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August 2020 - What's in a Name? Ask Dennis Quaid!

Continued from Home page - This story originally published / refreshed on 14th August 2020

Dennis Quaid, the cat, is six years old and had been in search of his forever home for more than a year. According to the humane society, he has a 'big heart' and 'likes to curl up on the couch' At first, when they were contacted about Quaid, the human, adopting Quaid, the cat, shelter staff naturally thought they were being pranked. But once they were convinced that it was the real deal, they arranged for the two to get to meet each other via Zoom. This weekend, Jimmy Jellinek, who co-hosts The Pet Show podcast with Quaid, is set to travel to Lynchburg to pick up the cat and bring him back to his new home in Los Angeles.

No choice: 'I just couldn't resist. I had to,' Quaid explained in an interview with 10 News in Roanoke on Wednesday. 'I'm out to save all the Dennis Quaids of the world'

Quaid, who co-founded the entertainment company Audio Up that produces his podcast, told 10 News. ''He's going to be the office cat. He's going to be right here with us. We can't wait.' Meanwhile, the star of The Parent Trap, Any Given Sunday, Frequency and The Day After Tomorrow thinks a lesson could be learned from this story. 'Maybe they should start naming animals in shelters after different celebrities and see who bites,' Quaid suggested.

Famous feline: Quaid posted about the adoption on his Instagram Story and promised more info about the kitty on his The Pet Show podcast - all images courtesy of WSLS.com and Instagram as identified in the Daily Mail

July 2020 - Cat that got the (Holy) cream!

Continued from Home page - This story originally published / refreshed on 8th July 2020

A cheeky cathedral cat stole the show when he decided to tuck into the Dean of Canterbury's milk while he was live streaming morning prayers. Tiger was seen hopping up onto a table before lapping up the milk as Dr Robert Willis told viewers about the gospel of St Mark. Noticing the furry visitor, the Dean gave him an affectionate stroke and said: 'Sorry, we've acquired a friend this morning.'

It's not the first time the Dean has been upstaged by one of the four Canterbury Cathedral cats. In May, Tiger's nephew, Leo, disappeared under the Dean's robes during a morning prayer sermon. In the livestream, Tiger is seen sauntering behind the Dean before leaping up onto a chair.

Glancing at the camera to make sure he is the centre of attention, the cat then steps onto the table and makes a beeline for the milk jug. Tiger, spotting his chance, then starts sticking his paws into the milk jug and licking them, as he indulges in the white stuff. Canterbury Cathedral tweeted the video with the caption: 'Join Dean Robert - and Tiger - for today's morning prayer from the gardens of Canterbury Cathedral.' A spokesman said Tiger is normally a 'shy' cat that 'loves cuddles and a tickled tummy - ideally while bathing in the sunshine, which he can't get enough of!' 'He has a huge appetite,' they told MailOnline, and 'sneaks in to (the house) to finish every bit of food - or milk - he can find'. 'While he often looks as though he is deep in thought we fear we have to confirm that he is not the smartest of the bunch (and most thoughts quickly turn to cuddles or food) but he is a true gent with the biggest heart so we forgive him anything,' they said. 'Sadly, he is also the most unlucky cat in the world and is always getting himself into scrapes - such as the time he went missing for a week and turned up on the cathedral roof and the Dean had to climb up to get him down in the middle of the night with the choristers cheering on from the choir house!'

Tiger is one of four cats that call the cathedral home. He is said to have a 'huge appetite' and to love nothing more than lying in the sunshine - image sourced from and © of Canterbury Cathedral

Tiger lives in the kitchen garden, they said, where he takes a 'keen interest' in watching maintenance and plants and vegetables being planted. He'll also sit and stare at the fish in the pond but is so gentle that he 'never tries to catch anything'. Small birds and chickens are also known to sit next to him without fear. On May 26, Leo the cat was seen strolling into the Dean's garden before walking into his robes as he told viewers about the bible. A cathedral spokesman said Leo is 'undoubtedly the comedian' of the place of worship's four cats.

September 2018 - 'FUR-NOMENAL!'

Continued from Home page - This story originally published / refreshed 6th September 2018

Paw-some! Magical moggy can balance NINE dice on his out-stretched leg or grip a tower of playing cards between his claws

By MailOnline Reporter Published: 1st May 2017 | Updated: 1st May 2017

- The patient cat manages to balance the precariously-placed dice
- In another video it's filmed with a full house of playing cards in its paws
- The videos, which originated on Chinese social media, have been a viral hit

An adorable cat has proven an internet hit with his seemingly 'magical' ability to balance dice on its paws. The moggy is filmed standing perfectly still as it balances nine precariously-placed dice on its paw. It looks completely nonplussed as the owner stacks more and more. But it's not just dice where the moggy proves a magician - it also manages to hold a stack of cards between its paws. The owner has placed what appears to be a card pyramid between the cats legs - which the feline holds in place while leaning back.

