Luna

Weekend Cat Blogging 106: Unpopular Border Wall endangers Ocelots

Luna and I would like to use Weekend Cat Blogging #106 to warn our readers and friends about the dangers of a proposed border fence/wall through the Rio Grande Valley in Southwest Texas.

As the truck rounds a bend near the greenish-brown Rio Grande, a bobcat scampers ahead, disappearing into the lush subtropical foliage. Lizards dart about. A tortoise lazes in the sun. Somewhere in the forest, well-camouflaged by evolution, are ocelots and jaguarundi, both of them endangered species of cats.
These are some of the natural wonders in the Rio Grande Valley that Brown and other wildlife enthusiasts fear could be spoiled by the fences and adjacent roads the U.S. government plans to erect along the Mexican border to keep out illegal immigrants and smugglers.

We featured the Texas ocelot (a subspecies) in a previous WCB post on endangered wild cats.

Seeing a photo of an ocelot, it's easy to forget that they are wild cats and not some exotic breed. But they are wild cats, who are endangered. And they are not the only ones endangered by this misguided plan. The Rio Grande Valley is a success story of ecological restoration that could be destroyed by the Homeland Security border-fence plan. Usually, there would be an ecological review of such plans, but it seems Homeland Security can simply waive that requirement.

And if wild cats and unique ecology, the local communities, including the cities of Laredo and McAllen and towns in between are all against it. They have lived with their neighbors across the river for a long time and the communities on both sides of the border are intertwined, socially and economically. And people there are pretty upset about this, as illustrated in this Houston Press article:

They don't like the fact that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff can circumvent the same federal environmental studies they would have to undergo if they wanted to put in a road or a bridge. He has specially granted waiver powers, and if he wants a fence, he gets one ? no matter how many dead birds and ocelots are left behind to clean up.

They can't stomach the representatives they've met in the Department of Homeland Security, from Chertoff on down, who seem to them to be unreasonable, untrustworthy creatures, arrogant in manner and not always inclined to truthfulness.

Most of all, Allen and others want to know why the same federal government ? the one that for years ignored their repeated requests for an interstate (“We're the only area with 1 million population that doesn't have an interstate”), $10 million to repair their levees (“We'll be like New Orleans when Katrina hit) and money to help them improve their public schools ? all of a sudden has untold millions of dollars to plunk down on a fence that none of them want.

And now the people and wild cats of the Rio Grande Valley find themselves caught in the middle of the big immigration debate, indeed it was coming home on the radio last night that we heard this story.

We at CatSynth have some strong opinions about the immigration issue, but we'll save some of that for later – actually, that photo on the NPR article is begging for some LolCat treatment. For WCB, we simply want to let our readers know about the wild cats and people endangered by this plan. We urge U.S. readers, and especially Texas readers, to contact their representatives to try and stop this, or at the very least have it go through the same local and environmental reviews that any other major project would require.

For some non-endangered kitty fun, please go visit the big WCB 106 Roundup hosted by Kate and Puddy at A Byootaful Life. Puddy is having some fun hunting a pencil. We're also finally adding ourselves to the Friday Ark #143 and Carnival of the Cats #169.

Weekend Cat Blogging #105, Part 2 – Gotcha Day (June 10)

Today we celebrate the second anniversary of “Gotcha Day”, the day that Luna was adopted. Please see Part 1, with photos from Luna's first day in her new home two years ago.

Well, she's all grown up now, and sitting at the bar ready to celebrate:

Besides getting to eat at the bar, which is generally verboten, we have a special culinary treat for the occasion. Who needs cheezburger when you can has ahi tuna sashimi?

Luna was definitely interested in checking out the fishy goodness, but after a few sniffs, licks and nibbles she lost interest. One thing about Luna is that she is a very picky eater. So its a lot like taking a kid to a fancy restaurant for something special, only to have him/her insist on their favorite comfort foods like macaroni and cheese. Fortunately, I love tuna sashimi and helped myself to all but three of her pieces, which I let her keep for later.

Luna could probably learn a thing or two about the pleasures of fresh raw tuna from Upsie, who is again hosting hosting WCB again along with sher. Update: you can see the big WCB roundup here.

Of course, we all still love Luna even if she is a picky eater…




hey, Luna Tuna, that rhymes!

Weekend Cat Blogging #105, Part 1 – Gotcha Day (June 10)

“Gotcha Day” is the day a feline companion is adopted, a fact that we at CatSynth did not know before last week, when we helped celebrate multiple Gotcha Days for fellow cat bloggers during WCB 104.

Well this weekend is Luna's Gotcha Day, also known around here as the “Lunaversary.” I adopted Luna from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter on June 10, 2005. She was 7 months old at the time. Here are a couple of many photos I took that day:

Luna was quick to come out an explore her new surroundings, which was for the first evening limited to the bathroom. She quickly gravitated towards the softest object in the room and started kneading and purring, a habit she retains to this day.

