~:~ ~:~ C ~:~ A ~:~ T ~:~ ~:~ T ~:~ A ~:~ I ~:~ L ~:~ S ~:~ ~:~

                            CAT TAILS

       "Tails" about kitties, facts, helpful information,
                and fun for people who love cats 

                               ~:~
 
                         ISSN 1552-938X

                     Sunday, August 3, 2008

-^---------------------------------------------------------------

                     We are a Member of iCop
          International Council of Online Professionals
                      http://www.i-Cop.org

---------------------------------------------------------------^-


Welcome to Cat Tails Newsletter!

Special greetings to our new subscribers.  Thanks so much for
subscribing.  I hope these mailings will bring you a smile or
chuckle about our favorite subject . . . cats!

Columns vary, drawing from quotes or other cat musings, facts,
health and behavior issues, tips on a wide selection of kitty-
related subjects, and a "tail" or two, sprinkled with a bit of
humor and fun.  This newsletter alternates with a mini version
every other issue to help with those busy schedules.

Search past issues of Cat Tails and view photos and files at: 
< http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CatTails>

Please help us spread the word about Cat Tails by sharing it
with other cat lovers and encouraging them to subscribe.  We ask
you to forward newsletters in their entirety with a personal
note so your friends will know the mailings came from you.  We
have no budget for promoting Cat Tails, so many RUBS and PURRS
for your help!

    -^-------------------------------------------------------
      This newsletter is best viewed in a fixed-width font.
    -------------------------------------------------------^-

So sorry for such a long time since the last Cat Tails appeared
in your Inbox.  Each week since the last issue, I fully expected
to finish an edition and mail it off to you.  I have not been
feeling well.  I have been on a new medication since April that
helped a great deal, but hasn't done anything to perk up my
strength or stamina.  I'm still working on that, so please
continue to bear with me for a while, again, with sporadic
publications. 

For several weeks, I have been thinking about asking if anyone
who has the time, interest and similar philosophy about animals
as I would be willing to take over for a while or possibly part
time.  If you are interested in discussing it, let me know. 

Of course, the primary requirement is that you must have a true,
bottom-of-the-heart, brimming-over love and caring and for the
welfare of all cats, domestic and feral, so much so that your
family or friends think you are a little crazy.  A casual
enjoyment of cats is not enough for this job.  Most of you will
qualify for the love part, but is there someone up for the task
of the rest, is the question.  Think about it, and let's talk.

This week's Mewsings is about *real* relaxation.

In the last issue, we published links to cats who enjoy the
treadmill and asked if any of your cats were athletic.  Ginene
sent some pictures of her beautiful cat Charlotte and two of
them are in Subscriber Mews.

Michael LaRocca is a writer, teacher, and most importantly, a
cat lover.  I am fortunate that he is also a subscriber of Cat
Tails.  His beloved cat Picasso vanished after a move, and the
story about the "adventure" is our "tail" about cats.  Michael
always gives insight about the people in his adopted country,
which at the time of the writing was China.  Michael currently
resides in Thailand. 

Your Healthy Cat has a warning about the toxicity of the Sago
Palm and the rise in reports of poisonings.

I am so pleased to announce in "Tip" of the Tail that Marc Gunn
has just released a new CD of cats and music.  Marc is an active
musician in Austin, Texas, specializing in guitar, autoharp and
vocals, although he has other endeavors, as well.  Among many
accomplishments, he headlined at the Oscar party for "Lord of
the Rings: The Return of the King."  His latest CD, of several,
is truly a labor of love on his part, not only of Celtic music
but of cats.  I highly recommend it for your fun and enjoyment.

It has been a while since we enjoyed a tale from Mark Mason's
cat's diary and I couldn't go any longer without hearing from
it.  Our witty about kitties is Chance's muse about cats and
basketball.  The game has a different meaning to Chance.

Finally, all the way at The Tail End is a link to a video I know
you will love, so don't forget to scroll down.

Hope you enjoy!

Take care, have a great week, and kiss your kitties for me!

