Tag Archives: cats

NASA cats are a thing!

03 Saturday Feb 2018

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Humor

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Cats have sailed the seven seas (like Hemingway’s polydactyl cats), managed libraries (Dewey and Max the library cat), and supervised the United States Postal System (USPS). So why not NASA? There are theories that cats came from outer space. Which seems highly unlikely, if only for lack of kitty treats. But with cats, nothing is ever what’s likely.

NASA cats logo

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

And…they have cats!  Why am I surprised?

The CATS space program

NASA created a Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) that launched in 2014. CATS is a remote sensing instrument to provide range-resolved profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from the International Space Station (ISS). In simple English, it’s technology that interprets (and helps us predict) the weather.

Does anyone else smell something fishy about all this? The CATS program could quite possibly be the brain child of ingenious interstellar felines. After all, cats are extremely finicky about exposure to rain, sleet, and snow!

cat-in-rain

Here’s the official NASA CATS brochure. Though, it might have been humanized, so we won’t realize just how in control felines are of NASA…and the world.

The REAL NASA cats & the Ames Cat Network

There are plenty of real cats roaming the grounds of NASA, at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California. Sadly, many were abandoned without even being fixed. Left to reproduce uncontrolled, the cat population boomed.

The kind folks at NASA partnered with the Palo Alto Humane Society to trap, spay and neuter, and find homes for these cats in need. The Ames Cat Network was created, and each cat is tested, altered, and inoculated before being offered for adoption.

If you or someone you know in the San Francisco area is interested in fostering or adopting a NASA cat, please contact the Palo Alto Humane Society at 650.424.1901.

Other organizations in the San Francisco Bay area that help homeless animals, and have many wonderful pets available for adoption:

Undercover Cats: The TRUTH about Disneyland’s Secret Cast Members

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Disneyland

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The cats are out of the bag. And to think it happened in Fantasyland… There’s more to their covert kitty fluff than gratuitous sass and snark, though. Disneyland cats are working cats-members that provide a valuable function in the Happiest Place on Earth.

Covert Kitties Turned Social Media Mavens

Several years ago Taylor Roberts, a freelance writer, glimpsed a cat darting across a path in Fantasyland and snapped a picture.

That night he started the Cats of Disneyland Twitter account with tweets voiced by the witty cats. A web site soon followed: Cats of Disneyland.

With Roberts’ dry humor combined with photos of the covert cats, Disneyland’s secret cats-members skyrocketed to social media stardom. Articles about Disneyland cats were featured in the Los Angeles Times and KTLA. Blog posts were written about them, like my 2015 post, The Cats Behind the Mouse. (Giovanni, Disneyland California Adventure, PC:Elizabeth Fais)

NOTE: Taylor Roberts started the Disneyland Cats accounts on Twitter and Instagram, but it now appears those accounts were taken over by someone else. It’s not uncommon for popular accounts to be purchased and transferred to new owners.

In a theme park inspired by the world’s most famous mouse, it’s the cats of Disneyland who have the run of the place. —Los Angeles Times

As Becky so proudly flaunts, atop the roof of the Mexican eatery in Frontierland, Rancho del Zocalo (PC:Elizabeth Fais).

Becky, Disneyland Cat
All the media hype continued to keep the cats’ indisputable value to the daily operation of the Park a secret, though.

Cats-members with a Cause

Disney parks pride themselves in cleanliness. So it’s a little embarrassing that cats are necessary for the Disney “Mouse” squeaky clean image. In truth, the cats play an important role in keeping rats and other vermin out of the Park.

Disneyland’s cats have been behind-the-scenes cast members since the Park opened in 1955, infiltrating the grounds from the surrounding orange groves of the time.

The cats at Disneyland are feral, which means they are happy living and hunting outdoors, and prefer to stay away from people.

I became interested in the cat population at Disneyland, because of the work I do with feral cats in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve made several trips to Disneyland to research the cats. On one trip, I talked with the manager of the feral cat program and here’s what I learned:

  • Approximately 200 cats live at the Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland California Adventure, the Disneyland Hotel, and the Grand Californian Hotel.
  • The cats have been trapped, spay or neutered, and then released (TNR) back into the park. This is the proven, humane method for managing feral cat populations. For more information, read about Stanford campus’ Feline Friends Network.
  • There are feeding stations for the cats “back stage” to supplement their diet and keep them healthy.(PCs:Elizabeth Fais, Ned, at the Disneyland Hotel)
  • They’ve implemented an ingenious flea management program that is low-stress for the cats and highly effective.
  • The cats are given medical care and attention, as needed. This ensures healthy, long lives for each of the cats.
  • When a cat becomes too friendly with Park guests, they are given a home with a devoted Park employee.
  • Feeding and petting the cats is discouraged at all times. Disneyland cats are wild animals, and must be treated with respect and caution.
  • The best times to get a glimpse the cats are early in the morning (early admission, if possible), or around sunset. Feral cats are nocturnal, and usually sleep out of sight during the day.
  • Ask cast members for tips on where the cats hang out. The evening crew seemed to know the most when I asked, as that’s when the cats are most active.

Disneyland Cats: Unsung Heroes!

