A note about The Cuddlywumps Chronicles

This blog is written and maintained by Miss Cuddlywumps, a fluffy-tailed calico cat who is both classically educated and familiar with mysteries. She receives creative input from the Real Cats and clerical assistance from She of Little Talent (old SoLT, a.k.a. Roby Sweet). Comments or complaints should be addressed to Miss C rather than to old SoLt (Ms. Sweet). Ms. Sweet accepts no responsibility for Miss C's opinions.

Friday, September 28, 2018

Pet Photo Fails: Oldies But Goodies

Hi, all! Welcome to the September edition of Pet Photo Fails.

Old SoLT is still seriously not feeling well, what with the infections and kidney stones she has been fighting. The good news is that the stones are finally gone, the infections are finally gone, and the pain she's having now seems to be from the stent she has, which is supposed to come out today. We hope that if all goes well, she will be on the mend by next week.

But that is next week, and this is this week, and old SoLT has not taken a single photo of anything this month, so she has no fresh photo fails. Instead, We're sharing these two classics from last year. The first one is Webster not cooperating, and the second is Paisley not cooperating:





Now it's your turn! Just post your not-quite-right pet photos and link up here to join in the fun. All pets are welcome. The Linky will be open until 11:59 p.m. Monday (eastern time). We can't wait to see those photo fails and laugh at them commiserate with you over how hard it can be to take a good pet photo.

Not ready for this month's hop? No problem! Mark your calendar for next month's hop, which will be on September 28.

#PetPhotoFails


#PetPhotoFails

Friday, August 31, 2018

Pet Photo Fails: Paisley, Unfocused

Welcome to the August edition of Pet Photo Fails!

We have just one fail for you this month, because old SoLT has not been feeling well for a whole month now and hasn't taken many pictures. She found out she has a kidney stone that might be sort of stuck, and she will probably feel better after she has it removed, but we don't know when that will be yet.

Anyway, here is a blurry photo of Real Cat Paisley 




Now it's your turn! Just post your not-quite-right pet photos and link up here to join in the fun. All pets are welcome. The Linky will be open until 11:59 p.m. Monday (eastern time). We can't wait to see those photo fails and laugh at them commiserate with you over how hard it can be to take a good pet photo.

Not ready for this month's hop? No problem! Mark your calendar for next month's hop, which will be on September 28.

#PetPhotoFails



Saturday, August 18, 2018

Caturday Art: Webster in the Cat Tree Cubby

This week's Caturday Art features Real Cat Webster in one of his favorite spots: the little cubby hole in the cat tree.

cats

Old SoLT used the Floating effect at 40% in LunaPic. She tried adding a bunch of other things on top of that, but nothing looked quite right, so she decided to stop. She did bump up the contrast and brightness in Photoshop, though.

Here's the original:

cats

We're sorry we haven't been around much lately, but old SoLT is still not feeling all that great. I hope she gets better soon, because I have lots of stuff to tell you about!

We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!

Caturday Art Blog Hop

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Cat of the Week: Shaz

Cat of the Week



Each week in this space, we feature an older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.



Adopt Shaz!This week, we’re excited to introduce Shaz, an excellent Siamese cat in need of a new home. Shaz is a 9-year-old male whose original person had health problems and could no longer care for him. Shaz’s dad wants everyone to know that he is a great cat and an excellent friend. He also enjoys hanging out with the ladies, and we’re pretty sure they enjoy hanging out with him too, because he is super handsome! This gentleman will make a terrific companion for some lucky person.

Shaz is currently at the Baltimore Humane Society. Learn more about him here.

Can’t adopt? You can still help! Check out Sammy’s Cat Necessities Fund, which provides money for everyday and medical needs of cats at the Baltimore Humane Society. You can also make a general donation or sponsor a particular animal on this page. Every little bit helps!

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Caturday Art: Sleepy Webster

This week's Caturday Art features Real Cat Webster doing one of his very favorite things: going to sleep.

Cats

Old SoLT did this with a combination of Lunapic and PicMonkey effects. In Lunapic, she used the Sketch 4 art effect, followed by just a touch of the Landscape effect (26%) to put some color back in. Then in PicMonkey, she added the Frost effect and a drop-shadow frame.

And here is the original:

Cats

We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!

#caturdayart


Friday, August 10, 2018

Words with Webster: Henry’s Pocket, Plus Friendly Fill-Ins

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is Real Cat Webster, who has an “eary”  word to share. After that, it’s on to Friendly Fill-Ins!

