Cat Muschi and the bear

As far as lifelong friendships go, Muschi thinks her large and loveable friend Maeuschen is the cat’s pyjamas. The feline, which struck up the unlikely friendship with the 40-year-old Asian bear nine years ago, now can’t bear to be apart from her friend.

In fact, the pair are so close that zookeepers at Berlin Zoo had to reunite them after Muschi, or ‘pussy’ in German, pined for Maeuschen – ‘little mouse’ – after they were separated.

The pair were split up on October 2009 when the bear was locked in a cage while her living space was enlarged. The distraught cat soon caught the attention of zoo keepers after she remained sitting outside the bear’s cage pining for her friend.

This week, keepers took the unusual step of allowing the feline into the cage with her shaggy-haired pal. ‘They greeted each other and had a cuddle and now they’re happy,’ said Heiner Kloes, a member of the zoo’s management board.

Cat Chases Bear Up Tree

June 13, 2006—Perhaps not since the Cowardly Lion has an animal's appearance been so at odds with its attitude.

On June 4 a black bear wandered into a West Milford, New Jersey, back yard, was confronted by a 15-pound (7-kilogram) tabby cat … and fled up a neighbor's tree. Hissing at the base of the tree, Jack the clawless cat kept the bear at bay for about 15 minutes, then ran him up another tree after an attempted escape.

Finally, Jack's owner, Donna Dickey, called the cat inside, and the timorous trespasser disappeared back into the woods.

"He doesn't want anybody in his yard," Dickey said of Jack in an interview with the Newark Star Ledger.

Unlike cats, bears aren't typically territorial, roaming instead over vast areas that would be impossible to patrol for intruders. With a habitat that includes much of North America, black bears are seen fairly often in this region of New Jersey.

Full-grown black bears weigh between 200 and 600 pounds (90 and 270 kilograms) and measure as much as 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Their diets can include fruits, honey, insects, acorns and animals as big as moose calves—a fact apparently lost on Jack.

Original post—Ted Chamberlain : nationalgeographic

Cat clings to car bottom for 100km journey

BY THEAGE ON AUG 20 2009

A Kiwi cat has tried to imitate the bad guys in horror films with a dangerous stint spent clinging to the underside of a car for 100 kilometres. 

Levin couple Kevin and Sandra Stent noticed four-year-old Poppy, a Burmese cat, was missing after a visit from some friends 3 1/2 weeks ago, but were assured no felines were stashed away in their car. 

Mrs Stent thinks Poppy must have climbed up under the car and held on all the way to Hunterville, about 100 kilometres from home. 

She seems to have stayed on board while the car stopped in Palmerston North for about two hours but must have either jumped or fallen off somewhere near Hunterville. 

For the next three weeks she foraged for food and nursed her injuries until Waituna farmer David Guylee noticed her lurking around his neighbour's property. 

Mr Guylee said it was lucky Poppy was wearing a tag. 

"We're trying to get native birds back around here, so we're getting rid of all the feral cats. 

"Any wild cats get a bullet, and Poppy would have got one too if she hadn't had that collar on." 

Realising she was someone's pet, Mr Guylee trapped Poppy and took her to Feilding SPCA, where manager Jo Finlayson spent the next two days trying to find out where the cat belonged. 

"I probably made about 30 phone calls there was a cellphone number on her tag but the last three numbers had been chewed so I couldn't read them. In the end I just fluked it." 

Mrs Finlayson said Poppy was "pretty thin, and pretty scared" when she came in, but soon warmed to staff. She had a broken tail, scratches to her face and ears, and was malnourished. 

The Stents' other Burmese, Soli, aged 13, was distraught at her loss. 

"Every night he'd go out there and just cry. And every night since she's been back he's been grooming her, licking her, cuddling her," Mrs Stent said. 

Since her return, Poppy has been getting the royal treatment, with regular meals of chicken to fatten her up.

"Poppy" with her owner Sandra Stent. 

