mew year's eve

it's the end of the year. time to have some fun! be safe out there tonight while you party it up.

don't get too carried away with any string, though, or the authorities will have to be called.

happy new year!

the real 'simon's cat'

now we know the inspiration for simon's "cat man do."

food glorious food

well lucky us! some friends of ours had about 4,800 cans of pretty good cat food left over and asked us if we knew anyone who might be able to use it. well, what do you know? a few groups came to mind right away.

we hope friends of ferals and happy cat enjoy the food. eat up!

meet duke

this happy cat is a one-of-a-kind creamsicle with a bit of a sad backstory: duke was hit by a car and lost part of his jaw, after which he was surrendered to dchs. he is fully recuperated and doing fine, bouncing off the walls, eating like a madman and occasionally sticking his tongue out at us for fun.

if you're looking for a young cat with lots of energy and a goofball personality, this is your guy.

contact the happy cat club of madison for more info or stop into the monroe st. store to meet him.

santa lucy claws

hope everyone had a merry christmas and safe travels during the wild, wisconsin weather.

oh, and lucy thanks you for all the cookies that were left out for her the other night, they were nom'd with glee. though she said next year she'd like more donuts.

time to enjoy 'boxing day,' whatever that means.

new simon's cat - "snow business"

check out the simon's cat website for everything simon's cat, including a neat iPhone app.

undercover mousers

another favorite toy around here is undercover mouse. a mechanical-arm swings around under a nylon canopy, mimicking the natural movements of mice, or human feet (best prey at 5am).

dottie and lucy are both big fans - as are cleo and fiona.

lucy and the turbo track

the turbo track. one of the coolest new toys around, and apparently lucy's new favorite hang-out spot. it's a re-confingurable track that can be made into a brand-new toy just by rearranging its pieces into different shapes - very cool for kitties who get bored easily and like to change it up a bit.

laid back kitties will probably play with it like this, while the goofy nutters will go all out like this guy:

fat cats

all this talk of obama and the 'fat cats on wallstreet' has us thinking of garfield and pepper and all the other large and lovely felines, not corporate greed.

a steak house store kitty was mistakenly cat-napped but returned safe-and-sound. steak? morty and lucy are drooling with jealousy.

los angeles is considering an ordinance that would require all recovered pets in the city shelter to be microchipped when retrieved by their owners.

in totally un-related news, who knew octopuses (octopi?) could run so fast?

cat poetry

morning - mary oliver

salt shining behind its glass cylinder.
milk in a blue bowl. the yellow linoleum.
the cat stretching her black body from the pillow.
the way she makes her curvaceous response to the small, kind
gesture.
then laps the bowl clean.
then wants to go out in the world
where she leaps lightly and for no apparent reason across the
lawn,
then sits, perfectly still, in the grass.
i watch her a little while, thinking:
what more could i do with wild words?
i stand in the cold kitchen, bowing down to her.
i stand in the cold kitchen, everything wonderful around me.

merry christmas from the gang!

pictured here is the whole crew. feel free to click on our smiling faces to see a bigger pic and a fantastic set of elf ears. we all got together over the weekend to celebrate another great year at MadCat. we've come a long way in the last seven years; we've grown and changed, tried new things, and had a lot of fun. one thing that has always remained the same is our commitment to the people and cats of madison. we're here for you and we're here because of you.

thanks, madtown!

happy holidays to you and yours from the whole gang.

monorail cat in motion!

feral cats and ninja rats

duluth adopted out its first feral cats, giving them a second chance at life. see, even in non-no kill cities, having faith in the community and relying on the kindness of strangers can save countless lives. maybe this is the first step to initiating a real t-n-r program that will save so many more.

in other cat news:

allerca, the company behind the supposedly "allergy-free cat" that bred and sold cats for thousands of dollars a pop, is going out of business.

