Meet Rea!

Rea got her name from a character in the most recent Star Wars movie, "The Force Awakens".  Luke Skywalker's daughter, Rea, was the Jedi heroine  I just had to throw that in so that you would know the origin of her name.  The cat that she came in with, from the same family, is named Boba Fete, who was also a Star Wars character in the movie.  Our Rea does not take after her namesake very much; beautiful, yes, forceful, no.

Rea is a gentle sweetheart of a kitty!  She is just a little over a year old and is front declawed.  She is a Torbie!  Torbies are a combination of Torties and Tabbies.  She is just a little over a year old and is front declawed.

She came to StreeCats because a person in her household became allergic to cats.  As I said above, she came in from the home with another cat.  He is a smoky gray short haired kitty with a lot of white on him.  He is also a very nice cat. 

Rea is very healthy!  She has had all of the tests, including those for feline leukemia and feline AIDS/FLV, and vaccinations that she needs to ensure that she is well.  She has had a micro-chip placed under her skin and when she is adopted the new owner’s contact information will be added to it.  She has also been spade.




StreetCats' building is located at 6520 E. 60th St., here in Tulsa, OK.  Come by and visit Rea,  and our other cats, any time Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 until 5:00, or call our Message line, at 918-298-0104, with any questions that you may have.  

January means staying warm!

Which do you think is the coldest month of the year?  Hi, this is Smokey, and I can tell you that I think it's January.  I've been around for a long time and I remember flowers blooming sometimes in February, so I vote January.  And that is why, I think, we at StreetCats had so many adoptions in December . . . because people needed mammals with fur to help keep them warm when January got here!!

You know it's not just our fur that enables us kitties to help keep our humans warm.  We're just naturally warm critters.  Our body temperature is 102 degrees so we're very useful in helping humans stay warm . . . that is if we're lap cats.  And think about this . . . we kitties have to use a lot of our energy (metabolism) to keep that high body temperature.  So maybe, just maybe, when we sit on your lap, it's not ONLY because we love you.  Maybe, just maybe, were using you!!  Oh my, could it be?!

Yep, we kitties, being the incredibly smart creatures that we are, know how to use fuel to help us heat our bodies!  That's why you might see us not only on a human's lap, but by a fireplace, on the hood of a car, or lying in the sun (our favorite!).  When we conserve our energy in this way then we have more energy for being the super hunters that we are!

I wonder why we have such high body temperatures.  Perhaps it's because our origins are in the deserts of the Middle East and we had to adjust to high temps.  I don't know the answers to all these hard questions, but here's one little thing I do know.  Newborn kittens have heat receptors on their faces.  Since they are born blind, with closed eyes, this enables them to locate their nearby mom and their food!  Smartness from the very beginning!

CAUTION!  Kitties, we don't actually feel pain from heat until it reaches 126 degrees!  So please be careful when you're lying close to that fireplace!  You could get burned before you even know what's happening!  That human lap or following the sun rays across the rug or bed might be a safer way to conserve energy!

FYI

Hi everyone!  This is Smokey.  Remember me?  I'm the gray girl who lives on top of the cages in my very own room.  And you guys are going to be happy for me because I have found my purpose as the kitty blogger for StreetCats!  Now you may or may not get that finding your purpose in life is a big deal, but I am just so happy right now!  And here is my picture just in case you don't remember me.

Do you want me to tell you my purpose?  Or would you rather guess?  Okay, I'll tell you.  My new purpose is to be an educator, an educator who specializes in things to know about cats.  Because I'm a cat.  And I'm getting this information from an incredible machine called a computer.  We have one of those machines at StreetCats!  Someone recently asked me how I'm getting to the computer.  Well, I'll tell you only one thing.  I do it at night.  I'm not going to tell you anything else, except the obvious, that I'm a cat and cats are amazing!

Now before I move on to the new information I have for you I need to give you an update on the last post I wrote, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.  That post was about how some people think cats are a problem.  Well, I just want to tell everyone to be vigilant and to put your thinking caps on!  I saw another article that referred to us cats as a problem!  The name of the article was The Case Against Cats and it is in the December issue of The Atlantic Monthly.  I'm not being paranoid, cats.  We need to come together to figure this out!  I'm sure glad I'm a StreetCats cat!!

Okay, now for the new things I've learned.  We have a kitty at StreetCats that is all white.  Her name is Cassie and she is very sweet . . . and available for adoption.  And she is all white.  Here is her picture.

Now, as I said, Cassie is all white.  Except sometimes when I look at her I think I see yellow.  And sometimes her tail looks . . . gray??  Well, I was so curious that I decided to do some investigating.  And here is what I learned.  There are three ways a cat can be white.  One is if they are albino.  We're not going to talk about that because it's very rare.  The second way is if the cat has the dominat white gene (W).  Those cats have blue eyes and are white all over.  But here is another way .  There is a dominate white spot gene (S).  Yeah, I know, it's confusing.  But if there is a tabby cat with white on him, he is really all tabby and the white spot gene (S) just masks the tabby part and makes it white.  And . . . one step further . . . the white spots can cover the whole cat and make a tabby cat look all white!!

So here's my question.  If Cassie's real color is being totally masked by this dominant (S) gene, I wonder what color she really is!  Confused?  Well, I'll study more!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

First, before I tell you what I've learned, I want to tell you something else I learned.  Hmmm.  I'm learning and learning!  Do you remember when I wrote about A Stitch in Time?  Oh wait, I should tell you that this is Smokey!  I'm blogging!  Okay, this is what I learned about A Stitch in Time.  It was started by the lady who started StreetCats.  Her name is Jodi Lorimer and she named the organization and the program!  So this is whom we should say thank you!!!  Thank you, Jodi!

Now on to what else I've learned.  First, the good.  Cats are absolutely awesome!!!  Even more than I realized!!!  Did you know that we're supernatural predators?  Well, I guess we're natural, but we're so good at it we seem supernatural.  We can see in ultraviolet and hear in ultrasound!  We can judge the height of a sound so accurately that we're going to catch any prey that makes even the slightest sound on our first try!  This is good because we're hyper carnivores . . . that means we must have meat!  I am so proud of how amazing we are . . . such wonderful hunters!  Beautiful, sleek, sly, graceful and very successful hunters!

