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Characteristics of the Turkish Van

The coat is the most fascinating trait on this cat. The climate change in Eastern Anatolia region throughout the year seems to have designed the cat's coat over time. Eastern Anatolia is mountainous, and Lake Van sits over 5,260 ft (1,600 m). above sea level. The area faces such extreme temperatures during the summer and winter seasons that it is almost inhospitable. The semi-long haired, water resistant single coat, is thick in winter but very soft, like rabbit fur or cashmere. At maturity, the cat will have a winter mane. During the spring and summer months when it becomes extremely hot, the long hair on the body is shed for a shorter coat that retains the cashmere feel. The hair on the tail remains long throughout the year and has the appearance of a bottle brush.

The Turkish Van is a large, semi-longhaired cat with a swimmer's body. Ideal type should feature broad shoulders with a body that is 'top heavy', that is a cat with its center of gravity forward. The cat is moderately long and its back legs are slightly longer than its front legs but, neither the cat itself nor its legs are so long to be disproportionate. These cats are large and muscular and feature short necks. Male Vans grow to about 16 pounds (7kg), while females tend to be a bit lighter in weight, 12 to 14 lb (5 to 6 kg). A Van will take up to 3 years to reach full maturity. Vans have been known to reach 3 ft (1 m) long from nose to tip of tail.

The shoulders of the Turkish Van are broad with the ability for one to place three fingers between the legs at the chest area. It is said that large Van males are the only domestic cats that cannot follow their heads through a fence due to the broadness of their chest and shoulders. The rear end on the cat should not exceed the width of the shoulders — in other words, no bell bottomed or pear shape should be seen.

Turkish Vans are very intelligent, and will easily take over their home and owners. Vans are people cats that want to be with people wherever they go. They like to play and jump and explore anything in their reach, which is quite large. They are energetic; they play hard and sleep hard. Unusual for cat breeds, Turkish Vans love to play in the water and will join you in the tub for a dip or help you in the sink and are known as "the swimming cat." Many Vans are dedicated to fetching their particular object of interest, and many owners describe them as "dogs in a cat suit" because of their unusual personalities.

Vans, because of their fine fur, create less allergic reactions than most cats. Cat dander and saliva cause most allergic responses, however the fine fur helps decrease the issues.

Turkish Van

The Turkish Van is a recognized cat breed that is known for its unusual love of water and swimming. They were created from the cats native to the Lake Van area of Turkey. The cats of this type are named in Turkish Van Kedisi (although it is used to refer solely to the all-white form), in Armenian vana katou or vana gadou (Armenian: վանա կատու, literally translates to Van Cat) and in Kurdish (Pisîka Wanê). Originally called in the West the Turkish Cat, the name was changed in 1979 in the U.S. (1985 in the U.K.) to Turkish Van to better distance the breed from the Turkish Angora cat which had its origins around Ankara, in central Turkey. Traditionally, in the cat fancy, Turkish Vans are recognized as patterned cats with colour restricted to the head and tail with the body of the cat being white. However, in Turkey, the cat is recognised in an all-white form as well as the form with red patterning and a "fox tail", and with blue eyes, amber eyes, or one eye of each colour (Heterochromia iridis).

Origins
One of the two accepted breeds in Turkey, the Van Cat is now known in Britain as the Armenian Cat. Van was a city once part of Armenia (Turkeys neighboring country, What is modern day van belonged with its churhces and land to Armenia before the genocide). The cats date back centuries to a city now under the ruling of Turkey. Van was short for "Vanazor" Meaning mountainous regions in Armenia. Originating in the Lake Van area of southeastern Turkey (which was once Armenia), these cats have been domesticated for centuries (in fact for as long as the famous Saluki Hound); they are much loved and prized by the Turks for their exceptional character and unique colouring. Apart from their great capacity for affection and alert intelligence, their outstanding characteristic is their liking for water, not normally regarded as a feline attribute. They not only dabble in water and play with it, but have been known to enter ponds and even horse-troughs for a swim — they soon became famous as the 'swimming cats.' I was first given a pair of Van kittens in 1955 while traveling in Turkey, and decided to bring them back to England, although touring by car and mainly camping at the time — the fact that they survived in good condition showed up the great adaptability and intelligence of their breed in trying circumstances. Experience showed that they bred absolutely true. They were not known in Britain at that time and, because they make such intelligent and charming pets, I decided to try to establish the breed, and to have it recognized officially in Britain by the GCCF

Historic references to the breed

Starting from the 16th century, the first long-haired cats were brought to Europe as wonders because there had been only short-haired cats in Europe at the time. Numerous Vans had been imported as Angora cats that were introduced a little earlier. At the same time, red-and-white van-patterned Van cats were usually described as whites that may be seen at the painting of French artist Antoine Jean Bail (1830–1918) named "A Young Girl With A White Cat". It seems that little changed since then. If we look carefully at the people's vacation photos that are published even in the Internet, we may notice that several of the 'white' Van cats in the pictures plainly had patches of red fur. As it was noticed by the visitors of Van region, the current population of Van tended to describe cats which were nearly all white (with high degree of white spotting) as "white." And even at present, when it was confirmed by a geneticist that Vans and Angoras are definitely separate breeds, Vans are sometimes confused with Turkish Angoras, although a side-by-side comparison reveals vastly different characteristics. The Angora cats originated in the ancient Byzantine city Ankira (Ἄγκυρα (Ánkyra, meaning "Anchor") that was also known to the West as Angora (after the town was occupied by Seljuck Turks at the beginning of 11th c.) (Ankara modern capital of Turkey), and descended separately from the Vans.

Cat Goma

One of the most famous cat in the wold.

The World's First Cat Snowboarder Goma!!
Ya, I know I know...This is just too much for some people...it is totally over the top! lol! well I have a reason for this graphic! last night at the shoot, I decided to put Goma on the snowboard and pretended like he was snowboarding!! and we said oh he is the worlds first cat snowboarder! lol. I thought that was just too funny and I had this picture of Goma riding my board in my head...how cute and funny that would be!! Seriously!
and many, many ather thing
LOOK what a can can DO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Siamese cat history

The pointed cat known in the West as "Siamese", recognized for its distinctive markings, is one of several breeds of cats from Siam described and illustrated in manuscripts called "Tamra Maew" (Cat Poems), estimated to have been written from the 14th to 18th century.
It is often said that the breed was first seen outside their Asian home in 1884, when the British Consul-General in Bangkok, Edward Blencowe Gould (1847–1916),brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister, Lilian Jane Veley (Veley went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901). However, in 1878, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes received "Siam", a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok; this cat was also the first documented Siamese to reach the United States, and predates the Siamese's arrival to the UK by 6 years.
In 1885, Veley's UK cats Pho and Mia produced three Siamese kittens. These kittens – Duen Ngai, Kalohom, and Khromata – and their parents were shown that same year at London's Crystal Palace Show, where their unique appearance and distinct behavior made a huge impression. Unfortunately, all three of the kittens died soon after the show. The reason for their deaths is not documented.
By 1886, another pair (with kittens) was imported to the UK by a Mrs. Vyvyan and her sister. Compared to the British Shorthair and Persian cats that were familiar to most Britons, these Siamese imports were longer and less "cobby" in body types, had heads that were less rounded with wedge-shaped muzzles and had larger ears. These differences and the pointed coat pattern, which had not been seen before in cats by Westerners, produced a strong impression—one early viewer described them as "an unnatural nightmare of a cat." These striking cats also won some devoted fans and over the next several years, fanciers imported a small number of cats, which together formed the base breeding pool for the entire breed in Britain. It is believed that most Siamese in Britain today are descended from about eleven of these original imports. Several sources give Gould's brother Owen Nutcombe Gould (1857–1929) as the British Consul-General in Bangkok, but Owen was only 27 in 1884 and not known to be in Bangkok. In their early days in Britain, they were called the "Royal Cat of Siam," reflecting reports that they had previously been kept only by Siamese royalty. Later research has not shown evidence of any organised royal breeding programme in Siam.
The original Siamese imports were, like their descendants in Thailand today, medium-sized, rather long-bodied, muscular, graceful cats with moderately wedge-shaped heads and ears that were comparatively large but in proportion to the size of the head. The cats ranged from rather substantial to rather slender but were not extreme in either way.