Photo: Kevin Stent, stuff.co.nz

This week she will have a check-up and if she is well enough, her tail will be amputated. She will be left with only a stump, but her family are just happy to have her back.

Sad Cat Story from Turkey

This stray cat was filmed in Turkey( Kızılsaray district of Antalya ) trying to reanimate his female friend who got hit by a car. Even though some people tried to help him, the white cat wouldn't let them come near for two straight hours. Finally a vet arrived and took the injured cat. Sadly, it was too late and he couldn't resuscitate the feline.

Original Post on 20.04.2010 by DHA NEWS

Curiosity nearly did kill a Boulder County cat

Following some tense moments -- and a furry surprise -- Boulder County animal control officers and Boulder firefighters managed to free a tomcat that was found with his head stuck in a pipe.

Mark Evans, right, with Boulder Fire and Rescue,

tries to maneuver the head of a cat that has its head stuck in a pipe,

with the help of veterinary technician Grace Worland, left,

and county animal control officer Brandy Perkins, center. (Marty Caivano)

Suzanne Engert, who lives in the 11000 block of Flatiron Drive in Erie, reported finding the black-and-white cat lodged in a large metal pipe around 12:30 p.m.

She said she walked behind her shed to see her garden when "something sort of caught my eye."

"This black cat was just laying there," she said. "I must have walked past the cat a couple of times."

Engert said it appeared as if the cat had been digging with its feet to try to free itself for some time. Animal control officers suspect the cat may have been stuck in the pipe for as long as two days.

After Engert tried unsuccessfully to free the cat herself, firefighters with the Mountain View Fire District arrived and cut away a section of the pipe so that officers could try to free it.

Despite efforts to lube the cat's head using vegetable oil and soap, the cat remained stuck.

So officials brought the cat -- pipe and all -- to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. There, Boulder firefighters worked with veterinary staffers and animal control officers to free the cat.

Following several tense minutes when it appeared firefighters could not break open the pipe without hurting the animal, the cat's head popped out to the cheers of a small crowd that had gathered to watch the rescue operation.

Brandy Perkins, a Boulder County animal control officer, nearly burst into tears.

"I'm really emotional," she said. "You have to love animals to do this job."

Perkins and her partner, Sara Spensieri, said they are sure the cat got stuck while chasing a rabbit into the pipe. But they didn't know that the rabbit in question was still in the pipe with the cat until Perkins was driving to the Humane Society.

"We were driving ... and I see this thing flying around the back," Perkins said.

The rabbit jumped out of the vehicle at the Humane Society and ran off -- escaping both the cat and the pipe.

Original Post by Heath Urie on 23/03/2011 dailycamera

Brave Mother Cat Who Survived a Fire and Saved Her Kittens

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Oct. 16 2008 - Scarlett, the cat, whose story of bravery, uncompromising love and triumph over all odds, has passed on. The heroine calico, who in 1996 made headlines around the world for pulling her five kittens to safety from a raging fire, lost her battle with multiple illnesses this week after living with her adoptive family in Brooklyn, New York for over 12 years.

Back in 1996, Scarlett was tending to her kittens in an abandoned Brooklyn garage when a fire broke out. Having extinguished the blaze, firefighters sighted the mother cat, slowly carrying her four-week old kittens from the building. Badly scorched, her ears radically burned, she lined up her babies. With her eyes blistered from the inferno, she was seen touching each with her nose, to reassure herself that her litter of five had made it to safety. She then collapsed unconscious.

Firefighter David Giannelli transported the little feline family to North Shore Animal League America where the mother, who was named Scarlett, and her kittens, were treated. The weakest of the kittens died of a virus one month after the blaze. However, after three months of treatment and recovery, Scarlett and her surviving babies were ready for adoption.

In the flurry of worldwide media attention to the heroic feline mother and her family, the Animal League received more than 7,000 inquiries about adopting Scarlett and her brood. Ultimately, the kittens were adopted in pairs and Scarlett herself was adopted out to Karen Wellen, whose story of losing her own cat, shortly after an accident in which she herself was injured, struck a chord at the Animal League. Wellen said her experience made her a more compassionate individual, and, if ever she was to adopt another cat, she wanted to devote herself to one with special needs.

