Fluffy felines rule on 'cat island' Tashirojima

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- Here kitty, kitty! Visitors to Tashirojima Island here will have no trouble finding the fluffy winter coats of the feline inhabitants.

Often called "cat island," Tashirojima, whose perimeter is 11 kilometers, is home to some 200 cats who live alongside human residents, and are no stranger to tourists from both inside and outside of Japan. On a day in mid-December last year, this cat-loving reporter made a visit to the island and its furry citizens.

It takes roughly 40 minutes by a daily, locally run ferry to travel the17 kilometers southeast from the port of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, to one of the island's entryways, Nitoda port. As soon as you disembark from the ship, you arrive in a residential area. The second you pull a can of cat food brought along for the journey from your bag, five to six cats immediately come to investigate. They are completely unafraid of strangers. There are even some cats who don't mind being held.

According to those who live on the island -- a mere 64 people as of the end of October 2017, according to the Ishinomaki Municipal Government -- black cats or cats with a black and white pattern are the most common. The descendants of the chinchilla longhair variety brought in from off-island in the past also stand out among the felines. They gather in groups at every spot on the island, from the port to the island's residential areas. The groups gathered around the port are said to have a wilder demeanor, while those operating around the houses are gentler. In the past, the island has generated domestic "star cats" such as the timid and loveable "Tare-mimi (droopy eared) Jack" and more.

The cats are burly from their life outdoors but still undeniably cute. During the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, many of the cats reportedly ran to higher ground and survived. The social group "Nyanko Kyouwakoku" (Kitty republic) comprised of local oyster farmers and others takes on the role of looking after their fuzzy neighbors. The group began as a volunteer network in 2011, with seven staff members who set out cans of cat food and other supplies to keep the cats' bellies full. Ayame Ogata, 85, the proprietor of the lodging "Kaihinkan," commented, "There are other remote islands in Japan called 'cat island,' but the cats on Tashirojima island are the most plump and cute, aren't they?"

In September 2016, the cat republic built a space for visitors to interact with the cats at the former site of Tashirojima elementary and junior high school. At the "shima no eki" (island rest stop), visitors can enjoy a light meal as well as purchase original cat merchandise. "Even though opinions are divided in places like the island assembly, if it is for the sake of the cats, no one objects," said deputy director of the group Yutaka Hama. "That's the kind of precious existence they have enjoyed for so long."

After spending an unforgettable two days on the island, where there is even a Shinto shrine devoted to a cat god, an idea tugged at the back of my mind upon setting foot on the ferry back to Ishinomaki:

Even though 2018 is the year of the dog, how about visiting Tashirojima and searching for your favorite cat? (By Hiroshi Endo, Sendai Bureau)

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Love stories from former shelter pets and their adopters

Lola Hawkins + Bellatrix 

At 10 years old, Lola Hawkins has already experienced love at first sight. She was browsing the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center website this November when she came upon a tan and black tabby kitten with a half-pink, half-black nose.

“I saw her picture online and I said, ‘That’s the one. I need her,” the self-described “crazy cat lady” said. “I knew she would be my perfect match.”

Lola’s mom Susan issued her daughter a challenge: finish an egg roll during one of their dinners at Thai Spice, and she could adopt the cat of her dreams.

“But I could only eat half,” Lola lamented. “I didn’t finish it in time, so I spent the night crying and crying. But we went to the shelter anyway to meet her, and I found out after we left that my mom had put in an application.”

Later that week, they took the new kitten home to North Liberty. Lola called her Bellatrix after the vicious and cunning Harry Potter villain.

“I was going to name her Ginny Weasley, but look at her.” Lola flicks a feather toy through the air, and Bellatrix springs to claw after it. “Does she look like a Ginny?”

Despite the kitten’s frisky nature, Lola said she initially bonded with Bellatrix over their mutual shyness. It wasn’t long before they became “best friends forever,” Lola said. She even lets Bellatrix plant kisses directly on her mouth. “It feels weird to have her sandpapery tongue on my lips. But it’s love.”

Caring for cats is nothing new to Lola, an active participant in the Iowa City Animal Center’s Read to the Paw program. The Van Allen Elementary student visits the shelter every Thursday to plop on a donated dog bed in one of the cat rooms and read Shel Silverstein, J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl books to the residents. Hearing human voices works to calm and socialize shelter animals.