Now here's the bad.  Lots of cats live outside and when they hunt they aren't careful about what they catch.  If it's meat they will catch it and eat it.  And this includes songbirds.  Pretty birds that make such pretty sounds.  There are people who love birds as much as my people love cats!  So when we catch their birds they get very sad.  Or mad.. This is bad!

And the ugly . . . and I do mean really ugly . . . the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers cats one of the 100 worst invasive species.  And no, I'm not kidding!  Invasive!!  And in Australia they blame us for the decline of the majority of their endangered species.  Some people want to irradicate us.  Irradicate!  Look it up!  I shudder just thinking of it!  Here is an example I read about.  In Key Largo, Florida there is a special little mouse called the Eastern Woodrat.  It's a cute little mouse with cute little eyes.  And it's endangered.  Because of, yep, cats!  The people there are trying so hard to save this little mouse!  They even raise them away from there and then turn them loose and then guess what.  We eat them!  And they've tried so hard to keep us kitties away!  But we are so smart (and so prolific!) that they can't control us!  Of course I'm not surprised, but yikes, this makes us a little unpopular.

So I've been thinking.  Could house cats with access to the outdoors be contributing to this bad and ugly?  Could these house cats be contributing to extinctions?  Sort of sad, huh?  Pretty good reason, maybe, to keep house cats in the house?  You can feed us our meat and we can hunt toys!!  I know I'm going to be up at night thinking about this.  People might have more reason to keep us inside than just to protect US, huh?!

How I Know What I Know

Hi, everyone.  This is Smokey.  Remember me?  Now the last time I wrote on this blog I told you about how many kittens there are . . . TOO MANY!  And I promised I would tell you what StreetCats is doing to help with the problem of too many kittens.  And a promise is a promise!  So here you go!

StreetCats has a program called A Stitch In Time.  If you think about it for a minute you'll get it.  "Stitch" refers to the stitches a cat gets when they have the surgery that keeps them from having kittens and "in time" means before they have kittens.  Clever, huh?!  I'm going to see if I can find out who made that up!  So anyway, if someone has a stray kitty or knows of a feral cat, they call our message line (918-298-0104) and leave their name and phone number.  Nice Lindsey calls them back and they get to choose between four vets that help us with this program.  We make a "voucher" for them and then they come to pick it up.  They pay us $20 for the voucher, make an appointment with the vet and take the kitty.  Then we pay the vet for the entire surgery as well as a rabies shot. Heck of a deal, huh?!  And if the kitty you're working with is wild, we will even loan you a trap to help you catch the kitty!  There are still too many kittens out there, but by golly StreetCats is trying to do our part in helping with the problem!  I'm proud!  And I sure do appreciate the people who use our vouchers to help control the kitty problem!!

Now I know someone out there is asking how I know about this.  I can just hear their snarky tone of voice, "How do YOU know?"  "You never even leave your special place!"  Well, here is how I know.  I listen!  And now I hear them saying, "You can't hear everything that goes on at StreetCats!"  Oh yes I can!  Did you know that cats can hear four to five times further than humans?  And that we can pinpoint the location of a sound within 6/100 of a second?  Just think about how fast that is!  We even hear at higher frequencies than dogs do!  And when we quickly locate a sound our ears can rotate 180 degrees to focus in on that sound.  And here's something else!  Each of our ears operates independently!  So if there is someone talking in my room and someone else talking in the office, I can listen to each conversation with a different ear!  Ha!  So you don't ever need to ask me again how I know something!!!  I heard!!

I found this cool picture of Vanna.  She used to do what I do, write the blog.  I wish I could have known her!  She liked to sit on laps and the volunteers miss her!!  But I know she is happy in her very own home.  So here's Vanna.  Check out those ears!!  And try not to be too jealous!  Cats are just special!!

Meet - Kiki!

Kiki is a short haired Tortie.  Tortie, if you haven’t heard the term before now, is short for tortoise.  "Torties" have colors that resemble those of some turtles’ shells.   Her birthday is approximately 10/04.  She is front declawed.

She’s doing fine at StreetCats with other cats around, but reports are that she does not do well with children.  We don’t know how she would react to dogs. She does, however, react well to people!

She loves to be combed and brushed.  She is affectionate, too.  One of her most distinctive traits is that she likes to be vocal.  We get lots of “talk” from her.  It’s as if we can carry on conversations with her, except for the fact that we have no idea what she is saying, of course. 

Having a home, at StreetCats, awaiting adoption is not her first time around.  She was adopted from StreetCats in 9/13.  Unfortunately she has been returned to us.  Her owner was an elderly woman that could no longer take care of her.  StreetCats cats are all indoor cats, and Kiki, was accustomed to living in an apartment.  

As I said, she was returned.  Our philosophy is that once a cat becomes a StreetCat he or she will always be a StreetCats cat.  As in this case, the owner could no longer keep her and returning her to us was the best thing for her.  We will continue to love her and take care of her until she finds the right owner.  Often it seems that the cats choose the people rather than the people choosing the cat.

She is healthy!  She has been to the vet and thoroughly checked out.  She has had all of the tests and vaccinations needed and has been given a clean bill of health!  She has been spayed, and microchipped, too!  When the new owner comes along we will update it with the new owner’s contact information.  The chip is invaluable in helping lost pets be returned to their owners!  Also, her first year’s registration fee is paid by StreetCats!

If you are interested in meeting Kiki, feel free to come by StreetCats at 6520 E. 60th St, in Tulsa, 10:30 - 5:00 Tuesday though Saturday, or call our message line, 918-298-0104, with any questions that you may have.  We would love to show you around and introduce you to Kiki and I’m sure that she would love to meet you, too!

Tremendous tabbies!

Well, there is no doubt about it!  Tabby cats are the very best cats ever!  Now, first of all, "tabby" is not a breed.  Some people think it is, but actually it is a pattern, a genetic pattern of stripes, swirls or dots in grey, brown, buff or orange.  Some people call us tiger cats, I guess because tigers have stripes, too.  And some people can't just call us all tabbies, they have to divide us up even further into classic tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby or ticked tabby.  Really??  Mackerel?  Come on!  That's a fish!!

