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.