We adopted a rambunctious new kitten from Cat Adoption Team the day after Thanksgiving. He is living in the office for now. He does love to play and also be held and loved.

Tags: Cats

We came home from the cat show with two soft flannel/microfiber pillow beds for the cats. One thought was to have this washable soft piece for Oscar besides the towel and our blanket. He seems to have taken well to this pillow bed and I wish we had gotten more.

Tags: Cats

This show was the debut of the Toybob cats from Russia. They had some kittens there who were adorable. The price ranges from $1500 pet to upwards of $3000 or so for breeding cats. The kittens were calling my name wanting to find a home with us.

Tags: Cats, Cat Show

Ramona Marek, a Facebook friend and cat writer, was set up as a vendor next to us. She was selling her book which I had written a testimonial quote for the book. She is a sweet person and a lot of help for us during the cat show. She sold 15 books and I am pleased to see she did well.

Tags: Cats, Books

This is a big cat show in numbers of entries and the gate. Here is the show hall off across the convention center at the Holiday Inn near the airport.

Tags: Cats, Cat Show

At lunch time, they had the scooper bowl for young people. You had to scoop as many Jelly Beans from the cat litter box as you could in 1 minute and demerits for too much litter.

It was fun to watch and I did get a video of the activity. Here is a photo.

Tags: Cats, Cat Show

How much is that kitty in the window. The one with the cute little sweater since we don't have a haricot. This is either a Sphynx or a Rex cat but couldn't tell for sure at the distance.

Tags: Cats, Cat Show, Winn Feline Foundation

Headed up to Portland today to have a booth at the TICA Portland International Cat Show.This is the first experience being at a cat show as an exhibitor for me. Here is the booth set up though we moved the banner onto the table.

Tags: Cats, Cat Show, Winn Feline Foundation

Even in 1868, people were crazy about cats. The Book of Cats by Charles Henry Ross was printed. It was an encyclopedic version or chronicle of feline facts and fancies, legendary, lyrical, medical, mirthful and miscellaneous. He argued in support of the cat where some people were repulsed by cats. A very fun illustration and fact-filled old book about our feline friend found here.

Tags: Cats, Books

Bob and I had lunch today in Eugene with Dr. Patricia Shea. She finally completed the purchase of Cat Care where she is the owner. It is so good to have a friend and good cat person owning the place to where I can feel I can have a relationship with practice and cats again. Good food and good times at Cat Care and good Thai food at TaRaRin.

Tags: Friends, Cats

What with our luggage getting soaked on the outside last night, Bob was unpacking and one of our new books he had taken on the trip got wet around the edges. As we sat it out in the sunlight to dry, Oscar decided he needed a good read.

Tags: Cats, Books

Well, evidently the younger generation loves cats or at least cat related images and stories. I say why wouldn't they. Cats are so uniquely wonderful. A stress reliever in a small furry package. Just what I need. Otherwise here is the cat loving story.

Tags: Cats

I attended my first Cat Adoption Team meeting last night up in west Portland area. Fortunately the weather cooperated……….no huge rain and windstorms as we have had for the past few days. It was a pleasant gathering in a very lovely remodeled old farm house. More about Cat Adoption Team can be found on their website.

Tags: Cats

Mark Steyn is a writer who Bob and I enjoy reading. He is has a needle sharp wit that he uses in his writing and TV discussions. It appears he got a cat a year ago and quite enjoys having him. The cat is named Marvin. Mark Steyn did a Halloween video and he is a cat album coming out. More about it here.

Tags: Music, Writing, Current Affairs, Cats

Here is more information on why cats (or at least some) cats love catnip and will respond quite goofily to it.

"Catnip, which is a perennial herb in the mint family, contains a chemical called “nepetalactone” that is released when catnip is crushed. When cats get a whiff of nepetalactone, most will start rubbing themselves against it, playing with it, sometimes eating it, and generally will act quite bizarrely."

Tags: Cats, Trivia

Here is a great photo of three top cat experts that I know at the AAFP conference. From left to right: Dr. Susan Little, Dr. Ilona Rodan, Dr. Margie Scherk.

Tags: California, San Diego, Cats, AAFP, Winn Feline Foundation

Bob got the Winn booth all set up and looking super. Ready to go and meet people!!

