Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sunday Sun



Saturday, June 29, 2013

Caturday Cat Blogger (for REAL)

You didn't need this computer did you mom? I'm not done yet....

***


Friday, June 28, 2013

Last Day to Nominate Blogs & Shelters for the Pettie Awards!

Today's the last day to nominate your favorite pet blogs & shelters for the 2013 Pettie Awards! Katie of Glogirly fame calls this one of the most prestigious awards out there for excellence in pet blogging - and you know that girlcat dishes it straight.

If you enjoy our posts, would you consider nominating us? It's super easy. There are several different categories including Best Cat Blog and Funniest Blog, to name a few.

If you'd like a few suggestions for the category on Best Blog Post, here are some of our faves (you'll need the URLs for the nomination process, so we hope this makes it easier on you):

Our Blog the Change post about Twisty cats:
http://www.atonkstail.com/2013/01/blog-change-twisty-cats.html

Empty Chairs, Trash Bags and Bomb Sniffing...Pigs?
http://www.atonkstail.com/2013/06/empty-chairs-trash-bags-and-bomb.html

Kitty Cams and Bad Journalism:
http://www.atonkstail.com/2012/08/kitty-cams-and-bad-journalism.html



(or possibly one of these for best video post?
*snicker*  http://www.atonkstail.com/2013/03/faraday-thats-not-such-good-idea.html
or 
http://www.atonkstail.com/2013/02/the-three-cats-of-snowpocalypse.html  )

Thank you so very much for considering us as nominees - and for taking the time to go to the Petties page and nominate

Best of all - for every blog nomination, you also get to nominate a non-profit shelter or rescue as the one that's awarded a $10,000 grant! That's huge, especially for some of the smaller shelters like our Maxwell's Alma Mater, Kansas City Siamese Rescue - run by a small handful of passionately devoted foster families.

There is also a shelter in Kansas City that is in desperate need of assistance - they have had an unprecedented run of cats dumped on their premises, a story we'll tell you more in depth in a post soon. They are Great Plains SPCA and they're valiantly struggling to rehome literally hundreds and hundreds of homeless cats right now.

We're thrilled that DogTime, the host of the Petties, is providing this grant opportunity. So many deserving shelters out there could use these funds!


Fun Find: Globe Bird Feeder

If you have a fun find you'd like to share, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

***

Okay, so we know we mentioned this to you earlier, but ours has arrived, and we're soooo excited about it! 


We bought this bird feeder from Gardener's Supply for $19.95. We've had mommy install it and now are eagerly awaiting our new Bird TV channel to commence its programming.

"D'ya think she installed it properly, Maxie?"

The folks over at Katnip Lounge even told us what bird seed to put in it: millet for the birds in general. And they say that cardinals and jays like sunflower, and finches like thistle (niger) seed.


It's way cool, and if we could only get our mom to do it right, we anticipate an entire summer filled with riveting episodes. Right mom? ...mom?






Thursday, June 27, 2013

Infographic: What does your pet say about you?

We found this infographic interesting, though it's a tad bit dog-centric.
And we also have to object to cats being more lifestyle driven than personality driven.

And only for introverted readers, too. Hey, what about Jackson Galaxy? He's openly said he's out to smash the typical cat person stereotype. Isn't this infographic perpetuating that myth?

We are huge supporters of the Meet Your Match program sponsored by the ASPCA - a program we use at Wayside Waifs to match a cat's personality with that of the human looking to adopt.
For more info on this hugely successful program, please visit the ASPCA's page here.

And tell us what you think about this infographic. Do you think it reflects pets and owners accurately?


What Does Your Pet Say About You? - Infographic
What Does Your Pet Say About You? Infographic by PetPremium.com

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Remembering




"♪♫ Memories...Of a cat who favored pink... ♬ ♭♪ Fuschia watercolor memories....♫♪♫"


In honor of our fallen hero, Skeezix, the cat who blogged before all others.



