Thoughts on Cat Photography

Part of making a really cool cat blog is taking (and sharing) great pictures of cats. I am by no means a professional photographer; I have hand tremors and  I use an out-of-date little point-and-shoot camera that is in desperate need of replacing. However,  I have found some things that really work for me and some things that don’t.  Perhaps some of the pawsome photographers out there can add to this conversation (by all means do), but here are some of my discoveries:

Lighting makes all the difference in the world.

Digitally brightened photo of Manna with fixed “red-eye”.

I find that if I can take a photo of the cats with natural light, that  photo will turn out better than one taken with the the lamps in my apartment doing the lighting.  If natural light isn’t available, the lights have to be as bright as possible (without being blinding).  Photo editing programs can help to brighten a photo, but there is definitely a difference between a well-lit photo and a photo brightened by editing.  Good lighting also helps because  then you don’t need to use the flash.  Whenever I have to use the flash I spend tons of time editing “red eye” and/or sorting through photos to find one with the cats’ eyes open.

Naturally lit photo of Manna, no lighting or eye corrections.

Try to see the cat’s point of view.

Cinco not realizing that I had placed a milk ring and a fuzzy ball on his head.

When I’m taking photos, I’m usually on my knees or crawling around on the ground to get as close to their eye-level as possible. Not too many interesting photos happen when I’m hovering over their heads. Photos that are taken straight on at the cats are a lot easier to use with an article if you ask me.

Get in the action.

Manna playing with a catnip candy cane.

Action shots are adorable! They make the cats look alive and playful – it gives them personality. Many times when I do a photo shoot with my cats, I am playing with them with one hand and taking photos with the other hand. Lucky for me, my little camera has a setting for taking action photos so they don’t look too blurry. I use this setting all the time because of my hand tremors (if I don’t it will look like a took my photos during an earthquake).

Take lots of photos.

A Manna selfie fail. Try, try, again.

It is rare that I get the photos I want in the first few shots. I just keep taking photos until either the cats have had enough or I’m just sick of taking photos. For my Wordless Wednesday shoots it is not unusual for me to take 100 photos. Then I just choose around 5 of them that turned out well to use. The more photos you take, the more likely you will get a few really good ones.

Add your own interpretation.

I knew I’d seen that expression somewhere before…

Cats don’t pose. No matter what great idea you have for your photo shoot, expect it to go awry. I just add a few elements to my “scene” and I see what the cats decide to do with them. I don’t force anything. The cats will do whatever the cats want to do. If some scene elements are not getting a good response, I replace them and try again. Adding catnip is helpful, but then they may just get busy licking the cat nip and refuse to look at the camera.

After the photo shoot, I add my own interpretation to the photos. This is a creative process. I look at what I’ve got and I say something like  “hey, Cinco and Manna look like crime-fighting super heros” or ” This is like  one of those slow, dark film noir scenes” or “hey! Manna looks just like Jack Nicholson in this photo.” Some interpretations are more creative and some are more reality based.

Cinco starring in Niptoon Noir.

Super Cinco attacks the Red Dot with his Super Raspberry.

A question for you: What qualities do you think make a great pet photo?

Cats In History: The Victorian Era

The prize winners from the first cat show in 1871.
Image courtesy of http://www.harrisonweir.com

Chances are, if you are reading this, you like cats.  You may even have a cat or two (or three, or four, or…) living with you.  When you think of domestic cats you probably imagine small, furry creatures who are supposed to live in people’s houses and be treated as a member of the family. You might even think that the idea of a cat living outdoors, on the streets is sad or somehow wrong.

People haven’t always thought that way about cats. From the Middle Ages until the Victorian Era, cats were viewed as “useful animals”, but not widely viewed as pets. Humans kept cats around to control rodent populations and that is pretty much it. Cats were expected to live outside and wander the streets, fending for themselves. During these times, people had little regard for animals in general, treating them more like things than living, breathing, valuable creatures.

Treat Me Like A Queen

One of Queen Victoria’s cats.
Image courtesy of http://www.Eurofancy.de

The Victorian Era changed everything for cats. Queen Victoria had been very isolated during her childhood due to the schemes of her mother. Animals and dolls were the only companions that she had. Perhaps this is why Queen Victoria would become an avid animal lover and advocate for animal rights. She concerned with the treatment of domestic animals.  Queen Victoria funded school prizes for essays written about kindness to animals. She spoke out publicly against the practice of vivisection (doing experiments on live animals) calling it “a disgrace to a civilized country.”  In 1840, she gave her official patronage to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (thus it is “royal”).  However, she did show a bit of hypocrisy with her love of hunting sports.

