Now That's What I Call Using Your Head!!

Have you met Maru???

Maru is the most adorable cat in Japan with a Youtube page that has almost 75,000 subscribers!! Check out some of Maru's accomplishments:

#9 - Most Subscribed (All Time) - Japan
#8 - Most Subscribed (All Time) - Partners - Japan
#35 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Japan
#15 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Partners - Japan
#15 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Japan
#8 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Partners - Japan
#10 - Most Viewed (All Time) - Japan
#8 - Most Viewed (All Time) - Partners - Japan
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If you've never seen a Maru video....check out his page and all his cute adventures here.

Here's one of my favorites:



Maru also has a website which you can see here

Don't Touch Me There....

This is just NUTS..........

The Latest You Tube Stars.....

And The Next Heavyweight Champion Of The World Is....

Hmmmm..... Maybe Little Edie Could Be A Super Station Master...

A Japanese train company that had been losing money has found a novel way to increase business - a pet cat called Tama.

All the 9-year-old female cat does is sit by the entrance of Kishi Station in western Japan, wearing a black uniform cap and posing for photos for the tourists - who are now flocking to the station in droves from across the nation.

Tama has been doing such a good job of raising revenue for the troubled Kishikawa train line that she was recently promoted to 'super-station-master.'

'
She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma,' Wakayama Electric Railway Co. spokeswoman Yoshiko Yamaki said.

'She is the perfect station master.'

Appointing a cat to turn around fortunes makes cultural sense in Japan, where cats are considered good luck and are believed to bring in business.

People are snatching up novelty goods - postcards, erasers, notebooks and pins - decorated with Tama's photos. There's even a special 1,365 yen (£6.65) book of photos of Tama, called 'Diary of Tama, the Station Master.'

Tama had been on the brink of losing her place to live, with the nearby store where she was raised being torn down. Now, the station is home.

Kishi Station started running without any workers in April 2006 as part of cost cuts. The Kishikawa line had been losing 500million yen (£2.4million) a year as passenger numbers fell steadily to as low as about 5,000 a day, or some 1.9million a year.

After Tama's appointment last year passengers have been gradually returning, recently rising 10 percent to about 2.1million a year.

In December Tama was rewarded with bonus pay - all in cat food.

It's the S-H-I-T.........Literally!!!

A London department store has started selling coffee for $100 a shot.

If the price sounds unappealing, then shoppers also have to overcome the unusual method of cultivation, which sees the coffee beans harvested from the feces of an Indonesian jungle cat. Even so, the Peter Jones store says the luxury blend -- called Caffé Raro -- is one of the world's rarest and most premium coffees.

Made by the Italian company De Longhi, Caffé Raro combines Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kupi Luwak, two extremely rare coffees. The beans of Kupi Luwak are harvested after first being ingested by Civet cats and only around 260 kilos of the coffee is produced each year.

"The cats select the best beans to chew. It's rather like a natural filtering process," Carie Barkhuzen, a spokeswoman for the upmarket store in London's upmarket Sloane Square told CNN. The coffee, which went on sale yesterday, is either available at $100 for a shot at the Peter Jones Espresso Bar, or shoppers can buy 100g packs of the coffee beans to take away for the same price.

"It's not exactly flying off the shelves -- it's very expensive after all -- but customers are buying it," Barkhuzen said. The proceeds from the coffee sales will go to charity.

WTF?????

Anatomy of the Cat Brain

Boomerang Cats

What exactly is a “Boomerang Cat?” Well, a Boomerang itself – as we know it – is a kind of throwing stick that, when thrown correctly, travels in a curved path and returns to its point of origin.

Of course, hopefully, no one throws their cat in the air like a true boomerang, but the effect is basically the same. You put kitty down, she returns right back to the point of origin – YOU! So, you gently put kitty down again, she’s right back on you. Cat put down, cat immediately back. Cat down; cat back. And so it continues . . . Boomerang-style.

Whether you are trying to work on your computer, write a letter using a pen and paper, or doing any intricate type of work, a furry feline rolling and stomping all over your project and purring in front of your face is somewhat of a distraction, to say the least. Unlike the typical Boomerang, however, this is a behavior problem. Like most behavior problems, it hopefully has the ability to conform or, if that’s not at all a possibility, to arrive at a compromise for both you and your cat.

Mimi Adelman’s Mei Mei likes to Boomerang on and off her while she is at her desk working at her job as an author. “She is constantly up on the desk, under my arm, etc. I should have taught her early on that she's not allowed on the desk, but I didn't,” conveys Adelman, author of the book, Every Cat's Survival Guide to Living with a Neurotic Owner.