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

'Toon Tuesdays








Monday, June 24, 2013

BREAKING: Cornell professor discovers key to deadly cat virus

FIP, or Feline Infectious Peritonitis, is a heartbreaking disease where a common virus mutates into something swift and deadly. And it most frequently strikes young kittens.

Tiny Tim of KC Siamese Rescue
We watched helplessly as Maxwell's Alma Mater struggled to save a chocolate point kitten who looked just like our own Ryker.

Those trusting blue eyes were forever shut by this disease, and we all mourned.

And most recently, we all read along as friend and fellow blogger Robin Olson fiercely battled for the life of one of her rescue cats, 10 month old Fred.

You can read his story and the extraordinary lengths she went to, in order to save him, here.

Hopefully, very soon these sad tales will be stories from the past.

Last Thursday, June 20, Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine published the following news release: "Breakthrough discovery gives first hope against deadliest cat virus".

It's big news. The scientists at Cornell have uncovered the holy grail of a 30-year quest for the mutation that turns a harnless virus into the very fatal FIP.

Here is what the news release said:

"Clinically dramatic and usually fatal, FIP develops when feline enteric coronavirus (FECV), a common benign intestinal virus, mutates into the malignant FIP virus (FIPV).

"Discovered by a Cornell veterinarian in 1963, this mutant moves from intestinal cells to white blood-cells called macrophages. Traveling through the body, it kills most cats within weeks. Kittens are particularly vulnerable, especially in shelters and catteries. Current tests cannot distinguish between the common FECV and the killer FIPV. No effective vaccines or therapies exist.

“These viruses are so rife with mutations that even samples of the same virus from the same tissue in the same cat rarely match to the letter,” said Dr. Gary Whittaker, the professor of virology who discovered the mutation key. “Sifting through for something that distinguishes FIPV was like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

 So Whittaker deviated from the traditional approach and focused instead on a specific characteristic of the virus. This unique interdisciplinary approach did the trick.

“We’ve found the first known molecular basis for FIP,” said Whittaker. “It finally unlocks the door to developing the world’s first effective diagnostics, preventions, and therapies for FIP in cats.”

Cat owners, shelter workers, rescues and volunteers the world over are cheering you on, Dr. Whittaker.

Thank you.


Sunday, June 23, 2013

Review: Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain

Keeping cats well hydrated is an important part of feline health, especially if cats are fed dry food. Dry food has a moisture content of about 10% whereas wet food is over 70%.

Photo: wabisabi2015, via Creative Commons
Good hydration can help prevent a host of medical issues, and is integral to good intestinal function. It also plays an important part in managing kidney disease and diabetes.

Running water is often more enticing to a cat - it's probably somewhat instinctual, as running water is the safest kind to drink in the wild.

Since we have one cat (yes, Maxwell, we're talking about you) who refuses to eat anything but dry -- despite our best efforts -- it was important to me that we do everything we could to encourage water consumption.

We've had Drinkwell products for the past two years, starting with the plastic Drinkwell 360 and then
moving to the ceramic Lotus fountain.

My only complaint with the plastic fountain was that it had a lot of moving parts, and the fountain itself took some time to clean properly.  But it was important to me that we have a source of running water in the home to encourage our herd to drink, so the cleaning was a pain -- but worth it.

Then at BlogPaws this year, PetSafe, the makers of Drinkwell fountains, held a drawing and I won their ceramic Pagoda fountain.

Our newly-assembled Pagoda

I love it. It's a breeze to clean, has very few parts, and because it's ceramic it stays cleaner and the water stays fresher longer.

Maxwell enjoying a drink

I highly recommend getting a fountain for your cat to encourage them to drink more water - especially during the hot summer months here in the northern hemisphere. But I specifically recommend PetSafe's Pagoda because its care and upkeep is a breeze.

I'm thrilled I won this in their giveaway at BlogPaws. They didn't ask me to review their product - the drawing came with absolutely no strings attached - but I am happy to do so. Especially since I think it's important that we do everything we can to keep our feline friends well-watered!