Now here is something really cool about tabbies.  We all have an M on our heads!  Isn't that neat?!  Some people say ALL of us have an M.  Others say almost all of us do.  Well, I can only tell you that I have never seen a tabby without an M so I'll go with the ALL version.

Now we have a tabby at StreetCats right now who agreed to model for me.  Her name is Marlo and she is a very sweet tabby.  Now this is not unusual.  We tabbies are known for the following qualities:  intelligence, cleverness, being amusing and warmly affectionate.  Ha!  Of course those are our qualities!!!  And I, as a tabby myself, am a shining example of all these qualities plus that of leadership!  Anyway, here is a picture of Marlo showing us the M on her head.

I have been asked many times about that M are our heads.  I could give you the scientific, genetic version of why we have it.  I totally understand it, of course, but you wouldn't, so I'll just skip that and get down to the legends.  Here is one.  The prophet Mohammed loved tabby cats and he had one that saved his life by killing a snake.  So he placed an M on the cat's head so that everyone would remember how much he loved cats and so that, in being reminded by the M, people would always respect us.  And the M has been there ever since.

 Another story involves a tabby cat who brought warmth and comfort to a shivering baby Jesus by cuddling up with him and purring.  Mary was so grateful that she put her initial on the cat's head.  And, again, it's been there ever since.  Those are nice stories, but the explanation that I heard that I like best is that it stands for Master of the Universe!  Yep, now that makes sense!!

 Now here's another picture of Marlo that shows you what kind of tabby she is. To me a tabby is a tabby, but people like to call this a ticked tabby, a brown ticked tabby to be specific. See how her stripes are sort of faded and covered by the little white ticking on her fur?   I think it makes her look a little dreamy! And that reminds me of another trait that people think we tabbies have. We're magical!! Yep, we are!  I know that on Halloween it's the black cats that our caretakers worry about.   But in the 16th century we were the favored cats of witches!   Of course we were!  Anyway, here's the picture of Marlo, the brown ticked tabby.  Do you like her necklace?  I think most ticked tabbies have a necklace like that.

Marlo is not the only tabby we have at StreetCats right now. So come visit us and see for yourself! And just to be sure you have a total understanding of just how tremendous tabbies are, here is a picture of the best tabby of them all . . . tabby and white, but still tabby. It's me, King Adam of StreetCats!!  Now I'm going to have to study my patterns to see just what kind of tabby I am.  It better not be mackerel!

How Is a Cat Like an Elephant?

They both have four legs, a tail and a trunk!  Ha ha!  Well, not the trunk!  They both have fur?  Hmm, I don't think you could ever call what an elephant has fur!!!  They both like hay!!  Right?!  Ha!  Elephants like vegetables and we cats, give us meat!!  Okay, people, this is not a riddle!!  How is a cat like an elephant??  Do you give up??  Yep, I can tell that you have totally given up!  Not so smart after all, are you??

It's our memories!!!  Duh!  I can't believe you didn't get it!!  Elephants remember things for a very long time, like even decades.  Now everyone thinks dogs are so smart.  Not so much.  When you are teaching a dog a trick there is a reason you have to get them to do it over and over and over.  It's because their short term memories are only about five minutes long.  Cats, on the other hand, have a short term memory of about 16 hours.  See, cats rule!!

Now, here is a very important thing you need to know.  A cat's memory is directly related to IF he benefits or is caused pain by the experience.  So if you set a cucumber down by a cat he is going to be pretty indifferent to it.  He may not remember the cucumber or you!  But if you put a bowl of tuna down, boy we're going to remember that!

Now I have one more important thing to teach you about cats, elephants and memory.  In a family of elephants it is most important that the matriarch of the group has a great memory because everyone follows her and she needs to remember where she's going.  Now at StreetCats of Tulsa there is only one cat whose memory is important and that is King Adam.  That's me!!  I am giving you this information because I think it is to your benefit to know that I WILL remember if you do things that make me happy or do things that make me mad.  I thought it only fair that I share this information before it is too late.  For you.  Just sayin'!

Feline Friday - Boo!

Meet Boo!  She is an approximately 2 1/2 yr. old "torti".  Torti is short for tortoise shell.  The colors in "tortis" are similar to the coloring of many tortoiseshells.  Perhaps that is how they got their name.  Also tortis are exclusively females!

Boo is delightful!  She's very good natured and loves to be petted, especially while sitting on a nice warm lap.  We hear that she is good with dogs, and we know that she gets along with the other cats at StreetCats.  Here Munchkin is introducing himself to her.  Although her ears were back she didn't seem to mind allowing a little nose sniffing. 

Like most of our cats we don't know their complete history so it's very necessary to have them fully checked by a veterinarian.  Boo has had all of the tests and any needed treatments, and of course all of her vaccinations.  She is one healthy kitty!
In addition to the high quality veterinarian care we provide for our cats, we also provide a micro-chip that has been placed just below her skin.  Should she get separated from her family a scan of the chip by a vet or an animal rescue facility will lead her right back to you, her owner.  Being micro-chipped is the best way to get a pet returned home.  StreetCats will also register and pay for the first year's fee!  
 

If you are interested in meeting Boo, feel free to come by StreetCats at 6520 E. 60th St, in Tulsa, 10:30 - 5:00 Tuesday though Saturday, or call our message line, 918-298-0104 with any questions that you may have.  We would love to show you around and introduce you to Boo and I’m sure that she would love to meet you, too!

Queen for a Day

All right, all right, all right!  For the sake of my sanity, just leave me alone!!  What is it about royalty?!  These cats are driving me crazy, wanting and expecting that I should do something!  When I get off my throne, it's pandemonium, with camera flashes going off and the fawning and purring over me!  And Adam just will not leave me alone!  I haven't given in to his insistence that he be made court jester.  I mean how unfunny would that be?!  But, in an effort to get a little peace and quiet, I have given in to his insistence that I should have a queen.