UK comic, Russel Brand, says he won't move to the states to be with his gf, katy perry, unless his kitty can come, too.

the brits don't have the only mass-tranist-loving felines; boston's subway kitty, kenmore, has a new, less noisy, home.

and last, but not least, the ninja rats have arrived. nikki luvs hers because she thinks of herself as a bit of a samurai. her claws agree.

i can make sno angul

so did anyone out there join in on the epic snowball fight that took place on bascom hill yesterday? what a way to spend a snow day!

in other snowy news, dchs wants to remind you to check your car for any cold kitties who may have tried to snuggle up to your warm engine. in these cold temps it's best to keep your furried ones indoors, preferably cozied up near a fireplace with a cup of hot cider and a good book.

in science-y news, a team of thinkers got together and used their own biased rating system to officially declare that dogs are better than cats. how passe. this kind of us-against-them thinking is another reason why so many cats are killed in shelters every year. all creatures should be loved and respected for what they are, not what they are not.

snow day!

snomg! this storm has brought the city to its snow-pants-covered knees. the roads are wild, the banks are high and even the plows are getting stuck. with all that fun going on outside, we thought it best to close the mineral point road and monroe street stores at noon today. the willy st. location will remain open until 6:00pm for all of your kitty needs.

now go outside and make a snow-cat, get in a snowball fight, catch some flakes on your tongue and above all, stay safe.

this is madison in winter, folks. isn't it beautiful?

glamour puss

these kitties must have the raging fire of a thousand suns hidden beneath their wigs. that blue one is awful cute, though.

mirror mirror

though they are mother and son, morty and lucy don't often choose to hang out together. this is a lovely candid moment of the two coming together in the holiday spirit and passing an afternoon on the counter. don't you wish every job came with a couple of cats?

if you haven't heard, diamond foods recalled their premium edge brand of cat food. it's mostly sold on the east coast and is not carried by madcat. now word is out that it was manufactured in the same south carolina plant as the recalled dog food that contained aflatoxin back in '05. looks like someone's got some explaining to do.

this is just another reminder to always blow on the pie.

icees, cat cams, and poinsettia myths

madison had it's first big snowfall last night and nikki isn't too happy about it.

another kitty who had a bad run-in with the white stuff is named icee. he was nearly frozen to death when rescued and brought into a colorado animal shelter. read the story of his miraculous survival here. shelters across the country are performing little miracles everyday. with every adoption is another life saved.

a recent cat-cam experiment documented a cat's normal day at home through photos. the results were very interesting; contrary to what we might think, the cats only slept about 6 percent of the time.

and thanks to a comment from feline underground reader, kevin, we've done a little research on the toxicity of poinsettia plants. it turns out that there are different ideas as to whether they are toxic at all. there is evidence that it is all overblown and stems from the 1919 death of a 2-year old child, wrongfully assumed to have eaten poinsettia leaves. even the aspca's toxicity chart has it listed as both "toxic to cats" and as "irritating to the mouth and stomach, sometimes causing vomiting, but generally over-rated in toxicity." huh. good to know. it's still something to keep out of reach, though, if you don't want to find any christmas presents from kitty on the carpeting.

break-dancing robot!

this little guy has moooves!

counting the days with dottie

looking for a fun christmas gift? need to keep track of your busy life? just happen to love our store cats?

well stop into any of the madcat locations and pick up the 2010 MadCat Calendar featuring the furry five of the madcat crew: morty, lucy, nikki, gabby and dot. we've never attempted a calendar before, but with all the great pics we've snapped over the last year we just had to give it a try.

the best part, aside from all the cuteness, is that all proceeds are staying in the community and going to the happy cat club. it's a win-win for you and the homeless kitties of madison!

fancy felines and dapper dogs

have a dog with a serious case of mustache-envy? need a little tom selleck in your life? well, fret no more, doggie mustaches are no longer just wishful thinking. the future is here, and it's mustachioed. morty's a little jealous.

it's poinsettia season, folks. make sure you keep those, the holly, and all poisonous plants out of reach of curious kitties.

take a look at what is possible the best, and scariest, picture of a tiger ever. we'll have to try the meat-dangling photo trick with our fearless beast, miss nikki madcat.

daily dose of adorable - "surprised kitty"

shelter showdowns

the humane society of the united states, the association for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and county shelters have been all over the news this weekend. there's some bad news, some new questions, and even some good news:

first, it was the firing of 5 employees charged with animal abuse at the toronto humane society. then, a mummified cat was found in the ceiling of the toronto building during the execution of a search warrant.

