kiki the happy kitteh

miss kiki is the newest happy cat to hit monroe st. she is one-year old, energetic and likes to give cuddles and kisses. she had a littler of kittens earlier in the summer and is now looking forward to starting a new life with a little less responsibility and lots more fun. stop in and giver her some love!

girls kept in backyard for years had ceramic cat collection, cat fancy magazines. kitties can be a comfort in even the saddest of situations. we hope they get to experience the love and understanding of a real kitty soon.

the comments on this story about rabies in a feral cat population show point pleasant, new jersey to be anything but pleasant.

the new movie, district 9, features a cat-food monopoly and aliens. surprisingly, alf is not involved.

yum yum yum

nikki pre-partied a little too hard

if you're into food, rockin' music and toasting the winners of the isthmus' "madison's favorites" poll then come on down to the king street block party this saturday evening. we'll be there so don't be square!

"It was his home, and he'd stroll down the bar as if he owned the place, stopping now and then to lap a patron's drink. He napped in drum kits before shows and zipped through pulsating crowds during performances, unfazed by headbanging volume." - a chicago bar mourns the loss of their beloved pub kittty.

decoding the secrets of human genetics by way of dog hair. yes, that stuff that clings to your pants and couches is also the stuff that dreams are made of.

the dane county humane society is in the news again, this time it's for the alleged mis-treatment of seized chickens from a local fighting ring.

mirror cats and "the lion"

they've become self-aware! cats seem to have a fascinating relationship with the looking glass. some ignore it, others fight the elusive cat hidden within it, and still others seem to recognize it for what it is and appreciate it as such. whatever their true feelings for mirrors, it sure is fun to watch them watch themselves.

this smart kitty experimented with them.

the comments on this blog reveal a wide-spread fascination with mirrors of all sorts. even using them to keep an eye on their owners.

this video has two kitty youngsters seeing a mirror for the very first time. notice how the orange one waits for his opponent to attack and then gets bored waiting. lol!

in sad news, senator ted kennedy passed away last night. he was a man for the people and a friend of animals and will be remembered as such.

"Splash is a part of our family, but he's part of the senate family as well. He comes to work with me every day with his little niece Sunny and members of the senate dome. He's not allowed to go on the senate floor. He's troubled by that... because he thinks, he says that they won't let him on because people will say that they don't think he knows how to behave. But actually, he says that he behaves a lot better than most senators."

please, please, please, don't shoot the cat

the anti-cat undercurrent has got to stop:

pfeiffer, a one-year old cat, was shot with a cross-bow last week, and miraculously survived. no suspects yet. (warning: graphic image)

in a uk neighborhood, 8 cats have been poisoned to death. was it a pro-bird/anti-cat killing? it's happened before.

we've got a ways to go before we truly embrace the no kill philosophy, as a nation and as people.

this cute dog thinks he's a cat. he even uses the litter box and is being adopted out through a cat-specific rescue group! now that's a dog who'd fit right in here. he and lucy could cuddle.

poodles groomed to look like other animals: cruelty or comedy? tell us what you think.

look at the world from more than one angle

isthmus story on 'off-limits' places in town - denied access to dchs euthanasia room. just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

the fastest human alive is as fast as a house cat. neat-o!

tax-payer money is going to help defend the florida cat killer in the upcoming trial.

'certified pre-owned cats' - even in animal rescue it's all about the marketing.

here's an update on two of the vick pits seized back in 2007. looks like both will be moving on to new, better lives soon!

turbo track fever!

it's like the micro machine racing track for cats! if only it had some sweet jumps...

thank you, madison!

well, we did it again: took first place in the isthmus' "madison's favorites" poll! grab a copy of the isthmus and check out the annual manual for a complete list of winners and a great pic of our very own gabby madcat. once again, thanks to all who voted for us. come on down to the king st. party next saturday and we'll celebrate!

now we are not saying this caused the crash, but joking about barbecuing a cat wasn't very nice, either.

why would anyone want to beat up a little dog? all animals deserve respect, even "ugliest dog" winners.

oh boy. peta's at it again and by "at it" we mean making a big stink. when will they learn?

even though we're not on the eastern seaboard, it's always good to be prepared for any kind of storm - caring for feral cats during a hurricane.

cats as property? hardly! they own us!

big news - a lawsuit in virginia is delving into a hot issue close to all pet-lovers' hearts: what is a companion animal really worth? let's hope this leads to the end of classifying our pets as 'property.' do you have any suggestions on what their new status could be?

mycathatesyou.com - always a fun stop on the daily blog train and full of cats giving disdainful looks.

this dog on deathrow in northern ireland is exactly why breed-banning not only doesn't work but is a downright travesty.

