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Tag: cats

  • ‘Zombie Cat’ Now the Subject of Legal Battle

    Bart, the “zombie cat” who stole headlines when he rose from grave after being presumed dead is back in the news. This time, he’s the subject of a custody battle.

    A couple of weeks ago, Bart’s story went viral. His owner, 52-year-old Ellis Hutson, said he found Bart in the middle of the road, covered in blood, and completely lifeless. Assuming the cat was dead, Hutson enlisted a friend to help bury the feline.

    Flash forward five days, and Bart was spotted in a neighbor’s yard – alive but badly wounded.

    Bart was taken in by the Humane Society of Tampa, and on January 27 the cat had surgery to repair his jaw and remove his eye, which was damaged beyond repair. He was scheduled to be returned to his owner in 5-7 days.

    But on January 30, the Humane society issued an update, saying they “learned new information about Bart’s home enviorment” and would be keeping the cat under their care.

    “Recently we have learned new information about Bart’s home environment and the circumstances leading up to his burial. Therefore, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay does not intend to return Bart to the Hutson family. We are prepared to fight for the best interests of this cat. We hope the Hutson family will do the right thing and surrender Bart to our care so that we can find an appropriate environment for him to live out his life,” said the Tampa Humane Society in a blog post.

    And now Hutson has filed a motion against the Humane Society.

    “On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay was served with official Hillsborough County Court documents notifying the Society that it is being sued by Ellis Wayne Hutson for the custody of Bart the cat,” the organization said”

    “Mr. Thomas Gonzalez, of Thompson Sizemore, Gonzalez & Hearing, has agreed to volunteer his time to represent the interests of Sherry Silk, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and Bart the cat. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay will review all legal options to keep Bart safe and secure. Bart continues his medical treatment and care at the Society’s animal hospital.”

    Hutson says that the Humane Society is hanging on to Bart as a fundraising tool. He also said the organization won’t allow him to see his pet.

    Image via Humane Society Tampa Bay

  • Cat Draws YouTube Copyright Claim with Its Derivative Purring

    Cat Draws YouTube Copyright Claim with Its Derivative Purring

    In this story, cats and lame copyright bullshit collide. It’s the perfect internet story.

    Have you ever heard a cat purring and thought, man this really sounds like that one song? Well, YouTube did. And it recently flagged one cat video with a copyright notice.

    In March of 2014, YouTube user Digihaven uploaded this hour-long video of his cat Phantom purring – you know, if you like that sort of thing for relaxation and such. The video existed on YouTube for nearly a year before Digihaven was hit with a copyright notice.

    According to TorrentFreak, Phantom’s looped purrs were deemed to have ripped off a musical track called “Focus”, which belongs to EMI Music Publishing and PRS.

    From TorrentFreak:

    The video was not removed by the false claim, but according to Digihaven monetization was disabled. Luckily he’s not going bankrupt due to the loss of income, but it’s baffling how easy it is to hijack legitimate videos.

    “I’m sure EMI/PRS made Phantom a sad kitty. It seems like companies such as EMI are pirating ads on people’s legit videos, so I’m wondering if they apologize to, or reimburse people for those false claims,” he tells TF.

    The claim has since been retracted.

    The real problem here is YouTube’s unreliable Content ID system, whose software can make musical connections where they don”t really exist. This causes quite the headache for YouTubers.

    We’ve seen YouTube flag videos in the past for musical copyright infringement and thought well that’s pretty dumb. But this is the first time we’ve seen a cat flagged.

    Godspeed, Phantom.

  • Nicole Scherzinger is Reportedly Feeling ‘Drained and Unhappy’

    Nicole Scherzinger is allegedly feeling “drained and unhappy.”

    But, who wouldn’t be with her crazy schedule?

    Reports claims the former Pussycat Dolls singer has been incredibly busy with work recently, promoting her new album Big Fat Lie and announcing she will appear in London’s West End production of the musical, Cats.

    The 36-year-old is also rumored to be seeking more commitment from her 29-year-old boyfriend, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

    Apparently, all the strain is becoming too much for the singer.

