Watermark

Carnival of Cats

Carnival of the Cats is up, and I have a favorite:  To The Person Who Found My Camera.  This is my favorite even though it has no pictures (thankfully.)  You'll have to read it to discover why gratitude for no photos is appropriate in this case. 

Visit the others, too -- they have lots of pictures. 

Cats in Japan

I will begin with the most shocking fact:  apparently, in Japan, cats are allowed to drive.

    They also wear clothes.

A Little History

It is generally believed that the domestic cat arrived in Japan around 600 A.D. Interestingly enough, this is the same period of time when Buddhism was introduced to Japan. Like most ancient cultures, the Japanese valued cats primarily for their rodent catching abilities. In fact, it was customary that each Buddhist temple should care for no less than two cats in order to insure that sacrosanct documents would not be eaten by mice. It didn't take long for the cat to become a familiar and welcome creature in all aspects of Japanese society, from the royal court of the divine Emperor to the humblest of merchants . . . With their sophisticated taste in simple artistic form, the Japanese saw the cat as a being of rare beauty, a creature to be honored and respected. However, not all Japanese respect the cat. In fact to some, cats were considered bad omens, untrustworthy and nefarious consorts to ghosts and demons. But for the most part, cats were loved and honored as positive entities. To this day cats are revered in Japan . . . From JAPANESE CAT NAMES

                                            In Japan, cats are yummy . . .

    . . . and enlightened.

& Finally

◆ The New Year's card of a cat
Although it is the "cat" which is not in the sexagenary cycle, it is the character loved by anyone. Would you like the greeting of the new year in dear cats the more intimate one in the direction which was indebted?
An illustration is Mr. Mitsuhiro Amada.

Flickr Cats

Just a few of the Flickr CATS

artsy fred is deep
originally uploaded by
p.nut

   

Brand O Yawning
originally uploaded by
Stef Noble

   

 

kittyboy
originally uploaded by
h

   

And of course:

Spike
originally uploaded by
sbmontana

Cats & Blogs

{WARNING: slithy popup}

Watermark is six months old today, and by some mystical synchronicity, this event falls on Friday Cat Blogging Day! Thus, a post about cats and their blogs.

Some cats have human lackeys do their blogging for them:

Moggyblog
Tales of the Moggy Horde


Kitty
...daily doings of Kitty

Some cats (presumably those with more technical proficiency) do their own blogging:

Speck's Little Blog
A brief outline of the life of a cat named Speck, who has travelled all over Canada

A cat and his secret blog
Favorite movie: The Aristocats

Kazimir
a black cat, transmuted from Devonshire to a lazy lifestyle in Kensington..

BloggingCat.com
I'm a Cat and I Blog

Ripley
Ripley has a LOT of friends

Hunter "Socks" Thompson
The Life and Times of Hunter "Socks" Thompson: Feline, Hedonist, Friend

Barenada's Cats' Blog
Nugget, Buddy, & Happy

The cat blog!
Butter, Sasha, & Toby

Some cats share their blog, not always happily, with their person:

Abbie The Cat Has A Posse
Abbie the Cat & Martha the Human

And then there are the cat webrings
(a great way for your cat to meet like-minded felines):
         
 

Is it time to consider providing your cat with a blog? Are you denying her an outlet for her creativity? Could doing a blog with your cat be a positive bonding experience?

Think about it.

Feline Spirituality

Last month we learned to dance with our cats; today we will explore the spiritual side of the cat-human relationship.  Let's begin with a Cat Meditation from The Meditative Cat.

Here is Boo, practicing her
OOOOOOHHHHHMMMMMiaooooow

Now that we are centered, it is time for yoga with our cats.  These instructional videos from Yoga Kitty ("Clearing Past Karmas", "Electromagnetic Frequency" and  "Self-Identification Meditation") present a practical, step by step guide for humans &  their cats to activate their fullest potential, allowing man, woman, &  feline to dwell in the ecstasy of physical, mental, & spiritual health:

        (via Presurfer)

After a few weeks of yoga practice with your cat, you may be ready for the next step: an exploration of Eastern Philosophy, Buddhism, and Spiritual Development with Dharma the Cat:

That's it for today. Go in peace, my siblings.

Is Your Pet An Earthling?

NOTED UFO EXPERT DECLARES: MILLIONS OF PETS ARE REALLY SPACE ALIENS

. . . one out of five dogs and cats are space pets, descendants of original alien creatures that were 'seeded' on Earth 50,000 years ago. . . .

A quick scan of the WorldWideWeb found proof:

 

 

Still sceptical?  Then what is this??

 

And here is my own sweet Boo, caught unaware:

 

Lucy is not an alien, but she knows
THEY'RE OUT THERE

For more scholarly inquiry on this subject, go to Cats Could Be Aliens; and to find out if your cat is an alien, take the quiz at International Inquirer, then read the rationale for the questions.  The answers may startle you.

Comic Cats

    Just two of the very silly cats from ComicCats
(via Burningbird)

Want more fuzzies? Try the Carnival of Cats; the Carnival of Dogs; or (via Ceejbot) the Caravan of Ducks.

And for a complete change of pace (sorry, I couldn't resist this one):

CHILL OUT [flash] via MetaFilter

The Ancient Art of Cat Dancing

". . . women who practiced it were labelled as evil witches and burned at the stake along with their cats.Indeed, it seems very likely that it was women swishing their brooms in front of cats in order to excite them to dance so they could join them and attain "higher states and magic cures", that led to the absurd notion of witches riding aloft on broomsticks with their cats."

      From  The History of Feline Dance at Dancing With Cats.

This highly informative site also includes such gems as:

Feline Dance Classes:  Do I need to attend dance classes before I try dancing with my cat?  How do I find a cat dancing class?  What should I look for in a cat dancing tutor?

Pre–Dance Exercises, including the most excellent simple purring technique

Dance Tips from other cat dancers

A Discussion on Music for Cat Dancing

Via pics and titbits

God Is Watching Us

 

The cat in the window admires   
the sparrows. Longing trembles   
from the back of her throat. She loves   
the quills of the feathers, the little stick   
feet, the delicate veins in the wings.   

Musical Kittens

       Two selections from the Kitten repertoire (Flash)

Thanks to scribblingwoman, who thanks George.