Ummmm….not sure if you have seen this or something like this but OMG THERE ARE FONTS MADE OF CATS. Just visit Nekofont and enter the words you want to make into kitty cats! YAY! What a day!

Today that noisy alarm thing went off early. Sometimes the “alarm” is my friend and sometimes my foe. It just depends on where I am in my BREAKFAST-getting process.

Today it was useful. Although, female staff member did not budge. But, lo and behold! the male staff member did. This required that I quickly change my strategy (this skill is a must in order to be effective) and I took a flying leap over female’s head over to the other side of the bed where the male was stirring. Of course, I made sure the floof part of my tail landed in her face just to start her on her way to consciousness.

I stood next to the male and MEOW MEOW MEOWED to make sure he knew I was there. He started petting me so I placed my laser focus on him and sure enough, he was out of bed fairly soon.

I jumped off the bed and followed him, only to have the bathroom door slammed in my face.

What?

WHAT?

I was not happy. But what is a cat to do? It’s not like I could go start in on the female. You know what they say about a bird in the paw. So I waited. And waited. AND WAITED.

Finally, male came out of the shower (not happy that shower came before BREAKFAST) and headed downstairs where Pugsley was already stationed at the BREAKFAST bar, ready for action.

Soon, at last, BREAKFAST was served.

Am thinking screw the bird in the paw concept. I should have just woken up the female. Tomorrow, woman. You are not sleeping in.

-R

Happy National Hairball Awareness Day!

Yes, you read that correctly. There is a DAY (today!) where certain organizations and, ahem, cats work to raise awareness about hairballs.

I’ve teamed up with FURminator deShedding Tools to help spread the word that hairballs don’t have to happen. Hairballs are the result of a cat ingesting fur while he grooms himself. Then, that fur accumulates in the cat’s tummy until he has to yak it up. Hairballs can be dangerous because they can block digestive functions and who wants that? Not me.

So, that’s why I love National Hairball Awareness Day and work each year to spread the word that regular grooming can reduce hairballs. YES.

This year, we wrangled 10 bloggers who also believe that hairball awareness is important. Each blogger groomed their kitties and then used the resulting fur to make a mustache. Then, the “mustached” cats were subjected to a photo shoot. I, too, was tortured in this fashion. But it is all in the name of hairball awareness! Check out these hilarious photos of cats who are just not all that impressed with National Hairball Awareness Day….or mustaches.

But first, to celebrate today, we’re giving away a FURminator deShedding tool to a lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a note in the comments telling me why you need one – it can be a hairball story, a description of your cat’s shedding prowess, anything. I’ll draw a winner on Wednesday, May 1 at Noon EST and the winner can choose which size or hair length you need.

And now I give you CATS with MUSTACHES!

Barnie and Quincy from About Vet Med leverage their mustaches for a little identity fun….

Felix from Cattipper can’t decide if he’s more ticked off about his mustache or his snazzy yellow sombrero. Ole, buddy, ole.

Tripper from Mousebreath is pretending this isn’t happening by fixating on a speck of dirt on the far wall. “Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts….”

Oh, hello there, handsome fellow! This is me, doing what must be done. I do it for hairball awareness. I do it for all feline kind.

At least Cosmo from Catladyland has a funny human.

               Siouxie from Paws and Effect has a HUGE GINORMOUS mustache….it’s bigger than her head! Can you imagine that amount of fur in your belleh? Ugh. Groom that stuff!

If it’s possible, Moo from Your Daily Cute looks even less thrilled about this mustache/sombrero combo than Felix does. But did you SEE that pink nose? Staff just “squeed” out loud.

Apollo from Pawcurious is SO dramatic!

Even though he is not happy, Andy from Hauspanther looks good from any angle.

Charlie from Catsparella wants to go back to his kitty nose, stat!  Human noses are so big and annoying and can’t smell anything.

Listen, people…SCRUBBY IS INNOCENT. Except of being cute.

Positioned furry self across female staff member’s arm.

Then, I stuck my nose into her ear over and over and over and over and over again. Stopped for a moment to scratchscratchscratchscratchscratchscratchscratch my own ear, making sure that my scratching foot hit her cheek.

Then, I recommenced nosing and added in some snorfling sounds too.

Oh, also made sure to turn on my motor and purr the whole time. Loudly.

Pretty soon, friends, BREAKFAST was in my belly! A wake up success, I’d say!

See more of my wake up moves!

brought to you by VioVet

The summer months are approaching and many people are planning vacation. But have you given any thought to what you are going to do with your little tiger while you are gone?

Will you get a pet sitter or….bring your cat with you?

Here’s a checklist of things you should consider, should you decide to take your cat with you on your next trip:

•Depending on the food your cat eats, you may need to take a stash with you. If you’re flying, you should into the allotted weights that you can take on board with you. If you happen to be leaving the country, you should also consider what the customs regulations are. You may find that there is a law preventing you from bringing certain things into the country, and some of them will surprise you, so make sure you do your research!

•If you can’t take enough food to last the trip, find out if there is a local seller of pet food before you go – the last thing you want to do is spend the first few days stressing about making sure your kitty has his favorite noms. If you are going abroad, you should also consider researching their food manufacturing legislation. This is especially important if your pet has an allergy or intolerance.

•The chances are that you will be staying in a pet friendly hotel. Therefore, you should make sure your pet is up to date with any vaccinations and is protected against fleas – this way, even if you do come into contact with an inconsiderate pet owner, you will at least have peace of mind that your cat is safe.

•Research into other diseases that you may not have at home but that may be a problem elsewhere – just like us humans, you should be able to get a vaccination against any known foreign disease for your pet.