Once in Wellen's care, Scarlett continued to be a media darling, capturing the attention of regional, national and international outlets as far away as Japan, and including the most powerful voices of CNN and Oprah Winfrey. She was the subject of numerous books and articles and appeared in the first aired segment of Animal Planet. She was even honored by Great Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Living in Wellen's Brooklyn home, Scarlett was a cherished family member, given run of the house and abundant love. "She was the most precious and loving cat, and in our household, it was all about Scarlett," said Wellen.

Scarlett, who required ongoing care as a result of her injuries, and who was diagnosed with a heart murmur during her recovery at the Animal League Veterinary Medical Center, became a Sponsor Pet, and the symbol of all the real and wonderful pets in the Animal League's care. She was the guest of honor at the Animal League's Christmas Tree Lighting and was a surprise for a little boy whose birthday wish was to meet her. The Animal League created an animal heroism award in her name and recently unveiled The Scarlett Room, an online site showcasing the animals in the organization's Sponsor Program. This month, National Geographic Kids' Magazine, circulated around the globe, honored Scarlett as one of its Ten Cool Cats.

Born and Living in Tree

A handsome gray and white cat known as Almond has taken up residence in Ron Venden's yard on Highway X in rural Green County, Wisconsin. Even more astounding, Venden claims that he never has left the tree since he entered this world in June of last year.

The sequence of events is not exactly clear but apparently Almond's mother gave birth to a litter of kittens in the tree last spring but for some unknown reason neglected to take him along with her when she pulled up stakes. The sixty-six-year-old retired carpenter, who now raises chickens as a hobby, discovered Almond's presence soon thereafter and took it upon himself to become his surrogate mother.

With the aid of a twelve-foot ladder, he has installed an automatic kibble dispenser and twice daily treats Almond to a bowl of salami, meatloaf, and milk.

In order to make living in the maple bearable throughout Wisconsin's long, brutal winters, Venden cut a hole in its hollow and fitted an all-weather straw bed inside of it. He topped off Almond's winter abode with a combination tin and tar paper roof.

So far, the impromptu cat house that Venden has cobbled together has worked out rather well for Almond. "You can see the cat looks pretty healthy," he told the Wisconsin State Journal of Madison in a video on January 19th.

Looks, as everyone knows, can be deceiving and that is especially the case with cats. In particular, if he never leaves the tree it is doubtful that Almond is getting all the exercise that he needs in order to prevent his legs from atrophying.

The inordinate amount of climbing that he does is definitely beneficial but a cat needs to walk, run, and gambol as well. It also could be the case that he has developed a psychological issue and is terrified of abandoning the security blanket provided by the maple.

It thus appears that Almond has found a lasting home with two guaranteed meals a day. "I'm not going to stop ( feeding ), no. If I'm gone there will be someone here to take care of the cat," he pledged in the video cited supra. "I'm not going to leave her. "I want to see how long it stays here."

Original Video from : DiscoveryNews on Feb. 22, 2011

Spider-cat

Daredevil Charlie ignores cat-flap and climbs two-storey wall to get home

Any old cat can shin up a tree. But this brave moggy regularly takes his nine lives in his paws and climbs 13ft up the wall of a block of flats to his owner's home on the first floor.

Seven-year-old Charlie hit on the idea after growing tired of having to wait outside the shared front door to the block for someone to let him back in after he has been allowed out for some air.

Instead, he heads for the rear of the building where only a roughcast wall stands between him and the balcony of his owner's flat.

Cat-like cunning: Charlie scales the high walls

Sequence Photos of Charlie climbs a wall to gain entry

Using his front claws to grip and his hind legs for leverage, Charlie climbs up to the balcony then walks to the door of the flat and miaows until it is opened.

The feat has earned him the nickname Spider-cat

Within a whisker of the top : Charlie is greeted by his pal

Charlie belongs to Hannah Smith, of Denny, Falkirk, who is pictured with him. Although she has two other cats, neither shares Charlie's sense of adventure and are content to peer down at him as he scales the wall.

'I got Charlie as a wee kitten and out of the litter he was the one that looked most mischievous and I liked that about him,' she said.

'He's certainly lived up to his reputation. I think it is totally incredible how Charlie is able to climb up a roughcast wall.'

Beth Skillings, clinical veterinary officer for the charity Cats Protection, said: 'Charlie seems to have an impressive ability to climb.

'Whilst most cats are able to shimmy up trees, to escape danger or find a safe resting place, it's unusual to see a cat scaling such a high wall. He must have very strong claws.'

Original Source from MailOnline by Sophie Borland 19th May 2009

Oscar The First Bionic Cat

If cats have nine lives, they may have just acquired a 10th -- thanks to a groundbreaking surgery that saved the life of a feline double amputee.

A British cat, Oscar (pictured), has made a full recovery after being fitted with a pair of prosthetic feet in November. The cat's hind paws were severed by a combine harvester.

The three-hour procedure, performed at an animal hospital in Surrey, England, by neuro-orthopaedic veterinary surgeon Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, could serve as a model for human amputees.

Oscar's custom-made implants, ITAPs (Intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics), were modeled after deer antlers, which have a honeycomb structure that bones can grow through and skin can grow over.

By using computer-generated technology, a team of veterinarians and scientists designed a feline foot that mimics the way a cat walks and runs.

Oscar's implants were attached to his bones and then covered by hydroxypatite, which allows bone cells to grow onto the metal. Skin can then grow over the ITAP to form a seal against bacteria and keep infections at bay.

Custom-built paws were attached to the end of Oscar's prostheses, allowing him to run and jump like normal cats. One video of Oscar walking on his artificial feet has attracted more than 346,000 views on YouTube.



Fitting a cat with a prosthesis at the joint below the animal's ankle is a procedure that had never been performed, said Fitzpatrick, who waited seven months to announce news of Oscar's surgery because he wanted to see how the cat would recover.

The ITAPs, made from titanium aluminum, were first developed by a team of scientists at the University College of London, led by Professor Gordon Blunn.

Oscar's masters, Kate and Mike Nolan, were referred to Fitzpatrick by their local veterinarian in Jersey, England, after Oscar's accident last fall. They decided to proceed with the complicated surgery, knowing it could positively affect human medicine.

But first, Oscar's life-threatening injuries had to be treated and a course of antibiotics administered.

"We had to do a lot of soul-searching, and our main concern has always been whether this operation would be in Oscar's best interests and would give him a better quality of life," said Kate Nolan in a statement released by the animal hospital.

"Through our own background reading, we were aware that this sort of procedure is cutting-edge and also has an impact on human medicine," added Mike Nolan in a statement. "So knowledge about the way that Oscar's been treated can be carried over to human treatment going forward, so that's good for everyone."

While the surgery can benefit humans, Fitzpatrick said his decision to treat Oscar was made first and foremost to save the cat's life.

"He is the most remarkable cat. You can see that he desperately wanted to live," he said.

While many animals can live with only three limbs, it would have been impossible for Oscar to survive with only two limbs, Fitzpatrick said.

Although Oscar's life was insured for 4,000 British pounds (approximately $6,070), Fitzpatrick dedicated much of his time and hospital resources at no cost to treat Oscar.

Fitzpatrick believes the cat's prosthetic surgery could lead to similar advancements for human amputees needing artificial limbs.

"As long as it's in the interest of my patient, if everything works well, we can apply this to human victims," he said.

Oscar has adjusted well to his new legs, Fitzpatrick said, although he'll remain an indoor cat.

He may not chase mice like he used to, but he can still scratch up the furniture.

Original Post by Dana Rosenblatt, CNN, July 8, 2010

Cats fight rats at Russian museum

About 60 felines follow their ancestors, working to keep the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg rodent-free.

One of the largest art galleries in the world is relying on feline power to keep it rodent-free.

