Pet Photo Fails: Oldies But Goodies

Hi, all! Welcome to the September edition of Pet Photo Fails.

Old SoLT is still seriously not feeling well, what with the infections and kidney stones she has been fighting. The good news is that the stones are finally gone, the infections are finally gone, and the pain she's having now seems to be from the stent she has, which is supposed to come out today. We hope that if all goes well, she

Pet Photo Fails: Paisley, Unfocused

Welcome to the August edition of Pet Photo Fails!



We have just one fail for you this month, because old SoLT has not been feeling well for a whole month now and hasn't taken many pictures. She found out she has a kidney stone that might be sort of stuck, and she will probably feel better after she has it removed, but we don't know when that will be yet.



Anyway, here is a blurry photo of

Caturday Art: Webster in the Cat Tree Cubby

This week's Caturday Art features Real Cat Webster in one of his favorite spots: the little cubby hole in the cat tree.




Old SoLT used the Floating effect at 40% in LunaPic. She tried adding a bunch of other things on top of that, but nothing looked quite right, so she decided to stop. She did bump up the contrast and brightness in Photoshop, though.

Here's the original:




We're sorry we

Cat of the Week: Shaz

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.






This week, we’re excited to introduce Shaz, an excellent Siamese cat in need of a new home. Shaz is a

Caturday Art: Sleepy Webster

This week's Caturday Art features Real Cat Webster doing one of his very favorite things: going to sleep.




Old SoLT did this with a combination of Lunapic and PicMonkey effects. In Lunapic, she used the Sketch 4 art effect, followed by just a touch of the Landscape effect (26%) to put some color back in. Then in PicMonkey, she added the Frost effect and a drop-shadow frame.

And here is the

Words with Webster: Henry’s Pocket, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has an “eary”  word
to share. After that, it’s on to Friendly Fill-Ins!



Words with Webster




Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “Henry’s pocket.” I picked this word because I just
thought it was interesting. It is also not in the dictionary, which makes it
kind

The Nine Lives of a Cat, 1860 Style

Today we’re sharing something we just discovered yesterday
on The Public Domain Review (a
great resource if you’re looking for public domain material). What we found is an
1860 book called The Nine Lives of a Cat: A Tale of Wonder. It was written by Charles
Bennett and published in London by Griffith and Farran. Bennett bills this tome
as a “tale of wonder … told for children,” but it’s

Catuday Art: Paisley Reviews a Book

We are so glad to be back after having to skip a whole week of blogging due to illness! Old SoLT has been fighting an infection for almost two weeks now, and she is finally starting to feel better. Many thanks to those who wrote to make sure we were okay--we really appreciate it!

Anyway, old SoLT felt up to doing some Caturday Art this week, so she artified a picture of Real Cat Paisley helping

Pet Photo Fails: July

Welcome to the July edition of Pet Photo Fails!

We have a healthy crop of photos gone wrong this month, beginning with this one of Real Cats Webster and Paisley together. You can probably make out Webs, and Paisley is that big blob on the right:




And this is Paisley stretching. We think old SoLT was trying to help her take a selfie:




Here, old SoLT shows off her stunning photography skills

Pet Photo Fails Reminder

Due to old SoLT's minor illness this week, we do not have a regular post for you today.


What we do have is a reminder that the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop happens right here tomorrow! So post some of those not-quite-right pet photos and be ready to hop and have some Friday fun.






The Linky will open at 12:01 a.m. eastern time.



All pets are welcome!



We'll see you there!



#PetPhotoFails

Cat of the Week: Cruelli

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.






This week we’re happy to introduce a handsome gentleman named Cruelli. He is seven years old and is gray and

Cat Classics in Print: Space Cat Visits Venus

Today’s classic in print is the second slim volume in the
Space Cats series, Space Cat Visits Venus,
written by Ruthven Todd and illustrated by Paul Galdone. This particular book
was first published in 1955 and has recently been republished by Dover. We
probably enjoyed the story of Space Cat’s visit to Venus even more than the
original Space Cat, which means we
liked it quite a lot.

Sunday Selfie: Webster Cooperates--Sort Of

Real Cat Webster agreed under mild protest to participate in this week's Sunday Selfie. He never did look at the camera, but at least he looks cute:





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Webster

Our Caturday Art this week features Real Cat Webster with an unknown filter from Dreamscope:





This one only took a week to get back. It came out a little dark, so we bumped up the brightness and contrast in Photoshop. We're pleased with it and didn't think it needed anything else.

