Vet Says: Your Cat Only Has Meows For You

by Kevin Burton    How well do you know you cat, asks a Good Housekeeping article that my brother sent me.    Well I am in tune with our two cats, enough so that my wife Jeannette calls me a cat whisperer. If you have cats you know whispering doesn’t always get it done.     …

Catstanbul: The City Where Cats Rule

by Jeff Bogle BBC    In Istanbul, a delicate balance is struck daily in its winding streets, metro stations and cafés.    More than 15 million people compete for space in Turkey’s largest city, which straddles Europe and Asia on either side of the Bosphorus, much like a house cat perched half on the sofa, …

Examining The Desires, Behaviors Of Cats

by Kevin Burton     “How well do you really know your cat?” asks writer Alesandra Dubin in a Good Housekeeping piece, under the headline “20 Surprising Cat facts You’ve Never Heard.”    Good question.    Everyone knows cats are mysterious, hard to define or explain.  I could go all Joni Mitchell on you and say “I’ve looked …

“Zoomies” And Other Peculiar Animal Behavior

by Kevin Burton    As a baseball fanatic growing up I learned that a bunt is a purposely short hit, made to surprise the defense or to move the runners along.     Leave it to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, as it defines the strange things animals sometimes do,  to teach me that “bunt” has another meaning and …

Debunking Twelve Silly Myths About Cats

by Dictionary Scoop    Cats may be mysterious, but let’s not give them credit for magic tricks they don’t actually perform. Over the years, these curious creatures have picked up numerous myths—some harmless, others simply misleading. Today, we’re debunking 12 common cat myths and setting the record straight. 1-Black cats bring bad luck    Poor black cats! …

Catsongs: Cat’s In The Cradle, Harry Chapin

by Kevin Burton    (Catsongs is a series on Page 7 to honor the memory of my late sister Pat by looking at our two shared passions, cats and music.)    For this series, I am featuring songs with cats in the title, or perhaps the lyrics. Unfortunately “Cat’s in the Cradle” is the obvious choice …

Penny For Your Thoughts, Feline Daughters

by Kevin Burton    They have ways of expressing themselves, but my cats don’t speak any English or Spanish, so I don’t always know what they are thinking.    Do I really want to know what they are thinking?  Well, we can’t know, which is probably for the best.    But I did stumble upon …

Quibbles And Bits: Cats, Beatles, Fantasy

by Kevin Burton    Our younger cat Lakin is a great leaper, has a good set of lungs and is eager to communicate.    And she’s wild about exercise. I should be so wild about exercise.    You share your living space with two cats, you find out a few things.    Like on a …

All Honor To The Keeper Of The Seven Bowls

by Kevin Burton Dear Cat Sitter,    The worker is worthy of her hire. But you are no ordinary worker.  You are most worthy.    You are chosen. You are select among mortals. Yours is no ordinary task. This is a venerated trust. Be you ever so steadfast in your appointed rounds. For you, are …

A Fearful List Of Ten Unusual Phobias

by Dictionary Scoop     The word “phobia” does not merely mean “fear of” as some believe. There is more to it.    A phobia is an irrational fear, “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation,” according to Merriam-Webster dictionary.    Here are ten uncommon fears and …