Something must be done…I mean sung! The “underdog story” is popular in the Disney Classics library.Francisco, Disneyland Cat It’s time to break old boundaries and blaze new trails. We need an “undercat story” accompanied with terrific songs. Of course!

Disneyland Cats
~
The Musical

Are you listening Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Pixar &
Disney Animation Studios?

Francisco’s already to auditioning!

(PC: Elizabeth Fais, Francisco, Disneyland California Adventure)

 

Mark Twain and the Kitten that Played Pool

16 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Writing

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Twain’s softer side

Mark TwainThe name Mark Twain is synonymous with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn—rough and tumble boys full of adventure, daring pranksters who were afraid of nothing.

In many ways, the characters an author creates are their reflection. But like Hemingway, Mark Twain had a softer side he hid from the world.

Like so many creative people, Mark Twain was sensitive and more than a little reclusive. People who knew him said he was most comfortable around animals, with a particular love of cats. According the Mark Twain’s daughter, Suzy…

The difference between papa and mama is that mama loves morals and papa loves cats.

Twain loved cats so much he had up to 19 living in his house at one time, according to one source. And that was just at his Connecticut home.

Mark Twain biographer, Albert Biglow Paine, revealed that Mark Twain even traveled with cats. Once on his travels, he missed his cats so much he rented a few local kittens for the summer. “He didn’t wish to own them, for then he would have to leave them behind uncared for,” Paine explained, “so he preferred to rent them and pay sufficiently to ensure their subsequent care.”

The kitten that played pool

It’s odd to think that an author as accomplished as Mark Twain suffered from nervousness about his writing. But he did. His cats helped calm him, as did playing billiards. Amazingly enough, there was one special kitten who did double duty by playing pool with Twain. For real. I am not making this up.

Kitten on pool table

When Twain took a break from his writing to blow off nervous energy, he’d pick up the kitten and tuck him into one of the pockets of the billiard table and the game began. The kitten swiped at the balls as they darted by, amusing Twain to no end. Rejuvenated by the kitten’s antics, Twain could then return to his writing.

Twain’s love of animals lives on

Generations of cats have called Nook Farm home—the famous author’s house in Hartford, Connecticut. Dozens of cats still live on the grounds of The Mark Twain House & Museum today, much as they did during the famous author’s lifetime.

When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction. ~ Mark Twain

Many of the staff members at The Mark Twain House are proud owners of Nook Farm cats, continuing Twain’s legacy.

Mark Twain’s love of cats lives on in his writing, as well. Cats stalk, slink, pad, and play their way through many of his best-known books, including The Innocents Aboard, Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Puddn’head Wilson. If that’s not reason enough to read Twain, I don’t know what is. But I’m a hopeless animal lover too. What can i say?

Operation #OccupyTree

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by in Cats, Holiday Irreverence, Humor

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The Cat-agious Movement Sweeping the World!

Orange cat in Christmas treeYou thought your cats were just cute kitties–sweet and fluffy. Dumb animals that can’t grasp the concepts of an organized movement to reshape society. That they couldn’t instigate their own potent paradigm of social action based on contagious memes.

That there was no way they could comprehend the construct of a global revolution that evolved as a result of the Occupy Wall Street protest. That they weren’t paying attention.

Cat-agorically WRONG. You have no idea.

While protesters occupied Wall Street and you were glued to the TV, arguing with neighbors and Gray cat toppling over Christmas treecoworkers, and perhaps organizing an Occupy protest in your community…

A fatally feline hairball of increasingly sophisticated and dynamic change was purrr-posely set in motion.

Cats around the world were plotting their own protest to end hunger for felines around the world.

A collaboration of such magnitude that it would transform the existing social order for the benefit of all cat-kind. Forever. Stealth and cunning, they waited for the perfect cat-a-clysmic moment to pounce…

CatXmasTree1

The Brazen Brains Behind #OccupyTree

Evidence of the claw-dacious overthrow is flooding in. Grinch, move over! Cats everywhere are commandeering Christmas, demanding food and adequate shelter for everyone in their feline family around the globe.

“WHO is responsible for this ferocious feline movement?” authorities are asking.

  • Sources report that the cat-tankerous Twitter sensation @CatFoodBreath has shamelessly tweeted about #OccupyTree since 2011, and is thought to be the mastermind behind the entire movement.
  • Christmas Trees at the Happiest Place on Earth isn’t even safe. @DisneylandCats unabashedly tweets up their #OccupyTree victories throughout the Magic Kingdom.
  • And then there is Grumpy Cat. She’s used her fame to fan the flame of the feline revolt with her @RealGrumpyCat tweets to #EndWetFoodHunger.

Four Paws in Favor of Ending Feline Famine

As I’m sure you’ve realized, this post is pure parody. However, feline famine is very real. In the spirit of the holidays, here’s what you can bring much-needed comfort to a few furry forgotten souls:

  • Buy extra cat food next time you’re at the store, and drop it off at your local animal shelter.
  • If there is someone in your community who cares for feral cats, buy extra cat food and give it to them. Your donation is a tremendous benefit to the caregiver as well as the cats under their care.
  • Donate to a local animal rescue organization. The animal shelter in your area can provide you with a list of rescue organizations and how to get in touch with them.

