Diamondcat's Xanga

Cats on Tuesday

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:37:15 GMT

Diamond's latest idea for getting rid of unwanted tabby brofurs is to starve him out. That being said, when she's in the house, she stakes out the food dish and won't let him have any. Saturday she came into the house and brutally shoved him away from his food dish while he was eating.

Sunday, after having eaten all her food, she was waiting for me to put Tris's down so she could eat it too. No matter that it would make her sick, it would prevent him from getting any. Ah, but I cleverly put her out in the back yard and fed Tris when she wasn't in the house.

Wherein lies the flaw in her plan. She is acclimated to my schedule and tends to sleep at night and go out during the day. Tristan is still on a night day schedule and goes out most of the night, so he has the house - and the food dish - to himself during the day.

Of course, we still have the problem in which Tris and Diamond will still only eat at the one feeding station...the food just doesn't taste as good if I move it elsewhere.

Except for treats. Party Mix is good to eat anywhere. I knew that 80s anthology was good for something besides big hair!

Rachel from Captivated Visions had mentioned her new "Wild Thing" kit complements the "Fierce Feline" poser pack by Deanna's Dreams quite well. It does, and the pair released an alpha to go with it.

The main problem I have is with the Fierce Feline posers. Some - most - are okay. But all cats, when they walk, lift their feet on the same side of their bodies at the same time. The are one of only three animal species on the planet that naturally walk this way. Horses can be taught to do it - i.e. "pacing" in harness racing - but it's not a natural gait to them.

You can find an example of this HERE. Deanna was unaware of this, and has them "trotting" - lifting their limbs on alternate side of their bodies, much like a horse. And while animal poser tend to look exceptionally fake to start with, these end up looking unnaturally fake.

I have minimized her mistake as best I could in these tags.

Furry does not translate well in poser. I have some "furry cats" that someone took many hours to fur, but even they look odd. Then again, most poser people tend to look kind of dollish, so...

There's a lot of greenery in the kit, but I've not seen any of the "wild" kits take advantage of the theme to enclose some really exotic flowers. Rachel brings her own form of urban grunge into the jungle as well, with the rusty iron fencing.

But I dislike caging my cats.

She forgot the "tuft" on the end of the lion's tail as well, so took pains to cover it up. I mean, granted, she's a poser artist, not a wildlife expert, but don't most kids learn early on that lions have tufts on the end of their tails?

While I did drop her a line about the gait, I didn't say anything about her tails because I didn't want to sound too critical. I think that may be the problem with poser. It lets you create art work without first studying your subject. And any good artist should first become familiar with their subject.

You can see where she has the gait wrong in this one. It seems more like she was looking at dogs for poses than at cats. Dunno, maybe she's a dog person. I otherwise like her graphics, I just think she missed a bit on the fierce feline pack.

I do have an idea to do a "tabby cat kit" but I also want to capture the "tiger in my tabby" and add a wild element too kit. Going through the existing wild themed kits has been instructional in terms of what I'd like to include.

Those butterflies are beautiful BTW!

I am very fond of white tigers so I had to include this one. The Miami Metro zoo keep White Bengal Tigers and it's amazing to watch both them, and their orange coated brethren, in their exhibit. The are so like house cats and then, so unlike them at the same time.

The flower in this tag and in the third tag came from the Blooming Grabbags 1 & 2 by Chili Designz. Definitely need more exotic flowers.

Mancat Monday - Furminated!

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:08:28 GMT

So, I'd just enjoyed my Sunday dinner and was settling in for a nice nap...

...when suddenly the crazy massage therapist jumps me and tries to steal my coat!

Just because she can't grow a halfway decent pelt on her own does not give her the right to steal my beautiful furs!

But!!! I managed to escape with only minumal fur loss.

You know what's really crazy? The Demon Cat likes that furminator thing. She sits there and purrs while the massage therapist takes her coat from her. That's how twisted she is!

One Word Saturday

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 04:55:14 GMT

"Me-Out?"

(Translation: Open the bleepin' door so I can go outside already!)

Old Friends Friday

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:58:39 GMT

Oh look!

It's my old friend, Mr. Lizard!

Wha'cha doing up there Mr. Lizard? And more importantly...

How do I ge'cha down?

Wordy Wednesday Challenge

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:48:14 GMT

Dear Mz. Ann:

I am sorry our Wordy Wednesday Challenges get posted late today, but the computer get visited by the blue screen of deadedness this morning. So Bean must post from work. Here is my word:

Here is my tabby brofur's word:

I do not have anything to do with the blue screen of deadedness coming to visit, BTW. It happen after bean attach chippy thing to USB port. So tabby brofur probably break USB port while he surfing the net for Kitty Porn.

Because of this our T-13 tomorrow is going to be a repeat, because the new T-13s is on the Deadedness Computer.

Thank you for the wonderful artworks of me and my tabby brofur.

Purrs and head butts,

Miss Diamond Emerald-Eyes Precious Black Angelic Cat

who never does anything wrong.

Ever.

Really.

Tips on Tuesday - How to prevent accidental poisonings

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:35:34 GMT

Cat poisonings are common and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ®) is cautioning pet caretakers everywhere to be mindful of exposing their furry relatives to substances and other items that may prove harmful to them.

