robo-kitty

as if felines weren't already fierce enough... now missy has become the first cat ever to receive a robotic knee replacement.

this ground-breaking surgery gave missy, who had been injured by a car, a second chance at life. the hinge motion of the implant will allow missy to walk, run, and even jump.

the implant is bonded to the thigh bone using cement... one step closer to a total terminator cat.

feral cats and ninja rats

duluth adopted out its first feral cats, giving them a second chance at life. see, even in non-no kill cities, having faith in the community and relying on the kindness of strangers can save countless lives. maybe this is the first step to initiating a real t-n-r program that will save so many more.

in other cat news:

allerca, the company behind the supposedly "allergy-free cat" that bred and sold cats for thousands of dollars a pop, is going out of business.

UK comic, Russel Brand, says he won't move to the states to be with his gf, katy perry, unless his kitty can come, too.

the brits don't have the only mass-tranist-loving felines; boston's subway kitty, kenmore, has a new, less noisy, home.

and last, but not least, the ninja rats have arrived. nikki luvs hers because she thinks of herself as a bit of a samurai. her claws agree.

make it pretty with a kitty!

new iphone application lets you add cats to your iphotos. why not? cats make everything a little bit cuter. though if you're reading this blog your camera roll is probably already full of cat pics. amirite?

a croation soccer player got a yellow card for removing a stray kitty from the playing field. cats are naturals at soccer, he probably thought the soccer ball was just a really big glitter ball.

here's the now-famous video of the adorably friendly little kitty who kept interrupting a police officer while he was issuing a ticket. while the officer was certainly professional enough we can't believe he was able to ignore the high level of cuteness. we would have been all over that little guy.

and just because we love goofy cat-humour, cats 4 gold! "lose the treasure, get the cheshire!"

great news for wisconsin puppies!

the wisconsin state senate unanimously approved the puppy mill bill in session earlier today. this is a marked victory for local and national humane groups. good for us!

"more and more people in mainline christianity are considering them to have some kind of soul." churches are opening their minds, doors and hearts to pet-related worship.

looks like swine flu has done the un-expected and jumped species into an iowa house-cat. the good news, the kitty is doing fine and is relieved to see his tail has not been replaced by a curly-cue.

three is the magic number

what is the right number of cats per household? shouldn't that be decided by the household and not the local government? hoarders excluded, it's a dangerous game to put limits on pet ownership when local shelters are far from no kill.

world's fastest man adopts world's fastest cat, will now run backwards around the world and stop time. or not.

now los angeles is getting on board the anti-declawing train. pretty soon all of california will be living in the 21st century.

micro-chipped lost dog stolen and given away by animal control officer that found it. something about that just doesn't make sense.

hello kitty kitty

the iconic face of adorableness, hello kitty, is turning 35 this year. she's still cute as a button after all these years.

hope you all had a fun halloween! looks like the obamas got into the holiday this year as they handed out candy at the white house. mrs. obama even dressed up as cat!

it's the birthplace of the pet cat some 9,500 years ago. now Cyprus is laying claim to two new breeds: the appropriately named "aphrodite" and the "st. helen"

wuh oh. looks like dogs are the new hummers: analyzing our pets' eco-footprints. cats are like priuses, only they look a lot cuter.

need moar food?

keeping cats happy, healthy and well-fed keeps them in their homes. the humane society of tampa bay is attempting to do just that by giving away free food and litter to needy families.

doing good from beyond: north carolina millionaire leaves fortune to four local cat rescues.

"mily cyrus fan threatens to eat cat if miley cyrus doesn't tweet again." really? someone needs to get this girl some help. actually, scratch that. get the cat some help. the girl is beyond saving.

the purr-fect gift is not an expensive, pure-breed, exotic kitten. it's the feeling you get when your rescue cat looks you in the eyes and says "thank you."

making up is hard to do

this video of a fighting couple has taken over the interwebs. looks like they need to have a little make-up session like morty and lucy.


this is just another very good reason to have a cat, they let you know when something weird is going on, whether it be a bug on the carpet or a creep in your living room. if kitty's acting strange, take notice; they're more observant than we are.


it hasn't been a good week for the dogs of madison:


coyote alert! west-siders be on the lookout for coyotes. they are getting hungry and very brave.


madison police shot a dog that was described as "angry and aggressive" during a current drug-raid.

gabby - raider of the lost punkin

candy - the best part of halloween also happens to be the biggest threat to our pets in the holiday season. chocolate, particularly the dark kind, and xylitol-sweetened candies are the most dangerous. keep an eye on your stash or gabby will find it!

