Sberbank in Russia provides world’s best house warming present, at least for two hours.
Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia largest bank, is offering to a new benefit to its first 30 customers who take out home mortgages of over $116,000. According to Bloomberg Business Week Global Economics, not only are they lending money, their lending cats.
Like any good financial supervisor, the mustached tuxedo cat named Caesar monitors home loan negotiations quietly from the top of the computer printer at Russia’s Sberbank.
According to a Russian legend, If a cat walks through a new home before you move in you’ll get have good luck. The state-controlled bank set up a special website to publicize the puss promotion. “Order a cat for your housewarming, and bring happiness and luck to your home,” reads campaign web ad. Future homeowners can choose between 10 feline talismans: a mustached tuxedo named Caesar, Sonia a red lynx point, the Angora named Fedor, Caramel the calico, Toffee a Siamese, orange tabby Apricot, Kuzya a Peterbald, a gray and white named Knoop, the brown tabby Timothy and of course a Russian Blue named Smoke.There’s even a video on the that shows a couple of homeowners having their home blessed by the kitties.
(L-R) Meet Caramel, Toffee, Apricot and Smoke.
The kitties are all actually family pets. Some of them belong to Sberbank employees. As soon as the bank announced the launch of the puss promotion in mid-August they began receiving requests for loaner cats. Ownership lasts for two hours, barely time to even set out a litter box. Cat recipients must agree to an 8-page contract.
Even if you don’t live in Russia or aren’t buying a home you can still have the benefit of a short term “tailisman” by contacting a rescue group or animal shelter in your area and offering to foster a cat. If a two-hour stroll fills a Russian home with luck, just think about good fortune in store if you save a life and give a kitty a safe place to stay for a couple of weeks.s
The Winn Feline Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that funds research into health issues affecting cats.This is so important because feline health issues are the redheaded stepchild of the medical world. That’s why most cat meds were originally for human or canine patients. But as you and I know, cats are not little dogs and they aren’t people either. Physically and behaviorally they are complicated creatures. So cat specific-studies are necessary
Each year, Winn funds feline health studies through the generosity of their donors. Last year Winn funded nine studies including research on gastrointestinal disease associated with E. coli infection in kittens,feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), kidney disease, oral squamous cell cancer, feline calicivirus,and new drug treatments forTritrichomonas foetus.
In the past I have lost foster kitties to virulent E. coli, and my personal kitties to FIP, HCM, kidney disease. I hope they will soon fund studies on feline pancreatitis.
Maybe your vet is interested in pursuing a research grant. If he/she is, the deadline for receipt of applications is Monday, December 15, 2014 and awards will be announced in April, 2015. Here are a few Winn grant FAQs.
The maximum grant amount is $25,000.
Projects should have discrete and achievable goals within the $25,000 limit.
Continuation of grants awarded in 2014 or earlier will be considered.
Studies applicable to all cats are encouraged. The Winn Feline Foundation is also interested in projects that address issues in individual breeds, nutrition and behavior.
Although we are interested in all areas of feline health, we have dedicated funds for research in feline infectious peritonitis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and lung cancer in cats.
In addition to the aforementioned funds, current breed specific funding is available for Norwegian Forest Cat and Persian HCM studies and Birman heart disease studies in general.
Applicants may be faculty veterinarians, post-doctoral fellows, practicing veterinarians or veterinary students.
For detailed instructions please review the Winn Foundation Grant Guidelines Document. All studies must abide by our Humane Guidelines. All studies must use our cover sheet for submission. A document and pdf version are provided.
The Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1968 that supports studies to improve cat health. Since 1968, the Winn Feline Foundation has funded more than $4.8 million in health research for cats at more than 30 partner institutions world-wide. For further information, go to www.winnfelinehealth.org.
Wouldn’t it be fun if you could have a constant supply of fresh kitten faces around your home without contributing to the growing pet overpopulation problem? You can, by providing a foster home (and a chance to live) to a kitten who would otherwise be put to sleep in a shelter.
