cat facts, funny, shelter information, Uncategorized

Black Cats – the envy of us all!

In the shelter life, us shelter cats are soo envious of our feline friends that sport an all-black coat because of the good fortune they bring with them. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Japan, black cats are known to bring good luck and were even worshipped by the Egyptians. But there are many more reasons being a Black Cat or adopting a Black Cat is just plain lucky!

Black Cats NEVER have bad hair days. Their coat always looks so shiny. I just don’t understand it. Take a look at Bandit at El Refugio. She is drop dead gorgeous all of the time. Look at how shiny her coat is. Oh, I am so envious of her!

Their color is slimming! This is no secret of course. We have known for the ages that wearing black is slimming. One of my human’s favorite Netflix shows Queer Eye’s fab Five, illustrates to us that All-black is one of the strongest palettes you can wield (but make sure that your shades match up). Take a look at sweet Dulce (another El Refugio fashion diva) sporting an almost all black attire. She even has had kittens and she looks strikingly slim. Way to go Dulce!

Black cat hair doesn’t show up as much as other fur colors! Really, I’m serious, I have the research to prove it! But, if you have white carpeting or are wearing a white suite (aghast!) black fur would not be your friend. But wearing an all white suit would probably not be your friend either (lol). Black really does go with everything!

So, there you have it, I do have one flaw. I am envious of my feline friends who have all-black coats because of their ability to NOT have a bad hair day, NOR a drab, dull coat, and YES, they are super lucky to have around.

Life is better with a beautiful feline by your side, or on your lap, or in your desk drawer (lol ME-OW).

Cheers,

Norman

A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. – Groucho Marx –

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Snickers at El Refugio

Hi, I’m Snickers. I know I’m not a Black Cat, but Norman says I am the sweetest thing since sliced bread. I am not sure what that means, except maybe he is really hungry. Anyways, I would love to meet you. Come find me at El Refugio in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica. xo Snickers

cat facts, funny, love, shelter information, Uncategorized

Holy Mackerel, look at those stripes!

Holy Mackerel, is that a tiger I see? Whew, it is just a Tabby cat that looks like a Tiger. I think I might have lost a few lives there!

As I wrote in a previous blog post “Why “M” stands for Tabby, and also for Marvelous, and well ME”, there is more than just one type of Tabby cat, not just us beautiful, original, purrectly everything Orange Tabby Cats. So, I guess it’s only fair for me to introduce you to a non-Orange Tabby cat with some purrty stripes – the Mackerel Tabby. I know, do you feel it too, that hairball feeling coming up? Let’s try to see the beauty in another type of Tabby cat. It will be hard, but let’s try.

So, the Mackerel Tabby does look a lot like a tiger, a much smaller version. Because of the stripe pattern on most Mackerel Tabbies, they do resemble the big-in-the-wild-cat, the African Wildcat (double wow ME-OW ME-OW).

But then why aren’t they called Tiger cats? Well, actually many times they are, but their correct description is Mackerel Tabby because of their coat pattern made of orange or gray background banded hairs and darker vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are highly reminiscent of fish bones, similar to the mackerel fish. Hence why they are called the Mackerel Tabby.

Okay, I see it, I guess. Seriously, I did not make this up, who could!! Oh, some mackerel fish does sound really good right now. I wonder what time it is? Breakfast time? Lunchtime? Snack time? Dinner time? Mackerel Time? It must be one of those times!!!

Oh, okay, where were we? The Mackerel fish, no I mean, the Mackerel Tabby. Another common marker on a Mackerel Tabby is a pink nose color with a black pigmentation around it. Look at Rosario & Ramona below. They definitely have some pink noses with black pigmentation around them. And here I heard they were brown nosers (just kidding). These two are the sweetest kittens ever!

Even though these Tabby cats aren’t the beautiful orange tabbies we ALL so greatly love and adore, they do have some awesome characteristics. They are similar to us Orange Tabbies where we are highly intelligent, very playful, highly curious, and can hypnotize you to sleep (okay the last one is just me!).