Annette Fincher
Publisher




=^===============================================================
                             MEWSINGS                           
=^..^============================================================



One day a cat will opt to join you while you are utterly relaxed
in muscle and brain, and with a delicate miaow and a velvet paw
will show you transcendental meditation by an expert.

~ V. Martin





=^===============================================================
                         SUBSCRIBER MEWS
=^..^============================================================



                      Charlotte the Athlete

Thanks to Ginene for sending in pictures of her cat Charlotte,
who she says is a climbing monkey.  These cute pictures prove
she is a professional jumper, too:


   


                  Charlotte climbing the drapes





 


       Charlotte jumps from the sink to the top of the cabinet.





=^===============================================================
                           A CAT "TAIL"
=^..^============================================================



                        PICASSO VANISHED!

After we moved, Picasso went AWOL!

Lemme start at the beginning.

Lunar New Year, 2003.  Jan and I had finished our second semester
of teaching.  We'd lived in Hangzhou for just over a year, and
now our home was being destroyed to widen the road.

We had a paid holiday of perhaps a month, perhaps less.  My
memory fails me.  But right in the middle of it, we were moving.
About 10 minutes up the road by bicycle, but of course we weren't
moving on a bicycle.  I think it was Saturday.

At 12:30, we'd been told, the movers would arrive to haul our
stuff to our new home.  So I'd guess at about 8, maybe earlier,
we were packing stuff.  When the doorbell rang at 11:30, we were
ready.

Whenever we have a Chinese visitor who can't speak English, and
no translator, it's always interesting.  I'll just cut to the
chase and say that, once again, Jan figured out what he was
talking about.  They'd come to take away our air conditioners. 
We let them.  Picasso supervised from the cupboards over the
bed.  Jan called Harry (Huang Haijun, our fantastic Foreign
Affairs Officer) so he could be sure they were taking them to
the right place, which was not our new apartment.

Harry arrived about 12:00 and thought he heard the movers
downstairs.  So I retrieved the hidden cat carrier, scooped up
Miss Picasso, and loaded her gently into the box.  But nope, it
wasn't the movers.  It was the guy who was taking away the water
heater.  While Picasso yowled and howled nonstop, he efficiently
took away the water heater.

Harry rang the movers several times after 12:30, and I heard a
side of him I rarely hear.  He was chewing butt.  Their other job
had run long, he calmly explained to us.  Then he rang them five
minutes later to chew some more butt.

Maybe the howling was getting to him.  Maybe the stress of the
job he was leaving in the Foreign Affairs Office to return to
teaching.  Maybe his father's illness.  Who knows?  He can sure
chew butt when he wants.  That much I know.  I've seen him
haggle over prices, and government paperwork.

At 1:00, the doorbell rang again.  That silenced Picasso.  She
listened to all the Chinese being spoken.  One guy came in and
talked to Harry.  Then another guy came in.  Then another.  Then
another.  Some saw Picasso in the kitchen and said "Meow!"

In the end, we had five movers.  Shorter than me, but stockier.
Lifelong workers.  I suppose that could've been me if I'd never
left that first hog farm.  Or the second.  Or the third.  Or the
fourth.

Moving was a rather rapid whirlwind of activity.  Picture a big
box filled with books.  It's so heavy that you can barely lift it
without screwing up your back.  Okay, now double the weight
because I'm stronger than you.  Now, picture some dude throwing a
strap around five of them, slinging them across his back, and
walking down the stairs.  Wow!

In the midst of all this, Picasso's incessant protests led her
to knock the water from her cage door and spill it all over the
floor of her carrier.  I was tempted to attempt opening the door,
scooping her out with a towel, drying cat and cage, and returning
her.  Jan reminded me that was impossible, so I settled for
shoving socks and underwear between the bars.  Picasso helped by
pulling them in.  She dried her floor, settled onto them, and
began bathing.  Ah yes, 30 minutes of silence.  Then the howling
resumed.