Appearance

 riginally the vast majority of Siamese had seal (extremely dark brown, almost black) points, but occasionally Siamese were born with blue (a cool grey) points, genetically a dilution of seal point; chocolate (lighter brown) points, a genetic variation of seal point; or lilac (pale warm gray) points, genetically a diluted chocolate. These colours were at first considered "inferior" seal points, and were not qualified for showing or breeding. All of these shades were eventually accepted by the breed associations, and became more common through breeding programmes specifically aimed at producing these colours. Later, outcrosses with other breeds developed Siamese-mix cats with points in other cat colours and patterns including Red and Cream point, lynx (tabby) point, and tortoise-shell ("tortie") point.

Handbags From Your Cat's Fur

"Chatangora" — that's what Simpsonville, South Carolina-based business Catty Shack Creations is calling "cat hair yarn" — used to create affordable, one-of-a-kind handbags from Persian and Angora cat hair. Professional groomer Danelle German came up with the idea when one of her clients asked to make yarn out of her Angora bunny's leftover fur. After hours of experimenting with a friend's spinning wheel and utilizing her felting and knitting experience, she was able to turn unwanted cat hair into something usable and unique.

Though the idea may seem strange at first, it is actually a great, crafty way to recycle large amounts of (clean) pet fur that is otherwise left to waste. After all, if we use sheep and llama fur, then reusing cat and dog fur is really not so far-fetched.



WE love it

Gifts for People Who Love Cats

According to one source, almost 40 percent of homes in the United States have cats for pets, and the statistics in other countries are very similar. These statistics show that there are a lot of cat lovers out there and this means that there are people who are shopping for gifts for those that love cats. If you are in search of something special for the cat lover in your life, you'll be happy to know there are a lot of fun options to choose from.

Jewelry
Cat jewelry always makes a great gift for those who love cats and jewelry. Earrings, pendants and even rings can depict cats. You can help the cat lover in your life add to or start a collection of feline inspired jewelry. Cat jewelry is offered in many different shapes and sizes and different materials. You may be able to choose from gold and silver and accents of amber, gemstones and even diamonds. Shopping locally may give you access to some cat jewelry but if you cannot find anything you really would love to give, be sure to shop online where you can access a lot more cat jewelry from an endless number of sources.

Clothing
Clothing is always a great option when you are shopping for a cat lover because it allows for the cat lover to share their love of cats with the world. Cat themed items are more common than you may even realize and will include shirts, hats, socks, pajamas, lounge wear and even slippers. If you are going to buy clothes, you need to make sure that you know the recipients clothing size or ensure that the item can be exchanged if it does not fit. If you don't want to worry about sizing, select one size fits all items such as adjustable baseball caps or tote bags.

Collectible Items
For the true cat lover, collectible cat items are always a great choice. There are many items that can be collected including coffee mugs, plates, yard art, pins and figurines. If there is already a collection started you need to take care and select an item that is not already present in the collection. When there is an existing collection you should take note of the materials that they favor, such as pewter or wood so you give a collectible that will go with the current collection and will be received with excitement.

Famous Cat Owners

Sir Winston Churchill:
PM of England (1874 - 1965)
Sir Winston owned a cat named Jock who attended many wartime Cabinet meetings. Rumor has it that meals at the Churchill household could not begin until the ginger colored tabby was at the table.

Samuel Clemens: Mark Twain
(born 1835)
Quote “If a man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve the man but deteriorate the cat.”

Abraham Lincoln: US President (1809)
Abe came to presidential office accompanied by Tabby, a cat belonging to his son. “No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens.” Quote by Abraham Lincoln.

Nostradamus: Prophet
The French Astrologer, 1503-1566, had a cat named Grimalkin.

Edward Lear: Artist and author (1812-1888)
Edward was devoted to Foss, his tabby cat. His devotion was so great that when he decided to move to San Remo, Italy, he instructed his architect to design a replica of his old home in England so Foss would not be disturbed and suffer a minimum of distress after the move. Lear’s drawings of his stripped tabby cat are well-known, especially those which accompany his rhyme, “The Owl and the Pussycat.”

Sir Isaac Newton: philosopher
Sir Isaac Newton, famous for his laws of motion and gravity, was a confirmed cat lover who was deeply concerned about the welfare of his feline friends. Therefore, so his research would go uninterrupted, and his cats should not feel restricted and be at liberty to wander freely in and out when the doors were closed, he invented the cat-flap.

Are some that real love the cats

cat in cyprus

Oldest Known Pet Cat? 9,500-Year-Old Burial Found on Cyprus

John Pickrell
for National Geographic News
April 8, 2004

Since at least the time of the ancient Egyptians, cats have been cherished as companions, worshipped as idols, and kept as agents of pest control and good luck. But now French archaeologists have found evidence that our close relationship with cats may have begun much earlier.

The carefully interred remains of a human and a cat were found buried with seashells, polished stones, and other decorative artifacts in a 9,500-year-old grave site on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This new find, from the Neolithic village of Shillourokambos, predates early Egyptian art depicting cats by 4,000 years or more.

Jean-Denis Vigne, an archaeologist with the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, and colleagues describe the find in tomorrow's edition of the research journal Science. The researchers write that the joint burial indicates a strong association between the human and cat and that the feline is possibly the world's oldest known pet cat.

"The process and timing of cat domestication has been terrifically difficult to document," said Melinder Zeder, a curator of Old World archaeology at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and president of the International Council for Archaeozoology.

"In the absence of a collar around its neck, the deliberate interment of this animal with a human makes a strong case that cats had a special place in the daily lives, and in the afterlives, of residents of Shillourokambos," Zeder said.

Spiritual Significance

Most early evidence of cat domestication comes from ancient Egypt. Some experts believe that the Egyptians may have tamed and bred felines to produce a distinct species by the 20th or 19th century B.C.

Cats are frequently represented in Egyptian mythology in the form of the feline goddesses Bastet, Sekhmet, and other deities. Cat art and mummified remains are known from as far back as 4,000 years ago.

But researchers have also stumbled across hints that cats were domesticated much earlier. Experts have found 10,000-year-old engravings and pottery that depict cats dating to the Neolithic period (late Stone Age), Vigne said. He notes such finds provide evidence that, even then, cats had a spiritual significance.

More recently, cat jawbones and other remains not directly linked to human burials have revealed that wild cats were at least associated with early Neolithic settlements on Cyprus, Vigne said.

Cats are not native to Cyprus, an island 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) south of mainland Turkey. Given that fact, researchers behind today's announcement write that humans must have introduced cats to the island. Whether or not early peoples domesticated the species remains unclear, the researchers write, noting that foxes were also introduced at the same time.

Cat

The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests. Cats have been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years, and are currently the most popular pet in the world. Owing to their close association with humans, cats are now found almost everywhere in the world.

Cats are similar in anatomy to the other felids, with strong, flexible bodies, quick reflexes, sharp retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. As crepuscular predators, cats use their acute hearing and ability to see in near darkness to locate prey. Not only can cats hear sounds too faint for human ears, they can also hear sounds higher in frequency than humans can perceive. This is because the usual prey of cats (particularly rodents such as mice) make high frequency noises, so the hearing of the cat has evolved to pinpoint these faint high-pitched sounds. Cats also have a much better sense of smell than humans.

Despite being solitary hunters, cats are a social species and use a variety of vocalizations, pheromones and types of body language for communication. These include meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting.

Cats have a rapid breeding rate. Under controlled breeding, they can be bred and shown as registered pedigree pets, a hobby known as cat fancy. Failure to control the breeding of pet cats by spaying and neutering and the abandonment of former household pets has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, with a population of up to 60 million of these animals in the United States alone.