Okay,  if this will take a little pressure off, I have named Scarlett as my queen!  Got it?!  Now this is just a test run.  She is a quiet and, yes, pretty, cat so maybe she won't be too much trouble.  I wouldn't want to have to put her on trial to get rid of her so I'm making this clear from the start.  One day at a time!!

So here she is, Queen Scarlett . . . at least for today.  Doesn't she have pretty long black hair?  I prefer my black and white fur, but black is one of my favorite colors.  And I like it long like mine.  I hope they don't take her to the spa and let her ask for a shave!!  Yikes, I hadn't thought of that!  A shaved queen???  Now why, you might ask, would they shave the coat of such a beautiful feline as Scarlett?  Well, sometimes feline hair mats so badly that the only thing to do is shave it.  So if your kitty has long hair, please brush!  Sometimes they might have a skin ailment that requires a shave . . . or, Heaven forbid, an injury.  Sometimes our humans just think we're hot and uncomfortable.  Whatever the reason might be, it is best to have a professional cut our fur because our skin is VERY delicate!!!!

So okay, we now have King Truman and Queen Scarlett of StreetCats!

Now don't be getting any crazy ideas about a royal baby!!  We're helping to control,the pet population, remember?  Besides, the next member of my court is going to be an enforcer, a sheriff, to keep,the paparazzi away from me!!

Feline Friday - Glori!

Meet Glori!  She is a DS, or domestic short hair, and a very sweet one at that.  She is young at only about 7 months. 

Like all young cats she loves to play with anything that she can chase, pounce on, or grab between her cute little paws.  She is a petit cat, but probably not quite full grown.

Even at her young age she has already had a litter of kittens.  She was rescued by one our volunteers and the kittens have all found new homes. 

Soapbox time........I can’t emphasize enough the importance of spaying and neutering our cats.  Did you know that in 7 years one female cat and her offspring can produce ...hold onto your hats.....370,000 kittens! They all need loving homes but we know that most are not lucky enough to get one.  We at SteetCats want to be part of the solution not the problem.  For that reason all of the cats that come into our system are immediately spayed or neutered. 

If you would like to read more about the benefits of spaying and neutering your pet please read this family friendly article which also includes a FAQ section.
 
Copy the following link and enter it into your browser. 

http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/overpopulation/spay-neuter/

Off soapbox.

Glori has been spayed.  She has also had all of the tests, treatments, and vaccinations necessary to ensure that you are adopting a healthy cat.  In addition to all of the veterinarian support that she has had, she has also been micro-chipped!  When she is adopted the new owners contact information will be entered onto it and the kitty then registered to the HomeAgain pet identifier program.  Anywhere in the country your cat can have the chip scanned and then returned to you.  StreetCats pays for the first year’s registration.  

 

Just a side note here:  Ladies have you ever wondered why a lot of us wear eyeliner?  Check out Glori's eyes...one has eyeliner and one does not.  Which one stands out the most?  The one with eyeliner of course!

 

If you are interested in meeting Glori, feel free to come by StreetCats at 6520 E. 60th St, in Tulsa, 10:30 - 5:00 Tuesday though Saturday, or call our message line, 918-298-0104 with any questions that you may have.  We would love to show you around and introduce you to Glori and I’m sure that she would love to meet you, too!

How Old is Old???

Oh my gosh!  I haven't written on this blog in one whole month!  I bet you thought I got adopted, didn't you?!  Well, I would have been, of course, if I'd wanted to.  But right now I'm in the middle of rethinking the adoption scenario.  And when I've made a decision about adoption, I'll let you know!

But today I wanted to talk to you about our oldest cat in the shop.  Her name is Miss Molly and she is 12 years old.  Wow, that's old!  Or is it?  Really?!  Just so you'll know who I'm talking about, I'll show you a picture.  Here she is and, yes, she is truly beautiful!  Doesn't look old, does she?!

Now I suppose it's because she is the oldest cat in the shop, but she gets the VIP treatment!  She isn't given as special care as I am, of course, but she does have her own suite, her very own litter box and she is fed in special little bowls in her suite.  And, of course, she comes and goes as she pleases!

Now Miss Molly limps a bit, I think she has arthritis or something, but she is pretty darn spry!  She can jump up on the cabinet even!  And she jumps on the humans' laps, so she's not exactly disabled!  And here is the story that prompted me to write about this critter and made me realize that 12 is maybe not that old.  A couple of weeks ago, I decided to go visit Molly in her suite.  I innocently walked over there with nothing but good intentions, just wanting to talk for a while, and she chased me away!  I'm not kidding!  She got up out of her bed (oh yeah, she has her own favorite beds!) and chased me!  At first I thought it was because I had dared to enter her space.  And I thought that for a long time until I saw the picture that was posted Friday of AJ visiting in Molly's suite.  And she was just fine with that!  If you don't believe me, look at the blog right before this one and you will see.  And if AJ is allowed in there, surely I would be!

I do think I've figured it out now, though.  You see when I strolled up to the suite, I innocently said, "Hey, Molly!"  And even though I had a smile on my face when I said it, the problem must have been that I didn't address my elder by her rightful name . . . MISS Molly.  At least that's the only thing I can think of!  Because she got up and ran me right out of there.  I wasn't afraid, of course, just a little shocked.  And I haven't been back since!

So that leads me to the title of my blog.  If MISS Molly can jump up on the cabinets and on laps and can chase me out of her suite, is she old??  So I did some checking on the magic machine and here is what I learned.  Let's say a cat is 13 to 17 years old.  Well, that corresponds, roughly, in human years, to 65-85 years old.  I bet you know some pretty spry humans in that age range, huh?!  Maybe their senses are less acute and their internal organs don't function quite as efficiently, but they are often active and young looking and even play!  So what if a cat is 17 to 22 years old???  Yes, it happens!  Like the older humans they are maybe frailer you think?  And did you know that there are cats who get VERY OLD, older than 22?!  We cannot promise you how long any cat you adopt from StreetCats will live, but since you'll be keeping them inside away from danger and since they'll be seeing your veterinarian regularly, well, maybe they'll live to reach this very old, ancient age!

