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07/22/09
In recent months, Catster and Catblogger peeps have been stepping out from behind their web personas to meet longtime online friends. This week I’m spotlighting some of those meetups.
In March, Guido’s mom invited me, Chai, Sugar and Little Bit’s mom and Luci’s mom to a dinner in her San Francisco home, and yowza! what a great time we had. (Funnily enough, I had worked side-by-side with Chai Latte’s mom back in the Pleistocene era and lost touch. Catster reunited us! In fact, she’s my cat Rocky’s “godmother,” and was with me when I adopted Rocky.) Vino and cat stories were flying, and everyone got a chance to socialize with Guido, Yolo and Baci. (In the photo above, from L to R: Chai”s Mom, Skeezix, Guido’s Mom, Guido, and Luci’s Mom.)
Inspired by the success of that meet-up, after reading about 27-pound feline Maitre’d Mr Higgins on The Cat’s Meow, Guido’s mom, Chai, Sugar and Little Bit’s mom and Luci’s mom joined South Bay Catster moms belonging to Galin, Aislen, Alana, Sausage and Meatball at Eddie Rickenbackers in San Francisco to meet Mr Higgins. (In the photo above, L to R: Mr Higgins, Chai’s Mom, Galin’s Mom, Luci’s Mom, Guido’s Mom, and Meatball’s Mom.)
Guido the Itlian Kitty reported on the meetup in his diary:
A whole buncha cat chat! What a fantasticat time weeza all had in San Franfuncisco Saturday when 5, yep that’s Cinque in EyeTailYun or Cinco in EspanYole, uh huh I meanza 5 Catster mommas redezvouzed to meet the famous MR HIGGINS Maitre D cat at Eddie Rickenbackers Restaurant. He’s not just a kitty, heeza a humungous dude weighing 27 whopping pounds. He hangs on da bar Momma said and picking him up for a foto op was like working da biceps furza herza.
Myza furiends mommas are catzowey! Wee’za had a visit from SAUSAGE and MEATBALL’S Pink Monkey Momma – sheeza purrty and hugza likesa she mighta be EyeTailYun! And da purrty momma of my MY 3 SAN JOSE CalEyeFurKneeYah Meowster Pals Galen, Aislen, Alana hugged me too. And and, well derza more, da purrty momma of CHAI LATTE, SUGAR AND LITTLE BIT well, sheeeza a molto bene meowster hugger too. Oh Basta Pasta derza more news and mews cuz my friend LUCI sendsa her exPURRt hugging momma too so can you in yurza 9 lives imagine da cat chat that was going on at Mr Higgins’ ristorante? UndoubtaCATically he purrobably excused himself to go and catnap !
I couldn’t attend that event, but I met up with Guido and Chai’s moms recently to meet Mr Higgins myself. I can confirm that he is one big hunka love mancat, and yes, you should strap on a hernia belt before you pick him up.
We declared Eddie Rickenbackers to be the de facto Catster Mom meetup spot in San Francisco by virtue of its resident cat, proximity to BART, and great beers ‘n’ burgers. (If you go, order the chicken; Mr Higgins visits the table of every diner who orders chicken, and asks only that you toss a few chunks his way.)
See related Cat's Meow entries:
04/17/09
The following is a repost from SF Weekly. It’s the story of a 27 lb. orange tabby who was rescued from Katrina’s flood waters and relocated to San Francisco, where he works as a maître d’:
When the lunchtime crowd filters into SoMa’s Eddie Rickenbacker’s, the establishment’s de-facto maître d’, Mr. Higgins, makes sure to walk around to every table and socialize. Then he falls asleep on the couch.
Snoozing during work hours is usually a firing offense, but Mr. Higgins’ job is safe. Twenty or 30 people a day walk through the door just to enjoy the pleasure of his company and bar owner Henry Africa assures SF Weekly that Mr. Higgins’ isn’t going anywhere — after all, he loves that cat.
 The orange tomcat — who weighs in at a floorboard-creaking 27 pounds — didn’t always have it so soft. Four years ago he was running wild through the fetid, water-logged streets of New Orleans, half-starved and half-alive — with fleas and ticks accounting for around half of his body mass.
Airline workers captured around 200 cats who were scurrying around the Big Easy– including Mr. Higgins — and shipped them to a woman living in Nashville. And when Africa stumbled across the bedraggled orange cat’s online profile, he phoned Tennessee and bought Mr. Higgins on the spot for $200. The woman told Africa that Mr. Higgins had a brother, and Africa bought him, too.
Mr. Higgins’ days as unofficial greeter for Eddie Rickenbacker’s weren’t quite ready to start. Africa had bought a big rig truck at an auction on a whim while hunting for more antique motorcycles to suspend from the roof of his bar (”Can’t turn down a deal”).
