Spot the Kitty is On the Move! Today’s Kitty Spotted in Abu Dhabi, UAE

abu dhabi mangroves

Kitty spotting in the desert is never easy. Smart desert kitties find somewhere cool to hide out during the day and sneak around stalking prey during the cooler nights. Here at the Eastern Mangroves Marina, somebody was thoughtful enough to put out a pile of delicious kibble for the local kitties.

Travel Kitty Spotting in Abu Dhabi East Mangroves Marina

spot two kitties in abu dhabi

Can you spot two kitties having an afternoon snack in Abu Dhabi East Mangroves Marina?

Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, and it is the second most populated city in the UAE after Dubai. That’s human population; we don’t know the statistics on kitties. It is a nice place to live for both humans and kitties, especially in the area around the East Mangroves Marina, where we spotted these two. 

abu dhabi kitty spotted 2

This kitty had a few words to say. Don’t worry, kitty; we’re not here for the kibble!

 

 

Abu Dhabi Kitty Spotted

Abu Dhabi Kitty Spotted

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you have any trouble spotting this kitty? The second Abu Dhabi kitty spotted us first, and came over for a little bit of a scritch. 

abu dhabi kitty selfie 1

It’s nice to meet you, kitty!

abu dhabi kitty selfie

This kitty wanted to take a selfie with me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cat Life in the UAE

In the United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic, but there are so many foreigners here for work and travel that everyone speaks English. The Emirates are officially Islamic, which is great news for kitties, because Muslims follow the Prophet’s teaching to take great care of and lovingly look after pets, especially cats. 

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Spot the Kitty is On the Move! Today’s Kitty Spotted at UAE – Oman Border

oman-UAE border

Every now and then, kitties appear in the most unlikely places. As we parked to collect our entry stamps at the Oman border near Hatta, UAE, lo and behold, an adorable kitty came to greet us! 

She did not hide at all, so you don’t get to play Spot the Oman Kitty today. Just take a moment to appreciate how sweet this little girl is:

oman kitty

“Greetings, and welcome to Oman. I’ll be your guide. Feel free to look around and give me any tuna or other treats you may have with you.”

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Breaking Mews: Neutered Male Cat Gives Birth to Quadruplets

toppers babies at one week

Arizona, USA

In cat news today, we bring you the story of Topper, a neutered male cat who recently gave birth to four surprise babies.

Topper’s human, Cher, says Topper has the paperwork to prove that he was neutered five years ago: “I have his neuter certificate saying he was neutered. I also have all his records saying he’s a he.” (from Cher’s Facebook page.)

Despite being a neutered male cat, on February 9th, 2017, Topper gave birth to his first litter. The kittens’ names are Shocky, Stunning, Surprise, and WTF.

Neutered male cat Topper gives birth to quadruplets

Topper and his kittens; source

Topper’s human Cher reports that the kittens are growing and healthy. Cher is an active proponent of spaying and neutering pets in her community in Arizona. When asked about the work she does there, she said, “I believe the only way to be a no kill Arizona is thru education of spay and neuter. Spay one female and that is 6,700 less dogs that her and her offspring bring into the world in time.”

Spot the Kitty correspondent Lancy Pants has contacted Topper for his comments on this miraculous story. Come back to Spot the Kitty for updates soon! Meanwhile, enjoy this video montage of Topper’s little sweethearts:

 

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Dressing Cats up for Halloween

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker!

Dear Baker,

My human keeps trying to ensnare me in a princess costume. Last year I thought she would get the hint when I chewed and shredded the mini lion mane she wrapped around my head, but it seems like she’s trying even harder to make me ‘dress up’ for Halloween. Any suggestions?

Yours,

Not Amused

Dear N/A

At this time of year it is important to remind our humans all over the world that DRESSING CATS IN COSTUMES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! It isn’t cute or funny; it’s irritating. If you want to give us some extra treats for Halloween, fine, but please do not subject us to your stupid, tight, itchy COSTUMES!

Dogs, on the other hand, look hilarious in Halloween costumes. Feel free to wrap them, dress them, put them in make-up, what have you. Here are some of my personal favourite dog costumes for this year:

chia pet dog costume

Chia pet dog costume, from Dogs – The Fun Times Guide

ghostbusters dog costume

If you have four dogs, consider putting them in Ghostbusters dog costumes, from Costumes Supercenter

minion dog costume

I think your dog should just wear this all the time, not just at Halloween, because it’s that funny: Minion dog costume from Spirit Halloween dot Com

walrus dog costume

Consider putting your canine companion in this DIY walrus dog costume from Instructables. This dog wears it well, and is clearly having a good time.

dog pinata costume

Best of all – dog pinata costume! Here at Spot the Kitty we hope it comes with a big stick…

Thanks for your question, and I hope my advice helps!