then it was the talk of unethical behavior by the aspca up in seattle as the hsus takes over the county shelter and opening the can of worms that is "where do donation dollars go?"

finally, remember oreo's story? a new bill has been presented in new york state that would make it "illegal for a shelter in New York State to kill an animal if a rescue group or No Kill shelter is willing to save that animal’s life."

gobble, gobble

happy thanksgiving, Madison!

today we feast and for that we are grateful. we hope that you become as immobilized as we do. enjoy your food-coma. please make sure everyone gets something to eat. this includes your local street cats - they love turkey (and sterilization).

we will be open again tomorrow, but today we enjoy food with dear friends. now go hug somebody...

new leadership at the wisconsin humane society

the wisconsin humane society has selected anne reed, a milwaukee-based lawyer, to head up their board of directors. while she does not have any direct experience in animal welfare she has been on the boards of many other non-profit groups and worked in the legal system for over twenty years. hmmmm....sounds somewhat similar to another lawyer/animal welfare advocate we know (hint: look at yesterday's post.)

hopefully she can lead the group in a new direction and make progress towards a no kill wisconsin.

in other humane society news, here are the dane county humane society's official stats for the month of october. since it's the season of giving thanks, let's all be thankful that the euthanasia numbers are way down from previous years. but that should not stop us from pushing the fight to save every last one of them.

the man with a plan gives us part 2

exciting news, everyone! nathan winograd, the fearless leader of the no kill sheltering movement, has a new book, irreconcilable differences. it's a follow-up to redemption and is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about companion animals, shelter care, and the end of unnecessary deaths.

even better news, the book will be available at MadCat within a couple of weeks. pick one up for your favorite cat-rescuer!

make it pretty with a kitty!

new iphone application lets you add cats to your iphotos. why not? cats make everything a little bit cuter. though if you're reading this blog your camera roll is probably already full of cat pics. amirite?

a croation soccer player got a yellow card for removing a stray kitty from the playing field. cats are naturals at soccer, he probably thought the soccer ball was just a really big glitter ball.

here's the now-famous video of the adorably friendly little kitty who kept interrupting a police officer while he was issuing a ticket. while the officer was certainly professional enough we can't believe he was able to ignore the high level of cuteness. we would have been all over that little guy.

and just because we love goofy cat-humour, cats 4 gold! "lose the treasure, get the cheshire!"

Miley and the litter king

as you are all surely aware by now, Miley is ok. how is this cat-related? well, i'll tell you. does your cat poop? everybody's cat poops. and when things work the way we like, they use a high-quality unscented litter that helps make all the bad smells go away.

well, who do you think puts that magic sand in those fancy jugs? it's not Miley Cyrus (though she is involved). it's Chris Romashko. and if MadCat is where people get their stuff, and refills are how they like it, then Chris is the undisputed king of litter. why? because he fills each and every jug. and while he fills those jugs he likes to listen to music. and the music he likes most is...you guessed it - Miley Cyrus.

he is still a bit worried about Billy Ray, but it seems we're back on track to fill a lot of jugs today...

dchs gets some dough

the dane county humane society has received a $50,000 grant from the aspca to help cover costs from last spring's seizure of animals from the thyme and sage ranch.

we're curious where the money is going and whether any of it will be used to help save the cats already there.

in other local news, one of the lead vets at dchs has had her home-insurance canceled. why? because she rescued a rottweiler. more breed-specific targeting that is hurting more than helping.

happy cat spotlight: squeekie! this laid-back guy (pictured above) is about three years old and front-paw declawed. he enjoys spending time with other kitties and lounging around enjoying the finer things in life. come down to the monroe st. store and give him some loving.

the story of oreo

a furor is spreading about the un-neccessary death of a dog named oreo. her killer? the very organization designed to protect her, the aspca.

what went wrong? how does one get to killing the very things they want to save? why did ed sayres, president of the aspca, choose death over an offered life-time of care in a sanctuary?

the story is just one example of what is happening in kill shelters across the country every single day.

visit nathan winograd's blog for the rest of the sad story. to learn what you can do to help make us into a no kill nation, check out the no kill advocay center.

playing dead is easy when you're morty...