No sign of the art we started in Dreamscope three or four weeks ago, though.


Reminder!





Don't forget to

Words with Webster: Catnap

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a sleepy word to share. After that, it’s on to
Friendly Fill-Ins!







Words with Webster

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “catnap.” I picked this word because today is Nap Day,
a day that sure seems made for cats. Anyway, we all know what a catnap is,
right?

The Mythical Ball-Tailed Cat of North America

 Our subject today is the mythical North American feline known
as the ball-tailed cat (Felis caudaglobosa—and no, we’re not
entirely sure why a fictional creature has a scientific name or who so named
it). The ball-tailed cat was a sort of wildcat similar to a mountain lion, only
with a “hardy heavy, bony ball on the end of its tail” (Tryon, p. 7). We haven’t
been able to find out the original

Cat of the Week: Laila

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



This week, we’re pleased to introduce this black-and-white beauty named Laila. Laila is an 8-year-old female

Book Review: Cats on Film

Today we are pleased to bring you our review of a book we
have been wanting to read for months: Cats
on Film, by Anne Billson. If you love movies and cats, and movies with
cats, we think you’ll love this look into a selection of cat films that, unless
you are some kind of super film buff, will surely introduce you to some movies
you’ve never seen, and maybe some you’ve never heard of.



If

Sunday Selfie: Real Cat Paisley at Work

Sometimes Real Cat Paisley likes to  sit in the window behind the computer monitors while old SoLT is working. That's where she took her selfie this week.





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Paisley with Waves of Illusion

Just when old SoLT thought she was going to have to spend an hour or two making a Caturday Art, she tried one filter in Lunapic and said, "Wow, that's cool!" Then she put another effect on top of it and said, "That's cool too!"

She couldn't decide which she liked better, so here they both are:






This first one is the Waves effect at 100%.






And this one is Waves with Illusion added at

Words with Webster: Panther

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has another wild word to share. After that, it’s on to
Friendly Fill-Ins!



Words with Webster




Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “panther.” I picked this word because one of the
comments to my last post asked, “If leopards aren’t panthers, then what are?”

14 Questions for Real Cat Paisley

Just when we thought we weren’t going to think of a Thursday post topic this week, our pal CK posted a set of 14 new questions to answer, and we jumped on it. Real Cat Paisley agreed to provide honest answers in exchange for extra treats.


1. When did something start out badly for you but in the end, it was great?

Going to adoption events when I was just a kid. I was about 6 months old,

Cat of the Week: Leo

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.






Today we’re introducing a big, handsome fellow who is sure to steal someone’s heart. Leo is a male tabby

Book Review: Two by Clea Simon

On this Mysterious Monday, we are excited to share our thoughts
on not one but two new releases from one of our favorite authors, Clea Simon.
First up is Cross My Path, the latest
in the Blackie and Care mystery series, and next is Fear on Four Paws, the latest in the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series.



Cross My Path




This book picks up the story of a young pink-haired private
investigator

Sunday Selfie: Paisley's Two White Whiskers

Real Cat Paisley was persuaded to do this week's Sunday Selfie, and after she took it she noticed that it shows off her two white whiskers. See them?





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Brave Webster

For today's Caturday Art, old SoLT used the Ceremony (100%) and Brave (42%) art effects from Lunapic to make this art of Real Cat Webster:




We think it makes his eyes look pretty cool. And here's the original:




We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!

Words with Webster: Leopard

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a … spotted word to share. After that, it’s on to
Friendly Fill-Ins!





Words with Webster




Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “leopard.” Maybe you remember that I mentioned this word
in my column a couple of weeks ago and said I’d do it soon. I’m doing it

Happy Fourth of July!

From all of us here at The Cuddlywumps Cat Chronicles, happy Fourth to all our friends! We hope you and your families enjoy a safe and happy holiday!

Cats of the Week: Barry and Bear Kitty

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



Today we are pleased to introduce two cats: Barry, an orange-and-white tabby who is 7 years old, and Bear Kitty

Cat Classics on Film: That Darn Cat (1997)

Today’s Cat Classic on Film is the 1997 version of the excellent
1965 film That Darn Cat. To know
immediately how the two movies compare, just note where we placed the word “excellent”
in the previous sentence.



