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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Kitty Meowvie Reviews — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

harry potter and the sorcerer's stone

Click to read more about “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” on IMDb.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter character first debuted on the big screen in 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” starring Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.

Baker – “This meowvie was a lot of fun to sleep through as my humans sat riveted. Their laps did not move for over two hours. Two paws up!”

Lance – “I enjoyed watching this meowvie with my humans because it had a lot of whizzy things, especially during the Quidditch scenes. Two paws up!”

Our version stars Baker as Hairy Pawter and Lance as Purrmione. Watch it here on our YouTube channel, and subscribe to see all our meowvies!

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How to Get Your Cat to Take Medicine

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker!

A letter regarding cats taking pills:

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker.

Have a question about cat life? Ask Baker.

Dear Baker,

The vet said I have gingivitis and now I have to take pills. I hate taking pills, and as a cat, I have no concept that I need the pills or my teeth will get infected and have to be pulled out. Any advice? Please tell me it’s all a bad dream.

Your fan,

Stinky Cat Breath

 

Dear Stinky,

In our house, we consider pill time happy time! Are you psychocats, you may ask? Actually, it’s because we get our pills served in treats.

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Pills in treats

My cat bro Lance also suffers from gingivitis, so we aren’t allowed wet food most of the time. Happily, whenever the vet says we have to take pills, our human smushes them up into a nice little bowl of delicious wet food. Mmm! Take twice a day, you say, Mr. Vet? Will do! How about thrice?

We find tuna canned in water (for humans) is the best wet food for masking the nasty taste of the pills. Of course, a cat can’t eat tuna all day every day (or can he? We have not been given the opportunity to try!) but a spoonful of tuna to help the medicine go down will not hurt anyone.

We have also had the good fortune of getting liquid medications in wet food.

After growing up on the streets, Lancy suffers from recurring dental problems. Luckily, that means lots of medicine, which means lots of treats for both of us!

After growing up on the streets, Lancy suffers from recurring dental problems. Luckily, that means lots of medicine, which means lots of treats for both of us!

Pills that Can’t be Given in Food

Some pills work on an extended-release formula and can’t be smushed, or need to be taken on an empty stomach. Have your humom ask your vet if your pills can be smushed and served in wet food. Some pills are so yucky that no amount of wet food can mask the taste (we think! Our humans have never let us try taking pills in, say, a gallon of wet food…)

If it is essential that you take your pills whole, or worse yet, you have to take a big pill that’s cut into a smaller piece so it’s all jagged and crumbly, there are a couple of options.

Butter: Ever found the butter dish left unattended and helped yourself to a couple licks? Mmm, butter… Have your humans coat the pill in this slippery delicious yellow stuff to make it easier to swallow.

How to administer pills to a cat (a two-human method):

  1. Human One: Cuddle the cat and hold the scruff of its neck firmly. Alternately, you might want to try wrapping the cat firmly in a towel or fleece blanket.

    Click this picture to see an illustrated, detailed process for sticking pills down a cat's throat.

    Click this picture to see an illustrated, detailed process for sticking pills down a cat’s throat.

  2. Human Two: With one hand, squeeze the sides of the cat’s jaw joint lightly and tilt his head back slightly. This will force the cat’s mouth to open. Place the pill as far back in the cat’s mouth as possible, and close the cat’s mouth.
  3. Human Two: Hold the cat’s mouth closed gently with one hand and gently stroke the cat’s throat downwards a few times with the other hand. This will stimulate swallowing.
  4. Human Two: Give the cat a little water with a syringe or dropper to make sure the pill goes down and doesn’t get stuck anywhere in the esophagus. The butter will also help with this.
A useful tool for shoving a pill down a cat's throat. Only to be used if the treats method is impossible.

A useful tool for shoving a pill down a cat’s throat. Only to be used if the treats method is impossible.

Tools: Your vet or pet store may carry a pill gun. When Lance had to take pills that couldn’t be crushed (the jerk!), our humans had a lot of success with this little tool.

All they have to do is put the pill in one end, stick the pill end into the back of the cat’s mouth, and plunge the plunger. The pill pops right down his throat. In Lance’s case, this was also a two-human job. Our humans also held Lance’s mouth closed and rubbed his throat a little, as with the butter method above, just to make sure. The vet said to make sure they followed the pill with water administered with a syringe to ensure the pill goes down. This little baby will probably run you about twenty bucks.

A delicious way for cats to take pills. That's if the cat likes the taste of the treats. Just saying.