    “Nicole puts so much pressure on herself to succeed that she ends up burning out,” an insider said.

    “Her solo career isn’t going as well as she hoped, so she’s throwing herself into other projects. But she’s not looking after herself. She’s drained and unhappy,” continued the source.

    Who got their copy of #BigFatLie this week?? http://smarturl.it/NS_BigFatLie

    Uma foto publicada por Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) em

    There have been several recent incidences that have caused concern for the singer.

    Last month, Scherzinger reportedly asked her driver to pull over in rush-hour traffic because she felt ill. The driver told Scherzinger it was impossible to stop in traffic, so Nicole took matters into her own hands. The end result was a minor fender-bender.

    “Nicole felt ill and was disorientated. She screamed at her driver to pull over, but he couldn’t so she just opened the door,” the insider said.

    Sound checking #OnTheRocks getting ready for the @moboawards tonight! #LetsDoThis #BigFatLie

    A photo posted by Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) on

    Reports also claim the singer is ready to settle down, get married and start a family. But with their hectic schedules and frequent separations, any plans to settle down are proving impossible.

    Just landed in the middle of the night here! #HappyHalloween from #Azerbaijan! #nocostumezone

    A photo posted by Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) on

    “Lewis is based in Monaco, while Nicole spends most of her time between London and LA. The distance can cause problems,” said the source.

  • Nicole Scherzinger Joins Cast Of “Cats”

    Nicole Scherzinger announced her desire to focus on her music career in February after leaving X-Factor UK, saying she was heartbroken about leaving the talent competition. However, the former Pussycat Doll has just joined the cast of Cats and says she is thrilled to be a part of the production.

    “I am really thrilled to be making my West End debut in such an iconic show. I grew up listening to Andrew’s extraordinary music and was lucky enough, a couple of years ago, to record Cats’ beautiful song Memory. Andrew’s score is breathtaking and I am truly honored to have been asked to take part in what I know will be a very special time in my career. I can’t wait to begin rehearsals,” she said, according to BBC.

    Scherzinger spoke with The Daily Mail about her upcoming album and offered some insight into the title–Big Fat Lie–which is taken from one of the songs.

    “We all go through our own battles and hard times and a big fat lie is about how we mask what’s really going on. This album is about me revealing some of my personal struggles and facing them head on. Once you realize something is a lie you are on your way to the truth, where you will find your own clarity, peace and acceptance,” she said.

    The album will be released in October, but the star won’t have long to promote it; Cats will begin a 12-week run in December.

  • Florida Man Points Gun at Cat’s Face, Posts Pic to Facebook

    Florida Man, the world’s worst superhero, is at it again! What kind of lovable hijinks is he getting into this time? Is he trying to “drive off” his drunk? Is he sending bomb threats to high schools via Facebook message?

    Oh. He’s putting a gun to a cat’s head? Oh damn, Florida Man. That’s weird. Don’t do that.

    We take you to Charlotte County, Florida, where NBC-2 reports that authorities have been dispatched to check the welfare of animals belonging to one Thomas Mcguinness.

    The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control division were alerted to a photo posted on Mcguinness’ Facebook page – a rather unsettling image of Mcguinness holding a small cat by the scruff of its neck in one hand, and pointing a pistol at its face with the other.

    Presumably, some hubbub ensued on the (now-removed) post. Soon after posting the photo, he posted this:

    Awesome ‘joke’ bro. Two guns up!

    Mcguinness has stated that his animals are fine.

    While clearly a ‘joke’, officials say that animal services are going to check everything out – but Mcguinness can’t be cited for animal cruelty if he hasn’t actually harmed any animals. Unfortunately, there’s no law against being a Facebook dumbass.

    Image via NBC-2

  • Two-Faced-Cats: Yes, They Are Real [VIDEO]

    Two-Faced-Cats: Yes, They Are Real [VIDEO]

    Venus, a two-faced cat, has taken the internet by storm with her unique, two-faced look. Venus is a chimera, which makes her one of the rarest cats in the world. Her face is divided into two colors – on one side, she has black fur and a green eye, and on the other side, she has tan fur and a blue eye.