Queen Victoria owned many pets (she especially loved her dogs). Most notably, she owned 2 blue Persian cats that she was fascinated with. Some say this was because of a work put out by Charles Darwin regarding his observations of the different types of cats he had seen. He had noted that most of the cats he observed looked very similar (other than different coloring) with the exception of Persians and Manx.

The British people followed the Queen’s lead and fell in love with cats. Discovering different breeds of cat soon became of great public interest. Having pet cats that were lavished with affection caught on like wildfire. Some people began to personify cats so much that they would clothe them to keep them from being immodest.

Showing It All Off

The 1st Cat Show in 1871.
Image courtesy of http://www.Squidoo.com

Artist, illustrator, and animal lover, Harrison Weir, organized the first ever cat show in 1871. This was an affair for the upper class and aristocrats to show off their beloved cats and compete for a prize. The allowed breeds included: Black, White, Tabby, and Longhairs. The public couldn’t wait to see all the different types of cats. The show would have 170 entrants and more than 20,000 visitors! A second show was created to include the cats of the “working class.” “Cat Fancys” as the shows were known quickly spread around the globe.  The first Cat Fancy in the U.S. was at Madison Square Garden in 1895.

Harrison Weir had been considered very knowledgeable about breeding animals. In 1892 he published a book called Our Cats and All About Them. The book talks about the different breeds he has identified, caring for cats, cat shows, and some humor. The entire book can be read online for free and there is also a free audio book version. To view them click Our Cats book online or Our Cats audio book.

Other Victorian Cat Lovers

There were a number of famous cat lovers throughout the Victorian Era that helped our view of cats to become what it is today.  Here are just a few of them:

• Louis Wain – An artist and cat lover that drew anthropomorphic cats (standing up right and behaving as humans) .
• Louis Carroll – Author of Alice In Wonderland.
• Beatrix Potter – Author of Peter Rabbit
• Thomas Hardy – English novelist and poet
• Mark Twain – American author and humorist
• Henry James – American/British author
• Alfred Tennyson – Poet Laureate of Great Britan and Ireland during Queen Victoria’s reign
• John Keats – English romantic poet

2nd Cat Show 1871
Image courtesy of http://www.harrisonweir.com

Cats in Art: Pierre Auguste Renoir

Cats are probably not the first thing that come to mind when you think of the art of  Pierre Auguste Renoir, but he did create some stunning paintings with cats as subjects.  His love of nature and the creatures within it was no secret. He was endlessly fascinated by the forms he saw around him in every day life – including cats. The cats depicted by Renoir are life-like, stunningly beautiful, romantic (as were all of his paintings), and childlike in nature.

“One must from time to time attempt things that are beyond one’s capacity.” -Renoir

“Sleeping Girl with a Cat” (1880)
Public Domain

Renoir was born to a working-class family in Limoges, France, on February 25th 1841. While he was still a young child, his family moved to Paris, not far from the Louvre. His proximity to the Louvre would forever change his life as it became the place that inspired most of his learning.

As a young man, Renoir became an apprentice porcelain painter.  His already developing technique allowed him to paint designs on fine china, however, Renoir was not satisfied with just painting porcelain. By age 19, he began taking classes on free drawing and spending a lot of time at the Louvre studying the techniques of the the greats by copying their work.

In 1862, Renoir entered Ecole des Beaux-Arts, an important art school in France. It was here that he met some of the life-long friends that would inspire him and help him through difficult times – Frédéric Bazille, Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, and Paul Cézanee. Renoir’s first work to be accepted into a Paris Salon exhibit was a portrait of Alfred Sisley’s father, William Sisley.

During the early part of his career, Renoir had a difficult time making enough money to survive. It is said that often he didn’t have enough money to buy paint. He lived off of whatever commissions he could make and the kindness of others. He didn’t even have a fixed address.

“Why shouldn’t art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world.”
– Renoir

“Girl and Cat” (1882)
Public Domain

Renoir was forced to take a break from art in 1870 when he was drafted into the Franco-Prussian War. Not long after he was drafted, Renoir became ill with Dysentery; the illness would keep him from ever seeing battle. His good friend  Frédéric Bazille was killed in battle.

Once the war was over, Renoir returned to his art. He and his friends (Pissarro, Monet, Cézanne, and Edgar Degas) had their first showing of Impressionist art.  They were separating themselves from classical artists in calling themselves impressionists. Renoir’s art was different than what people were used to seeing because it used a brighter palette and differing brush strokes. His paintings were like snapshots of life, full of warmth, light, and color.

