Thursday, January 31, 2013

Response to New York Times Article "That Cuddly Kitty Is Deadlier Than You Think"



“For all the adorable images of cats that play the piano, flush the toilet, mew melodiously and find their way back home over hundreds of miles, scientists have identified a shocking new truth: cats are far deadlier than anyone realized.”

This quote is how the New York Times article “That Cuddly Kitty Is Deadlier Than You Think” begins.  I’m sorry, wait and stop right there. You’re telling me, that my cat is deadly? While shaking my head, I continue to read the article. 

My sweet Vickie. An indoor cat that has not killed a bird.

Surveys are saying that “domestic cats in the United States…kill a median of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year…most of them native mammals like shrews, chipmunks and voles.” This instantly makes me think of every Saturday morning cartoon I’ve seen, with the cliché of the cat chasing the bird or mouse (though the cat never seems to catch either). 

The author of the article continues to tell me, that more birds die at the mouths of cats than from car accidents and pesticides/poisons. I find this interesting because in my life, none of my cats have ever killed a bird. I have had ten cats, six are the current housecats. So there you have sixteen cats that have never killed a single bird. 

The article does talk about both indoor cats that spend time outside and the “unnamed strays and ferals that never leave” the outdoors. The last time I saw a dead bird was after it flew into the window of my neighbor’s sliding glass door. Wasn’t killed by a cat!

I understand that sure, there are cats that kill birds and mice – my cats have killed two or three mice. However, I don’t condone the cats’ natural instincts. Birds and mice carry a plethora of diseases that not only could the cat contract, but us humans as well. The last thing I want for my cat, is for it to be eating anything other than the food that I feed them. 

This article really enraged me, because it is catering to a stereotype that is not true of all cats. As much as Sylvester wanted to eat Tweety bird…he never did! The article soon launches in to the idea that scientists and environmentalists agree that cats should be kept indoors, and any owners who say otherwise are irresponsible. 
Tweety always got away from Sylvester in the end.

“Any outdoor [feral cat] colonies that remain should be enclosed,” said Dr. Fenwick of the bird conservatory.  I’m not going to launch into an argument about Dr. Fenwick’s controversial statement, but I will say that I completely disagree.

For more information, please view the New York Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/science/that-cuddly-kitty-of-yours-is-a-killer.html?_r=0.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Hauspanther Merino Wool Felt Puzzle Piece Cat Toy Review & Giveaway

Resident blogger cat Piper and her toy tester cohort Sabrina, love testing new Hauspanther's (formally Modern Cat) new toys. The latest batch to come out, is the Merino Wool Felt Puzzle Piece Cat toy. So when our friend from Hauspanther, Kate Benjamin, asked Piper and Sabrina to test the toys and host a giveaway, they were very excited!

Scroll down to the bottom of the post, for how to enter the giveaway!!!

Sabrina and Piper tested the puzzle pieces in the Mixed Berries pattern.

And so let the toy testing commence!

Freshly opened, Piper inspects the colorful pieces.

Sabrina enters the room, enchanted by the new toy scent.

But what's this? Is it a cat toy? A puzzle piece?

But what do I do next?

Oh look, I made a puzzle!

Back off Sabrina! This one is mine!

I puts da bitey on it! And the footsies!
Who me? Rolling around on the floor? Nah.

I'm going to sleep with my new toy now!

Sabrina and Piper were definitely enchanted by their puzzle pieces. While they didn't skitter on the wood floor, they enjoyed having them tossed up in the air and catching them. Piper especially loved rolling around on her back and kicking the pieces with her foot. At the moment, the toys are scattered all around the house - they were taken outside of the toy testing lab, and are currently spread out among the house!

Giveaway instructions:

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with your email address! You must leave your address in order to be properly entered. 

This giveway is open to EVERYONE, including our international friends! Giveaway ends Saturday January 26 at 12 am EST! Winner will be contacted by email. Good luck!


Receiving complimentary toys did not influence my review.

 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Creative Cat 2013 Calendar Review

Hi Readers!

I know it's been a little while, but I am back and with a really awesome review. I am a huge calendar addict - I love buying multiple wall calendars, little desk calendars, and pocket calendars. I always have a calendar hanging by my computer, a book calendar on my desk, and one in my purse. So, naturally when my friend Bernadette from The Creative Cat asked me to review her calendars, I was super excited.


The two calendar styles, journal (left) & wall (right). Photo used with permission from Bernadette Kazmarski.
Bernadette has two calendars (Compositions in Black and Green & In The Kitchen With Cookie). The calendars come in two styles - wall or journal. The calendars can be purchased here on Bernadette's The Creative Cat calendar post.

I received In the Kitchen with Cookie, in the wall style. This calendar is all about Bernadette's "adventures, misadventures and creative efforts of a certain tortoiseshell kitty in my kitchen". A really neat thing about the Cookie calendar, is it includes recipes for each month of the year. The recipe I am most looking forward to trying, is January's pound cake recipe (though the New York Cheesecake from November is also calling my name).
Cookie is curled up in bowls, in many of the pictures! Photo used with permission from Bernadette Kazmarski.

My favorite picture in the calendar is September 2013, because it has a picture of Cookie curled up in a one gallon pot - "one gallon of tortoiseshell ingenuity" as Bernadette puts it!

A wonderful charm of the calendar, is the blue checkerboard print that is the background for each month. Important holidays and lunar changes are included, as well as a space for notes -- and of course, small images of Cookie, in whatever bowl she has been napping in, for the month.

The two calendar styles, journal (left) & wall (right). Photo used with permission from Bernadette Kazmarski.

The next calendar is Compositions in Black and Green 2013. This calendar features Bernadette's fantastic five black cats! They are "frolicking in their mint green and white bathroom" throughout the calendar.

My favorite picture is Jelly Bean looking in the mirror, cockeyed and saying........"God I'm Cute", in January. My second favorite is March, featuring Mr. Sunshine, Jelly Bean and Giuseppe, with the front cat head turned asking, "May I see some ID?".

May I see some ID?  Photo used with permission from Bernadette Kazmarski.

April is a beautiful shot of black cats, water droplets and pink tongues -- you have to see for yourselves, it's squee worthy!

Bernadette's work is gorgeous, as you can see from her The Creative Cat page.

So if you're looking for an excellent calendar to store your daily plans, I encourage you to check out Bernadette's calendars, you won't be disappointed!





Receiving complimentary calendars did not influence my review.