“They always open up to me,” Lola said. “I will hold the books up to the glass wall so they can see the pictures. Sometimes I feel like they’re laughing at the jokes.”

Lola plans to keep up with Read to the Paw until she’s old enough to be a full volunteer at 14. Someday, she wants to adopt an all-black cat named Sirius — “hopefully Bellatrix doesn’t kill him!” — and open a cat rescue. Or be an architect. For now, she’s enjoying life as a cat mom.

“Bellatrix definitely is my cutie patootie,” Lola said. “This is her forever home and I want her to love it forever.”

Tammy Bloomhuff + Wally 

On any given day, Tammy Bloomhuff can be found walking with more than 400 pounds worth of dogs.

“I’ve been knocked down, dragged, had my eyes clawed,” Bloomhuff said. “It happens with big dogs.”

Bloomhuff is currently mother to Stella, a part-Pyrenees Mountain dog whose thick white coat makes even single-digit temperatures comfortable; bull mastiff/lab mix Maybelle, nicknamed “Lump the Destroyer”; and the newest super-sized rescue, Wallace, nicknamed Wally.

Bloomhuff has rescued dogs and cats from California to Iowa — from shelters, a Dollar General parking lot or families dropping them off at her Muscatine home.

“It just kind of snowballed,” she said. “People know you’re a sucker and they’ll bring them by. You start seeing the need. When you hear some of the reasons people give them up — they shed, they’re not housebroken, he loves me too much — that’s probably the craziest one I’ve heard. It’s just common sense: if you don’t want him, don’t take him home.”

Wally, called Parsons during his stay at the Iowa City Animal Center, is a yellow lab mix with glowing yellow-green eyes. He and several other dogs were seized from a farm outside of Iowa City in March 2017, where they were kept on short outdoor leashes and had little to no interaction with humans. Bloomhuff adopted Wally in May 2017.

“The first time I brought him home he hid in the cupboard. Everything scared him,” she said.

Today, Wally loves to romp with his canine siblings in the field behind their house, go for a swim or take a ride in the tailgate of Bloomhuff’s truck. He’s still shy in public, but clings to his adopter’s side.

“He’s really smart; it’s a little scary,” Bloomhuff said.

When she’s not caring for her own pets, Bloomhuff works to liberate puppy mills with the organization Iowa Voters for Companion Animals Against Puppy Mills. Nine Iowa puppy dealers were named in the Humane Society’s 2017 “Horrible Hundred,” an annual report of the most problematic dog breeding and selling facilities in the U.S. Bloomhuff said she and other activists have been working tirelessly to shut down even one mill.

“You can’t get anywhere,” she said. “But you just have to keep trying. It’s time.”

Though she works harder than the average pet owner, Bloomhuff sees no downsides to pet ownership — save one.

“The only bad thing is they don’t outlive ya,” she said, rubbing Wally’s head.

Doug Ongie + Seymour and Peabody

In a crisply restored, 1920s house on Governor Street, a white and ginger cat named Seymour rests at the top of a cat tower next to a potted avocado tree. Hearing a crinkle from his treat bag, Seymour flings himself from the tower, sending it wobbling. Doug Ongie tosses treats into the kitchen and dining room, one by one. Seymour knows this game — he darts between rooms before the next treat is tossed.

“He’s just a good cat,” Doug says simply. “He’s part of the family.”

Seymour was a former Solon farm cat, then Iowa City Animal Center resident. Doug and his wife Sheila went to the shelter in 2012 with the intention to adopt a kitten, “but they were so spastic,” Doug said. “I looked over and saw Seymour. He had his paw up on the cage, and he wasn’t getting as much attention as the others. We thought we could give that to him.”

The Ongies kept Seymour’s shelter name. Doug is now fully familiar with his quirks, such as a tendency to run to the door when he or Sheila gets home and flop over for a belly rub, like a dog.

“He’s a funny cat. He’s very earnest,” Doug said. “He’ll move his tail when I’m talking to him.”

Seymour has a soft spot for Doug as well: He tends to curl up with Doug at night, while Peabody prefers Sheila.

Peabody was once a stray cat in the Ongies’ neighborhood, his long brown hair full of matts. The couple gave him shelter one night during a thunderstorm, and he’s been their cat ever since. It wasn’t exactly “happily ever after” — health problems had the Ongies rushing Peabody to the emergency room and syringe-feeding the cat five to seven times a day for months. Years later, Doug said Peabody’s happy and healthy.