    Venus the Amazing Chimera, as she is called, has more than 200,000 Facebook fans and over 3,000 subscribers on YouTube. Fans certainly can’t get enough of this two-faced beauty. Venus was a stray on a dairy farm in North Carolina before her owner Christina took her in.

    Chimeras are organisms with distinct cells. In the case of Venus, the characteristics of being a chimera came out in her looks. Venus has acquired her own fan base and stuffed animal manufacturer GUND even made a stuffed cat in Venus’ honor.

    Venus

    Venus is not the only two-faced cat many have come to love. In 2012, Frank and Louie the cat also rose to fame for having two faces. And unlike Venus, Frank and Louie does not have two distinct colors, but instead he has two faces — literally .

    Frank and Louie has a face that is fused with two mouths, two noses, and three eyes. Marty Stevens, a veterinary nurse, rescued the cat, or cats, from being euthanized because of his state. Frank and Louie is a Janus cat, named after the Roman god of beginnings and transitions named Janus, who had two faces.

    Frank and Louie made it into the 2012 Guinness World Records as being the longest-surviving Janus cat. Janus cats typically don’t age well because of their condition, but Frank and Louie is different. According to Stevens, the cat is also “very, very laid back” and not afraid of people. She also said that the cat loves car rides.

    Frank and Louie 

    Image via YouTube (1),(2),(3)

  • Friskies Dear Kitten: Everybody Loves This Commercial [VIDEO]

    A viral video from cat food company, Friskies went viral and generated more than 5 million views on YouTube in just four days. This goes to show that cats still rule the World Wide Web.

    In the video, an older cat gives advice to a kitten who is new to the household. The video is narrated by Ze Frank, the Executive Vice President of BuzzFeed, also known as, “the internet’s Morgan Freeman.” It is basically a basic guide on how to live in a new home.

    The video was praised for being so well done that viewers may not notice that it is a commercial – until the Friskies pitch at the end. The video starts with “Dear Kitten, since I have hissed at you the customary 437 times, it is now my duty as the head of the household to – begrudgingly – welcome you.”

    Some of the older cat’s advice touch on topics, such as the “human larva,” the underwear drawer, and the “vac-ooms.”

    The dramatic music accompanying the video also makes it easier for viewers to watch. “Dear Kitten” also has its own hashtag: #dearkitten. Cat lovers and fans of the video also used Twitter to express their love for the commercial. One Twitter user wrote, “If all ads were this good, maybe we wouldn’t fast-forward them.”

    On YouTube, the video is also flooded with comments. One user wrote, “I laughed, I cried, I wanted to run to the shelter and adopt… the single best commercial I can remember.” Another user said, “Sure it’s a cat food commercial, but to anyone that has ever had a cat it’s both true and entertaining and it’s got Ze Frank narrating so it must be good.”

    As of writing, the video has more than 6 million views.

    Image via YouTube

  • Orange Is The New Black with Cats Is, Well, You Know

    Orange Is The New Black with Cats Is, Well, You Know

    Like all other cat videos on the internet, this sure-to-be-viral-smash reimagining of Netflix’s hit show Orange Is The New Black with cats is dumb and very cute.

    I mean, look how stupid that cat looks with Alex glasses. Aww.

    Piper CATman? Geez, you guys.

    Here, go ahead and watch this short, cute little video from The Pet Collective. I’m just being difficult, those little kittens are adorbs.

    Image via The Pet Collective, YouTube

  • Tara the Hero Cat to Throw First Pitch at Minor League Baseball Game

    Normally, I’d say there is no way that a cat could chuck a baseball 60 feet 6 inches–but this is not your normal, everyday cat we’re talking about here. This is Tara, the hero cat.

    Viral sensation Tara, the cat that saved that little boy from a vicious dog attack, will be throwing out the first pitch next Tuesday, May 20th, at the Bakersfield Blaze game. We’re assuming that the cat will have a little bit of help from her family. Of course, it would be a much more interesting story if she didn’t.