Sunday Funnies

We had so much fun with Molly Bradenburg's ideabooks on houzz.com when we shared a few with you back in February that we wanted to revisit her site and share more with you:




Saturday, June 22, 2013

Cat Dreaming

Faraday, off in a daydream. Probably about pestering Allie. *sigh*


Today's PhotoHunt Word of the Day is DAYDREAM.

***



We're also participating in the Weekend Cat Blogging blog hop...








Friday, June 21, 2013

Fun Find: Rogz Grinz Dog Ball

If you have a fun find you'd like to share, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

***

Found these on Pinterest,  of course. And burst out laughing. They are just too cute!





They come in several colors - pink, orange, lime, red, blue. They float, so you can toss them into the water for a fun retrieval game. Or you could stuff them with your dog's fave treat for hours of canine engagement and entertainment. You can buy them on amazon.com for $6.50 each.






Thursday, June 20, 2013

NYT Bestselling author Gwen Cooper in KC this Saturday!

Author Gwen Cooper knows how to spin a tale. Take Homer the Blind Wonder Cat, for instance. If you've never met Homer, trust me -- you do not know what you're missing.

Homer's Odyssey is one of the very few pet stories you can read, confident in the knowledge that, in the end, the main character does not die. We're happy to report that Homer is alive and well, and living large in New York City.

And for me, that's huge. Not that I mind a well-crafted story with a sad ending. But it's nice to have the happy endings too. So that part of Homer's Odyssey is a spoiler I'll willingly share.

Homer is the champion of all differently-abled pets everywhere. He's proof that what others call a disability is nothing of the sort.

His story is gripping, laugh out loud funny and touching. And the tale is 100% true. We promise you won't be able to put it down.

But we're not here to talk about Homer (though he's one cool dude for sure).

We're here to talk about Gwen's next book, Love Saves the Day.  The star of this book is one spunky kitty named Prudence. Much of this story is told through her eyes.

How different the world looks through a feline lens!

For one thing, after reading this book, you'll never again wonder if a cat can grieve when losing their human companion (something shelter workers know all about, by the way).

They do. Prudence does.

Prudence is rehomed with her human's somewhat estranged adult daughter after her human passes away early in the book, and much of the story is about the journey of adjusting to a new life -- for both human and cat alike.

As each goes through the grieving process, an intricate relationship evolves between Prudence and her new human. And along the way, a wonderful healing takes place.

I won't lie to you; you'll need a box of tissue to make it through this one. It's an emotional wringer.

But it's touching and poignant and well worth the ride.

Best of all, Kansas Citians will get the opportunity to meet the author, Gwen Cooper, in person this Saturday. She's appearing at 1 PM at Unity Temple on the Plaza at an author event held by Rainy Day Books - her Kansas City stop on the national book tour sponsored by Arm & Hammer Litter. (And the first 100 people at the event will receive a free Litter Genie.)

There are several cool things you need to know about this event:

Gwen chose Kansas City because she wanted this book tour to be something different than what she's ever done before, and our home town just happened to fit that criteria.

She wanted this book tour to benefit shelters. Specifically she wanted to feature No-Kill shelters that had some form of humane education program in place -- something that benefited humans as well as animals.

Gwen said it best (from her own web site):

"When you help animals, you help people. The tour for LOVE SAVES THE DAY highlights that animal welfare is ultimately about human welfare.

The shelters and rescue groups on the tour have been selected on the strength of innovative programs that extend their work with animals into programs that serve humans.

They've implemented programs that serve the elderly, the homeless, military families, at-risk children (with programs for literacy, anti-bullying, character building), low-income families, disaster survivors, domestic violence victims, and more.

Love does save the day, and not just for the animals these organizations rescue."