“He doesn’t know how to meow properly,” Doug noted. “He just goes mmmm.”

The Ongies’ decision to adopt cats was precipitated by a trip to Monterrey, where they stayed in an AirBnB housing a three-legged dog named Zeus.

“Strangely, after that we came home wanting a pet,” Doug said. “We’re cat people, though. It fits our personality best.”

Kenzie Gann + Duncan

On April 18, 2015, Kenzie Gann’s 9-year-old cavalier king Spaniel, Tobi, suddenly and tragically passed away.

“What happened next was a fast downward spiral of my mental health,” said Gann, a Cedar Rapids resident. “I was diagnosed as traumatized.”

Not long after, a coworker at Lucky Pawz, the dog daycare at which Gann worked, tentatively recommended she meet an Iowa City Animal Center dog. It was an Australian shepherd mix named Calgary, who Gann would later call Duncan.

“He sat so nicely and put his head down when I pet him. I played with him that day and two more times before pulling the trigger,” Gann said. “Fate would have it that exactly three months after losing Tobi, Duncan would come home with me. It gives me chills to this day to think about.”

Gann said it was clear Duncan had experienced abuse and neglect in his past. He trusted her, but would hide from strangers, flee from other dogs and cower at loud noises. When Gann was out, Duncan would confine himself to his kennel so as to avoid her roommates.

That is, until Gann started taking the pup to work with her at Lucky Pawz.

“He went from screaming and running when a dog wanted to play to being the running pup who splashed in pools and jumped onto the playground,” Gann said. “He needed to trust that he was safe around people, which means not forcing them on him. Once he knows you, he’s the biggest dog I’ve ever met who actually likes being held.”

“I’m not sure why he latched onto me so fast — we laugh that I’m his emotional support human.”

Gann said she owes her happiness to the Iowa City Animal Center — and the second love of her life.

“[I’m] a girl who saved a pup who really saved her.”

Emma McClatchey is celebrating Valentine’s Day with her love, a former shelter cat named Ludwig. This article was originally published in Little Village issue 236.

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Government officially declares Eastern puma extinct

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials have declared the Eastern puma extinct, 80 years after the last confirmed sighting of a graceful wildcat that once roamed widely from the Upper Midwest to the Atlantic seaboard.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week it was removing the animal from the endangered species list. The move completes a process started in 2015, when the agency proposed dropping federal protections for the Eastern puma, which is also known as the cougar, mountain lion and catamount. Its territory ranged from Michigan and southern Ontario to New England, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

The action is largely a formality, as the last known member of the population was seen in 1938. But it was necessary because a species can be listed as endangered only if it’s believed to still exist.

“Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single Eastern puma, the Service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago,” the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice.

Some pumas have turned up occasionally in Eastern states in recent decades, the agency said. But genetic and forensic testing shows they had been released or escaped from captivity, or had wandered in from the West.

The puma once was the most widely distributed land mammal in the Western Hemisphere but has disappeared from two-thirds of its original range since European settlement began, the agency said.

Its decline resulted from poisoning, trapping, hunting and bounty programs aimed at wiping out the species, along with loss of forested habitat and a sharp drop-off in the 1800s of whitetail deer, the puma’s primary food source.

The Florida panther, an endangered separate sub-species, is the only remaining breeding population east of the Mississippi.

The federal agency said it considered feedback from scientists and the general public before making the decision to declare the Eastern puma extinct.

Although historically classified as a distinct sub-species, recent evidence suggests the Eastern puma may have been the genetic equal of other U.S. puma or cougar populations, said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, an advocacy group. The Fish and Wildlife Service said further analysis is needed to determine whether that’s true.

Either way, Robinson said, declaring the Eastern puma extinct removes a barrier to transporting wildcats from the West in hopes of rebuilding populations in Eastern and Midwestern states.

“It provides a green light for discussion and hopefully action,” Robinson said. “We need large carnivores like cougars to keep the wild food web healthy. Cougars would curb deer overpopulation and tick-borne diseases that threaten human health.”

It would be up to the states to initiate such efforts, Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Meagan Racey said. Many places in eastern North America probably could support pumas, which are adaptable and can live in grasslands, forests, mountains and swamps, she said.

“Wild cougar populations in the West have been expanding their range eastward in the last two decades,” Racey said. “While individual cougars have been confirmed throughout the Midwest, evidence of wild cougars dispersing farther east is extremely rare.”

