The cutest thing in recent memory

Cats Behaving Badly

Oregon State Police ask for help finding cat that caused crash
Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 6:57 PM
Updated: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 8:31 PM
Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

Oregon State Police regularly send out bulletins about criminals on the run.

But Tuesday, the state's largest police agency took the unusual step of issuing a "missing cat" alert.

One reason not to drive with a cat crawling around your car: It might want to curl up under your feet at 55 mph.

Southern Oregon University student Brittany Spady rolled her Ford Explorer on U.S. 26 east of Banks on Monday night after her long-haired tortoiseshell Calysta slinked between the brake and gas pedals.

"I tried to stop her," Spady, 21, said, "and I took my eyes off the road."

Spady said the cat refuses to travel in a carrier. Headed home from Ashland, she had been on the road for four hours and was just two miles from her parents' house when the sport utility vehicle swerved into a ditch, rolled and struck a tree just before 8 p.m.

Calysta, wearing a purple collar with a bell, bolted from the crash scene, vanishing into the forest near milepost 52.

"The family has been out looking for the cat," said Lt. Gregg Hastings, an OSP spokesman. "I offered to help."

Spady's right arm and head are gashed and bruised. Her 1993 Explorer is totaled. But she misses her cat -- adopted at a Medford animal shelter -- more than her car.

Now, she's waiting to hear from someone who has seen Calysta: 503-324-0301.

Editor's Note: This EXACT thing happened to my Michelle. Seriously. Cats hate cars and will do anything to sabotage one. Do NOT take "I refuse to ride in a carrier" for an excuse! They MUST BE RESTRAINED AT ALL TIMES! They may look cute, but they are not to be trusted.

Suggested punishment:



This entry inspired by links sent by Troy, who probably loves My Michelle's cat more than My Michelle does. And with good reason, as he has never been in a car-totaling and catching on fire, 70-mph on a major interstate free-for-all. Seriously. Restrain them.

Now THIS is cute!

These feet were made for walkin'!!!

CAT CAFES!!!!

Big ups to my girl Kimberlizzle for this link!


I WANT TO GO TO THERE.

The Cat Inside

I read this book this weekend, by William S. Burroughs (The Cat Inside). Sanks insists that it is anti-dog, but I think that's just because no one is ever pro-cat! It strikes him as strange. I think it's because of quotes like the one below, but to me, he's not a dog hater. He's just been influenced by the cat-hating practices of many dog lovers.

An English cat hater of the upper classes confided to me that he had trained a dog to break a cat's back with one shake. And I remember he caught sight of a cat at a party and snarled out through the long yellow horse teeth that crowded out his mouth, "Nasty stinking little beast!" I was impressed by his class at the time and knew nothing of cats. Now I would get up from my chair and say, "Pawdon me, old thing, if I toddle along, but there's a nasty stinking big beast here."

That is a bit harsh, I guess. But listen to this:

Purring in his sleep, Fletch stretches out his little black paws to touch my hands, the claws withdrawn, just a gentle touch to assure him that I am there beside him as he sleeps. He must have a dream image of me. Cats are said to be colorblind: grainy black-and-white, a flickering silver film full of rents as I leave the room, come back, go out, pick him up, put him down. Who could harm such a creature? Train his dog to kill him! Cat hate reflects an ugly, stupid, loutish, bigoted spirit. There can be no compromise with this Ugly Spirit.

Yes, please.

Gimme Shelter

You might be a crazy cat lady if...














And for your information, only ONE of those Oscar videos made me tear up, thank-you-very-much!

Mittens

Kitten Mittens:

or

Mittens the crime-solving cat:

You be the judge.

Catios!

The luckiest cats in the world!

HOME & GARDEN

‘Catio’ Enclosures Protect Cats Outside

null

Published: June 17, 2010

New Yorkers who would never let their cats roam free outside have created special outdoor spaces at home.

You will want to see this slideshow! Someday, Sam and Max... Someday.

All is not LOST!

Wait, yes it is.

Thanks again, KIMBERLYYYY!!