Words with Webster

#catwords

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words with Me. Today’s word is “Henry’s pocket.” I picked this word because I just thought it was interesting. It is also not in the dictionary, which makes it kind of hard to find its origins or give examples.

But anyway, the important thing is that Henry’s pocket is that little pouchy thing on the bottom part of a cat’s outer ear. It’s also called the “cutaneous marginal pouch,” but “Henry’s pocket” is so much more fun to say. Some kinds of dogs and other animals have these little ear pouches too.

That little pouch at the bottom of this cat's ear is
Henry's pocket. No one knows quite what it's for.
Public domain image by Mattes, via Wikimedia Commons.
Humans like to name things, so they have named this little pouch, but none of them seem to know for sure what its function is. One possibility is that the pouch helps cats detect high-pitched sounds. No one seems to know why it’s called Henry’s pocket either. We have no idea who named it that or when. All in all, Henry’s pocket is kind of a mysterious thing.

One thing that is not so mysterious is that nasty little parasites like to hang out in Henry’s pocket, so you and your vet should keep an eye out for them!

Friendly Fill-InsFriendly Fill-Ins

And now it’s time for Friendly Fill-Ins, from 15andmeowing and The Four-Legged Furballs. Real Cat Paisley took on the first two this week, and old SoLT did the next two.

Real Cat Paisley’s answers:
1. I have faith in the Cat Food Gods because they eventually make sure I get some tasty food. Sometimes it takes a while, though. Please see my answer to #2 for an example.

2. Yesterday, I finally got some tasty food after several days of icky food. The gods must have slept through the first part of the week or something.

Old SoLT’s answers:
3. My favorite place to be is sort of theoretical because I almost never get to go there . . . but I love the beach.

4. If I was granted one wish, it would be to live closer to the shore so I could enjoy walking on the beach more often than once a decade.

Thursday, August 9, 2018

The Nine Lives of a Cat, 1860 Style


Nine Lives of a Cat, 1860
Today we’re sharing something we just discovered yesterday on The Public Domain Review (a great resource if you’re looking for public domain material). What we found is an 1860 book called The Nine Lives of a Cat: A Tale of Wonder. It was written by Charles Bennett and published in London by Griffith and Farran. Bennett bills this tome as a “tale of wonder … told for children,” but it’s hardly the sort of children’s tale that would pass muster today.

Things were different for cats--and kids--back then

When we first meet the cat who is the star of the story, we see her stealing a fish. Then we learn that the cat pays a disproportionate penalty for this offense:
But when she was young,
Poor Kitty was hung;
Fortunately, though, this is a resourceful cat who keeps a knife in her pocket, so she manages to free herself. Now she’s down to eight lives.

And that is pretty much how the story goes: The cat suffers some potentially deadly calamity only to escape with her life, thanks to her own ability and cleverness. Some of these near-death experiences are the result of the cat’s own actions. She is burned while trying to snag meat off the fire and falls off a house while chasing a mouse, for example. But, disturbingly, she is also nearly done in three times by the deliberate actions of humans. One person attempts to hang her, as we’ve already seen; one attempts to drown her; and one attempts to shoot her. The disturbing part of these incidents is not that they happen at all, but that they’re mentioned so casually. The boy who tries to drown the cat isn’t described as “naughty” or “wicked” or any of the HBO words we might use; he’s just a kid having some fun.

Nine Lives of a Cat
Here, the cat falls of a house but survives by landing on her feet.

We do have to wonder if any 19th-century children were inspired by this or similar stories to try to harm cats or other animals. We suspect the answer is yes, but sadly, we also suspect that not much inspiration would have been needed in an age when violence toward animals was so accepted that it could be included in a children’s story without comment.

We’re glad humans—many of them, anyway—see things differently today.

In case you’re wondering, the cat lives to an old age and finally dies. Not exactly uplifting, although the author does remind us that the cat had lived nine lives, so we guess that’s something.

We suppose there is a moral to the story, but we’re not quite sure what it is. We're willing to entertain ideas in the comments.