... you just sleep a lot.

more proof that cats are just as trainable as dogs: kitty "plays dead."

more research is being done to help keep shelter cats healthy and happy during their stays. this is another key step in the march towards no kill. a little cold should never come between a cat and a new home.

we think kenny and spenny need to spend a little time with our crew of crazy kitties and less on debating cats vs. dogs for their tv show. enough with pitting our furrfriends against one another!

and just because it's hypnotically cool, a flock of 300,000 birds doing some fantastic aerial magic.

the mean kitty song

call a plumber!

the nebraska pipe kitten caught the nation's attention yesterday. today, the little girl is free and looking for a new home. preferably one without exposed pipes. a tip of the hat to all those who helped!

the passing of a canadian official's beloved cat, named "thatcher," after his political heroine, nearly caused a crisis when people assumed the former british prime minister had died. we're sorry for mr. baird's loss and hope mr. soudas apologizes for his callous remarks.

abc's 20/20 is airing a special tonight on the "cat lady" documentary and the women featured therein. maybe this will blow away the "cat lady" stygma and get compassionate people some of the respect they deserve.

more on the california declawing ban controversy - the response of a cat communicator.

my fair kitteh - dottie doolittle

straight off the runways of japan, designer clothes for your cats! that white blouse and red skirt would look just darling on our lovely lucy.

in local dog news:

the dane county humane society is asking potential adopters to give pit bulls a chance. at a time when breed bans are a hot-button issue it's comforting to hear local animal behaviorist patricia mcconnell put things into perspective, "every dog should be evaluated as an individual. breed is so irrelevant so often."

good news for fast dogs, the last of the five greyhound parks in the state is closing at the end of the year. yep. six dog deaths in three months will do that to ya.

californi-cats

so it turns out that the reason so many california cities are looking to ban declawing is due to the california state legislation preventing local municipalities from enacting declawing bans beginning in january. pretty tricky, vet lobby. luckily, those cities are just too quick for you.

in other hollywood news, two new movies are in the works that feature some famous felines:

spider-man 4 will have an appearance by the comic character, "black cat." rachel mcadams is marked to don the cat suit.

and tim burton's new version of alice in wonderland has the cheshire cat smiling his way across the whole sky. he almost looks like the madcat logo, doesn't he?

French drama queens

Miles is a cat with stories to tell. this is his first crack at film-making, but so far he says he's enjoying it. while he says his next film will feature more actors and plot twists, critics seem delighted with his soundtrack and cinematography. we expect good things from Miles and the gang at Pantaloons Productions over the next year - stay tuned!

* note - it was pointed out that Miles regularly sleeps with (on, around, near) a MadCat employee and that's how he got his video up so easy. we are investigating this claim...

Bo knows MadCat?

apparently we are where you go when the 1st dog needs a collar -

lolephants

"So help me Hanna, had I hit that elephant, not swerved, it would have knocked it off its legs, and it would have landed right on top of us," he said. "We'd have been history." - this is not dialog from an upcoming comedy.

it turns out that male sabre-toothed tigers weren't as mad, bad and dangerous to know as we all thought. especially when compared with those american lions (not the kind from detroit).

animal friendships are always adorable, but when you get a horse and a cat, or a chicken and a dog teaming up together it's even more super-duper cute.

now get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather! play in a pile of leaves, take a nap in the sunshine and maybe even eat a few treats.

great news for wisconsin puppies!

the wisconsin state senate unanimously approved the puppy mill bill in session earlier today. this is a marked victory for local and national humane groups. good for us!

"more and more people in mainline christianity are considering them to have some kind of soul." churches are opening their minds, doors and hearts to pet-related worship.

looks like swine flu has done the un-expected and jumped species into an iowa house-cat. the good news, the kitty is doing fine and is relieved to see his tail has not been replaced by a curly-cue.

obama, the fly, and keyboard cat

with obama in town today, we thought we'd give him a shout-out via our good friend, keyboard cat:

kidneys, protein and professional BS

we get a lot of questions regarding protein intake for older cats with kidney problems. you are not alone. Kenneth C. Bovée, DVM from UPenn's School of Vet Med has a few thoughts about protein restriction as a method of managing kidney disease, an idea that continues to challenge our sense of nutrition and physiology.

