Thanks to alert readers, the cat stories are arriving in droves, so the Caturday felid is once again a trifecta:
First up, from The Atlantic, is the story of Kuzmai, a library cat in Russia.
A children’s library in the Russian city Novorossiysk just brought in a new employee: a cat by the name of “Kuzma.”
According to a news broadcast on Russia’s Channel 1, the library staff found Kuzma on the library’s front steps. They tried to find him a home but couldn’t … so they gave him a new name and the cushy title of “assistant librarian.”
Kuzma’s job description? Entertaining children, participating in theatrical performances, and greeting visitors on the steps of the library. His salary and benefits? Thirty packets of food a month plus bonus in the form of additional treats and scratches behind the ears. Not a bad deal in this fragile industry.
Kuzmai’s “job”, then, appears to involve hanging around a lot and feeding at the public trough—much like a U.S. Congressman. Here are some photos, with a superfluous bow tie and some of his papers. (What are they?) Maybe a Russian-speaking reader can translate those papers (enlarged in the video below), as well as what the video says. One thing I’ve learned in the past few years: Russians are among the most cat-loving people in the world!
***
By now you should be aware that there always is a Resident Cat at 10 Downing Street in London, with the official title of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, a position that has been filled since 1920. Larry, a rescue cat from the Battersea Animal Shelter, assumed that post in 2011, but there have been persistent rumors that Cameron wants to chuck him out, and also that Larry doesn’t mouse well.
That’s not surprising given he has to wear a stupid Union Jack bow tie! Why do they insist in denigrating cats this way? There is nothing that makes a noble animal (or a human) look dumber than a bow tie.
Last week, Yahoo News reported persistent rumors about Cameron’s disaffection with Larry, though 10 Downing Street tries to quash them:
British Prime Minister David Cameron’s office denied Saturday that his family has no love for Larry, the Downing Street cat.
Following claims in a new book that Cameron acquiring the moggy was little more than a public relations stunt, a “savelarry” hashtag began trending on Twitter.
Downing Street dismissed suggestions in journalist Matthew d’Ancona’s book on Cameron’s coalition government, “In It Together”, that Larry was an unloved pet.
A spokesman said: “Totally untrue. He is very popular with everyone in the building and we all get on purr-fectly well.”
. . .Larry was acquired in February 2011 after a rat was spotted in two television news bulletins scurrying around outside the black door of the prime minister’s residence in central London.
But his efficiency has been regularly called into question and it took him a few months to make his first confirmed kill.
Still, I’m worried. The PM residence acquired yet another cat, Freya, in 2012 and, although she was reported to have replaced Larry, it’s not clear. Wikipedia notes:
On 16 September 2012, it was reported that Prime Minister David Cameron had sacked Larry from the post of Chief Mouser, in favour of Chancellor George Osborne’s tabby, Freya, as the new Chief Mouser to patrol Numbers 10, 11, and 12. Some sources described the new arrangement as a “job share” to avoid any hurt feelings. Chief Mousers in the past have overlapped, or been phased in—though the position can and has remained vacant for extended periods of time. Larry is the only Chief Mouser listed on the official web site for Number 10.
Still, I’m not reassured by Downing Street’s Statement:
Reports have made him out as a cat more interested in snoozing than putting the frightners on inner-city rodents.
The Downing Street website says Larry has “captured the hearts of the Great British public and the press teams often camped outside the front door. In turn the nation sends him gifts and treats daily.
“Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality.
“His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stage’.”
“Contemplating” a solution that’s “in tactical planning stage”? That’s a euphemism for Larry’s not doing his job. Still, he was chosen for the job and rescued from a shelter, so he deserves not only to hold his position, but also to receive the love of Cameron and his family and staff.
Never trust a Prime Minister who doesn’t love cats. Churchill loved cats.
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Finally, if you don’t find this story touching, you don’t belong here. It’s from Wil Wheaton’s tumblr page, where he often posts on rescued animals. Here’s the photo and the story, called “My dear raggedy old man”:
My dear raggedy old man Peter the Fearsome. I met him in November of last year at our local kitty shelter and fell in love instantly. In February he came home and I can’t imagine life without him. Pete had a very tough life on the streets, losing the tips of his ears to frostbite and developing crippling localized arthritis in his back leg. Relaxing on the couch is clearly what this kiddo was made for. 🙂 He’s shy around strangers but with time will steal your lap-space…and your heart!
Gives me a chance to repeat one of my favourite Churchill quotes:
“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
It’s so lovely to see unlucky kittehs catch a break.
Damn! Hit return too early!