"Every year thousands of animals are hurt and sometimes seriously injured by poisonous items-many as seemingly innocent as a plant," says Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president of the ASPCA's Midwest Office in Urbana, Ill., which also houses the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. To help our caretakers identify potentially dangerous objects, the ASPCA has the following tips:

Be aware of the plants you have in your home and yard: Some plants such as Sago Palm, Oleander and Rhodendron can be toxic to pets if ingested. Lilies can be especially toxic to cats.

Do not allow your cats to have access to the areas in which cleaning agents are being used or stored: Cleaning agents have a variety of properties; some may only cause mild stomach upset, but others can cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth and stomach.

Be careful when using rat and mouse baits: "The most common active ingredients found in rat and mouse baits are anticoagulants, which interfere with blood clotting processes," says Dr. Hansen. "Ingredients of this type include warfarin, brodifacoum, bromadiaoline, difacinone and difethialone. Other formulations can contain bromethalin, cholecalciferol, zinc phosphide or strychnine, which are designed to kill rodents by affecting various other critical body systems. Some baits also contain inactive ingredients meant to attract rodents, and these ingredients can sometimes be attractive to pets as well."

Read the label first: Always read the label before using flea products on or around your pets. For example, some flea products for dogs can be deadly if given to cats.

Keep all prescription and over-the-counter drugs out of your cats' reach, preferably in closed cabinets: Pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins and diet pills are all examples of human medications that can be lethal to animals, even in small doses.

Be aware of foods that are inappropriate for pets: Food items that potentially could be dangerous to pets include onions, onion powder, chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk, dark), products sweetened with xylitol (such as chewing gum), raisins and grapes, alcoholic beverages, yeast dough, coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans, tea (caffeine), salt, macadamia nuts, hops (used in home beer brewing), tomato leaves and stems (green parts),), rhubarb leaves, avocados (toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle, and dairy goats), moldy or spoiled foods.

Common household items can be lethal to animals: Many liquid potpourri formulations contain ingredients such as essential oils and detergents that could be quite hazardous to pets. "Because of the risk for serious illness, pet owners should place potpourri simmer pots and unused liquid in rooms where pets cannot gain access," says Dr. Hansen. "Also consider using relatively safer alternatives, such as plug-in or solid air fresheners used in out-of-reach locations, not in close proximity to pets with sensitive respiratory tracts such as birds." Other items potentially dangerous to pets include mothballs, pennies, tobacco products, homemade play dough, fabric softener sheets, dishwashing detergent, and batteries.

Automotive products such as gasoline, oil and antifreeze should be stored in areas that are inaccessible to your pets: As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly to a cat.

Make sure your cats do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until they have dried completely: Always store such products in areas that are inaccessible to your pets. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, contact the manufacturer for clarification before using it. (MoMo know all about this one!)

About the ASPCA:

The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center is the premier animal poison control center in North America. An allied agency of the University of Illinois, it is the only facility of its kind staffed by 25 veterinarians (nine of whom are board-certified toxicologists and 14 certified veterinary technicians. Located in Urbana, Ill., the specially-trained staff provides assistance to pet owners and specific analysis and treatment recommendations to veterinarians pertaining to toxic chemicals and dangerous plants, products or substances, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information on potentially dangerous substances in the home or to reach the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center, please call 1-888-426-4435 or visit www.aspca.org/apcc .

Mancat Monday: Chores!

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:44:26 GMT

A thoughtful and conscientious Mancat should always help with the household chores.

Especially on laundry days. Pre-furing the just washed and dried clothing is an important task I take very seriously.

It's a tough job, but you know...

Some Mancat has to do it!

Myth Monday: Mothering Sunday

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:42:02 GMT

Mothering Sunday was yesterday for our U.K. Furriends. I thought that it was just another name for Mother's Day, and while there are certain similarities, I find that is not the case.

Mothering Sunday is a Christian festival celebrated throughout Europe. Secularly it is used as a celebration of motherhood, and is synonymous with Mother's Day as celebrated in other countries; the latter name is also increasingly used.

A religious festival celebrating motherhood has been existent in Europe since approximately 250 BC when the Romans honoured the mother goddess Cybele during mid-March. As the Roman Empire and Europe converted to Christianity, Mothering Sunday celebrations became part of the liturgical calendar as Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent to honour the Virgin Mary and the "mother church".

During the sixteenth century, people returned to their mother church for a service to be held on Laetare Sunday. This was either a large local church, or more often the nearest Cathedral. Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", although whether this preceded the term Mothering Sunday is unclear. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, if prevented by conflicting working hours.

The Epistle for the fourth Sunday in Lent as set out in the Book of Common Prayer gives a special place to the theme of maternal love: Galatians 4:26 states that "Jerusalem which is above is free; which is Mother of us all."

The other names attributed to this festival include Simnel Sunday, Refreshment Sunday and Rose Sunday. Simnel Sunday is named after the practice of baking Simnel cakes to celebrate the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent. Because there is traditionally a lightening of Lenten vows on this particular Sunday in celebration of the fellowship of family and church, the lesser-used label of Refreshment Sunday is also used, although rarely today.