"the continued existence of this false myth about dietary protein is an uncomfortable reminder of the lack of sophistication, lack of critical thought, and reliance on oversimplified and attractive dogma that persists in our profession"

as a not-so-junior cat with kidneys, i can tell you this is a little disconcerting. but why? he goes on...

"Marketing is aggressively aimed at veterinarians and owners alike. There is a profit motive for veterinarians to sell these diets. The public has a nutritional mania and preoccupation with diet in our society. Dietary change has assumed the status of medical treatment using such terms as intervention, maintenance, and correction. The profession and the public do not appreciate that advertising claims come without proof in the case of diets."

i'm not sure all of Dr. B's assessments were well received by the vet-food establishment, but here in catland, we just want the truth. it seems more and more vets (the ones we trust) are taking a similar view. check out our kidney health page for more resources on chronic renal failure (CRF), kidneys, and nutritional needs.

three is the magic number

what is the right number of cats per household? shouldn't that be decided by the household and not the local government? hoarders excluded, it's a dangerous game to put limits on pet ownership when local shelters are far from no kill.

world's fastest man adopts world's fastest cat, will now run backwards around the world and stop time. or not.

now los angeles is getting on board the anti-declawing train. pretty soon all of california will be living in the 21st century.

micro-chipped lost dog stolen and given away by animal control officer that found it. something about that just doesn't make sense.

hello kitty kitty

the iconic face of adorableness, hello kitty, is turning 35 this year. she's still cute as a button after all these years.

hope you all had a fun halloween! looks like the obamas got into the holiday this year as they handed out candy at the white house. mrs. obama even dressed up as cat!

it's the birthplace of the pet cat some 9,500 years ago. now Cyprus is laying claim to two new breeds: the appropriately named "aphrodite" and the "st. helen"

wuh oh. looks like dogs are the new hummers: analyzing our pets' eco-footprints. cats are like priuses, only they look a lot cuter.

spooky halloween, scary cat

iz a mouse-cat-eer!

happy meowloween, folks! hope everyone is looking forward to a fun and festive weekend. here are a few tips to help keep your pet safe and sound during all the trick-or-treat commotion. oh, and don't forget to set your clocks back!

santa monica beats san francisco in the race to ban declawing. who's next?

keeping too-young-to-be-adopted kitties in foster homes is a key step in the no kill equation. if you want to foster local kittehs please contact the dane county humane society or friends of ferals.

"they seek out those who ignore them and spurn those who would befriend them. imperious, aloof, and inscrutable, cats are the teenage girls of the pet world."

need moar food?

keeping cats happy, healthy and well-fed keeps them in their homes. the humane society of tampa bay is attempting to do just that by giving away free food and litter to needy families.

doing good from beyond: north carolina millionaire leaves fortune to four local cat rescues.

"mily cyrus fan threatens to eat cat if miley cyrus doesn't tweet again." really? someone needs to get this girl some help. actually, scratch that. get the cat some help. the girl is beyond saving.

the purr-fect gift is not an expensive, pure-breed, exotic kitten. it's the feeling you get when your rescue cat looks you in the eyes and says "thank you."

a pit and a kit

when dog's best friend is a cat: another happy tale of pet rescue and friendship that spans species.

watch out, minneapolis! the kitty-litter-pail bank robber is on the loose and scooping up yer moneys!

kitty got stuck! we hope this pole-cat isn't acrophobic!

in goofy local news, the "cheese lady" is going to carve a 1,000 pound bucky badger out of cheddar. combine cheese and football? why not?

malls of america, get with the program! service animals aren't just dogs anymore, they're ferrets, too!

this is just too cool

science, the universe, auto-tune, and 4 of the world's greatest minds present a journey through space and sound. "we are all connected" by symphony of science

declaw? heck nah!

san francisco just got one step closer to enacting a city-wide ban on declawing. we aren't for declawing but what happens when a family faces the decision of either having to give up their cats or become criminals? it's a toughie, alright. what do you think?

cats helps us in so many ways but helping women beat breast cancer has to be up there with the best of 'em. thanks, guys!

warning: from singed whiskers and tails to full-on fires, cats and candles do not mix. please be careful!

uh oh, looks like curiosity gets dogs in trouble, too. hope roxie recovers soon.