We're proud to say that the Humane Education program created by the staff and volunteers at Wayside Waifs is the reason Gwen chose Kansas City. If you're not familiar with their No More BULLIES! campaign, here is how Wayside describes it:

"No More BULLIES! works to prevent violence by teaching children the humane education principles of compassion, responsibility, self-control, integrity and respecting the right of others, including pets. Statistics prove that developing these principles in young people through the humane treatment of pets leads children to greater empathy for fellow human beings."

We're thrilled that Rainy Day Books is donating 10% of the proceeds from this event to Wayside as well. Wayside representatives will be there to answer any questions you may have -- and oh, by the way, they'll even have a kitten or two at the event, so be sure to come a few minutes early to work in a requisite kitty cuddle.

Come out and meet Gwen, hear her read excerpts from her latest book, and spend a moment cuddling one of the many steal-your-heart kittens Wayside Waifs has currently available for adoption. Tickets are available now through Saturday at Rainy Day Book's web site.

Maybe you'll make a love connection of the furry kind while you're there, who knows?


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Daddy's Girl

"He's mine, Mother. You can go now."
***

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

'Toon Tuesdays




...or was that a really bad "feline"...?


_____

Toon Tuesdays feature cat & dog cartoons made by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) - where our mom works, too!



Monday, June 17, 2013

Warning: "Pet Flipping" on the rise

A friend of ours on twitter brought to our attention a news story from a local TV station warning about a new scam - pet flipping - that targets dog lovers.

What it is

Say you find a lost dog wandering your neighborhood. As a good citizen, what do you do?

Clyde the bulldog. Photo: public domain.
Take photos, and then hang flyers in the neighborhood, at the local market, even perhaps in the lost and found section of your local paper or on craigslist.

You get a call from someone, and they sound both frantic and relieved at the same time: "omigosh, you found my dog! We've been worried sick!"

You meet with the person who gratefully takes said pup off your hands and you feel this warm glow because you've helped reunite a family member.

But then you happen to be cruising through craigslist the next day and you see a photo of the dog you rescued up for sale. You - and the pet's real owner - have just fallen victim to the current new scam: pet flipping.

What you can do

Sometimes even the most meticulous pet owner can lose a pet. It might be a pet sitter who accidentally leaves a door ajar, or a secure fence that develops weaknesses your pup can exploit. Regardless, you can't assume that your indoor pet will remain indoors every moment of their life. And how many of you own pets that you believe are secretly related to Houdini, please raise your hands?

Houdini? Who, me? *innocent look*
Then there are natural disasters such as flood, fire, or tornado.

And yes, this can happen to you.

When we were so personally involved in the fire that devoured Sebastian's home and the homes of 20 other families, two pets were lost.

One, to our knowledge, was never recovered. The other one was found, and restored to  his grateful owners, but only because of one little detail: he was microchipped.



Microchips save lives & reunite families

Here are a few facts you may not have known about lost pets, courtesy of Found Animals. And please take special note of how a microchip can improve your chances of reuniting with your cat:


The Good News

An increasing number of shelters are microchipping all animals adopted out. And awareness of the benefits of microchipping your pet is increasing among pet owners.

The Bad News

According to studies published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), over 40% of pets that are implanted with microchips cannot be found in a pet registry database anywhere.

What you need to do

Is your pet microchipped? Great! If not, I urge you to please consider doing so at your earliest convenience.  But more importantly, have you registered your microchipped loved one in a registry?
We have. Our three are registered with Petlink, the company associated with our microchip manufacturer. However, we recently received an email from FoundAnimals about a free national microchip registry here in the US.

Regardless of your microchip's manufacture - and regardless of whether or not you're in another registry already - you can enter your information into Found Animal's Microchip registry for free.

According to their website,

"The Found Animals Microchip Registry is a free, nonprofit service dedicated to reuniting lost pets with their families. By registering your pet's microchip number in the Found Animals Microchip Registry, if your pet is ever lost and picked up by a humane organization or individual, you will be contacted via phone, email, and text with information on where your pet can be found.

