Caturday felid trifecta: Paralyzed kitty gets wheelchair; yoga with cats; Cat custody battle costs $25,000 in legal fees; and lagniappe

First we have a five-minute video, showing a paralyzed cat name Har-PURR getting a new wheelchair. He seems okay with it, and I hope he’s okay for a long time to come:

There’s more about ten cat at four other places:

Please visit HarPURR’s official pages to follow his incredible journey: –

Instagram:  / harpurr_kitty_warrior  
Website: https://www.harpurrkittywarrior.org/
Facebook:  / harpurrkittywarrior  
The Book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harp…

And the book:

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And here’s an article that includes videos. From WorldsBestCatLittter.com, you learn why, if you’re doing yoga, you should do it with cats. Click to read (excerpts are indented):

Our naturally flexible feline friends don’t get the credit they deserve for their therapeutic superpowers. Even just being around a cat can improve our mood. That’s why blending yoga’s gentle movements with the charm of free-roaming felines has made cat yoga a feel-good trend all over the world.

But before we get to what yoga with cats is like, let’s get ourselves into the Cat Cow pose.

Cat-Cow pose gets its name from the two animals it mirrors: the gentle arch of a stretching cat and the dip of a calm, grazing cow.

The “cat” portion especially reflects the way real cats flex their spines to wake up their bodies. In yoga, this movement is said to help loosen the spine, releasing tension, and helping you ease into deeper breaths, just like a cat starting its day with a good stretch.

Here it is:

@fosterkittenohana

the best yoga partner 🐱🧘🏽‍♀️ (mat is in my am@zon page) #bibbleandnori #yoga #peaceful #wholesome #fyp #cutecats #catmom #catbestfriend

♬ original sound – Aidan Robinson

What is cat yoga?

Cat yoga is the practice of doing yoga in the presence of cats or kittens. It’s basically a normal yoga class, but with cats wandering around, judging you from a corner, jumping in your lap, walking on your back, and licking your face.

If you haven’t heard of cat yoga, you’ve probably heard of goat yoga or dog yoga. Any yoga class with animals is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, but cats tend to be less messy than most animals. Cats have the right temperament, but goats are notorious for pooping everywhere and dogs can be overly rambunctious.

So, here’s what we know about yoga with cats.

. . .Obviously, cats make everything better, even exercise! It’s scientifically proven that, individually, yoga and cats can improve our mental health. And when you combine them, expect your brain to explode into rainbows of happiness.

According to research, cats can amplify the benefits of yoga by affecting our brain chemistry. When you interact with a cat, your brain releases oxytocin, which is a hormone that promotes social bonding and lowers stress and anxiety levels. While oxytocin increases in the brain, the stress hormone cortisol decreases. This puts you in a more relaxed state that can lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

Well, yes, cats can effect these physiological changes, but the link doesn’t really show research on the benefits of cats with yoga. So I’ll just assert it as a plausible hypothesis.

If you’re doing cat yoga at home with your beloved pet, they get the benefit of extra bonding time with their favorite human. Plus, yoga at home means they don’t have to get up and leave after Savasana.  [This is “a restorative pose at the end of a yoga session.” It’s shown in the video below.]

How do do cat yoga:

It doesn’t matter if you’re at home with your cat or at a yoga studio surrounded by adoptable kittens. You can do cat yoga anywhere there’s a cat and a mat. Just know that any sense of personal space goes out the window when your fellow yogis are felines!

Cat yoga classes are frequently held at shelters, adoption centers, yoga studios, and cat cafes. Simply search for a studio or class near you.

Classes are usually a bit more expensive than a regular yoga class because they are often fundraising events. The majority of the time, the cats joining you in class will all be available for adoption.

Or if you’re thinking, “Na…maste home with my cat,” break out your mat, grab your kitty a treat, and find videos of guided yoga practices from your local studio or on YouTube.

yoga cat
byu/RemarkableBudget5277 infunnycats

Here’s one example of how to incorporate a cat into your yoga:

Looks like fun to me, and good for both cat and staff!

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Here’s a conflict over a shorhair cats that tore apart a friendship and wound up costing $25K in legal fees. It’s from the Philadelphia Inquirer, and you can read it by clicking below (excerpts are indented):

First they were roommates, and then they were friends. But after Jessica Yang and Nicole DeNardo couldn’t agree on who should keep Gary — the exotic shorthair that Yang bought and DeNardo had been taking care of — it took a Common Pleas Court judge to decide.

The two former roommates say they disagreed over whether Yang had given Gary to DeNardo or whether it was a temporary arrangement. In December 2024, Yang sued DeNardo to make her return the cat.

“She said I was unfit to be a pet parent,” Yang said. “She said I was childish and selfish for even wanting Gary back. She kept asking me to consider the feelings and preferences of Gary.”

Two lawyers contacted for this story say that situations like this one are on the rise, though the money spent on such a case — Yang spent $20,000, DeNardo, $5,000 — is a bit remarkable.

“People love their animals, and people are willing to spend a lot of money in legal fees to reclaim their animals,” said Rebecca Glenn-Dinwoodie, a Doylestown-based family and animal lawyer not involved in the case.

But for the two women, the fight over the small, cuddly cat with blue eyes became a catastrophe that dragged on for a year.

“She just didn’t want me to have him,” DeNardo said. “It was personal. It was about beating me.”