So don't dismiss Miss Molly as an adoption prospect just because she is 12 years old.  She could still give you years of love!  At least as long as you address her by her proper name!  Don't forget the MISS!

Diversity to the Manx!!!!

Hi, everyone!  Vanna, here!  Have each of you decided which kind of cat you would like to have as a friend?  Well, of course there's the tailless manx.  That's a great choice because their tail never gets in your way!  My favorite, of course, is the Turkish Van.  That's how I got my name!!  What's really funny about the Turkish Van is that it was developed in Great Britain!  But they got their kitties from Turkey and I'm pretty sure I am one of the most royal Van Cats there is!  Just because I don't have papers does not mean I'm not royal.  I'm pretty darn sure of that!

But wait!  Did you know that there is actually a breed of cat called Sphynx?  He looks like the statue! But I guess you have to buy cat clothes for him because he has no hair!  Poor thing!  Wow, there seem to be a lot of cats named after places!  Let's see, there's the Turkish Angora (am I related to her?), The Ukrainian Levkoy (again, no hair!), the American Curl, Bobtail, Shorthair and Wirehair . . . all American!   Oh, and how about the Asian Semi-longhair?  Oh, that's funny!  Or just the plain Asian!  Okay, those aren't countries, but sort of, maybe.  We've got Balinese, Bengal, Bombay, Brazilian Shorthair, British Semi-longhair, British Shorthair, British Longhair, Burmese, Burmilla . . . and that's just the B's!

I bet you're getting the point here.  We felines are a very diverse group, even if you don't count the large ones among us, like lions and tigers!  Here's one I bet you've never heard of . . . Lace Kitten Irish!  Ha!  Got you, didn't I?!  Okay, it's a new breed, not like the familiar Siamese, Persian, Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Himalayan, Russian Blue or Scottish Fold.  Oh wait, did you know there's also a Russian White, Black and Tabby!  Take your pick humans!  Whatever you humans want, we felines can provide it!

You know what I could do???  I could write a song, don't you think?!  It would just name all the breeds of cats!  With it being to a catchy tune, I bet everyone could memorize it!  Here you go:  Colorpoint, Siberian, Egyptian Mau, Abyssinian, Ocicat, Balinese, Serengeti, Snowshoe, Sokoke, Highlander, Dragon Li.  Now which of you would like to take on the task of writing this song?!  I could, of course, but I'm a little busy right now.

And that reminds me, have you heard the human term "remodel?"  How about "redecorate" or "redo?"  These are NOT feline words and I don't like them at all!!!  More about that later!  But for now, after mentioning the Donskoy, the Devon Rex, the Kurilian Bobtail and the Minskin, I'll stop.  Okay, just one more because it's so cute . . . the Munchkin!  I think I want one of those . . . a little kitty for big Vanna!!

Okay, I'll stop.  I think there are at least 20 more breeds that I didn't even mention!  If none of these strike your fancy, get on that machine that knows everything and I bet you'll find something you like! HOWEVER, if you want the very best cat anyone could ever hope to have, come to StreetCats of Tulsa to pick out one of our beauties.  If you want me, you'll have to hurry, because I'm pretty sure my new family will come to find me today!  Or maybe tomorrow!  Oh how lucky they'll be!!!

Catching Some ZZZZZ's

Hi, everyone!  This is Vanna!  First I'd like to tell you why I haven't written in so long.  Well, Ive been sleeping!  Okay, not all the time, but a lot of the time.  And then I did some studying!  Yep, Vanna's my name and teaching's my game!  Hee, hee!  And then there's all the time I have to spend following the humans around to be sure they are doing what they're supposed to do.  That can be stressful when they are in different rooms at the same time, and I get really tired.  And we cats aren't supposed to go in the back room, which is only for humans, but sometimes I need to sneak back there just to be sure all is well.  And then, of course, I need to sleep!  And so I decided to go to the spa for a while, get a massage, some extra rest.  And still I sleep!  Hey, this is just an example of why cats are the best.  Humans are always short of sleep.  We're smarter than that!  (Humans don't get enough exercise, either.  Just sayin'.)

Of course I understand that we cats do need a lot of sleep, and not just because we're so smart!  It's because of our physiology, how our bodies work.  We have the physiology of a predator and that means that we're made for the hunt, the chase.  Even though the fortunate among us have humans to hunt our food, we're still wired for hunting, pouncing, springing.  And that means we need lots of energy.  And that means lots of sleep!  My cousin Leo, who is king of the jungle, has a cool mane, and roars, is so much like us!  When you're related to the King of the Jungle you get to sleep!  I mean who's going to bother US while we sleep!  We are predators!

I decided to talk to my cat friends about this physiology, but what did I find?  They were sleeping!  Now I could have gotten the attention of many of them quite easily if I'd wanted because most of the time cats sleep very lightly.  Most of the time we just doze, so that if we hear the squeak of a mouse we can jump up and get it!  Our deep sleep only lasts about five minutes at a time and, even though humans may see little change in our sleep, we have a sleep/doze pattern that actually goes on and on until we decide to wake up.  Now here's a question for you.  Do you think Alfred is sleeping or dozing?

Well, that's an easy one!  He's dozing and he heard Vickie coming with her camera!  But since she isn't good to eat, he is going back to sleep.

What about Tiki?

Well, I don't know for sure, but I vote for dozing.  Look, she could jump up any second to catch that mouse, or bird, or whatever it is she needs to eat!

Now here is something interesting I learned in my studies.  We've talked about cats being nocturnal, right?  Well, guess what!  We're really crepuscular!  Yep!  That means we like to do our hunting during the hours of twilight and dawn!  I hear many of the humans who help us at StreetCats complaining that their kitties wake them up early in the morning.  Hey, keep in mind that we could play all night if we wanted to!  But we try, really we do, to adjust our sleep patterns to your feeding schedules.  So give us a break!  We're cats!  And we have cat physiology and nature!  We walk on the wild side with our cousins!

Now I'm going to show you AJ and Miss Molly.  They look to me like they might be sleeping rather than just dozing.  We don't know for sure, but we do know for sure that every one of these kitties I've shown you is a StreetCats cat and is available for adoption to the right human people.  Nonhuman people can't have us!