Soon after, I carried her outside.  Dead silence.  Obsessive
curiosity.  The three of us got in a taxi.  Her first time ever
riding with Jan.  She had to look at the oncoming traffic
wide-eyed, then duck her head as it blew past the window.  Yeah,
they drive fast and crazy here.  But, she knew she wasn't being
abandoned again.  That cage has always meant trouble before.  But
now, all three of us were riding together.  Purr!

The taxi got us to the right complex but the wrong building.  Our
language skills are limited, it's a big place, and we didn't even
know our address yet.  So, we walked along the street.  Picasso
drank in the sights and sounds and smells and was quite thrilled.
Jan's memory got us to our new home, where five guys were hauling
boxes and desks and a sofa on their backs.

At 3:30, I think it was, Jan and I settled down to unpack while
Picasso explored every nook and cranny when she wasn't rolling
and purring to express her joy.  "You love me!  You really love
me!"  Deep down, she's insecure even though she shouldn't be. 
But hey, aren't we all?

No need to give you the play-by-play on all the interruptions to
our unpacking.  Neighbors being neighborly, China Telecom popping
in to install our broadband (same day service during the holiday
season) . . . Lemme just skip on ahead to the part where Picasso
vanished.

Harry came by with the former tenant, Mr. Yang.  I was wiping up
the spill from a broken bottle of Tabasco Sauce, and Mr. Yang
walked right through it to show me how the gas works.  This was
his instructional bit.  Here's the gas, here's the power, here's
the water . . .

Suddenly, Jan wondered aloud, "Where's Picasso?"  Oh no.  Did she
slip out the door when it was open and run away?  All four of us
were in a state of panic as we looked all over the flat.

I went downstairs and saw all the trees, bushes, and just
generally good hiding places.  I walked around saying "Picasso"
or meowing, making the neighbors wonder if the first wei guo ren
they'd ever seen moving into their apartment complex were
representative of the species.

Then I returned home hoping they'd found her.  Nope.  I tried
upstairs this time.  There's a gate at the sixth floor that's
locked.  It occurred to me that if I were a stranger and saw
Picasso wandering around, I'd take her home.  I went back
downstairs and looked around some more, then headed back to the
flat hoping they'd found her.

No such luck, but Jan was coming down to take over for me.  China
Telecom had arrived, and allegedly I could tell the installer
what to do, even though I speak neither techie nor Chinese.  Good
thing he didn't need my help.

Outside, Jan was retracing my steps.  Inside, Mr. Yang was
opening every cupboard door in the place looking for Picasso.
Almost like a cat burglar, except that he wasn't ransacking.  He
was just looking for a cat.  He's a very sweet man, by the way.
He and Harry couldn't have been panicking as much as Jan was,
because I don't think it's humanly possible, but they weren't
far behind.

I was confident that Picasso was simply too clever for all of us,
and was hiding somewhere we hadn't looked yet.  Never mind that
we'd tried every place we could think of.  I'm a hopeless
optimist, or maybe I just know my daughter.

I have no idea how much time elapsed before I noticed that a desk
drawer wasn't completely shut.  Picasso can go behind the desk,
climb through a little hole, push drawers open from behind, and
climb inside.  I peeked into the drawer and saw two frightened
little gold-green eyes.  I quickly left the room.

"I found her," I told Harry.  "She's in a drawer.  Just leave her
there."  He nodded his understanding and sighed his relief. 
Then I went outside.

"Jan."

She responded from the gate at the sixth floor.  I told you she
was retracing my steps.

"I found her.  She's in a drawer."

Jan and I entered our home just in time for me to hear Mr. Yang
saying, I presume, "A drawer?  Which one?" and then opening all
the desk drawers until he found her.

Second from the top.  The one I'll always keep empty.

Earlier, unknown to me, Jan had told Harry that whenever a cat
moves into a new home, the first thing she does is find a place
to hide in case of danger.  How true that turned out to be. 
Meow!

Of course Picasso wouldn't leave us.  Optimist or not, I was
justified in believing that.  We didn't abandon her.  We're
better than the people who stuffed her in a Hong Kong donation
box over two years ago, and we're sorry about the three-week
separation that preceded her journey to Hangzhou.  This time,
she rode in a taxi with us.  She hasn't stopped thanking us yet.
As Harry himself said almost a year ago, "She really is a part
of your family."