Question

Given the choice between hardwood floors and a handwoven rug, WHY DOES IT SEEM that cats will always choose the rug?!

This morning, as is frequently the case, Sam threw up within 5 minutes of eating breakfast. Yay! So I, grumbly as is always the case, cleaned it up. As I headed back into the kitchen Sam was sitting in front of his bowl, crying for MORE FOOD. Seriously, there are numerous articles about cleaning pet vomit from carpet (for example). I think I need to go deeper, though, so I'm going to study up on Cat Pet Peeves. Heaven forbid, Sam is vomiting because I'm annoying him!!!

Time for your medicine, Max!

marriedtothesea.com

Mad Max 2010

I call this one "The Torture of Mad Max by E-Collar." She's recovered, but photographic evidence of her misfortune is recovered daily. This photo is the internal wallpaper of my phone. I vow never to forget the suffering of even one innocent cat. Or the suffering of Max, who's not entirely innocent, but at least she's really cute.

Catchy Cartoon Cats

Oh! A Rinky Tinky Tinky!!

We all make mistakes...

Chat!

Thanks, Kimbra-lala.

Max Update

Poor Maxi Nubbins. First of all, because she has to have a nickname like "Maxi Nubbins." But seriously, she does. She has a little stump of a tail. Or should I say a BIG stump of a tail. It's highly disturbing but she seems way more concerned about the cone (I also call her "Conehead" which I think she dislikes, too). Especially since when she walks she runs into things, and when she eats she flips the bowl over and scoops out kibble. It's a huge mess. I haven't actually seen her use the litter box yet, although I've seen her get into it and turn around in circles. I sure hope that doesn't prove to be a problem for either one of us later.

She does seem resigned to take the pain medication for now at least. She'll have no more after the next 36 hours, though, so here's hoping the pain has abated by then.

I'm supposed to go to my parents' house this weekend, so I'll have to take the cats. Yikes. That will be a hellacious car ride. Maybe Max will surprise me and NOT poop in her carrier. Or maybe it will be exactly like every other time....

YES.

Poor Max had to have her tail amputated I'm sorry to report. Aye, carramba. I can be comforted in the fact that it was actually due to an infection in her tail of a laceration inflicted during a fight with Sam, and NOT due to a fracture brought about by my stepping on her tail.

This is small comfort, however, considering 1) she still had to undergo major surgery, 2) it still costs OVER EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS, and 3) she will still have to wear an Elizabethan collar for 14 days.

At least she will be back to 100% soon. And at least my boyfriend is sweet enough to loan me the money.

Maxamillionairess

I wish. I noticed this morning that the tip of her little tail is wobbly looking. I am afraid that there was some damage after all. When I touch it, it's hard for me to tell if she hisses because it hurts or because she wishes I was in a coma. This is going to take some detective work. And it's important detective work. Apparently Sacrocaudal Fractures in the Cat are actually pretty dangerous for them. I don't know how I'm going to pay for THAT! That's why I wish she was a Maxamillionairess. Like Goldie Hawn's character in the charming film (despite the paucity of cats), Overboard.

from flikr.

Just go ask Alice.

I saw Alice in Wonderland this weekend. Awesome. One of the best parts, of course, was the Cheshire Cat. They did a great job with him. Click on the photo below to go to an entry on the /Film blog that explains how the Cheshire cat appears. In the film, not Wonderland. That part remains a mystery...

And go see the movie. And if you have to miss any of the movie, miss the last five minutes then come back to watch the credits.

\____________/

[That's the lingering smile of the Cheshire Cat, for those who have poor imaginations.]

cleanliness is next to godliness

Some friends of mine are going to see Maria Bamford this weekend at the Laughing Skull here in Atlanta (jealous). I was watching her stuff on YouTube and found this important Cat Service Announcement. Yay for Maria Bamford!

Max is on the mend!

Maxy-Wax?

I may have broken Max's tail last night when I came home too late and it was too dark to see her little black tail! Please keep her in your thoughts. I know that's kind of silly, but if I can't say that here, where am I going to say it?!!