For more than 200 years, cats have had a full-time job at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Today, a new generation of about 60 felines live in the building, the proud descendents of a long line of Aristo-cats.

Al Jazeera's Neave Barker went on a prowl with the rat catchers in Saint Petersburg.

Original Date Post :  September 2010

Casper The Commuting Cat

A cat named Casper became famous ever since he started taking the No3 bus in UK every day for the past four years. His story captivated so many animal lovers. Unfortunately earlier this month, Casper was hit by a running motorbike while he was crossing the road to catch his daily ride.

Casper always came to the bus stop around 10 am every day. He sat on the same seat for the 11 mile bus ride for up to an hour before arriving back to the same bus stop. He never needed to pay for the bus fare and everyone who saw him on the bus greeted him as if he was a star.

After traveling about 20,000 miles on the bus, Casper’s bus journeys have come to an end. All the bus drivers who were told to look out for the 12-year-old feline bus rider to make sure he would get off at the right stop, are deeply saddened by what happened.

Casper loved people and always queued up in line with other commuters. It was fascinating to see how charmingly Casper lined up with others at the bus stop.

Casper’s owner Susan Finden tried numerous times to stop Casper from riding the bus but he was very quick for his age and often went out of the house to catch the bus ride because he loved people and perhaps big vehicles too.

Casper was adopted from a rescue center back in 2002 and started riding the bus in 2005 according to the bus drivers.

On 14 January 2010 Casper was hit by a speeding taxi, which did not stop to help him. He died of his injuries before Finden could get him to a vet. Plymouth bus drivers and passengers who knew Casper paid tribute to him, and Finden posted a notice at his bus stop:

The Luxurious Life of Matilda the Cat

Original post By Julia Williams Responsible Pet Ownership

When I’m traveling, the thing I miss most about “home” is spending time with my cats. If I’ve had a difficult day, nothing brings me back into balance quicker than a good petting session. When I need some affection, I have three felines who are happy to give it, provided they get some back. Needless to say, I get very homesick for my cats when I am away, and I’m sure many cat owners feel the same – which is why, if you ever find yourself in New York City, you simply must stay at the Algonquin Hotel!

This landmark hotel has many claims to fame, but is known the world over for their famous feline resident: a gorgeous Ragdoll cat named Matilda. This PURRsonable feline is always on hand to make sure that any hotel guest who needs some kitty love, shall have it. Now that’s what I call five-star hospitality!

The oldest operating hotel in New York City, the Algonquin has kept a “resident cat” since the 1930s. The story goes that one stormy night, a bedraggled cat wandered into the hotel seeking food and shelter. The hotel’s owner at the time, known to be a very gracious host, felt sorry for the cat and welcomed it into the hotel.

That first hotel cat was an orange tabby initially called Rusty. Hotel lore claims that actor John Barrymore, who was starring in Hamlet on Broadway, thought the cat needed a more theatrical name. Thus, the cat was rechristened Hamlet, and a tradition was born. Since then, all of the male Algonquin hotel cats are called Hamlet, and the females are named Matilda.

The current Matilda is the ninth Algonquin hotel cat. A former show cat, Matilda is the first purebred feline to reside at the hotel. She became their newest kitty concierge in 1997 at the tender age of two, and has endeared herself to the guests ever since. The Ragdoll is an American cat breed best known for its docile temperament and affectionate nature. These qualities make them a perfect hotel cat, and the ever-friendly Matilda does her breed proud.

Other than the kitchen and dining areas, Matilda has the run of the hotel and is frequently spotted snoozing at the front desk. However, her favorite place to hang out is her personal chaise lounge in the lobby, where she can oversee the comings and goings of the guests and get chin rubs from them.

Around check-in time, Matilda can be found by the luggage cart, where she likes to sniff all incoming baggage and greet the arriving guests. She has become quite popular over the years and receives mail weekly from all over the world. She even has her own email address, and has been the subject of countless stories. Once, when her cat collar was stolen, the tale of the “Algonquin Cat-Burglary” was the talk of the city.

