Come to Cat Island

Tashirojima, or “Cat Island”, in Japan:

A long long time ago on Tashirojima, mice were scarfing down the silkworms being raised to make silk, so the farmers brought in a few cats to scarf down the mice.  

Fishermen noticed they could predict weather by the cat's behaviour, and considered cats good luck!

The cat population is now larger than the human population (around 100 peeps).

The human residents have a special reverence for cats, which appears in their shrines...

...and architecture.

Why do they all have to be kittens?

Cat Island post teefed from cuteoverload.com

Top hat kitty

This kitten has a permanent top hat!  

I'm really strapped for Parkdale cat pictures right now and so am resorting to posting international web superstars like this masterpiece above.  It's pretty sad though because I am seeing so many great Parkdale cats every day, but have no camera with which to bring them from Parkdale through my eye holes through your screens to your eye holes.  So please send me your Parkdale kitty or Parkdale kitty related pics!  I will lurve you forever!

I needed that.

Oooh, I spent this week very concerned about my professional future.  After missing out on that dream job I mentioned in an earlier post, I was pretty much resolved to join a feral cat colony in the spring and just prayed to Gosh I'd get used to eating street mice!  But now I've just found out about another great opportunity and I feel like the teddy bear in this beautiful image, sent to me by my friend Diego.

Thanks D-Set!

Meow! I'm Lost! Help!

Please help find this poor little sweetie!

The Audrey Special.

I love “special” cats, as you already know. I think that a lifetime of being “special” myself has caused me to treasure the odd, malformed and differently-abled among us.


I happen to know a very special little kitty named Audrey. Audrey has cerebellar hypoplasia, which is a disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not completely developed at birth. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated movement. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease. Cerebellar hypoplasia is also super cute.

Thankfully, Audrey was adopted by my dear friends and some of the best cat owners I know. She has been treated with dignity and gentleness, and been given a safe place to learn since birth, and so she doesn’t know that she’s got it any harder than other cats. She is a very happy little kitkat.



here is Audrey as a kitten drinking water like a hamster before she learned to stand up.  She even had her own crib!




Here is Audrey learning how to walk.  Slow down there, sweetie!  I remember my first beer too!



her disorder causes her to do very cute things, such as sit with her back legs out like this to help her balance. 

what a pretty little cornish hen!!!!

Audrey has grown up to become a freindly, frisky catty.

she can clean herself

she can eat with the other cats of the house

she can serve as a sundial.

she loves getting love from her momita.

she allows herself to be dressed up as a goth

she loves to play.

She is regal and dignified.

like all cats, she loves boxes.  Audrey rules the roost.

Thank you to Sarah - Audrey-owner, one of my best friends, and blog master at There is Limitless Joy.

You must have been a beautiful baby

I have often tried to picture our Brenda as a kitten.  Because she is so large and fluffy, it has been difficult.  But I wonder if she looked something like this gorgeous timbit:

Squiggy.

 

VERY IMPORTANT!  Please take a second each day from December 2nd to December 15th to vote for Toronto Cat Rescue to win the Aviva Community Grant.  It is a truly deserving organization, and don't beautiful kitties like the above pictured Squiggy just make you want to care? 
Please go here to vote, everyday! http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf9693.

the kitten face syndrome / shock and awe phenomenon.

I love cats of all ages, but one thing that I find exquisitely cute about kittens is how they often look so shocked, worried and concerned.  They're just in awe of everything because it is so new and they are so little, and it shows on their beautiful tiny faces!

Check out some examples of the kitten face phenomenon, lifted from the lovely kitten collection, available for adoption at Toronto Cat Rescue:

"Bed Head" after Rob Ford was elected. So not impressed.

Coco after she saw those Nazi pin-ups of Jesse James' mistress.

Edward when Larry King announced his retirement. Where will Dad get his political opinions?

Fergie when Justin Beiber said that he's his generation's Kurt Cobain.  Notice that she's surprised but considering his statement.

Hannah and Her Sisters after Woody Allen married his Azn daughter.

Jammies reacts to the BP oil spill. :(

Jammies (middle) is diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. :(

Pansy reeling from the news that Tony Parker cheated on Eva Longoria. whaaaaaaaat!!

Birthday

I turned 28.  I have high hopes for this year.  Thank you Kalim.

Toronto cat rescue - but who will rescue the feather?!?!

Baby Broyles shows his true nature with a feather.  The first pic is the face of innocence.  The second pic he gets an idea.  and then... ATTACK!!

3 lovely kittens available in Parkdale!  Wish I could take one.

a prison of your own devise

As Steph and I strolled down Mechanic Avenue, we heard the tinkling of a neck bell, and this orange-eyed baby pranced up to say hello.  He was a real lover.

It is imperative to sniff old pieces of gum on the sidewalk, just to make sure they're not catnip, Temptations, or a squirrel.

He then entered this prison of his own devise, in order to gain the upper-hand in our heavy-petting session.

This jailbird loved to love.

He took time to smell the wheat sheaves.

i love you i love you i love you.

It looks like I was admonishing kitty, but I was just offering my finger for inspection.

What a great encounter!  Mechanic Ave is where it's at.