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, AAFP, Cats

David and Renee found a litter of kittens (a kindle) hiding out in their burn pile. They found 4 at first and then a fifth. There may be a sixth still with the Queen. They appear about 5 weeks old or a little less. They are eating some soupy canned cat food which is good. Mom was taking good care of them since they appeared very healthy. Here is a photo of three of the group.

Tags: Cats

As a veterinarian, I know why calico cats are almost always female. I did come across early in my career a male calico cat. He was more black than white background with orange and white areas. He probably was fertile and I had to neuter him. It would have made him a better cat. Since I am much older, this kitty has long gone to use all of his nine lives. To learn more about calico cats, go here.

Tags: Cats, Trivia

"Aoshima Island is one of about a dozen "cat islands" around Japan, small places where there are significantly more feline residents than people. In Aoshima more than a hundred cats prowl the island, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in the quiet fishing village. Cats outnumber humans six to one on the island. Recently becoming popular online, tiny Aoshima has seen a steep rise in tourist visits, overwhelming the handful of permanent residents."

Read the article and see the stunningly beautiful photos of the cats. Very striking in color and similarity…….likely grouping of the gene pool.

Tags: Cats

Here is a web page with a lot of fun photos to laugh at "cat thoughts". Enjoy!

Tags: Humor, Cats

One week ago we all had a great Thanksgiving meal at David and Renee’s home. One always seems to feel stuffed with food at the end. I would have to say that I felt like the following picture after all was eaten.

Tags: Cats, Holidays

Well, the craze started overseas and now has come to the United States. There was a recent article in the local paper about a cat cafe opened in Oakland, CA. Now someone is opening one in Portland. It had to happen and it probably would be a hoot to visit. Part of me would love to start one but worrying about all the business headaches that go with it would not be fun. I wonder what all regulations the Health Dept. has developed for these. Read it here.

Tags: Cats

Last day in Nashville. We did some wandering around the shops near the hotel before off to the airport hotel. A long time poster print shop is located between the Omni and the Country Music Hall of Fame. We learned they have two cats living in the print gallery, Maow and Huey. We got a glimpse of Huey watching the poster printers working. Having a cat adds a lot of color to the place.

Tags: Nashville, Cats

Sports fans are a bit strange and two guys who are long time Kansas City Royals baseball fans. By painting some wrestling one-suits with cat faces, they have become quite well known around TV for their attire and support of their team. Especially in the playoffs and World Series. We need to get the Catsuit Guys to say a good word for Winn Feline Foundation. See more about them.

Tags: Cats, Baseball

There is a picture someone took of their fluffy white cat which came out looking like the cat was perfectly round. Very cute photo. People have been having fun photoshopping the picture into many other scenes and photos. Which one can be the most outrageous round cat.
Check it all out here.

Tags: Cats, Photography

Interesting day of presentations and interactions about cats. It was an enjoyable three days in Kalamazoo and I had a great time. I think everyone else did too. Long flight home to Portland through Detroit. Really had to hustle with my bags to get to the new gate.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats

Today was my scheduled presentation in front of people at Zoetis. Since I am not a frequent speaker and work behind the scenes, it seemed to go fairly well. We also had a panel discussion and that seemed to be also well-received. It was a relief though to be done and I think I have gotten on the horse and survived so I can do it again if needed.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats

A good picture of what we can expect our cats to demand of us at anytime.

Tags: Cats

David and Renee took the boys today to the Gilbert House in Salem. The house is set up for kids. It was founded by the man who developed the erector set and he was from Salem. Here is Nicolas set up to do a cat examination as a veterinarian. Renee has video of his giving an injection to the poor kitty. The technique needs refinement to say the least.

Tags: Children, Cats, Veterinary Medicine

It was a really good meeting and one that also brought Winn forward to other cat-loving veterinarians. It was a good time to see old friends and have dinner with them. A special moment for me was to have one veterinarian who I know through the IACD group who said she was happy to see me because I was one of the few people she hoped to see at the meetings. It makes me feel great that I can make others enjoy their experience there. They certainly make my day too. Here is a good slide up on the screen to see.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats

My old buddy, Drew Weigner, was at the meeting. He is on the board now of Winn Feline Foundation. We found time to do a little dancing and also to connect up at the Winn booth. He is my other dancing partner.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats, Veterinary Medicine

Here is our “Winnie Marchin’ In” winner here in Indianapolis. Her name is Rachael Miller and she was THRILLED to win the Jamie Perry print in our drawing. I hope she got it home safely. It would be great to see Winnie in her new home.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Winnie, Cats, Indianapolis

Winn’s sponsored speaker started today in his lectures. Here is Dr. Webb with Dr. Peter Mundschenk, a friend. Peter is moderating the session. Dr. Webb highlighted Winn and Winn’s research where people really sat up and took notice. Very good talk and a lot of interest. I was able to get a podcast done with Dr. Webb and it went well!