what's with british cats and mass transit? now there's a cat who takes a daily train ride down to a marine-life sanctuary where he passes time with penguins. how wonderfully odd!

remember the 71-year old man who was facing criminal charges for freeing a cat from a raccoon trap on his neighbor's property? well, lucky for him, and the cat, the charges have been dropped.

if you happen to have a lot of cardboard laying around you could follow these instructions from evil mad scientist to make your kitty it's very own cardboard chaise lounge. but don't worry if you're not the handy type because we've got you covered with this awesome cardboard chase lounge. get it? chase!

poly poly oxen free!

we've all heard of polydactyl cats, the cool kids with extra fingers on their mittens, but this guy is more like super-polydactyl with 24 combined toes! he'd probably make an excellent catcher in baseball.

own a cat, don't get deported. "an immigrant facing deportation from Britain cited ownership of a pet cat with his girlfriend as part of his legal battle to stay in the country."

the crazy cat lady board game. but, if they're true crazy cat ladies they would only have cats to play with!

will ferrel's comedy blog, funnyordie.com, is hosting a new web series called "the pearl and I" about a divorced man re-entering the dating world with a little help from his cat, pearl. word on the street is that it's pretty funny and pearl is charming as all get out.

happy national feral cat day!

alley cat allies is promoting the no kill approach of t-n-r by honoring october 16th as national feral cat day. now get out there and love some kitties!

in a recent poll dogs edged out cats as best pet. must have been fixed. get it? fixed! seriously, go trap some ferals and get 'em fixed!

another kitty kidnapped and since cats are still classified as property she's only worth $100. when is our legal system going to recognize pets as different from cds and sofas?

hey balloon boy, now that we know you're safe, meet keyboard cat.

if you're ready to help the feral cats of dane county click here.

wat pill? i no hided it

cats and pills go together like ewoks and stormtroopers. that's why we love pill pockets!

fat cats aren't just sitting in corporate boardrooms anymore. they're taking up half the couch! here's a quick Q and A on kitties and kcals.

how many cats have become beloved family pets just by showing up at the front door and not leaving? is it really stealing?

ok, folks. get your traps out and ready because national feral cat day is only two days away on the 16th! if you are in dane county and want to help, please contact the dane county friends of ferals.

stare into my eyes...you are getting very sleeeeepy.

turns out any old tom, dot or lucy can be registered as a hypnotherapist in the united kingdom. cat dancers could come in handy for those sessions.

simon tofield, the genius behind the youtube series "simon's cat," just published his very first book. it will undoubtedly be a best seller in no time.

if you were planning on dressing as a sexy ragdoll or naughty little bo peep for halloween but don't want your dog to miss out on all the fun then you might want to check these costumes out. let's just hope they don't dress any doggies as sexy kittehs. it might confuse them too much.

just for fun: "squirrels suspected after flags go missing from veteran's graves"

blessed be the cat

a congregation of thirty-nine dogs and one cat were blessed as part of the feast day of saint francis of assisi, the patron saint of animals. really though, all cats must be blessed. how else could they be this cute?

looks like little ghost isn't the only one who prefers riding under cars to riding in them. as the weather gets cooler, this is something to look out for. cold kitties think warm engine blocks are as good as any bed.

here are some cool pics of cats play-fighting as if they were in crouching tiger hidden kitteh.

the supreme court is back in session and hearing a case that may make visual depictions of animal torture as serious a crime as child pornography. this would prevent the distribution of videos of dog-fighting, off-season hunting, bull-fighting and other forms of torture and abuse. we think saint francis would approve.

dixieland diva

happy cat spotlight: dixieland! she is a super sweet, adult, grey-brown tabby looking for a new home. for more information on dixie and the adoption process just head on over to the happy cat club of madison or stop into our monroe street store.

ever longed for a woolen replica of your dog or cat? well now you can have just that! this artist uses pictures of your pets to reproduce a life-like woolen statue. pretty neat!

you don't often hear of certified therapy cats, but anyone who shares their home with one knows that cats can make the best therapists.

findtoto.com is a new service that will auto-call your neighbors to alert them of your missing pet. starting at $70 and ranging all the way to $875, it's quite the jump from putting up xeroxed posters.

october can only mean one thing...