Africa began using the big rig to haul loads of frozen fish from Boston to San Francisco — “I do things like that all the time” — and Mr. Higgins and brother Maxie came along for the ride. Eventually, the bar owner decided his truck-driving days were done, and sold off the rig.But the truck’s buyer stubbornly insisted that the cats come with him. Africa disagreed and a fistfight ensued. The bar owner — who is 75 — came out worse for wear. But an agreement was hastily cobbled between the warring parties. The buyer took Maxie and the truck. Africa took Mr. Higgins and returned to his bar.
It seems that Mr. Higgins has found his calling. “He’s one of the few cats I’ve ever had that really likes people,” notes his owner.
Incidentally, if you’re wondering, no you can’t have a pet cat in a bar in San Francisco — but Mr. Higgins has a knack for pulling a disappearing act when the health inspectors drop by. Africa did get caught once — and fined $200 — but he doesn’t have any plans to leave the cat at home in the future. Besides, if Mr. Higgins is drawing customers into the establishment, it may be worth risking the fine.
Africa can’t argue with that, but quickly adds, “Hey, I love him, too.”
See related Cat's Meow entries:
03/31/09
Last week at the American Animal Hospital Association Conference, the CATalyst Council announced its list of the Top 10 Cat-Friendly cities in the U.S. The list was compiled after reviewing the top 25 standard metropolitan areas for such data as cat ownership per capita, level of veterinary care, microchipping and cat-friendly local ordinances. The CATalyst Council, a coalition of the veterinary community, academia, nonprofits, industry and animal welfare organizations, hopes to call attention to how much the cat is loved and cared for in these cities, and set the bar for other cities to follow in the annual rankings.
So is your city on the list? Here are the ten (not ranked in any order):
- Tampa
- Phoenix
- San Francisco
- Portland (Ore.)
- Denver
- Boston
- Seattle
- San Diego
- Atlanta
- Minneapolis
“Cats really are America’s number one companion,” said Dan Kramer, senior marketing manager of industry relationsfor Pfizer Animal Health and chair of the CATalyst Council. “Our goal is to recognize and celebrate why cats are such popular companions. We applaud the efforts of these major metropolitan areas for providing a wealth of resources for cats and their owners along with their earned accolade of being one of America’s Top 10 Cat-Friendly Cities.”
The CATalyst Council also noted for honorable mention, Ithaca, N.Y., home of the Cornell Feline Health Center, which educates the public about felines and their health. Education is key in understanding cats. By and large, each community has the tools and resources to properly care for cats. Too often, though, cats can hide symptoms so owners do not realize any health problems exist. This makes it even more important for cat owners to visit a veterinarian on a regular basis because many of these illnesses are preventable.
“Cats outnumber dogs by nearly 10 million among the pet-owning public. This list clearly shows cats are loved by many,” said Steve Dale spokesperson and a CATalyst Council board member. “However, in my work as a journalist, I’ve spoken with animal control officials, welfare organizations and veterinarians across the country and often hear that cats are more likely to be neglected than dogs, more likely to wind up in shelters and less likely to be seen by veterinarians. Obviously there is room for the nation to improve the overall status and care of cats, but these cities are overcoming the current standard.”
Dogs have long been called man’s best friend. Recent data suggests that cats truly are America’s number one companion. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, the number of cats owned (81.7 million) outnumbers that of canines (72 million) by nearly 10 million among the pet-owning public. In addition to the rise in cat population, the AVMA reported cat visits to the veterinarian fell some 11 percent between 2001 and 2006. A 2006 survey by the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) also showed that overcrowded animal shelters are seeing more cats given up than their canine cousins.
“There is a higher number of cats than dogs surrendered to shelters nationwide, increasingly so in these economic times of financial strain and home foreclosures,” said Jan McHugh-Smith, Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) secretary, president of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and CATalyst Council board member. “We are eager to showcase these cities that demonstrate outstanding compassion and resources for cats and their owners in order to elevate the status of the cat.”
The CATalyst Council is also continuing its outreach to educate the public and the veterinary industry through the It’s All About the Cat campaign. Initiated by the CATalyst Council, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) are partnering to develop feline life-stage wellness guidelines for veterinary professionals. The Winn Feline Foundation will coordinate the writing of a consumer version of the guidelines with the assistance of writers on its media committee. Once adopted, the CATalyst Council will work with other animal organizations to share this information with consumers.
“We are reaching out to all parties – the pet healthcare community, shelter and welfare organizations, government and the public – to ensure that cats receive the proper care and attention they need and deserve,” said Dr. Jane E. Brunt, executive director of the CATalyst Council. “It truly is all about the cat.”
The CATalyst Council is a national initiative comprised of animal health and welfare organizations and corporations to champion the cat in light of troubling statistics released by the American Veterinary Medical Association that show an increase in the cat population coupled with a decline in veterinary visits for cats. For more information, visit www.catalystcouncil.org.
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