    Tara the cat became internet famous earlier this week when a video went viral showing four-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo being attacked by a neighborhood dog, and Tara coming to the rescue with a rather impressive spear tackle. The video, posted by Jeremy’s father Roger, currently boasts over ten million views.

    Ridiculous? Of course it is. But it’s for a good cause. Fans that bring animal food and used toys will receive half-price admission, and the food and toys will all be donated to local animals charities.

  • Kitty Litter May Have Caused Radiation Leak

    A nuclear waster storage facility in New Mexico was shut down weeks ago after researchers discovered unsafe levels of radiation, which affected 21 workers. Now scientists have attributed kitty litter to a possible cause of the nuclear decontainment.

    The underground Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP), located east of Carlsbad, houses drums of plutonium-tinged refuse that are buried 2,100 feet below ground. On February 14, scientists found that radiation levels had spiked in a containment chamber holding waste from Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory. It has been theorized that a chemical reaction had weakened the seals on the drums, releasing plutonium particles.

    Jill Turner, spokeswoman for the New Mexico Environment Department, commented that “kitty litter is in the field of theories.” The litter is used to absorb liquid in the debris, Turner explained, and may have ignited the chemical reaction which weakened the seals.

    Here is a segment on the WIPP facility, reminiscent of a Dharma Initiative instructional video from ABC’s Lost:

    Due to the leak, the WIPP containment facility will remain out of commission for 18 months, and won’t be fully functional again for up to 3 years. Apparently due to a lax security protocol that had developed over time at the facility, organic kitty litter was somehow incorporated in nuclear containment. Jim Conca, a scientist who worked at WIPP from 2000 to 2010, commented, “I’m just dying to know why this happened and who approved it, because it was a dumb idea. You just can’t make a change to the procedure without reviewing it.”

    Conca added, “Cat litter has been used for decades in radiochemistry labs and nuclear facilities to stabilize certain radwastes (radioactive wastes), like liquid scintillation solutions, evaporator bottoms and other materials.” Still, a switch from traditional bentonite clay-based kitty litter to an organic, “green” kitty litter, which is typically composed of wheat, corn and recycled paper or pine sawdust, may have contributed to the chemical reaction that caused the WIPP decontainment.

    Studies have shown that kitty litter also houses Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that exists in cat feces. Human exposure to the parasite has been linked to instances of schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, rheumatoid arthritis and brain cancer.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cat Saves Boy from Dog Attack, Becomes Obvious Internet Hero

    While I’m hesitant to hand the “man’s best friend” title over to our feline companions, I will say that in this particular circumstance, man was lucky to have a cat around the house.

    With nearly six million views on YouTube, a video entitled “My Cat Saved My Son” has struck viral gold. In the video, which appears to comes from CCTV footage, a dog casually approaches a young boy on a bicycle and proceeds to attack with a ferocious bite to the leg.

    As the dog begins to drag the poor boy by the leg, a valiant cat comes running into frame and basically spear tackles the dog. It’s a pretty incredible video, I’m not going to lie. Check it out:

    Roger Triantafilo, who posted the original video on YouTube, explains why the mother ran away from the boy after the attack (a frequently asked question from the comments).

    “After checking his wounds she made sure the dog did not return for a second attempt. The owners were there also and she was bit by the dog as she tried to pin him in his yard. The owners did get control of the dog and secured him in which she immediately returned to attending to our son. I did not include that video because it was not so much about the dog but about the cats actions,” he says.

    The cat’s actions, while heroic, are the subject of some skepticism.

    “We all know the cat was just being a jerk and attacking the dog; that it happened to stop the attack was coincidental,” says one commenter.

    Coincidence or not, there’s absolutely no denying that the cat saved the little boy from additional injury. I guess “hero” really is an appropriate title to bestow (via reddit).

    Although he did sustain this pretty nasty bite wound, the boy will be fine.

    The dog, however, will meet a different fate. According to Bakersfield police, the Labrador-Chow mix has been surrendered by its owners and will be euthanized at a later date.