Churchill really did love cats as this account will demonstrate:
http://www.winstonchurchill.org/support/the-churchill-centre/publications/finest-hour/issues-109-to-144/no-139/837-churchills-feline-menagerie
Imagine my dismay, sitting here on the train into manhattan on the way to see Eugene Onegin with my dad, professor emeritus of Boston u, to read your callous disparagement of the wearers of bowties ESP. As I refrained from any snark about cowboy boots on city dudes! https://www.dropbox.com/s/1atgep80ts5bjve/image.jpg
Oh dear, I am sorry to dismay you. In fact, I think all ties look pretty bizarre on males (that’s why I rarely wear one), but in increasing order of unsightliness I rank them regular ties, bow ties, and strong (bolo) ties. The Western ones are the ugliest!
I showed this to my dad and he said, rather unkindly, that you probably don’t know how to tie one. Actually he said you must be bow tie challenged.
Bowties are cool
Either way we can at last be gratified that FINALLY an Internet blog is debating the really important issue!
And no one can declare it a t*e!
Take back that comment about bow ties or I’ll, I’ll… have to do an experiment on you!
http://doin-work.com/2010/11/24/reviewin-mlb-predictions/bill-nye-poster/
Bolo ties are even cooler!
They’re the official neckwear of the State of Arizona, for what it’s worth.
As a (semi-)professional musician, I often have to strangle myself. Makes even less sense for wind musicians than it does for everybody else. I still don’t understand why formal wear here in the desert is the same as it is for midwinter arctic environments. Personally, I’d be much happier performing in shorts and a T-shirt….
b&
OOH, that’s the time for a nice guayabera!
Works for me! Sadly, the most adventurous that conductors tend to get, in the middle of summer, is slacks and a shirt (no tie or jacket), and you get to pick whether your shirt is white or black.
The rest of the year, you don’t even get that much freedom….
b&
I’ve often advocated dressing for the season. At least you don’t have to wear high heels though. I’ve rebelled vs. them regularly and don’t care that I’m 5’2″ because I already have a messed up back and bad feet.
Funny you should mention the back…I almost never have trouble with mine, but it’s been killing me today….
b&
Ditch the heels, Ben.
Ha ha!
Sadly, I’m not the only one who hasn’t figured out how to get rid of them. Got any suggestions?
Not sure what that’s got to do with lower back pain, though….
b&
Think really lower back…
😀
Ah…well…fortunately, my…ah…local discomfort is not of that variety….
b&
Kidding aside, get better soon, Ben! Lower back pain affects everything you want to do. 🙁
Thanks — and no joke. Even sitting sucks. I could go lie down and make the pain go away, but, if history is any guide, that’ll just prolong things.
Still, if history really is any guide, it should be at least a bit better tomorrow, significantly better by Tuesday, and completely gone by next week. At least, that’s what I think I remember from the last time this happened a few years ago. I just wish I could hit the fast forward button. Even more, I wish I could figure out what caused it….
b&
Probably evolution…
Are you suggesting I’m less than fit and, presumably, likely to Darwin myself…?
b&
Hi Ben. Sorry about your back. Don’t know if you’re into yoga, but I’ve found the baby cobra pose and the cobra pose surprisingly helpful for lower back pain. Also very easy to do (as you may know) as I’m hopelessly inflexible.
Thanks for that! It certainly didn’t cause harm; it felt good; and it might have made things a bit better. I’ll have to do some more repetititititions throughout the day.
No, I’ve never gotten into yoga — yoghurt, yes, but not yoga. Though the exercising I’ve been doing for the past couple months have been all bodyweight exercises, which I suppose aren’t entirely dissimilar. A military press, for example, is “just” pushups in the Downward Dog position, and that Cobra isn’t entirely unrelated to a planche.
Not that I’m ready for doing planches yet….
b&
As far as I know, you have yet to demonstrate your fitness. No doubt you’re “potentially fit.” 😀
If you’re referring to the fact that my baby is feline, I suppose you might have a point.
Still, I could, I think, make a very compelling argument for how, at this point in human evolution, those who don’t directly produce offspring are doing more for the species as a whole than those who do.
Remember, it’s not how many children you yourself sire, but how many generations distant your genes survive….
b&
You’re welcome Ben. Hope you feel better soon. I’m more into yoghurt than yoga these days myself! Walking briskly on a treadmill is my sport of choice 🙂
Thanks again, Lianne.
And…check out Mark Lauren’s stuff if you’d like a more efficient use of your workout time than being an hamster. You’d be amazed at what just a half an hour or so a few days a week, with no equipment whatsoever, can do for your health.