Note that AJ is sleeping in the cabinets.  What is it with these cats??  They love the cabinets!  The humans don't like us getting in there.  Well then why do they keep the beds up there?!  Duh!!

Here is the worse part of my being asleep so much.  My new forever humans were here to get me recently, I'm sure, but I must have been sleeping!  I mean why would they choose another cat over me if they met me???  I'm going to need to talk to my humans about this right away so that when they come this week I'll be paying attention.  Wake me up people!  I want to go home!  Do you think I'll have a basket like this one in my forever home??  I think I look pretty cute in that basket!

Cleanliness is Next to . . . Napping!

Hi, everyone.  It's Vanna here!  And I can tell you that I'm so glad that my forever family is going to come this week and choose me as their forever cat.  Because I'm tired, especially of these contests and I just don't know how much longer I can continue doing this!  After the last contest, Best Eater, which I finally threw in the towel on, I thought I'd picked something easy.  But let's just face it!  Life is not easy!  Okay?!

Now . . . my contest.  First I will say that I told no one (shhh!) what the contest was so there was no more of "give me another chance!" to deal with.  This was all done surreptitiously!  That means on the sly, on the low down . . . okay, I was sneaky!  I decided this week to pick the kitty that is the cleanest!!!  Now how cool is that?!  Yes, I'll accept my praise right now, cool idea, huh?!  Because most cats are neatniks and spend up to 50% of their awake time in some form of grooming.  Now since cats sleep up to 18 hours a day, that may not mean much . . . 3 hours a day of grooming . . . but I think that would make a cat pretty clean, don't you?  Now not all cats are this clean!  StreetCats cats are, of course!  Kittens learn to lick themselves by two weeks of age, but cleanliness, even with neatnik cats, is a learned behavior and if Mom doesn't do a good job of teaching them to stay clean . . . well, kitty may not care much  about this praiseworthy attribute.  Anyway, it's been a busy week for me with lots of sneaking.  The cats around here are awake at different times and are, still again, cleaning themselves at different times.  That means I got very little rest while judging this contest.  But I won't whine because I know I'll be going home soon!

First, I could rule out Mischief immediately.  Mischief does like to be clean, but she is more interested in playing than anything else, even napping.  You see, Mischief is a kitten and she doesn't sleep as much as an adult cat does and I'm pretty sure she spends about 80% of her awake time, or maybe even 90%, playing!  One down, 13 to go!

So I took a look at Angel.  At first I thought she might be our winner because of how long her tongue is!  I mean that's got to make it easier right?!  Here, I'll show you.

Ooohhh, you came close angel, but you're not the winner this week!

Then I thought for sure it would be Adam!  Adam is new here and he is sooo handsome!  Of course that didn't influence me in the least.  I wouldn't have even noticed, myself, but I heard someone else mention it.  No, not something I would notice!

Now that's just amazing!  I mean how he cleans himself, not how handsome he is.  But for whatever reason (other than how handsome he is) I'll show you one more picture of him!

Oh my goodness, he's a pretty boy!  At least some of the cats think that.

Now I will tell you which cat won the contest for Cleanest StreetCats Cat.  Ta da!  No wait, first I need to tell you reasons why cats clean themselves.  To stay clean, of course!  But that's not the only reason.  I must admit that it's the only reason I knew of until I got on this magic machine that I use to write my blogs and it told me about these other things.  By the way, I HATE this machine!  Sometimes it works just fine, but when it doesn't work I don't have a clue what to do!  And then I have to call for help and it is just such a pain!  But I digress!  Back to cleanliness!

First, cleanliness is a barometer of feline health.  If a cat isn't grooming himself it could be a sign of illness!  And if she is grooming herself too much, well that could be a sign, too, of illness, either physical or emotional.  So pay attention, humans!  Also, just like dogs, cats don't sweat.  And they don't pant like dogs, either.  (If you see a cat panting, that means they're in big trouble and you need to get help fast!)  Instead cats rely on the saliva they spread on their fur to keep cool.  It evaporates to cool them off!  Plus if their fur is clean it is easier for it to stay fluffed, allowing air to circulate to the skin.

Now cats are also very methodical in their grooming and it was interesting to see how each of the StreetCats cats took their baths.  They would almost always start in the same place, usually their mouth and chin, like Adam in the picture above!  And then they follow a routine until their entire body is scrubbed.  I mean let's face it, we are so smart!  Now here is something I sure didn't know!  Grooming stimulates the production of sebum, which is an oily secretion produced by sebaceous glands at the base of each hair.  Licking then spreads sebum over the cat's hair and that lubricates and waterproofs the fur and makes it shine!  Ha!  Bet I just told you something you didn't know, didn't I?!

Okay, one more thing about grooming and then I'll tell you about our winner.  We can also use our grooming to remove loose hair (more about hair balls later!), prevent mats in our hair, remove dirt and get varmints like fleas or ticks off us.  I'm telling you there is no other animal that can even touch a cat in regard to how efficient we are!  I'm sure you agree!

Okay, here she is, Millie, the winner of the Cleanest Cat at StreetCats contest!  Actually, I don't know that she is any cleaner than anyone else, but she won because of her DOUBLE efficiency!  Here she is using one paw that she has already licked to wash her ear while cleaning her other leg!.  She's a multi tasker and in today's society that's a real plus!  And that's it, folks!  Bye, bye 'til next time!

Uncle!!!

That's UNCLE, as in I give up!  This has nothing to do with my Uncle Al, who was actually a decent cat as far as I know . . . not that I knew him well.  This UNCLE is far more related to Sisyphus!  You know, as in a Sisyphean task!  As in WAIT, let me give this up, please!  Oh, some of you may not know who Sisyphus was, I mean if you're not into Greek mythology.  Well, Sisyphus, again in Greek mythology, not in real life, was a king who got in trouble with the god Zeus.   He was really a very bad, cruel king so I don't blame Zeus for being angry at all.  And you know these Greek myths . . . there are so many versions!  But the final outcome of this story is that as punishment for betraying Zeus. Sisyphus had to roll a heavy, immense boulder up a hill only to watch it roll back again.  And he had to do this not just once, but over and over again . . . forever!!!!