Baker - ask me anything byline

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker.

Yours,

Baker

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Best Outfits for your Naked Cat

Meet Ramsey, the newest member of the Spot-the_-Kitty family!

Glenn (the kitten formerly known as Ramsey), the latest member of the Spot the Kitty family, doesn’t have much hair. That’s fine for us because we live in the desert, but if you have a hairless cat and winter is coming where you live, you might want to check out Baker’s picks for cat clothes, and keep your nude baby warm!

Sugar Skull Sweaters

Sugar Skull Sweaters

These fashionable Dia De Los Muertos motif sweaters are available from SimplySphynx on Etsy and are made in the USA. They cost $33.00 USD. Click here to go to the shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sphynx Cat Wear Clothing Company Gang Sweatshirt

Sphynx Cat Wear Clothing Company Gang Sweatshirt

These cotton-lycra turtlenecks have the Sphynx Cat Wear logo printed on the front so your cat can represent. They come in three sizes and go for $38.00. Click here to go to Sphynx Cat Wear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ed Hardy knit shirts

Ed Hardy knit shirts

These Ed Hardy style kitty shirts are made from 100% organic cotton. Nudie Patootie Clothes for Cats sells lots of different sizes and prints with prices ranging from $15.00 for kitten trainers to $35.00 for their ‘butterball’ line. Click here to go to Nudie Patootie’s website.

 

 

Posh Punk Cat Wear Crossover V-Neck

Posh Punk Cat Wear Crossover V-Neck

Posh Punk’s tagline is “No hair – Don’t care” and they have a sizing chart on their website so you can be sure to get the perfect fit for your little nudie. This pirate shirt is $20.00. Click here to see all their styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a kitten sweater from a sock

Make a kitten sweater from a sock

If you’ve been blessed with a little nudie-pie like Glenn, remember that hairless cats need to be protected from cold and sunshine. Even if you live in a warm environment, your kitty could be chilly under the air conditioners. Not all kitties will wear clothes happily, so you might want to start training your little one while he or she is still a kitten. A sock with the toe cut off and holes cut out of the heel for legs is a fashionable yet inexpensive way to sweater-train your hairless kitten.

Here is Ramsey in his fashionable sock sweater

Here is Glenn in his fashionable sock sweater

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Spot the Kitty is on the Move: Today’s Kitties Spotted in Sri Lanka

This Eid holiday, Spot the Kitty took a kitty-spotting trip to Sri Lanka.

Kitty spotting is not easy in Sri Lanka, as there are so many places for a kitty to hide in this lushly forested country.

Our first kitty was spotted in the town of Kegalle, home of the Kurulu-Kele Bird Sanctuary. Can you find him in this picture?

spot the Kegalle kitty

Can you spot the Kegalle kitty?

 

 

If you had difficulty finding this kitty, here’s a close-up:

Kegalle kitty spotted!!

Kegalle kitty spotted!!

The next kitty we spotted was in Pinnawala, home of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. She actually spotted us before we spotted her, and she joined us for lunch, so I wasn’t able to get a photo of her hiding. Here’s a shot of me holding the sweet little Pinnawala kitty:

This kitty in Pinnawala likes egg sandwich and broiled fish.

This kitty in Pinnawala likes egg sandwich and broiled fish.

Cat in Sinhalese is බළලා, pronounced baḷalā.

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Home Alone Cat

Have you ever wondered what your cat gets up to while you’re out? Does he sit by the door pining for you? Or does he find catty ways to amuse himself until you return? Aaron of Aaron’s Animals, our favourite youtuber, has his theory. Watch this video to find out what Prince Michael does while Aaron is out:

Have you ever spied on your cats while you were out? Tell us what the little fuzzballs got up to in the comments below!

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Spot the Kitty is On the Move! Today’s Kitty Spotted in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Sharjah
Spot Kitties in Sharjah with Spot the Kitty!

Spot the Kitty HQ recently moved to Sharjah, UAE. Baker and Lance are excited to return to the land of sand (they were both desert cats before they joined the Spot the Kitty team.)

Our first Sharjah kitty was spotted in the hedge in this picture. Can you find him?

Sharjah kitty

Can you spot this Sharjah kitty?

Sharjah kitty spotted

Sharjah kitty spotted!