A young male cougar traveled about 2,000 miles from South Dakota through Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York before dying on a Connecticut highway in 2011. A cougar of unknown origin was killed in Kentucky in 2014.

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Why Do Dogs and Cats Eat Grass?

Nobody is really quite sure why our furry friends eat grass.

If you're a dog owner like me, you're used to seeing your dog eat just about anything. My Loretta Lou is a chocolate Lab. Once, when she was 2, she ate an entire jar of cranberry pills — extra strength. How she got the top off is still a mystery. I rushed her to the vet, who gave her medicine to make her vomit. One dose. Two doses. Nothing. Little Lou never threw up, nor did she have diarrhea. All she wanted to do afterward was catch a Frisbee. My vet looked puzzled.

Loretta also eats grass every spring and summer, which is no surprise. Dogs often eat grass. But unlike her daycare buddies, Loretta never throws up. One grass blade. Two grass blades. Three or four. Nothing. Not even a hack or a cough. Loretta has a cast iron stomach.

I'm not sure why Loretta, and by extension most other dogs, eats grass. No one is. Most people believe dogs eat it because they are lacking something in their diets, or because they are ill. That simply isn't the case.

In 2008 researchers at the University of California at Davis tried to cut through the weeds and shed some light on the mystery. They sent out surveys to 25 veterinary dog-owning students. All reported their canines ate grass. None said they observed any signs of illness before their dogs chowed down. Eight percent said their dogs hurled afterward.

Those same researchers also surveyed 47 dog owners who took their pets to the university's teaching hospital for outpatient care. Seventy-nine percent said they saw their pets eating plants, mostly grass. Four dogs were ill beforehand. Only six dogs vomited afterward.

Scientists then opened the survey up to 3,000 people who answered a series of online questions (researchers ultimately pared the useable surveys down to 1,571). Sixty-eight percent saw their dogs eating plants (mostly grass) on a daily or weekly basis. Only 8 percent showed signs of sickness beforehand. Twenty-two percent watched as their dogs vomited afterward.

"Contrary to the common perception that grass eating is associated with observable signs of illness and vomiting, we found that grass eating is a common behavior in normal dogs unrelated to illness and that dogs do not regularly vomit afterward. Vomiting seems to be incidental to, rather than caused by, plant eating," writes Dr. Benjamin Hart, one of the authors of the study, which was published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science.

Dr. Cailin Heinze, a nutritionist at the Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University, who was not involved in the study, shakes her head when asked to explain why dogs eat grass in general, and why some dogs vomit while others do not. "Lots of them do it, we don't know why," she said in an email. "Sometimes it is associated with nausea/vomiting, and sometimes it isn't. It doesn't seem to be associated with diet."

Perhaps Loretta and other dogs just like the taste of grass. Maybe they like the texture. Who can say for sure.

As for cats? Researchers in the same study found that grass-eating is also common in cats, and has nothing to do with upset stomachs or other illnesses. Most cats, like dogs, do not vomit afterward.

Whether they eat grass or not, my cats hurl all the time. Hairball? Hurl! Eat too much wet food? Hurl! Get chased by Loretta? Hurl some more! Find a mouse at night? Kill it, rat it and then hurl its mangled body on the carpet so I can step on it in the dark of morning.

Vomit on the carpet; vomit on the bed; vomit on the dining room table. Even in my sneaker.

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Animal accidents cost millions

They might be man's best friend but dogs have been involved in 11,741 accidents where people claimed an injury through the Accident Compensation Corporation.

The accidents happened over 12 months, from November 2016 to October this year. In total ACC accepted 55,472 claims related to animals, costing $12.5 million.

According to figures released to the Herald under the Official Information Act, there were also more than 28,000 insect accidents, 5328 injuries caused by cats, 4750 injuries from spiders, 2687 related to horses, 1561 for cattle and 89 accidents involving deer.

Puncture wounds, stings, and lacerations were the most common type of injury caused by an animal, with 35,655 claims.

The next was an occupational disease or infection, with 11,436 claims.

Some of the more serious accidents included 12 people who needed amputation or surgery to remove an eye, four people who suffered deafness, 112 people who sustained a concussion or head injury, and five people who had a nervous shock or mental injury.

Other types of accidents claimed for incidents involving animals included burns or scalds, 5; fractures and dislocation, 839; dental injuries, 608; inhalation and ingestion accidents, 983 and soft tissue injuries, 32.

