summer has officially begun....
oh, and if you haven't beaten your personal brat record yet there's still time!
happy memorial day
summer has officially begun....
oh, and if you haven't beaten your personal brat record yet there's still time!
cool, cool calvin
looks like summer is finally here. how are you gonna cool down?
sausage party!
FYI - dogs aren't allowed at the actual fest (service dogs excepted), but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy a sausage or two. stop by and grab a can of brauts-n-tots - packed with beef brats, sweet potatoes and carrots (hold the mustard). just slap it on a gluten-free bun and your pooch can have a brat fest of their own.
so how many brats are you gonna eat?
pet names for pets
our own lucy goes by "goose," gabby is known as "wabbers," and dottie is called everything from "dotbot" to "donnarella."
the nicknames don't make sense but somehow they fit and the cats don't seem to mind. maybe they have their own nicknames for us, too. "hairless weirdo," "pillow butt," or "hooman the poo-man" would all fit the bill.
so what do you call your pets?
update - oil-spill cluster continues
wait, so what you're saying is, using panty hose filled with hair to soak up the oil wasn't a good idea?
personally, i like colbert's solution better.
morty's bukkit list
i get the sentiment, but why not today? bucket lists are morbid. morty's would only have one thing on it - take moar naps.
what's on your cat's bukkit list?
lost without Lost
the last six years has been hard, especially for friends of fans that like to do other things on Tuesday nights (not that baking a Lost cake isn't fun). how will this change your life?
walk like an egyptian mau: kitty harness how-to
the problem: kitty wants to go outside but it's a scary world out there and kitty might run awaythe solution: harness-training
many cats can be trained to wear a harness and enjoy the outdoors safely. for reals. the key? manipulating them into thinking it was all their idea in the first place. mwahahahaha.
jump jump!
get kitty used to the feel of a harness, like the come with me kitty, by having her wear it around the house for short periods of time, during feeding or play. you want her to associate the harness with good things: food, treats, attention, toys. this removes a lot of the stress from trying a new environment.
once your cat is used to the harness (read: doesn't slump over like a downed tauntaun the second its on) try taking her outside. do this during a quiet, calm part of the day to avoid loud sounds and distractions. if your cat is a nervous nelly only stay out for a few minutes or until kitty gets scared. you do not want her to associate the outdoors with hell on earth. if you have a brave, relaxed cat you can stay out there 'til the cows come home as long as kitty is cool with it. do this once a day or so at the same time and eventually kitty will come to anticipate and enjoy the new freedom.
you can use a tie-out to secure them to a clothes-line or stake in the ground. if you're the kind of person who likes to live dangerously you can try walking your kitty on a leash in a low-stress area. take treats or a favorite wand toy with to keep kitty entertained and happy as you explore.
just remember that cats choose where you go, not the other way around. there is no forcing a cat to do anything. garfield taught us that.
just remember that cats choose where you go, not the other way around. there is no forcing a cat to do anything. garfield taught us that.
bobbi adds bobcats to brood
making the "awww" rounds right now is the story of a mama cat who adopted three bobcat babies, the incredible part - they were orphaned when an alabama hunter decided they'd make great pets for his kids.
i was outraged that none of the news stories mention what happened to the guy - who apparently walked into a vet's office with "a gun in one hand and a sack of bobcat kittens in the other" - but apparently he's home free, cuz it's perfectly legal.
not only do they have open season on bobcats in alabama (wisconsin too and a ton of other states), there's nothing in alabama state law that prohibits people from keeping them as pets.
so doesn't that technically make the people who took the cats from him thieves? the vet tech and the big cat rescue people have no intention whatsoever of giving back those cats. that's why it was so important for them to be placed with a cat-mom before their eyes opened - they are raising them to eventually be released back into the wild.
let's be clear, i don't agree with this guy shooting bobcats or keeping them as pets. but it was well within the confines of the law for him to do so. so who's to say that those doing the rescuing were in the right?