In Arabic, you say “qot” or “qota” for cat, and it is written like this: قط or قطة

Here is ‘cat’ written in stylized Arabic calligraphy:

Arabic cat

Arabic calligraphy cat

Featured Image photo credit: Sharjah During The Dusk via photopin (license)

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Fighting for My Right to Scratch Stuff Up – A Letter Regarding Claw Covers

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker!

Dear Baker,

I recently made my mark on my humans’ sofa, as is my right, and now they are talking about gluing these stupid bits of colored plastic over my claws. This seems inhumane and, IMO, callous. It is my right as a kitty to scratch stuff up. Also, I am a creature of the night. Who ever heard of a nocturnal predator with pretty nails?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Your friend,

Right to Claw

 

Dear Claws,

This is a big debate that has been raging in cat communities recently. Is it or is it not humane to cover our claws with plastic? Let’s look at the pros and cons of claw covers:

cat claw covers Baker shows off his pretty nails

Baker shows off his pretty nails

 

Pros of Cat Claw Covers:
  • Contrary to popular opinion, if your humans choose the right size for your paws and put them on properly, you don’t really notice them. You can still retract your claws normally and the claw covers, while pretty, do not add any weight to your paw.
  • You can still stretch and scratch at stuff, but with claw covers on, your claws will not be able to snag or rip your humans’ precious furniture.
  • They come in lots of fabulous colors.
  • They are safe. Unlike human claw covers, cat claw covers fall off when you shed the outer sheath of your claws, so you are not at risk of infection.
  • No matter how you feel about having your claws covered, these things are way better than the alternative that some humans still go for: DECLAWING!

    cat claw covers Lance prefers glitter

    Lance prefers glitter

Cons of Cat Claw Covers:
  • If you are an outside cat or make your escape for a little outdoor exploration, you won’t be able to defend yourself against other cats or worse, dogs, with these things on.
  • They are a little uncomfortable at first and if you pull them off and swallow them (as some cats are wont to do) before the glue dries, you can get sick.
  • It can be a little embarrassing if your human picks the wrong color.
How to Sink your Claws into Fabulous Fashion

Cats instinctively claw at furniture, drapes, or rugs. It is a way of marking our territory and imperative to creating a comfortable living environment. Chances are, however, your humans are going to try to find some way to dissuade you. It’s just human nature.

If your humans put scratching posts in the locations you usually like to claw, I recommend you use the scratching posts instead of the furniture. This is a good compromise that seems to make everyone happy.

cat claw covers - Once you have a manicure, it is important to keep it clean.

Cat claw covers – Once you have a manicure, it is important to keep it clean.

Some humans make it unpleasant to scratch at their sofas etc. by putting two-sided tape on the places you like to scratch. Yuck! Nobody wants to touch that sticky, gross stuff! After a few weeks, you will find a more pleasant place to scratch (such as a scratching post) and forget about the sofa.

Practical Information about Claw Covers

Some cats, however, are so set in their ways that these methods do not seem to sway them, and then the humans in the house may turn to claw covers. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to put these things on your feet is going to be up to your humans, because nine times out of ten, they are bigger than you, but if they do decide to go for it, here are a few things they should keep in mind:

  1. Not all claw covers are equal. We have used several ‘knock off’ brands, but we recommend the original, “Soft Paws” brand. Cheap claw covers can be too hard (difficult to get on), poorly shaped (easily fall off) or come with super-strong glue (don’t fall off with claw growth and eventually need to be snipped off.) We do not work for Soft Paws, so encouraging you to buy them does not benefit us in any way. If you do want to support us, check out our game: Click Here.
  2. Nobody wants to sit still while a human is pinching their foot and messing with their nails, so this is really a two-human job, and should be followed by lots, and I mean LOTS, of treats.
  3. Keep an eye on your claws. The claw covers should fall off after a few weeks to a month, but if they don’t, as your claw grows, the cover might start to dig into the pad of your toe, which of course would be quite uncomfortable. If a claw cover has not fallen off after six weeks, meow loudly at your humans until they clip off the offending claw cover.
  4. If the aim is to prevent furniture from being damaged, you do not need to cover your back claws, because we scratch stuff up with our front claws only. However, some cats have sensitive skin or anxiety issues which lead to overzealous scratching at the ears etc. If the aim, therefore, is to prevent you from scratching yourself, you should have the claw covers attached to your back claws.

    cat claw covers - They come in a variety of colors

    cat claw covers – They come in a variety of colors

I hope these tips help you in your long struggle to get along with your humans.

Baker - ask me anything byline

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker.

Your friend and fashion consultant,

Baker

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