Children had the highest number of accidents with 8320 claims for zero to 4-year-olds, followed by 5-9-year-olds with 6679 injuries.

More than 750 people aged 85-plus also suffered accidents involving animals, and overall 30,963 claimants were female and 24,509 male.

The total cost of treatment was $7.49m broken down by:

• Medical $6.7m;
• Hospital $571,106;
• Dental $220,193.

ACC chief customer officer Mike Tully said dog-related injuries often happened while the canine pets were off leash and at the park.

"A number of those accidents happen when dogs are outdoors enjoying the freedom, going for a good run, picking up speed and banging into somebody.

"An injury can occur, particularly around the knee."

Tully warned walkers and dog owners to be wary the animals often don't stop in time.

"Just be careful of dogs running toward you, they can be a bit slow to brake. They just don't move.

"Therefore as the dog owner, trying to be conscious of that, that unless your dog is going to listen to you that you may be better sometimes saying to the person where your dog is running to, please step aside or get out of the way."

Tully said people needed to be aware it did not take a big pooch to cause an accident with serious injury.

"Once they've got speed on and they connect with a human being, big or small they can cause some damage."

His warning around horses, cattle and other big animals was to use common sense.

"If you're a farmer, you're around horses, you're around cattle, you generally know how to handle yourself and the stock.

"If you're new to that... I have seen people think 'Well I can pat the horse so therefore I could climb over and get a photo' etc but if you don't know the animal you're dealing with we'd really ask that you keep your distance and use common sense."

Tully said the number of injuries from animals were not increasing but there was often a fluctuation in dog-related injuries.

He issued a warning for pet owners over the Christmas holidays.

"Kids are excited and when kids are excited dogs can get excited. Just be aware of the odd nip and scratch that could occur and we do see that come through ACC at this time of year."

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5 Animals That Have Gone Wild in Australia

Australian scientists are looking to use a fish virus to control the exploding population of European carp that is damaging freshwater ecosystems in the country’s agricultural heartland. Biocontrol agents have been previously successful in controlling rabbit plagues. Scientists and lawmakers hope the koi herpes virus CyHV3 can do a similar job with the invasive fish known by most Australians as the “cockroach of the waterways.” But the country’s past experience of controlling so-called “alien” species has been mixed.

Here are five animals that have gone wild in Australia:

1. Rabbits

Rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 by a wealthy farmer who was eager to hunt them. The rabbits escaped and over the course of 70 years, they fanned out to cover most of the country—the fastest mammal invasion, according to government scientists. In 1950, scientists released the Myxomatosis virus which killed 500 million rabbits, though 100 million survived. Their numbers today are a fraction of pre-Myxomatosis levels, but rabbits still cause an estimated 200 million Australian dollars (US$149.2 million) in economic damage annually.

2. European Red Foxes

Like cats, foxes were introduced to Australia by settlers in the 1830s for hunting. They also spread quickly. Foxes are now found in all states except Tasmania and are a common predator in all areas outside the northern tropics. The fox is even seen in major cities and is blamed for numerous mammal extinctions or population declines. Controls include shooting and dropping poison bait from planes. But the fox population today still numbers more than 6 million.

3. Cats

Cats arrived with British settlers. Feral cats are now being blamed by scientists for a second wave of animal extinctions in Australia. With their population estimated at up to 23 million, these cats are believed to kill 75 million native animals each night, according to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, including birds, lizards and even small kangaroos. Scientists have tried biological control, but effective control requires trapping, fences and shooting.
Associated Press

4. Flies

An average cow drops up to 12 dung pads every day, according to government scientists. With more than 28 million cattle, this is a huge amount of dung and contributes to Australia’s fly plagues. Each pad can produce up to 3,000 bush flies and waving them away has become known as the “Aussie salute.” Since 1969, the country has imported dung beetles from Africa and southern Europe to break down dung, helping control disease and health hazards spread by flies.

5. Cane Toads

Toxic South American cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 in an effort to contain two types of cane beetles that were ravaging sugar crops. Imported from Hawaii by the government’s Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, the toads—which weigh up to 4 pounds—had no impact on the beetles. But they have quickly marched across Australia’s northern tropics, killing native predators and birds that aren’t used to their toxins.

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5 Cats That Cost A Fortune

People have been spending money on cats since the dawn of time. Egyptian Pharaohs and rulers would spoil their feline friends with gold and luxury goods. And modern pet owners are known to let their cats live lavishly too.