A delicious way for cats to take pills. That’s if the cat likes the taste of the treats. Just saying.

Greenies and some other pet treat companies make special treats designed for taking pills. We tried them and Lance said they didn’t taste good, but I ate them up even though I didn’t have to take any pills.

It’s too bad we’re more discerning than dogs. Our humans just have to shove the dog’s pill into a piece of chicken or cheese and she gulps it down obliviously! But if you try that with us cats, we will daintily nibble the cheese (or ignore it completely) and leave the pill behind.

So, Stinky, there you have it. Many ways to enjoy taking pills.

 

Your friend,

Baker

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A Letter from a Cat who Eats String

Dear Baker,

I just can’t help it; I love eating string! All kinds of string: shoelaces, hood pull strings, ornament strings, even Christmas ribbon. Every time I do, my humans always freak out and stuff me in my carrier and next thing I know, I’m at the vet!

Is eating string really so bad?

Signed,

Tastes-like-grass

Baker ate some string and now he has to go to the vet.

Baker ate some string and now he has to go to the vet.

Dear Tastes-like-grass,

Your human’s right; eating string is very dangerous and you should check into rehab until you can shake the habit.

Sure, string seems like a good source of fiber and you might think it will help you with your digestion. Best case scenario, you barf it up or poop it out.

But string doesn’t always come out like we expect. Some bad effects of string use include:

-The end of the string can get caught in your mouth, perhaps wrapped around you tongue. Then it will get anchored and not pass through your system. Anchored string can cause blockage or rupture your intestines. Bad news!

-The string can bunch up in your intestine and cause a blockage.

Christmas ribbon -- it looks delicious, but it is very dangerous and should never be eaten.

Christmas ribbon — it looks delicious, but it is very dangerous and should never be eaten.

-The string can pass through your intestine lengthwise instead of bunching up. In this case, it can pull at your intestine, causing it to, as our vet put it, ‘accordion.’ That does NOT sound pleasant!

-Christmas ribbon is especially bad for you. It is inflexible and has sharp edges, so it can cut up your insides from the inside.

-A blockage, accordion, or cut in your intestines can get infected and lead to septicemia (blood poisoning) and death.

Baker learned his lesson. Now he resists the temptation to eat delicious string and sticks to cat food.

Baker learned his lesson. Now he resists the temptation to eat delicious string and sticks to cat food.

Some cats think they’re lucky because their humans let them go outside and eat grass. This is actually not the best solution to your string problem; believe it or not, ‘outside’ is teeming with dangers, such as fast shiny metal objects that can squish you, predators, and evil humans who might unjustly punish you for marking your territory in what they consider their territory. Although there is very little danger of encountering string, outside does have worse dangers. Perhaps your humans could consider providing some cat grass in the house, or building a nice cat run outside so you can enjoy eating grass and insects but avoid the other dangers ‘outside’ cats face.

If you do eat string, your humans should take you to the vet. The vet will check you for symptoms of blockage and infection, and probably do an X-ray. Some cats poop out part of the string and then their humans are tempted to pull it out the rest of the way. WARNING: DO NOT LET YOUR HUMANS PULL ANYTHING OUT OF YOUR BUTT! If it is even a few inches up your intestines, pulling it will do serious damage. The best thing your humans can do in this situation is carefully cut off the hanging string as close to your butthole as possible and wait for the rest of the string to pass naturally. If you don’t barf up the string or poop it out, your vet might decide to do surgery to remove the string.

More info on string eating and its dangers here.

So you see, eating string is a terrible idea. If, like me, you are unable to resist this admittedly tasty treat, your humans should make sure to keep all stringy objects put away where you can’t get at them. At this time of year, your humans need to be extra vigilant about holiday ornaments and ribbon on presents. If you ruin their holiday by getting surgery or worse, dying, they will not be happy.

Your pal,

Baker

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Kitties and Holidays

What religious holidays does your cat observe?

The humans here at Spot the Kitty HQ were raised Catholic and Christian, but we do not put up a Christmas tree or other Christmas decorations. A lot of aspects of Christmas can be very dangerous for kitties. This year we’ve heard about two different kitties getting strangled in Christmas light strings. A few years ago, a very beloved family cat passed away after eating Christmas ribbon, and a childhood friend lost her kitty many years ago because he ate tinsel off the tree. As pet owners, we have to take safety into consideration when decorating for any holiday. Cats are very curious and playful animals. Light strings, garlands, tinsel, ribbons, and any other stringy or tasty decoration can be very dangerous for cats.

kitty dies in the christmas tree

Fifteen-week-old kitten is strangled in Christmas tree lights, reminding us to consider safety when decorating this holiday season.