"There is no coest to use the Found Animals Microchip Registry. You can register any brand of microchip, add pets, and update your information for free online 24/7."

Why registries are important

Did you know? A microchip does not store your pet's information. It simply sends a number to a microchip reader when the reader activates it (the microchip remains completely dormant all other times).

An owner must go online and fill in the information - name, address, contact info, veterinarian, medical issues, etc - or the implanted microchip is, in essence, useless.

So please... Microchip. Register. And update your information regularly.
And please encourage friends and family to do the same.



Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sunday Sun Puddles


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Saturday, June 15, 2013

Empty chairs, trash bags and bomb sniffing...pigs?

It was the day after BlogPaws. Two pet bloggers were sitting at Dulles International Airport in a post-conference coma.

Perhaps it was memory of the standing ovation given to Hugo, a 4-legged member of the Arlington police department, the evening before. (BlogPaws gave Hugo his own protective K-9 vest during their awards banquet.)

Perhaps it was the trek through TSA which all passengers are now so familiar with when they fly. Possibly that trip through the scanner was still fresh in their minds. 

Perhaps it was because one of said bloggers was a pilot and the other, an undercover cop.

Or perhaps it was just finely honed (cough) powers of observation that cut through the sheer exhaustion from the 3-day conference.

For whatever reason, one blogger found herself asking the other blogger: "do you see that plastic bag, sitting under the chair really close to us, and completely abandoned?"

(Which, by the way, is perfect for today's Saturday PhotoHunt topic: "unknown".  But we digress.)

Pardon the reenactment, but certain people were complete and utter slackers
when it came to documenting the event. And they call themselves bloggers?

After much debate over what to do about said bag -- "It's probably nothing" "Are we really going to flag TSA down over this?" "You're the pilot, you decide" "You're the cop, you decide!" "Okay, FINE" (well, not really, but the actual debate was far less interesting), one blogger looked up to see two TSA agents passing by and dumped the entire problem in their laps.

The two agents approached the bag carefully but kept their distance. They confirmed the bag had been unclaimed for well over half an hour, then contacted airport police to send an explosives expert -- the kind with a nose for these things -- out to investigate.

While scrambling to send their representative from his post, another policeman (who had heard the report on the radio and happened to be nearby) strolled over to investigate.

He examined the bag from a slightly closer vantage, sniffed a moment, hesitated, then grabbed the bag and took it over to the trash can. "It smells too good to be a bomb," he declared, then promptly called to cancel the other team and informed them the object was "just trash."

Faraday: "I could have told them THAT. We kitties know noms when we smell them!"
After the smoke had (figuratively) cleared and the TSA agents went about their business, the policeman hung around to chat for a moment with a fellow officer. Turns out he knows Hugo's partner and handler and was thrilled to hear Hugo now had a Kevlar vest to protect him. (thanks, BlogPaws!)

"We have some great explosives dogs in the program," he said. The breeds most frequently trained for this type of work, I learned, were German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, and occasionally mixes of these breeds. Occasionally Rottweilers, Doberman Pinchers, and Bouvier de Flandres are trained, as well.  Other breeds can also considered, if detection is their only job.


"But what I really want," he added, "is a bomb sniffing pig."

Wait.  A pig?

Yep. Turns out a pig's sense of smell is more highly developed than even that of a dog. In fact, their noses have been used to find truffles (that famous delicacy coveted by chefs the world over) as far back as ancient Rome.

And now some governments are rumored to be considering the use of bomb-sniffing pigs on their security teams, in the place of explosives dogs.

So keep your eyes peeled. You may soon encounter bomb-sniffing pigs in your travels! 

Bomb-sniffing pigs. Who knew?
___________
Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3221079.stm
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/animalwelfare/1_download.pdf
http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/ncstate/pig.htm


***



We're also participating in the Weekend Cat Blogging blog hop...










Friday, June 14, 2013

Fun Find: Tiger Earrings

If you have a fun find you'd like to share, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

***

Found these at our local Gordman's for under $10. (Just in time to wear them to BlogPaws too!)