Why don’t you Rent-A-Kitten (become a foster home) from your local animal shelter so you can continually enjoy those few months of adorable early kittenhood? That way you can have your catnip and sniff it, too.
Go to your local pet supply store or call area animal shelter to locate a Rent-A-Kitten center (rescue organization) near you. They’re always looking for volunteers to take their youngest charges.
And, if you feel it’s important to show your kids the “Miracle of Life”, go for it. Spay your cat tomorrow and “Rent” an expecting mother. A healthy mother cat is the June Clever of the animal world.
Mom does all the work: she’ll feed her kittens, keep them squeaky clean, teach them to use the litter box and growl when they get out of line. You provide high quality cat food and scoop (a lot.)
The shelter or rescue group should cover the veterinary expenses including vaccinating and neutering/spaying. It also means you will be able to take them to adopt-a-pets while they’re cute and easy to find homes for.
On the day he was born, Sam was left at the door of a vet clinic in a sealed cardboard. Thanks to foster care and a wonderful adopter, Sam is 14 and a happy camper.
Your job description as foster mom will look something like this:
Travel agent– Book your foster mom into a spare bathroom, bedroom or laundry room makes a great nursery. It’s better if the floors are easy to clean.
Security guard– Keep them away from your own pets until you know both mom (and company), as well as your guys, are all healthy.
Food server-A nursing mom’s energy needs will be two to three times a normal adult cat. You can free feed mom a high quality dry kitten diet and change her water daily.
Janitor-Scoop three or four times a day. It’ll only take a second or two. To feed her babies, she’ll be eating like a horse. She’ll be pooping like one too.
When the kittens are about three weeks old give them a box with low sides so they can jump inside without having to scale the side like a rock climber. When kittens start learning to use the litter box, there will be accidents. Lining the room’s floor with newspaper makes clean up much easier.
Keep the room clean. Change the linens daily (or several times a day when necessary.) See, now you have a reason to keep those 1970s orange and green sheets in the back of your closet.
Safety inspector-Make sure the kitten room is a safe place. Take all poisons out of there. Remove anything that they can break or bring down on top of themselves. There may have to some house-retraining of the males around the house; not male cats’, the humans. The toilet lid should stay closed in any room the kittens have access to. Block off little holes and crevices. You’d be surprised the places kittens can hide.
Exterminator-Check mom and the kittens for fleas. They’re not just an irritation. Those little vampires and can be real killers and they cause tapeworms. Talk to your vet about a flea treatment that will be safe for the kittens. Get the kittens wormed by a vet as soon as they’re old enough.
Chauffeur-Occasional trips to the vet will be necessary for shots, worming, spaying/neutering and emergencies.
Nurse-The two most common health problems are kitty colds and diarrhea. Unless you’re an experienced kitten keeper, call the vet when you first notice dripping from either end. Watch them closely. Make sure all the kittens are nursing and growing. If one is lagging too far behind or isn’t as active as the others, take the whole kitten caboodle to the vet.
Groupie-This is the most important aspect. In order to make sure your kittens is successful (happy and comfortable) in their forever homes, they’ll need to experience a lot of different activities when they’re very young. Love, cuddle and play with your kittens every day. When they are three weeks old, allow calm/gentle children to hold them for short periods. Kitties need to get used to being normal activities and noises like the TV, kids playing, the doorbell and kisses on the nose.
Adoption counselor-Yes, it’s hard to let them leave, but it’s easier when you realize you saved a life and made the new family very happy you’ll know it’s worth it. Beside there will always be another kitten at animal control who would love to be ‘rented’.
Taco has a foster home, but he’s looking for his forever home. This kitty is sweet and mischievous, and gets along with everyone including dogs and other cats. Although someone was very cruel to him, he’s a loving trusting boy.
Rules for Dealing with Stray Cats
Author Unknown
1. Stray cats will not be fed.
2. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food.
3. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with a little milk.
4. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with warm milk, yummy treats and leftover fish scraps.
