Comments for February Kitten of the Month

Culture Lesson - Class #1004

Using this site, which lists various cat breeds, I am presenting the fourth in our series of Cat Breeds.

American Shorthair

(picture taken from this site)

History
American shorthair has a History of approximately 400 years. They arrived in America with the Europeans. Evidence indicates that several cats may have sailed over from England aboard the Mayflower in 1620. These cats were brought along to hunt rats that ate the ship's food supplies and were first prized for their hunting abilities. With the import of foreign breeds in the early 1900s the original American Short hair bloodlines became diluted. A group of breeders began a selective breeding program to preserve the natural beauty, mild temperament, and hardiness of the American Shorthair.

Appearance
American Short hair is a strongly built, well-balanced, symmetrical cat with a look that signifies power, endurance and agility. They are medium to large in size with a solid body and wide chest with thick hind legs. Their heads are oblong in shape with a wide face, wide-set ears and round eyes. American Shorthair comes in variety of colours but the most striking and best known color is the silver tabby

Personality
American Shorthairs are very gentle and affectionate and make wonderful companions. They are known for their amiability with children and other pet animals. They are sociable and can be easily trained. They generally do not like to be picked up and they cherish their freedom.

Now this is a cat I understand.
.

Surgery Over

This is just an update on my mother, who had surgery this morning for cancer.

The surgeon said all went very well. Better than she expected. Now it is just a matter of Mother getting rest and healing up. That is the current risk. Mother is 82, diabetic, and she has leukemia. These things put her at especial risk for about 72 hours.

Thank you for any thoughts and prayers your gave, and have time to give over the next few days.

Thanks.

God bless.

Can You Take the Suspense

Thought this was kind of cute.


.

Good Ol' Blogger

FairyHedgeHog posted this. I looked at my Follower list and I'm still listed as "public". However, if you used to see me as a Follower and now don't, please let me know.

Thanks to Jennifer, through Sarah, for this explanation of why we're all apparently losing followers.

If you use Blogger as your platform, I'm sure you've noticed that your follower count is down. Apparently Blogger has changed everybody's followers to "anonymous" and anonymous followers don't show. If everyone can do these simple steps, we can all get our followers back:Go to dashboard, you'll see "Blogs I'm Following"Scroll down to the bottom of that list and click on manage.Then you'll see that all the drop down menus have been changed to anonymous. You just need to change them back to public.Hopefully we can get the word out, so everyone can take these steps. I hope this doesn't happen again!
.

The Paw of Welcome Extends Again

Cats of Alley Cat Walk, wake up, purr, and say hello to Amber Windy Pop. Pop, for short.

He is a ginger tabby, extraordinary cuddly, likes to sit by the patio doors, and watch and talk (literally) to birds in the garden.

Pop's property is named Leilani Amorey, who has also chosen to follow this blog.

Welcome, Pop. Huzzah! Purrrrrr. Rrrroooowwwlll.

Welcome, Leilani. Huzzah! Huzzah! Purrrrrr.

Oh, Pop. You may want to encourage Leilani to take the What Kind of Cat Could You Be test.
.

A Heads Up

Just to let you know I may be interrupted from posting. Here's why.
.

In Memoriam - Beloved Cats of the Past

Almost from the beginning of Cat in the Buff I was thinking there should be a section to acknowledge cats who are no longer with us. My reasons were selfish, of course. I wanted to acknowledge B.J. Honeycat and Baby Boy, two of my favorite cats. I didn't do it because it's kind of a downer, and I wasn't sure how visitors would respond.

Then, Talpianna sent me an email with a picture of Lilith, which included a poem she wrote. I expect more than some of us have had cat friends who are gone now. If you are like Talpianna (and me), you don't want those felines to be forgotten.

My intention was to make B.J. Honeycat the first. But I don't think it is any slam on his memory if I instead make Lilith the first cat to be honored. BJ was always a gentleman. I'm sure he would have no problem in letting a lady go first.

Lilith

.

.

Lilith’s Song

.

.

She walks in Her garden at break of day;

Small paws follow and will not stay—

“Lady Bastet, my Goddess and Queen,

Let me go back where I have been!

.

“A voice is speaking a broken prayer;

A heart is breaking, for I’m not there;

Someone who loves me is all alone;

Lady Bastet, I want to go home!”

.

She basks, slit-eyed, in the morning sun,

But a kitten’s plea is not yet done:

“Lady Bastet, please let me go;

She’s crying still—she loves me so!

.

“Your gardens are rich in beauty and grace,

With cream to lap and mice to chase,

But still I long for the love I lack;

Lady Bastet, let me go back!”