As The New York Times wrote in 2007, "Until recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated in ancient Egypt, where it was a cult animal", but a study that year revealed that the lines of descent of all house cats probably run through as few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) c. 8000 BC, in the Near East. The earliest direct evidence of cat domestication is a kitten that was buried alongside a human 9,500 years ago in Cyprus.

Blacksad

Blacksad is a comic album series created by Spanish authors Juan Díaz Canales (writer) and Juanjo Guarnido (artist), and published by French publisher Dargaud. Though both authors are Spanish, their main target audience for Blacksad is the French market and thus they publish all Blacksad volumes in French first; the Spanish edition usually follows about one month later. The first volume Quelque part entre les ombres (literally Somewhere between the Shadows, but simply called Blacksad in the US) was published in November 2000. The second volume, Arctic-Nation, was published in 2003 and the third, Âme Rouge (Red Soul), was published in 2005. An English translation of the third album was delayed due to the bankruptcy of its North American publisher, iBooks. In 2010, Dark Horse Comics published all three translated albums as one volume.[3] The publication of this 184-page collection also coincided with the European release of the series' fourth installment, L'Enfer, Le silence (literally The Hell, The Silence), in September, 2010.

Although it was the creators' first comics endeavor, the first volume was an immense success, selling more than 200,000 copies in France alone.[citation needed] The series has been translated from the original French and Spanish into Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish, and Turkish.

Guarnido and Diaz Canales have received several prizes for the series, including three Eisner Award nominations and an Angoulême Prize for Artwork.

Main characters

John Blacksad - hardboiled private investigator. A black cat, Blacksad was raised in a poor neighborhood and spent much of his youth running from the police. This and his service in World War II likely account for his above-average marksmanship and fighting skills. He also spent a year in college as a history major before being expelled. Like other hardboiled detectives, Blacksad narrates his stories, adding cynical commentary on the evils of the world around him. Unlucky in love, he never seems to be able to form a lasting relationship, often due to circumstances beyond his control. He usually wears a dark suit and trench coat, and uses the alias John H. Blackmore on several fake IDs, including debt collector, FBI agent and customs officer.
Weekly - Blacksad's occasional sidekick. A brown Least Weasel who doesn't like soap and water and has an odor problem (he confesses that his nickname comes from rumors about him only changing his underwear weekly), he has a near-constant optimistic attitude, working as a muckraker for a tabloid called the What's News.
Smirnov - Police commissioner and friend of Blacksad. A brown German Shepherd, Smirnov sometimes helps Blacksad to reach the rich and powerful which he himself cannot touch due to 'pressure upstairs'.

Pete (Disney)

Pete, also called Peg-Leg Pete, and Black Pete among other names, is a cartoon character created in 1925 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. He is a licensed character of The Walt Disney Company and often appears as a villain in Mickey Mouse universe stories. Pete was originally an anthropomorphic bear, but with the advent of Mickey Mouse in 1928, Pete became a large black cat, the persona for which he is most often associated. His species later became more ambiguous in the Goof Troop franchise (1992-2000) where he appeared more canine. Pete is the oldest continuing Disney character, having debuted three years before Mickey Mouse in the cartoon Alice Solves the Puzzle (1925).

Pete has appeared in more than 40 animated short films between 1925 and 1954, having been featured in the Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons, and later in the Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy cartoons. Pete's final appearance during this era was The Lone Chipmunks (1954), which was the final installment of a three-part Chip an' Dale series. He also appeared in the short films Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), The Prince and the Pauper (1990), and Runaway Brain (1995). Although never a central character, Pete has also made many appearances in Disney comics, and often appeared as Sylvester Shyster's dimwitted sidekick in the Mickey Mouse comic strip. Pete later made several appearances in television, most extensively in Goof Troop (1992-1993) where he was given more continuity, having a family and a regular job as a used car salesman.

Although Pete is often typecast as a villain, he has shown great versatility within the role, playing everything from a hardened criminal (The Dognapper, The Lone Chipmunks) to a legitimate authority figure (Moving Day, Donald Gets Drafted, Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip), and from a menacing trouble maker (Building a Building, Trombone Trouble) to a victim of mischief himself (Timber). On some occasions, Pete has even played a sympathetic character, all the while maintaining his underlying menacing nature. (Symphony Hour, How to Be a Detective)

Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry is an American series of theatrical animated cartoon films created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, centering on a never-ending rivalry between a cat (Tom) and a mouse (Jerry) whose chases and battles often involved comic violence. Hanna and Barbera ultimately wrote and directed one hundred and fourteen Tom and Jerry shorts at the MGM cartoon studio in Hollywood between 1940 and 1957, when the animation unit was closed. The original series is notable for having won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film seven times, tying it with Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies as the theatrical animated series with the most Oscars. A longtime television staple, Tom and Jerry has a worldwide audience that consists of children, teenagers and adults, and has also been recognized as one of the most famous and longest-lived rivalries in American cinema. In 2000, TIME named the series one of the greatest television shows of all time.

Beginning in 1960, in addition to the original 114 Hanna-Barbera cartoons, MGM had new shorts produced by Rembrandt Films, led by Gene Deitch in Eastern Europe. Production of Tom and Jerry shorts returned to Hollywood under Chuck Jones's Sib-Tower 12 Productions in 1963; this series lasted until 1967, making it a total of 161 shorts. The cat and mouse stars later resurfaced in television cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera and Filmation Studios during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; a feature film, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, in 1992 (released domestically in 1993); and in 2001, their first made-for TV short, Tom and Jerry: The Mansion Cat for Boomerang. The most recent Tom and Jerry theatrical short, The Karate Guard, was written and co-directed by Barbera and debuted in Los Angeles cinemas on September 27, 2005.

Today, Time Warner (via its Turner Entertainment division) owns the rights to Tom and Jerry (with Warner Bros. handling distribution). Since the merger, Turner has produced the series, Tom and Jerry Tales for The CW's Saturday morning "The CW4Kids" lineup, as well as the recent Tom and Jerry short, The Karate Guard, in 2005 and a string of Tom and Jerry direct-to-video films — all in collaboration with Warner Bros. Animation. In February 2010, the cartoon celebrated its 70th anniversary and a DVD collection of 30 shorts, Tom and Jerry Deluxe Anniversary Collection, was released in late June 2010 to celebrate the animated duo's seventh decade. It then had a rerun on Cartoon Network.

Cats and Mice

Cats love to chase (and sometimes kill) mice. That's a given, and something that most people do not find too alarming. In fact, people in many countries still utilize "barn cats" to dispatch unwanted rodents - a win-win situation for all parties (except the rodents). The cats have plenty of food available, and the farmer is assured of grain bins undisturbed by hungry mice. A perfect scenario, eh?

Almost. In addition to barn cats, many suburban indoor-outdoor kitties will occasionally bring home a small kill to proudly display, which we humans (depending on our constitutions) might or might not allow him to eat. If not, we might be tempted to just pick it up by the tail and dispose of it in the trash container, or down the toilet. The problem is that, depending on the region, those little mice may be loaded with a variety of "nasties," that neither you nor your cats want to encounter. Romeo, the cat pictured here, was infected with toxoplasmosis twice, after catching and eating mice. The toxoplasmosis led to uvitis, which in turn led to glaucoma. Romeo is now an indoors-only cat as a result of this chain of events. Although most cats are exposed to toxoplasmosis at one time or another, the usual reaction is mild. However, Romeo's experience underscores the potential deadliness of this organism. Another case in point:

The Dreaded Hantavirus

In May of 1993, a new hantavirus, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) was identified in New Mexico, after forty-two people were infected, with eleven fatalities. Since that time, the new strain has been discovered in other parts of the U.S., with various rodents, including the common house mouse (Mus musculus) acting as hosts, and the incidence of disease in humans has become widespread. Several other hantaviruses that affect humans exist worldwide, and have been found responsible for outbreaks of hantavirus among animal caretakers and laboratory workers in Korea, China, Japan, Scandinavia, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the former Soviet Union.

