Cats in Art

Islands of Cats author Alexander Johnson had recently started to tweet and post paintings and artworks of cats from masters all eras. Visit his ever increasing collection on Facebook (and like our page:) and see how the cat was a favourite object for many artists. Enjoy!

More fine art on our "Cats in Art" Album on our Facebook page:

Simon's Cat Logic - Feeding Time

From the Simon's Cat YouTube Channel: "Watch our latest Simon's Cat Logic episode and find out all the things you didn't know about your cat's feeding time!"

Women who spoke up for Animals in 1869, when nobody else did (via WYSK)

Women You Should Know 14 April 2016: "In the late 1800s, the treatment of animals was not a topic of concern or conversation. Animals were considered utilitarian, and consequently, inhumane treatment was commonplace. But a small group of extraordinary women, led by Caroline Earle White, raised their voices to fight animal cruelty in the most profound ways. The historic impact they made continues to this day through the work of the Women’s Humane Society.

Initially, it was the mistreatment of carriage horses in Philadelphia (e.g. drivers beating their exhausted and malnourished charges) that spurred Caroline, a devoted humanitarian and highly educated woman from a prominent family of abolitionists and suffragists, to go on a passionate crusade to improve conditions for all animals. Putting thought into action, she was instrumental in establishing the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or PSPCA in 1868 (the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA was founded in New York one year earlier)..." Read full article on WYSK.

Yes, You Can Train Your Cat (by WSJ)

By nature, our feline friends are solitary, antisocial hunters who bristle at being cooped up—but we can change the way we relate to one another

The Wall Street Journal 12 August 2016: "Dogs are man’s best friend. Cats? They’re more aloof. Even the millions of doting cat owners will often acknowledge that their pets can be enigmatic, hard to please and frustratingly antisocial. They run away. They hide. They scratch. They refuse to get in the carrier when it’s time to go to the vet. They kill rodents and birds and offer up the bloody carcasses up as if they were gifts.

None of this is the fault of cats. They are just being cats, obeying the rules that nature has laid down for them and in them. The fault is ours—both for holding wrongheaded expectations of these natural-born, solitary hunters and for failing to train them (yes, cats can be trained) in ways that make sense for felines, not just humans. It is long past time that we changed the way we... read on"

Practical: A Feline Care Toolkit

We swa this tool kit on dvm360.com and find it worthwhile sharing with cat lovers:

"Cats may rule the internet, but that doesn't mean they always get regular care. Some of the biggest hurdles to better, more consistent veterinary care—assuming you're not against that? Educating your cat owners about how so-called behavior problems could really indicate health problems, implementing feline-friendly features into your practice and understanding the best ways you and your team can handle cats to provide a better experience for all involved."

The tools the package provides help with Pain management, Nutrition, Hyperthyroidism, Behavior, Environmental enrichment, Hospital design.

Click here for details on vendor's web site (USA)

Snapshot: fast asleep Moggy in Palma de Mallorca

End of July we spent a few days in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. We didn't look for stray cats, but noticed that not many were to be seen in the Capital of the Island of Mallorca, probably due to the many tourists moving around in this bustling city center. However, in a picturesque alleyway close to the  Esbaluard Museum of Modern Art, we came past this little tiger, fast asleep in a striking pose, and not minding one tourist walking by ...

photo ©2016 Gabriele Ruttloff for Islands of Cats