen-pecked Theo… and Theo is my firstborn, so to speak, so I couldn’t forsake his happiness and ruin his life. What to do?!

My mom surprised me by offering to adopt Pearl herself! Her beloved cat Della had died in December 2008, and she was finally ready for another cat. Although Pearl was a handful, my mom said she was up for the challenge. The plan was this: I would raise Pearl as my own until Christmas, then bring her home on my flight to Michigan! I left a message for the shelter as soon as I got home and emailed my foster coordinator about Pearl.

My phone rang early the next day—it was the shelter! Was Pearl taken already? What had I done?!

Turns out, the kittens were not actually 2lbs yet. My at-home system of weighing was clearly inaccurate. I needed to come back to get them, I was told. Operation Kitten Rescue began! I hightailed it to the shelter to break them both out of Kitty Jail. It’s hard to say what the best part of their triumphant return home was; their joyful leap out of their carrier, or Theo’s look of shock and horror when he saw that they were baa-aaack.

Sisters! Doin' it for themselves.

Stay tuned to read about Pearl’s Reign, Rose’s Close Call, and more.

When CATS Attack

2010-01-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

Leave it to my gals at Jezebel to compile a montage of feline domination, captured on film!

Click here to head over to the epic collection!

Goodbye Kitty

2010-01-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Story of Pearl: Chapter One

My dear readers may recall that I traveled to Michigan for the recent holiday with a very special companion—Pearl. What I have not shared until now is this: Pearl had a one-way ticket to Michigan! Read on for The Story of Pearl, filled with a seemingly endless series of agonizing decisions, though I can assure you that this tale has a happy ending. Onward!

Goodbye Kitty. Oh, Pearl!

I love to foster kittens. LOVE IT. I used to capture them on my own [à la Sophie] but, when I moved to Northern California, I joined forces with the East Bay SPCA. This was my first experience teaming up with a shelter, and it certainly had its advantages. For example, vet costs and medicine were a non-issue because the shelter had qualified veterinarians on staff.

One of the pitfalls of working with the shelter was the short fostering periods. I had a pair of boys that were only around for about a week and a half! Hardly enough to get them socialized to my standards but, once they reach 2lbs, it’s a done deal. The EBSPCA has foster homes keep the kittens until they weigh 2lbs or more; that’s the minimum weight for spaying and neutering per their regulations, and all animals must be spayed or neutered prior to adoption. Fair enough!

Well, in early September 2009, I received a weekly email that goes out to all the fosters listing the available kittens and cats needing temporary homes. Wisely, this mewsletter does not mention the coloring or sex of the kittens. All you know going into it are their given names and ages. So, I signed up to foster Hop & Scotch, a pair of 5-week olds. I imagined two white-and-black rough-and-tumble boy cats. Imagine my surprise when Hop & Scotch turned out to be twin sisters, white gleaming fluff balls with quarter-sized gray spots on the tops of their heads, and pink little paws, and rose petal ears. I deemed Hop & Scotch to be misleading monikers… so I renamed them Pearl & Rose.

Who could resist such tiny little beings?

I immediately picked a favorite. I know this is an awful thing to do, but I just couldn’t help it. Rose was sweet and well-behaved; an angel cat. Pearl, on the other hand, was wild! Even as a baby, she was filled with personality! The first thing I noticed was that she was so busy; busy biting things, exploring, poking around… She was an evil genius.

Even then, a spark of intelligence lit Pearl’s eye.

One of my favorite memories of Pearl takes place one evening in October, just as I came home from work. It was dark in the apartment as I entered, but I was able to see something pale and ghostly zip past me… a vaguely kitten-shaped blob. I switched on the kitchen light and recognized Pearl immediately—she would be the one to escape the kitten box first! My second thought was of Rose. Had she followed Pearl’s example? I paused, listening.

I heard the most pitiful mewing coming from the spare bathroom where the kitten box was. I ran in to check on Rose, with Pearl at my heels. Rose was worked up into a pathetic frenzy, pawing at the cardboard walls, having been abandoned by her wayward twin. I looked down at Pearl and scolded her, saying, “You wicked creature! Your poor sister! How could you?” But Pearl looked pleased with herself… and I admit, I felt proud, too. Crafty little thing. Such a scamp!

What happened to Pearl? What happened to Rose? Come back tomorrow for more.