Rest assured, any type of Tabby cat is the BEST type of cat. So, get off of your lazy sofa, go down to your nearest animal shelter, and let a Mackerel Tabby adopt you! If you are in the Costa Ballena area of Costa Rica, El Refugio has quite a few purrfect Mackerel Tabbies for you!

Until we meet again dear humans.

Cheers,

Norman

All I do is eat and sleep. Eat and sleep. Eat and sleep. There must be more to a cat’s life than that. But I hope not. – Garfield

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Tony the Tiger at El Refugio

cat facts, funny, Uncategorized

Everyone looks good in a Tuxedo!

Well, not every human, but CATS look GREAT in a Tuxedo! Stay with me here, you will be entertained with some very cool facts about who we call Tuxedo Cats! I have lots of fun facts to share with you about the 2nd most amazing cat breed (Orange Tabby cats of course are the 1st!).

Interesting Cat Fact. Tuxedo Cats are NOT a breed. Just like the Tabby Cats, their color pattern is the reason they are referred to as Tuxedo Cats. They are mostly black with a white chest, kind of like a Tuxedo (hence the name LOL). Meet Jorge. He lives at El Refugio too. He is a Tuxedo Cat with a mustache! Very distinguished indeed!

Kind of Interesting Cat Fact. There are an equal number of male and female Tuxedo Cats. No discrimination here, both males and females wear Tuxedos!

Very Interesting Cat Fact. They have TUXITUDE! While this fact might actually be a little bit more fiction than fact, many Tuxedo Cats are known for their sassy personalities. While many others are known to be more like a dog (I didn’t say it!), while following their humans around for love and affection. Meet Mickey from El Refugio.

I often see him following around the volunteers (he is such a flirt!) looking for affection and handing out kisses. We are all on to you Mickey!! Remember my post I’ll get you a date!, he really has pure Tuxitude magic!!

Scary Cat Fact? Green eyed monsters. Well, not really, I must admit they are more like angels. It is very common for Tuxedo Cats to have green eyes or greenish-gold eyes. You know what they say about a cat with green eyes don’t you? Really, do you? I have no idea!!

Sophisticated Cat Fact. For my distinguished readers, did you know that William Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Sir Isaac Newton kept Tuxedo Cats?
“This above all: To thine own self be true.” – Shakespeare -Hamlet.

Bragging Rights Cat Fact. Tuxedo Cats are famous. Remember Sylvester the Cat, and of course Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, and Felix the Cat. Actors and authors – definitely a bragging rights bunch of cool Tuxedo Cats!!

Now with all of these amazing facts about Tuxedo Cats, you might be wondering if you are the kind of person that would be worthy of adopting a Tuxedo Cat. Well, the short answer is YES, and the longer answer is YES, OF COURSE!! Now, go to your nearest animal shelter and adopt one of these interesting, male or female, tuxitude, green-eyed, sophisticated, famous Tuxedo Cats! If you are in the Costa Ballena area of Costa Rica, stop by El Refugio. They currently have 5 Tuxedo cats waiting for you.

Until we meet again dear humans.

Cheers,

Norman

“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.”
― Dr. Seuss

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Hi, I’m ROLO. I am a young male. I’m a Tuxedo cat with a bit of class and a lot of sass. I’m ready to be your date for life. I’ll be waiting at El Refugio. xo Rolo

cat facts, funny, Uncategorized

Why “M” stands for Tabby, and also for Marvelous, Magnificent, Mesmerizing, Magical, you know where I am going with this…

Did you know that the Tabby Cat is not actually a cat breed but a coat pattern? Well, of course I knew this, BUT, I beg to differ on the point that we aren’t a specific breed. Especially when it comes to the orange tabby cat – ME. Saying we aren’t a cat breed somehow downplays the importance of us Tabbies and the role we play in the feline kingdom. Therefore, I say Tabby is a breed – not just a coat pattern.

While there are many different colors and types of Tabby cats, let’s first discuss the most intelligent Tabby cat – the Orange Tabby (of course!)- ME. You will have to wait for a future blog post where I will spotlight the other types of less desirable Tabby cats (I’m kidding of course!).

Interesting Fact #1: Did you know every orange cat is a tabby, but not every tabby is an orange cat. Very interesting indeed!