...dogtoberfest! if you love dogs, beer and 80s musical act 'the go-gos' you had better head on over to capital brewery saturday, october 10th. seriously, though. jane wiedlin? crazy!

a new york man is facing a year in jail for freeing a cat from a raccoon trap after it had been stuck there for two days. poor kitty.

nike is coming under some heat for providing admitted-dog-killer michael vick with athletic wear. though they have not officially endorsed him, the free gear certainly doesn't look good to us.

you simply must click through this slide-show of photos from buffy the cat's website. she's such a good sport for letting her guardians dress her up and pose her like that. what a doll! buffy the dentist is our fav.

ireland loves dogs more. american cats don't care.

the emerald isle is home to more dog than cat-lovers. eh, big deal. they also love potatoes, mist, and little men with big promises of rainbows and gold. american cats would eat those leprechauns for lunch.

good news! sticky, the duct-taped kitty, has been adopted and is well on her way to living a normal, happy life.

“just as the average life expectancy for people keeps reaching closer to the century mark, we’ll continue to see the same parallels in our pet population." - the proverbial nine lives are quickly becoming nineteen lives.

feel good news: a cute, little turtle named "lucky" has had his mobility restored with the aid of those furniture-moving coasters. he's cruising around now and looking for work in the moving-men industry.

indoor/outdoor - the debate goes on

we are happy to see trap-neuter-return back in the pages of national news site msnbc. the first step to achieving no kill status is public awareness of other alternatives to the traditional shelter approach.

but don't get too excited because a new york times piece on the old cats-vs-birds debate has this to say, "in the view of many wildlife researchers, a pet cat on a lap may be a piece of self-cleaning perfection, but a pet cat on the loose is like a snakefish or English ivy: an invasive species."

the sicko, who duct-taped a stray cat for no real reason, has been arrested and could face up to two years in jail. maybe he'll get to try on a duct-tape jumpsuit.

superior court judge sets new precedent in three-year dog-custody battle. remember, folks, sharing is caring.

breed bans, breeder bills, babushka dogs?

this new york times piece brings light to the tragic outcome of breed bans in public housing.

wisconsin's commercial dog breeders license bill is being discussed today at the capitol. should it go through, it would be a huge step towards ending puppy mills in our state.

they thought their cat was dead, turns out it was another unfortunate kitty who happened to look like theirs. this is another good reason to microchip your cats.

"16. Jobshark is a website for people with career ambition, so named because sharks move constantly. cats sit by the windowsill for 7 hours at a time." - from some guy's list of 20 reasons sharks are better than cats. bah! we're not convinced.

cats and guns just don't mix

cats get into things - this is why people have to be way more careful with their firearms.

the guy who blamed child pornography on his cat just got 90 more counts charged against him.

intra-rescue fighting doesn't help any more cats. knock it off and work together!

peta really should have said the name of their new blog out-loud first. seriously, try it. see?!

cats and cars: a precautionary tail

while pet carriers may be difficult, big and clunky, they are a lot better than ending up with a clunker, or even worse.

neither fire, nor smoke, nor water, nor 26 days trapped in a rubble pile could keep this kitty down. what a fantastic surprise for her owner.

"man fires gun to scare cat." this guy shouldn't have a cat. or a certain 2nd amendment right.

a new york times piece aims to truly understand and un-understand the family dog. but isn't anthropomorphizing our pets half the fun? their joy is our joy.

a day without cats? never!

even if we weren't crazy cat people, we would still never tire of those hilarious lolcats and wacky videos. cats own the interwebs. resistance is futile.

new research suggests that growing up with both a cat and a dog in the house may lower the risk of other allergies.

an 8-year old ohioan named sarah just set the new world-record for fastest land animal by completing the 100-yard dash in 6.13 seconds. oh yeah, sarah is a cheetah.

more interesting discussion on the "dogs in public spaces debate": pet strollers. what do you think of smuggling dogs this way?

hey man, don't bogart the 'nip

this is your cat. this is your cat on drugs. see, doesn't he look happy!? actually catnip isn't even really a drug in the way we hoomans tend to think of it. it's just an herb, a form of mint, that just happens to make the life of a kitteh a little more fun. now where's the harm in that?

tizzie could possibly be the new oldest cat in the world. when does she get her shout-out from willard scott on the today show?

with wild-fires raging in california, the big cats are staying put. here's hoping the flames die down soon.

this cat needs his mouth washed out with soap! you won't believe the things he's saying.

kiki the happy kitteh

miss kiki is the newest happy cat to hit monroe st. she is one-year old, energetic and likes to give cuddles and kisses. she had a littler of kittens earlier in the summer and is now looking forward to starting a new life with a little less responsibility and lots more fun. stop in and giver her some love!

girls kept in backyard for years had ceramic cat collection, cat fancy magazines. kitties can be a comfort in even the saddest of situations. we hope they get to experience the love and understanding of a real kitty soon.

the comments on this story about rabies in a feral cat population show point pleasant, new jersey to be anything but pleasant.

the new movie, district 9, features a cat-food monopoly and aliens. surprisingly, alf is not involved.

nikki pre-partied a little too hard

if you're into food, rockin' music and toasting the winners of the isthmus' "madison's favorites" poll then come on down to the king street block party this saturday evening. we'll be there so don't be square!

