Cat haiku #15 My brother is a toy?

We had about 3 or 4 boxes full of assorted cat toys. And there was a silver tray full of toys on the floor…

When we were packing up for our move, I decided that we had to sort the toys out and reduce it to one box. The new place is smaller, and the cats have to downsize too!

The cats thought this was the best game ever. Jumping in and out of toy boxes and packing boxes like they’d never seen a box before… Inevitably, the youngest, Jazz, thought everyone in the box was a toy.

Here’s a delightful haiku inspired by this mentalness.

 

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Like his style? Check out his blog for his stories and other award-winning pieces.

Want some cat poetry? Check out Will’s poem Tiddles in the January 2018 edition of the Peeking Cat Poetry magazine.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

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Cat haiku #14 The swiftest prey

Star used to be mad for chasing her tail when she was a kitten. She grew out of it into an elegant little lady who does not stoop so low as to play, nevermind with her own tail!

She’s a tricky little lass though, when your back is turned, cheeky face turns off and she goes nuts.

The other day she randomly began to chase her tail again for the first time in years. She was having a most excellent time. It was superbly adorable. Conveniently, this was as Will was writing the next batch of haikus at the time. She was the perfect inspiration. ❤

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Like his style? Check out his blog for his stories and other award-winning pieces.

Want some cat poetry? Check out Will’s poem Tiddles in the January 2018 edition of the Peeking Cat Poetry magazine.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

Cat haiku #13 A cat truce

It’s been a super cold winter this year in Edinburgh. Our hallway is now littered with cats, trying to soak up the heat from the warmest radiator in the flat. Here’s a haiku dedicated to this adorableness.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Like his style? Check out his blog for his stories and other award-winning pieces.

Want some cat poetry? Check out Will’s poem Tiddles in the January 2018 edition of the Peeking Cat Poetry magazine.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

100+ Nordic cat names as unique as your cat

If you’re reading this, you probably have no idea what to name your new kitten, cat, or rescue. (It’s that or you just love all things cat. I’ve added a wee bit of story in here for you guys too.)

Picking a name for your new feline friend is super fantastic. But it’s also mildly intimidating.

It’s pretty common to choose a name that reflects your own personality and interests.

…but then you also want a name that suits the cat, their own personality. You might have names in mind but they just don’t fit.

Plus, kitty has to actually respond to this new name.

And what if he is actually a she(!) (or vice versa).

It’s alot to think about.

Plus, if you want that perfect name to be unique too… well, that’s just a whole different hellish kettle of fish.

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To aid you in your quest, I’ve put together a list of 100+ Nordic-inspired cat names.

“Errrrr, why Nordic?” I hear you ask.

1. Cats are pretty big in Norse mythology. The cat was the sacred animal of the Norse goddess Freyja. Her chariot is said to have been drawn by two large grey-blue cats, given to her by Thor.
2. The Nords have a long history of loving cats, they didn’t have the same irritational fears and associate cats with evil and the devil.
3. Our Runa is a Norwegian Forest Cat. AND, Will gave her a Nordic name, it’s an old Norse name meaning secret love.
4. Uniqueness! Your bundle of fluffy joy deserves to have a name as unique as he or she is.

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100+ Nordic cat names as unique as your cat