Cat and mouse

Cat and mouse, often expressed as cat-and-mouse game, is an English-language idiom dating back to 1675 that means "a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes." The "cat" is unable to secure a definitive victory over the "mouse", who despite not being able to defeat the cat, is able to avoid capture. In extreme cases, the idiom may imply that the contest is never-ending. The term is derived from the hunting behavior of domestic cats, which often appear to "play" with prey by releasing it after capture. This behavior is due to an instinctive imperative to ensure that the prey is weak enough to be killed without endangering the cat.

In colloquial usage it has often been generalized (or corrupted) to mean simply that the advantage constantly shifts between the contestants, leading to an impasse or de facto stalemate.

Cats & Dogs

Cats & Dogs is a 2001 American-Australian action-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. The screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra centers on the relationships between cats and dogs. It was shot in Victoria and Vancouver. The film was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Plot
This film begins with the jeep of the Brody family pulling up to the house, with Mrs. Caroline Brody (Elizabeth Perkins) and her son Scott (Alexander Pollock) bringing in the groceries, and the family's Bloodhound named Buddy immediately starts giving chase to a cat. Buddy follows the cat and pursues him through a neighbor's house, until he finds the cat lying dead on the street, obviously faking. The cat gets up and runs away, and a blue van pulls up and kidnaps Buddy.

An Anatolian Shepherd Dog named Butch (voiced by Alec Baldwin) watches from a window, then goes to his doghouse, pressing a blue button, which grants him access to a large techno-network, and tells an agent of Buddy's kidnap. At Intel HQ, the head dog receives the news about Buddy and orders the best agents to accomplish the mission and defeat the cat menace.

Meanwhile at a farm, a small group of Beagle puppies converse and make fun of a younger puppy (voiced by Tobey Maguire), who wants to be free. A group of young black Doberman puppies led by a large Doberman Pinscher force the Beagles to go underground as Mrs. Brody approaches. Mrs. Brody comes into the puppy pen, and the last beagle puppy comes out. She decides to adopt him and takes him home, naming him Lou after Scott sarcastically suggests "Loser".

Scotty puts him outside and a dog biscuit attached to a balloon falls down. Lou goes near it, and Butch comes out and throws a stick at it, making it explode. Butch then takes Lou into Buddy's doghouse, and shows him the network that dog agents use, and takes him to meet some more agents: Peek (voiced by Joe Pantoliano) is a Chinese Crested Dog who works in an underground tube and has computers, radar, sonar, television, communications, satellite, thermal imaging systems, security cameras, and such. Sam (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan) is a comical Old English Sheepdog. Lou is also briefed on the origins of the war between cats and dogs, which apparently dates all the way back to Ancient Egypt. Butch also mentioned that Buddy was previously on the mission until he was captured by the cats, escaped from them, and retired from the spy business.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tinkles (voiced by Sean Hayes), a white Persian cat plans to conquer the world by making all humans allergic to dogs with Mr. Brody (Jeff Goldblum)'s research on a cure for dog allergies. He is briefly interrupted by Sophie the Maid (Miriam Margoyles) who needs to dress him upon seeing the comatose Mr. Mason (Myron Natwick). He then tells his sidekick Calico (voiced by Jon Lovitz), an Exotic Shorthair, to send in the ninja cats (voiced by Danny Mann and Billy West) he hired to steal the research. He sends in Devon Rex cat ninjas to steal the research but Lou managed to prevent them from stealing the research. Lou then meets an ex-agent dog named Ivy (voiced by Susan Sarandon), a Saluki who belly scratches him. Disappointed that the ninja cats failed him, Mr. Tinkles then orders Calico to send a Russian Blue kitten (voiced by Glenn Ficcara) to steal the research. The Russian then frames Lou for defecating in the house with a ball containing dog feces. He then places a bomb on the lab door. Butch and Lou manage to get into the house.Russian fires a series of boomerangs trashing the Broody's living room in the process. Lou then distracts the Russian while Butch disables the bomb. But the Russian turns his attention on Butch and tries to kill him. Butch gets caught in a telephone wire but manages to escape and disables the bomb. But the Russian holds out a remote that will explode the bomb and laughs until the lab door hits him. The Russian is captured and interrogated. The agent tells the gang that they pumped a few things out of the Russian's stomach, including a note written by Mr. Tinkles.

After an incident with Lou playing with Scott, Professor Brody's machine finally gets the positive combinations for the formula. As Mr. Tinkles and Calico overhear the call between Professor Brody and another person, they decide to spring a trap for Dr. Brody and his family. First Mr. Tinkles makes his sinister side known to Sophie causing her to faint. Then he and his cats take Mr. Mason's comatose body to Mason's industries where Mr. Tinkles passes his voice off as Mr. Mason to send the employees home and commandeer the factory for the next plot.

While trying to decipher Mr. Tinkles location, the dogs are unaware that the Brody's have been led into a trap and are kidnapped by the said cat. After receiving a video from the cat demanding Mr. Brody's research as a ransom, the dogs from around the world meet up at a meeting run by the Mastiff (voiced by Charlton Heston). When the dog agents are unable to give up the formula after the metting of the world's dogs, Lou gives in and brings Mr. Tinkles the research and is betrayed. Butch manages to find the depressed Lou, and the two along with Ivy stage an ambush of Mr. Tinkles factory (where the latter plans to use mice to spread the now mass produced allergy to dogs). While Butch, Ivy, Peek, and Sam fight Tinkle's cat forces, Lou frees the Brodys and Calico (who was betrayed by Tinkles), revealing he can speak in the process. But Tinkles traps Butch as he goes looking for Lou and almost kills him. Lou defeats Tinkles and rescues Butch, but the claw of an excavator hits his head and a flocking tank, causing an explosion that destroys the factory. Butch manages to save Lou, but Lou is unresponsive. After a few heartful moments of sadness, Lou awakens and all rejoice. Lou decides to be a normal dog and not an agent. As for Mr. Tinkles, he is sent to live with Sophie and her sisters who dress him in ridiculous outfits.

Travel in a Car with Your Pet Cat: Pet Travel

Cat lovers hate to leave their feline buddies behind during car trips and holidays, but usually even a short car trips prompts cats to become almost feral – moaning, pacing, hissing and clawing. And yet these short trips to the vet or a petsitter’s house are an unavoidable part of a cat’s life. So how can we make the trip and pet travel as painless as possible for them and for ourselves? You can learn a lot about general cat care - including cat behavior tips that will help you reduce your companion's travel stress - from the excellent guide Cat Care Secrets.

Here are some pet friendly travel tips to help you learn how to travel in a car with your pet cat.

Cat carrier. A free-ranging cat within a car is a recipe for disaster. Contrary to what we might assume, the confinement will actually comfort your cat as she embarks on this strange journey. And if you give her the entire car, you will find safe driving to be far more challenging.

Before you take your cat for car rides, try to get her acclimated to the inside of her pet carrier. Put a blanket in it and place her inside for brief periods of time each day for several days. Lengthen the period of confinement each day until your cat seems at ease resting and smelling her scent in there.

Prepare for longer car trips by taking short, easy trips leading up to the big one. Your cat will grow more accustomed to not only the motions and noises of a car, but also the confinement within a cat carrier.
Make sure she’s not sitting slanted. Many car seats are actually slanted a bit and, if you place the cat carriers down the wrong way, it makes for a rather uncomfortable kitty car ride. While it’s true that cats have incredible balance and coordination, no cat wants to be constantly fighting against a slope as she also tries to compensate for the movements of the car.
Avoid loud music. Your car will already be filled with some startling noises for a cat. Don’t add to them by blasting music in the confined space as well.
Steer clear of bumps and potholes as much as you can. If there are smooth roads that can serve as an alternate route from the bumpier way you normally travel, opt for those alternates when traveling with your cat in the car.

