Friday, February 24, 2012

© Andy Prokh

Alice's Adventures by Lewis Carroll

"I have often seen a cat without a grin - but a grin without a cat - remember the cat kept appearing and disappearing slowly bit by bit."

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

© Georgia Panakia

Mark Twain

“The cat, having sat upon a hot stove lid, will not sit upon a hot stove lid again. But he won't sit upon a cold stove lid, either.”

Monday, February 20, 2012

Cool Cats

© Graham Morris

Κατερίνα Έσσλιν

Στο δρόμο προς το σπίτι
ήθελα τόσο να σε δω, που ρώτησα
μια περαστική κυρία αν ήσουν εσύ.
Μου είπε πως όχι - πως ήταν απλά
μια περαστική κυρία. Θέλω τόσο
πολύ να σ' έχω δει (να σ΄ έχω μόλις δει),
να ήσουν ο περιπτεράς, η αδεσποτη γάτα.
Δεν ήσουν.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Γρηγόριος Ξενόπουλος | Η Διάπλασις των Παίδων

«Πόσες φορές δεν άκουγα τη μικρή Χιονία να τσιρίζη σπαραχτικά, επειδή ένας απρόσεχτος της πάτησε το πόδι ή την ουρά! Μια μέρα ο μικρός υπηρέτης την πάτησε (το κτήνος!) και στη ράχη, που λίγο έλειψε να τη λειώση. Ευτυχώς δεν της έσκασε κανένα κόκκαλο κι’ ύστερα από αδιαθεσία λίγων ημερών, η γατίτσα ξανάρχισε τα παιχνίδια της σαν πρώτα. Σοβαρώτερο ήταν ένα εν’ άλλο πάθημα. Η κόρη μου η Κάκια ζωγράφιζε τότε, και, κατά την συνήθεια των ζωγράφων, σκούπιζε τις μπογιές της με ψύχες ψωμί. Η Χιονία τρύπωσε κάποτε στο ατελιέ, βρήκε αυτές τις λερωμένες ψύχες, τής μύρισε το λάδι, τις βρήκε του γούστου της και... τις μοσχόφαγε. Σε λίγο φάνηκαν όλα τα συμπτώματα της δηλητηριάσεως. Το σπίτι αναστατώθηκε, κράχθηκε ο γιατρός, άρχισαν τα αντίδοτα. Δυο μέρες χαροπάλεψε η δύστυχη, κι εκείνο που με πίκρανε ακόμα περισσότερο, ήταν που δεν με ήθελε κοντά της να της γλυκαίνω τους πόνους.»

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

© Chris Shaw




















































A.S.J. Tessamond

"Cats, no less liquid than their shadows, offer no angles to the wind. They slip, diminished, neat, through loopholes less than themselves."

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Cats in space | Felix and Felicette

Cats in simulated spacesuits [NASA archive]





















Among many animal which have been sent to space, only French have sent a cat. Events that led to that launch happened in early 1960’s when French government obtained numerous cats and put them to initial tests. Cats were conditioned to live in small and enclosed spaces, they were suited in special spacesuits witch monitored their health conditions and were subjugated to various tests that would simulate launch and reentry conditions (compression chambers, centrifuges and rocket propelled sleds).

In mid October 1963 everything was ready. Male cat called Felix was chosen to undertake first mission but on the day of the launch this soon to be space cat managed to escape! His replacement was a female cat Félicette which was launched on 18 October 1963 riding the French Véronique AG1 rocket from Algerian Sahara desert rocket base. During her 15 minutes long flight she reached the altitude of 130 miles and safely returned to Earth alive. On 24 October French sent another cat into space but this time they recovered capsule two days late and unknown astronaut cat was already dead by then.

Félix and Félicette remained remembered in France and they appeared on several stamp collections during the years.

Cat on the Moon

Via somecats.de 

Beauty and the Beast

Via somecats.de 

Dance!

Via somecats.de | Thanks to Thanasis Pashalidis

Σωτήριος Παστάκας


Προχωρημένο σούρουπο

κι εσύ ακόμα βολτάρεις

ανάμεσα στα ερείπια

μιας αιώνιας πόλης

να τριγυρνάς,

να γεύεσαι,

νέες μαγειρικές

και νέες απολαύσεις

όπως κι εγώ περαστικός

από την Αγορά,

που είδες σαν κι εμένα

μια αυτοκρατορία να γεννιέται,

μια αυτοκρατορία να πεθαίνει,

ποια λύκαινα σε βύζαξε

αδέσποτο γατάκι

Saturday, February 4, 2012

© Miyoko Ihara | Missao & Fukumaru (3)


























































Albert Einstein

"A man has to work so hard so that something of his personality stays alive. A tomcat has it so easy; he has only to spray and his presence is there for years on rainy days."

Friday, February 3, 2012

Cat & mouse by Banksy

The Cat and the Moon | Wm. Butler Yeats



The cat went here and there
and the moon spun round like a top,
and the nearest kin of the moon,
the creeping cat, looked up.
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,
for, wander and wail as he would,
the pure cold light in the sky
troubled his animal blood.

Minnaloushe runs in the grass
lifting his delicate feet.
Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance?
When two close kindred meet,
what better than call a dance?
Maybe the moon may learn,
tired of that courtly fashion,
a new dance turn.

Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
from moonlit place to place,
the sacred moon overhead
has taken a new phase.
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils
will pass from change to change,
and that from round to crescent,
from crescent to round they range?

Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
alone, important and wise,
and lifts to the changing moon
his changing eyes.

Albert Camus & his cat, Stranger

Photographer unknown
via Weimar | Thanks to Lina Bebi

Roseanne Amberson

"In the middle of a world that has always been a bit mad, a cat walks with confidence."

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

© Kenneth Jarecke

Thanks to Anita Chernewski

© Mark Cohen

Thanks to Anita Chernewski

© Jean-François Spricigo


Is your Cat a Nymphomaniac? | by Paulette Cooper & Paul Noble


They may do it more than other animals, but do they enjoy it more? Well, for a start, the male cat's penis is only about 3/4 of an inch long. Furthermore, penetration only lasts for a couple of seconds. (Cats definitely get the short end of the "stick" here since dogs may stay connected as long as 15 minutes.)

But for cats, there is no foreplay before, no afterplay, no cuddling, no cigarette before, no cocktails afterwards. It's just a slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am affair and when it's over, the male doesn't even hang around long enough to get her phone number for a second date.

Still, the female cat obviously likes it. REALLY likes it. Although she may start slower, she's usually the one with the most sexual stamina. After she has copulated with the male cat a few times, if her totally exhausted mate wants to stop, tough. She may push him to do another round or even six. 

Some females will wait until the male is ready to start again, while others don't pussyfoot around. If her man isn't interested in another roll in the hay, the lady may just go and find someone else to service her. (Sometimes, while two male cats are fighting over one female, she goes off with someone else.)

Indeed, she may mate up to 15 times in a session, with a half a dozen different males during one cycle, and sex can go on for hours or even days.



From "277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know" by Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble.