shmoocats-blog

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(I haven't seen this kitty yoga move before.)

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Snooze manual

Today I'm surrounded by my masters of relaxation.

They've had the afternoon can of wet food and this is the result.

Just try to look at these guys without yawning. Or having a nice, slow stretch!

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Now what?

I was away from home for just a few hours.

Great! Now Puddin' has a black eye.

It's not just dirt. Not a mark smudged off when attacked with a wet paper towel.

The fireplace is closed off. There are no misplaced appliances. I am clueless and she's not talkng.

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(I'm joining this church! Or is it Cats Only?)

what did i just watch

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I'm sure it's a trap

Puddin' doing her cute thing.

Here it is rotated. Awfully darned cute.

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(Boo needs this for his birthday!)

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Wild night

In the middle of the night, the Schmoocats and I heard a huge noise outside on the back deck. We crept to the kitchen window, I pulled back the curtain, and the three of us carefully peeked out. Gulp.

Here's what we saw:

There was a large 'possum in the recycle bin! It was loudly wading through all the empty plastic bottles and happily chewing on a flattened whipping cream carton. 

We live in the city limits so it always surprises me when we get a wildlife visitation. But Puddin' and Boo thought it was great, like having their very own nature show, and they forgot to argue with one another for the rest of the night.

So . . . whew, that ended well.

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Forgotten B Day

Oh no! I completely missed Boo's birthday!! It was on March 4th!

He doesn't seem to have noticed yet. I've gotta start looking for an appropriately splendid gift to make up for my faux pas!

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A little privacy, maybe?

"I beg your pardon..."

"What are you lookin' at?"

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Shadow cat

Puddin' is being stealthy.

Look out, Boo. Puddin's doing that stealth thing.

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Cat Island was nearly submerged during the huge tsunami that hit Japan but damage seems to have been minimal!  http://lifetoreset.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/cat-island-tashirojima-miyagi-prefecture-japan/ 

Tashiro-jima (or Tashirojima), 田代島, is a small island in Japan. It has become known as “Cat Island” due to the large stray cat population that thrives as a result of the local belief that feeding cats will bring wealth and good fortune. The cat population is now larger than the human population on the island.

There is a small cat shrine Neko-jinja (猫神社?) in the middle of the island, roughly situated between the two villages. In the past, the islanders raised silkworms for silk, and cats were kept in order to keep the mouse population down (because mice are a natural predator of silkworms). Fixed-net fishing was popular on the island after the Edo Period and fishermen from other areas would come and stay on the island overnight. The cats would go to the inns where the fishermen were staying and beg for scraps. Over time, the fishermen developed a fondness for the cats and would observe the cats closely, interpreting their actions as predictions of the weather and fish patterns. One day, when the fishermen were collecting rocks to use with the fixed-nets, a stray rock fell and killed one of the cats. The fishermen, feeling sorry for the loss of the cat, buried it and enshrined it at this location on the island.

There are at least ten cat shrines in Miyagi Prefecture. There are also 51 stone monuments in the shape of cats.

Source

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Has your cat ever walked across your keyboard? Well, it’s not a new problem. Medieval book historian Erik Kwakkel recently Tweeted this photo of a 15th century book with… you guessed it… cat paw prints in ink on the pages! We’re part of a long and glorious historical movement, friends. (Source: Dr. Marty Becker)

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Sweet enough

According to Scientific American, cats are unable to taste sweetness "unlike every other mammal examined to date."

Boo is stunned that there is a thing he cannot do.

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(Oh tumblr, I never saw how "alien" cat's eyes are!)