Tags: Cats, Winn Feline Foundation, Indianapolis

The new Winn Feline Foundation website has launched today. It has been a wish for at least three years and a definite for the past year. It certainly has consumed my time and my life for the past weeks to months. It looks great. I feel like we should take a big bottle of champagne and break it over something much like they do with a ship launching. Though that is a waste of good champagne and be fund drinking it slowly.

Tags: Cats, Winn Feline Foundation

Being a cat lover, I was enamored with this cute video of a cat getting along with a new baby. What a pair! It is enjoyable items like this that prove to me why I love cats. For your viewing pleasure.

Tags: Cats, Children

I went last week to visit where my friend, Marybeth Rymer, works. She gave Bob and I a tour of their hospital. They have set the hospital up to be Cat Friendly. They have tried to set aside a portion of their waiting area for the cats and cat owners. Here is an example of what is being done to be Cat Friendly at a dog/cat practice.

Tags: Cats, Veterinary Medicine

Here was one of my favorite parts of the practice. I remember when I had the fellow from Russia who was an artist in mosaics and stained glass. I commissioned him to do this piece to replace the glass side window at the entrance. It is an original and a very nice piece. I wish I still owned it.

Tags: Cats, California, Civic Feline Clinic

Bob and I stopped by Civic Feline Clinic to say hello. We were able to see Teri, Michele, Angela and also Dr. Ellis. It was fun to be in the old stomping grounds. I miss the feel of owning the practice and seeing it grow. I don’t miss the stress. Here is the waiting room with one of the hospital cats.

Tags: Cats, Civic Feline Clinic, California

While at the conference, I was able to do a podcast interview with Dr. Leslie Lyons. She is a renowned geneticist who is now located at the University of Missouri. She has done amazing work in the genetics field of cats. Her lab has found a number of important mutations that they have developed genetic tests to find these mutations. Here is Dr. Lyons talking about some of the early genomic work to sequence the cat genome. Winn Feline Foundation has been active in supporting this area.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats, California, Genetics

Part of the weekend at the International Cat Conference was to participate in the retirement party of Dr. Niels Pedersen who led the Center for Companion Animal Health at UC-Davis. He has a long history in feline medicine and was very much a pioneer in viral research in cats. Here he is listening to a scientific presentation during the conference.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, research, Cats, California

Here is Bob in his nice green shirt with the Winn logo. Our Winn Feline Foundation table all set up at the International Cat Conference at UC-Davis.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats

It looks like my good friend Karen and her sidekick “cats” got good publicity and recognition from the local media. May the New Orleans cat video festival live on for a number of years. Check out the nice article.

Tags: Cats, Friends, Video, Music

Long, fun day of helping our friends set up and hold the first International Cat Video Festival Day in New Orleans. The videos were shown in the auditorium at the Museum of Art at City Park. The booths were set up in City Park. Great music, great food (yum, the Crawfish Beignet), great pictures, and cat goods to buy. It was hot and humid so I hunkered in a chair when not in the cool Museum. It appeared to be a good day for Karen and Tim for the festival though LOTS of work. Here they are in one of their photo experiences for the day with attendees and photo content winners.

Tags: Cats, Friends

A day of helping others find a home for two lovely Abyssinian female cats who just lost their owner to cancer. These two girls sound pretty stressed and in need of a forever loving home. It sounds like both may have that place in a home up in Washington State. A good thing if all works out well.

Tags: Cats

I wish they had this type of reading program when I was a kid and went to the Lebanon Library. I love to read and certainly enjoy being around animals, especially cats. It would have been close to heaven to be able to go and spend time with cats at a shelter and read to them while there. This is a fun article and I can just feel the tension leave just reading and looking at the pictures. Please check it out here.