Cheers,
b&
Thanks. Will do.
Yeah; emphasis on “your,” not “their” genes.
Still, what good are genes w/o a species?
(And of course I agree with you about the big picture.)
LOL but the person who said that also likes to wear a fez! 🙂
If there ever was a cat that looked like it deserved something its Peter the Fearsome.
Give Pete and extra treat on my behalf.
Coal black cats with pumpkin-colored eyes are just startlingly impressive.
Winston Churchill invariably wore a bow tie.
I like to wear a cravat as it hides a scrawny neck with an open collar.
Here’s wishing Peter a long and luxurious retirement from far too many years on the streets.
b&
The paper with all the stamps and signatures is a vaccination record showing which vaccines he has recieved when, and how long they are good for. The other paper is a formal-ish letter of acceptance from the director, officially bestowing upon Kuzma the position of library assitent.
I won’t try to translate the whole video. The announcer mostly just relates the same story posted in English including the “salary” of 30 packets of food per month, and scratches behind the ears m/l word for word. They talk about how he was “hired” because he would leave along with everyone else at closing time and then be waiting on the porch the next morning as though he were showing up for work.
The librarian talks about how she and Kuzma seem to understand one another and how she can gauge his mood by his facial expressions and movement of his ears and tail. She talks about how they took him to the vet to get all his vaccinations so parents could rest easy that there wouldn’t be a sick animal around their children (it’s a children’s library).
The little boy is comparing Kuzma to the famous story-telling cat in the oft-memorized prologue from Pushkin’s “Ruslan and Ludmila”.
One amusing bit at the very beginning when the camera cuts to Kuzma slumbering on the floor: “Don’t make any noise – Kuzma is working!”
: )
I’m thinking about adopting a cat for the first time in 25 years. Does anyone have any advice to give me for my visit to the local shelter?
While there may be lots of attractive looking, hence adoptable, cats, ask the shelter if there are any cats that would be less likely to find a home and get some information about any behavioral “problems” that they might have owing to previous trauma. We have one female that is somewhat unsociable with our other cats, and is a bit standoffish with us (won’t sit in your lap)and lives in the bedroom. But she has adapted well, likes to play with strings and taps us on the face when she wants to be scratched at night. Also, try to make your cat an indoor cat. Cats that are let outdoors get sick more often and can increase your vet bills. Also they don’t barf up yucky gopher guts that you step in in the middle of the night. No matter what its history, a shelter cat will respond to nic3e treats and attention.
I don’t think there’s much you can do beyond letting your heart be your guide. And it can be a bit overwhelming, esp. if, as I do, you feel guilty about the ones you look at but pass by…
Perhaps you could submit the story of your quest & its outcome to WEIT. : )
There is a native saying that you don’t choose the animal, the animal chooses you. I’ve found this to be true most of the time.
Certainly been the case with me.
b&
Yes.
Open your arms and heart. Most of the rest will take care of itself. Breed, age, gender…none of that really matters. Give a cat your unconditional love, and even the most shell-shocked, skittish, and withdrawn alley cat will respond in kind once you’ve demonstrated you can be trusted. (And note: punishment of any kind tells cats you can’t be trusted.)
Do spend a bit of time here:
http://www.catinfo.org/
but feel free to skim…Dr. Pierson is a bit excessively verbosely wordy in her verbiage at times, with the particular times in question being generally almost always, usually, if you get the idea of the sense of what I’m attempting to try to convey.
The take-away messages are that kibble is not healthy for cats; you should mix a suitable amount (a couple spoonfuls) of water in with the cat’s meals; and raw food is ideal. Quality commercial frozen raw food (Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw is a great example) is available at many pet stores, and it’s not too burdensome to make it yourself if you’d rather save a few pennies.
Thanks for doing this. The more cats in responsible forever homes the better our society becomes — for humans, cats, and the rest of the urban environment all included.
Cheers,
b&
P.S. You might also think about pet health insurance. No, really! A good plan — mine is through Pets Best — will cost about as much as you should be spending on annual exams and it’ll cover most of those costs. Then, if anything bad comes up, you won’t have to make any hard decisions based on what your bank account looks like at the time. b&
I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but +1.
Tanks! Nice to know I’m not nuts. Well, not entirely, at least….
b&
Thanks for the advice everyone. Can hardly wait to meet my new roommate!
“His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stage’.”
It’s evident that the staff at Downing Street have also watched ‘Yes Minister’.
Let the animal chose YOU. One that wants you to pet it and play, wants your lap or petting, marks your ankles, and so on. That’s what I’d look for.