“So now I do three things: I have lots of little cat toys on the desk that she is allowed to push off the desk and onto the floor,” Adelman says. “I use my voice to keep her from walking in front of my computer screen (ugly voice when she takes the first step in front, instantly replaced by happy voice as soon as she steps back), and I have a special spot right next to me where she is allowed to settle down on the desk. When she goes to that spot and settles, she gets lots of attention and my happy voice for a few minutes, and then I go to work and pet her occasionally.”

Besides being an esteemed author, Adelman is also a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. “We humans all have different personalities, and so do cats,” she notes. “As for the Boomerang effect, when we constantly pick them up and put them down – most likely speaking to them at the same time – that’s attention, which is what they crave.

“We might consider it negative attention, but they just consider it attention. So they are engaging in an attention-seeking behavior, if they get the attention, why wouldn't they do it again? Plus, the jump up, get put down, jump up again, get put down, jump up thing becomes a game after awhile. Lots of action and drama equals lots of fun.”

Finally, is there any chance you can change (or at least slow down) the Boomerang Cat’s clingy and needy ways? Adelman provides some hope for the exhausted Boomerang Cat owner, “As with all attention-seeking behaviors, the best ‘cure’ is more regularly scheduled one-on-one interactive play time. This satisfies the cat's craving for attention and action, and tires the cat out so she will catnap instead of jumping all over you.”

So while the “Boomerang” will eventually come back to that point of origin, it may get distracted along the way and give you some much-needed alone time. Besides, you won’t have to worry because, without a doubt, you know the Boomerang always comes back to you in the end . . .

(I couldn't help using this picture of Mr. Chow and Peanut, Brian's cats, which so accurately seem to depict this story)

Maneki Neko

Lucky cats are traditional Asian items which represent good fortune and protection. Those who have lucky cats in their homes or working spaces will have their protection as well as the wealth benefits they attract. You can place lucky cats at any environment where you wish wealth to come.

Most of the times, there are two lucky cats represented together, one of them with its left paw up and the other with the right one up. The lucky cat raising its left paw is the one which specifically attracts wealth, while the lucky cat which raises the right pay is in charge of giving protection to those who keep it as well as to the income attracted by its partner.

The lucky cat which has its left paw up is depictured smiling. This smile is meant to invite good fortune and wealth to come to him and therefore to the place where he is. On the other hand, the lucky cat which raises the right paw shows a warning expression. This warning is what protects your income from any evil.

There are some indications you should take into account and follow regarding the place where your lucky cats will be. Ideally, they should be placed in the wealth area, at the southeast of the house or working space where they will be. If that is not possible, they should be placed in the northeast area.

If you wish to follow feng shui guidelines when placing your lucky cats, you should not only take into account the house area where you place them, but also the elements they contain. Therefore, if you will place your lucky cats in a metal area you should choose them made of metal, or if they will be in a fire area they should contain fire colors.

Lucky cats symbolize protection in all senses. They can see in the dark and protect you from what you might not be aware of. They would defend not only your income but also your house and all those who live in it. If you have them in your office, they will help you succeeding in your career as well as improving and protecting your income.

Fat Cat.....

Garfield, Morris and the Cheshire Cat are fat feline icons we find irresistible! They are sassy and adorable, sport barrel bellies and have a waddle in their walk. But the true skinny on fat cats is that they have a shorter life-span and are probably living uncomfortably.

Feline obesity causes many of the same problems it does in people. Too-plump pussycats are prone to joint, ligament and tendon problems — even arthritis. Obesity can also result in cardiovascular and breathing problems and fat cats are predisposed to feline diabetes which can be fatal, or lead to an expensive, insulin regulation routine for the owner. Even skin problems can result if a fat feline can’t groom itself properly.

The good news is there are ways to help your tubby tabby trim down!

STEP ONE—VISIT YOUR VETERINARIAN FOR A NEW “DIET DIRECTIVE”
“Food does not equal love,” chuckles veterinarian, Sonja Olson of Florida Veterinary Specialists in Tampa, Florida. She estimates the vast majority of pet owners overfeed pets without even realizing it. “Volume of food and frequency of feeding is key,” she insists. “It’s very important to have your veterinarian determine the appropriate caloric needs of your cat based on age, activity level and health status.” And be sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations (not the manufacturer’s) for how much to feed and how often.

Some cats may turn up their noses at a new diet, and a couple of days without food can quickly turn dangerous for fat cats, prone as they are to developing fatty liver disease. Be sure to mix the new diet little by little with the current diet, until a complete transition has been made. Olson cautions against making food constantly available to your cat. “Cats are generally not self-regulators,” she notes. “Avoid using free-feeding systems or heaping a bowl of cat food to last all day.”

STEP TWO—CHANGE KITTY’S ENVIRONMENT
Keeping cats inside offers many healthy advantages. Protected from the hazards of cars, predators and infectious disease, a cat is likely to live longer when not allowed to roam. But an indoor life can be a sedentary one, contributing to obesity. “Find or create things that will be environmentally stimulating to reduce boredom and increase their activity,” suggests Olson.