Now it's possible that you're wondering how this story has anything to do with me, Vanna, or with cats or with StreetCats or with this blog!  So I'm going to tell you and your sympathy regarding my Sisyphean task, which I have now officially abandoned, is greatly appreciated.  So . . . I've been trying to have one of my wonderful contests now for several weeks.  And, needless to say, it just really hasn't worked out too well.  And what, you ask, was this contest, Vanna?!  Well, I've been hinting at it for a few weeks, but I might as well just tell you.  It was a contest for the cat at StreetCats who is the Best Eater!  Now wasn't that a cool idea for a contest?  NOT!!

I guess my biggest problem with this contest was that no one was willing to accept defeat . . . that they, in fact, did not win.  They kept wanting to have another trial and then another and another.  I heard things like "Those are shreds!  You know I prefer pate!"  Seriously?!  Yes!  When I would tell them, look, it's all chicken, they would gag and throw up!  Okay, I will admit that a cat's tongue does react to the texture of a food, or how it feels.  That's one reason dry cat food sometimes comes in all shapes and sizes.  So . . . okay, we'll do it again with pate!

And these StreetCats cats are pretty spoiled, too.  One day I served tuna and shrimp for our contest and all I got from one cat was "the human helpers know I only eat chicken and you surely know that, too.  I demand a new contest!"  What?!

And even though cats HAVE to have meat because they need things that can't be found anywhere else, like taurine, vitamin A, vitamin B12, niacin and thiamin, some cats do like to have a bit of fruits or vegetables as an added bonus or treat!  Well, forgive me, please, if your meal did not include any carrots or strawberries!  It is what it is!

Now I'm going to show you how I did this.  Here you go!  You'll see that it was all fair!

Now in this picture you will see the white kitty, Miss Molly, looking at the food and commenting that it is shreds and not pate.

So I scooted it over there to her and convinced her to give it a try.  Big mistake and she says she'll not ever forgive me!  In the meantime Angel had started on her second bowl and I was ready to declare a winner!  But NOOOO, it wasn't fair!

Cats and cat food, cats and cat food!  Did you know that the pet food makers spend so much money trying to figure out what these finicky cats like that they can't even count it?!  They want the little darlings to gobble it up!  And so do our human helpers!  You should hear them when someone doesn't eat.  It's pitiful!  I'm going to plan a lesson, a reminder, on what it's like to live on the street!

So I just have one final thing to say.  There is no winner of the Best Eater contest!  I hereby declare myself exhausted and fed up (hee, hee! . . . fed up!  Get it?)  They can eat or starve from here on out as far as I'm concerned . . . up to them!  I am moving right on to another contest!  More about that later!

Poetry in Motion

I am so excited . . . happy, happy, happy!  And not just because I feel so sure my forever family will find me this week!  I'm excited because we've had another contest and we have a winner!  Before I even tell you what our contest was, I'm going to show you a picture of our winner.  Her name is Callie and she is young and beautiful.  Boy is she ever going to make a great kitty for someone who needs a kitty in their life.  So okay, here you go.  Callie!  Oh yeah, this picture was taken right after I announced the winner of the contest and you can see how happy she is!

Told you she is beautiful!  Okay, now I'll tell you what the contest was.  It was best jumper!  And it involved some climbing, too, because Callie climbed up on a big cat tree in order to demonstrate her jumping ability.  I mean creativity is one of the reasons she won.  Some of the cats just jumped up onto a chair.  Come on, guys!  Oh, climbing!  Cats climb sort of like fish swim!  So if you get a kitten don't be surprised if it climbs up your pants leg or your curtains.  Yep, better get those cat trees!  And remember that he is likely looking for prey and that prey might just be your hair!  Hee hee!  Kittens are so cute!

Should I show the pictures first, or give you the info?  Hmmm.  Hard to decide.  Okay, first the info, then the pictures.  Cats use every part of their body to make a successful jump.  First, the tail!  It is a chain of about 20 caudal vertebrae!  Yep, and we cats can use it to help balance ourselves so that our bodies go where we want them to!  Then there are our sharp claws which we can use to grab hold, if we need to.  And did you know that our spines are very supple and that our collarbone is detached, making us even more able to maneuver?!  We can even use our whiskers to orient ourselves to what is around us.  Ha!  I know I shouldn't gloat, but really, human beings?!  You can't touch that!

Okay, now for the pictures taken during our contest.  For these I must thank my wonderful photographer, Vickie Sanborn.  First we have the launch, then the flying through the air part (my favorite!) and then the landing.  I want you to note just how soft that landing is!  Now let's face it, humans, if that were you, I bet there'd be nothing much left standing in the general vicinity of where you landed.  Okay, here you go!

Terrific, Callie!!!  Any questions out there???  If so, write them in a comment!  And come see us!  Maybe Callie will demonstrate her jumping technique for you!  Bye bye!

No, wait!  One more thing!  Does your kitty ride places in the car with you?  I mean cats don't usually like to be as undignified as dogs, but sometimes it does happen.  So . . . please be aware that car travel can be very hazardous for kitties in hot weather.  Just don't leave your kitty in the car, even for a minute!

Feline Friday - Millie!

Millie is a Maine Coon Tabby! As you can see by the pictures, she is very beautiful!

 

Maine Coon cats are Native American long-haired cats first recognized as a specific breed in Maine where it was named the official cat of the state.  Maine Coons are noted for their intelligence and their kindly dispositions.  They have been named the Gentle Giants because they are sturdy and somewhat larger than other cats and they are said to be especially good with children and other pets.  Please visit the Cat Fancier’s Association website to learn more about this very interesting breed: http://www.cfa.org

Of course we can’t say positively that Millie is good with kids, other cats, or even dogs, but from what we know about her she probably would be good with all three.

 

Millie is approximately 1 year old.  She was rescued by one of StreetCat’s own volunteers.  She is described as playful, friendly and affectionate.  She has been given the StreetCats V.I.P. (Very Important Pet) treatment.  She has been examined by a vet, been tested and vaccinated, and also spayed.  When she is adopted we will also place a microchip under her skin, identifying her with her new owner’s contact information, and register her with the HomeAgain program for returning lost pets to their owners.