As Charles Chaplin once said:

Who feeds a hungry animal feeds his own soul

Ernest Hemingway was a “Cat Lady”

19 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Amazing but true!, Cats, Fun Facts

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Six-toed cat standing next to Hemingway's typewriterYes. It’s true. Hemingway, one of the manliest men to ever hit the literary scene loved cats. A plethora of them. 40-50 six-toed (polydactyl) cats still roam his Key West, Florida estate.

40-50 cats = Cat Lady

I don’t mean to dis The Man, nor the furry family of six-toed cats he adopted. Quite the opposite. I consider the “Cat Lady” title a badge of honor. It means the person is a kind soul who helps animals. And let’s face it. We could use more kindness in the world. Being a “Cat Lady” is more about kindness than the number of cats in a person’s care. Photo of a six-toed cat next to Hemingway’s typewriter at the Earnest Hemingway Home and Museum.

Hemingway’s Six-Toed Cats

One of Hemingway’s first feline companions was a six-toed white cat named Snowball, which was given to him by a ship’s captain.

Hemingway with sons Patrick and Gregory with kittens

It is thought—though not proven—that some of the many cats who currently live on the Hemingway Home and Museum grounds in Key West could be descendants of Snowball. After all, Key West is a small island. Which makes it entirely possible that more than a few of the cats that inhabit the island are related. Photograph of Hemingway with sons Patrick and Gregory with kittens, from Wikipedia.

What is a polydactyl cat?

Normal cats have five toes on each front paw and four toes on each hind paw. A polydactyl cat can have as many as eight toes on their front and/or hind paws. Polydactyl cats are not a particular breed. The six-(or more)-toed trait can appear in any breed, Calicos, Tabbies, Tortoise Shell, etc. They vary in shapes, sizes, colors and personalities. What they have in common is a genetic mutation.

Cats with this genetically inherited trait are most commonly found along the EastGray six-toed cat Coast of North America (in the United States and Canada) and in South West England and Wales. Throughout history, polydactyl cats have been popular as ship’s cats. their extra toes aid them in climbing and hunting thereby helping to control rodents on ships. Being good “ship cats” contributed to the spread of polydactyl cats. Photo of one of the polydactyl cats at the Ernest Hemingway Home in Key West, Florida. This particular cat has 26 toes!

No one knows for sure whether the polydactyl genetic trait originated in New England, or was brought there from Britain. However, there is evidence that the polydactyl trait spread as a result of cats that were carried on ships originating from Boston, Massachusetts. The prevalence of polydactyl cats in various other ports correlates with the dates those ports first established sea trade with Boston.

Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida

The Key West, Florida home Ernest Hemingway and his wife Pauline purchased in 1931 was originally built in 1851. The Spanish Colonial style mansion was in a serious state of neglect when the Hemingways took ownership. Luckily, they saw beyond the disrepair to the grand architecture. The Hemingways immediately took on a massive restoration and remodeling that turned the home—built from rock excavated from the property—into the National Historical Landmark that thousands of tourists visit and enjoy.

I don’t know about you, but visiting Hemingway’s Key West home is on my bucket list, for a number of reasons. If you’d like to learn more about the estate, click the following links for information on the Hemingway home, gardens, tours, and of course … the cats. Image from Wikipedia.

Hemingway Home in Key West Florida

REAL Cat Burglars Steal Dogs’ Beds

24 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Animals, Cats, Dogs, Funny Videos, Humor

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Cats that Steal Dogs’ Beds

Last week I ranted did a post about the unfairness of the “scary cat” stereotype society has heaped on felines. Basically accusing cats of being villains. Or worse, pure evil.

Well … cough, cough … it appears this stereotype may– in some part — have been earned, much as I hate to admit it.

The following documentary is harsh, if not heartless. These felines shamelessly steal dogs’ beds, and then brazenly flaunt the stolen entitlement. But true to the Underdog characters we love, some canines fight back. It’s hilarious to see the lengths that some dogs go to to reclaim their prized cushions of comfort.

Cats stealing dogs' beds

Scary Cats ~ Fiction & Felines

18 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by in Cats, Funny Videos, Humor, Movies

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Cats and Their Bad Press in Fiction

Have you ever wondered why cats are often portrayed as villains, the thug, or evil — or minions of evil — in fiction and film … even cartoons? There’s Lucifer, the villain cat in Walt Disney’s Cinderella and Si and Am in Lady and the Tramp. Those are two of the happiest movies ever. And the cats are villains! Don’t even get me started on the old Tom and Jerry cartoons.

You’ll hardly ever see a main cat character like this:

Orange kitten peaking out from behind barrel

No. It’s usually something more like this:

Hissing cat in a tree

This time of year especially brings out the negative imagery for our feline friends. What with Halloween’s stereotypical witches and black cat companions. [images from morguefile.com]

So…I was thrilled when I found the following montage spoof on “scary cat” scenes in movies.

Scary Cat Montage

What’s your “fictional” pet (no pun intended) peeve?

Inquiring minds want to know!