5. Stray cats will not be encouraged to make this house their permanent residence.
6. Stray cats will not be petted, played with or picked up and cuddled unnecessarily.
7. Stray cats that are petted, played with, picked up and cuddled will absolutely not be given a name.
8. Stray cats with or without a name will not be allowed inside the house at any time.
9. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except at certain times.
10. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except on days ending in “y”.
11. Stray cats allowed inside will not be permitted to jump up on or sharpen their claws on the furniture.
12. Stray cats will not be permitted to jump up on, or sharpen claws on the really good furniture.
13. Stray cats will be permitted on all furniture but must sharpen claws on new $114.99 sisal-rope cat-scratching post with three perches.
14. Stray cats will answer the call of nature outdoors in the sand.
15. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the three-piece, high-impact plastic tray filled with Fresh’n’Sweet kitty litter.
16. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the hooded litter pan with a three-panel privacy screen and plenty of head room.
17. Stray cats will sleep outside.
18. Stray cats will sleep in the garage.
19. Stray cats will sleep in the house.
20. Stray cats will sleep in a cardboard box lined with an old blanket.
21. Stray cats will sleep in the special Kitty-Komfort-Bed with non-allergenic lamb’s wool pillow.
22. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed.
23. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed, except at the foot.
24. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers.
25. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers except at the foot.
26. Stray cats will not play on the desk.
27. Stray cats will not play on the desk near the computer.
28. Stray cats are forbidden to walk on the computer keyboard on the desk when the human is asdfjjhhkl;ljfd.;oier\’puyykmm4hbdm9l o9jmdskdm
When she came to us, Shady had the appetite of a great white and a waistline to match.
Shady came to me in early April after her family surrendered her. The woman’s other cats bullied Shady so mercilessly on a few occasions she actually needed veterinary treatment.
When I first laid eyes on her, I saw she was tremendous. Not in terms of intensity or excitement but sheer mass. Poor thing was so obese she couldn’t defend herself against the other cats; she was as helpless as a beached whale. At the time Shady tipped the scales just over 19 pounds, a huge gelatinous blob of fat. If that black cat had white chest markings she’d have resembled a great white shark with an appetite to match.
A kitty with her frame should weigh 11 pounds tops; she was carrying around the equivalent of an adult cat. It didn’t take a pet psychic to see there was a cat weight loss program in her future.
Shady feasts on canned Feline Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution.
I don’t have to tell you, when my veterinarian saw her, she gave me the “overweight cats” lecture. If she kept on her present course her future wouldn’t be a healthy one.
Despite loving people, Shady preferred spending time in the guest room away from our other kitties. When she wanted to hang out, she would simply stand on the floor and stare at us. She wouldn’t jump up on the furniture; we had to pick her up. She had no interest in toys or games. All she wanted from us was snuggles. Hopefully, if she could shed the excess pounds, she could play like other four year old cats.
But how to do that? I worried that the combined stress of losing her family and changing or restricting her food might cause her to stop eating altogether. Then we’d have a whole new set of problems. Shortly after she came to live with us, I was invited to participate in the Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution blogger outreach program. Sign us up.
I have to admit I was skeptical. Shady weighed an impressive 18.2 pounds with a 21¼” bust when started her weight loss for cats program around July 1. I fully expected her to sniff the Metabolic dry food bowl and walk away, but she didn’t. Instead Shady planted her enormous derriere on the floor and began to dine. Really? Equally as important as Shady’s acceptance was getting my husband on board. In the past, when kitties turned their noses up at special diets, he took pity on them and helped them cheat. This time, because of Shady’s enthusiasm, both Shady and Weems stuck to the program.
Since Shady prefers canned food, we give her a tablespoon of the Metabolic wet food throughout the day, which she eats enthusiastically. She now jumps on the couch and stares at us to let us know when she’s hungry. I’m sure she’s sending mental messages like, “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten in three hours.” She also has a measured bowl of Metabolic dry food to snack between meals.
