Hide Your Black Cats Today

Today is Halloween and it is time to hide all of your cats, especially your black cats. Everyone knows that cats are taken from shelters and tortured and slaughtered in rituals tonight. A neighbor girl told me that they keep their outdoor cats in the house on Halloween to prevent people from stealing them. Some shelters in my area are postponing adoptions of cats until after Halloween. But is it really true that this abuse is happening, or is it a myth?

I went to Snopes.com to check it out. They wrote that evidence for the myth was inconclusive. They did find some anecdotal reports of some abuse over the years. Some incidents of animal mutilation and torture were attributed to troubled teens, not religious satanic groups. Other incidents may have been caused by larger animals such as coyotes.

I think it's fine that some shelters want to be extra cautious about adopting out their cats today. But I don't think that someone who wants to kill a cat will want to pay $100 or more and go through a background check. I do think it is prudent to keep your outdoor cats indoors tonight.




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Glow in the Dark Cat

I came across an article on nola.com (New Orleans Times Picayune) about a genetic experiment that resulted in a cat that glows in the dark. That could be useful. Maybe I wouldn't trip over my cats as I wander the house at night. Actually, the cat doesn't really glow in the dark. His mucous membranes fluoresce under ultraviolet light (a black light).

The researchers at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species wanted to see if they could harmlessly insert a gene into the cat's genetic sequence. Their goal is to combat diseases using gene therapy. Interestingly, I wasn't able to find this press release on their site.

Now they are going to put "Mr. Green Genes" to stud to see if the fluorescent gene will be transmitted to his offspring.

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!

Photographing A Black Cat

I seem to take a lot of pictures of my cats. The hardest cat to get a good photograph of is my black cat Simon. Often I am able to tweak the images in Photoshop, but sometimes I can't get a natural looking picture. Simon's eyes here are just too reflective to fix. Sometimes I can get them right, but not this one. So I left them alone.



Isn't it funny how he sits in the chair? Looks uncomfortable to me.

Here is Simon lounging in my husband's lap. Don't have to worry about the eyes in this one, but the features of Simon's face are hard to see.




If the light is just right, I am able to get a decent photo of him. These aren't too bad, but he has no contrast. No problem though, he definitely has personality.

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!

Autumn Getaway

Last weekend we decided to head north to look at the autumn trees. Early cool weather, lots of rain, and bright sunshine promised us a wonderful show. Our destination was Wisconsin, and we started off at Devil's Lake State Park. We were not disappointed. This was the best color I have seen for years. To get a better view of the trees, we decided to hike up a trail to Balance Rock. I under-estimated how long and how steep the trail was, and I was grumping before the end. Clouds of Asian ladybugs were there to bite us and drive us crazy. But the climb was worth it; the view was awesome. Here is one tree of the thousands we saw on our trip:



We were gone three days and two nights, too long to leave the cats alone. I asked my neighbor to look after them, a favor she has done for me before. Thanks Missy! I had her feed them just dry food. To make sure each cat got enough to eat, I left a large amount of kibble. I figured a little overeating for a few days wouldn't hurt. I did find a few piles of puke, but not too bad. They are used to a different (wet) diet, so I wasn't surprised.

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Pets on Craigs List

I have no intention of getting another cat. But that does not stop me from checking Craigs List every day to see what animals are available for free or a "rehoming" fee. Cats and dogs are listed, but I have seen snakes, rabbits, turtles, sugar gliders, fish and even coral advertised. Supplies are also listed such as cages, crates, water fountains, and cat trees.

I need to stop reading Craigs List. Often I get angry at the excuses people use to justify getting rid of their pets. I am sad at all the unwanted animals. The other day I read about a white shepherd that was to be put down, and I knew there was nothing I could do. Not only are hundreds of cats and dogs waiting for homes at the local shelters, but more than a hundred animals are posted on Craigs List every day. There has got to be a better way.

MySmartyCat  - Test your cat's intelligence!