Cat Sitter in the City: Study Questions The Intelligence Of Felines

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Study Questions The Intelligence Of Felines

I feel bad for the fifteen cats who were nice enough to take part in psychology lecturer Britta Osthaus' silly string challenge only to be labeled limited in their problem-solving abilities.

1 comments:

jennyklane said...: Yup. Pretty much knew this. In fact, I"m pretty sure the only thing in my cat Burt's head is constant tiny fart noises.; Thursday, July 2, 2009 9:16:00 AM EDT

What Is A Cat Sitter?

When you live in a place like New York City where everybody is on the go, you can't always count on a friend or a neighbor to take care of your cat while you are away. A friend will most likely complain about changing the cat litter, and a neighbor might dance around your apartment in your underwear. So busy New Yorkers employ a loving, trustworthy writer like me who moonlights as a cat sitter to visit their homes and give their cat a little TLC. I pride myself on keeping litter boxes clean, and I'd only dance around a client's apartment in his (or her) underwear if a cat demanded I do so.

FYI: I am not taking on new cat sitting clients, but I will consider writing assignments.

New York City Cats

New York City cats are a special breed. Smart, ambitious and hard working, many of these cats have big dreams. Case in point: Miou-Miou (pictured), convinced that Rihanna's hit "Please Don't Stop The Music" is actually "Please Don't Stop The Miou-sic," is considering taking legal action against the star for using her name without permission. Miou-Miou says all will be forgiven if Rihanna puts her in a music video. Meanwhile, Moz is reportedly in talks with CNBC to host and produce a show called Feline Finance. Stella, a New York City native now living in England, aspires to appear on a magazine cover with her idols David and Victoria Beckham and dreams of the day when Perez Hilton will blog about her. Elsewhere, Kiki is working to bring an all-cats production of Grey Gardens to Broadway, and Gilbert is writing a script for The Office that revolves around Michael Scott taking in a stray cat. Lulu, who ingested part of a steel wool pad and underwent surgery to have it removed, has embarked on a campaign (see public service announcement below) to warn other cats about the dangers of eating metal shards.

Public Service Announcement

My name is Lulu, and I ate a chunk of a steel wood pad. I got sick and had to have an operation to remove it from my stomach. I could have died. If you are wondering why I ate steel wool, all I can say is I didn't know better. It looked like silver spaghetti to me, and I liked the crunchy texture. From what I hear, I am not the only cat who has gone under the knife after eating steel wool (my cat sitter actually knows another cat who ate steel wool). I implore other cats to think twice before nibbling on this metal menace. To be honest, I can't guarantee I won't eat it again, so it is probably a good idea for cat parents everywhere to keep steel wool safely tucked away.

New York City Department of Cat Complaints

Like all New Yorkers, New York City cats have complaints. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has failed to establish a city agency to deal with these concerns, so Cat Sitter in the City offers this forum through which cats can air their grievances. Take it away, Fini (pictured): If you are wondering why I have a furrowed brow, it is because I am concerned about, well, everything. Are we breathing fresh air in New York City? I don't think so. Is our drinking water as pure as it could be? I doubt it. Will the glut of unemployed Wall Streeters mean less tax revenue for the Big Apple? Of course! There are so many issues to be dealt with, and we don't have one cat in a position of political power in this city. When will we felines have a voice?

Meow, I'm Dante

$Meow, I\$
I was walking through Soho a few summers ago with a friend when we spotted a ceramic cat sitting next to a garbage can on the corner of Prince and Sullivan Streets. I couldn't resist saving him. I chose not to save the ugly ceramic clown mug also discarded on the street. While I love cats (even ceramic cats), I don't love clowns (even ceramic clowns). I took the ceramic cat to nearby Caffe Dante in the West Village and inspiration struck—I decided to name him Dante and make him the Cat Sitter in the City mascot. Dante loves having a purpose.

Cool Cats Seek Homes

Want to enrich your life by adopting a cat? Check out Petfinder.com, an online, searchable database of pets from various shelters and rescue organizations who need homes. A feed from Petfinder.com featuring cats from all over New York state is below. (You can also visit Petfinder.com directly to find cats that are available in your area.) Click on the cat's name or the name of the shelter, and you'll be taken right to Petfinder.com for more information. Let me know if you fall in love with and adopt any of these cats. I actually found my cat Charlotte, who I adopted from a shelter in October 2007, on Petfinder.com. It was love at first sight when I saw her picture.

Cat Sitter in the City

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Study Questions The Intelligence Of Felines

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