The Metabolic diet program even includes treats because we kitty parents still want to spoil our babies. Once again I expected her to leave the treats on the floor, but certainly scarfed the up and looked in anticipation of more. Her enthusiastic response to the Metabolic food and treats completely caught me off guard. This diet really was doable.
A little more than 5 weeks later, Shady is down to 16.6 pounds, a loss of 1.6 pounds. It’s hard to see her progress in the photos because she’s still a big black blob and she has a belly apron hanging down, but Shady has lost 2½” around her chest. (I wish Hill’s made a similar diet for people.)
She still doesn’t play, but she now leaps to the couch when she wants dinner or attention. One small jump for a cat, a giant leap for a waistline. She’s more interested in spending time with Weems and me in the living room where our other cats hang out and our tuxedo ChanChan frequently sneaks into Shady’s guest room. I find them lounging on opposite sides of the bed. Is Shady more comfortable because she’s less vulnerable or because she’s learned our guys aren’t a threat? I can’t read her mind. But there’s no question our little wallflower is more outgoing.
Shady still has a journey in her mass minimization quest, but I’m excited to witness her progress. It will be many months before she’s down to a healthy weight. She’s such a sweet gentle girl. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, Shady and I are going to enjoy Shark Week together.
On Sept. 28, 2012 the Mars rover Curiosity took a photo that the conspiracy theorists would call “suspicious”. The photo, taken by the rover’s mast camera clearly shows (if you’ve ingested enough mind-altering substances) a rat hiding among a cluster of rocks labeled “Rocknest” on the orange, rock-strewn Martian surface. One UFO blogger pointed out the lighter upper and lower eyelids, as well as a nose, cheeks, ears, from leg and tummy.
I have to admit that after a couple of glasses of Zeller Schwarzekatz, that I either begin to see things in the Martian terrain or I fall asleep and drool.
As I examined this rather convincing photo, I wondered, “If there are alien rodents on Mars, did they take a wrong turn on their way to the moon, which as we all know, is made of cheese?” Or do they come to inhabit the fourth rock from the sun by escaping E.T.’s flying saucer in the same way Captain Cook’s ship rats came to populate Cook Island.
A UFO blogger discovered this cat-like rock formation among the photos taken by the Mars rover Curiosity. This NASA photo is unretouched.
When I first learned about the Red Planet’s rodents I wondered if there might also exist feline inhabitants to prevent a pan galactic rodent infestation or the spreading of Red Planet Plague. Just in case the little rock rat ever escapes to Earth, keep your kitties close and your rat traps closer.
This “rodent” was discovered in a Curiosity photo taken on Sept. 28, 2012. Where there’s rats, there’s cats.
It appears my theory is correct, as the eagle-eyed blogger of Mars Anomalies, UFO Sightings and More who was scrutinizing Curiosity’s raw photos believes he has located a couple of feline shapes on the planet’s surface. The blogger says the cat which could possibly be a fossil or a creature hiding among the rocks has clearly an eye, ears and a tail.
While I originally discounted his discovery, I have to say the “face” of the formation is compelling. I looked closer and found other shapes that I absolutely did not insert into the photo. (My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.)
With the unbelievable success of the Syfy Channel movie, Sharknado and then Sharknado 2: The Second One, I’m shooting my own B movie: Catnado: A Natural Force for Good.
Synopsis: A Midwest American farm town is overrun by mice and rats because the EPA has outlawed effective pesticides. The farmers pray for relief. Salvation comes from an unexpected source when a tornado hits a starving feral cat colony then sweeps through the grainaries. The cats eradicate the pests and get a full tummy at the same time. The lonely children of the community develop friendships with the cats. The lonely old man adopts a stray calico and names her after his late wife. In the last scene picture the town gangbanger after being saved from flying debris by an old tomcat with a tipped ear. The kid picks up old Tom, hugs him and they both start life anew.
Unlike the Sharknado movies, there is some level of accuracy, since cats can survive falls, whereas in any other world besides a Syfy movie, sharks would splat into a nasty blob of red and gray.
Catnado: A Natural Force for Good. Coming to a screen sometime.