    Images via YouTube

  • Cat Bites Are More Serious Than Suspected

    Cat Bites Are More Serious Than Suspected

    Most people don’t consider cats to be ferocious animals, but did you know that a cat bite can lead to serious medical problems? The Mayo Clinic recently completed a study that shows that cat bites are not only more serious than previously thought, but also more common. The report shows that 30% of all people who see a doctor after a cat bite need to be hospitalized.

    “Among hand surgeons, this is not really as surprising,” said Dr. Brian Carlsen, who led the study. “Cat bite injuries to the hand can progress to serious infection,” reads an excerpt from the study. “The treatment of such infections often requires hospitalization, intravenous antibiotic therapy, and operative treatment … these findings should increase concern for a severe infection and warrant hospitalization and urgent consultation with a hand surgeon.”

    Many people believe that their pets’ mouths are actually cleaner than human mouths and some even claim that because the temperature inside the mouths of cats is so hot, bacteria cannot live in them. The new study shows that this is not the case and that many different types of dangerous bacteria can and do live in the mouths and saliva of cats.

    The study also claims that the location of the cat bite can determine how dangerous it is. If a person is bit on a certain joint, the body may not be able to flush out the infection and the bacteria could spread and lead to severe health problems.

    Carlsen warns anyone who is bitten by a cat to pay close attention to the wound. If it does not appear to be healing within a couple days or appears to get worse, he suggests seeing a doctor. Antibiotics can heal bacterial infections related to cat bites and the sooner you begin taking them, the quicker you will recover from the bite and the infection.

    Did you know that cat bites were so serious?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cat Domestication Traced to China, Shows Study

    Though it had long been assumed that cats were domesticated by the Egyptians, researchers have now discovered that the animals were first tamed into pets at least one thousand years earlier.

    A new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, traces cat domestication to the Chinese villiage of Quanhucun some 5,300 years ago. Researchers believe that cats were drawn into close proximity with humans by the rodents that were attracted to the village by its agriculture.

    “Results of this study show that the village of Quanhucun was a source of food for the cats 5,300 years ago, and the relationship between humans and cats was commensal, or advantageous for the cats,” said Fiona Marshall, a co-author of the study and an archaeologist at Washington University. “Even if these cats were not yet domesticated, our evidence confirms that they lived in close proximity to farmers, and that the relationship had mutual benefits.”

    The study involved examining the bones from cats found during an excavation of Quanhucun. By dating and analyzing the bones, researchers were able to determine that one of the cats found was older, suggesting that it lived comfortably in the villiage. Another can was found to have eaten significant amounts of grain millet, suggesting that it may have been fed.

    The study’s authors still do not know whether the cats found at Quanhucun are descended from the Near Eastern Wildcat, the ancestor to modern domestic cats. This has implications for whether the cats were domesticated in China or were introduced to the area at some other point.

    “We do not yet know whether these cats came to China from the Near East, whether they interbred with Chinese wild-cat species, or even whether cats from China played a previously unsuspected role in domestication,” said Marshall.

  • Cops Find Disgusting Cat Torture Dungeon In Texas

    Cops Find Disgusting Cat Torture Dungeon In Texas

    (Warning: This article contains descriptions of animal cruelty)

    In Santa Fe, Texas, a narcotics investigation that ended Friday had police finding more than what they were looking for; sub-human treatment by “humans” to animals.

    On Friday afternoon in the 4000 block of Avenue N1/2 in Santa Fe, police executed a warrant and raided the house of 39-year old Brian Anthony Cheek, and his wife, 38-year-old Veronica Lynn Springer with the intention of finding drugs, according to Galveston Daily News. During the search, detectives found roughly nine grams of crystal methamphetamine, a scale of which to measure the drugs, packaging materials for sales, and a stolen all-terrain vehicle (ATV) valued at $14,000.

    Unfortunately, as the search went on, investigators later found a grueling and morbid discovery: 20 dead cats, ranging from kittens to fully grown mature cats. Police stated that the dead cats had all appeared to undergo various forms of torture before their demise.

    (image)
    (image)

    Investigators stated that there was evidence of blunt force trauma, disemboweling, strangulation, and burning as well as evidence of cats being burned. One of the murdered felines was found in a box in the bed of Cheek’s truck.

    Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Animal Cruelty investigators picked up the remains of many of the cats which will be later examined by necropsy, thus finding out the actual causes of the cats’ death.

    Cheek already had a history of felony charges for violating parole, but he is now charged with the first-degree felony of manufacturing and delivering controlled substances. Yesterday, Cheek was held on a $300,000 bond. As the investigation continues, felony charges related to animal cruelty and theft are expected to be imposed on Cheek, as well as his wife Springer.

    Springer was charged with possession of controlled substances; her bond was set at $20,000. ‘

    Sgt. Eric Bruss of the Santa Fe police declined to provide any additional information surround the animals, including whether or not any of them had tags or signs of ownership.

    Santa Fe police were assisted by the GCSO Special Crimes Unit, GCSO Auto Crimes Task Force, Galveston County I.D. and the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.

    Here’s to more laws and penalties imposed on those who torture helpless beings, no?

    (Images via Santa Fe Police, Wikicommons)

  • Kitten Delivery Is a Thing (for Today), Thanks to Uber and Cheezburger

    Kitten Delivery Is a Thing (for Today), Thanks to Uber and Cheezburger

    If you live in New York City, Seattle, or San Francisco, on-demand car service Uber wants to deliver you some kittehs to play with.

    Apparently, today is National Cat Day – a holiday about as necessary as “National Pizza Day” or “National Beer Day.” Anyway, in honor of that, Uber has teamed up with cat-meme mecca Cheezburger to offer the “I can Has UberKITTENS” promotion.

    Between the hours of 11 am and 4pm today and today only, you may have a chance to have real life kittens brought to wherever you are – kittens that will play with you for about 15 minutes. Today, the Uber app will have a temporary “kittens” option that will let you request some playtime.

    Of course, you’re probably going to have a hard time getting through. Demand will be high.

    “Demand for kittens will be very high and availability very limited. It may take multiple tries to find available kittens. Please be patient! We’ll be working all day to deliver as many kitten snuggles as possible..If you are lucky enough to request kittens to your office, please make sure your boss, landlord, or neighbor is going to be cool with the meows and that no one in the area is allergic. Also, having a dedicated room for Kitten smooches is preferred,” says Uber.

    If you really, really like the kittens – you may just have a chance to adopt them too.

    The whole experience will cost you $20, deductible from your Uber account, which will go to your local animal shelter (ASPCA, Seattle Human Society, and the SF SPCA). While supplies last, Uber will also bring you some cupcakes with your kittehs. Uber has experimented with other types of promotional deliveries in the past – roses, ice cream, and more – but this is on a whole other level.

    Image via Chiara, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Cat Caught Smuggling Weed into Moldovan Prison

    A wily cat was recently discovered to have been smuggling marijuana into a Moldovan prison, after guards noticed its strange collar.

    The cat had routinely entered and left the prison through a hole in a fence. Upon closer inspection, guards discovered two bags of weed attached to its collar.

    According to The Department of Penitentiary Institutions, someone in the village of Pruncul was using the cat as a courier, to supply inmates with their wares at the prison. Here’s the patsy in question:

    High Times Magazine can appreciate this covert cat tactic:

    In related news, guards had found another cat with cellphones and chargers taped to its stomach in June, which were being carried to inmates in Penal Colony No. 1, near Syktyvkar, in northern Russia. Here is a picture of that cat, nabbed while on his clandestine mission:

    In related cat news, Cats + Something Adorable = Internet domination. Of course prison smuggling is adorable and again worldwide news, because it’s… cats.

    Image via Twitter.

  • New 3-Cat Limit in Effect in New Zealand District

    A new ordinance in the Rangitikei District of New Zealand is limiting pet owners to three cats per household. The new new feline bylaw was put into place after the district council received too many complaints concerning noise and odor in the area.