Interesting Fact #2: Almost every tabby has distinctive markings above their eyes – the M. Look at ME – see the M above my eyes?

I know, I know, I am a handsome devil aren’t I. Oh, and did I mention the M stands for Marvelous, Magnificent, Mesmerizing, Magical….

Interesting Fact #3: There are many historical suggestions as to where the M above my head comes from, some suggest Mohammed, Mary, Mau, or just plain old Genes. Wow – Me-OW!

Interesting Fact #4: There are more male orange tabby cats than female – approximately 4 to 1. Interestingly, there are 4 of us male tabby cats at El Refugio now and 1 female tabby cat. Very interesting!

Interesting Fact #5: You might find this next fact hard to believe – Orange tabbies tend to talk a lot! I truly think all of this online research is on to something!!

Orange Tabbies at El Refugio Animal Shelter
Check out this short video on how NOT to take a picture of 5 Orange Tabby Cats
Taking Pictures with 5 Taby Cats – Oh My!

Now, go adopt yourself an Orange Tabby Cat. You will be marveled, magnified, mesmerized, and magically full of life and love from one of us PURRfectly beautiful cats. Until we meet again dear humans.

Cheers,

Norman

“In my head, the sky is blue, the grass is green and cats are orange.” – Jim Davis (Creator of Garfield)

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Alicia at El Refugio Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Hi, I’m Alicia. I am a young adult female. I am a very UNIQUE Tabby because I am orange and I am female. I am the color of sunshine with a heart full of love. I am waiting for you. xo Alicia

cat facts, funny, Uncategorized

All about FUN, and a few fun facts!

This blog post is dedicated to the funny in all of us cats, especially us shelter cats. When I want a belly laugh, all I need to do is just look around at my fellow shelter cats. Whether it is Panda playing in the cat swing,

or ME Norman stealing a kiss from one of our beautiful volunteers while also checking out her nosepad (more on that later),

OR Jacob leaping to (and missing of course – haha) one of the cat trees in the shelter.

There is always something (some cat) to laugh at (I mean, laugh with). Of course I am laughing with them, not at them (at least that is what I will swear by if you ask me in front of any of them!).

Oh, and now to the facts I promised. Here are five amazing facts about us cats – plan to be amazed and amused!

Every cat’s nosepad is unique, like a fingerprint.

Yes, Keylor, I know you have a very unique nosepad!

2. Cats can run 3mph faster than Usain Bolt! A domestic cat can run about 30 miles per hour; Usain Bolt averages 27 miles per hour. MEOW that is amazing!

3. Cats have more bones in their bodies than humans. Humans have 206 bones while cats have an average of 244 in their body. About 20 of these bones are in their tails for flexibility. Well, that is purrty spectacular!

Bandit is VERY flexible – must be because of all those bones. I thought it was because she practiced yoga!

4. Kittens grow when they are asleep! Their bodies release a growth hormone only when they are sleeping. So, that’s why we sleep so much! Well, actually it’s only why kittens sleep so much. The rest of us are just catnapping.

5. A cat’s MEOW is reserved to communicating with humans. Kittens do vocalize to their mamas but as adults they save the MEOWs for You humans. Aren’t you lucky. And, you didn’t think us cats could talk!

There are soooooo many more amazing facts about us cats, but I don’t want to bore you with too much purrfection today. Until we meet again dear humans.

Cheers,

Norman

“I’m not over-weight, I’m under-tall. – Garfield”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Bryan at El Refugio, Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Hi, I’m Bryan. I was found in a trash can and saved by El Refugio. I clean up pretty nice, don’t I? I am waiting for you. xoxo Bryan

family, funny, health benefits, Uncategorized

Listen up – another great reason to adopt a cat – fewer allergies for your kids!

I am not surprised at all to hear this, but I thought I should share this amazing news with you. Especially if YOU have not yet adopted a shelter cat.

Numerous studies reveal that children that have lived with pets (cats and/or dogs) in their first two years of life were 77% less likely to develop various types of allergies. Not only pet allergies, but also dust mites, ragweed, and grass allergies. Wow! Wait, before you go on, read those last two sentences again. I’ll wait for you here (sounds of paw pads tapping the keypad over and over again…………………………………………………………………………………………………..).