The plot


The cat in the poster is cute, but he looks nothing like DC!


The movie’s plot got a makeover that in our opinion doesn’t have
much life or fun in it. In the update,

Sunday Selfie

Real Cat Webster agreed to do the Sunday Selfie this week. He had recently been brushed and was feeling particularly handsome.




We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Notepaper Webster

For this week's Caturday Art, old SoLT had a little time (for the first time in almost a month, she wasn't double-booked!) to mess around in Photoshop. She took a picture of Real Cat Webster and applied a blur filter to really blur out the background and then used the Notepaper filter to get this:




We thought that looked pretty cool, so I told her to try the Solarize filter:




That's cool

Pet Photo Fails: June

She of Little Talent (aka old SoLT) had some super photo fails this month. She even managed to get a video fail, in slow motion, no less. We'll kick things off with this exciting video of ... Resident Dog Layla walking away:





This is a fail for so many reasons. First, just look at it (yes, that big pink thing is old SoLT's finger). Second, she did not intend to take video at all, much less

Think Before You Wish, or, Let Your Cat Be a Cat

Have you ever wished
your cat could be someone else? First of all, why on earth would you wish for something
like that? And second, you should be careful what you wish for, as the old
widow in this US folk story found out the hard way.









Once upon a time, there was an old widow woman whose only
companion in life was her faithful cat. Woman and cat spent hours every day in
their

Cats of the Week: Sampson and Mittens

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.







 This week we have not one but two great cats: Sampson and Mittens. They are a bonded pair and must be

Book Review: Claws of Death

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our short
review of Claws of Death, the second
Cat Lady mystery from Linda Reilly. We missed the first book in this series,
but we had no trouble at all getting right into this book, which features a
small cat shelter, a retired actress, and a mysterious ghostly cat that only
one person can see.



The plot

The action happens in

Sunday Selfie: Paisley Dominates

Real Cat Paisley has a lot to meow about in her Sunday Selfie this week. That's because her selfie also works for Cat World Domination Day since it shows something she dominated just for the occasion.




That big green thing in the background is old SoLT's latest balance-ball chair (RIP), and the selfie was taken moments after Paisley punched a couple of holes in it, making it slowly deflate. (

Caturday Art: Paisley in Purple

This week in Caturday Art, old SoLT turned Real Cat Paisley into something purple:




She did this in LunaPic, with the Daisy art effect (51%) and the Monster art effect (64%). We like the wavy parts it put in Paisley's fur!

And here's the original:





And now it's time for Friendly Fill-Ins, brought to us by 15 and Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs! The first two are answered by old SoLT this

Words with Webster: Pard

We have one fun Friday feature for you today, as Real Cat
Webster shares a really old wild cat word. And then we have a reminder for you
about next Friday!






Words with Webster

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “pard.” This is sort of like last week’s word, “manticore,”
because I got the idea for it when Mommy was typing the heraldry
post

The Story of the Key Marco Cat

The Key Marco Cat.

Artifact Catalogue No. A240915, Department of Anthropology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution.

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.





Have you ever heard of the Key Marco Cat? Chances are you may
have seen an image of this famous Florida artifact, even if you didn’t know
what it was. The Key Marco Cat is a human/feline figurine about six inches
high. It was carved from

Cat of the Week: Iris

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



Today we’re pleased to introduce this lovely gray tabby with white bib and socks. Her name is Iris, and she is

Cat App Review: Cat Condo

Today we’re pleased to bring you our brief review of a cute
app called Cat Condo.



In this game, you start off with a small cat condo with a little
white kitty cat on each of its platforms. You combine two white kitty cats to
create a gray kitten. Then you combine two gray kittens to create a sneaky cat,
two sneaky cats to create a Japanese bobtail … and so on, combining cats at higher
and

Sunday Selfie: Webster Upside Down

This week, Real Cat Webster wanted to try doing his selfie upside down. We think it turned out pretty good:





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Paisley in an Abstract World

This week's Caturday Art was a bit of a surprise to old SoLT, as she started this in Dreamscope several weeks ago and just got the results this Friday. She was surprised (a) that it was there at all and (b) that she likes it, because the last one we waited and waited for we didn't even like.