Tags: reading, Books, Cats

I am not into Facebook. I most likely will need to do so as I take on this new job. Too many things to keep track of if I do though it is expected of a person more and more.
A lot of the rest of the family does like Facebook and our daughter-in-law had a post awhile ago showing this fun cake that would be perfect for crazy cat ladies or people. This could be one for my next birthday.

Tags: Cats

Do cats recognize the voices of their owners? Cats have an almost 10,000 year history of cohabiting with humans. Have they learned the ability to pick up on communication from the people they know? See the abstract here.

“Of the 20 cats, 15 demonstrated a lower response magnitude to the third voice than to the first voice. These habituated cats showed a significant rebound in response to the subsequent presentation of their owners’ voices. This result indicates that cats are able to use vocal cues alone to distinguish between humans.”

Tags: Cats

Were cats domesticated in Egypt much earlier than we previously knew? New bones of kittens excavated in Egypt say so. Read about it here.

“The skeletons of six cats, including four kittens, found in an Egyptian cemetery may push back the date of cat domestication in Egypt by nearly 2,000 years.

The bones come from a cemetery for the wealthy in Hierakonpolis, which served as the capital of Upper Egypt in the era before the pharaohs. The cemetery was the resting place not just for human bones, but also for animals, which perhaps were buried as part of religious rituals or sacrifices. Archaeologists searching the burial grounds have found everything from baboons to leopards to hippopotamuses.

The new find includes two adult cats and four kittens from at least two litters. The size of the bones and timing of the litters hints that humans may have kept the cats. The bones date back to between 3600 B.C. and 3800 B.C., which would be 2,000 years before the earliest known evidence of cat domestication in Egypt, archaeologists report in the May issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.”

Tags: Cats, Egypt

Have you ever thought of catifying your home? Your cat probably did for you. They may even have the plans drawn up. All cats believe they deserve the best. Don’t they? Certainly the 18 cats in this home in Santa Barbara must have had a long talk with the owner and builder to get the catified home they deserved. It is aMAZEing.

Tags: Cats, Home

Now after seeing a few of the recent dog photos I have taken, I did come across this article of a man who describes how to photograph a cat. He has been performing this line of photography for years and is offering his advice or secrets on how to do it better here in this article.

Tags: Photography, Cats

Some person must really love a bit of architecture and also love their cats. Through another cat veterinarian I know, I saw a link to a page in My Modern Metropolis. The page was filled with wonderful pictures of a home, an apartment, that was filled with indoor cat structures. The cats here should not feel much indoor environmental stress since their space if full of enrichment. See here what we humans are missing for our own playhouse.

Tags: Cats

In less than 30 minutes, ABVP (American Board of Veterinary Practitioners) will close the application process on their member website. I have submitted all my materials for re-certification in feline practice for another 10 years. The materials must be accepted for at least 500 points in various entries to achieve re-certification. I have almost 380 points above that though all might not be accepted. I feel I have worked hard and tried my best to accomplish this. My prayer is that it is acceptable and good enough. I need to now relax and leave it in the hands of God. He will take care of me.

Tags: Veterinary Medicine, Cats

Some people are way too clever for me. There is a fellow on the internet who has done one of these clever things. He is posting animations of him and his cat, Ella, into different scenarios with the technique and look of different artists. It states that he has done this for 100 different cartoonists’ styles. Such artists such as Gary Larson, Berkeley Breathed, etc. He terms his animation scenarios as Mikenesses since he is Mike. I hope Ella does not mind being put into such awkward and interesting positions. Check it out!

Tags: Art, Cats

One should always enjoy unique situations and the cleverness of other people’s methods. It was with pleasure that I noted today that someone had place a double-sided sign along Wheeler Street (a frequently used truck route) in Lebanon admonishing drivers to slow down since that location was a cat crossing. The two different signs were very cutely done and I had to get some pictures, especially with the snow in the background. I sincerely hope the cats in the area appreciate and take advantage of the care this cat lover and artist has shown by making these signs.

Tags: Photography, Cats

More lectures and learning. I have gotten to see and laugh with a number of old friends from the cat practice networking days. I participated in the silent auction and bought a nice fleecy blanket with Tigger tigers on it for grandsons to have for Christmas. Hate to spend the money though well worth it to help the Foundation and something for the kiddos. I attended a nice dinner and awards ceremony in the evening. It is fun to watch the live auction at the end. Dr. French was a hilarious auctioneer. What a performer!