The two fast friends and roommates began to squabble after Yang made a discovery:

Things began to go south when Yang said she learned that DeNardo had changed Gary’s last name at the vet — from Yang to DeNardo — and added her name to the cat’s microchip. DeNardo, Yang said, considered the cat hers.

It’s one of several details DeNardo remembers differently. DeNardo said the vet’s office changed the cat’s last name, not her. As for the microchip, which would help people identify Gary’s owner if he were to get lost, she said she added her name for practical reasons — she was the one who was around.

DeNardo said she was often the one who took care of Gary. She fed him, she said, and took him to the vet. She even “cleaned his eyeballs” every day — something shorthair cats often need.

“He was always in my life, always on the windowsill next to me,” DeNardo said.

She provided a timeline showing she’d spent more time with Gary than Yang. She offered lists of friends who would attest Gary was her cat — a fact many people in her lifefound mildly amusing, since her father and her brother are also both named Gary.

The article also says that some states, including Pennsylvania, have laws about who gets custody of pets in a dispute, but those laws are relevant only to married people, not roommates.

Who got the moggy? Read on by clicking the People magazine article below:

After a years-long process, involving a hearing and a bench trial, the Pennsylvania legal system ultimately ruled in Yang’s favor because she had initially purchased the animal.

“You can spend years scooping litter, cleaning his eyeballs, and the court tells you none of that matters, because pets are property,” DeNardo said. “He’s just a really playful, sweet cat. He was my buddy… I just hope he’s OK and has all the things he needs, and is living a good life. If he’s happy, I’m happy.”

While the feud cost Yang $20,000 and DeNardo $5,000 in legal fees, pet custody disputes are not uncommon, especially among couples. According to a recent survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), over 25% of its members reported an increase in couples fighting over pets in the past year.

That’s why some have opted to implement a “pup-nup,” a prenuptial-style agreement that can also be used between friends and roommates, that lays out who is responsible for a pet and its daily care, so ownership and custody are clearer to determine in the wake of a split.

Lesson: if you’re not in a state that has law about pet custody, you and your partnet need a “pup-nup”, or a “claw-law” to settle any future disputes.

Here’s DeNardo, who lost gary, giving her side of the story (sound up).  Her arguments seem irrelevant given that Yang PAID for Gary:

@nicoledenardo

I’m the defendant in the $25,000 cat lawsuit and here’s my full story about Gary the cat #exoticshorthair #philadelphia #cats #storytime #cattok #legaltiktok @The Philadelphia Inquirer

♬ original sound – Nicole DeNardo

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Lagniappe: The Truth from FB: Why cats are not only better than d*gs, but are the most biologicall perfect creature to exist. Well, to a biologist that is pure hyperbole, but I would still argue that if you want a fulfilling pet, get a kitty. Here’s the full text:

Here’s why scientists—and even philosophers—find cats endlessly fascinating. Beyond their beauty and independence, cats possess a combination of biological traits that no other creature perfectly blends. Their balance, reflexes, low-light vision, agility, sensory awareness, and ability to survive in wildly different environments make them one of nature’s most refined designs.

A cat’s body is engineered for precision: silent footsteps, lightning-fast reactions, flexible spines, and a hunting instinct so sharp it borders on supernatural. Their nervous system is incredibly efficient, their whiskers serve as advanced spatial sensors, and their eyes capture even the faintest light.

And emotionally? They strike a rare balance—capable of forming deep bonds while maintaining autonomy. It’s this harmony of instinct, intelligence, and elegance that makes many scientists refer to cats as “biologically perfect.”

Whether you believe it or not, there’s something undeniably magical about them—almost cosmic.

To me the penultimate sentences gives the best reason for owning cats, for they aren’t obsequious like their canine counterparts, and also are “living sculptures,” ever graceful. I think that’s why every time I see a photo of an artist with a pet, it’s a cat (often a Siamese).  I wrote about this two years ago.

Here’s Klimt with his beloved and appropriately named pet, “Katze” (from Instagram). Artists know grace and beauty. . .

View this post on Instagram

And here, for what it’s worth, is Chrome AI’s answer to my question, “What pets do artists prefer: cats or dogs?”

Artists often prefer cats due to their independent, enigmatic nature, which serves as a quiet muse, but many famous artists also deeply loved dogs, finding inspiration in both; cats fit well with solitary creative work, while dogs offer energetic companionship, so it’s a personal choice reflecting different creative needs, though historical examples lean towards cats. 

Why artists choose cats

• Low maintenance: Cats are self-sufficient, allowing artists to focus on work without constant demands.
• Muses: Their mysteriousness, stillness, and elegant forms provide inspiration (e.g., Picasso, Warhol, Dalí).
• Studio companions: They can observe artists, nap nearby, and even serve as “sympathetic critics”. 

Why artists choose dogs

• Loyal companions: Dogs offer immediate affection and energetic support (e.g., Picasso’s dachshund Lump).
• Different energy: They bring a different dynamic, encouraging activity and providing constant presence. 

Famous examples

• Cats: Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Salvador Dalí (with an ocelot).
• Dogs: Pablo Picasso (many breeds, especially Lump the Dachshund), Gustav Klimt. 

Ultimately, inspiration comes from many sources, and both cats and dogs have deeply influenced many artists, though cats’ traits often align more closely with the solitary, introspective nature often associated with creative work, note Quora users. 

h/t: Norman, Ginger K.