~ Michael LaRocca
http://www.chinarice.org





=^===============================================================
                         YOUR HEALTHY CAT
=^..^============================================================



             Popular Sago Palm Plant Is Toxic to Pets

The ASPCA has sent out a heads up on the dangers of the Sago
palm plant:

"A native of Southern Japan, Sago palm has been a common
addition to outdoor landscaping in sunny climes, but in recent
years, has also emerged as a trendy houseplant in northern
states.  Though attractive with its dark green leaves and hairy
trunk, the plant is highly toxic to cats and dogs.  Common signs
of Sago palm poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness,
depression, seizures and liver failure.

"'Many pet parents may not be familiar with the toxic effects of
Cycad palms, and assume the only poisonous portions are the
seeds or nuts,' says Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, veterinary
toxicologist and APCC Vice President.  'But all parts of the
plant are toxic if ingested.'"

Liver failure is serious!  Follow this link to the full article
and a picture of the plant:
http://tinyurl.com/5ppo47
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/5ppo47">AOL_Link</a>





 



~ Picture distributed by Nature Pics, at yahoogroups.com





=^===============================================================
                        "TIP" OF THE TAIL
=^..^============================================================



                       Whiskers in the Jar

Three years later, Marc Gunn has done it again with "Whiskers in
the Jar."  Love the title. 

I first told you about Marc Gunn and his love for cats and
Celtic music back in March 2005 as part of our celebration of
St. Patrick's Day.  He put the two together and came up with his
first CD, "Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers," which is, as he
puts it, "a CD for the wonderfully demented kitty cat fanatic." 
That's us! This link takes you to that issue and the information
about his first CD:  http://tinyurl.com/5o43yl
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/5o43yl">AOL_Link</a>
(There's other good stuff in this issue, too.) 

The current link for "Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers" is: 
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mgtdtc2
<a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/mgtdtc2">AOL_Link

"Whiskers in the Jar" is every bit as much fun as his first CD
of cats and music, and it has received rave reviews, aside from
mine.  We know you love cats, and if you love Celtic music, too,
Whiskers in the Jar will delight you.  Even if Celtic is not the
first music that comes to mind, you will enjoy the fun lyrics
about cats. 

Marc is a great musician and this CD shows his talent and
attention to musical detail and timing wonderfully.  You can
play excerpts from each song on the CD and place an order at:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/gunnmarc4/from/celtic/
<a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/gunnmarc4/from/celtic/">AOL_Link</a>

I encourage you to support a fellow Cat Tails subscriber.  Yes,
I am proud to say, Marc is also a subscriber of this humble
kitty newsletter.  But, that's not the main reason for buying
his CDs.  They are simply wonderful fun about cats and music,
the purr-fect combination.  Great for parties and gifts to other
cat lovers on your list, too.




=^===============================================================
                          A KITTY WITTY
=^..^============================================================



                Cats and Basketball Just Don't Mix


The Big Owner's obsession with basketball has gone too far.  The
concept of throwing a sphere through a ring for points is
complex for a cat to understand.  (Although making humans jump
through hoops is one of our specialties.)  Cats and basketball
just don't mix.


Cats think Technical Foul is a smart bird.
 
A Delay of Game is when the humans scare all the birds away. 

In my domain, Double Dribble is drooling on the Big Owner twice
in one night. 

A Screen is something cats frequently climb, a Moving Screen is
one with a hole in it. 

A Pick is what cats do to food. 

Defense is what I jump over to get out of the yard. 

An Offensive Foul is the result of what I do in my cat box. 

Out of Bounds is when I miss my cat box. 

A Dead Ball is one I have chewed to pieces. 

And a Free Throw is the hairball I leave on the carpet for the
Big Owner.