Read with caution

If you’re interested in exploring how cats were portrayed in the past—or what children’s books were like in the past—we think The Nine Lives of a Cat is worth a look. None of the illustrations are horribly graphic, but we know some of you find any depictions of animal abuse upsetting. If you fall into that category, you should definitely skip this book. For others of you, we recommend taking a look at it not because it’s a great read—we thought it was awfully clunky and mostly not very enjoyable—but because it’s a piece of cat history. Also, the “Catalogue of New and Popular Works” at the back of the book is pretty interesting all by itself.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Catuday Art: Paisley Reviews a Book

We are so glad to be back after having to skip a whole week of blogging due to illness! Old SoLT has been fighting an infection for almost two weeks now, and she is finally starting to feel better. Many thanks to those who wrote to make sure we were okay--we really appreciate it!

Anyway, old SoLT felt up to doing some Caturday Art this week, so she artified a picture of Real Cat Paisley helping her review a book:

#cats #caturdayart

The art was done in Lunapic with the Blue swirl (100%), Space (51%) and Futuristic (79%) art effects. We think it looks appropriately spacey, although it's kind of hard to see Paisley. The book, in case you're wondering, is Space Cat Visits Venus.

And here's the original photo:

#cats #catbooks

We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!

#CaturdayArt

Friday, July 27, 2018

Pet Photo Fails: July

Welcome to the July edition of Pet Photo Fails!

We have a healthy crop of photos gone wrong this month, beginning with this one of Real Cats Webster and Paisley together. You can probably make out Webs, and Paisley is that big blob on the right:

#PetPhotoFails

And this is Paisley stretching. We think old SoLT was trying to help her take a selfie:

#PetPhotoFails

Here, old SoLT shows off her stunning photography skills by getting a blurry photo and cutting off Paisley's face:

#PetPhotoFails

And finally, this was definitely an attempted selfie, and it just happened last week. Webster was protesting having to look at the camera:

#PetPhotoFails


Now it's your turn! Just post your not-quite-right pet photos and link up here to join in the fun. All pets are welcome. The Linky will be open until 11:59 p.m. Monday (eastern time). We can't wait to see those photo fails and laugh at them commiserate with you over how hard it can be to take a good pet photo.

Not ready for this month's hop? No problem! Mark your calendar for next month's hop, which will be on August 31.

#PetPhotoFails


#PetPhotoFails

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Pet Photo Fails Reminder

Due to old SoLT's minor illness this week, we do not have a regular post for you today.


What we do have is a reminder that the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop happens right here tomorrow! So post some of those not-quite-right pet photos and be ready to hop and have some Friday fun.

#bloopers #petphotofails

The Linky will open at 12:01 a.m. eastern time.

All pets are welcome!

We'll see you there!

#PetPhotoFails

#PetPhotoFails

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Cat of the Week: Cruelli

Cat of the Week

Each week in this space, we feature an older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.


Adopt Cruelli! 
This week we’re happy to introduce a handsome gentleman named Cruelli. He is seven years old and is gray and white—and check out the cute little dark boops on his nose! This friendly, sweet fellow is a lot of fun and enjoys conversation with just about anyone. Cruelli is an awesome cat who is a staff favorite, so we know he will bring a lot of life to some lucky adopter’s home.

Cruelli is currently at the Petvalu in Owings Mills, MD. He is adoptable through the Baltimore Humane Society. Learn more about him here.

Can’t adopt? You can still help! Check out Sammy’s Cat Necessities Fund, which provides money for everyday and medical needs of cats at the Baltimore Humane Society. You can also make a general donation or sponsor a particular animal on this page. Every little bit helps!

Monday, July 23, 2018

Cat Classics in Print: Space Cat Visits Venus



Cat Classics in Print

Today’s classic in print is the second slim volume in the Space Cats series, Space Cat Visits Venus, written by Ruthven Todd and illustrated by Paul Galdone. This particular book was first published in 1955 and has recently been republished by Dover. We probably enjoyed the story of Space Cat’s visit to Venus even more than the original Space Cat, which means we liked it quite a lot.

The plot

We first met the little tabby named Flyball as a kitten in his first book. Now he is grown up and no one tries to tell him anymore that he shouldn’t go into space. As if he would listen anyway. In a remarkably short period of time, people have built a whole city on the surface of the moon (we do have to wonder how they managed to get funding for that, but let’s not talk about money), and they’re preparing a mission to Venus. Once again astronaut Fred Stone and his sidekick Flyball will head off to explore.