"a pilot and his cat are lucky to be alive after they crashed their small plane north of reno uesday morning." a new take on "dog is my co-pilot?"

ocd and geds

a big thank you to nature's variety for donating a bunch of food that has been allocated to local rescue groups and the humane society! a lot of cats are going to be eating well for awhile.

guess we aren't the only ones with issues - dogs and cats with ocd.

higher purrning - cat gets online ged! what a smartie pants!

when your furrkids prefer someone else - featuring the story of a madison woman!

pets can be victims of domestic violence, too, and it's never ok.

nikki by the catnip - dazed and confused

so the philadelphia ealges have signed vick for the coming season. there has been protest, discussion and encouragement of the decision. where do you fall?

on the other side of the globe, a thai elephant, the victim of a landmine, is about to get her new artificial leg. good for her!

what's up with these uk kitties and riding buses? we told you about one a couple of weeks ago and now there's a second cat choosing public transportation. crazy!


from the isthmus daily page's forum, a discussion on coyotes, cats, birds and the indoor/outdoor debate. plus a cool do-it-yourself idea for a cat-proof fence!

dottiebot 2000, version 2.0 just arrived!

remember the missing african cat up by green bay? well, it was found hanging out in the office of a nearby warehouse. we'd like to hear that 911 call. "aw, there appears to be a cheetah in my office. help?"

sad news: the tallest dog has passed on. at over 7 feet at his tallest he was a giant among men.

everyone could use a nice mani-pedi every now and then. pro-tip: bribes and distraction always work best when it comes to clipping claws.

see how many of these "top 10 cutest cat videos" you can identify. we still love those treadmill kitties! if only we could get the store cats to do that.

a sicko in our own state: someone threw a dog off of a 30-ft. bridge in northwestern wisconsin. sick.

cat vs. helicopter

the heli never stood a chance -- godzilla's got nothing on that cat!

cheetas or cheetos?

man blames cat for downloading child pornography - we're sure the dog ate his homework, too.

if you're in the green bay area and spot what appears to be a smallish cheetah, have no fear - it's just someone's 50lb. missing cat.

juvenile sicko gets 18-months, cats get nothing.

"“who are these trustees to second-guess either Mrs. Helmsley’s wishes or the legitimacy of kindness and compassion for animals?” leona is going to be really peeved when she finds out how little of her money is actually going towards helping dogs.

the new york times wants to know if you look like your dog - unless your dog happens to be aphrodite in canine form we certainly hope not!

gabby, the ent-cat looks for more tasty hobbits

choosing pet supply stores - this is why we don't sell pets.

"love him or hate him, Fido is changing american society -- in ways municipal and medical, emotional and economic, social and scientific -- as never before." we are a nation of pet-lovers!

this lucky kitty survived a bullet to the face and still manages to love people. it is always amazing how tenacious the spirit of a cat can be.

stem cells are being used to help degenerative illness in animals - science is a remarkable thing, especially when we are using it to help those who can not help themselves.

top 5 loudest and quietest cat breeds - our store cats are generally pretty quiet but we've met some pretty loud tabbies in our day. how vocal do your cats get?

dottie begins her transformation into dottie-bot 2000

yesterday our little calico princess got microchippped. it was a relatively quick and painless procedure where a small chip, the size of a grain of rice, was inserted under the skin between her shoulder blades. while she didn't really enjoy it we think even dottie would feel good about the peace of mind the chip will bring to us. now, should she ever go off a wandering and end up in a shelter somewhere, a quick scan of her back will reveal the chip number which will lead the shelter workers to us. we had the chip implanted down at the dane county humane society where they take walk-in appointments during regular business hours.

if you have not had your pet chipped we definitely recommend it, and here's why:

a cat and his owner were recently reunited after three years. the miracle that brought them back together? that's right. a microchip!

nine years and 1,000 miles separated a dog, muffy, from her owner. they were only reunited when an aspca worker scanned muffy and located the information on her chip.

have questions? the hsus has answers.

his head is so big he needs two beds

"there are two floors. downstairs is the living room and upstairs is the closet and bedroom. they love to run up and down the stairs and chill on their balcony." - paris hilton describing her new dog house.

put all that shedding fur to good use - make a scarf!

another cat makes the biggest scene at an otherwise boring baseball game.

what cat doesn't want a tank to hang out in?

try and find something more adorable than this little kitten pinning himself down with a pillow. i dare you!

cat ladies and lads

at what number of cats does one become a "cat lady"?

"The cat is officially out of the bag: according to a new survey from Ipsos and Tidy Cats, more than half of Americans sans cats believe that anyone with more than one feline at home is a "crazy cat lady."

herumph! those people obviously haven't bowed down to the greater species yet. their time will come.....

in other "crazy cat lady" stuff, there's now a board game to help with those cat-collecting urges. get more cats than your neighbor and you win!

...but wait, you can even play with your very own "cat lady" action figure! the fun never ends as you stuff those kittys in its pockets while she gives the world the old crazy eye.

...and with halloween just around the corner, you may even want to consider the cat lady costume! you can even wear it as your standard uniform if you're crazy enough!

meet shakespeare!

"i am as vigilante as a cat to steal cream" - the bard said that, this shakespeare would be happy just to find a new home with someone to rub against. he is currently hanging out at our west side store meowing for attention and pets. for more info on adopting shakespeare contact the happy cat club of madison.

science is finally trying to catch up with us! colorado state university plans first study on the benefits of probiotics on irritable bowel disease in cats.

wacky cat facts! they have 44 more bones than we do, giving them the ability to squeeze through tiny spaces, get their heads stuck, and become a news item.

what every sci-fi -loving cat lady needs, a hello kitty stormtrooper!

lucy iz not hooman grayd 'gredient!

nora, the piano-playing cat, gets her own pitch-purrfect concerto.

woman framed by police just wanted to catch her cat.

the greatest show in bolivia just got a whole lot greater. is this the first step toward cruelty-free circuses everywhere? we hope so.

kitty gets new eyelids - a perfect example of how no kill rescue groups can harness the power of the internet to save lives.

a young woman risks her life to save kittens left to die on a busy roadway. what would you have done?