these boots were made for walkin'
as a cynical cinephile i don't like a lot of movies, especially those like shrek. i prefer mike myers' earlier work. but i'm still excited to see the new movie this weekend. why? because puss in boots is one of the best fictional representations of a cat. ever. he's hilarious, handsome (for a cat), he sings, uses his big, adorable eyes to manipulate the pants off people and he's a sword-brandishing badass to boot (pun intended)! if my cats had fictional heroes puss would be like their bruce lee or arnold.
movie cats are so often being portrayed as evil that it's nice to see one on the big screen that everyone can love. though judging by the preview, looks like puss the badass is going to become puss the fat...ahem...cat.
watch the trailer after the jump and just try not to adore him.
turn your awwws into lols
the simplest way to make one is to use cheezburger's lolbuilder. you don't have to register for an account to upload your picture and create your own lol using their tools. the basic builder is good for putting lols together in a snap, but the "advanced" builder is more flexible. mine was made with the advanced builder.
to get even more creative....
use "paint" on your pc or "paintbrush" on your mac to write anywhere on pics. don't forget the signature white text and handy lolspeak dictionary.
use picnik to get already created stamps, borders, and fun effects. you have to register for an account, but a lot of their cool photo editing stuff is free. i used it to make a birthday card for morty and nikki, and to create this whacked out picture of dot.
have fun! and send us your awesome creations!
mustache cougar iz not impressed
three confirmed sightings of the rare cats in northern wisconsin have the state's dnr on edge, talking about protocols and strategies on ways to deal with their increased presence. a cow was even taken down in juneau county on saturday by what appeared to be a cougar attack.
is this the beginning of another round of shoot the cat controversy? or can we co-exist peacefully? bonus! check out the cougar comments section for a warner park geese tie-in.
keepin the peace
my cats fight. when cleo came into our family, she was meant to be a playmate for fiona, who had been with us over a year. but their outgoing vs. timid personalities clashed, a common problem in multi-cat households. from the second they first saw each other, chaos ensued.
now, over six months later, the two are finally starting to become friends. what happened? can it work for you? hit the jump if you want to find out how to coax reluctant kittehs into being friends...
the work starts before the cats meet for the first time. throwing them in a room together and letting them have at it is a recipe for disaster. a lengthy introductory process takes patience, but it will make a world of difference.
and in my 500 square foot apartment, feuding felines have no room to get away from each other. i brought home a cat tree (which cleo immediately claimed) to maximize the vertical space. a couple of shoe boxes were left out so fiona would also have a place to hide and feel secure. personal space is huge. this helped.
the girls also have their own food bowls in separate areas, preventing mealtime spats. we stocked up on interactive toys to engage the cats when they were ready. when separate, it's important give them equal attention and equal playtimes. at least we try and they seem to appreciate that.
training cats is all about positive reinforcement: if they do something you want them to do, immediate praise and treats will reinforce this. if you try to physically separate a cat battle, you might get scratched. i keep a squirt bottle handy for when the fur flies.
many feline behaviorists advocate the use of synthetic pheromones (read: purr-activators) for a number of problems, including a tense household. these are available in a diffuser such as feliway or in the calming collar. tapping into this pro-tip was the turning point in my multi-cat house - fiona stopped being so tense when cleo was around, and cleo stopped being overly aggressive toward fiona.
well, that's what worked for me. how did you keep the peace?
swank scratchers for sophisti-cats
they can also be placed on end for cats who prefer a vertical scratching surface, very cool. my girls love any cat-accessory that makes them feel more like a princess. and with options like this, why would anyone ever consider declawing?
slide baby slide
check out this tireless mama cat. she's a modern-day sisyphus.
forces of gravity... too strong... for kitteh...
blammo! pow! purr!
cats and lit have always gone together - being quiet fans of warm laps and desk lamps, they are suited to a writer's life. but how bout those fearsome felines of the literary sidecar - comic books? even if you're not big on the format, this little intro to the softer side of caped crusaders may just make a fangirl (or boy) out of you yet.
cats are ubiquitous in the land of the supers and it makes sense - they are extreme baddies. canines are cool, but can you imagine Dogman? sorry - not badass enough.
so who are these felis catus extraordinaires? take the jump and find out....