The showing of the Impressionist art was not a success. One important thing did come of the showing, however, Renoir was found by the patrons that would propel his career to the next level. Georges and Marguérite Charpentier loved Renoir’s paintings. They began inviting him to their upper-class social gatherings where he met other upper-class patrons and made commissions from their portraits. Renoir’s first painting to receive critical admiration was “Madame Charpentier and her Children (1878).”

 “An artist, under pain of oblivion, must have confidence in himself, and listen only to his real master: Nature.” – Renior

“Julie Manet with Cat” (1887)
Public Domain

With his new success and the money from his commissions, Renoir began to travel. In a return toward the classical style of art, Renoir began to take a formal, disciplined approach to his paintings. He concentrated drawing the figures and emphasizing outlines. Landscapes became the subject of this new period in his painting.

While traveling he created many great works.  In Italy he visited famous composer Richard Wagner and painted his portrait in an amazing 35 minutes. In Germany he painted 15 landscapes in a little over a month and these paintings would be featured on commemorative postage stamps in 1983. His famous works “Dance in the City“, “Dance in the Country“, and “Dance at Bougival” were all completed in his journeys.  In 1887, when Queen Victoria was celebrating her Golden Jubilee, a representative of the British Monarchy asked Renoir to donate some of his work to “French Impressionist Paintings.”

 “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.” – Renoir

“Motherhood Woman Breast Feeding her Child” (1886)
Public Domain

Finished with his travels, Renoir settled down and married his long time girlfriend, Arline Charigot in 1890. The pair would have 3 children: Pierre (1885), Jean (1894), and Claude (1901).  He had a home built for his family in  Cagnes sur mer in 1907. At this time Renoir returned to his older style – thinly brushed colors and diminished outlines. He began to take a strong interest in all things domestic painting his family going about their daily routines. This was also the period where his famous nudes were painted.

Toward the end of his career, Renoir suffered from crippling rheumatoid arthritis.  Eventually the disease would cause his fingers to become paralyzed and permanently curled. In 1912, Renoir suffered a stroke and would be confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life. He didn’t let any of his maladies keep him from his work. He hired assistants and would strap a paint brush to his hand so he could work. A moving canvas was used to assist with his limited mobility. He even tried sculpting with the help of an assistant. After seeing one of his works of art purchased by the Louvre and hung beside one of his favorite artists, Renoir passed away December 3, 1919 in his home.

Renoir’s work would influence many other famous artists.  A few of these were Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, and Pablo Picasso. His son Jean became a filmmaker and his son Pierre became an actor for both stage and film.  In 1991, Renoir’s  “Bal au moulin de la Galette Montmatre” sold for $78.1 million. 

“Sleeping Cat” (1862)
Public Domain

Simple, Inexpensive Cat Toys

Engaging with your cat doesn’t have to be an expensive task. Most of the time, cats even prefer less expensive toys over more expensive toys. There are a lot of things that you probably have in your home already that could put your cat on cloud 9.  Try out a few of these ideas:

A Milk Ring

The plastic ring that comes attached to the lid of your milk jug can provide hours of entertainment for your cat.  There is no extra cost for this toy! These are especially fun on uncarpeted flooring where they can easily slide around. Toss it or roll it to the kitty and let the fun begin.  These can be used independently by the cat or as toys for interactive play.

Disposable Plastic Straw

Every time you purchase a fountain drink from a local fast food restaurant or party store you receive these. They can also be purchased inexpensively at most grocery stores. If it came with your favorite drink, simply give it a good wash and it’s ready to become a cat toy!  Straws are best used as interactive toys. Wriggle the straw around in front of your cat as if it were a mouse’s tail.  Move it around underneath a bed sheet or poke it out from under a pillow or couch cushion. Cats love to capture straws!

Ribbon

If you are a crafter, you probably have a few spools of ribbon sitting around. If you aren’t too picky about the color or brand, it is pretty easy to find cheap spools of ribbon at craft stores and in garage sales. I like to cut a piece of ribbon that is long enough to drag a few feet behind me if I hold it in my hand while I am walking.  Just hold one end of the ribbon and walk slowly, letting the ribbon drag past your cat. It makes a great chase toy! You could also sit in one spot, have the ribbon stretched out across the floor in front of you, and pull the ribbon toward yourself in an uneven rhythm.