    The new plan won’t force people to register their cats, like they have to do with their dogs, and Rangitikei council member Michael Hodder explained, “this is a case of dealing with nuisances. We haven’t instituted a reign of cat inspectors. It’s not like your dog registration. We’re not going to count people’s cats. We don’t care how many cats they’ve got. So long as the cats are happy, the neighbors are happy and everybody else is happy.” Happy cats for erabody.

    Area cat breeder Merve Zohs agrees with the new policy. “So much breeding is going on there and they’re running loose and people are not bothering to fix the bloody things up, getting them you know neutered and spayed, so you’re going to get more problems. It will be like the rabbits.” The Gareth Morgan Foundation researcher Jeff Simmons added, “that’s why, ultimately, you need to move towards a system of registering, chipping and neutering all cats so that you can actually enforce these things.”

    Naturally, registered cat shelters like the ASPCA are exempt from the new regulation, which also outlaws pigs, beehives, and roosters from urban dwellings, and restricts households from keeping any more than 12 chickens. Legally, 12 chickens are allowed in one’s condo.

    Some citizens aren’t too happy with the ordinance. William Partridge, owner of four cats, said, “to make a statutory number I don’t think is necessary, quite honestly.”

    The house cat has been a bit of a polarizing pet, as of late. A recent study featured in the journal “Trends in Parasitology” warned that cat droppings are a significant public health problem, and are linked to diseases such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, rheumatoid arthritis and brain cancer. A cat advocacy group called Alley Cat Allies called the study “fear-mongering, plain and simple.” Go cats.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Vine Cat-Kicker Arrested, Charged with Cruelty to Animals

    A viral animal abuse video has led to an arrest, and the perpetrator faces a maximum of 60 days in jail on a charge of cruelty to animals.

    17-year-old Walter Easley will be back in court on September 12th to face charges after a Vine video that shows Easley kicking a cat went viral with the help of 4chan, reddit, and plenty of news outlets.

    “Look at this goddamn cat on my porch. Get the f*ck off my porch,” said Walter Easley before kicking a kitten off his porch and into his yard.

    According to officials, the small cat shown in the video was found unharmed, and authorities took other animals from the residence into custody.

    After the video went viral, a petition was created on the Care2 petition site, demanding Easley be brought to justice. It has garnered over 3,200 signatures.

    “Please bring this scum to justice,” said the petitioner. “Part of me is glad he posted that original Vine, it makes finding creatures like him a lot easier. I’m even gladder he’s dumb enough to publicly post what state he’s in!”

    Easley quickly deleted the Vine and protected his Twitter account as soon as things started to take a turn, but there were plenty of GIFs and YouTube videos of the Vine around for angry animal lovers to scour. You know, you can’t really ever delete anything from the internet.

    Apparently, Easley has provided a pretty weak defense for his cat-kicking.

    From the Times and Democrat:

    According to an Orangeburg County incident report, the youth said the video had been edited. He said in reality, “he did not actually kick the cat as hard as it appears on the video.” He claimed he only tossed the cat into the air with his foot rather than kicking it.

    When the officers asked how the cat “ended up airborne and flipping through the air,” the youth said he “did throw the cat off the porch to make it look like he kicked it for the video.”

    I’m not sure throwing a cat off a porch is going to endear Mr. Easley to many animals lovers either. Rule #1 of the internet: don’t mess with cats, dude.

  • Guy Kicks Cat on Vine, Infuriates the Internet

    Guy Kicks Cat on Vine, Infuriates the Internet

    “Look at this goddamn cat on my porch. Get the f*ck off my porch,” said Walter Easley moments before kicking a kitten off his porch and into his yard.

    He then posted a video of the incident on Vine. After the video drew the attention of 4chan and reddit, Easley found himself at the center of an internet justice mob.

    The original Vine post has been deleted, but of course it hasn’t been purged from the internet. Remember, once you upload something to any social network, there really aren’t any take backsies.

    But before it was deleted, it spread like wildfire on Vine. The Vine, actually posted over a week ago, didn’t really receive any attention until it was picked up by 4chan and eventually reddit’s r/rage subreddit.

    “Looks like he’s getting a lot of negative feedback on the app in case anyone was wondering. Nearly 1,000 comments and 3,000 revines, everyone is pissed,” said one redditor.

