Category Archives: Cats

Cats in the News with Yoshi the cat

Yoshi

Hello people! Yoshi here. As a cat who keeps up with current affairs, I thought that I would take this opportunity to share a few of the interesting cat related news stories that I’ve come across.

-Here’s a report from TIME magazine about cats ability to forecast the weather:

Here’s How to Predict the Weather Using Your Cat


I’d bet a can of tuna that cats have a higher accuracy rate that your local tv weatherman.

-If you’re diabetic you may want to skip this next story. Its about a program in Pennslyvania where kids volunteer to read to cats at an animal shelter:
http://www.today.com/pets/purrs-not-frowns-kids-feel-comfortable-reading-aloud-shelter-cats-2D12103268
This is for a great cause but I’m not sure that it qualifies as news. Now if the cats were reading to the kids, then you would have a Pulitzer Prize winning story.

-And finally here’s a serious story about a couple of sisters that were held hostage and how a cat helped them survive the ordeal:
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_25197656/filipino-sisters-freed-from-8-months-captivity?source=rss
After reading that I’m not going to make any sort of flippant comment. I just marvel at the capacity of my fellow cats to help humans through even the most stressful situations. You people are so lucky to have us.

That’s the feline news for this week.

Cats in the News with Yoshi Smith

Yoshi

Hello people! Yoshi here with my monthly look at the latest cat news.

-Last week was April Fools Day and for some reason you humans love to include cats in your annual foolishness. Here’s an article about a couple of cat-related pranks:http://www.cnet.com/news/cats-all-the-rage-for-april-fools-day-jokes/
Hmm. I actually like the Google keyboard for cats.

-I came across this article about the depiction of cats with flaming backpacks in 16th century German Manuscripts: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140310-rocket-cats-animals-manuscript-artillery-history/
At first I thought that the cats in these drawings were wearing jetpacks. The truth is far less cool.

-Here’s a story from the UK about a cat who decided to stow away in a sofa: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595128/Armchair-man-MEOW-Cat-stowed-away-owners-sofa-donated-charity-shop-discovered-five-days-later-heard-meowing.html
Wait, this couple named this cat Crockett and their other cat Tubbs? There are people in England who name their cats after thirty year old television shows from other countries? Weird.

-In Portland, OR a 22 pound cat attacked a baby and then trapped the adults in their bedroom: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/10/pet-cat-attacks-baby-traps-owners_n_4937904.html I don’t know what that baby said to that cat to set him off but it must have been particularly insulting.

More weird cat items on Ebay

Here are some more goofy feline items up for bid on Ebay:

Ceramic Cat toothbrush holder

Who wouldn't want their toothbrush sticking out of a cat's rear end?

Who wouldn’t want their toothbrush sticking out of a cat’s rear end?

“Paws” T Shirt

Paws Tee Shirt ' "we're gonna need a bigger featherstick!"

“We’re gonna need a bigger featherstick!”

“Cat Butt Field Guide” Coin Purse
cat butt field guide coin purse

The Tao of the Cat Drinking Glasses

"Tao of the Cat" drinking glasses. The tao of the cat is to do your thing and leave the kitty alone.

“Tao of the Cat” drinking glasses. The tao of the cat is to do your thing and leave the kitty alone.

Cat Butt hand soap
cat butt hand soap

Gatsby’s Weird Cat Websites

Gatsby surfing the web

Gatsby surfing the web

There are some odd places on the internet. Some of them are feline-centric. My cat Gatsby has a few favorites:

Cats Sleep in Weird Places: We all know that cats can pick odd places to rest but here’s some photographic evidence.
http://catssleepinweirdplaces.tumblr.com/

Brides throwing cats: That’s right, its pictures of brides throwing CATS instead of bouquets. Actually its just photoshop magic but it looks funny.
http://bridesthrowingcats.com/

Cats that look like Hitler: I don’t even know what say.
http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/cgi-bin/seigmiaow.pl

Garfield minus Garfield: The Garfield comic strip with Garfield removed from each episode. The result makes his owner Jon seem like a madman.
http://www.gocomics.com/garfieldminusgarfield#.Uvfj90KYbmQ

My Cat Hates You: Tons of pictures of cats being cats.
http://www.mycathatesyou.com/

Catmoji: This site isn’t that weird but it has a lot of cat pictures. Some of which are very odd.
http://catmoji.com/

PETECTIVES: UNDER FIRE

Yoshi and Gatsby’s latest adventure is out!