A couple of years ago, a very dear Jewish friend taught me about Hanukkah, and this year although we are living far away from each other, we decided to celebrate it together again. She sent us eight Hanukkah gifts, including our very own Menorah. According to Jewish tradition, we light the Menorah every evening and gather around it for about half an hour of quality family time.

Lance loves this tradition very much. He finds the candles in the Menorah fascinating. We had to put the unused candles out of his reach because he kept trying to steal them. If you are celebrating Hanukkah this year, I think it is a very good opportunity for cats to enjoy some quality time with their humans, but please don’t leave your candles lit unsupervised. We don’t want to risk anyone getting their whiskers burnt off!

Lance enjoys the Hanukkah tradition of gathering around the Menorah.

Lance enjoys the Hanukkah tradition of gathering around the Menorah.

Another religion that is very good for cats is Islam. A few years ago, very close friends of Spot the Kitty told us about the Prophet Mohamed and his love for cats. Once when Mohamed wanted to put on his best robe and go to prayer, he discovered that his beloved cat was sleeping on the sleeve of the robe. Rather than disturb the kitty, he cut off the sleeve and left it for her to sleep on. Click here for more information about this. Baker and Lance both come from Qatar, a Muslim country. Both were strays when Spot the Kitty adopted them. Lance and other strays stayed near the local mosque, because visitors to the mosque always provided food and water there for stray cats.

Muezza was the name of Prophet Mohammed's favourite cat. Here is a tweet of a cat named Muezza visiting a mosque.

Muezza was the name of Prophet Mohammed’s favourite cat. Here is a tweet of a cat named Muezza visiting a mosque. Click to see more from #Muezza.

If you want to open your home to a pet this holiday season, remember that it is against Islam to pay money for a cat or dog. You might want to consider adopting a pet from your local shelter.

Cats love yoga, and can teach us a lot about holding positions (especially while napping) and meditation.

Cats love yoga, and can teach us a lot about holding positions (especially while napping) and meditation. Click to see more cat yoga pics!

A new trend all over the world is inviting cats to yoga classes. Yoga originated in Hinduism, which teaches that all animals are part of divine creation and we must care for them and treat them with love and respect. Learn more about Hinduism and animals here.

"The Cat who went to Heaven," a 1930 book by Elizabeth Coatsworth

“The Cat who went to Heaven,” a 1930 book by Elizabeth Coatsworth. Click to see it on Goodreads.

Buddhists also practice yoga and love for cats. Buddhism teaches us to show equal care and compassion for each and every creature in the universe. A beautiful story by Elizabeth Coatsworth in 1930 tells the story of a poor painter who takes a little cat into his home and soon after receives a commission for a painting of all the animals paying their respects to the Buddha. The commission will bring him fame and fortune. However, he is not to include the cat in the painting. The story is based on an old Buddhist tale. Learn more about Buddhism and animals here.

Whatever your beliefs and traditions, enjoy and take care of your cat this holiday season!

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Night of the Living Dead: a Spot the Kitty Meowvie Review

Click to find out more about the original zombie movie from IMDb!

Click to find out more about the original zombie movie from IMDb!

George Romero and John Russo were definitely pioneers in Hollywood. Produced in 1968, “Night of the Living Dead” was the first ever zombie movie. Nearly fifty years later, The Walking Dead is one of the most popular shows on television, continuing the story of flesh-eating, slow-moving undead originally conceived by Romero and Russo. Not only do the “Night of the Living Dead” zombies have staying power, but the film was filled with Hollywood firsts: an African American hero doing his best to save the white heroine, a fully nude zombie, a young girl zombie eating her parents… if anybody didn’t run out of the theater screaming in 1968, I’ll eat my pizza!

Baker: “This movie made my fur stand on end! Two paws up!”

Lance: “Humans should not be allowed to watch Night of the Living Dead while petting their kitties. The excitement lead to faster and faster scritching, and made it difficult to sleep. But I did get a pretty good head massage out of it, so two paws up!”

If you don’t think you can stomach all ninety-six minutes of fear and gore, Baker and Lance have produced their slightly tamer, definitely shorter version: “Night of the Mewing Dead.” Click to watch it on YouTube. Please subscribe to our channel and leave a comment so we know which meowvie you would like to see next!