"I can't wait for the next chapter!" said Rose.

The Most Beautiful Cat in the World, Part Deux

2010-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

And so, in time, the Princess Sophie grew into Queen Sophie! See her recline on her favorite chair, demanding belly rubs and NOMs from all her subjects!

The Thrice-Lovely Madame Sophie

The Most Beautiful Cat in the World

2010-01-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick one for y'all.

The first thing you need to know is that I have two ultimate, favorite, beloved cat breeds: the Birman and the Somali. To each their own, but I am such a sucker for those specific cats. The fur! The colors! The eyes!!

So imagine my surprise when, a few years ago while I worked in an office made out of someone's guest house in Los Angeles (true albeit long story), what did I find but... what seemed to be... a BIRMAN KITTEN. She was just flouncing around in the back yard near the guest house. There was no question she was stray. She was dirty and skinny, ridden with fleas. I captured her and fostered her and found her the most fantastic home ever.

May I present...

Sophie, the Most Beautiful Cat in the World

This is a photo taken of her when she was a kitten, just before she went to her fur-ever home. I will post an adult photo of her tomorrow! This will be a much more pleasant before-and-after than Heidi Montag. Trust.

...aaand we're back!

2009-12-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

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 >^..^<

Lynx Links

2009-12-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

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.

Strop It!

2009-12-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

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?

Catnap, Catscratch, Catnip, Caterwaul?

2009-12-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

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!

Hello Kitty!

2009-12-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

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?

No Rest for the Wicked!

2009-11-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Oh noes! Ceiling Cat's got a substitute, but what about when I'm busy? Please forgive me!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This is going to be a hectic week, but stay tuned for posts on:

The CAT SHOW I went to this weekend
Theo's Training
The Best Cat Treats*
Pearl's New Airline-Approved ~~Cage~~ Traveling Suite
And much, much more

Until tomorrow... >^..^<

*base=3 domestic kittehs owned by yours truly
**sample not to include human food, e.g. French fries (ahem)

What Up, Homefry?

2009-11-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

My faithful readers will understand the gravitas of yesterday's dinner: it was a Burger King night.

Why 'ello, wot ees theeees? Oh ho ho ho! Eet ees a leetle French Fry?

le NOM, le NOM, le NOM

I even got Ollie to perform a trick for her fry, though it was not captured on camera. Perhaps I have underestimated her ~~talent~~ appetite?

Bleachy Clean

2009-11-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, when I was in college, I was laundering a small load of white Oxford shirts because I was a waitress, and these are the sort of things they make waitresses wear. With a tie. It was awesome. Moving on.

So, I was trying to get to my shift on time with a clean and glowing white shirt. I ran to the Laundry Room on my floor and yanked my whites out of one of the communal $1 dryers, then shuffled back to my dorm room. As I sprinted down the hall, it occurred to me that the load in my arms felt a little bulky... but I dismissed this feeling of suspicion and unease since sometimes fluffy, freshly-dried things can seem like this.

As the whites fell out of my arms and onto my extra-long twin for folding, I quickly discovered why it felt like I was carrying more laundry than just a few white shirts. I was carrying more than just my Oxfords! There were stowaways in my load! And NOT white kittens!!!

There, lying amongst my laundry, were gnarled gym socks… some stained wife-beaters… and tighty-whities.

Some cheap, dirty punk on my floor must have thrown his “whites” (and I use that term loosely, because many of these items were hardly what I would call white anymore) in with mine to save $2 and detergent! The knave doubtlessly planned to sneak in and abscond with his whites before I came to collect my laundry, but his plan was foiled when I came early.

I carefully separated his laundry from mine and dropped it in an old shopping bag, using the hook of a hanger as a make-shift claw, so I wouldn’t have to touch it. It was foul, but not nearly as foul as having to wear my tainted clothing later that night. I left the bag sitting ominously on the dryer.

I tell you this story, dear readers, so that when your cat sleeps on your freshly-laundered clothing, you will think of this tale and rejoice, because it could have been worse. Much worse.

A white kitten (or any kitteh, really) is so much better than a stranger’s tighty-whities, don’t you agree?

Seventeen Things Worth Knowing About Your Cat

2009-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here’s a great way to start your week! Seventeen Things Worth Knowing About Your Cat.