Tags: Children, Cats

Off to Phoenix, or really Glendale, in the “Valley of the Sun”. Good flight on Alaska and they have improved their service to the public. I had my first experience with Pre-Pass at the Portland Airport. Shorter line with no taking off my shoes, taking out my computer, and removing liquids from my bags. Yoo Hoo! The ABVP meeting looks really to be a good meeting and it is great to say hello to old friends. This is a growing area of Phoenix with sports stadiums, hotels, entertainment spots and malls.
Wore my “cat ears” to the end of the day reception for a Halloween feel.

Tags: Cats, Travel

One artist is trying to offer a rendition of how a cat’s vision works as it views different parts of its surroundings. They operate and view items differently than human. They have more rods than cones in the center of their retina so they can see better in very dim light though they do not have the clarity and color vision that people do.

Because of the various photoreceptors parked in cats’ retinas, they kick our asses at seeing in dim light. Instead of the color-resolving, detail-loving cone cells that populate the center of human retinas, cats (and dogs) have many more rod cells, which excel in dim light and are responsible for night-vision capability. The rod cells also refresh more quickly, which lets cats pick up very rapid movements — like, for example, the quickly shifting path a marauding laser dot might trace.

With this description, I think they would be great security sensors in a Zombie Apocalypse. They could sense zombie movement at night much quicker that we could. Right? Read about how their vision differs here.
Human View

Cat View

Tags: Cats, Science

The Wall Street Journal has a cool article about Tony and Elaine LaRussa and their work with ARF. It also focuses on their household of cats which I was the veterinarian for covering about 15 years. It looks like they still have Sierra and Kachina. Since I have been gone from there for 10 years, many of the cats they have are new and therefore, unknown to me. I was certainly there at the start of ARF and as a big supporter for it. Evie was housed at my hospital for a number of months until she went to live at a home rescue shelter associated with ARF. Here is the article.

Tags: Cats, Baseball

There is an island off the coast of Japan, Tashirojima Island, where cats rule. They outnumber the humans on the island and help drive tourism. The story can be found here after reading an excerpt below.

Tashirojima is a dwindling two-port, 100-person fishing community where cats outnumber humans many times over. It's a real-life cat haven, where dogs are reportedly banned from entering and monuments to the feline overlords are plentiful. The story goes that cats first prospered on the island back when occupants raised silkworms and enlisted their four-legged friends to help keep the destructive mice away. Later in the 1800s, when Tashirojima's fishing grounds became popular, fishermen came to believe that the island’s cats gave hints about weather patterns and the day's catch. They doted upon the strays that would wander into their inns and thought that feeding them would guarantee prosperity.

Tags: Cats

A short way south of our motel in Bandon was a nice beach with several rocks farther out in the surf off the beach. One cluster of rock formations are called the Cat and Kittens Rocks. Since they brought to mind the love of cats, I had to get a picture of the grouping.
Cat and Kittens Rocks, Bandon

Tags: Oregon, Coast, Cats

My Blue Yeti microphone failed me tonight and I was not able to use it to record audio for the Symposium. I had to use the laptop microphone which was OK though more tinny in sound. We pulled off another well done Symposium with lots of good feedback. Dinner at The Grant House was great and the food very nicely done even if most of the conversation was pointed toward travels in Africa which we have not done.


Bob, was videographer, for the event along with Otto Wolf.

Tags: Winn Feline Foundation, Cats

Dogs have run for mayor, now it is a cat’s turn. Morris the Mexican Cat is running for Mayor of Xalapa in eastern Mexico. I must say that he is healthier and cleaner looking than most cats I have seen on the west coast of Mexico. As a black and white handsome cat, he has my vote. You can check out Morris here.

Tags: Cats

Off again to work in Eugene for 2 days. Trying to get some money to pay toward the meeting in Seattle. It will be good to see cats again and Patricia to chat about cat medicine.

Tags: Veterinary Medicine, Cats

Our journey up into the Palouse was our third trip to attend the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Award dinner. We provide a scholarship to support a student interested in feline medicine. The student this year was Caitlin who was at the dinner and dessert with her husband, Nick, and grandparents from Port Angeles WA, Myra and Don.
Here I am celebrating Washington State University with Caitlin.

Tags: Cats, Veterinary Medicine

In exploring more of the reading site of Rudyard Kipling poems, books, and short stories, I came across this short story about The Cat that Walked by Himself. It is definitely a demonstration of what the cat thinks of himself versus what man and the great canine enemy think of cats. It is just a fun example of Kipling’s style of writing and imagination. Read it here. Illustrations here.