resistance is futile. so is trying not to buy this awesome shirt.

making up is hard to do

this video of a fighting couple has taken over the interwebs. looks like they need to have a little make-up session like morty and lucy.


this is just another very good reason to have a cat, they let you know when something weird is going on, whether it be a bug on the carpet or a creep in your living room. if kitty's acting strange, take notice; they're more observant than we are.


it hasn't been a good week for the dogs of madison:


coyote alert! west-siders be on the lookout for coyotes. they are getting hungry and very brave.


madison police shot a dog that was described as "angry and aggressive" during a current drug-raid.

meowth to meowth

a new ap poll suggests only half of cat-owners would be willing to give their furry ones mouth to mouth in the event of an emergency. what gives?

"superdog, bee, jockey rider, hot dog, pirate, devil, prisoner, yoda, cowboy rider, batman and groom" are this year's top halloween doggie costumes. we think "cat" should be included in that list.

stressed out kitties, new kitties, marking kitties, angry kitties, sad kitties, foster kitties, and crazy kitties could all use a little dose of comfort (zone).

this is both weird and sad; tree man, meet cat-girl.

gabby - raider of the lost punkin

candy - the best part of halloween also happens to be the biggest threat to our pets in the holiday season. chocolate, particularly the dark kind, and xylitol-sweetened candies are the most dangerous. keep an eye on your stash or gabby will find it!

what's with british cats and mass transit? now there's a cat who takes a daily train ride down to a marine-life sanctuary where he passes time with penguins. how wonderfully odd!

remember the 71-year old man who was facing criminal charges for freeing a cat from a raccoon trap on his neighbor's property? well, lucky for him, and the cat, the charges have been dropped.

if you happen to have a lot of cardboard laying around you could follow these instructions from evil mad scientist to make your kitty it's very own cardboard chaise lounge. but don't worry if you're not the handy type because we've got you covered with this awesome cardboard chase lounge. get it? chase!

poly poly oxen free!

we've all heard of polydactyl cats, the cool kids with extra fingers on their mittens, but this guy is more like super-polydactyl with 24 combined toes! he'd probably make an excellent catcher in baseball.

own a cat, don't get deported. "an immigrant facing deportation from Britain cited ownership of a pet cat with his girlfriend as part of his legal battle to stay in the country."

the crazy cat lady board game. but, if they're true crazy cat ladies they would only have cats to play with!

will ferrel's comedy blog, funnyordie.com, is hosting a new web series called "the pearl and I" about a divorced man re-entering the dating world with a little help from his cat, pearl. word on the street is that it's pretty funny and pearl is charming as all get out.

happy national feral cat day!

alley cat allies is promoting the no kill approach of t-n-r by honoring october 16th as national feral cat day. now get out there and love some kitties!

in a recent poll dogs edged out cats as best pet. must have been fixed. get it? fixed! seriously, go trap some ferals and get 'em fixed!

another kitty kidnapped and since cats are still classified as property she's only worth $100. when is our legal system going to recognize pets as different from cds and sofas?

hey balloon boy, now that we know you're safe, meet keyboard cat.

if you're ready to help the feral cats of dane county click here.

christian the lion

we'll let this one speak for itself.

wat pill? i no hided it

cats and pills go together like ewoks and stormtroopers. that's why we love pill pockets!

fat cats aren't just sitting in corporate boardrooms anymore. they're taking up half the couch! here's a quick Q and A on kitties and kcals.

how many cats have become beloved family pets just by showing up at the front door and not leaving? is it really stealing?

ok, folks. get your traps out and ready because national feral cat day is only two days away on the 16th! if you are in dane county and want to help, please contact the dane county friends of ferals.

stare into my eyes...you are getting very sleeeeepy.

turns out any old tom, dot or lucy can be registered as a hypnotherapist in the united kingdom. cat dancers could come in handy for those sessions.

simon tofield, the genius behind the youtube series "simon's cat," just published his very first book. it will undoubtedly be a best seller in no time.

if you were planning on dressing as a sexy ragdoll or naughty little bo peep for halloween but don't want your dog to miss out on all the fun then you might want to check these costumes out. let's just hope they don't dress any doggies as sexy kittehs. it might confuse them too much.

just for fun: "squirrels suspected after flags go missing from veteran's graves"

compassionate cats

the beginning of a new generation of cat-lovers: a new school program teaches children to have empathy for animals, especially kitties.

the no kill revolution marches on with communities nationwide embracing the humane approach of t-n-r for feral colony management.