Click on the link to learn about other animals that purr, how Nikola Tesla basically owes it all to kittehs, how many cats Abe Lincoln owned and MORE.

I hope you find a fact or two that will make you the Cat’s Meow at Thanksgiving...

Wait a minute...

2009-11-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

I ordered a box of avocados...

... not avoCATos!

Dedicated to Daisy

2009-11-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

Dedicated to Daisy, who’s famous for her fashions:

Even more priceless photos from Vogue's feline-inspired fashion photo shoot if you click here!

What's a CATTOO?

2009-11-18T15:15:00.000-08:00

Pearl has a Cattoo, and you should get one, too. Come on! Everybody’s doing it. >:-)

Actually, Pearl is the only cat I know on a purrsonal basis with a Cattoo, aka cat tattoo, but I'm hoping it becomes the next big thing, because there's a very clever idea behind it.

So What’s Up with This Cattoo?
Pearl was spayed prior to her official adoption, per East Bay SPCA regulations. I faintly remembered when Ollie had been spayed, so I knew what to do. I checked Pearl’s incision regularly to make sure everything was healing properly, and things were looking normal.

About a week and a half after Pearl's surgery, the shelter called to see how she was acclimating, and to ask how she’d recovered from the operation...

Francesca: Pearl is looking good! But I did want to ask you guys about her stitches, because they still look very prominent.
EBSCPA: Oh, you mean the blue-ish line on her stomach?
Francesca: Yep, that’s the one.
EBSCPA: Ah! Not stitches. That’s a tattoo!
Francesca: A whaaaaaa?
EBSPCA: We tattooed her! You see, when a male cat’s been neutered, it’s easy to tell, you just look at the ahem. However, there’s little evidence left to indicate whether or not a female cat has been spayed. There have been some cases when we’ve operated on female cats, for example stray cats that we have no medical history for, and we get inside… and nothing’s there. They’ve already been spayed. That’s why we tattoo our female cats after spaying. It’s an easy way for anyone to tell that the operation has already been done.
Francesca: BRILLIANT!

Here’s a picture of Pearl’s CATTOO

The naked eye cannot see the Cattoo.

Voila. Scandalous! Please don't tell her mother.

Whoever came up with this idea is GENIUS. I encourage you all to talk to the shelters and vets that you know, and see if they’ve heard of this Cattooing. If they haven’t, maybe they’ll start! It seems like a smart idea to me. It would be great for any kind of female animal.

Does anyone else have a Cattoo?

Cats on a Plane!!

2009-11-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

The holidays are quickly approaching and that means travel for a lot of you out there, myself included. Come December, I’ll embark on my annual, transcontinental journey from California all the way to the snowy tundras of Michigan—only this year, I’ll have a travelling companion: PEARL.

Yes, Pearl is hitching a ride to The Mitten, which means I have to find the perfect airline-approved carrier. Unfortunately, the one I’ve set my heart on is too pricey to seriously entertain. Ah, the SleepyPod.

The SleepyPod is one of those products that you wish you’d never seen, because once you do, you’ll never forget it, and simply nothing else can compare.

O SleepyPod, I love you, but you are too proud. I’m still shopping around for a safe and attractive bargain, so we’ll see what I turn up with.

Any suggestions? Send them my way!

Ahoy, Hemingway Kitteh!

2009-11-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

While staring dreamily at my computer screen, it came to my attention that the Paw de Chat kitten gamboling about at the top of my blog appears to be a Polydactyl Cat. Here's another picture of a Blue Tabby KitTEEN for reference.

I’ve never had the honor of meeting a Polydactyl before, but I hope to someday. If I make it out to Key West, Florida, then my chances are probably pretty good, since that’s the breeding ground for the rare Polydactyl Kitteh—literally.

According to local lore, Ernest Hemingway made the acquaintance of a sea captain who owned an unusual six-toed tomcat. Upon his departure from Key West, the captain gave the cat to Hemingway as a gift. This phalange-licious feline became the founding father of the unusual many-toed cat population in Key West, hence the common nickname for a Polydactyl; "a Hemingway cat."

As to why else so many cats, including Polydactyls, call Key West their home, The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum website has the answer:

During the shipping days, and before the days of pesticides, cats were kept to catch rats and mice. The weather is mild here and cats can live comfortably outdoors all year around; they are also quite prolific so they are numerous. There are local residents who feed many stray cats and there is a profusion of restaurants and guest houses where the cats can panhandle for hand-outs.