We don't know which filter it is. Heck, old SoLT isn't even sure which original photo it's from--so

Words with Webster: Manticore, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a fantastic word to share. After that, it’s on to
Friendly Fill-Ins!





Words with Webster

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “manticore.” At first this word doesn’t sound very
catty, but a manticore is a

legendary animal having the head of a man often with

Real Cat Paisley’s Basepaws Report

The results are in! We received the first report (the Alpha
Report) from Real Cat Paisley’s Basepaws DNA testing just over a week ago, and
boy, are we excited. This report includes information on how similar Paisley is
to 16 wildcats and 27 domestic cats. In this post, we’ll share our experiences
with the process and of course Paisley’s results.





 Collecting the sample




Basepaws sends

Cat of the Week: Ronak

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



Today we’re featuring a great cat we’ve introduced you to once before. Ronak is a 9-year-old gentleman who

Cat Classics in Print: Space Cat

Today’s Cat Classic in Print is one for you fans of cats and
space—and cats in space. It’s the children’s book Space Cat, written by Ruthven Todd and illustrated by Paul Galdone,
and first published in 1952. This thin volume has recently been released in a
new edition by Dover and will be followed by three more books in the series (Space Cat Visits Venus, Space Cat Meets Mars, and Space Cat

Sunday Selfie: Paisley in the Kitchen

Our Sunday Selfie started out exactly as these things usually do: with old SoLT stalking around the house with her phone on Saturday afternoon, saying "Who wants to do Sunday Selfie?" while all the pets scatter and hide. This time, Real Cat Paisley wasn't fast enough to get away, and she got her selfie taken in the kitchen:





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My

Caturday Art: Is She Still There?

This week's Caturday Art captures an uncomfortable moment for Resident Dog Layla. She was trying to share the office sofa with Real Cat Paisley, but she is (appropriately) scared of Paisley, so the whole episode made her ... tense.






Old SoLT kept things simple, using a black & white filter and adding the photo corners, all in PicMonkey, which we have not used in a while.



Here is the

Words with Webster: Cheshirization, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a catty word to share (but perhaps not catty enough,
as you’ll see!). After that, it’s on to Friendly Fill-Ins!





Words with Webster

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “Cheshirization.” I learned this word last week when
Mommy was looking up stuff about Alice

Kids’ Cruelty Toward Mother Cat and Kittens Points to Need for Humane Education

Warning: This story
includes two brief accounts of cruelty toward animals.




This mother cat and her kittens were pelted with rocks, but thanks to theirkind rescuer and Alley Cat Rescue, the mom and her surviving kittensare recovering and will be available for adoption soon.Photo courtesy of Alley Cat Rescue.


In late May, a kind person in Maryland witnessed some
children throwing rocks at a

Cat of the Week: Phil Dunphy

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.






This week, we’re happy to introduce Phil Dunphy. This fellow’s name caught our attention right away (Modern

Book Review: Seafurrers

Today we are pleased to bring you our short review of the fascinating
book Seafurrers: The Ships’ Cats Who
Lapped and Mapped the World, by Philippa Sandall and illustrated by Ad Long.
This book covers the history of cats on ships from the very beginning, when
cats took up duty stations on grain ships to feast on the rodents that ruined
the cargo; to the years of exploration, when cats went

Sunday Selfie: Flashy Paisley

Real Cat Paisley: Don't flashy thing me, Mommy!

Old SoLT (aka Mommy): Click, Flash!

Real Cat Paisley: Grrr...




And that's how the taking of this week's Sunday Selfie went.

We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Webster's Z

This week's Caturday Art features Real Cat Webster's back part, and especially the white Z formation he has on his leg. Old SoLT thinks that is just the neatest thing, and she's always making a fuss over it. None of the rest of us are impressed.




The art was done in LunaPic, with the Homer (56%) and Cartoon (41%) effects. The frame is from Photoshop.

We'd show you the original, but once again

Real Cat Paisley’s Friendly Fill-Ins

We have just one fun Friday feature for you today. This is
because old SoLT has been double-booked with work for the past two weeks and
has not had as much time as usual to type the blog. That’s also why we haven’t visited and left
comments on our friends’ blogs very much this week, and we’re sorry about that.
We miss visiting everyone! Hopefully things will return to normal soon.