Space Cat Visits Venus, by Ruthven ToddFlyball has hopes that there will be lots of mice to chase on Venus, as there are none on the moon and that’s a real drag. Even if there don’t turn out to be mice on Venus, Flyball does have some improvements to enjoy. He has a brand-new hammock that has been built to be even more comfy than his original homemade one, and he and Fred have a new spaceship that has an actual name—Halley.

Not surprisingly, they find Venus to be a strange place with an ammonia atmosphere (at least at high altitudes), a beach of blue pebbles, and sentient plants that seem to be leading them in a certain direction. Oh, and the plants think at them. There is a certain type of moss that enables telepathic communication between plants and Earthlings and even between cat and human. All Flyball and Fred have to do is keep a bit of moss with them and they’ll be able to think at each other all the time. This is neat at first, but if you think about it, having someone be able to hear all your thoughts would get tiresome, not to mention embarrassing, after a while.

It turns out the Venus plants (and the little blue Venus mouse that Flyball is not supposed to chase!) need some help from the Earthlings. Soon Earth and Venus are off to an early promising relationship of mutual aid and cooperation. The cynic in old SoLT thinks that in reality humans would be overtaken by greed and ruin the whole planet while exploiting its amazing resources for profit. But this is supposed to be a fun and positive story, so check your cynicism at the door, please.

Our verdict

Space Cat Visits Venus is indeed a fun book. We read it in one evening and found the story and illustrations every bit as delightful as the original Space Cat. Once again Flyball goes off on a space adventure, discovering previously unknown life forms. He and Fred are brave and curious but also respectful and compassionate toward the life they meet—not a bad lesson for humans to learn, we think.

So if you’re looking for a light read for yourself or a great chapter book for the cat- or space-loving kid in your life, we highly recommend Space Cat Visits Venus.

Two Paws Up! A Great Read

A note on the "Paws Up" system: Miss C gives either one or two paws up. One paw is for a good read; two paws is for a great read. She never gives three or four paws because that would require her to lie on her back...and Miss C does not do that!


The link below is an Amazon Associates link. If you purchase the book through this link, old SoLT and I could get some coin for our kibble account. Thank you!

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Sunday Selfie: Webster Cooperates--Sort Of

Real Cat Webster agreed under mild protest to participate in this week's Sunday Selfie. He never did look at the camera, but at least he looks cute:

#Sundayselfie #catselfie


We're joining the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head!

#SundaySelfies

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Caturday Art: Webster

Our Caturday Art this week features Real Cat Webster with an unknown filter from Dreamscope:

#CaturdayArt


This one only took a week to get back. It came out a little dark, so we bumped up the brightness and contrast in Photoshop. We're pleased with it and didn't think it needed anything else.

No sign of the art we started in Dreamscope three or four weeks ago, though.

Reminder!
#PetPhotoFails

Don't forget to remember the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, which happens right here next Friday, July 27!
Just post a couple of those not-quite-right pet photos (we know you have some) and stop by, ready to hop.
We can't wait to see you!


We're joining the Caturday Art Blog Hop, hosted by Athena and Marie!

#CaturdayArt

Friday, July 20, 2018

Words with Webster: Catnap

We have two fun Friday features for you today. First up is Real Cat Webster, who has a sleepy word to share. After that, it’s on to Friendly Fill-Ins!


Words with Webster Words with Webster

Hi, everybody! It’s me, Real Cat Webster. Welcome to Words with Me. Today’s word is “catnap.” I picked this word because today is Nap Day, a day that sure seems made for cats. Anyway, we all know what a catnap is, right? In case you don’t, it is a “very short light nap,” according to my favorite dictionary (Webster’s, obviously [Webster’s Third New International, unabridged, online]).

The Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t have a separate entry for “catnap.” Weird, right? Anyway, they list it under “cat,” along with a whole bunch of other phrases and words that have “cat” in them.  They say a catnap is “a short nap while sitting.”

These definitions make me think that maybe dictionary people have never seen a cat take a nap. When me and Paisley take naps, we don’t mess around with “short,” “light,” or “sitting.” We are serious about it! Maybe other cats do it different, though. Please let us know in the comments if we are taking naps wrong.

cats Real Cat Webster

The OED says that this word has been around since at least 1823, when it appeared in James Fenimore Cooper’s Pioneers:
I just closed my eyes in order to think the better with myself... It was only some such matter as a cat’s nap. (II.xiii.187)
There weren’t a lot of good quotes for "catnap," so that’s the only one I picked to show you.