Although Ernest Hemingway led a troubled life, his love for cats is an admirable quality for sure. As my great-grandmother Kokko always said, “Never trust a man who doesn’t like cats.” Right on!

There are other fascinating facts compiled by a certain Lisa Rufle, including Polydactyl Cat adventures at sea, how they were true American settlers, and why they were accused of witchcraft and sorcery, but "permission to republish Polydactyl Cat Basics in print or online must be granted by the author in writing"… and we’re on a tight deadline here. :-) So I encourage you, instead, to check out the page here.

Do any of my dear readers have the pleasure of living with a Polydactyl Cat?

Clawin' Up the Wrong Tree

2009-11-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

I loved this picture too much to resist.

When I was growing up, a few of my cats LOVED to climb trees, but Theo and Ollie are indoor only. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for the ideal cat tree so that they can experience the joy of climbing, too. I don't think a bonsai tree will cut it, though...

Any good pictures of your cats in trees?

Black Cat Bonanza!

2009-11-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

Today is...

...which is why it’s time for a BLACK CAT BONANZA!

First, some of my favorite Black Cats:

When I lived in Los Angeles, I attended a foster volunteer training session though a wonderful animal rescue group called Kitten Rescue. They’ve developed a list called “The Top Ten Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat.” I am posting the list here, but I encourage you to check out Kitten Rescue’s website.

10. They look like little panthers.

9. A lint brush isn't required for a black-tie affair.

8. Holding a black cat is very slimming.

7. Black cats will match any decor.

6. When you love a black cat, luck is on your side.

5. They are a great accessory to any outfit.

4. They don't care what color YOU are.

3. The neighborhood goth kids will think you're cool.

2. Love knows no color.

and the number one reason to adopt a black cat....

1. They are the least likely to be adopted.

It’s sad but true! A 2002 study in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science that examined adoption rates over nine months in a California pound found that black cats were about half as likely to be adopted as tabby cats and two-thirds less likely than white cats.

I know that many shelters will not adopt out any black cats in the month of October, for fear of animal abuse and worse. The shelter where I adopted Theo wouldn’t adopt out any orange cats, either! I scooped him up right before the cut-off.

In the words of Groucho Marx: "A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere."

Send in pictures of your Housepanthers!

TeleCats: The Scratch Lounge

2009-11-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

Our very first Product Demonstration. Paw de Chat presents:
The Scratch Lounge.

If you've fallen in love, here's the website: http://scratchlounge.com/. As I mentioned, I bought mine at Petco!

No Treats, NO TRICKS!

2009-11-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Theo's training isn't going very well thus far, and there's one big problem. This kitteh doesn't like many treats! Theo's absolute favorite, tried and true dish is Fancy Feast Beef Feast, grilled. He is one finicky feline.

Any of the Fancy Feasts that have a "shredded" look and are smothered in gravy are suitable as well. He will not, under any circumstances, tolerate a "loaf." We've tried fancier feasts (read: more expensive and très gourmet organic food), but he'd rather starve than eat these better-for-you blends and stages hunger strikes.

The Feast, and nothing but the Feast, so help you God.

Being picky about meals is one thing; I get that. But Theo is just as particular when it comes to treats. The cats I grew up with were lovers of "Pounce." Ollie will eat practically anything, as I discovered the day she absconded with a mini strawberry & marshmallow pancake I'd been eating, carrying it off to her lair. I know it's terrible to allow cats to eat human food, but I have to be honest... On the rare occasions when I indulge in Burger King, it's nice to sit with Ollie, side by side as we nibble. She adores french fries.

Theo, looking on with disdain.

Theo won't eat anything but Beef Feast! How am I to train him?! I saw some dried fish flakes at my pet store, and I may invest. I have the feeling that the grosser the treat is, the more likely he'll be to eat it.

Do your cats have a favorite treat you could recommend?

Hooked on a Feline: Carrie & Kitty

2009-11-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

Skelecats in the Closet: Part Deux

Carrie from Michigan (my home state! woot!) sent in a photo of an elusive Closet Cat in action.

Indie, alias "Kitty"

Closet Cats are private creatures. When their hidey-holes are exposed, they do not disguise their displeasure. This intrusion leaves Kitty aghast.

