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10/26/09
 Whiskers are twitching in Boulder, CO, after disclosure that one of the candidates for City Council, Rob Smoke, used campaign funds to buy food for his volunteers. Nothing against the law in doing that, but it attracted attention when it was disclosed that the food was purchased at Only Natural Pet Store.
Campaign finance reports showed that Smoke spent $14.37 of the $236 he’s raised on “dinner for campaign staff” from the pet store. But don’t worry; he wasn’t feeding college interns; his campaign manager, Sita the Cat, was the recipient of the free meals.
“It’s just a general protest against the way expenditures are handled,” he said of his billing his campaign for a household expense. “You have people dumping road signs all over the right-of-way, forcing the city to spend money to clean it up, all by candidates who give lip service to caring about the environment.”
He said his few donations came from personal friends, and he’s not going to hear from real estate developers about how he’s spent their money.
“My taking care of my cat is above what some of the people have done,” he said, referring to candidates donating money to each other to get more matching funds from the city, and candidates accepting money from developers with business in front of the city. “I think there are a lot of abuses, and I don’t partake of any of them.”
Boulder campaign finance administrator Dianne Marshall said the city code doesn’t say which campaign expenses are legitimate, only that expenses have to be disclosed.
“It’s not unusual that he would buy food for campaign helpers,” she said.
Later, Sita became a national sensation when she was the subject of one of the questions on National Public Radio’s popular quiz show “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”
In the “Lightning Fill in the Blank” round, host Peter Segal asked comedian Paula Poundstone to guess what justification Smoke gave for using campaign funds to feed his cat.
Sita could not be reached for comment.
[LINK: DailyCamera.com]
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10/13/09
 George the Cat, a clever orange and white tabby in the U.K., has figured out that the best way to get all the tuna juice and Tempations he wants is through hypnosis, and thanks to his owner, he’s accredited as a hypnotherapist.
George’s owner, Chris Jackson, registered George with the British Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming (BBNLP), the United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists (UFH) and the Professional Hypnotherapy Practitioner Association (PHPA). Each accepted a certificate from the non-existent Society of Certified Advanced Mind Therapists as proof of George’s credentials.
The UFH later admitted the mistake, which it said has since been corrected.
A PHPA spokesman said the organization makes great effort to ensure every applicant is a fully-qualified hypnotherapist.
The BBNLP said it exists only to provide benefits to its members, not to check or certify credentials.
George could not be reached for comment.
[LINK: BBC News]
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10/07/09
Mary, a TCM reader, recently told me the story of hardworking cats Milo and Atticus, who run King’s Bookstore in Tacoma, Washington.
 Bookstore employee Sweet Pea says that King’s Bookstore has had resident cats for about six years. Their first cat, Harriet (photo at right) was adopted from the Humane Society, but sadly, she went to The Bridge last year. Black cat Miko (in rocking chair at right, above) is also a Humane Society adoptee.
After Harriet died, a stray grey and white tabby showed up, and the bookstore held a contest to name him. The winning name was Atticus (from Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird). Atticus is in the left chair in the photo above.
According to Sweet Pea, the feline pair hangs out at the store, and some people come to the store just to see the cats. In the morning, Mika and Atticus are attended to after being left in the store overnight. Atticus likes to ride people’s shoulders. Both happily socialize with groups that meet at the bookstore.
Got a story of bookstore cats you’d like to share? Tell me about it: karen *AT* catster *DOT* com.
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09/02/09
Bar patrons in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago are mourning the loss of resident bar cat, Radley, who made The Empty Bottle bar his home.
Radley was the first of the pub’s bar cats, all named after To Kill a Mockingbird characters. The other cats came and went, but Radley made the empty bottle his home for sixteen years. Estimates place Radley at about 19 years old.
Owner Bruce Finkleman reminisced, “The door was always open for him. He would roam around outside, he would sometimes leave for a couple days and come back. You know, he was free to go. And sometimes you would see a band start and you would see this black blur fly across the room as he was trying to exit the bar as quick as possible. And sometimes he would just sit on top of the bar and just be like really enjoying the bands. I remember watching a Red Red Meat show once a long long time ago and Radley was just sitting there, going, ‘Okay, I like this.’ Some bands, he liked so much, he’d try to stowaway and join them on tour.”
Staffer Ryan Rafferty added, “You could tell when he was into a band. There would be some nights that before even the second band was done playing, before the headliners would get up on stage. He would get up and crawl into a guitar case or a bass drum and, you know, make his home up there.”
Radley’s favorite band was one that never played live at The Bottle. Rafferty recalled, “Every time Heart would come on, especially Magic Man, he had a little extra pep in his step.”
Not that there weren’t issues with the aging cat making the bar his home. Finkleman said that as Radley got older, he was starting to get a little bit more territorial and a little bit crazier. He started marking his territory. And instead of marking his territory in any normal place, he decided that his space that he was going to mark was going to be where the drummer would usually set up on the stage.
Finkleman said that it got to a point where, bands around the country would come in and the first thing they would say is, it smells like home.
We’ll be hoisting our next pint to you, Radley!