Obviously “catnap” is a combination of “cat” and “nap.” If you want to know about “cat” (which has been around since at least the year 800), you can read my post on it. “Nap” has been around since about 1300, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. It seems to be related to the Old High German hnaffezan and Norwegian napp.

Maybe this will give you something to dream about while you're taking your nap today!

Friendly Fill-InsFriendly Fill-Ins

And now it’s time for Friendly Fill-Ins, from 15andmeowing and The Four-Legged Furballs. Old SoLT did the first two, and Real Cat Paisley did the next two.

Old SoLT’s answers:
1. I tried  a cricket and I liked didn’t like it. Someone gave me a “Cricket Lick-It” lollipop once and I thought, Well, why not? so I ate it. Let’s just say it turned out to be not my thing. And the tequila-flavored lollipop with the worm inside? Also not my thing!

2. Am I the only one who would actually eat candy with a cricket in it?

Real Cat Paisley’s answers:
3. Garfield is my hero/heroine. All that lasagna!

4. If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life, it would be … You must be crazy. There is no way I could eat only one food. I get tired of everything after one day, sometimes after one serving, so Mommy has to rotate my food brands and flavors a lot.



Reminder!

#PetPhotoFails

Finally, here is your monthly reminder about the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, which happens right here next Friday!
So post a couple of those not-quite-right pet photos (we know you have some) and stop by, ready to hop.
We can't wait to see you!

Thursday, July 19, 2018

The Mythical Ball-Tailed Cat of North America


Ball-Tailed Cat
 Our subject today is the mythical North American feline known as the ball-tailed cat (Felis caudaglobosa—and no, we’re not entirely sure why a fictional creature has a scientific name or who so named it). The ball-tailed cat was a sort of wildcat similar to a mountain lion, only with a “hardy heavy, bony ball on the end of its tail” (Tryon, p. 7). We haven’t been able to find out the original range of this feline, but woodsmen around the turn of the 20th century traded tales of the creature, so we deduce that it lived primarily in wooded areas. Henry Harrington Tryon wrote in the 1930s that
recent surveys indicate that it is now pretty well confined to Harney County, Oregon, and Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. (p. 7)
The cat had a unique hunting method, lying in wait on a tree limb, only to drop down onto someone passing by (usually a lumberjack) and pound the victim to death with its ball. For a male cat, the ball was multipurpose: the cat could drum it against a hollow log to try to attract females.

Where did stories of such a creature originate? This is another thing we don’t know (add it to the list!). We speculate that perhaps a woodsman encountered a mountain lion with an abscess or tumor on its tail, and one thing led to another—but we doubt such a cat tried to beat the man to death with its tail. And yes, we made up everything in that last sentence, so don’t go quoting it as fact. Could be lumberjacks are just really good at making stuff up.

Dingmaul, aka Digmaul or Dimaul
A dimaul, dingmaul, or digmaul.
The Monster Blog of Monsters reports that “magizoologists” have noted the similarity between the ball-tailed cat’s tail and that of the dinosaur Ankylosaurus, which is thought to have used the mass on its tail “in defence and threat displays.” Some of these magizoologists even think that the ball-tailed cat could be related to Ankylosaurus, “but they are generally regarded as being quite, quite bonkers.” We would have to agree.

The fearsome silver cat
A silver cat. Apparently they liked
to hang upside down from branches.
Similar mythical felines include the digmaul (which we have also found spelled “dingmaul” or “dimaul”) and the silver cat. The silver cat sounds particularly fearsome, as the ball in its tail featured a smooth side for beating things and a spiked side for hanging on to them. You wouldn’t want to run into one of those in the woods, now would you?

Picture credit: All images are from Tryon’s book Fearsome Critters, illustrated by Margaret R. Tryon. [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

 Ball-Tailed Cat,” Wikipedia, last edited 27 May 2018.

Craig Chaddock, “Ball-TailedCat,” The Monster Blog of Monsters.

Henry H. Tryon, Fearsome Critters (70th anniversary hypertext ed., http://www.lumberwoods.com/p7.htm; originally published 1939 by Idlewild Press).

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Cat of the Week: Laila

Cat of the Week

Each week in this space, we feature an older adult or senior cat (7 years +) in need of adoption or sponsorship. Mature cats make great companions, and unlike kittens, they (probably) won’t climb the curtains! Adopt an older cat, and help them enjoy the best years of their life.