Vive Claw de Chat!

2009-11-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban the veterinary practice of declawing cats within city limits, making it a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

"It's a complex and painful procedure — you remove the bone at the end of the paw — and it's only for the benefit of the owner," said Jesse Arreguin, who co-authored the law with Councilwoman Susan Wengraf.

"A survey of Southern California veterinarians showed that 95 percent of vets are declawing cats to protect furniture," said Veterinarian Jennifer Conrad. "I urge you to protect cats in your city. It's an amputation of the last bone in the cat's toe."

Retired veterinarian Jean Hofve confessed that she regrets the times she declawed cats. "I declawed hundreds of cats and it is horrible, cruel and inhumane," Hofve said. "After declawing cats develop behavior problems, biting and litter box avoidance problems. To create a situation where more cats are likely to bite is unconscionable."

San Francisco passed a similar law on November 3rd, and on November 6th the Los Angeles City Council, in a preliminary action, voted unanimously to ban declawing cats, which council members described as unnecessary and abject animal cruelty.

I have been against declawing since I learned about the procedure at age five, when my family adopted Mariah, a sweet little Tortie who’d already been declawed. She didn’t seem to suffer… until old age began to sink in.

I’ve always loved playing with cats’ paws, and I remember how her paws felt. There were extra flaps of furry skin at the end of each finger, and I could feel that the bones within felt butchered. As she aged, I could tell how it hurt her to jump and do other Cattish things. I know how hard it is for me to walk when I’ve got a blister from an ill-fitting kitten heel, so imagine the pain of dealing with the effects of amputation for the rest of your life.

Now that I am a cat parent myself, I understand how frustrating it can be when Theo or Ollie decides to sharpen a claw or two on a new piece of furniture. That said, if they’re able to do any damage, I’m to blame. Trimming their claws is very simple. Ollie, thus far, has not tolerated SoftPaws, but Theo is completely amenable. There are all sorts of cat scratchers that range from cheap and easy cardboard (stay tuned for a review on ~~my new~~ Theo’s new scratcher later) to the gorgeous creations often featured on ModernCat.net.

Hooked on a Feline: Michelle & Filbert

2009-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

I attempted Theo's first training last night. He is immune to Velveeta's charms. My friend Michelle's cat Filbert, on the other hand, prances at her very command. What form!

Special thanks to Kristin for this clever title. >^..^<

Just Like a Cirrrcus

2009-11-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

And if there were any doubts about the epic feats that cats can and WILL perform, may I present to you... The Cat Circus!

There's LOTS more where that came from! Watch the Cat Circus in action here! There are... no words. No words that can possibly capture my amazement.

Oh, Theo...

Will Work For NOM NOM

2009-11-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, many years ago, I attempted to train Ollie to do “tricks.” I wasn’t really sure what sort of tricks, per se, which may have been my problem from the get-go. Ollie was pretty receptive to training at first. Hey, a little Velveeta goes a long way. We were starting to learn the command “touch,” but then a pair of foster kittens entered the mix, I got really busy at work, ad nauseum, and our training sessions came to an end.

However…after reading “Cats are trainable — and that’s not a punchline” on msnbc.com today, I have been inspired to start it up again! Melissa Chan, behavior specialist at the Houston SPCA Chan sold me on cat training when I read this:

“Having your cat touch your hand with its nose on command is one of the easiest behaviors to train,” Chan says. If you hold out your hand, most cats will naturally sniff it. Reward with a treat until the cat is doing it every time you present your hand. Then, start repeating a word like “touch” every time.

This trick can then be used to get the cat to move where you want it by placing your hand in the desired spot. “You can use it to ask them to get off the couch, or teach them to jump through a hoop by putting the hand on the other side of the hoop,” Chan says.

Have you guys heard of Kitten Kindergarten at the Houston SPCA? Check this out! This photo shows kitTEENs learning to socialize and play with other cats during a kitten kindergarten class at the Houston SPCA in Houston, Texas.

Let the games begin! This time, I’ll work with Theo, since he’s the smarter of the two. (Not to worry, Ollie excels in other areas, such as sleeping, napping and loafing.) Here’s my game plan:

1. Sit
2. Stay
3. Come here (We're 80% there.)
4. Jump
5. Flop

I think teaching Theo one trick a week sounds feasible, and I’ll keep you posted on my progress. In the meantime…

Do your cats perform any tricks?