For

Cat Classics on Film: Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Today’s Cat Classic is Disney’s animated version of Alice in Wonderland (1951), featuring,
of course, the Cheshire Cat.




The plot and the cat

Young Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) is a rather silly
daydreamer whose imagination is so much more interesting than the boring old
real world. One day while she’s supposed to be listening to a reading about
history, Alice sees a well-dressed

Cat of the Week: Oliver

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



Today we’re featuring a cat we have featured before. Oliver is an 8-year-old gentleman who is so sweet and

Book Review: A Passion for Haunted Fashion

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our
review of A Passion for Haunted Fashion,
the latest Haunted Vintage mystery from Rose Pressey. This is the series that
combines murder, fashion, ghosts, a generous dose of humor, and a cat who uses
a Ouija board to communicate. It is such fun!



The plot

In A Passion for Haunted
Fashion, vintage clothing boutique owner Cookie

Sunday Selfie: Paisley Undercover

A couple nights ago, old SoLT was putting clean sheets on the bed, and Real Cat Paisley decided to get involved (as cats will do). At the same time, she decided to take a quick selfie. So this is Paisley undercover:




It's kind of blurry, and of course that's entirely old SoLT's fault. She did put a sepia filter on it so you could see Paisley a little better, though.

We're joining the Sunday

Caturday Art: Sci Fi Webster

This week's Caturday Art is from Dreamscope again. This is another one that took only 24 hours to complete, and we think it turned out pretty cool. Real Cat Webster looks like he's gone sort of science fictiony:




By the way, we're pretty sure this is the Data Pagan effect. We'd show you the original, but old SoLT is having a "middle-age moment" (seems to be a permanent thing now) and can't

Pet Photo Fails: Blurry Tortie, Blurry Tabby

Welcome to the very first edition of the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop! We're all here to have a little fun on a Friday, so let's get right to it.

Real Cat Webster is ready to kick things off with what was supposed to be a selfie, we think. Whatever it was going to be, it's a fail because old SoLT wasn't steady enough and she jiggled the camera. Too much coffee, old SoLT?:





Next up, we have Real

Tibs the Great: Number One Cat of the British Post Office (1950-1964)

Over the years, cats have held many official positions in government
and business. Often, their main duties were to control rodents, and such is the
case with our subject today, a 23-pound tabby named Tibs.







Tibs in his basement domain.


Tibs the Great, as he was known, served as the “number one
cat” of Britain’s Post Office Headquarters for nearly 14 years. Born in 1950, he
arrived at

Cat of the Week: Hunter

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.







Today we’re introducing this handsome fellow named Hunter. He is an 8-year-old male who is medium sized and

Cat Classics in Print: Warriors Book 1: Into the Wild

Old SoLT has been wanting to read this series since it first
started in 2003, but somehow she has never gotten around to it before now. We
sort of wondered if the first Warriors book, Into the Wild, can truly be considered a classic when it’s only 15
years old, but considering the sheer number of novels, novellas, “super
editions,” manga, and guides it has spawned (not including box sets,

Sunday Selfie: Webster on a Rainy Saturday

Real Cat Webster paused on yesterday's rainy morning to take this selfie:





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Paisley with Bokeh Gone Wild

This week's Caturday Art is--finally--from Dreamscope. It's one that we started a while ago and finally got back last week:




Old SoLT tried the Bokeh Treats effect,and we think it came out looking pretty cool, although we do wish it hadn't softened Paisley quite so much.

We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!




<

Caturday Art: Paisley Repurposes a Selfie

What do you do when you need something for Caturday Art in a hurry? Why, you take your most recent Sunday Selfie and use a couple LunaPic effects on it!




For the record, this is the Tattoo art effect at about 50% (old SoLT forgot to write down the exact number) and the Landscape art effect at 15% (because what's LunaPic art without a little Landscape effect?).

We're joining the Caturday Art

Words with Webster: Cat, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a really old feline word to share. After that, it’s
on to Friendly Fill-Ins!



Words with Webster




Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “cat.” Finally! I have been promising to do this word
for a while now, and this week Mommy said we could do it. I don’t know

Jimmy the Cat: Mascot of the HMS Renown

Some cats get around more than others, and Jimmy the cat, a fluffy, light-colored fellow who lived during World War I, had experiences on land and sea that most of us
can’t imagine.



