Caturday felid trifecta: Cat artist, Jerry the Cat, and exercising with your cat (plus bonus)

We have three items for today, including an update on Jerry Coyne the Cat.

First, a wonderful video called “I Am a Cat,” profiling talented and highly adorable Kaori Mitsushima, an artist who specializes in cats. (her website is here and her Facebook page is here). As  you’ll see, she has two cats—Pon-Pon and Araise (appears to be a Turkish Van with different-colored eyes)—and now lives in Czechoslovakia. It’s so great to hear her say, “I always had many dreams in my life, but my biggest dream was having my own cat. But I was never allowed to have my own cat when I was growing up. Now I have two cats: Pon-Pon and Araise.” Note her constant emphasis on the word “cat.”

Plus I love the background music: Gymnopédie by Satie, the most melancholy music ever penned.

A photo with Pon-Pon:

She also designed a teeshirt for a fun Kickstarter project, “The Guardians of Recoleta”, a film and about about the many cats that live in a cemetery in Buenos Aires; the project will also help find homes for the strays. . Have a look, and if you’re inspired, throw a few bucks their way. They’re only halfway to their goal.

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I’m sure you’ve been wondering, “Whatever happened to Jerry Coyne the cat?”  Well, there is news today from half of his staff in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the abandoned kitten found a forever home. He’s grown up into a lovely long-haired tabby, domineering, but sweet (much like his namesake).  Here’s a photo of the young Jerry lest you’ve forgotten:

And the email from the staff to Dr. Gayle Ferguson, who saved Jerry’s life (and that of his four sisters) when they were abandoned in a cardboard box by a petrol station:

I am not the greatest photographer and Jerry has not been very cooperative. He continues to be an absolute delight though. SO cute. Not a big cat but what a luxurious coat! He completely charmed my cat loving sister this week when she stayed with us. Smooching her all night and then getting under the covers with her at bedtime. Chases Loki [the other cat] around the house and when he is not organising the neighbourhood cats he is ruling the roost with the chickens. Very funny. The photos show him blissed out on catnip.

How to exercise with your cat!:

Doesn’t do much for the cat, though.

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Finally, a bonus! Here’s a new Maru video called, “Maru gets into the same box with various styles”:

This is a prime example of chronic Maru’s Syndrome, diagnosed by the DSM-IV as “obsessive box-inhabiting: when the patient sees a box, he or she cannot help but enter.”