Are YOU a Crazy Cat Lady?

2009-11-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Voters in Dudley, Massachusetts, passed a ballot measure last Tuesday making it illegal to own more than three cats without a special license. The caterwauling and rampaging of one female citizen's 15 cats led to many complaints from her neighbors, and served as the inciting incident for creating the new law.

In light of this ruling, Slate.com re-posted a 2005 article that asks its readers, “What's the deal with cat ladies? Are there cat gentlemen, too?”

According to Slate, we first need to define the difference between a woman (or man) who cares for several cats versus an animal hoarder.

“Animal hoarding has also been viewed as an addiction, like compulsive gambling or alcoholism, or as a form of dementia… No one knows why women are more susceptible than men. One member of the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium points out that women are also more likely to become veterinarians and less likely to perform acts of animal cruelty.”

I hate the stigma of the term “cat lady,” but Slate highlighted two pieces of damning evidence:

Not all animal hoarders are cat ladies, but most are. The typical person who gets caught with more pets than she can handle is a woman over the age of 60 who lives alone.
They found that two-thirds of the obsessive collectors were women and that 70 percent were single.

Yikes! I know how hard it can be to say no to “just one more” animal. As a foster volunteer, my heartstrings have been tugged again and again. Anytime I visit my local shelter, or even Petco with its weekend adoption events, I want to whisk all the cats away with me!

But wanting and doing are two totally separate things. I consider how my cats would feel, how much food I can afford, how much attention I can share equally and how much actual space I have… These are things that hoarders don’t seem to consider.

So, how many cats really IS too many? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic!

Checkmate!

2009-11-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

This cat takes her chess game very seriously.

I especially like this photo because it reminds me of a cat that I grew up with named Guy. Guy was an incredibly savvy street cat that my aunt adopted. He was so clever that he'd look both ways before he crossed the street. He kept himself impeccably groomed, and this included cleaning his own teeth.

I was in my aunt's kitchen on a quiet summer day when I heard a bizarre gnawing sound... it seemed to be coming from just beneath the kitchen window. I peered out and saw Guy, gnawing at the roots of some shrubbery, his head tilted to the side just like our Grandmaster here.

I spied him performing this part of his routine on a regular basis, and his teeth were some of the shiniest, whitest fangs I've ever seen. This can't be a coincidence. Did he discover this on his own, or was he taught by some other fastidious alleycat?

Do any of your cats "clean" their teeth like this?

Why You Can't Afford a Dog (or Cat?)

2009-11-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

This morning, I came across an article on MSN.com that I'd like to share with you, in case you haven't seen it. ("Why You Can't Afford a Dog")

Why You Can't Afford a Dog

The content isn't all about canines; cats are discussed, too. Donna Freedman writes,

How much is that doggy in the window? At least $8,000 over his lifetime--and that's just for basic expenses. Fido costs a lot more if he gets sick, chews up your work boots or ruins the rug. Cats are even pricier: It costs about $10,415 to be ignored until you run a can opener.

In short, if you can't find at least an extra $800 to $1,000 in your budget every year, don't get a pet. If you get laid off, start looking for foster care for your pets until times are better -- and if the job market is particularly bleak (think "unemployed in Michigan"), you may have to give them away outright.

While I agree that anyone under financial constraint, recession or not, should reconsider adopting a pet, I question her recommendation to seek foster care.

It's hard enough to find foster homes for the stray animals that are found and taken to shelters. I personally don't know of any free foster programs for cats that already have owners, but it's possible that they're out there. (Email me if you know of one.)

I have heard of people being transferred to another state or country for a set amount of time that will find a foster for their pet, and pay the foster home a fee for food and litter costs while they are away, but the cost is comparable to what the cat owner spent when they were at home with their cat, so this isn't a solution for people who can't afford their pet anymore, period.

My best suggestion, if you can no longer afford to care for your pet but you think your situation is temporary, is to ask a family member to help out in the meantime. If you're not at that point, but are getting close, then the first step you should take is making sure your cat is indoor only. That will greatly reduce the risk of injuries, illness and accidents, and consequently minimize the likelihood of expensive veterinary bills.