If you are interested in meeting Millie, feel free to come by StreetCats at 6520 E. 60th St, in Tulsa, 10:30 - 5:00 Tuesday though Saturday, or call our message line, 918-298-0104 with any questions that you may have.   We would love to show you around and introduce you to Millie and I’m sure that she would love to meet you, too!

Let's Hear It For Claws!

And the winner is . . . !!!!  No, wait, I haven't told you what the contest is.  And the current best StreetCats contest is . . . !!!  Okay, I'm just messing with you.  Yes, there was a contest and yes, there was a winner, but I'm not going to tell you what or who right now.  And I'm not just being mean, I promise!  You see, one of our wonderful StreetCats photographers, Vickie Sanborn, is out of town and can't get a picture of the contest winner right now.  But she will be back very soon and as soon as she gets me a picture I'll make the big announcement.  This one is really cool, you guys, so stay tuned!

So today we are going to talk about claws.  Humans don't have claws.  They have fingernails and toenails, but those are not quite the same.  Claws are usually thought of as being sharp and dangerous!  I guess it is for that reason that when some humans get a kitty they remove their front claws and sometimes even their back claws, too.  Usually the danger they are most worried about is damage to their furniture and curtains!  What's with the furniture, humans?!  And, make no mistake, the vets who perform the claw removing operation are not just removing claws . . . they are removing a whole joint on kitty paws.  Ouch!!!  We have several kitties at StreetCats who have had their claws removed and they seem to be doing just fine.  But I sure am glad I still have mine!

And why, you ask, are you glad you have your claws, Vanna?  Well, I'll tell you.  I use them!  It isn't hard to figure out that we use our claws for climbing, right?  But did you know that with that last joint on our paws that includes our claws we can run on our tiptoes at top speeds???  Yes, we can!!  Isn't that cool!  Without our claws we can't run as fast.  Balancing is a lot harder, too!  That's sort of sad, isn't it?  And did you know that in many countries declawing (the medical term for this operation is onychectomy) is illegal??!!  That's because those humans who live there find it inhumane  to perform a onychectomy on a cat.  Interesting term, inhumane.  Do they mean infeline?  Anyway, the countries that ban onychectomies are Australia, Brazil, England, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Norway . . . well, you get the message.  There are many more!

In fairness there are those who argue that declawing your cat is just fine.  And, as I said, the declawed cats at StreetCats seem to be okay.  It is still legal in all the states of the US of A.  So I suppose the debate about claws will continue around here without resolution.  Time will tell.  Frankly, I know which side of the debate I'm on!  As I said before, ouch!!

And now I am going to show you pictures of our kitty, Dot, demonstrating the use of claws!  In the first photo she is clawing on a scratching post.  These are devices that humans keep so that maybe cats will claw on them instead of furniture.  And sometimes it works!  In the second picture, you will see Dot using her claws to climb up a cat tree, another toy that people keep for their indoor cats.  And in the third picture . . . success!  She made it to the top.  Yeah claws!!

Yes, her ears are pink, but only on the inside, unlike mine!  Kind of cute, isn't she?!

Okay, only two more things to say about claws.  Here are two things you can do if you're afraid of cats' claws.  First, you can get Soft Paws, easy-to-apply hollow vinyl nail caps that are glued onto your cat's nails.  They even come in crazy colors.  (Frankly, I'm not so sure about the "easy-to-apply" part.  We are cats!)  Or, to avoid cat claws destroying your home, which some of you are afraid of, get a DOG!  He won't claw your drapes . . . just might eat them, that's all!  Don't be surprised if the dog attacks the mailman, however, or barks at 3:00 AM.  Just saying.

Oh My Goodness!

I don't think the cats at StreetCats can get any more beautiful than they are, and then they do!!  You really need to come see!  It's amazing!  And today I'm going to show you the beautiful winner of our fluffiest tail contest.  I'm going to do that in just a minute.

But first, I need to check in and see how all you humans out there are doing.  Yesterday was tax day and I do wonder how many of you will take several cat naps today just to recover from the trauma.  Okay, I know that some of you got "refunds" and lucky you!  But for those of you who had to pay, you have my deepest sympathy!  Just rest now and don't think about next tax day.  No, wait, maybe you SHOULD think about next tax day and do something to make it better!

Hey, did you know that someone in 2009 did try to make it better?  Really.  His name was Thaddeus "Thad" McCotter and he was a representative from Michigan.  And he sponsored a bill called the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years, or HAPPY for short.  Now that bill "died" in committee (things die in Congress on a regular basis!), but my own opinion is that it was a good idea.  That bill would have given pet owners with qualifying expenses a $3500 tax credit.  Now you can't tell me that wouldn't have helped a lot!  In 2011 pet spending the the US surpassed $50 billion, so let's hear it for a pet expense tax credit!!  Never mind that Thad had to leave Congress after a scandal (that also seems to happen a lot in Congress!), I think he was a good guy who clearly loved his cats and dogs or whatever pet it was he had.  Let's have more pet champions in Congress!!

Okay, now for the fluffy tail contest!  Oh my goodness!!!  The winner clearly is Victoria!  And this girl has more than just a fluffy tail!  She has a sweet personality and is beautiful both inside and out!  Okay, see for yourself!  Here she is!

Now is that a fluffy tail or what??!!  Oh wait, is that another fluffy tail sticking out the other side of the cat house??  Hmm, that looks like Millie's tail!  You can see her, too, by referring back to the winner of the best eye makeup contest!  Okay, Veronica is a very young cat, not yet a year old and she is so pretty and so soft and so sweet!  She could have won just about any contest we had.  One more picture now!

Wow!  That's just about all I can say about this gorgeous, sweet cat and her fluffy tail!

Well, our next contest winner will have the pinkest ears at StreetCats.  There would be no contest at all if I were still here because I have very pink ears.  But I am going to be adopted this week, so before I leave I'll look around to see who else has very pink ears!  Then someone will announce the winner of that contest, just not me!  :-)