Rose Sunday is sometimes used as an alternative title for Mothering Sunday as well, as is witnessed by the purple robes of Lent being replaced in some churches by rose-coloured ones. This title refers to the tradition of posies of flowers being collected and distributed at the service originally to all the mothers, but latterly to all women in the congregation. The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, however, asserts that "the Golden Rose, sent by the Popes to Catholic sovereigns, used to be blessed at this time, and for this reason the day was sometimes called 'Dominica de Rosa'."

This Sunday was also once known as "the Sunday of the Five Loaves", from the traditional Gospel reading for the day. Prior to the adoption of the modern "common" lectionaries, the Gospel reading for this Sunday in the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Western-Rite Orthodox, and Old Catholic churches was the story of the feeding of the five thousand (for instance, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer stipulates St John's Gospel 6:5-14).

Another tradition associated with Mothering Sunday is the practice of "clipping the church", whereby the congregation form a ring around their church building and, holding hands, embrace it.

For some Church of England churches, it is the only day in Lent when marriages can be celebrated.

In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mothers and other family members.

Mothering Sunday remains in the calendar of some Canadian Anglican churches, particularly those with strong English connections.

Mother's Day in the United States was inspired by the U.K. celebration, however, it does have different origins. It is celebrated in May here in the States, and I will cover the history of Mother's Day in the United States in a Myth Monday post then.

To all of our U.K. and European mom-cats, we wish you a very happy Mothering Sunday!

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos #89

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:12:58 GMT

Friday was first day of Spring! and it has been very spring like weather here in Florida, which make me happy! I get to go outside and enjoy the spring breezes.

The Mind of Mog has noticed that Spring has Sprung as well. I wonder what tip her off? Now...on to the festival...

Starting us off on today's Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos, is something not bad at all, but is some of the cutest kitten pictures on the internets over at AA+ Cat Pictures.

In spring a young tomcats thoughts turn to the making of kittens and one of my neighborhood suitors has been coming by, but I do not make kittens, of course, so he need to take his interest elsewhere. Besides, he is no where near the Mancat my Zed Monster is!

Evidently in spring, thoughts turn to spam too...as we seem to get lot of it this time around.

Elms in the Yard wish to share with us a pair of Bad Kitty Cats flashing their bright lazer eyes!

As you know St. Patrick's Day was this week and Meowza share his celebratory pose with us.

He is, of course, in fine company with all the kitty cats you join me for the Purrading of the Green on Thursday!

Ceecee is waiting outside for the Purrade to start, or for his Temptations, which might be pretty much one in the same thing.

Sanjee and company were celebrating St. Patrick's Day this week as well, over at the House of the Mostly Black Cats.

If you are looking for Bad Kitty Cats, look no further than the House of Chaos as Freya is being the Mistress of Mayhem. With a head butt here and head butt there, here a butt there a butt everywhere a butt-butt...

Speaking of which, my tabby brofur's butt was red and sore earlier this week, which necessitated a trip to the vet. He of course took the excursion in typical Mancat Monday style.

Meanwhile What a Good Cat engages in some traditional weekend cat blogging.

Irish Coda shares a picture of the lovely Amber this week, on Camera Critters.

Over at Chey's place, Cheysuli is appalled by the male human's behavior. Not surprising after all, men, and Mancats, do some of the strangest things!

Luna made sure to request that the next time I take road trip, I come see her in sunny California. I must definitely plan west coast road tip soon. For now, I will just have to settle for Weekend Cat Blogging with my fellow House Panther.

Over at the Kitty Cat Gazette, Erin McBagby was arrested for impersonating a Scotting Fold. Um...shouldn't that be impurrsonating? On has to wonder how my furriend Misty Whispurrs feels about that!

At Watermark, it seems that the monkey haz a flavor. But the question is...what kind of flavor?

Did you know nicotine have a flavor too, and it can be fatal?

Cigarettes and cigarette butts, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and chewing tobacco can be fatal to dogs, cats and birds if ingested. Signs of nicotine poisoning can appear within an hour and include hyperactivity, salivation, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Advanced signs include muscle weakness, twitching, collapse, coma, increased heart rate and cardiac arrest. If anyone who lives in or visits your home smokes, tell them to keep tobacco products out of reach of pets and to dispose of butts immediately. That is my cat care tip for you today on this Sunday!

Need more cat blogging? Samantha and Mr. Tigger are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging at Life from a Dog's Perspective.

They claim it was too hectic at their house this weekend for them to be bad! So they are just being Easy Like Sunday Morning.

And yes, it's true! I have abscounded with the big Ferris Wheel for this weekend's BKCFoC, but don't worry, there's still plenty of fun to be had at When Cats Attack! as they host the Five Year Anniversary of the Carnival of the Cats!

Lizard Hunting with Sir Tristan

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 05:24:07 GMT

"A lizard! A lizard! I have caught a lizard!" I meowl happily!

"Hey! Where did you go Mr. Lizard?"

"Oh. You've run behind the bookcase."

"I hate when that happens."

"Now I shall have to go and catch another one. Darn it all!"