Jimmy “transfers” from land to sea


This pastel drawing of Jimmy was done by Georgina Shaw Baker.
National Maritime Museum, Greenwhich, London. [CC BY-NC-SA].



We’re not sure where he started life, but

Cat of the Week: China

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.







Today we are excited to introduce the lovely little China. She is a 13-year-old lilac Tonkinese mix. China

Book Review: CatStronauts: Robot Rescue

Today we are pleased to bring you our review of the fourth
book in Drew Brockington’s CatStronauts series: Robot Rescue. We love this series of graphic novels in which cats
explore space, and Robot Rescue may
be our favorite so far.



In this volume, Cat-Stro-Bot—a robot created by Blanket the
cat—is on the surface of Europa constructing a drill to search for water, and
possibly life. All

Sunday Selfie: Paisley Supervises

This week's Sunday Selfie captures Real Cat Paisley hard at work on her previous week's selfie. Really, nothing would get done around here without a tortie to supervise!





We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This is the kind of day we're expecting this Cinco de Mayo:







We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!

Words with Webster: Ounce

We have just one fun Friday feature for you today. Today’s
post is all on Real Cat Webster, who has a wild word to share.



Words with Webster



Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “ounce.” If you missed yesterday’s post about heraldry, you might be wondering what an ounce, as in “16 ounces in a
pound,” has to do with cats. Well, that’s not the

Cats in Heraldry

The coat of arms of Benin, featuring
two natural leopards rampant.


Our subject today is a big one: heraldry, and specifically
the use and symbolism of cats (mostly wild cats) in heraldry. The subject of heraldry
can get complicated fast, but we’re sticking to some basics to keep it simple.
First, we'll look at what heraldry is and where it came from, and then we'll explore what cats

Cat of the Week: Rusty

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.





 
Today we are pleased to introduce Rusty, a handsome orange tabby fellow who is 13 years old. Rusty is a

Book Review: Clowders

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our
review of Vanessa Morgan’s Clowders,
the dark tale of what happens to an American family after they move to a small,
cat-centric town in Luxembourg. This is not the sort of light read we often
review here, so prepare yourselves.



The plot



Aiden and Jess arrive in the village of Clervaux with their daughter,
Eleonore. Aiden

Sunday Selfie:Paisley Sends a Birthday Wish

For this week's Sunday Selfie, Real Cat Paisley took a moment from her playtime on the stairs to snap this photo. She is dedicating it to Allie, who turns 16 today. We all hope you have a wonderful birthday and get lots of neat presents, Allie!





If you don't follow us on Instagram, you missed Paisley's terrifying experience yesterday. This is what happened:










Disaster!!! Real Cat

Caturday Art: The Gang's All Here

Last weekend was sunny here, and the whole fur gang (the Real Cats and Resident Dog Layla) got to enjoy some sun puddles. Old SoLT got a so-so picture and used it for Caturday Art:




This is LunaPic's Sadness art effect (100%), followed by the Landscape effect (49%). It looks like the glass door is broken, but that's just what the effects did with the shadows outside. No pets were endangered in

April Bloopers, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins and an Announcement

We have two fun Friday features for you today--well, three really. First up is a pair of April bloopers featuring Real Cat Paisley. Old SoLT was trying to get some cute photos of Paisley playing with her catnip snake from Purrfect Play (not an affiliate link; we just like them!). What she got instead was a small collection of blurry tortie shots, complete with a heap of dog toys in the background

Cat Classics on Film: A Cat in Paris (2010)

How many cats do you know who lead a double life? We suspect
that very few cats lead lives as full of contrasts as Dino the cat, star of A Cat in Paris, which is today’s Cat
Classic on Film.



The plot
By day, Dino is the beloved kitty companion of young Zoe, a
girl who stopped speaking after her police officer father was killed by a
gangster. When night falls, Dino slips out the window

Cat of the Week: Ghandi

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.






This week we are featuring a cat we have shared with you twice before. Ghandi is a sweet older gentleman

Meow Like Shakespeare Day

Today, in honor of Meow Like Shakespeare Day (or Talk Like Shakespeare Day, as some people call it), we have the following dramatic reenactment presented by the Real Cats:




Hmm ... not sure what play that is from. Macbeth, maybe?

