You’ll certainly want to see these photos, won’t you? (Click on screenshot.)
I’ll show five of these flufferinos (image credits below photos):
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From Paw.tv we have another clickbait-y cat post (click on screenshot):
And I’ll show five of the ten (no image credits are given):
Hovercat!
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I don’t find the New Woker humor section all that funny, but this one is good—although perhaps it’s just because it’s about the First Cat. But let’s be clear here: despite the Bidens’s repeated assertions that they were going to get a cat, there is not yet a First Cat. In fact, my theory, which is mine, is that they just said that to get on the good side of cat lovers, and that there will never be a Biden White House cat. I hope I’m wrong.
At any rate, you can read this message purporting to be from the White House Cat (written as its thoughts before it moved in), published on December 15 of last year. Click on the screenshot:
A small excerpt:
Look, being First Pet is no box of chocolates. I’m not there yet, but, honey, I know, I already know. My test for any aspiring diplo-cats is to ask them to identify the Monroe Doctrine, Shirley Chisholm, and any reason to think they’ll still be friends with Lindsey Graham or Susan Collins by the end of this Administration. If they can do that, then . . . maybe. Otherwise, I just can’t even. Sorry, little Kansas City calico with Pamela Harriman on the brain, but I’m fresh out of fucks—heavy lifting ahead.
I mean, let’s be real here, the culture of unrealistic expectations for governmental felines was firmly established by that consummate top-feeding suck-up, Socks Clinton. He would sit on Forty-Two’s shoulders. His carrier had the Presidential seal. He schmoozed Bill’s personal secretary. He was so popular that the White House had to tell photographers to leave him alone.
In short, Barf City. Truman Capote, but with more dander. “Across the aisle” does not begin to describe the largesse with which I would like to dispense my regurgitative splendors on the Socks legacy.
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Lagniappe: This comes from Joe Routon:
I made this photo at the convent of San Marco in Florence, Italy. The Last Supper was painted in 1482 by Domenico Ghirlandaio. The cat, sitting patiently behind Judas, is obviously waiting for someone to toss him a scrap of food.In an almost identical setting of the Last Supper at the Franciscan Church of Ognissanti in Florence, Ghirlandaio omitted the cat.Googling cats, I learned that in the Bible cats are often a sign of pending misfortune and could indicate someone is being deceitful or cunning, which would be appropriate in the painting, since it’s seated behind Judas. Or perhaps the church’s main priest wanted his pet cat immortalized.
h/t: Laurie
The Hovercat photo is wonderful! At least one of those kitties seems to be on a ceiling window rather than a glass table.
The Bidens better get a cat, and it better be from a shelter. I will be seriously pissed off if they get a cat from a breeder. They should adopt a whole bunch of adult cats who need homes and give them the most famous home in the world. Those cats have lived their entire lives in cages where they can barely stand with nobody to love them, and they have no idea why. Save those cats, Joe!
I still have the book I got when I went to DC back in the Clinton years: Socks Goes to Washington. It’s charming and hilarious.
Do you remember when Doonesbury had Bill the Cat honeying up to Socks Clinton and also peeing (or pooping?) in the White House plants?
Very, very vaguely. So much happened in Donnesbury over the years…
Not Bloom County‘s Bill the Cat? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_the_Cat
Interestingly, Donald Trump’s brain was transplanted into Bill the Cat in 1989! https://www.gocomics.com/bloomcounty/1989/01/31/
As long as the Biden cat gets along with the dogs.
“Bill Clinton said, “I did better with the Palestinians and the Israelis than I’ve done with Socks and Buddy.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socks_(cat)
Ha, I never heard that one! That’s a good line.
“learned that in the Bible cats are often a sign of pending misfortune”
There are no cats in the Bible
Yes, this is true (and so much worse for the Bible), but I think Joe meant that in ancient times cats were often regarded that way, which is also true.
Black cats are still supposedly a sign of bad luck, although I’ve never met anyone who actually believed that.
“Cats on glass tables” has appeared here before – or at least some of the photos.
Is Sir Humphrey sitting on (in a very literal sense) the Selection Committee for First Mouser to the White House? In a purely advisory capacity of course. As a diplo-cat of high standing, his advice is likely to be useful.
Since super-fluffy tails seem to be associated with domesticated cats – I don’t recall seeing them in the wild very often – can one infer a (mild) negative influence. Extra energy expended in grooming the briars out for no great hunting gain – an argument like that. Though since at least lions have a genetic tick-box for fluffy tail tips in the male, relevant genes probably go back a way in the feline family tree. mid-Miocene? Say, 10 Mya.
There are only twelve people present in Ghirlandaio’s painting. There is a disciple missing.
(“Twelve disciples and only one redeemer!”
I think you missed the dude lying down on the table, I count thirteen
The dude is St. John. In his gospel, he says that “the disciple whom Jesus loved [not named, but assumed to be John himself] was reclining by Jesus’ side.” In Jesus’ day, they would not have used tables and chairs, but would have been sitting or reclining on the floor. European artists were confused by this reference and would show John slouching or sleeping against Jesus.
Also weird is that a crucified Jesus is painted above the man.
Those are super floofy cats! I would not be able to leave their tails alone.