Cat Museum lithuania

Cats Museum

It is almost 20 years already when the Cat Museum resounds Šiauliai city in all over the world. The museum was established in 1990 at the Center of Naturalists by Vanda Kavaliauskienė. She brought here her large collection of cats of various shapes, models and designs as there was no enough room left in her own apartment. It is a unique museum of its type in all Baltic states.

The Cat Museum includes more than 14000 exhibits. The first one was the black little kitty with yellow ribbon from Poland. It came to its hostess in 1962 and inspired her to begin collecting cats. The collection grew and turned into a convivial exceptional museum.
Nowadays not only various material cats are exposed there in the Cat Museum. Visitors can also get acquainted with cats breeding conditions, their species, character features. Statues, paintings, post cards, stamps, dishes, toys, pictures, books, even poems about cats are here available to see and to read. The exhibits came to the museum from all over the world: England, USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cuba, African countries, Lithuania of course… The variety astonishes everyone. What is more, not only exhibits reveal the main idea of this house. Cats are everywhere you look. They are on the walls, in stained glasses of windows, banisters, lamps, chairs, carpeting… And the most important cat is the Director called alive cat Philomena. She meets guests, welcomes them, gently purrs. Despite the fact that she is already 15 years old one, she still perfectly performs her office as well as her forerunner cat Mickey used to.

The Cat Museum also organizes picture shows. Professional artists from France, USA brought here their works and called the expositions “Cats in music and art” , “Cat Mickey`s Sitting Room”. Moreover, special theme exposition of calendars with cats or cat paintings by children from all over the world are also being arranged there.

Lately, the Cat Museum was expanded and not only 3 halls of cats are waiting to be visited. There is also an alive corner called section where various exotic animals live. Visitors can see there a python, Lithuanian grass-snake, lizards, even a cute little monkey. The two different expositions perfectly complement each other as thousands of cats may wheel round the head so direct contact with other animals helps to recover from jolly dizziness.

Every year more than 10 000 tourists from all over the world come to visit the museum. Some of them come here not for the first time as watching an up growth of the museum is really exciting. It is especially exciting when people gift the museum with some special exhibits from far away countries. The establisher, administrator of the museum and Director Philomena are all very happy to feel the attention from cat lovers and these who sustain the really serving purpose. The Cat Museum corresponds and cooperates with cat lovers from France, Russia, Poland, Belgium, Brazil and some Mouse Museums in foreign countries.

The Cat Museum is open Tue-Sat, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The entrance fee is 2-4 litas.
Address: Žuvininkų g. 1, Šiauliai.

Rusik

Rusik was the first and only Russian police sniffer cat at Stavropol near the Caspian sea. He made an important contribution in the search for hidden illegal cargoes of Sturgeon fish, an endangered animal species.

Rusik began his crimefighting career when he appeared at the police checkpoint in 2002. Following his adoption by the staff, Rusik demonstrated his ability to sniff out sturgeon-smugglers' stashes with astonishing accuracy. His talent for sniffing out poached fish soon found him taking over the job of the police's canine team member.

Rusik died in the line of duty on 12 July 2003, when he was hit by a car during an inspection. He had apparently found smuggled sturgeon in the same car some time before, according to personnel at the police checkpoint where Rusik worked. Some local sources expressed their belief that Rusik was the object of a contract killing, but the truth is still unclear. Rusik was a siamese with only a year's service. He died a few weeks after Barsik, another police cat who was poisoned with a mouse.

Misty Malarky Ying Yang

Misty Malarky Ying Yang, a Siamese belonging to Amy Carter and former pet of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Amy Lynn Carter (born October 19, 1967) is the fourth child and only daughter of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. She entered the limelight as she lived as a child in the White House during the Carter presidency.

"Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but would deteriorate the cat." Mark Twain

The relationship between cats and people goes back some 5,00 years. While recent archeological evidence has raised doubts as to whether Egypt was the location of the first domestication of the wild cat it is relatively undisputed that the Ancient Egyptians were the first to embrace the cat on a society wide level.

It is generally believed that this relationship evovled from the mutual benefits that each participant received. The Egyptians being farmers needed to protect their crops and grain stores from rats, mice and other vermin while the cats found a ready food supply in these same vermin attracted by the Egyptian crops. That the cats also killed the poisonous snakes that afflicted the Egyptians was an added bonus. From a human perspective this makes perfect sense, the proverbial win-win scenario. The Egyptians had their lives and crops protected and merely needed to refrain from driving away the goose that laid the golden egg but whether or not an easy meal was reason enough for the wild cats to relinquish part of their autonomy we'll never know, the cats aren't talking. At any rate the bargain was struck and the rest, as they say, is history.

( Pictre from the Museum )

The Cat Cabinet Amsterdam

This small museum located in the old patrician house at the Herengracht in Amsterdam, in an area of town where today the banks and top attorneys have their offices, is entirely devoted to cats. Founded in 1990 by William Meijer, a wealthy Dutchman who in this way wanted to preserve the memory of his cat Tom also called after the American financier of the past - John Pierpont Morgan.

The Cat Cabinet specializes in art representing cats. There is an aura of specific sense humor not only in the theme of this museum, but also in a way this museum has been presented to the visitor. Sculptures, paintings, posters and books about the felines are exhibited in a serious, professional way - almost too serious not to provoke a smile on a visitors face. The museum often collaborates with the institutions of reputations as Rijksmuseum, Museum Van Gogh, Kunsthal. If we add that The Cat Cabinet published some years ago a wonderful Kat-alogus (Cat-a-logue), which is today a collector’s item, you should feel the mood of this presentation.

The house De Kattenkabinet is located in could be a museum on its own. It has been built for William and Adrian van Loon in 1667, as one of the two identical houses standing opposite each other at Herengracht 497 and 498. A draw decided which of the houses belonged to which of the brothers, and it was William who got the house in which today the museum is to be found. Among the famous people who in the past stayed here were mayor of Amsterdam Jan Calkoen and an American president John Adams. Throughout its rich history the house has been several times rebuilt and redecorated, to be finally brought back to its full splendor by its present owner. And although most of its rich interior is dated only from the 19th century, it is still interesting to visit.
Five exquisite cats live at the museum premises. You will feel their fragrant presence since you enter the building. You may also realize that while the museum has been located on the two lower floors of the house, while on the upper its owner still resides. And if he is not in journey, you may accidentally meet him on the stairs.
The feel: if you are weary of visiting numerous austere exhibits on art and history, De Kattenkabinet may bring you a nice change. Its theme may seem a joke, but the choice of the presented art works is remarkable, they way they are presented is amusing; the The Cat Cabinet quarters are unique. A must for all cat lovers.
Open:
Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. – 4.p.m.(during the week The Cabinet closes early!); Saturday and Sunday 12 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed on December 24th until December 26th (Christmas), December 31st and January 1st (New Year).

Admissions:
Adults - € 6; children up to the age of 12 years: € 3;
Groups (eleven visitors or more): € 4 per person.

Museum located in the old house which has not been yet adapted for the handicapped.

How to get there:
Cat cabinet AmsterdamWalking - from De Muntplein (5 minutes)
By tram - from the Central Station, lines 1, 2, 5, stop at Koningsplein, take left into the Herengracht, you will reach De Kattenkabinet after 3 minutes walk. By car – try to find a metered parking place in one of the canal streets in the area or leave your car in the big car park under the Stopera - Muziektheater/Stadhuis, Waterlooplein 1 (10 minutes walk).

Kuching Cat Museum

The Kuching Cat Museum is a cat museum in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. It was founded in 1993. It is owned by the Kuching North City Hall (DBKU). There are 2000 exhibits, artifacts, statues about cats from all over the world. According to Malaysian and Chinese beliefs, the cat is a lucky animal. The museum covers an area of 1,035.9 square meters in a hill overviewing Kuching called Bukit Siol. In 1987, the first cat show took place in Kuala Lumpur. On August 1, the same exhibition took place in Kuching when the city was referred to as "Cat City"

Arroun the wold are 2 many Cat Museum, we are goin to see many !!!!!