Of course, the kitty bed has been largely ignored since she discovered my bed, where she often kneads a little nest and beds down for a nap.

It's interesting to look back and see how she's grown in the last two years.

The festivities for “Gotcha Day”, such as they are, will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm sure our friends Sher and Upsie will indulge us in a two-part Weekend Cat Blogging for the occasion. In the meantime, visit them for WCB 105, complete with squirrels. Update: you can see the big WCB roundup here.

Weekend Cat Blogging #104 Roundup

Luna and I welcome everyone to the big Weekend Cat Blogging #104 Roundup. If you want to join in the fun, leave a comment here. Meanwhile, we already have several early entries, so lets get started.

First up are the funny goings on over at Kate in the Kitchen. Looks like Harmon cannot has cheezburger anymore, as he and Bustopher jump on the lolcat bandwagon, albeit involuntarily.

It's looking pretty dark over at lamiacucina, where they do a really great Luna-looking-out-the window impersonation. But what a great view of the old Rhine.

Kashim and Othello celebrate Gotcha Day at paulchen's food blog. Read the story of how they were adopted five years ago. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it's better than…um, well actually it is Cats! They are also holding a contest in honor of their new blog. Hopefully their contest goes more smoothly than ours did.

It looks like Sundance is still under house arrest at “What Did You Eat?“. Of course there is also Uspie, her arch nemesis Bubba, and the squirrels flippin' us off. What's up with that?

It's catch and release with a new friend, Aloysius at catymology. You can has chipmunk.

Kimberly of musicandcats misses her cats when she goes away on vacation. I know the feeling, I miss Luna when I'm gone. But like us, it sounds like they have found a great pet sitter to give love to the cats and peace of mind to their humans.

Taboo and whaleshaman are ready to party over at Jelly Pizza. Well, as long as party means snuggling up under your favorite red blanket. Looks comfy.

Sesame found a great spot with a view over at Just Sharlene and the Spice Cats. He apparently enjoys watching housecleaning unlike most cats who quite sensibly run for cover or the nearest exit.

Sunny Bob enjoys a blueberry pop tart over at Pet's Garden Blog. Many cats are very picky about what the eat, but apparently Sunny Bob is not one of them. Bon apetit.

It's Motown weekend over at sammawow…oh, ok, maybe not. But we do have China Cat and Willow contemplating Temptations. “Come on – You know what we want…”

Despite their “weekly idiotic fights”, Fridolin and Maruschka truly enjoy one another's company. See some really sweet photos of them curled up together at Rosa's Yummy Yums.

INTERLUDE. It's shaping up to be a lovely evening here. Sunshine, and a gentle cacophony of rustling leaves and multiple bands practicing in the distance. Although there is much that needs tending in the gardens and elsewhere, I prefer to relax on the patio with a light vino and continue with the WCB roundup…

It's Cats Galore at The World According to Pia. Among the many cats are a stately white shorthair from Pia's own breeding, and a host of adorable kittens. Collect them all!

The cats over at Lucky and Charmed enjoy Cat TV. But they are especially excitied this week because they now have bunnies!

INTERLUDE. I have been taking a shortcut on my morning walks to the local cafe this weekend via the train tracks. Yesterday, I saw several cats; one of them returned today, a little skinny calico who has probably taken up residence near the shopping center. More on local strays in a subsequent post. Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging…

Laser cats have taken over the neighborhood over at I Got Two Shoes. And poor Kamikaze attempts to save a shred of dignity with frilly ribbons on his paws.

At chat kazte, Sasha spends all her time outdoors. She also enjoys the fine art of “found water.” Nonetheless, Sasha still manages to look pretty good after rolling in the dirt.

A Happy Birthday to Ywette from Anne's Food, who turns 10 today (June 3). See photos of her from kittenhood through the present. How wonderful to share all these stages of life with our feline friends.

There is one remaining tiny at Restaurant Widow, and it doesn't look like he's going anywhere. He's an adorable black kitten who enjoys computer typing and surfing the “innernets.”

Happy Gawai from Katz Tales, where Au is completely kitty collapso. We at CatSynth also enjoy being kitty collapso on the weekend.

We almost missed Willow doing her own blogging, but needs to Food Lady to help with the typing.

We have another Gotcha Day anniversary, this one from Megan and the Bad Kitty Cats. Biscuit Sinatra is five years old, and was adopted by Echo Baby and her human family soon after. LIke, Megan, we have some issues with our trackback system (it worked so well that we were inundated with spam/sping), but we always find the Bad Kitty Cats ourselves.

Some more WCB apocrypha: xenogere has lovely photos of the cats, and e.e. cummings as well! A shout out to Friday Ark #141 at the modulator. It looks like someone is posting a rerun of WCB 21.

We'll keep posting more cat blogging through Monday morning, so keep those links and comments coming.

Also, don't forget this is the last weekend of our CD sales to honor TeaCup and benefit his family the Bad Kitty Cats.