Don’t forget! You can leave a comment on this post for an entry in The Cat’s Meow’s giveaway of a custom oil painting of your cat by Linden Alley.
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08/31/09
A grey and white kitten found by a field technician in the J. C. Elliot Landfill in Corpus Christie, Texas, has been rescued and immediately put to work as head office cat. Rescuers named him Elliot after the landfill.
Like most youngsters, Elliot has had no trouble at all learning how to use the computer. Most days he can be found, like most office workers, surfing the interwebs and filing TPS reports. Don’t forget the cover sheet, Elliot!
Don’t forget! You can leave a comment on this post for an entry in The Cat’s Meow’s giveaway of a custom oil painting of your cat by Linden Alley.
[LINK:kiiitv.com]
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08/21/09
 17-year-old Calvin the Cat started out life as “Jane,” named after Jane Austen.
As a wee kitten, he was dumped in a bookstore parking lot, and store owner Heidi Sampson brought him inside and fed him. Sampson said said she “tried to get rid of him, but after about two weeks, all anyone wanted to know was where the cat was.” Somewhere along the way, his gender was ascertained and he was renamed Calvin.
At the time, the bookstore was named “Half Price Books of the Ozarks,” but when Sampson incorporated in 2000, she discovered a preexisting “Half Price” chain.
“We needed to come up with a name, and by that time, almost anyone who came through the door had two questions: ‘Where’s Calvin?’ and then ‘I’m looking for this book,’” Sampson said.
“Calvin’s Used Books” was born.
Locals love to drop by and visit the gregarious tabby. “I love going in there to get some books and hang out with that cat,” Branson resident Leslie Gilmore said. “He is so friendly and cuddly.”
The store is Calvin’s permanent residence, and he’s famous for leaping from the top of one shelf to another. He’s also an incorrigible lap cat.
“If he wants to sit on you, he will,” Sampson said. “If he asks permission, he thinks people will say no, so if you’re on the ground its an open invitation.”
At 17, Calvin is in good health and shows no interest in retirement, although he’s a little less rambunctious than he was in his youth.
“One of his favorite games is to hide and scare people who don’t know he is there,” Sampson said. “When he was younger he would hide in the bookshelves and jump out at unsuspecting customers.”
His most endearing trait? Keeping the dogs in line. “He has never hurt anyone, but his patience isn’t what it used to be when dogs come in the shop,” Sampson said. “He likes to pop them on the nose to let them know they are in his house.”
Calvin’s Used Books is located at 1819 76 Country Boulevard, Unit C, in Branson, MO.
[LINK: Branson Daily News]
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08/17/09
It’s not unusual for cats to want to go to school, but it is unusual for cats to graduate with high school diplomas. Oreo C. Collins has done just that, earning her sheepskin from Jefferson High School Online. Remarkable enough for a cat, but at two years old she is also the youngest ever to graduate from Jefferson.
Superachiever Oreo comes from the most humble of beginnings. Found in a roadside ditch when only a couple of weeks old, the Collins family of Macon, Georgia, adopted and nutured her.
Kelvin Collins, who is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia encouraged Oreo in her scholastic efforts by helping him investigate online diploma mills.
He helped Oreo sign up to work for her diploma online, and even paid the $200 tuition fee for her.
Oreo was a star pupil, earning mostly “A”s in her classes, including credits for an essay she wrote about her “life experiences.” Collins did provide some support in helping Oreo complete her coursework, help she probably wouldn’t have needed if she’d been born with opposable thumbs. It didn’t hurt that anytime Oreo missed a test question, the test provided a helpful hint at the answer.
Oreo was rewarded for her academic prowess with extra treats and a self-cleaning litter box.
Unfortunately, Oreo’s diploma is not the same as a GED diploma. GED tests cannot be taken online. Collins says that Oreo’s “degree” serves as a warning to those ready to buy worthless diplomas. “We (the BBB) do a lot of stories on these diploma mills, but a lot of times consumers really don’t get it until you show them an example of how they (the diplomas) aren’t worth much.”
Like many recent graduates, Oreo is unemployed and living with her family. But Collins insists that we need not worry about her future: “Like Oreo wrote in her test essay, she always lands on her feet.”
[LINK: msnbc.com]
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08/11/09
 If you take your dog to the groomer in Fremont, Nebraska, you’ll have to do business with Oliver, Dogs-R-Us Grooming’s CFO (Cute Feline Officer).
Carolyn Headrick owns the business and freely admits that Oliver runs the show. “He has his own fan club,” she said. “People will come in here just to see him, and he eats up the attention. He’s a pretty popular kitty around here. Everybody thinks he’s so cute.”
Oliver was given to Headrick by a client to replace a cat of hers who’d died, leaving her heartbroken. Oliver quickly went to work to fill the hole in Headrick’s heart left by  her previous cat’s passing. Headricks says that Oliver is “the most laid back, lovable cat you’ll ever see.”
If you go to Dogs-R-Us, you’ll Oliver at his post atop the front counter where he serves as the greeter. He loves all the attention that’s lavished upon him, getting hugs and pets from everyone who drops by.