#adoptablecat #blackandwhitecat #adoptdontshop #baltimorehumaneThis week, we’re pleased to introduce this black-and-white beauty named Laila. Laila is an 8-year-old female who is described as a sweet lady. She is into head rubs and lounging on comfy cat beds. We love the pattern of her coloring, how her face is almost pure black from the chin up and white below that. So pretty! Someone out there will be really lucky to invite this lady into their home.

Laila is currently at Charm Kitty Café in Baltimore, MD. Learn more about her here.

Can’t adopt? You can still help! Check out Sammy’s Cat Necessities Fund, which provides money for everyday and medical needs of cats at the Baltimore Humane Society. You can also make a general donation or sponsor a particular animal on this page. Every little bit helps!

Monday, July 16, 2018

Book Review: Cats on Film

Cats on Film, by Anne Billson

Today we are pleased to bring you our review of a book we have been wanting to read for months: Cats on Film, by Anne Billson. If you love movies and cats, and movies with cats, we think you’ll love this look into a selection of cat films that, unless you are some kind of super film buff, will surely introduce you to some movies you’ve never seen, and maybe some you’ve never heard of.

If you think about it, cats don’t always play the same role in movies. We’d never considered that before, but now that Billson has pointed it out, it’s rather obvious. Cats can be heroes, villains, or companions, or they can provide simple scares by jumping out at someone. They can play multiple roles in a single film. Sometimes the cat appears only during the film’s credits. Billson divides cats’ roles into 12 categories and lists several relevant films in each. Some of these films you’ve surely heard of even if you haven’t seen them; others, especially the foreign titles, may be unfamiliar. The films in which cats play a major role are marked as “Major Cat Films,” useful if you’re not that interested in watching two hours of movie for just 30 seconds of cat.

One thing we really appreciated was Billson’s warning at the beginning of the “Catrifice” chapter, which discusses films in which cats are mistreated or killed. “Sensitive cat lovers may wish to skip this section,” she advises—and we did skip it, except for making note of the titles in it so we’ll be warned ahead of time before watching any of those films, if we watch them at all.

Jones, from Alien (1979)
Jones the cat in Alien (1979).
Not every section is a straight-up discussion of a film. One of our favorite parts was “My Day, by Jones,” a sort of diary entry allegedly penned by Jones, the excellent cat in Alien. In this description of the film’s events as seen from his point of view, the cat refers to the alien as “the hairless kitten” and later as “the giant killer-kitten.” Old SoLT found this terribly funny. We also loved the postscript discussing the White Cat of Evil you may know from James Bond films.

Billson provides interesting behind-the-scenes information, some of which might make you think differently about certain movies. For example, The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986) may be the cute story of a ginger kitten and a pug, but there are allegations (unverified, as far as we know) that several kittens died during its making. Additionally, the film’s makers put real cats in terrifying and dangerous situations. That was enough for us to scratch this movie off our list of things to watch. On the other paw, we learned that the famous Morris the Cat reportedly played Philip Marlowe’s cat in The Long Goodbye (1973), so this movie goes on our list.

We came away from reading Cats on Film with a long list of films that we are eager to watch. Many of them are classics that we didn’t even realize included cats, and we even added some foreign titles—usually not our thing, but if it’s a cat movie, we’ll give it a try. Our list includes a Korean ghost story, some anime, and French and other European films. Now we just have to find them all.

Be warned that this book includes graphic language (F-bombs and sexual language), mostly within quotes from films.

Cats on Film is a book that is both enjoyable and useful. We raced through it, staying up late to read about “just one more movie.” If you enjoy cats and movies even half as much as we do, we think you’ll enjoy this book. We read the Kindle version of Cats on Film, but the much pricier print version is going on our Christmas list. From what we’ve seen of the “Look inside” previews on Amazon, the print version has more pictures in it. Also, this is a book we know we are going to turn to again and again, and that’s the sort of thing we prefer to have in print. So if your budget will accommodate the print book, that is the version we recommend getting--and yes, we do recommend this book!

Two Paws Up! A Great Read

A note on the "Paws Up" system: Miss C gives either one or two paws up. One paw is for a good read; two paws is for a great read. She never gives three or four paws because that would require her to lie on her back...and Miss C does not do that!


The link below is an Amazon Associates link. If you purchase the book through this link, old SoLT and I could get some coin for our kibble account. Thank you!