catwoman. arguably insane; working both sides of the law, wearing all that leather. but when it comes to kicking butt, she knows how to get the job done. then there's marvel's knock-off, black cat. another lady who acts like a cat to rob and steal but eventually ends up at the hero's table. things get a little (ok a lot) less badass when we consider catman and kitten from the 1940's. i mean who is intimidated by kittens? that's like being afraid of donuts.
catwoman. arguably insane; working both sides of the law, wearing all that leather. but when it comes to kicking butt, she knows how to get the job done. then there's marvel's knock-off, black cat. another lady who acts like a cat to rob and steal but eventually ends up at the hero's table. things get a little (ok a lot) less badass when we consider catman and kitten from the 1940's. i mean who is intimidated by kittens? that's like being afraid of donuts.
the newer generations of supers are less cat-specific but still embrace humans with animal abilities conquering foes. animal man is so cool that he can take on the powers of any animal, from this guy to whatever this is. Bonus! he's a champion for animal-rights and vegetarianism - can't be much more animal-friendly than that.
how about comics as art? check out this awesome piece of catwoman art that was auctioned off to help a kitty rescue group. comics saving kittehs!
interested yet?
how about comics as art? check out this awesome piece of catwoman art that was auctioned off to help a kitty rescue group. comics saving kittehs!
interested yet?
prozyme at MadCat - good for your gut
there are basically only three supplements i recommend any pet owner that feeds a non-raw diet consider using: fish oil, probiotics, and enzymes. most everything else can come out of a bag or a can - but these things don't process well, hence the need to supplement. (more after jump)
Prozyme is probably the most widely recommended and broadly trusted pure enzyme supplement available. i do not know of one that vets recommend more (many vets sell it). its a go-to for puking problems.
basically the body has to make enzymes on a regular basis to digest food and absorb nutrients. sometimes enzymes can be obtained through eating fresh whole foods, but even those has a limited life (body does not "store" them). processed foods have little to no enzyme value due to heat-processing, etc.
older and less healthy animals often don't manufacture enough enzymes to digest their food properly and without supplementation, they can whither (despite top-quality diets). but in reality, its just good preventative medicine. getting more nutrient absorption out of what you eat is a big bag of win.
well now you know. and we got some here if you need that sort of thing.
we won, baby! (geese get reprieve)
in other words, that goose-kill ain't gonna happen. (jump, jump...)
over 100 Madisonians overwhelmed the meeting to vehemently oppose the plan to kill the geese next month. those who endured did not get to speak until nearly eleven (started at 6:30). amid intermittent thunder and plane engines, it became clear that the airport didn't have the hard facts that the people, alders and committee desperately needed in considering this decision.
commissioner emanuel scarbrough: "we need more information to make a real, informed decision about what happens." amen, brother. a few minutes after midnight, the committee unanimously voted to give the geese a second chance... (good night!) - story goodness by Meagan
goose-steppin' w/the Parks dept. - round 2
the next parks meeting is today, its open to the public, and it may be the last shot these geese have at a stay of execution. it looks like the facebookers have noticed and are planning some attendance... (jump)
...it is clear that the airport hoped to slip this through with the help of a hired PR flak and a hyper-condensed timeline. a proposal in april for a kill in june - who does that?
let's hope tonight we find it in our city to spare these geese a needless slaughter. there must be a way to satisfy the FAA and not act like barbarians at the same time. there just has to. we'll see you there!
(photo goodness from Meagan)
don't mess with Maggie
fast-forward to today - err, yesterday perhaps. very recently anyhow - Sharon Bower (library board member) decided she couldn't leave good enough alone - “I feel very strongly about this. As a taxpayer, I don’t want to pay for a cat. I have nothing against animals. They just don’t belong living in the library.”
"HUH??" (jump, jump...)
so what's with the burning car? yeah, that was just a random minivan that burst into flames yesterday in our Monroe St. parking lot (hat-tip to Mike at VA's for the photo goodness). things like that just happen there. it is highly unlikely that Maggie's Bower-rage could have extended this far.
Sometimes I have a nickel,
And sometimes I have a dime,
Sometimes I have ten dollars,
Just to pay for little Maggie's wine.