Cat Sitter

Sanks came home this weekend and was playing with the cats because they LOVE EACH OTHER (although neither Sam, Max, nor Sanks will admit it, I know the truth).

When we left for lunch after getting them all energized up, I felt guilty and put in the Cat Sitter DVD. Sam loves it! He stands up and lightly touches the screen, like he wants to pet the mice. It's adorable. I'll try to take a film of Sam playing with it, because that will be the ultimate cuteness, but in the meantime, here's a cat named Saffie who is pretty interested in it, too.



By the way, Max couldn't care less. That's just how she rolls.

More cat awesomeness

from The Oatmeal:

The baby-killing benefit escapes me, but the others are pretty good.

"The more cats you have, the more chances you have of being loved by them."

How To Put The Spark Back Into Your Relationship With Your Cat

Thanks, Kimbra.

Evil? Genius? Such a fine line...

I guess I just love evil geniuses!

10 Most Evil Famous Cartoon Cats
By Aida Ekberg

Some of the most famous cartoon characters of all time are cats, and it's easy to see why; they're smart and crafty creatures with distinctive personalities. However, since cats are so clever, this means they can also be evil geniuses. This is a look at some of the most evil famous cartoon cats, from those that are the pets of equally evil masters to kitties sitting pretty as criminal masterminds themselves. So check out the 10 most evil famous cartoon cats here and wonder what Fluffy does while you're away from home all day:

1. MAD Cat from 'Inpector Gadget' - We never got to see the face of villain Dr. Claw on 'Inspector Gadget', instead seeing his pet cat snickering and sneering on his desk. MAD Cat may seem like one of the famous evil cartoon cats on this list that didn't do much, but he did occasionaly take part in the criminal mischief, aiding Dr. Claw in foiling Gadget's detective work. And while MAD Cat is one of the most evil famous cartoon cats, he's also one of the most abused, with his angry master often taking his frustration out on the poor feline. Still, it's obvious that Dr. Claw cared for this kitty with a not-so-pretty laugh, proving that even the hardest of villains have a soft spot.

2. Azrael from 'The Smurfs' - Gargamel's pet cat from 'The Smurfs' is definitely one of the most evil famous cartoon cats, having the same taste for blue meat as his master. Like most cats, Azrael is smarter than his malicious master, realizing that Gargamel's plans to procure a few Smurfs will never turn out well. But he goes along with them anyway, trying his best to ignore his owner's ignorance in hopes of a meal. Like most famous evil cartoon cats, he's got a distinctive evil laugh, although he doesn't have as much of a personality of some of the other cartoon cats on this list.

3. Lucifer from 'Cinderella' - This is one of the most famous evil cartoon cats from a Disney movie, the plump and pampered puss that doesn't do a very good job of keeping his home mice-free. He's just as evil as his owner, Cinderella's wicked stepmother, and he's also like her in that his evil plans always fail. But when it comes to famous cartoon cats, you won't find a name that says "evil" more than his does.

4. Pete from 'Mickey Mouse' - He's one of the first of the famous evil cartoon cats, Mickey's massive nemesis in 'Steamboat Willie' and many more cartoons to follow. He would also go on to terrorize the ducks in 'DuckTales' and Goofy in 'Goof Troop'. He's been everything from an all-out bad guy to an annoying neighbor to a self-centered jerk, and is one of the oldest evil villains in cartoon history. He's also one of the ugliest famous evil cartoon cats on this list, with a face and bad attitude that even the most fanatic of feline friends would have a hard time loving.

5. Tom Cat from 'Tom and Jerry' - And here's one of the most loveable famous evil cartoon cats, and one that you've almost got to feel sorry for. For years the 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons remained popular with one premise only on each episode: cat chases mouse; cat never gets to eat mouse. Poor Tom was always getting in trouble for failing to keep his home vermin-free, and despite his best efforts to outsmart Jerry with mousetraps and other weapons of mouse destruction, he was the one that ended up smashed, de-furred, sliced, and with multiple head lumps in the end. He may have been the bad guy on 'Tom and Jerry', but he's still one of the most famous evil cartoon cats around (and we've all at some point wished we could see him succeed).