Each year, the Algonquin Hotel throws Matilda a birthday bash as befits a New York celebrity. Perhaps the most memorable one, according to the hotel’s website, was her seventh birthday. With 150 of her closest friends in attendance, Matilda “jumped on her cake and ran out of the room, leaving a trail of paw prints.” Although she didn’t display much appreciation for her birthday party that year, the gatherings serve as a way for the hotel to raise a substantial sum for cat charities.

The Algonquin hotel cat has been memorialized in a children's book and a 24-karat gold pendant. The hotel’s bar even has a cocktail named after Matilda. Want to know more about this famous feline? You can watch a short video, Meet Matilda, the Algonquin Hotel Cat, on the Cat Channel website.

Rambo, the Taxi Tabby

If you change one letter in the word cab, you get cat. So I wasn’t surprised to hear about Rambo, a cab-loving cat who clocks more miles on the odometer each day than most felines.

Rambo is a gray tabby living in West Palm Beach, Florida. Life was pretty lonely until his owner, cab driver Dan Somers, decided they should spend more time together and began celebrating “Bring Your Cat to Work Day”every day.

I know what you’re thinking, but no, Somers doesn’t make Rambo drive the cab. Instead, he serves as Rambo’s personal chauffeur and lets him ride shotgun.

Rambo, reflecting the wild streak of his namesake, travels without a carrier or a seat belt. This allows him to indulge his passion for feeling brisk breezes through his whiskers by sticking his head and paws out the car windows. Other drivers must do a double-take as he whizzes by in a blur.

Somers says Rambo doesn’t like big dogs, trucks, or trains, and will stay under the seat whenever a drunk needs a ride. Other passengers seem to enjoy his company and so far no one has complained about allergic reactions or fur on the seats.

Cab-driver Dan Somers read my post about his cat, Rambo, the Taxi Tabby, and provided what the media missed – Rambo’s remarkable beginnings. Here’s what Dan revealed:

“Rambo is 8 years old now. I have had him since he was a tiny kitten. My 15-year-old nephew, Tony, was staying with me and noticed commotion at a busy intersection here in West Palm Beach, Florida. A drunken homeless man had been struck by a car and killed while riding his bicycle. Tony noticed a little kitten’s head sticking out of the deceased man’s pocket and brought it home to me.

“I grew up with cats as my grandmother had as many as 25 at one time. The kitten’s ears were not yet erect and its eyes were closed – it wasn’t weaned from its mother.

“We learned that the kitten was taken from a stray litter, but we didn’t know where it was. But I have heard that once a human makes contact with a kitten, the mother cat rejects it and it would die.

“The vet confirmed that this kitten was not yet weaned. He told me how to feed it with a small bottle and special formula. He also showed me how to make it urinate by pushing on its lower stomach, like the mother would have done.

“After several weeks, the kitten’s ears erected, his eyes opened, and he was eating and urinating on his own. Since I was basically his mother, it created a very special bond between us.

“I clearly noticed a major difference in his personality. The normal stubborn cat trait had been deleted and he did most anything I asked him to do. I taught him basic commands such as sit, lay, stay, get in your bed, etc. This cat was special.

“About a year ago I started taking him with me in my taxi nights and he adapted almost immediately. When he got comfortable enough, he started to stick his head out the window and liked the breeze. In a short time, he stuck his head out all the time, even at high rates of speed, with his ears, hair and whiskers blowing back with the wind.

Original Post by Yul on June 26, 2008

Cat survives behind cupboard for 44 days

A curious cat narrowly escaped death after getting trapped behind a bathroom cupboard for 44 days.

Pensioner Jessie Sculpher, 79, was devastated when her new pet Tabitha went missing just three days after she took her home from the RSPCA.

After searching her home and garden, Jessie resigned herself to the idea that Tabitha had run away.

Miracle moggy: Tabitha was 'missing' for 44 days

It was only when Jessie heard a strange sound coming from behind the vanity unit in the bathroom over a month later, was she finally reunited with her feline friend.

