Fourth Cativersary

Four years ago today I brought Shelley home from the East Harlem ASPCA. She was 18 months old, very undersized, timid, and FIV+. Today she's a chubby little lap snuggler and every visitor's instant pal, despite the stern look she's giving us above. As I like to do on this date, I encourage you to visit your local shelter and consider adopting an adult cat. At this writing there are 64 adult cats up for adoption at the East Harlem shelter. I'm partial to tough guy Felix.

The Cat Is An Invasive Species

According to the authors of a first of its kind study on bird mortality, the American housecat is a "non-native, invasive species" responsible for the deaths of 500 million North American birds annually.

Nearly 80 percent of the birds were killed by predators, and cats were responsible for 47 percent of those deaths, according to the researchers, from the Smithsonian Institution and Towson University in Maryland. Death rates were particularly high in neighborhoods with large cat populations. Predation was so serious in some areas that the catbirds could not replace their numbers for the next generation, according to the researchers, who affixed tiny radio transmitters to the birds to follow them. It is the first scientific study to calculate what fraction of bird deaths during the vulnerable fledgling stage can be attributed to cats. “Cats are way up there in terms of threats to birds — they are a formidable force in driving out native species,” said Peter Marra of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, one of the authors of the study.

Dr. Marra says cats "are like gypsy moths and kudzu — they cause major ecological disruption." My own disruptor is often reduced to quivering impotent rage by the pigeons that taunt her daily from our fire escape. "One of these days, you miserable flying rats. One of these days."

Cat Burglar

He's climbing in your window, snatchin' your panties up...

Catpacks?

According to Buzzfeed, the latest silly trend in Brooklyn is the catpack - a meshed backpack for carrying your kitty around town. Sometimes I feel bad that Shelley never gets out of my tiny apartment, but I'm very confident that if I tried this with her, the screaming would be heard from here to Harlem. Maybe these are just for trips to the vet?

Anne Hathaway...cast as Catwoman! Meow!

 

Just goes to show 'ya - when you rustle up a high-profile in the biz almost overnight (in addition to turning in a couple of stellar screen characterizations in big box-office features along the way) - that the world is your oyster.

This especially appears to be true for the flavor of the month - talented actress and red-carpet head-turner - Anne Hathaway!

Shortly after starring opposite sexy Jake Gyllenhaal in "Love & Other Drugs", Ms. Hathaway has been handed the plum pussy role of "Catwoman" on a silver platter with a nod from celebrated director Christopher Nolan.

According to handlers, Hathaway is slated to lens the much-anticipated franchise sequel - "The Dark Knight Rises" - in the very near future.

Meow!

Now, Ms. Hathaway follows in a long line of distinguished oft-remembered screen Goddesses - who slipped into the feline costume with ease- in a myriad of TV & Film projects of yesteryear.

Of course, I am referring to luminaries such as Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, Lee Meriweather and - who could forget? - oh-so-organic Eartha Kitt!

I expect that Hathaway will scratch up a storm - or at a minimum pull off a delicious tease - given the chance.

Later!

http://www.thetattler.biz/

The Bodega Cats Of New York City

New York City's thousands of bodegas are ruled by thousands of cats. And now there's a Flickr group devoted to them.

Cat Holds Fox Hostage and Starts Licking

Toilet Trained Cat Doing Number 2 hahahaha!