Spot the Kitty presents: Night of the Mewing Dead

Spot the Kitty presents: Night of the Mewing Dead

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Kitty Meowvie Review: CSI — Crime Scene Investigation final episode “Immortality”

csi real movie posterCSI is an ingenious show that has run on CBS for fifteen years. It has three spin-offs and has given countless aspiring actors opportunities to show their stuff. CSI may not always be realistic (“Can you bring that up a little?”) but it is always entertaining to try to solve the crime along with the team. On September 27th, CSI shared their series finale, bringing back some of their best-loved cast members for an intense two-hour search for the bombers of a Las Vegas casino.

Read more about CSI – Crime Scene Investigation on IMDb.

Read more about CSI “Immortality,” on Entertainment Weekly
… after you watch the episode, of course. We don’t want any spoilers!

Our kitties enjoyed CSI Immortality so much that they decided to dedicated this week’s Spot the Kitty Presents to their own rendition of the show.

Baker: “It was a lot of fun to pretend to work with my partner to solve a crime. Of course in the end, we knew the dog did it. Spot the Kitty Studios were generous enough to provide some very high-tech equipment for this particular show, like a laptop, and a camera.”

Lance: “I don’t know why I always have to play the girl. I drew inspiration from Sara Sidle. Sara’s endearing habit of always explaining things that are already somewhat obvious makes the show easier to follow for those of us whose brains are the sizes of walnuts. So I guess in this instance, there was a certain element of challenge to bringing one of my favourite characters to life under my own interpretation.”

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A Letter Regarding Cat Meal and Playtime Schedules

Dear Baker,

My human is getting on my nerves. She gets angry with us when we wake her up to feed us breakfast, and she doesn’t seem to enjoy midnight play time. Could really use some advice.

Signed,

Hungry in the Morning

baker hiding spot the kitty 2

Baker takes time out from hiding to answer a fan’s advice letter.

Dear Hungry,

It sounds to us like you and your human need to get your schedules in sync. We had the same problem with our human before.

The first problem is getting hungry in the morning. You see, your human feeds you first thing in the morning, so you associate her getting out of bed with your breakfast. Tell your human she needs to schedule your breakfast to occur last in her morning routine, not first. That way you will get used to her shuffling around, making coffee, spraying water on her face, and doing all those bizarre human rituals before you get fed. Then you will realize there’s no point in trying to get her out of bed to feed you.

If humans would learn to sleep all day like normal animals, we wouldn't have so many problems getting them to do stuff at night.

If humans would learn to sleep all day like normal animals, we wouldn’t have so many problems getting them to do stuff at night.

Second, get your human to feed you dinner at about dusk. Humans do not naturally play in the dark like normal animals. They prefer to sleep when it’s dark. If they could learn to sleep all day like we do, we wouldn’t have this problem, but the reality is that many cats all over the world have a scheduling conflict with their humans when it comes to playtime. My point is, if your human feeds you dinner at dusk, then she will have a few hours of darkness with which to play with you before she gets into bed. If you play with your human between dinner and human bed time, you’ll be far less likely to wake up for crazy kitty play time later in the night.

Make sure you have a talk with your human about scheduling. I’m sure it will solve all your problems with her.

Sincerely,

Baker

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Losing a Loved One

The most difficult part of pet ownership is losing your beloved pet. Nothing could be worse for a cat owner than having to say goodbye as your little companion leaves your side at the end of his or her life. Some kitties live long lives and others are with us for only a short time. But every kitty, no matter how long we know them, leaves an indelible mark on our heart.

For all our friends and fans who have lost a kitty along the way, we would like to share this poem.

To all the kitties we've loved before.

To all the kitties we’ve loved before.

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Spot the Kitty is on the Move! Today’s Kitties Spotted in St. Petersburg, Russia

Spot the Kitty is out kitty-spotting again, this time in Russia! Our first stop on our Russian kitty tour: St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is a beautiful city, but there don’t seem to be many cats out and about.  People, yes; cats, no. We did manage to spot a couple of nice kitties during our explorations:

Can you spot the St. Petersburg kitty?

Can you spot the St. Petersburg kitty?

this kitty scampered off before I could zoom in on him, but here is a tiny close-up.

This kitty scampered off before I could zoom in on him, but here is a tiny close-up.

Can you spot the St. Petersburg kitty?

Can you spot this St. Petersburg kitty?

This beautiful little fuzzball of a tabby seems content in her home in St. Petersburg

This beautiful little fuzzball of a tabby seems content in her home in St. Petersburg

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