cat-lympics

while the human world is gearing up for vancouver, feline athletes are stretching from their whiskers to claws for feline agility competitions, which are gaining in popularity.

we bet there's some stiff competition for the cutest catnap cat-egory.

although several of our cat-letes would risk disqualification after testing positive for catnip.

robo-kitty

as if felines weren't already fierce enough... now missy has become the first cat ever to receive a robotic knee replacement.

this ground-breaking surgery gave missy, who had been injured by a car, a second chance at life. the hinge motion of the implant will allow missy to walk, run, and even jump.

the implant is bonded to the thigh bone using cement... one step closer to a total terminator cat.

take your miles to work day

daughters aren't the only ones who need professional experience and encouragement. our economic slump could be turned around if our lazy cats would wake up and get a job already.

yesterday a madcatter took her cat, miles, to work to earn his keep as a greeter and petting machine. he did a fine job and was payed handsomely in treats.

wouldn't it be great if we could all take our kitties to work with us?

tamazina jones

a persian in indiana. cute spoof of raiders of the lost ark.

an old friend says hello

remember jewel? she's one of the cool happy cats that was adopted last spring.

she's now living it up in texas with her adopted doggy sister and family. she's still as sweet as ever and enjoys cuddles, her catnip carrot and the warmer weather.

so glad to hear it's working out. what a doll!

big debate in little china

a proposed ban on the sale of dog and cat meat in china is stirring up the country.

while it sounds good from an animal welfare standpoint, and because we love cats, the comments section is worth a read for debates on the value of focusing on animals in the face of human poverty.

very interesting. we'll see where this one goes.

na'vi cats

avatar mania is sweeping the land. even madison cats are over the moon for the blue, sparkly, forest people.

it's rather fitting, though - cats are as connected to nature as the na'vi. though they look better in stripes.

aspca vs. oreo

remember oreo's story, the dog in new york who was killed despite offers of rescue?

the state of new york responded and pushed to pass "oreo's law," prohibiting any animal from being killed in a new york shelter when other options are available.

now ed sayres, head of the aspca, is trying to shoot down the law. why? nathan winograd explains here.

ruby the golden girl

if you've ever been at the monroe st. store between noon and one o'clock you've probably met miss ruby. she's the funny shop dog who insists on walking over every day to get a treat and show us her cool tricks...all while being afraid of cats! dottie's working on her, though.

laser cats!

if you haven't been watching snl in the past few years you've probably missed out on some of their great digital shorts.

of course our favorite is the totally awesome 'laser cats' series - set in a nuclear future where cats develop laser eyes and are used as weapons for good....and for evil. watch all the episodes on hulu.

don't cats and lasers go together well? just like pb&j.

temple tabbies

egyptian archaeologists have found a temple that may have been dedicated to the cat-goddess, bastet. the finding is especially interesting to us because it is the first time we've seen cat-worship practices as recently as the ptolemaic era.

now we're carrying on the religion, offering our kittehs the very best catnip and toys. they know they deserve it.

LA's t-n-r upset

we're back to birds versus cats. last month the los angeles superior court sided with the audubon society and other bird groups in a bid to prevent the city from subsidizing the area's large-scale trap-neuter-return program.

the real debate brought up by the case was whether t-n-r works. obviously the deciding judge doesn't think so. but we do. a lot of cats would probably agree with us, too. how about you? vote here.

we've got balls

glitter balls, crinkle balls, poofy balls, all kinds of balls. so vote for us!

it's here again, time to fill out your ballot for madison magazine's "best of madison" poll. make sure you fill in at least 20 of the categories and feel free to give a nod to lucy as your favorite local celeb. watch out, shortino.

recall redux

remember the pet food recall of 2007? looks like the fda and a few pharmaceutical companies don't.

commonly used veterinary drugs, butorphanol and ketamine, were recalled in july - so why didn't anyone know?

"this void of information, from the highest corporate levels of Big Pharma, to the halls of government, right down to the plight of a sick dog and his worried owner, does as much damage to public health as tainted food and drugs."

ninjas and samurais

next time you're traveling through kyoto be on the look-out for boo, the teeniest, fluffiest ninja in all of japan.

if samurai kittens sound adorable, think again. future wars are going to be a lot furrier.

it's a carp!

the asian carp, an invasive species, are threatening our great lakes. the u.s. army corp of engineers, the dnr and even the supreme court are laying out a battle plan to keep them at bay.

we say send in scuba cat. nom nom nom....


nom.

civic duties

feeling especially civic-minded of late? mr. sal esposito was called u up for jury duty in boston but might not be able to attend the hearing. why not? because sal esposito is a cat.

imagine that? so much for being tried by a jury of one's peers. unless, of course, the defendant is mr. chester cheetah. he's dangerously cheesy.

ethics

last week's animal welfare charges at the uw have led to more discussion on animal testing. this week it's the university's all animal care and use committee finding on campus primate research to be ethical.

"we currently allow research that causes harm and premature death."

not everyone in madison agrees.

you say you got a resolution?

lose weight? it's what most madisonians are resolving to do. but what about your fat cat or plump pup?

it's all about diet and exercise. but it doesn't have to be all celery and treadmills. the slim cat and the kibble nibble are here to save the day... and the scale.

more on uw-madison's animal welfare charges

we mentioned the university's run-in with the u.s. department of agriculture and resulting 20 charges on tuesday.

now the national institutes of health is chiming in with mixed reviews. they praise the department for certain things, like primate socialization, but also found 12 areas in which the u. needs to fix their programs and increase oversight.

cool new video from 'symphony of science'

remember the "we are all connected" video from last fall? well the same people have put out a new one, "the unbroken thread," about life on earth. it's pretty fantastic and has some great visuals. enjoy!

chips

if you've thought about microchipping your kitty but just haven't gotten around to it yet, now's your chance. get it done this sunday, jan. 10th, at the dchs west-side adoption center and have some peace of mind. the best part? cost is only 15 bucks.

it's not an awesome police badge, but it can save your pet's life.

in the news...

guy calls 911, makes up complaint about cat, lands in jail...but he did it all for love. awwww....

typical british emergency supply kit: candles, soup, cat litter, and lots of porridge.

madison dogs find the darndest things, don't they?

angel dog saves human brother from big cat attack.

animal research in madison

the uw-madison got some unwanted attention recently when federal animal welfare inspectors cited the university's animal research department with 20 violations .

"one major finding is that in five studies, UW-Madison researchers did not show that they tried to find an alternative to painful experiments on animals."

click here to watch a local news piece on this story featuring alliance for animals co-director, rick bogle.

igor's second chance

remember the bullmastiff, igor, who was spared the death sentence in 2008? it's been a year since he went to live at the happily ever after animal sanctuary in green bay and seems to be loving his new digs.

igor's personal victory saved his tail but it may also affect future 'dangerous dog' legislation and brings up the important question of punitive euthanasia and whether it is ever the right choice when there are other, no kill, alternatives.

madcat is on facebook?

we sure are. all the cool cats are doing it so why shouldn't we? check out the page and become a fan to get updates and info straight from the horse's mouth.

share pictures and stories of your madkitties - it's fun to see the furry faces we're here for!