In another video the cat holds a full deck of spade playing cards while his owner stacks dice on its other paw. In typical cat-fashion the animal looks distinctly nonchalant as the owner puts seven dice on the edge of its paw. In fact, it looks like it's about to fall asleep. It's unclear where exactly the footage was originally shot, but it was first uploaded on Chinese social media. The cat has proven a popular viral hit on image hosting and social media sites. Source : Daily Mail

May 2018 - Sitting Pretty!

Continued from Home page - This story originally published / refreshed 15th May 2018

Copy cats! Mother-of-four manages to persuade all eight of her beloved moggies to pose for the camera on the stairs at dinner time

- Lorraine Playle decided to take the remarkable snap after seeing a friend's effort 
- Her eight cats, Ashton, Cleo, Garfield, Ghost, Ted, Sooty, Boo and Ned, took part
- The mother-of-four roped in her husband Andy to help get them into the shot 

By Richard Marsden for the Daily Mail | Published: 23:32, 15 May 2018 | Updated: 00:13, 16 May 2018

Amateur photographer Lorraine Playle thought she was the cat’s whiskers after pulling off this snap. The mother-of-four – no stranger to juggling matters of a domestic nature – managed to persuade all eight of her beloved moggies to pose for the camera on her stairs. The true copy cats lining up by their food bowls are Ashton, Cleo, Garfield, Ghost, Ted, Sooty, Boo and Ned. All are aged between six months and ten years old. Mrs Playle had the idea for the picture after seeing one that had been taken by a friend – but that photograph involved only a mere three felines.

Her husband Andy, 43, an estate agent, said: ‘My wife had the idea to try it out herself and thought she could do better. ‘It came off at the first attempt. The trickier part was getting all eight cats inside the house at the same time. ‘My wife had made a couple of practice attempts but those only involved a small number of the cats. The picture was taken the first time she tried it with all eight.’ As well as their cats, Mr and Mrs Playle share their home in Ashford, Kent, with two dogs (an American Staffordshire bull terrier and a long-haired Jack Russell) and two guinea pigs – plus four children, including three teenagers. They also have two horses and a Shetland pony at stables nearby. Mr Playle said the new feeding positions have caught on with the cats. ‘They used to feed in the hallway but now think it’s normal to stand on the steps waiting for their food – just like in the photograph,’ he said. Anita Kelsey, a cat behaviour expert, said the secret to the shot was simple. She said: ‘Cats will go where the food is.’ Let’s hope the Playles’ dogs and horses don’t get the same idea...

The cat with two faces: British short hair has a flawless split of grey and black facial fur

This adorable cat was born with a flawless split of grey and black fur divided almost perfectly down the middle of her face

- Adorable cat was born in France with a flawless split of grey and black fur down the middle of her face
- Rare markings on the striking British short hair are thought to be the result of two embryos fusing together
- While the cause of its appearance is not known, other felines with a similar look are known as chimera cats

From The Daily Mail Online

This adorable cat was born with a flawless split of grey and black fur divided almost perfectly down the middle of her face. The rare markings on the British short hair, pictured at her home in France, are thought to be the result of two embryos fusing together. She has both light grey and black fur on her face, separated evenly in a remarkably straight line.

While the exact cause of this pet's striking appearance is not known, other felines with this mysterious look are known as chimera cats, which are the result of the merging of two fertilised eggs, or two early embryos in the mother's womb. Each of the separate two-parent cells has already started developing before the merge, meaning that their established physical features may already come through. Although it is a rare occurrence, chimeras can occur across many species - including humans - but most don't realise they even have the condition. The signs can be subtle, such as patches of different coloured hair.

The name chimera comes from the monster of Greek mythology made of lions, goats and snakes. 

While the exact cause of this pet's incredible appearance is not known, other felines with this mysterious look are known as chimera cats

Even split: The adorable pet has black fur on most of its body. Her appearance is thought to be the result of two embryos fusing together

The striking British short hair, pictured at her home in France, has unique markings that are thought to be the result of two embryos fusing together

The cat was born with light grey on one side of its face and black fur on the other while it also has white paws and a patch of white beneath its jaws

All images and description dialogue courtesy & © of Caters News Agency / Pictures by Jean-Michel Labat and original story here

This story originally published / refreshed on 23rd February 2018

Did Adam and Eve have Pets?

(This item comes courtesy of my late friend and former art teacher, Rosemary Boaler)

Adam and Eve said "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonely here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.

"And God said "I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be be, this companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal and God was pleased.

And Adam said "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said "I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you. His name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them. They were comforted, and God was pleased. Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."