While many people may have pampered pets, there are a few cats that cost a small fortune just to own. Buying one of these could even cost as much as getting a new house!

Below are the five most expensive cat breeds in the world.

1. The Rare Ashera

This is a “hybrid” cat breed. The Ashera is made up of genes from the African Serval, Asian Leopard Cut, and domestic house cat. As a result, this feline acts like a regular cat but looks just like a leopard. It’s a unique look and one that many people will pay top dollar for.

To buy an Ashera you must place your order through the Lifestyle Pets Company. This business only breeds five Ashera cats a year. Because of how rare these cats are, expect to pay anywhere between $22,000 and $125,000.

While these cats may be expensive to buy, the price tag hasn’t deterred customers. Ashera cats are incredibly popular and the Lifestyle Pets Company usually sells out of them.

2. The Pricey Bengal

Unlike other cats on this list, Bengals are not rare. There are over 60,000 of them world wide and they’re quite a common pet.

Despite not being very “exclusive,” Bengals can still go for a high price. One English woman, named Cindy Jackson, paid $42,000 for her cat. Jackson bought her Bengal, named Fur Ball, because she was blown away by its beauty.

The Bengal is a hybrid between the Asian Leopard Cat and the Prionailurus Bengalensis Bengalensis. While it has the body of a house cat, the Bengal’s fur looks just like a leopard’s coat.

3. The Spotted Savannah

This is a very unique looking cat that is well known for its eye catching and distinct body. The Spotted Savannah is a hybrid of the African Serval and domestic house cat. This unique mix gives the Spotted Savannah an impressive size and the ability to leap huge distances.

While people pay all kinds of different amounts for this cat, the most expensive Spotted Savannah ever sold went for $22,000.

Lastly, if you plan to buy a Spotted Savannah, you’ll want to check with your local animal board first. In some countries, such as Australia, these cats are actually illegal.

4. The Hairless Sphynx

Many people know this breed by its nickname of “the alien cat.” When it comes to pets, the Sphynx has one of the most distinct looks of all time. This cat looks like it is hairless, has an oddly shaped head, and usually sports an over sized potbelly.

Sphynx cats are incredibly smart and require very little personal care. However, there are very friendly and love to curl up next to people.

Unlike some of the other cats on this list, the Sphynx is comparatively inexpensive. Many owners have been able to get theirs for as little as $3,000

5. The Energetic Peterbald

This is a Russian cat known for its high energy and bright blue eyes. Peterbald cats are also incredibly loyal and will follow their owners whenever they go.

The Peterbald is very similar to the Sphynx except for the fact that it has webbed feet and oval paws. Intrestingly, these unique paws give the Peterbald the ability to open doors and even pick things up.

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If Anything Can Make You Feel Better, It’s This Istanbul Street-Cat Documentary

Torun jokingly calls Kedi “uplifting terrorism” when we meet to chat about her charming feline flick. But the film is more than just a cute cat video blown up to feature length; it’s a slice-of-life portrait of Istanbul, which is crawling with the creatures that have become the heartbeat of the city’s daily rhythm. She profiles seven camera-ready cats, all of whom have distinct personalities and nicknames: the Hustler, the Lover, the Psycho, the Social Butterfly, the Hunter, the Gentleman, and the Player. A good director knows the importance of a good cast, and Torun’s got one hell of an ensemble.

Torun gets her camera low to the ground to stay eye level with her feline stars, but she also makes sure to give some screen time to the human citizens who take care of these strays, people who speak of their fish-loving visitors as good friends and equals. Cats have always been highly regarded in Istanbul, and folklore says a cat once saved the Prophet Muhammad from a poisonous snake. There’s even a popular saying in Turkey that goes: “If you’ve killed a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God.” (Don’t worry: No cats die in this film.)

There’s something very feel-good about Kedi, but Torun admits the film’s lack of conflict was hardly intentional. “Initially the idea was to get every side of the story,” she says. “There are, of course, people who are openly anti-cats, but they also happen to be people who are anti-people. We had a really hard time trying to get people to talk to us if they didn’t like cats.” It’s a point the movie drives home: Loving cats may make you a lovelier person.

