From Bored Panda we have a clowder of very spoiled cats. Click on screenshot to see all fifty; I’ve chosen just 9 of my favorites:
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This is what Twitter is for: we have a whole thread of naval cats in hammocks. I’ll show a few, but go over and see more.
Saipan of the USS New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/vjisrV3mfs
— Molly Hodgdon (@Manglewood) July 2, 2021
Kitten on HMAS Kanimbla at some point during WWII. pic.twitter.com/Xt36krkK1g
— Molly Hodgdon (@Manglewood) July 2, 2021
Kitten aboard HMS Achilles ca. 1939. pic.twitter.com/4452m6nxdM
— Molly Hodgdon (@Manglewood) July 2, 2021
There are many more. . . . .
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Here’s a short article on ScienceAlert whose title tells the tale:
It’s no surprise that owners in lockdown paid more attention to their pets. Surprisingly, though, this made dogs more needy in an obnoxious way but cats got friendlier (this is, of course, my interpretation, but it comes from SCIENCE). An excerpt:
A team led by researchers from the Universities of York and Lincoln in the UK surveyed 5,323 people with companion animals, including horses, reptiles, birds and fish, along with the usual suspects – cats and dogs – to see what effect the massive changes in human routines have had on them.
Over 65 percent of the participants reported changes in their companion animals’ behavior during their first lockdown in 2020. Participants answered several sets of questions about their animals, their own mental health, and their relationships. They were also invited to leave further comments.
Overall, many owners reported improvements in their companion animals, but out of all the species, dogs displayed the most negative changes.
“My dog has become a lot more needy and howls if I leave the house without him, even if it’s just to do some gardening and he can see me,” explained another pet owner. “Going back to work will be very hard on him.”
Cats, of course, just improved:
. . . .The team suspects perception of increased affection seen in 35.9 percent of cats is possibly due to changes in owner behavior, with the humans seeking increased company and close physical contact. This may have encouraged cats to seek more treats and other resources from their owners, they suggest.
You can read the original research paper for free in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Here’s a snippet of the abstract:
Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs.
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Lagniappe: A cat named Binx survived the collapse of the condo in Surfside, Florida, was found safe two weeks after the disaster, and has been reunited with his owners. A tweet:
After 16 long and incredibly difficult days, I’m able to share a small piece of good news — Binx from Champlain Towers South has been found.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of our community to the team who played a role in reuniting him with his family. pic.twitter.com/yzDxW6plHG
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) July 10, 2021
More Lagniappe: Cat likes being pushed along a slick floor:
h/t: Ginger K., Luana
Those “spoiled” cats (is it really possible to spoil an animal as wonderful as Felis catus?) made my day! The cats in hammocks were my lagniappe 😀
As always, I appreciate these posts, even if I don’t often comment on them.
Yes, the number of cats in tiny hammocks on warships was a surprise to me.
I believe you meant:
UNsurprisingly, though, this made dogs EVEN more needy in an EVEN MORE obnoxious way…
🐾🐾
My COVID-Cat experience was not so lovely. My Garfield-esque tub of fur and claws started out loving and affectionate but then turned violent and would randomly attack me, biting mostly, and became so mean I refused to let him sleep with me or sit on/near me. I even had to break my rules and start letting him outside. I was heartbroken and frankly pissed. But, now I have a 10-month old puppy. This has changed the dynamic. The cat now sees me as his protector from the overly excited dog who loves to chase, pounce, and gently chew on the cat. I have not been attacked since. The dog doesn’t seem to mind the claws, thinking it’s all a game, while the cat vociferously objects to having his entire head in the mouth of the pup. I do break up the fun and games if they seem to be getting a bit too rambunctious but I remind the cat frequently that it’s his fault I had to seek affection from another species.