.

She rests in the shade at the height of noon;

A small voice whispers, “I must go soon!

feel her sorrow and grief like a knife—

Let me be with her in my next life!

.

“Goddess, our time was not so long

As a bird in Your garden’s morning song,

But time enough for love to grow—

Goddess, dear Goddess, please let me go!”

.

The stars in Her garden are candles lit.

She gently caresses the grieving kit.

“Brighter than stars doth a true heart burn:

Lilith, I grant you your wish—Return!”

.

The stars look down in their vast array

As a small cat trots through the Milky Way,

Her pale fur gleams with reflected light

As she picks her way through the cosmic night.

.

Down to a planet of green and blue—

The only home that she ever knew—

To leap into arms that have ached for her,

To cuddle, be hugged and kissed, and purr.

.

8/21/03

.

.

I do not know what God's plan is for animals in eternity. I'm not sure he's ever told us. But sometimes I wonder about those we call pets. When I used to sometimes look in BJ or Baby Boy's eyes I would find myself wondering: Are you an angel in feline form placed in my care in order for me to prove my worth? If so, then they will be with us in heaven.

.

I don't know. I only know that it is very easy to fall in love with a cat.

.

Culture Lesson - Class #1003

Bevie has been taking up all the blog posts of late, so I decided to interrupt that human effort with a piece of real culture.

Using this site, which lists various cat breeds, I am presenting the third in our series of important issues. Namely, Cat Breeds.

American Curl

(picture taken from this site.)

History
The American Curl has a very short history. The breed originated in June 1981 as a spontaneous genetic mutation in the domestic cat population. By 1986 it was recognized by two of the largest cat registries.
American Curl history began June 1981 in Lakewood, California. Two curled cats wandered up to the doorstep of cat lovers Joe and Grace Ruga. One disappeared soon after arriving. The other, a longhaired black cat that Ruga named Shulamith stayed . In December 1981, Shulamith delivered her first litter of four kittens. Of the four, two had ears that curled. A geneticist was contacted to study this phenomenon and he confirmed that this unusual ear was a genetic trait and was inherited in every case, causing it to be labelled a dominant gene, with no deformities attached to it. Referred to as a spontaneous mutation, the gene that causes the ear to curl appeared to be following a single dominant pattern.
.
Appearance
The ideal American Curl is a medium sized, alert cat with an elegant appearance and a sweet, open expression complimented by their remarkable ears. At birth, Curl kittens look like any other kitten, but between one and seven days the ears get firmer and start to plump up and curve back. American Curls come in both longhair and shorthair with both varieties having soft, silky, lustrous, flat-lying coats.
.
Personality
American Curls are very people-oriented, faithful, and affectionate cats. They love companionship and adjust remarkably fast to other pet animals, children, and new situations. Curls are even-tempered and intelligent. They are known for their affinity with children.
.
Another cat breed associated with humans. Well, not all cats are perfect. But if one wishes to join the Alley Cat Walk, she/he is very welcome.

Words of Wisdom

Thought I would post some words about cats from some famous historical people.

Abraham Lincoln:
No matter how much the cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.
Albert Schweitzer:
There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.
Cervantes:
Those who will play with cats must expect to be scratched.
Colette:
Time spent with cats is never wasted.
Colette:
There are no ordinary cats.
Helen M. Winslow:
Women, poets, and especially artists, like cats; delicate natures only can realize their sensitive nervous systems.
Joseph Wood Krutch:
Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.
Leonardo Da Vinci:
The smallest feline is a masterpiece.
Mark Twain:
If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat.

I especially like what Colette and Krutch have to say regarding cats.
.

So Close, But So Far

Remember Son's Valentine's Day balloon? Well, we didn't want to lock it away in a closet, so we found a nice high place to put it. It is one of the few places in the house that Firestar has yet to reach. I think he could, though, if he believed it.

The shelf area is right at the foot of the stairwell leading up to the bedrooms on the fifth floor. (Multi-level house. Each level is half a floor higher than the previous.)

Firestar IS able to reach the short wall which separates the living room from the kitchen. It's an eight foot wall, but we have a vaulted ceiling. You can make out the shadows from the kitchen lights behind Firestar. A Lord of the Rings poster decorates the wall below Firestar. There's a poster of Puss 'n Boots beside it. Spouse's desk is stright down.

.

Firestar gets up there by jumpinng on the counter (a no-no), jumping onto the refrigerator (another no-no), and then up to the wall (the final no-no). Until Spouse brought Firestar home that wall was decorated with my castle collection. Twelve castles made out of fired clay. Came home one day to find the walls of three had been breached. Firestar had knocked them down. Now the shelf area is a dust collector.