Tags: Cats, Books

There is a book out where a cat owner put a GPS unit on her traveling cat to see where this particular feline visited in their area.
The article is found in The Atlantic and can be found here. One point determined was that the cat liked to visit about three homes and look at their image in the window. Just like a cat……………how do we look today and will you feed me?

The cat came back.

But why? And what was he doing while he was gone?

These questions plague cat owners across the world, and they form the backbone of the new book, Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology. As author Caroline Paul and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton chart their discoveries in the feline world, they unfurl an uncommonly charming and wise tale.

The narrative centers on Paul's two cats, Fibula and Tibia, and what happens when the latter mysteriously leaves home for six weeks -- and then returns. Paul becomes fixated on discovering where he'd gone (and where she suspects he continues to go) with the aid of technology. MacNaughton, Paul's partner, rides shotgun on the quest, documenting the trip in a series of improbably hilarious and profound drawings. There are so many good jokes and cute kitties, you can almost miss the terror of loving something (or someone) that provides the book's depth.

There are twists and turns along the way (including a brilliant setpiece in an animal communication class), but a sly allegory emerges from all the drawing and writing: Technology can do many amazing things, but no GPS unit or CatCam can tell us what questions we should be asking in the first place.

To be optimistic, though, the human process of piecing together the tech's failures and successes can build towards the kind of realization that Paul comes to at the end of the book. "I didn't need to turn on the computer and re-analyze the maps. I didn't need to scour the photos. I didn't need to have an animal-human conversation," Paul writes. "Clear and bright as the pink of a kitty trail on a satellite map was this final truth: Tibby had just not wanted to be at home."

Tags: Cats

Are some of our cat’s behaviors much like their cousins in the wild? Could that rubbing along your leg applying a scent marking or lurking high above you on their cat perch be some of what we are speaking of? Read about it here.

Have you ever wondered why your pet cat rubs up against your legs, kneads your thighs with its forepaws or sleeps on top of a wardrobe? These, and many other behaviours, can be attributed to the tiger lurking within your pet tigger.

A recent report conducted by feline experts Whiskas has established close links between domestic cat behaviour and behaviours exhibited by their wild big cat cousins.

Tags: Cats

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, yet I am featuring Zodiac cats. Someone has taken a photo of cats in different funky costumes to match the sign of the Zodiac. No little leprechaun cats here. They are quite adorable as cats can only be.
Check out your cat sign here.

Tags: Cats

Cats lack a sweet tooth. Boy, they don’t know what they are missing. They have a broken gene that makes them unable to detect sweet tastes. So in spite of thinking they want your ice cream, they really are just beggars. Here is the article about how this happened. I wonder what grumpy cat, Tardar Sauce, thinks about that.

Tags: Cats

Someone has developed an interactive map to put “Cats on a Map”. One can see a little cat face icon especially over the European continent. Check out the story and links to the map here.

A Cat Map pinpointing the exact locations of all of the world’s housecats is now live courtesy of the Zoological Society of London.

Well, actually, it doesn’t include all of the world’s cats…yet. There are just over 3,000 on the map now, but that number will surely grow. While the Zoological Society initially put out a call for Londoners to add their cats to the map, kitty lovers from around the globe are also welcome to submit photos and a few bits of info about their felines for inclusion.

The new map is searchable, so if, say, you are interested in checking out adult male tabbies, you can simply input that request into the search engine, and up pops a map full of adorable cat faces indicating the whereabouts of known tabbies, and some quick-hit info about them.

Tags: Cats

Tama, the calico cat became the train master for the Wakayama Railroad in Japan. The railroad was about to fail until they found that Tama made a great mascot for the railroad. Cats are a popular symbol and they seem to have been able to recoup due to Tama’s popularity. Check out the calico cat.

Tags: Cats

Cat humor is some of the most viewed and funniest (especially if you are a cat lover) stuff on the internet. ICanHasCheezburger is one spot and CatsLOL is great also. They just seem to blithely and elegantly do things we least expect them to. Could we sit in boxes with such dignity as if this was our throne? Put out a box or a paper bag and the cat most likely will be there. If one wishes to consider them a trap, not severely so, just a way to humor us and our cat friends.