Headrick says, “He’s a big snuggler. He’s in charge of our customer relations. He gets paid well — lots of love and all the food he wants.
“He loves kids. He’ll let the kids sit up on the counter with him and hug him. He’s even learned to get his picture taken. People will come in and take pictures of him with their phones. He thinks he’s photogenic.”
There’s a disconnect for some people over a cat working at a dog grooming business.
“Some people think we should have a dog as our mascot, but Oliver likes being our mascot,” she said. “A lot of people think it’s a little different. We’re OK with that.”
[LINK/PHOTOS: fremonttribune.com]
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07/22/09
 In what has got to be the worst news I’ve delivered this year, it is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news that Sammy the Post Office Cat was hit by a car this week, sustaining injuries that required euthanasia.
Sammy was a popular story on The Cat’s Meow, inspiring readers to send him gifts and letters–and getting letters in return. One reader even took a detour on a road trip to visit Sammy. He will be greatly missed.
Here’s the story from WFSA News:
‘Sammy’ the cat killed by car
Posted: Jul 22, 2009 5:14 PM PDT Updated: Jul 22, 2009 7:21 PM PDT
Posted by: John Shryock
 NOTASULA, AL (WSFA) – Sad news to report on a local cat that captured national attention after being banished from his perch in the Notasulga Post Office.
‘Sammy’ the cat died Wednesday after being hit by a car. The orange kitty’s owner, Lorenz Porzig, confirmed the accident to WSFA 12 News.
Porzig said his now famous cat disappeared for several days late last week only to return Sunday. Sammy had a broken leg and was also said to have been missing his tail.
The vet who worked on Sammy said internal injuries were just too severe for a recovery. Porzig planned to pick up the cat’s body Thursday.
Sammy, unlike most animals, had his own mail box at the local post office, and people from all across the nation sent him letters and cat food. At last count residents of 49 states felt compelled to write.
 The feline’s rise to fame started when WSFA 12 News’ weekly segment County Road 12 profiled the down and out sunbather.
While Sammy’s owner lived right across the street from the post office Sammy himself was rarely home. Instead he enjoyed lounging in the window at the mail facility.
When a customer complained of cat allergies postal workers gave him the boot, only to suffer the wrath of many Notasulga residents who demanded their ‘post office cat’ be repatriated. Even former Auburn football coach Pat Dye weighed-in on the situation saying Sammy should’ve been allowed to stay inside.
Sammy was never allowed back inside, though he never really seemed to mind. He spent a good deal of time just outside the door licking his paws and keeping cool.
As late as a few weeks ago he’d even taken up residence next door at the tax preparer’s office where more shade could be found.
WSFA 12 News is planning to shoot a news story on Sammy Thursday for on-air coverage.
For those who’d like to send condolences, here’s his address:
Sammy the Post Office Cat
PO Box 173
Notasulga, Alabama 36866
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07/16/09
City Kitty, an arthritic cowcat who lives a the Naples, Florida, City Hall, has a new lease on life thanks to a concerned and caring citizen.
Last month, LaVeeda Krumm took the feral cat to Harborside Animal Clinic, after she noticed a problem with the cat’s overgrown nails. At the clinic, tests revealed that City Kitty had advanced arthritis and hyperthyroidism, a common affliction in older cats.
The vets at the clinic ministered to City Kitty, but the price tag was a steep $439.
Dr. Ruth Eisel, a vet at the clinic, said that when City Kitty was brought in, the clinic was told people would be pitching in to help cover the costs. Unfortunately, the funding didn’t materialize and the three doctors in the practice had to pay the expenses themselves.
“When it came to chip in, there was no one there except for LeVeeda Krumm,” said Eisel. “The doctors said to ourselves, (the cat) was promised help, so we put our own money toward the cat.”
Two weeks after the visit to the vet, Councilwoman Penny Taylor sent a memo to her colleagues asking city employees to pitch in to help offset the medical expenses.
“We love her,” Taylor wrote. “We need help with this bill and a collection station has been established at the volunteer desk in the downstairs lobby of City Hall.” Unfortunately, donations have been very slow in coming in.
Taylor said she was relieved to learn that Krumm took City Kitty to the doctor.
“I’ve been worried about her,” Taylor said. “She’s very wily.”
City Kitty is just one of several cats that lives near City Hall, said Naples Mayor Bill Barnett. Barnett estimates she’s been around City Hall for about 15 years.
“I’ll tell you it adds a personal touch,” Barnett said about having a city pet. “This is not a bleak gray drab atmosphere around here. We’re filled with good old normal people. It’s a warm fuzzy.”
An overactive thyroid means City Kitty needs to take medication twice a day, which is hard to do with an feral cat. But Krumm said she’s doing her best to make sure City Kitty gets it at least once a day.
Being the City Kitty has its perks: In 2006 city employees built her a cat house to keep her out of the elements during bad weather.
Donations for City Kitty’s medical expenses are being accepted at
Naples City Hall,
735 Eighth Street South
Naples, FL 34102
[LINK/PHOTOS: NaplesNews.com]
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