Comments for May Kitten of the Month

Zoo Update

Just posted a couple of robin pictures at the Zoo. Nothing noteworthy. See link on sidebar to Firestar's Zoo.

What Does the Cat You Choose Say About Your Personality

Humans love to take silly tests. Real tests seem to fluster them to no end, but give them a silly test and they rush to complete it.

Probably the most silly of all are the so-called "personality" tests. Give me a break. Humans don't have personality. Only cats do. Besides, don't they already know what they're like? Me - ow.

Anyway, Bevie's sister sent him another one and of course there was the big rush to complete it. And of course the results were exactly what Bevie wanted. Isn't that how these things are supposed to work? The humans decide what result they want and then answer accordingly. Anyway, since a lot of humans sneak into this alley I thought I would throw a test at them, just to be nice. Cats know how to do that, you know?

So, without further meows, here is the test. I have adjusted it slightly to better fit this blog. Word of warning to you humans: think carefully before answering. Your answer says a lot about you.

Question: Suppose you went to a shelter for homeless cats intent on helping one of the little darlings out. You see five cats in five kennels. The cats are as follows:

1. Orange Tabby - male


2. Bengal - male


3. Persian (white) - female


4. Norwegian Forest Cat - male


5. Russian Blue - female

Remember, think over your answer and be sure before reading what it says about you.

Here is the personality profile:

1. Orange Tabby - male means you like male Orange Tabby cats


2. Bengal - male - means you like male Bengal cats


3. Persian (white) - female - means you like white female Persian cats


4. Norwegian Forest Cat - male - means you like male Norwegian Forest Cats


5. Russian Blue - female - means you like female Russian Blue cats

I hope you learned something about yourself. [puurrrrrrrrr]
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Kennel Cab

Back in January, when we nearly lost Firestar to a severe illness, we transported him in his Kennel Cab. For some time afterward he associated the Kennel Cab with going to the vet, being poked and prodded, being forced to wear a catheter, and a host of unhappy feelings.

He would run away at the sight of it.

The weather is nice now, and we have been spending a lot of time out in the garage preparing for the sale. Firestar hasn't liked it that we have been outside while he has to stay in, so he has taken to letting us know his feelings with an assortment of vocal messages.

This neighborhood is not especially safe for him, especially since we foolishly had one of his primary defense tools taken from him. Firestar is declawed on his front paws. So we don't let him run free outside. But he wants to be there. So we made up a compromise. Firestar can come outside with us - providing he remains in the Kennel Cab.

The first time we did this he wasn't keen on it (actually, the first time he never made it because he saw the Kennel Cab and ran away) and we brought him back in right off. But it didn't take him long to realize that the Kennel Cab was his ticket to the garage. Now, not only does he not mind being in it, but he will go inside it even when we are all in the house. In fact, it has become his way of telling us he wants to go outside. A very nice arrangement. Very quiet.

Cats are clever things, aren't they?


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Comprehension Without Speaking the Language

Every day I become more and more convinced Firestar has a complete grasp of the English language. Time and again he will sit, or lay, quietly while I talk to him. Then I'll say something he disagrees with and he'll correct my thinking. It happened again yesterday.

Spouse and I were in the garage pricing items for our garage sale. Firestar was whining about being left in the house so we brought him out. Now unlike other cats, Firestar is not allowed to roam free through the neighborhood. The number of dogs around here has increased exponentially, and they all hate cats. And there are no trees to climb, so Firestar would be in a constant state of attack. Therefore, when he goes outside he has to be in his carry case. It's not his first choice, but he likes being out of the house. I think he feels he's closer to the birds.

Actually, I will, on occasion, let him roam free in the yard. Just not for long.

Anyway, Spouse and I were talking, discussing pricing agreements and such. Spouse keeps pricing her items at $5 and mine at $0.25. Son gets a compromise. His stuff is priced at $1. While this 'debate' rages, Firestar goes quiet in his box. Then, Spouse makes this comment.

I guess he's asleep now. I don't hear anything.

Immediately - and I mean immediately - Firestar meows.

Later, he and I were in the house while Spouse was in the garage. He stood by the door demanding to be let out. Finally, I told him he was being annoying. He denied it. I assured him he was. So he comes over to me to rest on my shoulder and purr. He returned to the door and repeated his demand, only softer. I told him it was still annoying and that if he didn't knock it off I was going to put him down in the office. He quit.

He's been by three times already this morning, each time wanting to be on my shoulder. Normally he only does that once. I assured him I don't find him annoying at all.
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It's Just Not Safe to be a Goblin Anymore

Found this at this site.

An irate cat assaulted a defenseless Goblin in an abandoned warehouse in Washington, DC yesterday.

The cat, a Persian kitty with a vicious temper took out it's rage in an unprovoked attack which saw the Goblin being taken away on a magic carpet to hospital where he received 900 stitches.

"The poor thing was in shreds", declared eyewitness Beverly Hoskins, "blood was all over the pavement".

Why the Goblin was in the area of the abandoned warehouse, or indeed why the female eyewitness was in such an area, remains a mystery, but the assailant remains on the loose.

"We're hunting for a female cat-casian, medium build,approximately 4 years old and with excessive hair", said detective Ron Rollins of the Washington PD, "we would warn all citizens to be on high alert and to approach with extreme caution. This thing is an animal".
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Quick Update

Just to let you know I've put up a few pictures in the zoo. Mostly older ones.
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What Do You Think of These Ideas

A couple of new ideas for Cat in the Buff.

First, we've got a Kitten of the Month Archive site. This is a place to view all Kittens of the Month.

Second, and this is the really cool site, we've created Firestar's Virtual Image Zoo. This is a place where we can share photographs of wild (and domestic) animals.

The rules are simple:
1. You must have taken the photograph and not just downloaded it from the internet.
2. Try to keep human elements (and humans in particular) out of the photographs.
3. You must email the photograph to: firestarthecat@gmail.com
4. You must include a caption describing where and how the picture was taken

If anything, maybe it will encourage us to all get out and enjoy nature a bit more.

Hint on pictures: Use a zoom and try to fill the frame with whichever animal you are photographing. Don't be concerned about background and such. We just want the animals.
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