1. ♀ Alba. White.
2. ♀ Amr. Dark, black.
3. ♂ Are. Precious one.
4. ♀ Are. Precious one.
5. ♂ Arvid. Tree of the eagle.
6. ♀ Ase. God-like.
7. ♂ Asger. Spear of God.
8. ♂ Asmund. Divine protection.
9. ♀ Asta. Divine beauty.
10. ♂ Astolf. Love.
11. ♀ Astrid. Divine beauty.
12. ♂ Bassi. Big man/animal..
13. ♂ Bausi. Proud.
14. ♂ Bialfi. Fur/pelt.
15. ♂ Bjarke. Bear.
16. ♂ Bjorn. Bear.
17. ♀ Blancheflor. White flower.
18. ♂ Brynjar. Warrior in armor.
19. ♂ Colborn. Burning log.
20. ♂ Colby. Town of darkness.
21. ♂ Colden. Coal town.
22. ♂ Destin. Determined.
23. ♀ Duri. To sleep.
24. ♀ Eerika. Ruling forever.
25. ♀ Eira. Merciful.
26. ♂ Eirik. King forever.
27. ♀ Elli. Challenged Thor.
28. ♀ Else. My god/perfection.
29. ♀ Embla. Elm tree.
30. ♀ Eva. Living, animal.
31. ♀ Eydis. Goddess of good luck.
32. ♂ Finn. Wanderer.
33. ♀ Finn. Wanderer.
34. ♂ Fiske. Fish.
35. ♀ Freja. Like a lady.
36. ♂ Frey. Lord.
37. ♂ Fritjof. One who steals peace.
38. ♂ Frode. Enlightened or wise.
39. ♀ Gull. Goddess.
40. ♂ Halstein. Stony rock.
41. ♀ Hertha. Powerful woman.
42. ♀ Hillevi. Happy in war.
43. ♂ Ineko. Sweet/cute.
44. ♀ Ineko. Sweet/cute.
45. ♂ Jarle. Nobleman.
46. ♂ Kare. Curvy.
47. ♀ Kari. Chaste, pure.
48. ♂ Kinnari. Fur.
49. ♂ Kofri. Hood, bonnet of fur.
50. ♀ Kolr. black/coal.
51. ♂ Logi. God of Fire; voracious eater.
52. ♂ Loki. Trickster God.
53. ♂ Maleqqi. To hunt, chase.
54. ♂ Manuanguak. Sweet little fur under chin.
55. ♂ Manumina. Sweet little fur under chin.
56. ♀ Manumina. Sweet little fur under chin.
57. ♀ Mina/Minna. Love.
58. ♀ Muirenn. White, fair.
59. ♀ Nanna. Courageous.
60. ♀ Natuk. Lovely, sweet.
61. ♀ Nava. Beautiful.
62. ♂ Odin. Fury.
63. ♀ Oili. Divine woman.
64. ♂ Ole. Father.
65. ♂ Ole. Ancestors descendant.
66. ♂ Olsen. Ole’s son.
67. ♂ Oluf. Descendant.
68. ♂ Ove. Full of terror.
69. ♀ Pihka. To be in love with someone.
70. ♀ Rana. Slender.
71. ♀ Runa. Secret love.
72. ♀ Sassa. Divine beauty.
73. ♀ Selby. From the farm of willows.
74. ♀ Sienna. Orange, red.
75. ♀ Sif. Wife of Thor; had beautiful hair.
76. ♀ Sigfrid. Marvelous victory.
77. ♀ Signe. Latest victory.
78. ♀ Siri. Marvelous victory.
79. ♂ Soini. Boy.
80. ♂ Sokki. Horse with white legs.
81. ♂ Stian. One who wanders.
82. ♂ Stig/Stigr. Route.
83. ♂ Svart. Black.
84. ♂ Svartr. Black.
85. ♂ Sven. Boy.
86. ♂ Sveinn. Boy, young man.
87. ♂ Tarben. Bear of thor.
88. ♀ Theresia. To hunt, harvest.
89. ♀ Thora. Like a thunder.
90. ♂ Tiwaz. God of battle and warfare.
91. ♂ Torben. Thor’s bear.
92. ♂ Torbjorn. Bear of Thor.
93. ♀ Tordis. Goddess of Thor.
94. ♀ Tove. Gorgeous.
95. ♀ Tregul. Tree gold; amber.
96. ♂ Tue. Peaceful man.
97. ♀ Turid. Good-looking.
98. ♂ Uljas. Proud.
99. ♂ Unn. The beloved one.
100. ♀ Unn. The beloved one.
101. ♂ Vali. Powerful, strong.
102. ♂ Vidar. Fighter in the woods.
103. ♂ Welch. foreign person or stranger.
104. ♀ Ylva. Female wolf.

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

The tail of happiness

Cats are wise beings, it has to be said. Or at least that is the image they choose to portray.

Here’s a short story with a purrfect life lesson from cats.

This story begins in an alleyway, where a little kitten can be seen vigorously chasing its tail. The kitten is using all of its efforts to catch its tail with its mouth, again and again, running in circles, believing it is getting closer to snatching up its tail.

Watching from a distance is an older, rough looking, alley cat, who is wondering what the little kitten is doing. The older alley cat approaches the little kitten and asks,

“What are you up to little kitten?”

The kitten then replies,

“I am chasing my tail!”

“Why is it that you are chasing your tail and why are you so determined to get a hold of it?”

The little kitten replied to the alley cat with a very simple answer and good reason.

“I just came back from cat philosophy school and I was taught that the most important thing for us cats is happiness. I have learnt that the source of this happiness is in our tails, so once I get a firm grasp on it, I can always have the thing that is most important to me, happiness!”

The old alley cat was taken back by the kitten’s answer and simply smiled. The old alley cat added to the little kitten’s insight by saying,

“well little kitten, I am much older than you and I have not had the same opportunity as you to attend cat philosophy school. I have been living in these alleys and streets for many years, it has been rough. I have to constantly search for food and shelter while facing tough competition. My time in these alleys has taught me much though. I have also learnt that the most important thing to us cats is happiness and the source of this happiness is indeed in our tails, but there is something I have learnt that you, little kitten, have not yet witnessed.”

“What is that?”

the little kitten replied.

“I have learnt that if I live my life the way I want to live it each day and go on about my business, happiness follows me wherever I go…”

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I have to admit, it did require a second for me to understand how the last line had anything to do with cat tails…

I happened to stumble across this story by accident whilst researching a different post.  The original creator is elusive, but this version is adapted from 1cent1life. If you like it, do check out the page (it comes with bonus wisdom that I am simply incapable of).

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To finish, here are some pictures of some excellent tails. I would say that, they are our baby cats… ❤

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

From the Lancet: How to purr like a cat

This cat speaks the truth. Purring is a sign of happiness overflow.

There is no problem so great that it cannot be solved by the purr of a loving cat. Okay, perhaps this is a slight exaggeration, but it’s not far off. Cat purrs are healing, providing benefits for a range of complaints, like anxiety or osteoporosis.