You can get a similar pair online at a place called Hip Hop Closet for $18. (Though they look more like a hammered silver from the photos.)

Still - fun earrings for under $20!

***

Nominations Open for Petties Awards

We weren't planning to participate this year until we read that for every blog nomination you can also nominate a deserving animal shelter to receive a $10,000 Petties Grant.

There are so many shelters out there who could use those funds. Our choices at the moment, based on need, are Great Plains SPCA and Kansas City Siamese Rescue (Maxwell's Alma Mater). 

KC Siamese in particular is in desperate need of funds right now, and so the heroes at that great group are our personal choice for the nomination! 

Please click the logo here on the left to nominate. You'll need the URL of the blog you're nominating (ours would be www.atonkstail.com for example) and the name of the shelter you wish to nominate.






Thursday, June 13, 2013

Thursday Trivia: Old Dog, New Tricks

It's always interesting to trace some of the more well-worn phrases back to see exactly how old they really are. To us, it feels as if they've been around forever yet surprisingly many of them are only a few hundred years old.

"Can we call Cucumber Fetch a new trick?"
Photo: nao-cha, Creative Commons 2.0

And that's the case with the phrase, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".

The earliest known rendition in print is in an animal husbandry book written by John Fitzherbert in 1534 (okay so it's almost 500 years old). In it, he advises his readers to teach a dog to find a scent when it is just a young whelp, "for it is harde to make an olde dogge to stoupe."

Tree climbing dogs definitely qualifies!
Photo: Vicvx, Creative Commons 3.0 
[Phrases.org tells us that 'stoupe' meant to 'put nose to the ground to find a scent'.]

But what we found equally interesting was that proverbs like these were often found in pairs.

The web site Word Wizard tells us that this saying actually has a partner or counterpart in the proverb "you're never too old to learn".

Word Wizard calls this kind of opposing 'truth' an antithetical proverb. Cool, huh?

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable tells us this antithetical proverb first showed up in common use - surprise - during the late 16th century, just a handful of years after our "old dog" came on the scene.


Popular culture would have it that the Moroccan version of this proverb features a cat rather than a dog: "An old cat will not learn how to dance." However, try as we might, we were unable to find any evidence beyond anecdotal usage on other blogs and websites, so don't hold us to that one!
_____________
Sources:
Phrases.org
Know Your Phrase
Word Wizard  and also Word Wizard Link #2
The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | ELIZABETH KNOWLES | © The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 2006, originally published by Oxford University Press 2006.

***

Nominations Open for Petties Awards

We weren't planning to participate this year until we read that for every blog nomination you can also nominate a deserving animal shelter to receive a $10,000 Petties Grant.

There are so many shelters out there who could use those funds. Our choices at the moment, based on need, are Great Plains SPCA and Kansas City Siamese Rescue (Maxwell's Alma Mater). 

KC Siamese in particular is in desperate need of funds right now, and so the heroes at that great group are our personal choice for the nomination! 

Please click the logo here on the left to nominate. You'll need the URL of the blog you're nominating (ours would be www.atonkstail.com for example) and the name of the shelter you wish to nominate.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Elegant Whisker Wednesday




***

Nominations Open for Petties Awards

We weren't planning to participate this year until we read that for every blog nomination you can also nominate a deserving animal shelter to receive a $10,000 Petties Grant.

There are so many shelters out there who could use those funds. Our choices at the moment, based on need, are Great Plains SPCA and Kansas City Siamese Rescue (Maxwell's Alma Mater). 

KC Siamese in particular is in desperate need of funds right now, and so the heroes at that great group are our personal choice for the nomination! 

Please click the logo here on the left to nominate. You'll need the URL of the blog you're nominating (ours would be www.atonkstail.com for example) and the name of the shelter you wish to nominate.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

'Toon Tuesdays




_____

Toon Tuesdays feature cat & dog cartoons made by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) - where our mom works, too!