6. Sylvester from Warner Bros. Cartoons - When it comes to famous evil cartoon cats, Sylvester wasn't always the bad guy. Only in the episodes where he was chasing Tweety, Speedy Gonzalez, or Hippety Hopper (a kangaroo Sylvester mistakes for a giant mouse) was he truly the bad guy. But the lisping kitty just couldn't ever capture any of his prey, actually dying more than any other Looney Tunes character. With his catchphrase 'Sufferin' succotash!' and his role in some cartoons as a scaredy cat, he's one of the least-imposing famous evil cartoon cats on this list, but one of the most entertaining bad guys to watch.

7. Scratchy from 'The Itchy and Scratchy Show' - You won't find famous evil cartoon cats that are more violent than this one. The cartoon show that 'The Simpsons' children love is a spoof of cartoons like 'Tom and Jerry', with the cat and mouse characters taking part in much more violent acts (there's blood, dismembered body parts, and some pretty horrific death sequences that are difficult to watch). So when it comes to devising evil ways to get rid of a mouse, Scratchy is the king of the famous evil cartoon cats, even if he's the one reduced to a bloody pulp in the end.

8. Nermal from 'Garfield' - Nermal is by far one of the most evil famous cartoon cats you'll ever see. He's the self-procclaimed cutest kitty in the world, flauting his fluffy adorableness in front of Garfield any time he visits and demanding all of John's attention. What makes Nermal so evil is that, while he's always smiling and acting cute, you know there's some really evil thoughts going on behind those gigantic eyes. And unlike most evil famous cartoon cats, he never gets what is coming to him in the end, with Garfield's efforts to mail him to Abu Dhabi always failing.

9. Fat Cat from 'Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers' - And here's one of the most evil famous cartoon cats with an impeccable sense of style. The fat cat in the purple suit is a crime boss that loves expensive things, and the Rescue Rangers are often the only thing keeping him from getting what he wants. He always has complex criminal plans, but ends up with kitty litter on his face when their complexity causes them to fail. But when it comes to evil famous cartoon cats, he's definitely one of the most well-developed, sadistic and narcissistic villains.

10. Catbert from 'Dilbert' - And for humans that aren't fans of felines, Catbert is one of the only evil famous cartoon cats who is the arch nemisis of one of our kind. Jason Alexander voiced him on the short-lived cartoon series, a human resources director who purrs with delight at the word "layoffs" and derives pleasure from making employees worry about their jobs. He may have not made as many appearances on TV as the other famous evil cartoon cats on this list, but he's the poster cat for the hell that is the corporate world.

So from the pets of purrr-fectly rotten villains to kitty criminal masterminds, the evil famous cartoon cats on this list just reinforce the feelings some already have for feline-kind.

SOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_cats
Article reposted from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2601969/10_most_evil_famous_cartoon_cats_.html

exercise.

I've been working out lately at the gym and I sure wish my cats could join me. I guess they could if only I had the right equipment at home...




She even talks to you while walking!
But who really needs all that fancy equipment?



Charity :)

next task: cat bed?

Well, since I mentioned the red satin cat bed, I can't get cat beds off the brain. Yes, it's a strange world. I bought a desk calendar that has different sewing patterns for each day (it's really cool), and one of them was for a pet bed. Cute! And why not?

Since I couldn't find that particular pattern online, I'm going to leave you with a pattern for a cat bed (yes, cat specific please, thank-you-very-much) posted on craftgrrl, which is a really fun site.

Click on the photo for the pattern and directions.

Have fun!
Charity

wet food.

My cats are definitely driving me closer and closer to the poor house (that reminds me of Dickens: I'm imagining myself in the poor house, dirty and overworked, teeth falling out, hair matted, volminous skirt tattered and worn, while Sam and Max sit on freshly fluffed red satin pillows eating freshly prepared fine cuts of meat).

It's just, they absolutely adore Weruva. And how can I deprive them of such health and happiness?

Don't forget to throw a coin in my cup as you pass me by...