(note - last pic is actually Maggie)
an oily, hairy mess
slacktivism? send us your (and Fluffy's) hair and that pesky oil slick problem will be solved. perhaps, but Peter Lane, president of Applied Fabric Technologies, the second largest oil boom manufacturer in the world, told the AFP that people could go ahead and send their hair, pets' fur and tights to Matter of Trust, safe in the knowledge that the organic-based booms and mats do work.
sounds great, right? unfortunately, no one can tell us what happens with the oil-soaked, hair-filled pantyhose once they're done with it.
call your mother
when mom says its time to go home, its time to go home. avoiding such demands can result in much embarrassment and a sore neck. and without that sort of oversight, most of us would never have made it past age thirteen.
so today is that day we make sure she feels the love too. whoever she is, wherever she wanders (kitten clutched in her jaw), she deserves a little respect, perhaps even gratitude.
thank you for dragging us all home...
(i love you, mom!)
** EXTRA ** P+G to buy Natura - TEOTWAWKI?
concerns are many - production quality, ingredient selection, dealer relationships, etc. perhaps the largest is simply trust. we trusted Natura - EVO, Innova. will we ever trust P+G? (follow jump)
i don't know. in the short term, nothing will change about the foods. that gives us all a chance to weigh our options and think about things. luckily, the natural food revolution that Natura helped propel created space for many other high-quality foods such as Orijen, Fromm, and Core (Wellness). if we look back we realize how the cycle started decades ago with Science-Diet and Iams (in their original forms) before they too were bought out and stripped-down.
there will always be great foods made by good people worth sharing with your cats and dogs. we will continue to seek out those people and those foods to share them with you - just like we always have. your input and feedback will always be what drives our selection. people are talking. what did you make of the news?
betty white fever!
the whole world has gone betty white crazy, and a madcatter pointed out that those golden girls are animal lovers too. lets forget about the disturbing stuff peta did after bea arthur died; miz white says she spends half her time on show biz and half her time on animals. and she is well known in hollywood for her work with animal welfare groups.
that edgy octogenarian gives us something to aspire to.
get the shed out
here are some useful tips on how to cut down on all that hair and remove painful mats from even the most ornery of kitties:
- an ounce of prevention is ... whatever. it will make your life and the life of your long-hair kitteh a million times easier if you simply brush their luxurious locks every day.
- the right tools are key. you'll want to get something designed to work through the thick undercoat of long-haired cats.
- if your fuzzy feline already has mats, it is possible to safely remove them by using a pick to patiently work through each mat. for anxious pets, try using a calming agent such as rescue remedy.
meet duchess
duchess loves chillin' in her kingdom, receiving attention from her adoring subjects, and getting her long locks brushed.
this happycat is reigning over the monroe street store. and for more pics of this green-eyed beauty, hit the jump.
get yer cuddle on
it's been proven that pets can reduce stress. even just petting a dog can lower your blood pressure.
so take a break from that book, stretch your legs and go get a little puppy love.
fur better or worse
we love our cats but... wow.
if you find yourself inspired by his story, maybe these people can help you out with the feline nuptials. and ladies, morty is single and ready to mingle.
view a video of the ceremony here. it's in german, but you get the idea.
mad-munk
madcat west had quite the visitor over the weekend:
a chipmunk 13-lined ground squirrel!
and we're proud to report that no kill extends to the chipmunk 13-lined ground squirrel community as well - the little guy was released to the ravine behind the store.
check out some more pics after the jump.
morty stands guard where the little dude is cornered
blake constructs a wall
showing off his stripes
morty discovers our new friend.
close encounters of the morty kind.
joe gets ready to set him free....
freedom!
rainbow!
sunday funnie
meet darius, the world's larget nom rabbit.
at four foot, three inches long and 50lbs, the continental giant officially boasts the record for world's largest rabbit.
even weirder - he's owned by this lady.
bow chicka wow wow
the club boasts a doggie disco, holistic mudbaths and facials, exercise machines, and a 3,000 foot dog run.
we can picture monroe-regular blitz treating his paws to a pedicure.