Anyway, this moment of culture has been brought to you by The Real Cats Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Want to make your own Shakespearean insults? Try the

Sunday Selfies: Pet Me & I'll Do a Selfie

This week, Real Cat Webster allowed himself to be photographed for a Sunday Selfie ... in exchange for several minutes of petting. (Tip to cats: You can get a human to anything when they are desperate to get a cute picture of you!)





Paisley wanted to do something too, so she decided to do this musical meme we first saw on Stunning Keisha, who got it from The Lone Star Cats. It's sort of

Caturday Art: Raspberry Webster

In his most recent Sunday Selfie, Real Cat Webster had a little tongue-out action going on. So old SoLT decided to go for a raspberry effect in this week's Caturday Art.* She did some messing about in Photoshop and came up with this:




*This is a lie that old SoLT made me write. She had no plan AT ALL and hit on the purple by accident. Then at the last second she decided, "Oh, I'll call it

Words with Webster: Primordial Pouch, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a poochy word to share. After that, it’s on to
Friendly Fill-Ins!



Words with Webster




Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “primordial pouch.” You know that sort of
loose-skin-looking flappy things you might see hanging from your cat’s belly?
Those are

A Call for Veterinarians to Help “Fix” Annual Kitten Invasion

Kitten season is coming, and so is Alley Cat Rescue's May Spay Challenge!Photo via Adobe Stock.







You’ve all heard of kitten season, right? It’s that time of
year when temperatures warm, flowers bloom, and animal shelters are inundated
with kittens in need of homes.



Many people just call it “spring.”



Kitten season sounds cute and cuddly, but it’s actually a
big problem for shelters,

Cat of the Week: Rogue One

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



 
Today, we are excited to introduce Rogue One. She is a 7-year-old lady who is nervous in the shelter but

Book Review: The Bengal Identity

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our
short review of The Bengal Identity,
book 2 in Eileen Watkins’s Cat Groomer mystery series. This book features plenty
of mystery, most of it centered around one spectacular cat whose identity is
unknown.



The plot



Cassie McGlone is the owner of Cassie’s Comfy Cats, a
grooming and boarding facility in Chadwick, New Jersey.

Sunday Selfie: Real Cat Webster Chills

Real Cat Webster took this Sunday Selfie while he was relaxing with old SoLT one evening:





We're joining the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

Caturday Art: Paisley in the Sun

For this week's Caturday Art, Old SoLT wanted to use a picture of Real Cat Paisley in the sun. She decided to play with the sunlight and shadows by bumping the contrast way up in Photoshop and then adding a lens flare and a poster edges filter. Not bad for a measly five minutes' work.




Then, for something completely different, not to mention brighter, she tried the Delaunay (21%) and Landscape

Words with Webster: Cat Squirrel, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is
Real Cat Webster, who has a squirrely word to share. After that, it’s on to
Friendly Fill-Ins!






Words with Webster

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words
with Me. Today’s word is “cat squirrel.” Mommy found this word in the
dictionary while she was looking up something else. We never heard of it before
that, so

Hieroglyphic Cats from Ancient Crete

We stumbled upon an interesting little tidbit earlier this
week. At first we didn’t even believe it and thought it must be one of those
alternative facts that are so easy to find on the internet. But a little
digging brought us to some reputable sources, so we are ready to tell you that
the so-called Cretan Hieroglyphic writing system (not related to the more
famous Egyptian hieroglyphs)

Cat of the Week: Bird

Each week in this space, we feature an
older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature
cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the
curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.






We are absolutely in love with this week’s cat. Her name is Bird, and as you can see, she is one of the

Book Review: Engaged in Danger

On this Mysterious Monday, we are pleased to bring you our
review of Engaged in Danger, book 4
in the Jamie Quinn mystery series by Barbara Venkataraman. We enjoyed the first three books in the series, so we were eager to find out what Jamie, who practices
family law in Hollywood, Florida, is up to now.



The plot

In this volume, Jamie’s boyfriend is headed to Australia to
work with

Real Cat Paisley: A Sunday Selfie Story

Getting a "selfie" of Real Cat Paisley is best accomplished when she is asleep. This is how this week's selfie session went with Paisley awake:






Hmm ... I think I see something over there ....







It's on the move, whatever it is ...








What's that? You want me to turn around? Okaaaay ...







No, no, no ... there is definitely something I need to look at over here.







What?