"one gay man, two lesbians, a three-legged cat and a poisoned curry plot" - best headline ever?

honda gets smart, releases a car for dog-lovers - "features on the dog-friendly model include a cushioned cargo bed area with safety restraints, second-row pet seating with restraints, a spill-resistant water bowl, special ventilation fans, bone and paw print-patterned floor mats and a retractable ramp to help animals get in and out of the vehicle."

if they ever release a cat-friendly car let's hope it doesn't look like this.

the postman always squeals twice

you don't often hear of mail carriers being terrorized by cats. maybe they should start carrying catnip with them. a catnip kitty is usually a daze-y, lazy kitty.

more kitty-mail news! this poor guy was accidentally shipped across the country in a ups box. opening that box must have been quite the surprise for the chiropractic clinic.

a police officer shot at a playing pitbull because she thought it was attacking. this is why breed-bans are dangerous, they propagate fear.

more on the marine corp's breed ban that we mentioned on tuesday. it turns out that the marines in south carolina are using a team of ASPCA animal behaviorists to do their temperament testing yielding positive results. while the ban is still unnecessary and prejudicial this is one step back in the right direction.

cute kitty, fun tunnel

morty's trick is riding trees - he's a regular cowcat

cats can do anything dogs can do better, cats can do anything better than you. well, maybe not, but this russian cat-trainer has former-shelter cats jumping through hoops and pushing little dogs around in baby strollers.

interesting time article on the growing cat and pet supply business in the gaza strip. even in tumultuous areas a cat can turn an apartment into a home.

the u.s. marine corps has issued the first-ever world-wide breed ban preventing certain breeds and "aggressive" dogs from all u.s. bases and housing facilities.

taiwan will pay your for your dog poop; 2 pounds for 3 bucks. what a deal!

blessed be the cat

a congregation of thirty-nine dogs and one cat were blessed as part of the feast day of saint francis of assisi, the patron saint of animals. really though, all cats must be blessed. how else could they be this cute?

looks like little ghost isn't the only one who prefers riding under cars to riding in them. as the weather gets cooler, this is something to look out for. cold kitties think warm engine blocks are as good as any bed.

here are some cool pics of cats play-fighting as if they were in crouching tiger hidden kitteh.

the supreme court is back in session and hearing a case that may make visual depictions of animal torture as serious a crime as child pornography. this would prevent the distribution of videos of dog-fighting, off-season hunting, bull-fighting and other forms of torture and abuse. we think saint francis would approve.

dixieland diva

happy cat spotlight: dixieland! she is a super sweet, adult, grey-brown tabby looking for a new home. for more information on dixie and the adoption process just head on over to the happy cat club of madison or stop into our monroe street store.

ever longed for a woolen replica of your dog or cat? well now you can have just that! this artist uses pictures of your pets to reproduce a life-like woolen statue. pretty neat!

you don't often hear of certified therapy cats, but anyone who shares their home with one knows that cats can make the best therapists.

findtoto.com is a new service that will auto-call your neighbors to alert them of your missing pet. starting at $70 and ranging all the way to $875, it's quite the jump from putting up xeroxed posters.

the incredible diving maru!

this chubby scottish-fold is a huge hit in japan, and we can see why. look at her go!

october can only mean one thing...

...dogtoberfest! if you love dogs, beer and 80s musical act 'the go-gos' you had better head on over to capital brewery saturday, october 10th. seriously, though. jane wiedlin? crazy!

a new york man is facing a year in jail for freeing a cat from a raccoon trap after it had been stuck there for two days. poor kitty.

nike is coming under some heat for providing admitted-dog-killer michael vick with athletic wear. though they have not officially endorsed him, the free gear certainly doesn't look good to us.

you simply must click through this slide-show of photos from buffy the cat's website. she's such a good sport for letting her guardians dress her up and pose her like that. what a doll! buffy the dentist is our fav.