As a bonus, you can place a disposal plastic straw over one end of the ribbon and tie a knot in the ribbon so the straw doesn’t come off. Cats have an easier time grabbing and manipulating the straw than just the ribbon itself. Ribbons are an interactive toy only – don’t leave this out where your cat can get to it unsupervised. 

Ball of Paper

Wad up any piece of paper and let ‘er rip! Junk mail works great! Just make sure that the ball is small enough and balled tightly enough for your cat to bat around easily. Cinco and Manna also like balls of aluminum foil. If you are lucky, you may even get a good game of fetch going with one of these awesome toys. You can lace them with catnip too if you don’t mind a little nip on your floor. If you have a paper licker/eater, you may want to stay away from using paper that has ink on it. Otherwise, balls of paper are good for independent or interactive play.

Empty Boxes

This doesn’t really need an explanation with all of the photos out there. Cats love to play with boxes. It doesn’t really matter how large or how small the box is. You can even put them together and cut holes between them to make “tunnels.” Boxes tend to be an independent toy, but there are ways to use them for interaction.To make this toy interactive, try using a disposable plastic straw to peek up over the edge of the box while the cat is inside.

Paper Bags

Any paper bag will do; the ones that you carry groceries home in, the one from your favorite department store, the ones you use when you take a lunch to work, etc.  Cats love the crinkle of paper bags. These can work in the same way boxes do, but they can allow for a little more interaction because you can actually poke the cat through the bag. As I’ve mentioned before, it is fun to put a cellphone on vibrate inside a paper bag and call it from another phone. Cats love to try and figure out what is inside the bag.  Paper bags can be used for both independent or interactive play. Plastic bags are not recommended because of the potential for suffocation.

The Red Dot

Okay, you may not have this at home already. However, if you don’t need anything fancy, you can find simple laser pointers for under $10. Here’s one at Walmart for $6.56 : Ethical Pet Single Dot Laser. Let that little Red Dot race around the room and your cat will follow. These simple lasers are interactive only by nature of the product. There are more expensive versions available that will turn on and play with the cat for you.

Feathers

Feathers can be found inexpensively in craft stores and free in the homes of bird owners. I am not suggesting that you pluck someone’s bird, just that you ask them to save any long feathers that the bird plucks out on its own. Birds make feathery messes every day. I’m not suggesting the feathers of wild birds either because you don’t know what germs, diseases, or parasites might be on them. Feathers are used much in the same way that disposable plastic straws are used. Touching the feather to the cat’s nose or paws can be fun too.  Feathers are much more fun as an interactive toy than a independent toy.

Unforgettable Kitty Moments #RecipeForMoments

What is my recipe for special moments? Use only the best ingredients.Take 1 man and 1 woman and put them into a marriage. Then, 1 at a time, add in 2 grade-A cats. Blend together until you have a loving  family. Season them with love, compassion, health and a spoon full of silliness.  Let them live together for many years to come.

Cinco and Manna have provided me with some truly unforgettable moments. They’re love has inspired me in writing this blog, my acting career, and in other areas of life.  Below you will find  a few of my favorite moments with my furkids.  I have added a bit of background info for those who may not be familiar with Cinco and Manna’s stories.

Snuggling with Cinco

My husband and I adopted Cinco in April 2006 when he was 4 months old. When we adopted Cinco, I was still healing from the tragic loss of our previous kitty just a month prior. We named him Cinco on accident. What we intended to do was name him after the biblical day of creation on which cats were created (it should have been 6 not 5). Cinco was the cutest way to say 5 that we found. The idea was to pay homage to the fact that God made everything and everything is His; Cinco was given to us as a precious loan from God and one day we would have to give him back. Thankfully, that day has not come yet.

One of my favorite memories of Cinco was from the moment we first brought him into our home. I sat on the floor in the middle of our hallway and opened the carrier to let Cinco out. He is a very shy guy so it took him a second to finally come out. I was patient and sat there on the floor speaking gently and singing to him. The first steps he took out of the carrier were right over to my lap. I snuggled him right there for several minutes before encouraging him to explore his new home. I followed him around on my hands and knees cheering him on as he found his food and water dishes and the litter box. He wouldn’t go anywhere without me.

Not much has changed since that day. Cinco is always in my lap or following me around. He is a scardey cat – afraid any time someone comes over or there is a noise he doesn’t like. However, he always finds solace in mommy’s lap. I still find comfort in him too. Some nights I can’t sleep until he curled up on top of me.