Jessie recalled: "It was 4am and I heard some scratching and knocking coming from the bathroom.

"At first I thought it was a rat but then I heard a miaow."

Upon further investigation, Jessie found the tabby trapped behind the unit and the wall.

Jessie explained: "I had to get my arm in and break the top of the hardboard. When I looked all I could see were her legs sticking out.

"My arm was all bruised but I pulled her out by her legs. She couldn't hold her head up and she couldn't stand."

Tabitha's owner Jessie: Found the cat trapped behind the cupboard

Worried Jessie rushed Tabitha to the Garth Veterinary Group in Driffield, East Yorkshire; where the cat was diagnosed with severe dehydration.

Jessie said: "They put her on a drip to get fluid into her but said she might not pull through.

"After she had gone for six weeks, I had given up hope. The vets think she had been unconscious for some of the time through dehydration.

"The vets thought she must have gone into some sort of coma but wondered whether she had licked condensation off the sink pipes."

Fortunately, Tabitha pulled through and is content to remain at home after bonding with her new owner.

Protective Jessie enthused: "She is still a bit nervous but she is very affectionate and is playing and eating just fine."

Paul Thompson, partner at Garth Veterinary Group, said it was a miracle the cat survived.

He said: "She would have got to such a state of dehydration that she would have lapsed into a low-activity state.

"It is extremely rare to have survived this long and she is an extremely lucky cat that she is back to normal with no ill-effects."

Original Post from Mail Online : 23 November 2007

Cat walks 150km to return to owner

Molly the moggy has probably used up at least one of her nine lives during a remarkable four-month trek home.

The New Zealand cat has defied the odds to travel 150 kilometres to be with her owner - Mary-Lee Hight - after disappearing while on a family holiday to the beach at Pauanui in New Zealand's north island last October.

In what was surely an astonishing feat of navigation, Molly crossed a river and somehow found her way back to the home in Hamilton she had lived in for only three weeks.

A stunned Hight was reunited with Molly on Sunday, when she saw her on top of the family's garage roof.

Although a little skinnier the eight-year-old Molly was none-the-worse for her four-month adventure.

"She has always been a good hunter so I knew she would be able to catch birds and mice and that sort of thing," Hight said.

"Her coat is very shiny and in good condition. Her eyes are very bright and she's got no marks on her at all," she said.

Hight thinks the greater mystery was how her little black cat found its way back to the house, wearing no ID tags that could have allowed a friendly stranger to assist her.

"She must follow her own scent from the house. It is incredible," Hight said.

Original Source : NineNews on March 1, 2007

10 Million Dollar Cat

The famous railway station Calico cat Tama is no longer dubbed as the “Super Station Master.” The little railway station sensation who single-handedly brought in 10 million dollars in revenue and turned over the economy for the town of Kishikawa, has been promoted to corporate executive of the Wakayama Electric Railway Co.

Tama was discovered by the Wakayama Railway back in 2007. They decided to build her a nesting place at the station and gave her a title as a station master. Soon the story spread across Japan, attracted hundreds of thousands of tourists traveling hours to the town of Kishikawa just to get a few pictures with Tama.

Merchandises of the little Super Station Master quickly became available. Tama was featured in virtually every type of merchandise. Her fame grew as the town became more prosperous. Even during the worst economic times, the town of Kishikawa was doing exceptionally well thanks to the Calico station master.

Tama is the first cat that has ever been officially appointed as an executive in the world. Though she has advanced up her corporate ladder, Tama will continue doing the same job as a station master.

Tama started her railway station career back in 2007. The following year she was promoted to the Super Station Master. In three years, her position swiftly advanced to the executive level.

The company realized that their recent success was largely a result of Tama’s contribution to the railway station. They wanted to honor her for her incredible accomplishments by giving her the highest position in her field.

An appointment event was held for Tama’s career achievement. Approximately 100 fans attended the occasion.

In order to make the Kishikawa station even more appealing to tourists, the company has decided to renovate the station into the shape of cat’s face this coming summer.