Oscar (bionic cat)

Oscar is a cat, owned by Kate Allan and Mike Nolan, who lives on the Channel Island of Jersey. In 2009 Oscar had both hind paws severed by a combine harvester. Since then he has undergone a pioneering operation to add prosthetic feet. The treatment has since been considered for use with humans.

Accident

In October 2009, at the age of two and a half years, Oscar had both the paws of his hind legs severed by a combine harvester while in a maize field near his home in Jersey. The legs were cut between the ankle and the foot. Oscar was later found by a passing cyclist who then brought Oscar to his owners' home. Mike Nolan, an IT manager in a bank, was at home when the woman brought Oscar; he said that at this point Oscar was covered in blood, and he was convinced the cat would have to be put down. He and Oscar's other owner, Kate Allan, took him to their local veterinarian Peter Haworth.

Treatment

Peter Haworth, a vet at the New Era Veterinary Hospital, dressed Oscar's wounds and administered cat painkillers making him comfortable within minutes. Haworth then referred Allan and Nolan to the Surrey-based neuro-orthopaedic surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick. There was a lot of communication between the Irish surgeon and the Jersey owners. After looking at x-rays and pictures Fitzpatrick decided Oscar would be an ideal patient partly due to his young age. Oscar was then flown to the United Kingdom mainland by air cargo although he had to stay in his box for eight hours during the journey.

New feet

Oscar's owners did a lot of "soul-searching" before deciding to go ahead with the operation. Kate Allan later said that the cause for her uncertainty was that the kind of operation planned had never been done before. Although the operation carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick was a world first, it mimics a natural process, being similar to the way deer grow antler bones, in the manner that the implants grow through the skin. The implants were both custom-made to fit into holes drilled into Oscar's ankle bones. They are known as intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics (ITAPs) and were developed by the head of University College London's Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Gordon Blunn and colleagues. They have a honeycomb structure which enables skin to bond with the implant to prevent infection. The implants are placed into the drilled holes which then allow for a "sock" to be fitted over them.

The ITAP technology is currently being tested on humans and a prosthetic has been made for a woman injured in the July 2005 London bombings. Fitzpatrick has said he would welcome a collaborative approach with other surgeons working on human amputations

Figaro the Cat

Figaro is a fictional character who first appeared in Disney's Pinocchio.

History

He is probably best known as the pet cat of Mister Geppetto and Pinocchio too. Figaro has also starred independently in a number of Disney shorts, as the pet of Minnie Mouse, which was a common theme for Disney characters to be juxtaposed from movies to cartoon shorts. Three of the cartoons he appeared in were his own cartoons; "Figaro and Cleo" (1943), "Bath Day" (1946) and "Figaro and Frankie" (1946). Similar to Pluto, Figaro is one of the few Disney characters who is not anthropomorphized, but just a normal cat. In 1970s Disney mini comics Figaro not only "guest-starred" with other Disney characters/comics but had his own column on various Felines as "Figaro's Feline Friends". After nearly a 50-year hiatus of not being in any new Disney cartoons, Figaro, like many other Disney characters of the 1940s and 1950s, was cast as a customer in Disney's House of Mouse. While the video game Kingdom Hearts featured a level taking place inside Monstro's belly and included Pinocchio, Gepetto and Cleo, Figaro was absent (although he does appear in the manga based on the first game). Figaro's most recent appearance has been in several episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Hodge (cat)

Hodge was one of Samuel Johnson's cats, immortalized in a characteristically whimsical passage in James Boswell's Life of Johnson.

Although there is little known about Hodge, such as his life, his death, or any other information, what is known is Johnson's fondness for his cat, which separated Johnson from the views held by others of the eighteenth century.
Life
Most of the information on Hodge comes from Boswell's account. It is in this passage that Johnson is claimed to have an affection for animals in general, or at least the ones that he kept:
Nor would it be just, under this head, to omit the fondness which he showed for animals which he had taken under his protection. I never shall forget the indulgence with which he treated Hodge, his cat: for whom he himself used to go out and buy oysters, lest the servants having that trouble should take a dislike to the poor creature. I am, unluckily, one of those who have an antipathy to a cat, so that I am uneasy when in the room with one; and I own, I frequently suffered a good deal from the presence of this same Hodge. I recollect him one day scrambling up Dr. Johnson's breast, apparently with much satisfaction, while my friend smiling and half-whistling, rubbed down his back, and pulled him by the tail; and when I observed he was a fine cat, saying, 'Why yes, Sir, but I have had cats whom I liked better than this;' and then as if perceiving Hodge to be out of countenance, adding, 'but he is a very fine cat, a very fine cat indeed.'

This reminds me of the ludicrous account which he gave Mr. Langton, of the despicable state of a young Gentleman of good family. 'Sir, when I heard of him last, he was running about town shooting cats.' And then in a sort of kindly reverie, he bethought himself of his own favourite cat, and said, 'But Hodge shan't be shot; no, no, Hodge shall not be shot.

The latter paragraph is used as the epigraph to Vladimir Nabokov's acclaimed poem/novel Pale Fire.

Johnson bought oysters for his cat. In modern England, oysters are an expensive food for the well-to-do, but in the 18th century oysters were plentiful around the coasts of England and so cheap that they were a staple food of the poor. Johnson refused to send Francis Barber to buy Hodge's food, fearing that it would be seen as degrading to his servant, so he would personally buy the food for Hodge.

Boswell also noted how Johnson went out to purchase valerian to ease Hodge's suffering as death approached. Although Hodge was not Johnson's only cat, it was Hodge whom he considered his favourite. Hodge was remembered in various forms, from biographical mentions during Johnson's life to poems written about the cat. On his death, Hodge's life was celebrated by an elegy by Percival Stockdale. In this poem the phrase "sable furr" indicates that Hodge was a black cat; also, the fact that Stockdale was Johnson's neighbour from 1769 onwards suggests that Hodge was alive at that time.

...Who, by his master when caressed, warmly his gratitude expressed, and never failed his thanks to purr, whene'er he stroked his sable fur.

Today he is remembered by a bronze statue, unveiled by the Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1997, outside the house in Gough Square he shared with Johnson and Barber, Johnson's black manservant and heir. The statue shows Hodge sitting next to a pair of empty oyster shells atop a copy of Johnson's famous dictionary, with the inscription "a very fine cat indeed".

Casper the Commuting Cat

Casper the Commuting Cat is an English non-fiction book by Susan Finden about her cat, Casper who attracted world-wide media attention when he became a regular bus commuter in Plymouth in Devon, England. The book was ghost-written by Scottish writer Linda Watson-Brown, and was first published in the United Kingdom by Simon & Schuster UK on 5 August 2010. Subtitled: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts, the book was translated into six languages, and was generally well received by reviewers.

Synopsis

Casper the Commuting Cat is the story of an adventurous cat, Casper, that the author, Susan Finden had adopted from a rescue centre in 2002. She describes how Casper liked to wander from her house and was not afraid of people or traffic. Casper used to walk into office blocks and doctors' consulting rooms and find a chair to sleep on. Then he started queuing with people at a bus stop across the road from his house and boarding buses that took his fancy. He would curl up on a seat and go to sleep, and when the bus had completed its 11 mile round-trip to the city centre and returned to his bus stop, the driver would let him off. Casper's commuting habits made him a celebrity and Finden describes the world-wide media attention that she and Casper received. In January 2010 Casper died after being struck by a speeding taxi while crossing the road outside his house. Finden tells how she coped with her loss and the renewed media attention that followed.

In addition to covering Casper's exploits, Finden includes in the book a brief story of her own life, and discusses the other cats she had adopted from rescue centres. Also present are several light-hearted chapters "written" by Casper from "the other side" in which he gives advice to other cats on how to handle humans, catch a bus, and deal with the media.

Winston Churchill and marmalade cats at Chartwell

Stately homes left to the nation seldom have a permanent resident, bar the odd ghost, mouse or housekeeper. One National Trust house, however, goes out of its way to ensure it is always occupied - by a fat marmalade cat.