Otherwise, if you truly feel you have to give your cat up for good, then do your best to help him or her make a transition to a happy home. You could post signs in your local Starbucks, or pet food stores. Sometimes libraries or other community gathering places will allow this, too. If your cat is purebred, there are often dedicated rescue groups that will help specific breeds. And if worse comes to worst, taking your cat to a shelter as an "owner surrender" is a last-ditch effort to get your cat into a new home. There's normally a small charge for this, but at least your pet will be given a place to live with fresh food and water.

Whatever you do, please don't let your cat loose into the wild. I have heard that some take this route, thinking that the cat will be better off eating birds, mice, and whatever scraps it can find, and maybe even being lucky enough to win over another family after hanging around for a while--rather than taking their pet to a shelter. The great outdoors are not the place for a domesticated animal. Though shelters are crowded constantly, they are well-organized and run by people who love animals dearly. So as scary as it sounds, please consider a shelter before you opt for abandonment.

Phew! Sorry to bring up a less-than-cheerful topic. I'll post a Lolcat next!

What’s a KitTEEN?

2009-11-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

Anyone can recognize a fluffy little kitten, and it’s easy to spot a grown-up cat. But what about that murky, transitional phase in between?

I’ve got a great new term to share with you: KitTEEN, accent on the TEEN, because that’s what these little cats are! This word was dreamed up by a clever friend of mine, and then bequeathed to me. So, since we invented it, whatever we say goes about kitTEENs.

All About KitTEENs
Conveniently enough, kittens move into the kitTEEN zone at about thirteen weeks, so it’s easy to remember when this coming of age takes place.

Like their human counterparts, cat teens go through an awkward stage. Their limbs may be disproportionately long, and growth spurts leave them looking slightly rangy. Their kittenish faces may develop a more striking, mature bone structure, and you’ll notice that your once-clumsy kitten is quickly becoming more nimble.

For example, they don’t have to mountain-climb up the comforter to hop onto the bed—now they can jump! Watch out, because kitTEENs have the smarts and the strength to execute some pretty wild maneuvers around the house.

I foster kittens, and I have always felt a rush to get little ones back to the shelter before they entered the KitTEEN stage. If someone is specifically in the market for a kitten, logic follows that they’d want the littlest one. Others come to the shelter in search of an adult cat, because it’s easier to judge temperament when a cat’s full grown.

I argue that a kitTEEN is the best of both worlds. They are still young enough for you to experience the pleasure of watching them grow big and strong, but they’re old enough to have quite the purrsonality already.

And so, since a picture says 1,000 words… may I please present my favorite kitTEEN of all, the very kitTEEN that inspired the term… Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…

Pearl

I have a theory that if shelters began to use the term kitTEEN, it could help the “old” kittens get adopted, since it takes the stigma away. Who wants to be an “old” anything? Three cheers for kitTEENs!!!

Skelecats in the Closet!

2009-11-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, a closet seems like a pretty good place to nap to me, and if you're a cat, what could be better? Closets are dark with plenty of places to hide, excellent for ambushing fellow felines or unsuspecting humans, and there are soft clothes all around with the comforting smell of your human on them...

I gave up the fight long ago and leave some old sweatshirts in the darkest corner for my cats to nestle in and they love it. Theo in particular retreats to the closet when he needs some time to be quiet and reflect. I call it his Fortress of Solitude.

Not all cats require a Closet Cave; some prefer Bed Lurking or the Cat Sack (like Ollie), but a private and safe "hidey-hole" is a must for each of your cats. It's important for them to feel like they have a place of their own to unwind.

Where does your cat like to chillax?

Me-ow You Doin'?

2009-11-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

What an event, Paw de Chat's first posting! >^..^<

Since our topic is (and shall always remain) CATS, it seems fitting that I share with you a few images of my inspiration.

My Terrible Two
First up is Theodore Arthur, a domestic short hair orange tabby. He's four years old and quite the character. His favorite activites are kneading, creeping, and inventing new meows. He's also a pro with a feather cat teaser. It seems to me that the late MJ's "Thriller" was Theo's inspiration. He's got it down!

And then there's Olivia Lily. She's a three-year-old domestic short hair brown tabby. Ollie, as I affectionately call her, is a cuddler. She likes to snuggle and especially enjoys burrowing into down comforters or her "cat sack." More to come on that later.

Cute cat pictures are always welcome, so send them in!