Weekend Cat Blogging #104: Come on out!

Even in a dimly lit room, you can always spot Luna by her eyes. Here she peeks out from among the glass tables (with a book of San Francisco photos in the foreground).

I'm sure she'll come out and say hi as we get ready to host Weekend Cat Blogging #104. As always, leave your links in the comments section or contact me if you prefer. Newcomers are always welcome.

I will post the round-up over the course of the weekend, so definitely come back a few times to see all the cats.

Weekend Cat Blogging #103: Texas Cat, and some updates

Luna is taking a break this weekend while we introduce a little friend from my recent trip to Texas. While staying at a cottage outside the town of Wimberly, Texas, I encountered this fellow hiding under the deck:

Presumably, he (she) is one of the many roaming outdoor cats that one finds in rural areas. Quite shy at first, a day later the cat came out in the open and allowed me to take some better photographs:


Although quite thin (as several have already commented), this cat had a very nice coat, suggesting he does get some decent food, probably on a mixture of rodents, the occasional handout from neighbors, and naive city folk.

It's always a treat to see cats when I travel. There were a couple others in town and in the countryside, but I was not able to get any photos of them.

Check out the other cats this weekend at the The House of the (Mostly) Black Cats, where Boni and Mini are hosting. Among this weekend's entries is an update from kitikata-san on Bruno, the “little black kitty” who needed a home after being found with cuts and bruises on the side of the road. He's doing well now in his new home. You can read more about his story here.

We would also like to remind WCB'ers and others that we are donating all CD sales through June 4 to the family of TeaCup and the Bad Kitty Cats. Please consider supporting new music and our friends.





WCB 101: Video tribute for TeaCup, and Kitty Love

Megan and family have put together this wonderful video entitled Good Night Sweet TeaCup

Very sweet and touching, and also quite amusing at times. I particularly love the pictures of him sitting inside the red fish bowl.

This tribute to TeaCup seems a fitting segue into Weekend Cat Blogging #101. He was in our thoughts a week ago during WCB100, and now a week later we remember him and keep his family in our thoughts. We have seen so many in this online community come together around this one little soul. He was indeed more than “just a cat.” As all our little animal companions are. They are family, we enjoy and honor them in life, and grieve for them when they pass. How could it be any other way? It's sad that some people refuse to accept or celebrate that. The recent pet-food contaminations have added to the sense that our animal companions are precious, and also served to remind others in society of their value. I hope that Luna and I will have many years together before we need to think about such matters ourselves, and in the meantime I am proud to “love my kitty” here in this public forum. She certainly deserves no less.

The recent pic on the left was taken with the built-in webcam on my MacBook, I was probably posting something to CatSynth at the time.

And of course, check out the other cats who are very much loved at Weekend Cat Blogging 101. This weekend's roundup is being hosted by Sher, Upsie and Sundance, who remind us all to be good to our mothers this Mothers Day weekend. We at CatSynth will be making the call back to New York on Sunday. Mmmm, Sher and friends have some delicious looking cheese, too.

And don't forget that all CD sales in May will benefit the family of TeaCup and Bad Kitty Cats. Please help support them and support new music at the same time. I will post this info to the right-side column so it won't get lost in the depths of blogging.









Weekend Cat Blogging #100: The Big One Hundred

Well, it's Weekend Cat Blogging #100. The honor of hosting this milestone goes to Puddy and Kate at A Byootiful Life.

Once again, we turn our attention to he world outside of Luna's window. Remember this photo of Luna staring at an outside cat?

Well, the cat is a frequent visitor to the yard. He's been living here longer than I have, and was roaming the neighborhood long before Luna was born. He's actually quite friendly, and handsome as well:

We don't know his name because he doesn't have a tag, but he seems very healthy and sociable, so he probably has a home. He enjoys cruising the tops of fences and finding comfy spots to chill out:

He almost looks like a wild cat in that photo.

Although I don't have a photo of this, I have caught him staring in at Luna a couple of times, with that same frozen slack-jawed look that all the tom cats in the neighborhood, seem to get. Remember this tuxedo visitor?

Luna has all the neighborhood boys looking. It's kinda fun getting to play the role of proud but protective dad for her…





Weekend Cat Blogging #99: May Flowers

First time WCB hosts Spot, Mel, Shishi and Sirius have decided upon a floral theme for Weekend Cat Blogging #99. We at CatSynth are of course happy to oblige with this lovely photo of Luna posing with a California poppy:

As we saw last October, the color orange really brings out something in Luna. I thought this living-room photo of orange with black and grays was quite striking:

While the California poppy is aesthetically and geographically “purrfect” for Luna, it is not safe for cats. These photos were taken under very close supervision and the flower was immediately removed from the house afterwards. We at CatSynth want to remind our feline friends to enjoy May flowers responsibly. The Cat Fanciers Association has a list of plants considered non toxic for cats. Another list of resources on plant safety can be found here.