"It was his home, and he'd stroll down the bar as if he owned the place, stopping now and then to lap a patron's drink. He napped in drum kits before shows and zipped through pulsating crowds during performances, unfazed by headbanging volume." - a chicago bar mourns the loss of their beloved pub kittty.

decoding the secrets of human genetics by way of dog hair. yes, that stuff that clings to your pants and couches is also the stuff that dreams are made of.

the dane county humane society is in the news again, this time it's for the alleged mis-treatment of seized chickens from a local fighting ring.

please, please, please, don't shoot the cat

the anti-cat undercurrent has got to stop:

pfeiffer, a one-year old cat, was shot with a cross-bow last week, and miraculously survived. no suspects yet. (warning: graphic image)

in a uk neighborhood, 8 cats have been poisoned to death. was it a pro-bird/anti-cat killing? it's happened before.

we've got a ways to go before we truly embrace the no kill philosophy, as a nation and as people.

this cute dog thinks he's a cat. he even uses the litter box and is being adopted out through a cat-specific rescue group! now that's a dog who'd fit right in here. he and lucy could cuddle.

poodles groomed to look like other animals: cruelty or comedy? tell us what you think.

look at the world from more than one angle

isthmus story on 'off-limits' places in town - denied access to dchs euthanasia room. just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

the fastest human alive is as fast as a house cat. neat-o!

tax-payer money is going to help defend the florida cat killer in the upcoming trial.

'certified pre-owned cats' - even in animal rescue it's all about the marketing.

here's an update on two of the vick pits seized back in 2007. looks like both will be moving on to new, better lives soon!

thank you, madison!

well, we did it again: took first place in the isthmus' "madison's favorites" poll! grab a copy of the isthmus and check out the annual manual for a complete list of winners and a great pic of our very own gabby madcat. once again, thanks to all who voted for us. come on down to the king st. party next saturday and we'll celebrate!

now we are not saying this caused the crash, but joking about barbecuing a cat wasn't very nice, either.

why would anyone want to beat up a little dog? all animals deserve respect, even "ugliest dog" winners.

oh boy. peta's at it again and by "at it" we mean making a big stink. when will they learn?

even though we're not on the eastern seaboard, it's always good to be prepared for any kind of storm - caring for feral cats during a hurricane.

cats as property? hardly! they own us!

big news - a lawsuit in virginia is delving into a hot issue close to all pet-lovers' hearts: what is a companion animal really worth? let's hope this leads to the end of classifying our pets as 'property.' do you have any suggestions on what their new status could be?

mycathatesyou.com - always a fun stop on the daily blog train and full of cats giving disdainful looks.

this dog on deathrow in northern ireland is exactly why breed-banning not only doesn't work but is a downright travesty.

"a pilot and his cat are lucky to be alive after they crashed their small plane north of reno uesday morning." a new take on "dog is my co-pilot?"

cheetas or cheetos?

man blames cat for downloading child pornography - we're sure the dog ate his homework, too.

if you're in the green bay area and spot what appears to be a smallish cheetah, have no fear - it's just someone's 50lb. missing cat.

juvenile sicko gets 18-months, cats get nothing.

"“who are these trustees to second-guess either Mrs. Helmsley’s wishes or the legitimacy of kindness and compassion for animals?” leona is going to be really peeved when she finds out how little of her money is actually going towards helping dogs.

the new york times wants to know if you look like your dog - unless your dog happens to be aphrodite in canine form we certainly hope not!

gabby, the ent-cat looks for more tasty hobbits

choosing pet supply stores - this is why we don't sell pets.

"love him or hate him, Fido is changing american society -- in ways municipal and medical, emotional and economic, social and scientific -- as never before." we are a nation of pet-lovers!

this lucky kitty survived a bullet to the face and still manages to love people. it is always amazing how tenacious the spirit of a cat can be.

stem cells are being used to help degenerative illness in animals - science is a remarkable thing, especially when we are using it to help those who can not help themselves.

top 5 loudest and quietest cat breeds - our store cats are generally pretty quiet but we've met some pretty loud tabbies in our day. how vocal do your cats get?

his head is so big he needs two beds

"there are two floors. downstairs is the living room and upstairs is the closet and bedroom. they love to run up and down the stairs and chill on their balcony." - paris hilton describing her new dog house.

put all that shedding fur to good use - make a scarf!

another cat makes the biggest scene at an otherwise boring baseball game.

what cat doesn't want a tank to hang out in?

try and find something more adorable than this little kitten pinning himself down with a pillow. i dare you!

cat ladies and lads

at what number of cats does one become a "cat lady"?