CAUGHT!

Okay. I give up.

(He came down when I hissed.)

.

It's Go For a Walk with Your Cat Day

This gives new meaning to the phrase.


Top Cat - The most amazing videos are a click away

I can't let Firestar see this. He's always trying to get on top of my head now.
.

Post Valentines Day Report

Spouse bought Son a Valentines Day bear, complete with balloon. Firestar has always liked balloons.

The only problem we have is that Firestar likes to eat the ribbon.

Humans Can Learn From Cats

Humans are always complaining about their weight. What idiots. Ever hear of a cat complaining about its weight? Mellow out, people.

However, in keeping with our feline tolerance of those beings who serve us well (tolerated as long as they are performing required duties), here is a diet program for humans concerned over such trivialities. Got it from this site.

The easiest way for any human to lose weight

is to follow the simple 'Cat Diet' plan:

DAY ONE

Breakfast: Open can of expensive gourmet food. Any flavor as long as it cost more the £1.50 per can -- and place 1/4 can on your plate. Eat 1 bite of food; look around room disdainfully. Knock the rest on the floor. Stare at the wall for awhile before stalking off into the other room.

Lunch: Four blades of grass and one vole's tail. Throw it back up on the cleanest carpet in your house.

Dinner: Catch a moth and play with it until it is almost dead. Eat one wing. Leave the rest to die somewhere.

Bedtime snack: Steal one green bean from your spouse's or partner's plate. Bat it around the floor until it goes under the refrigerator. Steal one small piece of chicken and eat half of it. Leave the other half for your partner to find where they least expect it. Throw out the remaining gourmet food from the can you opened this morning.

DAY TWO

Breakfast: Pick up the remaining chicken bite from behind the sofa. Knock it onto the carpet and bat it under the television set. Chew on the corner of the newspaper as your spouse/partner tries to read it. Be sure to eat enough of the newspaper to see you through until lunch.

Lunch: Break into the fresh French bread that you bought as your part of the dinner party on Saturday. Lick the top of it all over. Take one bite out of the middle of the loaf.

Afternoon snack: Catch a large beetle and bring it into the house. Play toss and catch with it until it is mushy and half dead. Allow it to escape under the bed.

Dinner: Open a fresh can of dark-colored gourmet food -- tuna or beef works well. Eat it voraciously. Walk from your kitchen to the edge of the living room rug. Promptly throw up on the rug. Step into it as you leave. Track footprints across the entire room.

DAY THREE

Breakfast: Drink part of the milk from your spouse's or partner's cereal bowl when no one is looking. Splatter part of it on the closest polished aluminum appliance you can find.

Lunch: Catch a small bird and bring it into the house. Play with on top of your down filled comforter. Make sure the bird is seriously injured but not dead before you abandon it for someone else to have to deal with.

Dinner: Beg and cry until you are given some ice cream or milk in a bowl of your own. Take three licks/laps and then turn the bowl over onto the most expensive looking floor covering you can find.

FINAL DAY

Breakfast: Eat 6 bugs, any type, being sure to leave a collection of legs, wings, antennae on the bathroom floor. Drink lots of water. Throw the bugs and all of the water up on your spouse's or partner's pillow.

Lunch: Remove the chicken skin from last night's chicken-to-go leftovers your spouse or partner placed in the bin. Drag the skin across the floor several times. Chew it in a corner and then abandon.

Dinner: Open another can of expensive gourmet food. Select a flavor that is especially runny, like Chicken and Giblets in Gravy. Lick off all the gravy and leave the actual meat to dry and get hard.

.

Just Cats

Here are some more cat pictures/cartoons. Courtesy of this site.

New Cats on the Alley Cat Walk

Today we took in two new members to our Alley Cat Walk: Samantha and Mr. Tigger. No human association listed at this time, but I don't think they're feral. [rrrooowwwlll]

Welcome, with many Huzzahs, Purrrrrs, Rrrooowwwllls, and Meows.

Samantha and Mr. Tigger have eight (8) - count 'em - blogs. Here is a link to their profile page.
.

Cats are Sooo Cool

Been walking some new cyber roads this morning with Bevie. Found a couple of new cat blogs: Sherkhan and Rusty. They're both new to the cyber world. I left them hello's, but didn't tell them about Cat in the Buff. Their curiosity may bring them on their own.

Meanwhile, we came across a YouTube video of cats doing cool things. It's kind of long, but mostly it's worth it. Enjoy.