Tags: Cats, Humor

The newest cat sensation on the internet has black eyebrows on white. Too bad so much of this internet experience was not available when I was taking photos of patients. You can see Sam at his Instagram site. Someone is having fun taking photos of their cat.
So do you think this innocent looking cat, Sam, would be part of a tribe of bird and small mammal killers.

Tags: Cats

Some fellow wants the people of New Zealand to make their current cat their last one. It is to protect the birds and native habitat. He is also fine with euthanizing them. I do not believe I will put him on my Christmas card list. You can read about this cat hater here.

Tags: Cats

I like to believe that people know how smart cats are. They just don’t like to rub it in and let us in on the secret. This webpage shows how smart one cat is in the shell game. We should send this cat to a baseball game and let it pick the right “shell” when this is done on the Jumbotron. I also went through the 10 videos of cats opening doors. I liked the one where all the little dogs stood around eager to have a door opened and can’t do it, while the cat present finally does it for them. See, they know how to show their value when it is necessary.

Tags: Cats

This study is from 2011, though I only noticed it in a blog article today. Anything that relates to how cats and humans interact is of interest, especially even better if related to women. This article is about how cats adore and manipulate their female owners. Now who would say that!

While cats have plenty of male admirers, and vice versa, this study and others reveal that women tend to interact with their cats — be they male or female felines — more than men do.

“In response, the cats approach female owners more frequently, and initiate contact more frequently (such as jumping on laps) than they do with male owners,” co-author Manuela Wedl of the University of Vienna told Discovery News, adding that “female owners have more intense relationships with their cats than do male owners.”

Tags: Cats, Winn Feline Foundation

The sun did come out this morning and it feels so nice. Yesterday was a gray, gloomy day. David came out with Nicolas yesterday and Nicolas, the Pirate Master, had fun playing pirates and swords with Grandpa Bob. I was beaned a few times during the battles. Now, I need to wonder if Oscar the Cat is doing any plotting based on what was noted in this following photo.

Tags: Family , Cats

Surprises come, even at the holiday time. My former business partner at Civic Feline Clinic in Walnut Creek CA, Dr. Josie Thompson, has announced in the hospital’s newsletter that she is retiring. She is planning on focusing on photography, travel, and her new granddaughter, Savannah. All of those are good places to start. As one of our clients we had together titled a forwarded email announcing the retirement, “An End of an Era”. Certainly, it is for both of us. I started the practice in 1983 on August 23. David was 3 years of age and Scott was 4 months old. Josie joined me as an associate in 1987 and partner in 1988. We were partners for 15 years at Civic Feline Clinic. We built a good business. Our sons were of the same age and grew up together though went to different schools. Lots of memories from over the years……………..lots of cats and clients to cherish.



Memories of 25 years of Civic Feline Clinic in 2008……….

Tags: Cats

This is a day of trying to finish up some items and learn some new tricks on the internet, etc.

I must say though the day started off quite cute with this story about a Grumpy Cat, called Tardar Sauce. It is a cute story and I love Tardar Sauce. With social media, people are taking the average funny looking pet and making a marketing project out of it. I say, Go For It. If you can develop a brand, good for you. I would buy a Tardar Sauce T-shirt and I don’t like T-shirts. To read about adorable Tardar Sauce, go here.

Tags: Cats

This is the fourth year in a row that I have spoken to the freshman class of veterinary students at Oregon State University. It went well and I covered cats, medical history, physical examinations, and cat friendly handling in a two hour period. I think I have my Powerpoint Presentation in pretty good shape and it helped teach the students how to appreciate and understand cats. I always forget to get my picture taken as I do the lecture though the following photo was taken by Annie last year after the talk where I am holding a Winn Feline Foundation anniversary book.

Tags: Veterinary Medicine, Cats, Winn Feline Foundation

All of today was spent in NAVLE item review. The day was focused on all cat related items and we finished the day with my items. Two of our group did not make the review so we will finish with their work tomorrow. We have the read our items aloud so we have time to absorb them and drill down into the vignette and distractors to be sure we have a good question for use. Here is a good example of how it feels to keep drilling down.

Tags: Veterinary Medicine, Cats

This Tuesday I will speak for the fourth year in a row to the first year veterinary students at Oregon State University. I have my powerpoint presentation almost complete. I did have Scott film a seven minute video of performing a physical examination on a cat using Jacklynn as my subject. She was pretty good though had her moments of “I am gone” and “I know you are going to kill me”. Here is our darling Jacklynn resting in one of her favorite spots near the wood stove.