Monday, June 10, 2013

Monday Throw Down!

"What do you think? Should I?"

"Oh why not. you only live...nine times...!"

***

Nominations Open for Petties Awards

We weren't planning to participate this year until we read that for every blog nomination you can also nominate a deserving animal shelter to receive a $10,000 Petties Grant.

There are so many shelters out there who could use those funds. Our choices at the moment, based on need, are Great Plains SPCA and Kansas City Siamese Rescue (Maxwell's Alma Mater). 

KC Siamese in particular is in desperate need of funds right now, and so the heroes at that great group are our personal choice for the nomination! 

Please click the logo here on the left to nominate. You'll need the URL of the blog you're nominating (ours would be www.atonkstail.com for example) and the name of the shelter you wish to nominate.


Sunday, June 9, 2013

7 Ways Cats Help You Decorate

Again from the talented mind of artist Molly Bradenburg. Don't forget to use the arrows (in the black bar on the left side) to click through to see all 7!





Saturday, June 8, 2013

Faraday...Munster?



We're just sayin'.

And we do hope this made you GRIN (PhotoHunt Word of the Day).

***

Nominations Open for Petties Awards

We weren't planning to participate this year until we read that for every blog nomination you can also nominate a deserving animal shelter to receive a $10,000 Petties Grant.

There are so many shelters out there who could use those funds. Our choices at the moment, based on need, are Great Plains SPCA and Kansas City Siamese Rescue (Maxwell's Alma Mater). 

KC Siamese in particular is in desperate need of funds right now, and so the heroes at that great group are our personal choice for the nomination! 

Please click the logo here on the left to nominate. You'll need the URL of the blog you're nominating (ours would be www.atonkstail.com for example) and the name of the shelter you wish to nominate.


***
 

We're also participating in the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop, hosted by Life With Dogs ...







and Weekend Cat Blogging
with Pam at Sidewalk Shoes. 








Friday, June 7, 2013

Fun Find: Attorneys at Awwww

If you have a fun find you'd like to share, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

***

We're suckers for cute t-shirts, and Snorg Tees has some of the ones we love best. Check this one out!



You can get this at Snorg Tees' site for $19.95.



Thursday, June 6, 2013

Thursday Trivia: Cat and Mouse

Okay, this might seem a bit obvious. Cats have chased mice from time immemorial, right? So it would follow that the phrase ‘cat and mouse’ was as old as, well, our humans (and everycat knows humans are, like, elebenty zillion years old and stuff).

Three cats, one mouse. Unfair odds?
But we found it interesting that its first known use only dates back to 1675, as an English-language idiom.

That form of the phrase can only be traced back that far in published literature, according to Merriam-Webster and Omnilexica.

What we found even more interesting is its definition. There’s its traditional meaning, of course:
  • ‘the act of toying with or tormenting something before destroying it’ (Merriam-Webster)
  • ‘to engage in a gamelike relationship in which evasion and pursuit are used: They played cat and mouse for a while before she consented to go out with him.’ (Dictionary Reference)


But then we found out that Cat and Mouse is a children’s game dating back to 1910-1915. And it may sound familiar!

The game begins with the group of children standing in a circle with hands on each others’ shoulders. Two are selected out – one as the cat, one as the mouse.

The mouse tells the cat, “you can’t catch me!” and the game is afoot. The mouse runs in and out of the circle and the cat must mimic it exactly or he loses.

If the cat manages to catch the mouse, he becomes the mouse and gets to choose a new cat.

A variant of this in Costa Rica has the circle as active participants, helping the mouse out by trying to block the cat by raising and lowering their joined arms.

Sounds a bit like an elaborate game of tag, doesn’t it? 

"Tag...?"

__________
Sources:

Nebraska History
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online
DictionaryReference.com
Omnilexica
Encyclopedia of Play in Today’s Society, Volume 1, Rodney P. Carlisle, page 119, Sage Publications, Inc, April 2, 2009