Humans can imitate the sound of the purr relatively well, just trying rolling your RRRRR’s. If you do this to your cat, do they look at you like you are absolutely insane? That’s partly because you are, but also because you’re doing it wrong.

I’m going to let you in on a little trick published in the Lancet on how to successfully imitate your cat’s purr in a way recognisable to your cat.

But first, let’s check out some of the amazing science behind the purr!

Purr-facts

• A cat purrs at a frequency of 25-35 Hz.
• The frequency is so low it’s as easy to feel as it is to hear.
• A kitten’s purr is quieter but just as deep. It won’t ‘break’ when the kitten gets older.
• Cats can purr on both they’re in- and out-breath (inspiration and expiration).

The science bit: How do cats purr?

It used to be thought that a cat’s purr was akin to breathing. These theories have been debunked. Their purr is the result of the central nervous system. As with speaking in humans, cats choose to purr.

Cats purr using their laryngeal muscles. In kinder words (I had to ask Will) they use the muscles in their ‘voice box’. The purr is created when they restrict their flow of air by contracting and relaxing their muscles. Like any muscular tremor, they do this very fast. They do this about 25-35 times per second (hence the 25-35 Hz).

Purring in humans

In all seriousness, a human’s laryngeal muscles are capable of purring. Technically. To replicate the sound and vibration we just have to contract and relax the muscles at a rate of about 400 Hz. Simples? Not so much… Humans can only achieve a stimulation rate of 50 Hz.

But all is not lost! You can purr at your feline friend in some recognisable fashion. You simply have to bring the tongue close to the roof of the mouth and exhale.

Yes, it’s that simple. The Science people in the Lancet say so. This post is based on Purr-tenance and physiology (1992) (available on the Lancet website here).

 

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

Cat haiku #12 Kitten roar

Nova’s birthday haikus are over! To help you deal with your sadness, here’s one about a kitten.

…it’s actually inspired by Jazz. He’s one and a half, and weighs 6 kg. Clearly not a kitten.

But Jazz is a roarer. He’s always roared at his big brother in play. It’s so weird but adorable. I love how all cats have voices unique to their crazy personalities.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Like his style? Check out his blog for his stories and other award-winning pieces.

Want some cat poetry? Check out Will’s poem Tiddles in the January 2018 edition of the Peeking Cat Poetry magazine.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

Cat haiku #11 Cats, cakes and candles

This is the final haiku honouring Nova turning five. I loved the Creative Commons pictures I found for this so much that I just had to make two versions. I love all these ‘old timey’ style pictures of cats and kittens.

If you missed any of the haikus for Nova’s birthday you can find them here.

Like his style? Check out his blog for his stories and other award-winning pieces.

Want some cat poetry? Check out Will’s poem Tiddles in the January 2018 edition of the Peeking Cat Poetry magazine.

You can find all of the cat haikus here.

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

 

Valentines gift ideas for your Crazy Cat Lady

Don’t have any idea what to get your beloved for Valentines? Is she mad about cats? If you answered yes to both questions then HumansForCats can help you! Here are 8 purrfect Valentines gift ideas for the Crazy Cat Lady in your life.

Warning: If your crazy cat lady is ‘afflicted’ with Obsessive Cat Disorder then completely disregard these suggestions and buy something for the cat.

Disclaimer: These are not affiliated links or sponsored items, they are simply items hand-picked by myself.

Valentines gifts for your Crazy Cat Lady by humansforcats featuring a color blocked sweatshirt

Color blocked sweatshirt
£7.71 – romwe.com

Miss Selfridge shirt top
£43 – missselfridge.com

Goby CAT footwear
£35 – nordstromrack.com

Ted Baker leather crossbody
£140 – nordstrom.com

Nach earring jewelry
£93 – luisaviaroma.com

Chain pendant
£42 – kohls.com

Betsey Johnson post earrings
£18 – zappos.com

Comme des Garçons fragrance
£105 – nordstrom.com

Much love,

Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx

Top 20 Cat Memes of the Month, January edition

 

New monthly feature: Top Cat Memes of the Month

This first blogging month has been totally Pinterest crazy. Rather unexpectedly, the HumansForCats cat memes board has been hugely popular. There have literally been hundreds of repins and it’s driven loads of traffic to the blog.

Based on this awesome love for memes of the cat variety, here is the Top 20 Cat Memes of the Month (January Edition) as chosen by you (well, those on Pinterest!). What’s your favourite? Mines is (probably) number 10, the lil dude just looks so cute!

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# 20

# 19

# 18

# 17

# 16

# 15

# 14

# 13

# 12

# 11

# 10

# 9

# 8

# 7

# 6

# 5

# 4

# 3

# 2

# 1

That last one does not seem very seasonally appropriate! Perhaps Pinners live in an alternative universe?

Hope you enjoyed! If you still haven’t had your cat fix, or can’t wait until the February roundup, follow our cat meme board on Pinterest. We have hundreds of cat memes to make you smile, laugh and maybe even cry (from laughing).

Much love,
Annie, Will & kitties 
xxxxx