"Sir Winston requested in his will that there should always be a marmalade cat named Jock in comfortable residence at Chartwell," explains Victoria Leighton, part of whose job description is to look after the current incumbent, six-year-old Jock III. "We have to be careful where he goes, though, as his claws could do a lot of damage. We try to ensure he keeps to the garden, where he sits happily in the catmint or any patch of sunshine."

Sir Winston Churchill was silly about cats - particularly marmalade ones, which would sit next to him on a specially reserved chair. None of his spoilt marmalades were fond of the other furry creatures of Chartwell, though. Churchill reported to his wife in August 1954 that her Siamese cat Gabriel "gets on very well with everyone except his yellow rival", with whom the relationship could best be described as "an armed neutrality".

The great wartime leader was capable of dividing his favours, however, and was to be observed working at his memoirs with a budgerigar perched on his head, a ginger cat on his lap and a poodle asleep across his feet.

A ginger cat with white chest and paws was an 88th birthday present for Churchill in November 1962, and was promptly named Jock, after the private secretary Sir John Colville, known as Jock, who gave it to him. This cat was such a favourite that he is even seen sitting on Churchill's knee in his grandson Winston's wedding photographs. Jock was only two when Churchill died in 1965, but lived on until 1974 at Chartwell and is now buried in the pet cemetery there.

In compliance with Churchill's wishes, the National Trust - which inherited Chartwell on his death - has since acquired ginger cats called Jocks II and III.

Another good reason for barring Jock III from the main rooms may be the goldfish in what was Churchill's study. "When Sir Winston was at Downing Street," says Mrs Leighton, "some children knocked at the door to give him some goldfish they'd won at the fair. He soon became an expert and kept them ever after. So we maintain that tradition, too."

Denied the goldfish, Jock III has to content himself with tins of catfood and the occasional mouse from the garden. "He's certainly a mouser," says Mrs Leighton, "but I'm thankful to say he doesn't bring them indoors."

Ship's cat

The ship's cat has been a common sight on many trading, exploration, and naval ships, and is a phenomenon that goes back to ancient times. Cats have been carried on ships for a number of reasons, the most important being to catch mice and rats. These rodents, when aboard, could cause considerable damage to ropes and woodwork. More serious was the threat rodents posed to the stores the ship carried. Not only could they devour the foodstuff carried to feed the crew, they could cause economic damage if the ship was carrying grain or similar substances as part of its cargo. Rats and mice were also sources of disease, an important consideration for ships which could be at sea for long periods of time. Cats naturally attack and kill these rodents.

Cats have a high ability to adapt to new surroundings, and were therefore highly suitable for service on a ship. They also offered companionship and a sense of home and security to sailors who could be away from home for long periods, especially in times of war.

The Mystery of the Ancient House Cat

It has taken a while for scientists to piece together the riddle of just when and where cats first became domesticated. One would think that the archaeological record might answer the question easily, but wild cats and domesticated cats have remarkably similar skeletons, complicating the matter. Some clues first came from the island of Cyprus in 1983, when archaeologists found a cat's jawbone dating back 8,000 years. Since it seemed highly unlikely that humans would have brought wild cats over to the island (a "spitting, scratching, panic-stricken wild feline would have been the last kind of boat companion they would have wanted," writes Desmond Morris in Catworld: A Feline Encyclopedia), the finding suggested that domestication occurred before 8,000 years ago.

In 2004, the unearthing of an even older site at Cyprus, in which a cat had been deliberately buried with a human, made it even more certain that the island's ancient cats were domesticated, and pushed the domestication date back at least another 1,500 years.

Just last month, a study published in the research journal Science secured more pieces in the cat-domestication puzzle based on genetic analyses. All domestic cats, the authors declared, descended from a Middle Eastern wildcat, Felis sylvestris, which literally means "cat of the woods." Cats were first domesticated in the Near East, and some of the study authors speculate that the process began up to 12,000 years ago.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brief_cats.html#ixzz1asffiblB

Cat in rome

In Ancient Rome cats were welcomed as vermin controllers but were given no great affection. Most representations of cats in Roman art show them in workaday situations with no suggestions of reverence or mystical powers, for example, a mosaic from Pompeii shows a pigeon being attacked by a cat. The cat is shown realistically and not idealized at all. The Roman Army however recognized the value of cats as store watchmen. They carried cats with them through Gaul and eventually to Britain. The Roman colonial families soon became avid pet owners (some even kept larger cats as well as the domestic variety). Today there is no doubt that some of their cats strayed and interbred with Felis Silvestris, which is the wild cat that was at that time common across the higher land of Britain and Western Europe. In the Fourth Century AD when the Romans retreated to Rome, they left behind their cats.

Funerary traditions in Ancient Egypt

Herodotus noted that cats that died anywhere in Egypt were often taken to Bubastis to be mummified and buried in the great cemetery, but this may or may not have been the case. At the burial site in Bubastis the Swiss Egyptologist Édouard Naville found more than 20 m³ (720 cubic feet) of cat remains but also a great deal of evidence of cremation. Naville found stacks of cat bones in many pits, the walls of which were made up of bricks and clay. Near each pit lay a furnace, its bricks blackened from fire. This discovery causes some problems. The mummification and preservation of the body was intended to make it possible for the deceased's ka to locate its host and subsequently be reborn into the afterlife. As the body would have to be intact for this process to occur, cremation would seem an undesirable way of dealing with the body of a sacred creature with a ka. Nevertheless, many cats were afforded the full embalming ceremony and buried in other great cemeteries along the Nile.

In her book The Cult of the Cat, Patricia Dale-Green states that, "The cat's body was placed in a linen sheet and carried amidst bitter lamentations by the bereaved to a sacred house where it was treated with drugs and spices by an embalmer". She goes on to state that although the cat of an Egyptian noble would receive more extravagant burial status, the body of a worker's cat would still be carefully prepared and the embalming carried out with the same conscientiousness as for a human body, often with provisions for the afterlife such as pots of milk and even mummified mice.

Nowhere, perhaps, is this appreciation shown more than in the colossal tomb at the temple of Bast discovered in 1888. This tomb, outside of Beni Hasan, held more than nineteen tonnes of animal mummies and remains, the vast majority being cats but a number of mongooses, dogs, and foxes were amongst the specimens that made it to the British Museum. The farmer who made the discovery sold most of the tomb's contents to be ground up as fertilizer, but fortunately a number of specimens made it into the hands of scientists for testing and examination. Some of these are on display at the British Museum.

The sole Egyptologist to visit the site, William Martin Conway, wrote: "The plundering of the cemetery was a sight to see, but one had to stand well windward. The village children came [...] and provided themselves with the most attractive mummies they could find. These they took down the river bank to sell for the smallest coin to passing travelers. The path became strewn with mummy cloth and bits of cats' skulls and bones and fur in horrid positions, and the wind blew the fragments about and carried the stink afar". (quoted in Tabor p26).

Recently, during the making of his documentary for the BBC, Cats: The Rise of the Cat, Roger Tabor discovered a further cat cemetery at Bast's temple. This find consists of a twenty centimetre-thick layer of compressed mummies which spans more than sixty metres in length.

Cats in Egyptian mythology

Egypt was not always unified; initially, it was a land with many regional tribes and nomes. Many nomes had a totemistic system of religion, centering the worship of an animal as a spiritual symbol. Some peoples would choose a totem animal because of the services it provided, some for admirable qualities, some out of fear. Regardless, when war broke out between peoples, the tribe that won was able to demand more respect for their totem, and mandated its worship. Eventually an empire was formed under Menes circa 3100BC, and a more pluralistic form of totemism was established. Ibises, eagles, and beetles were among the totems worshipped alongside cats.

The Egyptians viewed their gods not as spirits but as intelligences that could be personified in a body. The earliest evidence of cats as deities comes from a 3100BC crystal cup decorated with an image of the lion-headed goddess Mafdet. The goddess Bast was originally depicted as a fiercely protective and warlike lion, like Sekhmet, but as Bast's image "softened" over time she became more strongly associated with domestic cats.