For a film that feels like a response to troubled times, there’s very little politics in the film — no mention of terror attacks or Erdogan. “[The relationship between humans and cats] is a very timeless relationship and it would be an injustice to the cats and to the people who love them to suggest otherwise,” Torun says. “It’s bigger than the politics; it’s bigger than small-minded politicians in our lives that come and go.” The film was shot the summer following the Gezi Park protests — a series of rallies against the closing of a public park that evolved into massive demonstrations against government crackdowns on free speech and secularism — and yet they’re only mentioned by one of the interview subjects, briefly. “I didn’t want to include anything pessimistic; it’s not an activist film,” Torun says. “But it was a way to highlight our shared humanity, and an appreciation of an aspect of life that goes beyond language, beyond religion, beyond anything.”

Kedi is at its best when it show a connection that runs deeper than passing petting. In one section, a woman says that cats — who move in a playful, feminine manner — are like surrogates for female expression under traditional Turkish norms. “Although Turkey is still one of the most advanced in terms of women’s rights, culturally, it’s still a little bit backwards,” Torun says. “If you do express your femininity, then you’re seen as a ‘loose’ woman. If you don’t express your femininity, then you’re seen as frigid. Whereas with cats, no one judges them. No one says, ‘Oh, what a slut’ to a cat.”

“You also see so many men in the film who tend to these cats, and have this opportunity to be affectionate with a feminine being without it being misinterpreted,” she explains. “Male-female relationships in Turkey are stunted, and they can express these kinds of emotions in a healthy way — you know, with other creatures like cats.”

There’s also a sense of camaraderie and community that’s built from each neighborhood taking care of its cats together. In one scene, people chip in to pay a street cat’s vet fees, an act of instinctive generosity that’s hard not to imagine seeping into interpersonal connections. It’s a healthy reminder of the things that are worth holding onto. And yes, the cats are cute, too.

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Why Does My Cat Act like A Jerk?

Cat owners would agree that sometimes, pet cats can be total jerks. Yes, they’re soft, cute, and lovable, but in actuality, their personalities kinda suck. Before you start bashing us for that, you know it’s true. They can be really selfish at times, and they act like they just don’t care even when we shower them with love and affection.

Which brings us back to the question. Why do cats act like total jerks?

A number of recent studies actually found that it’s not that your cat is a jerk, it’s actually just their nature why they act they way they do. Do don’t feel bad if you think your cat hates you. It’s just behaving normally.

Cat calling

Call on a dog and it’ll run up happily and jump on your lap. A cat, however, won’t even look at you for a second. Although your cat can hear you when you call its name, and even recognize your voice from a stranger's, that cats just don’t want to respond to you. The research involved observing the behaviour of 20 house cats for a span of 8 months to see how cats recognize and respond to our voices when we call out their name. About 70 percent of cats acknowledged their owner by moving their heads or ears. However, only 10 percent actually gave a response to the call, by moving their tail or meowing. According to researchers from the University of Tokyo, cats don’t take human orders because they have not evolved to become as domesticated enough, unlike dogs. The researchers suggested that cats “domesticated themselves” by living with humans.

Cuddling ticks them off

We love to cuddle and pet our cats, but this actually irritates them. According to Daniel Mills, a veterinary behavioral medicine professor at England’s University of Lincoln, some cats actually feel stressed when you pet them. Mills says that cats living in households with other cats are less stressed because they have a lesser chance of getting petted by their owners. Let’s just face it, if Snowball walks away from you when you try to give it physical affection, she just doesn’t want to deal with the stress you give her.

I am the captain now

Just because fluffy is rubbing herself against your leg, it doesn’t mean that it likes you. It might be nice to feel good about yourself when a mean old cat is finally acting nice around you and starts brushing up against you, but what it’s actually trying to say is that it owns you. Physical contact doesn’t automatically translates to “i love you”. Most of the time, it actually means “i own you”. By rubbing itself onto your leg or arm, it’s marking its property by putting his or her scent on you. Like dogs, cats have a heightened sense of smell, and  when a cat rubs against you, it’s informing other cats that you are its territory.

Mr.bigglesworth ain't so smart

A University of Oxford research on animal brains found that dog, because of their very social nature, have developed a bigger brain to adapt better in social settings. Cats, however, are more happy in solitary cultures, so their brains are not as developed to act in social settings. This is why your cat acts like a total stranger and won't come in to greet guests hello. If you’re still not convinced that cats have all the makings of a bad friend, there are countless videos of cats stealing dog beds, or terrorizing other animals so they can't pass through where they usually hang out.