Being Manhandled By Manna

Manna was a total rescue. My dad found her abandoned in his trailer park in July 2007 and gave her to us. She was only 3 weeks old according to the vet’s assessment.  Her name has a biblical meaning too (but of a dual nature). In the bible, “manna” is the miracle bread that God gave the Israelites as they were wandering in the desert for 40 years. The first reason we named her Manna is because finding her was a lesson on how God always provides; she needed someone to care for her and we showed up. The other reason was that the term “manna” meant “what is this?” in the bible. Manna looked like a little alien at the time.

My favorite Manna moment? Probably just holding her in my arms on that first car ride home. We didn’t know we would be getting a cat, so we didn’t have the carrier with us. Manna was very talkative and playful.  She was sure she was the toughest little thing around. She wrestled with my fingers and then she fell asleep in the palm of my hand, leaning up against my chest.  We took her straight to the vet and she purred so loud that the veternarian had to use rubbing alcohol to quiet her so he could listen to her heart. She was no bigger than the size of the electrical socket cover in the examination room.

Manna is still super playful and not the least bit shy. She loves to initiate games with my husband and me. We are her “big kitties.” She is a bit of a daddy’s girl (she has Dave wrapped around her little paw).  We provided her with an opportunity to be healthy and to be a part of a family and she provides us with they purest type of love and more entertainment than we could have ever imagined.

What is your recipe for special moments with your pets?

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10 Ways You Know You Are A Cat Owner (& A Blogger Awards Fail)

January has been a really crazy month for Playful Kitty! There have been so many great things to blog about and so many great people (and animals) to talk to in the blogosphere. Plans have been made to move Playful Kitty to a self-hosted website with a facelift, our own domain name and some great new(ish) ideas. I hope you will all continue to follow us when we move. It will still be a little while yet as we are waiting for some of the funding to come in.

Blogger Awards (Fail)

Amidst all of the other cool stuff going on around here, many of you have given Playful Kitty blogger awards. Those are so awesome! I’m glad that you all take the time to think of us! However, the document that I keep track of all of the awards on has somehow disappeared from my computer. I blame the Computer Gremlins. Those things will get you every time.  Off of the top of my head (forgive me if I haven’t remembered yours) these are the blogs that I believe have given Playful Kitty awards since the last time I posted an award:

Images of the awards would normally go here.

• In My Hands 
• Speedy the Cheeky House Bunny
• Nerissa’s Life
• MoggiePurrs
• Purrfect Kitties

Thank you so much to all of these blogs for the awards! They are all great blogs, so be sure to check them out! I’m sure there were a few more – if I forgot you, please let me know and I will add a link to you in a future post.  I have a new document all ready to go.

Since I don’t know which awards they were, I can’t really nominate anyone for them. I have all of my previous awards listed in a gallery on the side bar, so feel free to take one if you like it! Awards for everyone! Yay! 🙂

10 Ways You Know You’re A Cat Owner

What award post would be complete with a list of 10 things? Definitely not this one 🙂

You know you are a cat owner when….

1. you are sitting on the floor because there are cats sleeping on the couch.
   

   Manna sleeping in my spot on the couch.

2. you don’t buy fur clothing, but your entire wardrobe looks like you do.
3. it is not weird to find a mouse in your shoe.
4. you don’t get up to use the bathroom at night because you would have to wake up the cat that is sleeping on/near you.
5. only the center portion of the food in the dish is empty and you feel the need to refill the dish.
6. it feels perfectly normal to have a cat stare at you while you’re on the toilet or in the shower.
7. you feel the need to sing along with the cat on a car ride to the vet.
8. it upsets you more to see a cat killed in a movie than it does to see a human killed in a movie.
9. you can not resist touching a fuzzy kitty belly.
10. you would adopt  every kitty (and possibly every domesticated animal) in the world if you could.
    

    You know you want to touch Cinco’s belly 😉

Wordless Wednesday: The Revengers

I was just sitting there in my apartment when all of the sudden that evil little devil known only as “The Red Dot” appeared and attacked me! He cackled and in his most evil of voices announced “Haha! Now Playful Kitty shall be mine! All will know the power of The Red Dot!”

“Oh no!” I cried. “You will never win Red Dot! You will never win! Somebody save me!”

*Cue Theme Music*

This is a job for :

“Look it’s Mighty Manna and Super Cinco!” I said. “The Playful Kitty Revengers!”

“You will never stop me Playful Kitty Revengers!” The Red Dot said and he laughed his evil laugh.

“Your days are numbered, Red Dot!” said Mighty Manna. She swooped in and chased him all over the carpet, moving with incredible ease from right to left.  Finally she cornered the Red Dot between her paws.

