Man Saves 16 Shelter Dogs And Cats From Fire

Keith Walker, an unhoused man from Atlanta, will forever be known as the hero of 16 cats and dogs. The animals would've perished in a fire had he not been there to bravely run into the shelter and rescue them all. The electrical fire began in the shelter's kitchen. 

Walker, 53, was refreshingly honest about the rescue, admitting that he was terrified but that he knew that God had put him there to save the animals. Walker says that his own dog is his best friend.

Have you read any other incredible animal stories this week? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals

The Yule Cat

Share your favorite cat-related folklore and mythology!

Have you ever heard of the Yule Cat, Jólakötturinn? It eats people who didn't get new clothes to wear for the winter! It's an Icelandic myth that of course supports the local commerce and encourages people to support the wool industry, but it's also fascinating and fun to study. 

It seems like every culture has some kind of myth around cats, from the creatures being blamed for causing Black Death to the Japanese maneki-neko, or "beckoning cat," that brings luck. And of course cats were even gods in some cultures.

What is your favorite cat myth or legend? Share it in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Monthly Litter Kits: Yay or Nay?

What do you think of this approach?

A friend once told me that she'd never keep cats in her house because she didn't want a pet who would poop in a box inside her house. Fair enough, but we still have to clean up dog poop in the yard, and so did she! At any rate, nobody likes doing the litter boxes, and this company is trying to change the way we do that.

The Kitty Poo Club sells monthly recyclable cat litter boxes with litter that ship for free to your door. It's supposed to not smell and last for 30 days until your next box, and you can add cat food, toys and other accessories to your shipments. You recycle the box when you exchange it for the next one.

I'm not sure I'd try this because it's more than we spend on litter each month (and we have three cats, so that triples the price) and I'm not sure I'd want to use all that cardboard, recycled or not. What do you think? Have you tried it? Tell us how you like it.

Klat Categories: 
Animals
Pets

Cutest Cat Behaviors This Week

Share the stories you've found!

The many cat groups of Facebook have kept me entertained during 2020, and experts say that looking at cute animals online is good for you to boot. Fun fact: looking at cute animal photos with your partner is also good for you together! I love dog and bunny photos and videos, too, but cats are my favorite.

This week I read about a cat who leaves treats in her human's purse, cats adopted by "tough guys" who turned into cat dads, cats posing for holiday photos and more. I also just scrolled through to look at cats in my various groups, which I highly recommend if you get the chance!

What cute cats have you seen this week? Share them with us in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Cats Who Leave Gifts

What does yours leave for you?

Yesterday I read a story about a cat who leaves her owner little treats in her purse. Every day she cleans out this little purse pocket and every day her feline friend deposits a few pieces of her own cat kibble to share. It was the most adorable thing I've read this week!

It got me thinking about the gifts my cats leave me, which aren't so sweet. Aside from the usual hairball or regurgitated food that was consumed too quickly, my cats leave me dead things--like crickets, or once in a while a bird that comes down our chimney--or destroyed things, like things they've pushed off dressers, like my Nightmare Before Christmas snowglobe last week. We must love them a lot to be all "This is why we can't have nice things!" all the time!

When we had an outdoor cat it was even worse; he was one of our favorite cats, but he liked to catch snakes and other strange creatures to bring home. He must have thought we were helpless humans who couldn't hunt!

What kinds of gifts does your cat like to bring you?

Klat Categories: 
Animals
Pets
Cats

When to Adopt a New Cat

Share your process

First of all, if your cat passes away and you want to go out and adopt another right away to try and curb the loneliness and sorrow... I really urge you to not do that. I wasn't going to do that and my husband, who couldn't stand to see me so sad for so long, urged me to adopt another cat just four months after my best friend and favorite cat died of cancer. I did and continue to regret it.

I love this cat, and I won't give her up. It's been almost two years, after all. But I haven't connected with her like I did with my previous cat, and her personality just seems to clash with mine. I made the mistake of adopting her because she behaved a lot like the one I lost at the shelter, but once home she was night to my previous cat's day. I'm still trying to figure her out and make this relationship work, but it's been stressful and I've even considered asking a behavior specialist for help. I still grieve for my previous cat nearly every day.

That's why I'm wondering... when is the best time to get a new cat? And should you get a kitten or a grown cat? The one I adopted was four years old already while I'd had my previous cat from kittenhood. Share your process for adopting a new cat in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals

The Best Interactive Cat Toys

Which does your kitty love best?

Interactive cat toys are wonderful tools to use in keeping your cat healthy, curious and engaged. They are great for cats who tend to overeat and toss their cookies, too! There are so many to choose from that it can be difficult to make a selection, but this list of 13 toys is a great place to begin.

Personally I don't get a laser pointer that you don't navigate, since it takes the fun away from you. It might be helpful when kitty wants to play and you have things to do, I suppose. I really suggest getting a puzzle feeder for a cat who eats too quickly. Those can be helpful in a myriad of ways!

What interactive cat toys do you think are the best? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Cats

Cat Meow Translator

What do you think of it?

An engineer who used to work for Amazon has created a new "cat translator" app. The app supposedly translates the cat's meows to help you decipher its speech, which would be incredible if it really works.

Personally, I'm not sure if it even could work, given how each cat's meows are its own personal noises created just for speaking with humans. Cats don't meow at each other and develop different vocal stylings to communicate with their humans, and every cat I've had has had its own unique noises. That said, maybe they all have a similar pattern or vibration that this engineer has figured out. Who knows?

Do you think this app could actually work?

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Kitty Christmas Gifts

Have you started your shopping?

My aunt just shared a bunch of cute DIY cat scratching tower ideas with me on Pinterest and she's got me in the holiday mood! I'm a big dork when it comes to cat beds and towers, and we have them in almost every room for our three cats. I also love to get the little holiday themed cat houses the cats love to scratch and lie around in.

That said, I'm not very big on getting cat presents, mostly because they prefer to play with wadded up paper balls, pipe cleaners and other things around the house more than playing with anything we buy! Usually my Christmas gifts for the cats consist of catnip in both spray and dried forms.

What about you? What do you get your cats for the holidays, if anything?

Klat Categories: 
Animals

Missing Cat Found After Over Two Years

And 60 miles away!

When a pet goes missing, it's one of the most helpless, devastating feelings in the world. When my dogs ran off for a few hours one night this fall I searched the whole time, alternating between yelling for them and crying. Once they came home I was so relieved. When I heard about this cat who'd been missing for much longer, I couldn't help but be amazed.

A five-year-old cat named Ruby went missing back in 2018 only to be found 60 miles from home this month! Luckily Ruby had been microchipped and was returned to her owner by the kind security guard who'd found and fed her. It's an amazing story and you can only wonder what Ruby has been through all this time!

Have you heard of any similar stories like this one with pets who have been found years later? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Animals

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