Happy New Year to all! And a special greeting to our furry feline companions, who celebrate the new year on January 2nd. As we bid farewell to 2023 and head into 2024, various media outlets are reflecting on the past year, offering lots of best-of lists and opinions on highs and lows. While our cats may be more interested in napping on a magazine or newspaper than reading these pieces, that doesn’t mean they should be excluded from the conversation. In fact, Fluffy had quite a few noteworthy moments last year, as highlighted by a local Denver, CO veterinarian in this article.
A True Miracle For Shelter Pets
CNN reported recently that a shelter in Pennsylvania was thrilled to announce that all the animals in their care had been adopted, and their cages were empty for the first time in 47 years! The shelter called it a ‘True Christmas Miracle.’ That’s pretty pawesome news. We’re thrilled that many formerly homeless pets are starting the new year off in loving homes, and hope to see more of these stories in the future.
Cutest Celebration Ever
Cats are always cutest when they’re feeling frisky and zoomy. This story is a purrfect example of that. In December, two Indianapolis felines named Ruby and Opal captured the hearts of the internet when a video of them settling into a new cage went viral. The furballs literally leaped for joy, and just kept happily zooming and scampering around their new digs. Thankfully, someone at the shelter caught their adorable behavior on camera and shared it on their Tiktok account, Pepperspalrescue. (We can only imagine that Ruby and Opal are now happily causing chaos in their forever homes.)
Something In The Water
Ruby and Opal weren’t the only kitties to go viral last year. Another cat, Booboo, got his fifteen minutes of fame… for making a mess. Booboo’s owner couldn’t figure out why his water dish was always empty, so she filmed him. Booboo was caught red-pawed in the act of tipping the bowl over and spilling water into the rug. On purrpose.
The Year Fluffy Stole Christmas
One frisky feline made Santa Claws’ naughty list last year. The furball, a kitty named Walter, was filmed stealing his owners’ holiday decorations while they slept. Bah, humbug!
Away From Home
One of our favorite kitties was photographed several times last year snoozing in a rice paddy in Thailand. That doesn’t sound very newsworthy, but it’s actually quite extraordinary. What makes this particular kitty unique is that it is not an actual cat, but a cleverly designed pattern planted into the field by farmer Tanyapong Jaikham. Utilizing GPS technology, Jaikham strategically placed seeds to create his masterpiece, which was inspired by a traditional quote about abundance. His hope was for thousands of people to visit and admire the impressive display.
A Purring Little Serial Killer
It’s no secret that cats are cute, yet deadly predators. This was further confirmed in a recent study published in Nature Communications, which analyzed data from the past 100 years. The findings showed that kitties have hunted and killed at least 347 endangered species, such as Newell’s shearwater, the northern bobwhite quail, green sea turtles, and the little brown bat. Sadly, their hunting habits have also caused over 60 species to go extinct. But wait, there’s more! It also turns out that our feline pals eat more than 2,084 different animals and insects.
We always recommend keeping cats inside. Not only will Fluffy be safer as an indoor pet, you’ll also be helping protect native wildlife! Ask your Denver CO veterinarian for more information on keeping your feline buddy happy, healthy, and purring inside.
And Meow, A Word About Sports
One thing we know about cats? They never stop amusing us with their quirks and antics. That was certainly one of the findings of a study published in Scientific Reports. For this study, researchers investigated one of Fluffy’s lesser-known traits: her love for playing Fetch. They collected information from more than 1000 cat owners and examined how Fluffy plays.
We know, Fetch is more commonly associated with dogs. However, many cats also enjoy it. Certain breeds, such as the Siamese and Bengal, are more likely to play this pet sport, but any kitty can partake. And apparently, at any time. In fact, about 94 percent of those who responded said this behavior appeared out of the blue.
So … turns out kitties often compulsively teach themselves how to fetch. Somehow, this isn’t quite as surprising as it should be.
The Love Of A Pet
Another study examined Fluffy’s emotions and attachment to her humans. Published in Behavioural Processes, this study examined 53 adult kitties at a Los Angeles cat café. Turns out Fluffy has over 276 distinct facial expressions. (No word on how many would qualify as smug or disdainful.)
Of course, anyone who has had a cat of their own knows that these little creatures can get very attached to their humans. Cats are capable of very powerful emotions, and they are smarter than most people realize. While they can be purrplexing, and at times aloof, it’s impossible to mistake kitty cuddles for anything other than affection. (Our feline pals also show their love in some odd ways, such as biting and scratching, but that’s another topic.)
Saved From The Brink
Our feline friends have also been making headlines across the pond. Over in Scotland, a program called Saving Wildcats saw victory with the reintroduction of 19 Scottish Wildcats. These cats are now being monitored via GPS collars after being released into their natural habitat, the Cairngorms. Additionally, 13 kittens are being prepared for their eventual release. This marks an encouraging step towards re-establishing a species that was previously on the brink of gonig extinct. While Scotland’s mice and birds may not be thrilled about the news, we wholeheartedly support the attempts, and hope the program is a resounding success. (Note: if there were ever a furball we could accurately describe as a majestic floof, it’s the Scottish Wildcat.)
Cats: Glitch In The Matrix Or Interdimensional Beings
It’s probably safe to say that social media is a double-edged sword, providing both entertainment and controversy. However, occasionally the world wide web really does uncover something important. That’s certainly our take on one of the biggest cat-related topics this year: the Universal Cat Distribution System.
In a nutshell, this is the term for the universe’s process of distributing cats to the right people at the right time. The gist of it is that if you happen to find a stray cat at your job, or perhaps come home to a cute kitty meowing on your doorstep, well, the universe may have just assigned you a new pet. The concept has gone viral, with many users uploading videos of themselves finding their assigned pets. In fact, we suspect that quite a few of our feline patients found their furever homes via this mysterious system.
Our team at Whole Pet Wellness Veterinary Services, your local Denver CO animal hospital, wishes you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year. Please contact us for all of your feline pal’s veterinary care needs.