Humans show their loyalty to teams by sporting team colors on
their clothing.  The Big Owner wears scarlet and black shirts,
pants, jackets, pins, hats, ties, and even underwear.  It was
mostly amusing to me until last night when I came upon my new
scarlet kitty box with black litter.  I blew a whisker.  I was
assessed a Double Technical by the Big Owner and was ejected
from the house.


~ © Copyright Mark Mason (the "Big Owner")
"CAT DIARY . . . Excerpts From My Cat's Diary"
< http://www.catdairy.com>
<a href="http://www.catdairy.com">AOL_Link</>





=^===============================================================
                           THE TAIL END
=^..^============================================================

If you are enjoying this newsletter, please take a moment and
vote for Cat Tails at the following listings.  Your votes help
us obtain a higher listing in the directories.  You can vote
once a day.  Thanks so much!

Ezine Finder (formerly Cumuli Ezine Finder):
< http://www.ezinefinder.com/cattai-vote.html>
<a href="http://www.ezinefinder.com/cattai-vote.html">Go_Vote</a>

Ezine-Marketing.Com Newsletter Directory:
http://tinyurl.com/25xnzc
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/25xnzc">Vote_for_CatTails</a>

The Ezine Directory
http://tinyurl.com/234nee
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/234nee">Rate_CatTails</a>

--------------------------- ->^..^<- ----------------------------

      We value you as a subscriber and respect your privacy.
      Our subscriber list is not shared with third-parties.

--------------------------- ->^..^<- ----------------------------




                       Gizmo, the Boxing Cat

This is guaranteed to get more than just a smile out of you!  I
haven't seen anything like it, except by a kangaroo.  Gizmo is
delightful.

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=nZPnY9DzNLM
<a href="http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=nZPnY9DzNLM">AOL_Link</a>





--------------------------- ->^..^<- ----------------------------

If you stop receiving Cat Tails, you may be on bounce status and
must reactivate your Yahoo! account, or it may be that Cat Tails
was caught in the net of Sp~m filters. In efforts to not trigger
unintelligent filtering, you may see broken or intentionally
misspelled words in the content.  Boo! Hiss!

----------------------- Don't Forget Us! ------------------------

Is your email address changing?  Make sure you don't miss a
whisker of Cat Tails by updating your email information at: 
http://tinyurl.com/3y6c3p
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/3y6c3p">Member_Information</a>
(access requires a Yahoo! ID and password)

If you don't have a Yahoo! ID, simply let me know by replying to
this message and providing your old and new information.

--------------------------- ->^..^<- ----------------------------

Missed an issue of Cat Tails?  Visit our archives at:
< http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CatTails/messages>
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CatTails/messages">Archives</a>
(Since Yahoo! strips graphics from messages archived on the
website, each edition's pictures are uploaded to "Photos.")

Received this copy from a friend?  Get your own subscription! 
It's F R E E!   < mailto:CatTails-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>
<a href="mailto:CatTails-subscribe@yahoogroups.com">Subscribe</a>

--------------------------- ->^..^<- ----------------------------

To submit material for possible publiCATion in Cat Tails, email:
CatTailsNewsletter[at]gmail[dot]com, or
Afincher[at]bellsouth[dot]net 

=======>>>> Please add CAT TAILS to your subject line <<<<=======

If you write me and do not receive a reply within 24 hours, your
email was clogged by a cyberkittyspace hairball or lost in the
claws of Sp~am, so please try again.  I want to hear from you!

--------------------------- ->^..^<- ----------------------------

You have received this newsletter because you requested it or a
friend forwarded it to you.  If you believe you received this
mailing in err.or, first, look at the message headers to see if
someone you know forwarded it to you.  If not, simply unsubscribe
at the link below, using the email address on file with Yahoo
Groups.  Cat Tails does not send unsolícited mail.

=^===============================================================

© 2002-2008 Cat Tails Newsletter.  All rights reserved.  Content
may not be distributed without permission except as given herein.


 ~:~ ~:~ C ~:~ A ~:~ T ~:~ ~:~ T ~:~ A ~:~ I ~:~ L ~:~ S ~:~ ~:~