    “I don’t understand people who do this and post it online. Doesn’t he know people online are obsessed with pets, and cats in particular? That people who abuse animals are mercilessly hunted down and doxed?” says another redditor.

    And it’s probably that – the whole doxing thing – that led to the original post being removed from both reddit and 4chan’s boards. It’s likely that redditors began the chants for internet justice and things got a bit out of control. Rule #1 (literally, it’s rule #1) on r/rage (and most reddit subreddits) is that you can’t post personal information. When a comment thread has been decimated to the level that this one has, you know that’s likely what happened.

    You can see another post and subsequent comments here.

    Don’t abuse animals. Don’t kick cats. Don’t kick cats and then post the video of it to Vine. You know what, forget Vine. Just don’t kick cats, prick.

  • Cat Parasites Review Dismissed by Cat Advocacy Group

    Earlier this week, doctors warned in a review in the journal Trends in Parasitology that large amounts of cat poop in the U.S. could contribute to the spread of a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Since the parasite has been linked to diseases such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, and brain cancer, the authors warned that cat poop could represent an under-reported public health problem.

    Today, a cat advocacy group is sticking up for American felines. Alley Cat Allies, which claims to be the largest U.S. advocacy group for cats, has come out against the study, saying that it “grossly exaggerates” the health threats of toxoplasma gondii being spread from cat poop. The group points to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data that suggests cats are rarely the source of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Alley Cat Allies also seized on the fact that the review itself cites a statistic showing the rate of Toxoplasma gondii infection among U.S. adults has dropped over the past two decades.

    “This is fear-mongering, plain and simple,” said Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies. “The study produces no hard evidence of cat-to-human transmission of toxoplasmosis. The researchers base their conclusions solely on estimates of the amount of cat feces deposited in sandboxes outdoors. In fact, you are more likely to contract toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat than from touching a cat.”

    Robinson stated that she is worried the review could contribute to the death of cats, and particularly feral cats. The Alley Cat Allies organization is opposed to the use of euthanasia on cats by animal shelters.

    “Alarmist studies like these only result in dangerous consequences for healthy cats,” said Robinson. “Already more than 70 percent of all cats – and 100 percent of feral cats – are killed in shelters. We don’t need yet another war on these innocent creatures. We need a common sense approach starting with trap-neuter-return which reduces the cat population without any killing.”

  • Cat Parasites: Watch Out For That Litter Box

    Cat poop is, as poop goes, pretty gross. Pregnant women have been warned for years now not to get near it because of the bacteria it holds, which can cause dangerous infections and pose serious threats to a fetus. But now scientists are saying that an infectious parasite called Toxoplasma gondii is much, much more common than they thought, and feral cats are depositing it in all our backyards.

    Well, maybe not all our backyards. But with felines laying down 1.2 million metric tons of waste a year, there’s a good chance you’ve been around some even if you don’t own a cat. It takes just one parasite egg to cause an infection, and scientists say there could be up to 434 eggs per square foot of soil depending on where you live. Samples were taken in a study in various countries, and they all show similar results. The issue arises when cats get hold of infected birds or other small animals and ingest the parasite, which passes right through their system. And with feral and outdoor cats being the crafty little buggers they are, they’ll find a nice little sandbox or an area with loose soil to poop in.

    “It should give you pause before you put your child in a public sandbox,” Dr. E Fuller Torrey of the Stanley Medical Research Institute said.

    One of the scariest things about the parasite is that studies are linking it to mental issues–like schizophrenia–and, because it’s hard to kill, is a serious problem for people with weak immune systems.

    “This is a public health problem that bears more scrutiny,” Torrey says. “We’re walking a tight line between alarming people and failing to point out obvious health problems that need to be paid attention to.”

    Though some of the studies haven’t been proven yet, Torrey–and the researchers who are looking into the effects of the bug and its eggs–say it’s still obviously wise to always wear gloves when gardening, cover children’s outdoor play areas, and thoroughly wash your cat’s litter box once a week. Unless you’re pregnant, of course.