"The cat is officially out of the bag: according to a new survey from Ipsos and Tidy Cats, more than half of Americans sans cats believe that anyone with more than one feline at home is a "crazy cat lady."

herumph! those people obviously haven't bowed down to the greater species yet. their time will come.....

in other "crazy cat lady" stuff, there's now a board game to help with those cat-collecting urges. get more cats than your neighbor and you win!

...but wait, you can even play with your very own "cat lady" action figure! the fun never ends as you stuff those kittys in its pockets while she gives the world the old crazy eye.

...and with halloween just around the corner, you may even want to consider the cat lady costume! you can even wear it as your standard uniform if you're crazy enough!

meet shakespeare!

"i am as vigilante as a cat to steal cream" - the bard said that, this shakespeare would be happy just to find a new home with someone to rub against. he is currently hanging out at our west side store meowing for attention and pets. for more info on adopting shakespeare contact the happy cat club of madison.

science is finally trying to catch up with us! colorado state university plans first study on the benefits of probiotics on irritable bowel disease in cats.

wacky cat facts! they have 44 more bones than we do, giving them the ability to squeeze through tiny spaces, get their heads stuck, and become a news item.

what every sci-fi -loving cat lady needs, a hello kitty stormtrooper!

lucy iz not hooman grayd 'gredient!

nora, the piano-playing cat, gets her own pitch-purrfect concerto.

woman framed by police just wanted to catch her cat.

the greatest show in bolivia just got a whole lot greater. is this the first step toward cruelty-free circuses everywhere? we hope so.

kitty gets new eyelids - a perfect example of how no kill rescue groups can harness the power of the internet to save lives.

a young woman risks her life to save kittens left to die on a busy roadway. what would you have done?

invisible lollipop

as detroit auto plants go under, the feral cats, who call them home, are finding themselves in a new predicament.

this dog's future is so bright he's gotta wear shades.

uk kitty goes green with his transportation - he takes the bus!

the new doggielovedoll aims to replace old standbys like, pillows, couch cushions and human legs. also strives to be creepiest dog toy on the market.

chicagoland begins the steady trek toward no kill by embracing t-n-r:

"Pina remembers trapping cats in a Pilsen alley one summer night last year when a pair of menacing-looking young men approached her and fellow cat advocate Anna Morrison-Ricordati.

The men left the women alone only after the women promised not to take the cats to a shelter. The toughs said they didn't want to see the cats killed.

"It was very cute," Morrison-Ricordati said. "

surprise! it's a ghost!

here's a no kill story that involves community, rescue, and a couple thousand miles.

while we don't normally do this (we're not a shelter), we took in a teeny tiny white kitten this morning who had been living inside the engine block of car for a week - a car that just happened to be traveling 1,400 miles.   apparently the little guy had crawled up into the car at a grocery store and was finally discovered this morning when the car was brought in for an oil change.  a good samaritan then brought him to us and we named the little guy 'ghost' because he was so tiny and white - a real ghost of a cat.  after a hearty breakfast of turkey and liver (yummmm!) he warmed right up to us and spent a good amount of time riding shoulders and receiving lots of love. the good folks at happy cat have stepped up to foster him until he is big enough for adoption. look for a story on ghost to air tonight on channel 3000 news and check back here for updates on the little guy.   

also in happy cat news, we have a new kitty up for adoption at our mineral point road store. his name is d.j. and he's a gorgeous orange and white tabby with the loving personality that comes with his looks. if you want to come in and meet him prepare for a few kisses 'cause this guy likes to lick fingers rub noses. for adoption info, please contact the cool people over at happy cat.

have a good weekend, everyone!

frisking felines!

"suspects attempt to evade police foiled by curious cat" - i can see the rash of buddy cat-n-cop movies now, "turner and purrs", "feline cop" and "police academy: 9 lives."

no-kill nation is getting national attention on major news site. "White firmly believes in giving every animal a chance at a home." yesssssss!

this is what true compassion looks like - foster hospice care. san fran, you rock!

ugh. another dog-fighting ring has been busted. no one will suffer more punishment than those poor dogs.

just for the fun of a weird story - a goat got stuck in a tree.