And God said "I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve looked into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

Adam and Eve learned humility. God was pleased. Dog was happy. And Cat did not care a fig one way or the other .........

(Post script : if you own a cat, you will know this is true!)

This story originally published / refreshed on 15th August 2017

Lost Relic

We all know how precious cats are - but do we always appreciate good fortune right in front of our noses?

From the Daily Mail comes this astonishing story : All images copyrighted as shown on images

Bronze cat statue that grandmother kept by her fireplace was 2,500-year-old ancient Egyptian relic

- David Lay did routine house clearance of a property in Cornwall
- The auctioneer found statue of a bronze cat which was from 26th Dynasty
- The ancient Egyptian artefact may have belonged to Howard Carter
- Carter discovered tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, earning worldwide fame
- Douglas Liddell, who had been connected to the house being cleared in Cornwall had previously worked at Spink and Son in London in 1940s 
- Spink and Son had handled Carter's house clearance when he died 
- Mr Liddell is believed to have got cat from Spinks and retired to Cornwall
- The cat will be auctioned and has been valued between £5,000 and £10,000

For years, this unusual ornament – a cat complete with delicate gold earrings – stood on the hearth of a small Cornish cottage, believed to be a cheap copy of an Egyptian bronze. When the elderly owner died, her family assumed it was worthless and were ready to throw it away. Then an expert intervened – and his suspicion that the 7in bust might be of some value has been proved true beyond his wildest dreams.

The bust of an Ancient Egyptian bronze cat found during a house clearance in Cornwall may have belonged to archaeologist Howard Carter 

The cat was found in front of an imitation fire, complete with gold earrings, and is believed to have belonged to world famous archaeologist Howard Carter (right) who found Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 

Because the cat is a genuine relic dating back to around 600BC, and is expected to sell for tens of thousands of pounds when it goes under the hammer today. However, it came very close to ending up in a skip. The statue had belonged to Doreen Liddell of Penzance, Cornwall. When she died in November, her family called in Penzance Auction Rooms to clear her house – and auctioneer David Lay saw the cat. He too initially assumed that it was a reproduction, but took it back to his office for a closer look. Only then did he realise how old it could be. When he shared his discovery with Mrs Liddell’s family, they told him her late husband, Douglas, had once been managing director of the prestigious Spink and Son auction house in London. The firm, founded in 1666, is renowned for its sales of Ancient Egyptian artefacts.

In 1939, Spink sold the estate of archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is thought Mr Liddell bought the 2,500-year-old cat at a Spink sale, although his family has no record of it. Mr Lay said of the cat: ‘Once we discovered it had originally been owned by a one-time managing director of Spink and Son, one of London’s oldest and greatest art dealing institutions, its presence made much more sense. 'In excellent condition, authenticated by the British Museum, who were genuinely delighted to see such a “perfectly proportioned” piece, we expect a lot of interest in this wonderful find.’ 

Penzance Auction Rooms has given the sculpture a ‘very conservative’ estimate of £5,000 to £10,000, but says it could make as much as £50,000. Spokesman Mimi Connell-Lay said: ‘The life-size head, mounted on a polished slate base, was sitting on the hearth in a small local cottage in front of an imitation-coal gas fire. ‘When David first saw it, it was so hot that he couldn’t pick it up, and he assumed it was a reproduction. On closer inspection, he realised he had something quite special on his hands.’ Miss Connell-Lay said the head of the Ancient Egypt department at the British Museum confirmed the cat dated from the 26th Dynasty. She added: ‘David asked the family for some background, and amazingly they had no idea it was valuable and were about to throw it in the skip.’ She said the cat was a ‘particularly fine example’ and would have been commissioned by someone of ‘considerable means and status’.

This story originally published / refreshed on 15th August 2017

Scanner Art

This seems to affect people like Marmite - they either love it or hate it! I hope you will enjoy these examples and then visit the web-site.

 

 

This story originally published / refreshed on 15th August 2017

Mystery of Australian cat found thousands of miles from home in Ireland is solved: 'Tigger' has his own passport and belongs to a globetrotting family from Sydney

Images courtesy and © of the Armagh Cats Protection

- The 15-year-old ginger cat was found wandering streets of County Armagh
- Named Ozzie by staff, they found he was microchipped in Sydney in 2000
- Staff initiated a social media campaign to locate the sick feline's owners 
- It was revealed the named Tigger has a well-travelled and 'loving' family
- He was left with friends in Armagh but escaped, landing him on the streets <
- Staff are now working to reunite Tigger with his Australian owners

Huge trek: The feline, whose real name is Tigger, travelled more than 10,550 miles from Sydney, Australia, to London, before somehow taking off another 450 miles to County Armagh in Northern Ireland

The mystery surrounding a globetrotting cat that managed to make its way from Australia to Northern Ireland after a stop-off in London - almost 11,000 miles away, has been solved after a social media campaign was launched to locate his owners. Originally thought to be 25-years-old, the ginger cat named Ozzie by his rescuers was found wandering the streets of Laurelvale, near County Armagh last week and taken to the local Cats Protection centre. Staff at the clinic scanned his microchip and were stunned to find the poorly feline was registered in Sydney in 2000 as 'Tigger' and have since discovered that his owners were in fact globetrotters themselves.