.

Culture Lesson - Class #1002

It is time to return to our culture lessons using this site, which lists various cat breeds.

American Bobtail

(picture taken from this site)

History
American Bobtail cat breed is the descendant of naturally occurring bobtail cats found in the wild. The American Bobtail originated in late 1960s. The original Bobtail bloodline came from a mating between a short-tailed brown tabby male and a seal point Siamese female. Birman, Himalayan and a Himalayan/Siamese cross were then added to the bloodline by the breeders. American Bobtail was accepted for championship status by TICA in 2002 and as Provisional in CFA.

Appearance
American Bobtail is medium to large sized, sturdy, rugged-looking breed. They are short-tailed cats. They have either short dense coat or a longer, shaggy-appearing coat. American Bobtails have large, oval shaped eyes. The color of the eyes depends upon color of the coat. American Bobtails come in all colors and patterns.

Personality
Contrary to its rugged appearance, the American Bobtail is not a wild cat. American Bobtails are playful, energetic, friendly, and intelligent cats. They are very people-oriented and demand human attention.

Demand human attention, huh? I hope that only means they require their humans to do a lot of extra work.

They come in a variety of colors, so choosing an appropriate image required a lot of effort. After looking at a bunch of American Bobtail pictures, I came to the inevitable choice of an orange/buff colored cat. It seemed to make sense. You agree, Rufus? That's a very good color for a cat.
.

People Haven't a Clue About Cats

Found this site where some human lists the things we cats need to survive. A nice list, but incomplete. Assuming it's a woman (author's name is Franny, but Bevie had a male relative with the same name), this is what she thinks a cat needs:

"In order to survive with some degree of comfort, there are certain absolutely minimal things a cat needs, such as good food, water, a litter box, scratching post, and a place to sleep. Oh yes, and don't forget toys. These are my top choices for the things a well-kept cat needs for survival."

But she left out one of our most important needs: A human being to torment.

Here's another site listing 25 Things Cat Lovers Know. I'll pull out a few highlights.

Cats instinctively know the exact moment their owners will wake up. Then they wake them 10 minutes sooner.

Cats know what we feel. They don't care, but they know.

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God.

Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. It's all true, and they have many other fine qualities as well.

There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats.

You can always tell a cat, but you can't tell him much.


Oh, and Lisa was kind enough to send us a picture of Bessie.











.

Alley Cat Pictures

Bevie sent out a general request for pictures a few days ago and Lisa supplied some of her pride.


Amelia (striped kitty), Scarlett and Bruiser, (although one of the black ones could be Tara, it's hard to tell them apart unless they all have their eyes open and are facing the camera.)

In a row (same cats) but Bruiser is sticking his tongue out - sooo cute!

Apparently Bessie is camera shy. However, Lisa has posted a picture of her on her blog. (I can't get the d*mn auto link to work, so you're stuck with a copy/paste. Sorry.) Beautiful eyes.

Lisa's blog: http://lisanevin.blogspot.com/

Just How Stupid Are Humans Anyway

Humans think they're so clever, but are they? Read this and tell me what you think.

SINGLE WHITE FEMALE seeks companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good-looking girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (real phone number) and ask for Daisy ... I'll be waiting.

Over 15,000 men called the phone number and found themselves speaking with a representative of the Atlanta Human Society about an 8-week-old white Persian cat.

Here are some other silly human advertisements. (found at site)

Illiterate? Write today for free help.

Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.

Stock up and save. Limit: one.

Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00

For sale: antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.

Tired of cleaning yourself. Let me do it.

Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated. Come here first.

Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops.

Six men, their faces covered with red bandanas, got out of the Cherokee carrying a knife, baseball bat, billy club and rolling pin, said Davis, 20. "I knew when I saw the rolling pin that something bad was going to go down," said Davis.

Tips to Avoid Alligator Attacks: Don't swim in waters inhabited by large alligators.

People are just brillliant, aren't they?
.

Five New Additions

Let us all welcome the following cats to Alley Cat Walk:

Announcing, Amelia! . . . . . . . Huzzah!

Announcing, Tara! . . . . . . . Huzzah!

Announcing, Scarlett! . . . . . . . Huzzah!

Announcing, Bruiser! . . . . . . . Huzzah!

Announcing, Bessie! . . . . . . . Huzzah!

All five of our new feline friends arrive with the same slave/peon/property, one Lisa, who happens to be another Snowshoe wannabe.

Also, take note that it is now February, and Rufus has taken over Kitten of the Month. My darling photo can still be seen at the bottom of the blog.
.