Allow your cat to enjoy the outdoors in the safety of an enclosed porch, patio or lanai. They’ll enjoy the sunshine, breezes and the ability to watch birds, bugs or other creatures. Inside, your cat’s environment can be enhanced by offering a variety of window perches giving them different vantage points of the outdoors. “This will be far more interesting than sitting on the back of the couch,” Olson points out.

STEP THREE—EXERCISE
“Be patient, it might take a few minutes for your cat to warm up to the idea of play,” says Olson. She also notes that playtime is great bonding time with your feline.

Popular toys to get cats moving include:
Catnip-stuffed toys
Feather wands
Cat fishing poles ending in attractive strings or feathers
Toys that can be dragged along the floor
Laser pen light for chasing
Climbing posts or kitty condos — even declawed cats can usually climb these easily
Cats enjoy these household or homemade toys too:
Brown paper bag or cardboard box
Wadded crinkled paper
Wine corks or plastic tops from water or milk containers

Avoid dangerous items like string, floss, ribbon, twine, rubber bands or anything that your cat can swallow. Instead of interacting with your cat over food, bond over grooming or play. Your cat will love you just as much for a loving session of gentle brushing, or a playful half-hour spent together. Time spent in either pursuit is better for an overweight cat than eating, and the exercise will help take the weight off.

Please Don't Squeeze the Charmin

Whether you have dog or a cat I'm sure you've had this experience before.....

(Thanks, Nana B)

Hello Kitty!

Japan has just released the "The Hello Kitty Transformation Set". Now you can fool your friends by dressing up your own cat in Hello Kitty style. Think anyone will be able to spot the impostor?

FOR SALE: One Useless Cat

Frank's East Coast Nana B. sent me this funny email.

Not Separated At Birth.....

This is Lil' Bit from Arizona! Lil' Bit is a tomcat that was born with two faces and possibly two brains. Lil' Bit was born to the cat of an Arizona woman. She did not give him away, because she was afraid the kitten would be put to sleep. Her vet also told her not to expect him to live.

7-months later and Lil' Bit is thriving and doing well. He originally had 4 eyes when he was born, but 2 became 1. He also has two mouths and two noses, but only two ears.

His owner said, "The amazing thing to watch is that one of Lil'Bit's faces can be asleep while the other one is awake. I have also seen him sneeze out of one side and not the other and blink on one side of his face but not the other."

Which one would you choose?

Frank's East Coast Nana B. sent me this hysterical ad.

Driving Miss Daisy

The Daily Mail reports:

Every day Sergeant Podge disappears at around 6pm. And every morning his owner, Mrs Bullard, finds him sitting by the roadside a mile and a half away, ready for his more luxurious return journey in the leather passenger seat of her Toyota Land Cruiser.

Do Cats Really Have Nine Lives?

Some people believe in the superstition that cats have nine lives, because cats can survive falls from high places with few, if any injuries. This gives the appearance that the cats return to life after sustaining a fatal accident. Granted, they may sustain minor injuries, such as bloody noses, cracked teeth, or a few broken ribs, but they live to recover.

The ability of the cat to survive these accidents that would kill humans or other animals is not due to multiple lives, but to several advantages they possess. Their small size and low body weight soften the impact as they make contact with the ground after falling from great heights.

The highly developed inner ears of cats equip them with an unusually keen sense of balance, which is critical to their landing on their feet. This sense of balance allows a cat falling upside down to right himself by rapidly determining his position, repositioning himself, and making any adjustments necessary to ensure that he lands on all fours.

Since cats land on all four paws, the impact from landing on the ground is absorbed by all four. Additionally, cats bend their legs when they land, which cushions the impact by spreading the impact, not only through bones that could easily break, but through the joints and muscles as well.

Most are surprised to learn that a cat stands a greater chance of survival if it falls from a higher place than from a lower place. New York veterinarians gathered data from their feline patients, which clearly supports this fact. Ten percent of their patients died after falling from 2-6 stories, while only five percent of the fatalities occurred when their patients fell from 7-32 stories.

Laws of physics explain why these survival rates vary. All falling bodies, regardless or their masses, accelerate by 22 miles per hour per second of their falls. The falling object, after traveling a certain distance through the air reaches a final speed, or "terminal velocity," because the object’s friction with the air slows the fall. The smaller the object’s mass, and the greater its area, the more it will slow.

A cat falling from a higher floor, after it stops accelerating, spreads its legs into an umbrella shape, which increases the area against which the air must push and increases the friction, thus slowing the cat’s fall. Through the cats highly developed sense of balance, he buys more time to maneuver his body in preparation for landing on all fours. A cat falling from a lower height does not have the opportunity to increase its body’s area, slow its fall, or position his body to land on all four feet.