'He is a much loved pet called Tigger who has travelled back and forth from Australia with his own passport and as part of a loving family,' Armagh Cats Protection posted on Facebook.   

UTV reported that Tigger's owners left him with friends in Armagh but the well-travelled feline managed to escape his holiday home, leaving his carer's with no idea where he had disappeared to.  

Staff are currently working to reunite Tigger with his Australian owners. Data from Tigger's microchip revealed that he had turned up as a stray in a vet clinic in London in 2004 but no owner could be traced at the time. Volunteers launched an international campaign on social media to uncover how the moggy ended up on the other side of the world - and the post was shared over 18,000 times. Luckily Tigger was picked up by animal welfare staff because the the cat was found in a starving condition, suffering kidney failure. The organisation believed 'Tigger' was taken to London by its owner, before he somehow then crossed the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland some 450 miles away.

Cats Protection co-ordinator, Gillian McMullen, said: 'I responded to a call from a member of the public who was concerned about a poorly stray cat that had been hanging around her garden for several days.  The poor cat was starving but obviously had been cared for in the past because it was wearing a collar. I took it to Willow Veterinary Clinic, Portadown, where we discovered it was microchipped and this is where the mystery begins. The cat had originally been microchipped in Australia. In 2004 he turned up as a stray in a vet clinic in London, but no owners could be traced.'

While Tigger was originally thought to have been born in 1989, making him 25 - 10 years older than the age of the average cat- it has been revealed he was born in 2000 making him only 15-years-old.  Ms McMullen added: 'If only he could tell us about his life and how he got here.'  

Update

Globetrotting cat mystery solved

The mystery surrounding how an Australian cat made it all the way to Northern Ireland, after ‘pawsing’ for a while in London, has been solved. The moggy, nicknamed Ozzie, turned up in Co Armagh, having started his journey 10,000 miles away in Sydney.

The 15-year-old cat was born in 2000 and was micro-chipped and registered down under with the name Tigger – only to show up as a stray in London four years later.

The bedraggled-looking cat has since been picked up by the charity Cat’s Protection while wandering the streets of Laurelvale but its owners have now been traced and his story isn't as remarkable as previously thought. It turns out the cat's Aussie owners are globetrotters themselves - having travelled around the world, with their feline friend tailing them along the way. They had left Tigger in the care of some friends in Armagh but the adventurous pet ran away and didn't return.

The cat will now be reunited with its owners.

This story originally published / refreshed on 14th August 2017

2014 - Children's TV Favourites feature two cats on Royal Mail stamps

Continued from Home page - This story originally published / refreshed 15th May 2014

12 of the most popular characters from children’s television are included in the set. The full line-up features Andy Pandy, Ivor the Engine, Dougal - from The Magic Roundabout, Windy Miller - from Camberwick Green, Mr Benn, Great Uncle Bulgaria - from The Wombles, Bagpuss, Paddington Bear, Postman Pat, Bob the Builder, Peppa Pig and Shaun the Sheep.

2014 will mark the 40th anniversary of Bagpuss first appearing on TV. The saggy cloth cat is continually cited as one of the most favourite British children’s TV character of all time. The year will also mark the 50th anniversary of The Magic Roundabout. The prolific British animator Ivor Wood created Dougal, one of the show’s memorable characters, who also ranks highly in people’s affections. Wood also went on to animate Paddington Bear and Postman Pat for TV. Each decade since the 1950s is represented in this issue. Even the older programmes have been frequently repeated and new series created of them. Such is the popularity of these characters, that 2014 will see the films ‘Postman Pat: The Movie’ and ‘Paddington’ hit the big-screen at cinemas nationwide.
2015 will see a return to television for The Wombles and a new CGI series giving them a high-tech makeover. Many of these shows have acquired cult status, and while intended for a young audience, they also attract devoted adult fans. Such was the attraction of The Magic Roundabout that, when, in 1967 it was moved to an earlier timeslot, the BBC received complaints from the programme’s adult fans who could not get home in time from work to watch the show.

Andrew Hammond, Royal Mail Stamps, said: “For over 60 years, Britain’s children’s TV characters have brought cheer to generations of viewers. More importantly it has presented us with a cast of characters that, like the memories of the programmes themselves, remain with us throughout our lives. ”It feels appropriate to celebrate all of these unforgettable characters on a set of very special stamps.”

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