•Pack enough medicines – if your pet is on a course of medicine, make sure you have the right amount, and if they aren’t, take the basics anyway, just in case.

•Make sure to pack a few home comforts – some pets can become anxious and unpredictable when put in a strange new place. Therefore, a few toys or their favorite blanket may help to settle their nerves.

Readers, do you take your cat with you on vacation?

This contributed post is by Viovet. Thanks for supporting shelter pets, Viovet!

This is the latest in the adorable videos by Pets Add Life (PAL). As you may recall, Pets Add Life is an initiative dedicated to promoting multiple pet ownership in an effort to spread the joy of pet ownership, increase adoptions and decrease pet overpopulation. They are also an incredible supporter of this blog and the shelters and rescues we support. Go PAL!

Today we’re helping Petfinder celebrate cats! It’s not difficult; Romeo and Pugsley are part of everything that goes on in our house. If they’re not right in the middle of the action, you can bet they’re close by….

This is a blog hop so join us in celebrating cats today!

by the staff

Romeo note: We love this story especially because 3 of the 4 dogs involved were dogs who needed homes! Kudos to the department for giving these dogs a chance to shine.

A new program by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service uses the talents of formerly homeless labrador retrievers to help save other animals in danger, by sniffing out illegal shipments of snakeskins, elephant ivory, rhino horns, turtle shells, dried seahorses and more.

Illegal trade in protected wildlife is increasing at alarming speed, the department says. “Elephant and rhino populations in particular are declining at alarming rates,” said Ed Grace, Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement Deputy Chief. Rhino horns, according to the department, are ounce for ounce more valuable than gold or heroin.

While using dogs in law enforcement isn’t new, this is the first time they’ve been used to sniff out shipments of smuggled wildlife.

Denise Larison, wildlife inspector in Louisville, KY says the dogs vastly increase their ability to inspect shipments. “On an average day I, as a human being, can physically insepect…if I’m pushing myself hard….anywhere from 70-100 packages. As you can see, the dogs can do 70-100 packages in a matter of minutes.”

Four dogs were selected to participate in the inaugural training program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Detector Dog Training Center (NDDTC) in Newna, GA.

Viper, Butter, Lancer, and Locket completed 13 weeks of training with their handlers. The department selected labs because of their size, since jumping up and around boxes and conveyor belts at shipping facilities is key to success in this job.

Three of the dogs are rescues: one from a shelter, one from a rescue and one from an owner who no longer wanted the dog. The fourth dog was purchased from a breeder.

While it takes an extensive search to find the right dogs (the department looked at over 100 candidates), the department is committed to tapping into shelters and rescues for dogs who need a home.

“Since the beginning of our agriculture canine program, we have turned to animal shelters, dog pounds, private owners and breeders for those unwanted canine,” says Michael Smith, the director of the National Detector Dog Training Center.

Smith knows their program offers dogs a good, full life, with a lot of fun to boot. “It’s a game for them,” he says. “They get treats for having fun giving the desired behavior.”

The dogs are well cared for and loved, according to Tom MacKenzie, media relations specialist with the department. “The love displayed for these animals was evident in every stage of the training.”

The Wildlife Inspector-Handlers are excited about the new venture – and their new partners. “This gives me a chance to combine my two great loves, wildlife and dogs,” said Amir Lawal, Wildlife Inspector at the port of Miami. “I can’t wait to get started in the field with my new partner to stop illegal wildlife shipments.”

Photos: courtesy of Tom MacKenzie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Today I decided to use a bit of a different strategy. Most days I employ multiple tactics and body parts in my pursuit of BREAKFAST. This morning, I went the laser focus route.

I zeroed on the female staff’s ear. Just one ear. The right ear.

First I sniffed at it.

Then, I moved closer to her so my mouth was just next to it and breathed. Hot cat breath. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

Then, I positioned my face so that my little whiskers tickled her ear ever so slightly.

She brushed at her ear and shifted position.

I shifted position too.

I moved a little closer to her ear and tried the hot cat breath again. Then, silent meow.

Then, in my signature move, I sneezed…right into her ear!

Oh, it was beautiful, friends! She jumped up, said a word I can’t repeat here, and was digging around her ear like someone had, well, just sneezed right into it.

Clearly, after one has cat sneeze spray in one’s ear, one cannot go back to sleep so….BREAKFAST was served!

Rawr!

We cats are capable of so many things…..although none of this should come as a surprise to any of you.

Does your cat have a job? Please send my staff a photo and your cat’s title at caroline(at)romeothecat(dot)com and we’ll post it. You don’t even have to add the caption if you don’t know how…we’ll do it for you!

1. Who’s this handsome guy protecting his home from monsters?

2. Sagan…his staff’s biggest critic…and supporter. He’s a fan of the chilled stuff.

3. Tim keeps track of the endless updates Facebook rolls out. Currently considering the implications of Facebook Home.

4. Pugsley the Yogi….

5. Oh, hai! Me again…multi-talented, I am. For the record, am the Supervisor, really. I have staff to clean up the actual mess.

6. Sammy monitors bubble level from the toilet seat or edge of tub.

And, here’s a bunch of very talented, career oriented adoptable cats from Smitten with Kittens!

7. Here’s Elvis….

8. Julius…ready to search for the Ark of the Covenant.

9. Charcoal – one of today’s hip, young CEO’s.

10. Jezebel (Yes “Goth Girl” is a job! Someone’s gotta do it!)

11. Mr. E….always looking out for you.

12. Jill is livin’ every little girl’s dream.

13. Priss (ADOPTED!)

Check out more jobs for cats, and even more careers for cats, and still more great cat job titles!