Mighty Manna lifted her paw to strike the final blow when the Red Dot made his escape. He always was a crafty little critter.

“Ta-ta Mighty Manna!” Said the Red Dot as he climbed up onto the white chair.

“Oh no you don’t!” Said Super Cinco landing squarely on top of the Red Dot while he was still looking back at Mighty Manna.  “Nobody messes with my Mommy!”

“Mouses!” The Red Dot exclaimed. “My evil plan has been foiled again by you pesky kitties!”

Super Cinco gave blew one of his Super Raspberries at the Red Dot to seal the defeat.

“Until we meet again Revengers!” The Red Dot said as he faded out of sight.

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4 Crazy Ways to Express Your Love for Your Cat

Cinco and Manna are my furkids; I consider them family even though we are not the same species.  I love them very much. Typically I show them that I love them by caring for their needs, petting them, letting them sleep on me, giving them gifts (cat toys and treats mostly), playing games with them, and not going completely pscyho on them when they throw up a hairball on something really important (dry-clean-only clothing, tax documents, electronic devices, my lap, etc) .  If someone says or does something I don’t like to or about my cats, you can bet I’ll come to my cats’ defense. Nobody messes with my kitties! 🙂

It’s pretty safe to say that most cat owners (and owners of other types of pets) can relate my feelings about my cats. Bonding with your pets is a perfectly normal thing to do. Who wouldn’t fall in love with such cute, affectionate animals? However, there are some people who have taken their expressions of love for their cats way above and beyond protocol.

Crazy Ways to Express Love For Your Cat

Feel free to try any of these yourself!

#1: Shave your chest and facial hair to look like your cat.

Back in December, Reddit and the Huffington Post came together to give us this guy:

Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post

Yeah, sorry, you can’t unsee that.  Hopefully his cat was proud. Love is always about giving a little of yourself….

#2 Sing Your Kitty A Passionate Love Song

Out of the 4, this is the least crazy, but it is still really funny. This slightly intoxicated man chose to show his love for his cat by singing him “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal. Then he posted his ballad of love on Youtube so the whole world would know.

#3 Let your cat take credit for your scientific discoveries.

One of Playful Kitty’s followers gave me this terrific link  yesterday. To sum it up, a physicist (Jack Hetherington) was working on publishing an important paper for the scientific community and needed a co-author, so he named his cat (F.D.C. Willard).Who knew kitties knew so much about low temperature physics?! Later, Hetherington would go on to publish another scientific paper – listing his cat as the only author! Any discoveries that were proven to be true, would be credited to the cat.

#4 Marry Your Cat!

You read it right – get married to your cat. There is a website based in the U.K. called Marry Your Pet, that will allow to marry your cat (or other pet) right then and there. A marriage certificate will cost you only 10 British Pounds.  Other marriage packages are also available giving you a t-shirt and a lovely plaque.  In How Crazy Is This? I Married My Cats!, an article on Catster, Barbarella Buchner sings the praises of her 10 year marriage to her cats.  She even got a tattoo recognizing their partnership.

Your Turn

 I have to admit that I do sing to the cats – and dance with them. What crazy ways have you heard of to show love to a cat (or other pet)? Do you do any crazy things yourself?

Manna and I a few Halloweens back 🙂

Cats in History: Chinese Truth and Mythology

The Chinese Year of the Horse will be galloping in this Friday. Have you ever noticed that there is no Chinese Year of the Cat? Yes, there is a Tiger, but no domestic cats. Somehow the house cat was passed by in the Chinese Zodiac and the  28 Xing Xiu ( a system that divides the 28 areas of the constellations). There is also no mention of cats on the Buddhist list of protected animals. Did they not know about cats? Actually, one Chinese myth says that cats fell asleep at Buddha’s funeral and, therefore, were not added to the list of protected animals. Join me for a look at where cats are found in Chinese history!

The Science of History

Feline bone fragments found in China.
Photo courtesy of motherboardvice.com

In November of 2013 it was announced that archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences had found some new and compelling evidence about the domestication of cats.  At a dig site in the village of Quanhucun in China, 8 bone fragments belonging to at least 2 different cats were found: one left jawbone, 2 pelvic bones, and 5 leg bones. The bones were carbon dated and revealed to be about 5,300 years old. What does that prove? Well, the earliest art we have from Ancient Egypt depicting domesticated cats is 4,000 years old. Cats were in China about 1,300 years before they were domesticated in Ancient Egypt.