As cats were sacred to Bast, the practice of mummification was extended to them, and the respect that cats received after death mirrored the respect they were treated with in everyday life. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that in the event of a fire, men would guard the fire to make certain that no cats ran into the flame. Herodotus also wrote that when a cat died, the household would go into mourning as if for a human relative, and would often shave their eyebrows to signify their loss.

Such was the strength of feeling towards cats that killing one, even accidentally, incurred the death penalty. Another Greek historian, Diodorus Siculus, describes an interesting example of swift justice imposed upon the killer of a cat: about 60BC, he witnessed the chariot of a Roman soldier accidentally run over an Egyptian cat. An outraged mob gathered and, despite pleas from pharaoh Ptolemy XII, killed the soldier.

Cats in everyday life in Ancient Egypt

Wild cats naturally preyed upon the rats and other vermin that ate from the royal granaries.They earned their place in towns and cities by killing mice, venomous snakes, and other pests.They were worshiped by the Egyptians and given jewelry in hieroglyphics.
The two native Egyptian cat species were the Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) and the African Wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). The wildcat was largely domesticated; the jungle cat was not as docile, and was probably not especially helpful in the initial phases of domestication. The two species eventually fused to create a new breed of cat.
The change in temperament is attributed to heredity and tolerance of humans. Changes due to domestication follow a pattern similar to other domesticated animals including dogs (domesticated from wolves) and cattle.
n Cats: The Rise of the Cat, Roger Tabor suggests that the domestication process was due to two possible reasons. Breeding within itself, a large population of cats could develop, and would continue doing so at an exponential rate. Familiarity with human society was aided by the association of cats with the goddess Bast - Egyptian temple priests would often keep cats at their temple as a representative of the goddess.

In Wild Cats of the World, Mel Sundquist and Fiona Sundquist suggest that a likely route to domestication was rearing of kittens captured from the wild. Fashionable Egyptian society tamed wild animals of all kinds, including baboons, lions, and gazelles, in menageries at wealthy households.

Cats in ancient Egypt

Cats (Felis silvestris catus), known in Ancient Egypt as mau, were important in ancient Egyptian society. Beginning as a wild, untamed species, cats were useful for limiting vermin in Egyptian crops and harvests; through exposure, cats became domesticated and learned to coexist with humans. The people in what would later be Upper and Lower Egypt had a religion centering around the worship of animals, including cats.

Praised for controlling vermin and its ability to kill snakes such as cobras, the domesticated cat became a symbol of grace and poise. The goddess Mafdet, the deification of justice and execution, was a lion-headed goddess. The cat goddess Bast (also known as Bastet) eventually replaced the cult of Mafdet, and Bast's image softened over time and she became the deity representing protection, fertility, and motherhood.

As a revered animal and one important to Egyptian society and religion, some cats received the same mummification after death as humans. Mummified cats were given in offering to Bast.[citation needed] In 1888, an Egyptian farmer uncovered a large tomb with mummified cats and kittens. This discovery outside the town of Beni Hasan had eighty thousand cat mummies, dating to 1000-2000 BCE.

White Cats, Blue Eyes

Facts About White Cat Breeds

White cat breeds have blue eyes or odd colored eyes. Your white breed cat may have one blue eye and one green or yellow eye. It is seen that the cat with one blue eye may be deaf in the ear on the same side as the blue eye. Therefore, keep your white cat indoors most of the time as their deafness may lead to an injury or accident.
The ears of white cat breeds are prone to sunburn. The fur is thinner on the ear and therefore frequent exposure to the sun may cause skin cancer in white breed cats.
The Oriental White Short Hair cat breed is not prone to deafness like the other blue-eyed cats.
The deafness factor is seen in cats with white spotting factor (S) and the dominant white (W) cats. Deafness is not seen in albino white cats.

White breed cats have absence of melanin pigmentation. There are three genetic mechanisms that lead to solid white coat like:

Albino White: These cats have complete lack of pigmentation. They have pale blue eyes and this albino gene is a recessive gene.

Complete White Spotting: The cat may be partly white as the white spotting factor (S) may be incompletely dominant. In case it is complete, it may result in a fully white cat.

Dominant White: There is a mutation in the gene, that becomes a dominant gene in deciding the color factor. The resultant cat produces a white coat with blue eyes.

It is a superstitious belief in many cultures that white cats are lucky and a sign of good luck. Let us know a bit in more detail about the following white cat breeds.

White Persian Cat: These are the most popular cats and widely sought after white cat breeds. These royal divas are short and round with heads that are larger than most cats. They have the longest and bushiest coats within the long-hair group. These regal white Persian cats require extensive grooming, brushing and regular baths to keep their white coats free from matting and knotting. White Persian cats have loving personalities that prefer living in quiet and peaceful homes.

Tuxedo Cats: A Tuxedo cat must have solid black color throughout the entire body with few white patches on the chin, chest, belly and paws. The percentage of black color should be more than white. These white cat breeds look like they are wearing a tuxedo, hence the name. One should keep in mind that not all black white cats come under Tuxedo cats. They maybe bi-colored, having more of white than black or maybe half black and half white. Even those with a few black patches on white body are not considered Tuxedo cats.

White Siamese Cat: These white Siamese cats are breeds of the Oriental cats. These cats come from Thailand, known as Siam in the ancient world. Thus, the name Siamese cats. These cats have elegant, slim, flexible and well muscled body. The white Siamese cats have short, sleek hair and blue eyes. These cats love to be cuddled and can get very vocal when there needs are not met. These cats bond well with the owner and will remain loyal pets for life. These attention seekers are full of energy. White Siamese cat require less grooming compared to white Persian cats.

White Bengal Cat: These white Bengal cat breeds are medium to large, well muscled cats. They have short and dense coat. They are a cross between the Asian Leopard cat and a domestic cat. Their bellies are white and has spots. These intelligent, active and energetic cats love water. They mix along well with people and other pets. They have a penchant for climbing and a distinct voice that can be very vocal.

Few Famous White Cats
There have been quite a few white cats that have been lucky enough to gather some limelight on themselves. These fictional and non-fictional cats are famous and loved by everyone around the world.


Enjoras, a black kitten of white cat parents from Gautier's Ménagerie intime.
Jess, was the black and white cat belonging to Postman Pat.
Seraphita, a pure white cat who has a love for perfumes and the mother of three of Gautier's cats with Don Pierrot.
Sylvester, the black and white cartoon Tuxedo cat who sputtered the words "Sufferin' succotash!" when he was thwarted by his main adversary, Tweety Pie, the canary. We all love his million tricks that he keeps trying to get hold of the canary.
Snowbell, from the movie Stuart Little who was a white Persian cat who was embarrassed to have a mouse as the member of the family.
Felix the Cat , a true star of the silent era, he is one of the most famous cartoons worldwide.
Socks, the pet cat of Chelsea Clinton, who is the daughter of the former US President Bill Clinton.
Bob, a black and white cat who was a pet of Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister.

White Cat Names
There are many popular cat names you can use to call your fluffy white cat breed. You can try calling your cat Cloud, Cotton, Casper. You can even try Snowy, Snowball, Snow White. How about, Vanilla, Vodka or Talcum? Moonlight, Milky and Mystique sound good too. You can come up with any traditional, elegant, sophisticated or funny cat names to call your white cat.

The fluffy white cat breeds are real heart stoppers, who are able to melt the hardest of the hard hearts. There are many white cat breeds that you can choose from as a pet. Few of the cat breeds mentioned above, also have coat colors other than white. A white cat will need more grooming and care as their coats tend to get dirty more quickly. Although cats are clean creatures, who keep licking their coats clean, you should not be lenient when it comes to pet care. You should take care of cat health as these animals are prone to many illnesses. Enjoy having these intelligent pets with distinct personalities as your pet with an attitude!