Also, these studies go against the long-held belief that children exposed to pets could develop allergies later in life. These studies show this long-held belief just isn’t true. What great news this is for parents, their children, and of course us cats!

Exposing children to us cats will not only help PREVENT allergies, but so much more! While I have been boasting about all the health benefits from adopting a cat (prevent heart disease and stroke & purring medicine), I haven’t even touched on the many emotional and mental benefits, as well TEACHING moments received when you adopt one of us cats: Responsibility, Empathy, Companionship, and of course Fun! Sounds like the best gift you could give your children (and yourself) is a CAT!!!

Please stay tuned to my upcoming blog posts where I will share with you the many benefits for your family when adopting one of us amazing purrfect adorable hilarious awesome cats. Until then my beautiful humans, until then.

Cheers,

Norman

“If people were meant to pop out of bed, we’d all sleep in toasters. – Garfield”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Kendra, young female cat at El Refugio, Costa Ballena, Costa Rica

Hi, my name Is KENDRA. I am a very young cat. I love to play with other cats and humans. I promise to bring you joy and fun (and kisses!) everyday. Will you play with me?

funny, health benefits, love, Uncategorized

I’ll get you a date!! (if you are a man, that is)

Just call me matchmaker, cupid, or my favorite the Love cat – Meow!

Research finds that men who adopt cats (especially shelter cats) are more attractive than men who own dogs. I’m not kitten around here. This is purrty amazing information. Here are some of the reasons:

NO Commitment Issues – men who adopt us cats understand that cats can live longer than dogs – sometimes up to 20 years. This shows us that a man is making a commitment to take care of another living being for a pretty long time – very sexy indeed!
Spirit of INDEPENDENCE – us cats are known for our independence. We don’t have to be with you, we choose to be with you. We aren’t clingy, we are affectionate. We like our space, but also want to share yours. Thus, men with cats appreciate someone with a spirit of independence.
LOVE. When a man adopts one of us rescue cats, it shows us he is accepting, loving, and purrly amazing to save a cat’s life. It gives the world hope. It gives me hope. Can you hear my purring right now? (remember the benefits of purring?) It is making me very sleeply. Wait, while I rest my furry head down for just one minute.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Okay, where were we?

Oh yes, why a man with a cat is sexy. Well, honestly because cats are sexy, but I digress. I’ve been stalking (I mean browsing) this celebrity webpage with my paw for the last couple of minutes (ok, hours). Celebrity Catnip, beauties that love us cats – ME-OW.

But, if celebrities aren’t your catnip, take a look at these historical men and their lovely words about us cats:

Sigmund Freud “Time spent with cats is never wasted.”
Albert Schweitzer “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”
Charles Dickens “What greater gift than the love of a cat?”
Leonardo Da Vinci “The cat is nature’s masterpiece.”

So, yes, if you are a man and you own a rescue dog, well, that is pretty darn amazing too. But, if you really want to up your game (dating game that is), rescue a cat too. While you are semi-attractive now, you will be MUCH more purrfectly attractive after adopting one of us shelter cats.

Cheers,

Norman

“Housework. No one notices when you do it. But everyone notices it when you don’t. – Garfield”

Don’t forget to spay & neuter your cats & dogs. There can be too much of a good thing! There’s only so much catnip to go around.

Cats and wildlife live longer when cats stay indoors.

FELNE FAVORITE OF THE DAY

Mickey at El Refugio animal shelter in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica.

Hi, I’m Mickey. I am a young male tuxedo cat. I’m all dressed up and waiting for you at El Refugio in Costa Ballena, Costa Rica.

Norman's Corner

by Norman the Cat

Category Archives: funny

Black Cats – the envy of us all!

Holy Mackerel, look at those stripes!

Everyone looks good in a Tuxedo!

Why “M” stands for Tabby, and also for Marvelous, Magnificent, Mesmerizing, Magical, you know where I am going with this…

All about FUN, and a few fun facts!

Listen up – another great reason to adopt a cat – fewer allergies for your kids!

I’ll get you a date!! (if you are a man, that is)