There is even more interesting news to come from this study. The bones were put through isotope analysis to determine what the diet of these cats was like. As one would expect, the diets were largely made of protein (probably from eating rodents), but one of the cats also showed a large amount of grain. The scientists have proposed that the grain in this cat’s diet could be a sign of domestication.

Here is how how the theory goes; the ancient Chinese farmers had a diet high in grains, millet, and other agricultural sorts of foods. Rodents would get into the fields and storage facilities and eat the grains – which posed a real problem for the farmers. Following the food chain, cats would come along to eat the rodents and thus would gain favor from the farmers. Recognizing the mutually beneficial relationship they could have with cats, farmers would feed the cats from their own stores of food to keep them coming around.  Scientists believe that this relationship between cats and ancient Chinese farmers would explain the grain in the cats’ diets and provide the earliest proof of the domestication of cats.

Presenting the Myth of Cat Goddess Li Shou

Xu Beihong’s Cat
Image courtesy of Asian-Antiquities.com

After the gods had created the earth and all of it’s  beautiful creatures, they decided that they would give one of the earthly creatures the responsibility to oversee the running of the world. The examined creature after creature to determine which one would be most suited for the job. Finally, they decided that they would put the goddess Li Shou, a cat, and all of her fellow cats in charge of the earth. Li Shou gladly accepted the offer and was given the ability to speak and communicate for her willingness.

Once the gods had left, Li Shou went out to begin patrolling the Earth. Everything was in perfect order. After a while of walking she came across a beautiful cherry tree and decided that she would take a nap for just a moment. She awoke suddenly to the gods standing above her.

“How can you be sleeping, Li Shou?” One of the gods asked. “The Earth is falling into chaos! We put you in charge of running this world.”

“Well… I…I just shut my eyes for a moment,” she said thinking of her blissful sleep.

“Get back to work!” Another of the gods said. “We’ll put things back in order this time, but we need you to take your responsibility seriously.”

“We will be back to see that you’ve done what we’ve asked of you,” said a third god.

Monkey and Cats by Yi Yuanji (11th Century)
Image is in the Public Domain

“I will,” Li Shou said,” You can count on me.”

With that the gods reordered the world and the chaos was no more. Li Shou set out again to watch over the  workings of the earth. Diligently she tried with all of her might to fight the urge to take a nap.  Once again, she was lulled to sleep under the blossoming of a cherry tree.  The gods appeared again and found taking another nap.  Li Shou was scolded worse than before and promised yet again that she would be mindful of her responsibilities. They would not catch her sleeping on the job again.

On her third round of watching the Earth, Li Shou found herself full of energy. That second nap really did the trick! She ran and frolicked and this time when she found a cherry tree, she had no desire to sleep. A single leaf fell from the tree right before her eyes and was blown by a gentle wind. What fun! She chased the leaf, batting in with hear paws. Then another leaf fell and another and another! Li Shou was having the time of her life.  This time the gods appeared and found her playing among the leaves.

“Li Shou!” The first god said.

“Yes!” Li Shou said, standing tall and removing a remaining leaf from her fur. “I did it! I didn’t fall asleep!”

“The world has still fallen into chaos, under your watch,” said the first god.

“But, I…”said Li Shou.

“You ignored your responsibilities once again!” said the second god.

“We have reprimanded you 3 times,” said the third god. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Li Shou thought carefully before she began to speak. The gods waited eagerly for her reply with the sternest of stares.  ” There isn’t much I can say,” Li Shou said. ” I have been terrible at watching over the earth. Perhaps this job is not best left to me.”

“And who do you suppose would be better fit for the responsibility?” Asked the second god. At that very moment a human man and woman appeared, walking together and picking cherries from one of the nearby cherry trees.

Lady at a Window with Two Cats by Zhang Zhen (early 18th century)
Image courtesy of the University of California Berkley Art Museum

“How about them?” said Li Shou pointing toward the humans. “They are a very good creature and I have liked being around them very much.”

“So be it!” Said the first god. “You have chosen well, Li Shou.”

The gods beckoned the humans to come near. They placed the responsibility to oversee the running of the Earth on mankind and gave them the ability to speak. As the humans began to speak, Li Shou and the other cats lost their ability to speak.

” We will be back to see how you have done with the  earth,” said the third god to the humans. The humans just stared blankly and began to talk with one another. The god repeated himself. The humans still did not understand. Realizing that the humans would never understand the language of the gods, they turned back to Li Shou.

“Humans can not be in charge of everything,” the first god said to Li Shou. She nodded showing that she understood what he had said.

“Since you can understand us,” the second god said to Li Shou,” we will still leave you in charge of keeping time for the earth.”