It’s the 4th of July and the Petectives are feeling the heat! In the midst of a sweltering heat wave, feline detectives Yoshi and Gatsby get word that an old enemy is back and running a protection racket in their neighborhood. When an attack lands Gatsby’s girlfriend in the veterinary hospital, he gets hot under the collar but it may take Yoshi’s cool logic to shut down a gang of animal criminals and clear a dog from a horrible accusation. The Petectives are back and there’s going to be fireworks!

Here are the links:

Amazon Kindle ebook

Amazon Kindle ebook

Amazon Paperback

Amazon Paperback

Barnes & Noble paperback link:

Barnes & Noble paperback

Barnes & Noble paperback

Coming soon:

The latest book in the Petectives series:

Petectives: Under Fire – It’s the 4th of July and the Petectives are feeling the heat! In the midst of a sweltering heat wave, feline detectives Yoshi and Gatsby get word that an old enemy is back and running a protection racket in their neighborhood. When an attack lands Gatsby’s girlfriend in the veterinary hospital, he gets hot under the collar but it may take Yoshi’s cool logic to shut down a gang of animal criminals and clear a dog from a horrible accusation. The Petectives are back and there’s going to be fireworks!

Petectives: Christmas Party Playlist

A list of songs that I listened to while writing Petectives: Christmas Party. Some of the songs have a strong thematic link to the story, while others helped me set a scene or get into the heads of the characters. Forget all that, its Christmas music! Who doesn’t like Christmas music?

The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole: This was the first song on a Christmas album that my mom would play while she made Christmas cookies. It’s not Christmas for me until I hear this song fifty or sixty times.

What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder: The first thing that you hear is the drums and bass and you know that you’re listening to classic Motown. Then the jingle bells kick in and you know that you’re hearing a Christmas song. Then Stevie Wonder starts singing and you get one of the best Christmas songs ever recorded.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Frank Sinatra

Sweetest Thing – New Voices of Freedom (featuring Adriane Mc Donald & George Pendergrass) – This Gospelled up version of the U2 song isn’t a Christmas song (Although it is from the soundtrack of the movie ‘Scrooged’). The song inspired the relationship between the Zabisco and Missy characters in Petectectives: Christmas Party.

Happy Holiday (Beef Wellington Remix) – Bing Crosby: Dusty old Bing Crosby Christmas song remixed with a modern dance beat. Weird juxtaposition that actually works.

Cool Yule – Louis Armstrong: All of the fun of the holidays in pure undiluted form.

Celebration – Kool and the Gang: Not a Christmas song but definitely one of the all-time great party songs.

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby: Here’s how this version ends: “If you keep your nose a red, red rose. If you keep your beak all pink and sleek. And if you keep your snooze maroon because, You’ll go down in history.” Brilliant.

Christmas Is Coming – Vince Guaraldi Trio:This jazz melody is from the soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. That whole CD should be the sound track to Petectives: Christmas Party but it’s already taken.

Christmas Must Be Tonight – Robbie Robertson: Rock retelling of the Nativity.

My Favorite Things – The Supremes: I’m not normally a big Rodgers and Hammerstein fan but Diana Ross really sells this version. I don’t know if Ms. Ross actually likes schnitzel and noodles but I totally believe it when she belts it out here.

This Christmas – Donny Hathaway

A Merrier Christmas – Diane Reeves: A little known Christmas song composed by jazz genius Thelonious Monk. A musical interpretation of an idyllic American Christmas experience.

Sleigh Ride – Ella Fitzgerald

White Christmas – The Drifters: Classic do-wop interpretation of the holiday standard.

Cat Christmas Ornaments

Yoshi and Gatsby on the Christmas tree!

Yoshi and Gatsby on the Christmas tree!

A few years ago I bought these ornaments from the “Cats of Christmas” website (http://www.catsofchristmas.com/). I had accidentally busted an ornament of my wife’s late, cherished cat Monte and I was in trouble. I got a customized ornament that looked exactly like Monty and was much better than the one I’d broken. I was out of trouble. I also got a couple that looked like our current cats. The “Marmalade” ornament looks like Gatsby and the “Boo!” ornament is a perfect representation of Yoshi. They go on our tree every Christmas. I’m not sure what they’re made of but they look fantastic and they’ve held up great over the years. I don’t believe that they do customizations anymore but if you’re looking for out of the ordinary ornaments for your Christmas tree, check these out!