Kitty kissing might lead to scratches

Many believe that a “kitty kiss” or when a cat greets you by slowly staring and blinking at you, is an expression of affection. But you might be surprised why kitty starts acting hostile the moment you reach to pet it. According to animal behavior experts, a long, deep, unblinking stare is a cat’s way of guarding his or her territory, meaning you’re actually not welcome.

Cats won’t hesitate to eat you

No matter how much you love fluffy, that cat is not going to hesitate to eat you if you die at home. According to a forensic pathologist who presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences conference, cats would not think twice about eating their owner if they’re left unfeed. When people who live by themselves with pets unexpectedly die, their bodies are usually left inside the house for days without anyone noticing. With their owners dead and no food on the bowls, pets begin to starve. Dogs would go several days without touching their owner’s body, but cats would only wait a day or two. The phenomenon is called “postmortem predation.”

Cat poop is toxic, but it makes you want to have more cats

Cleaning out the litter box is a real hassle, but did you know that i could also be affecting your health and brain? A certain parasite called the Toxoplasma gondii is found in cat poop. In rare occasions, this parasite can actually cause the disease called toxoplasmosis, which starts out with flu-like symptoms and leads to a weakened immune system. The illness has also been linked to a number of serious mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Since the parasite affect people’s mental conditions, some individuals have been recorded to develop a strange and intense, almost obsessive, attraction to cats. Those who have been infected with Toxoplasma are known have a fondness for the smell of cat urine and feces.

Smelly human

And lastly, you might wonder why your cat just loves to keep licking itself. While the activity does give them a calming effect, cats actually lick themselves because they want to get rid of the “human” smell, as well as smooth and groom their fur. so  yes, your cat thinks you stink.

Whether they’re being cute and cuddly or acting like total jerks, we can’t seem to get enough of cats. Like this article? Leave us your comments on why we love cats, and suggestions on future topics. Don’t forget to share this article!

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Pleasure of Cat Massage

Want some stress releasing massage. Watch this video and get relaxed from your whole day work!

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6 of the First Domesticated Animals

Humans have long used animals to make their lives a little easier. Since the time of the hunter-gatherers, men taught animals to help them with work, as well as guard and protect them and their food. Below are the first few animals that we had domesticated over the past thousands of years.

Dogs

Dogs have stayed by our side for more than 10,000 years. They stared out like wolves, wild and free, but humans started to befriend them and domesticated them. Archaeologist can set domesticated canines apart from wild wolves though certain features, like smaller teeth and "Sagittal crest". Different dig sites across the world confirmed that canine domestication is a worldwide phenomenon

Cows

There are a number of wild cattle that were domesticated in different places and times. thetaurine, which is the most common early domesticated cattle, is said to have been domesticated around 8,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. They are also the most common domesticated cattle used in trading. The zebu, which originated in the area around Pakistan, was domesticated 7,000 years ago. While the capeletti, which was common in the African and Egyptian areas, were used by humans as early as 9,000 years ago.

Goats and Sheep

We can’t forget the other common heard animals. Humans are said to have herded goats and sheep in about the same time as they domesticated dogs. Goats and sheep are mainly used as livestock, for food, milk, fur and their skin. Sheep are more common in colder areas since people needed their wool to create fabrics. 

Horses

The strongest animal that humans have ever domesticated, horses are used in agriculture, trade, constructions of empires, and even to war. These huge beasts have definitely made our lives much easier, especially when it comes to listing heavy load. There are still a few wild horses in certain parts of the world. However some wild horses are actually feral horses like the mustangs in the United States and the brumby in Australia.

Cats

Cats became our companions at around 7000 years ago when we started to grow our own food instead of gathering or hunting. As humans stored and collected grain, cats became very useful to help keep mice away. The ancient Egyptians are said to be the first people who domesticated these animals, not just to help them keep the mice away, but for religious and cultural purposes as well. they worshiped a cat-goddess and treated their cats will the highest respect. They even mummified them when they passed away.

Snails

This might sound shocking, but snails are actually one of the first animals we domesticated. Our ancestors kept them mainly for food since snails are packed with nutrients and they’re easy to take care of. Many Paleolithic digs have also found large numbers of snail shells, taking their domestication back to earlier than 12,000 years ago. Since they’re very close to containing all the nutrients we need, they’re also very famous with traders, pilgrims and even those who went in campaigns.

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Here's Some Pictures Of Animal Memes

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