” Your eyes shall control the movement of the sun,” said the third god.

From that day forward, the Chinese would believe that you could tell the time of day by looking into a cat’s eyes. The pupils of the cat’s eyes control the height of the sun above the horizon.

One Good Myth Deserves Another

• The cat goddess Li Shou was worshiped by farmers as a goddess of fertility. Sacrifices were made to her in exchange for her pest control, for favorable rainfall, and for success with their crops.  She was also said to ward off evil spirits at night.
• Ceramic candle lanterns shaped like sitting cats with hollow eyes were used to scare away mice and ward off bad luck.
• White cats were linked to the moon and known to steal moonbeams.
• Cats were seen as mysterious creatures that could detect ghosts and evil spirits – or be one.
• Instead of burring dead cats, they were hung from trees to deter any evil spirits from bothering people passing underneath the tree.
• It was said that some people would change into cats after death. If you were afraid of cats, it meant that you were a rodent in a past life.
• Cats born with certain black markings on their backs were called “Kimono Cats.” This meant that the cat was the reincarnation of one of the owner’s ancestors. This belief was also held in Japan.
• Cats were sometimes believed to bring poverty on the people they lived with.
• One legend says that an emperor owned a black cat that bathed in a puddle after it had rained for 3 days. Then, all of the sudden, the cat turned into a dragon and flew away. No one ever saw the cat again.

Japanese “Kimono Cat”
Image courtesy of messybeast.com

I’m Seeing Giant Mousies! (Follow-Up Friday)

On Wednesday, we published our very first Niptoon and the response was amazing! Cinco and Manna were overwhelmed with all of the compliments that they received.  They are pretty sure that they want to do another one soon and probably once per month (or more) after that! Yay for Niptoons!

The Photobomber

Creating the first Niptoon took a pretty long photo shoot (52 photos).  After all of the editing was done and the post was published, it turned out there was a photobomer in the Niptoon – and everyone was asking about him!

That’s right! Do not adjust your monitors! You really are seeing a giant mousie in this photo with Manna.  Isn’t he cute? There were several requests for more information about Cinco and Manna’s giant mousie, so we thought we’d share with everyone!

All the Juicy Details

We purchased the giant mousie at a local thrift store several months ago. It was barely used and we thought that Cinco and Manna would love it; We were right! This has become one of their favorite toys. The actual name of this toy is the Scratch, Rattle, and Roll by a company called Four Paws. It can be found for sale on Amazon for $19.99 + shipping.  

Features

Official photo from Four Paws

• It is made of a durable carpet-like material.
• It is weighted on the bottom (belly side) with a material that feels like sand. The total weight is about 2 pounds (.9 kg).
• Most of the mouse’s back is a catnip-infused scratcher.
• The ears make a great crinkle noise when they are touched.
• The end of the tail has bells enclosed inside.
• Elastic cord under the mouse’s nose for hanging on a door or wall.

Quality

This mouse does seem to be a durable and appropriate cat toy. The sand-like substance seems to be locked away under a few layers of the material so that it won’t easily be scratched out of the toy. The seams in the material are well-sown; The eyes, ears, nose, elastic cord, and tail all seem to be firmly attached. There are no small parts for the cat to choke on, however, there are 2 small tags on one side that could be removed. The mouse is plush, but firm, and has no parts that could cut or stab the cat.

Cinco & Manna’s Assessment

Cinco giving the mouse a lick.

When we first brought this mousie home, we hung it on a door knob to see if Cinco and Manna would prefer it there. Both Cinco and Manna were curious about the mousie, but seemed  a little confused as to what they were supposed to  do with it.  As soon as we took it off the doorknob and put it on the floor, the fun began.  Cinco and Manna were immediately drawn to the catnip scratcher.  Of course, we add our own catnip to it all the time just to keep things fresh and fun.

Manna attacking the mouse’s tail.

The cats each have their favorite things about their mousie. Cinco loves to lick and bite the scratcher. Manna loves to grab onto the mouse and wrestle with it.  They both love when we use the elastic to slowly drag the mouse along the floor so they can attack the tail. They also enjoy the sound of the crinkling ears, but they haven’t figured out how to play with those themselves yet (we’re working on it 🙂 ).  Whenever Dave or I crinkle the mouse’s ears, Cinco and Manna come running! This has been a great toy for us to use to interact with the cats. The cats also play with it independently and cuddle it as well.

Cinco and Manna inspecting the mouse together.

Note: Playful Kitty was not compensated for reviewing this product. We just happen to like it and thought everyone would like to know a little more!