Tags: Cats

Paleontologists have found that saber-toothed cats and bear dogs lived in a shared living space in the woodlands of central Spain 9 million years ago. From the article, here is a short paragraph on their description. They competed for the same type of prey, horses and wild boar.

Inside the pits, the team found three late-Miocene Period predators: the leopard-sized saber-toothed cat Promegantereon ogygia, the much larger, lion-sized Machairodus aphanistus, and the bear dog Magericyon anceps. Neither bear nor domestic dog, bear dogs were large prehistoric predators with teeth like a dog and a body like a bear. Their physiology suggests that they moved with a lumbering gait and were capable of short bursts of speed.

So when the movies joke about “cats and dogs living together”! It did happen.

Tags: Cats

Ah, cats. They are a thoroughly intriguing species. Especially if you count our relationship with them. I know that from working with them and enjoying them as a companion and patient, I do have some beliefs about coat color and their “nature”. Consider the recent period of Halloween we just experienced and the myth of black cats being unlucky. Black cats are often less likely to be adopted from shelters due to this type of myth. In the long run, it is the individual cat that counts. That is what is so wonderful about them, they are all different and fit whatever corners of our personalities needing to be filled. Someone who does not like cats truly does not know what they are missing! For some insight into how our beliefs on coat colors of cats may be “colored”, read here. A Flickr image by its owner from the article of a calico/tortoiseshell.

Tags: Cats

I took some close ups of Laura Seeley’s pendants for her to use on her website. She sent me a link to the site to show that she had used two of the photos (the two on the left). Check out Best Friend’s Gallery. Here is an example of Laura’s pendants and how they glow. The eyes certainly do here. Wouldn’t they look nice around your neck?

Tags: Art, Cats

It is the final day of lectures today and it is a full one. Just a little more time to get in a few hugs and chats with good friends. I do not see them enough. Such good and dear people, all who are dedicated to the love of cats.

Here is my good buddy and dancing partner, Drew Weigner, with his daughter. She is busy in the geology department at Idaho State University in Moscow, a lovely university and area.

Tags: Cats, Seattle

Karen has her booth set up and is selling the cat art in a mad fashion. Bob has turned into super assistant and salesman. He is upselling and writing up tickets as fast as he can write. A true business person.

One of the artists is Laura Seeley from Orange County, CA. She has a lot of lovely pendants, tiles, posters, etc. She is a great and gung ho artist and super find for Karen to have at the booth. Here is Laura with Karen and I at Lola’s Restaurant.

Tags: Cats, Art, Veterinary Medicine

The ABVP portion of the meeting was held this afternoon. Bob, Karen and Tim Becnel, and I went to Lola’s Restaurant to eat with Joanna Guglielmino. Joanna has been a long time, good friend to us. It was great to see her and break some bread, as they say. Here are the Three Amigos at Lola’s.

Tags: Seattle, Cats, Veterinary Medicine

Traveled last night up to Seattle for 5 days of veterinary conferences. Last evening I took some time to do 2 podcasts with Dr. Jessica Quimby of Colorado State University. The podcasts will be used to generate interest in Winn’s research.

Today will be spent in lectures with 12 other veterinarians listening to Dr. Quimby lecture and also hearing about Onsior and Atopica as products from Novartis. I will be podcasting the talks to share with the IACD group (International Association of Cat Doctors). It will be great to see the group and hear all the new information available.

Bob and Tim Becnel were able to go to a Seattle Mariners baseball game. Here is the manager, Buck Showalter, with one of his assistants at the game.

Tags: Cats, Seattle, Veterinary Medicine

Today I had to get up and get myself together earlier than usual since I was scheduled to do a Housecall at The Oaks Assisted Living Facility in Lebanon. Grayson is an elder gentlemanly cat who lives with a couple at The Oaks. He had been given to them by a friend who takes care of a lot of strays at her home near by. The friend is a client I visit to give medical care to her strays. When Grayson had been given to them a few years ago, he was visited a week later by the friend to see how he was settling in. The elderly couple described how Grayson took her around the home step by step to show her each of his bowls, his beds, and special areas. Aren’t we lucky that cats want to share their life stories with us?

Tags: Cats