CatSynth

We at CatSynth are happy to host Carnival of the Cats #414!

The Carnival of the Cats occurs every Sunday and features feline-themed posts submitted from around the “blogosphere.”  You can participate by leaving a comment or using the handy submission form.  Although we are questioning the handiness of the submission form this week, as we have very few participants.  But we’re here for those who are participating, so let us get started.

Elvira turned two years old this past week. Please join us in wishing her a happy birthday!  It looks like she had a good celebration with her family.  Her birthday week also happened to coincide with Valentine’s Day.

Meanwhile, Nikita relates his dad’s recent acquisition of cat-themed books.  It looks like they have quite a collection going, including some vintage books from the 1940s and 1950s. [Note: it is actually Elvira in the photo above.]  It reminds us at CatSynth that we should do a similar post one of these days.

In addition to hosting this carnival, we did a photo of Luna for the Weekly Photo Hunt on the theme of “point”, along with a pointing maneki neko. We encourage visitors to check it out.  There is a highway sign as well (yes, we’re a little odd).

There are so many interesting ways that one can interpret this week’s Photo Hunt theme of Point. Mathematics and highways come to mind, but this is of course also Weekend Cat Blogging, so as usual we feature cats. First, one of our many maneki nekos points its paw:

And here is Luna pointing while basking in the morning sun:

Both of these photos were taken with the latest lens and film options I got for the Hipstamatic app on the iPhone.

Another Hipstamatic photo on the theme does veer into the realm of highways. Here is one of several studies I did with the freeway entrance shield for the Bay Area’s infamous Interstate 238 for an upcoming article on the highway. It has the customary downward pointing arrow of freeway entrances in California.

Tomorrow (Sunday), we at CatSynth will be hosting the weekly Carnival of the Cats. If you have a feline-themed blog post from the past week, you are welcome to participate. Just visit the handy BlogCarnival submission form or leave a comment below.

Weekend Cat Blogging #350 is hosted by Kashim, Othello and Salome.

The Weekly Photo hunt theme is Point.

As stated above, we are hosting the Carnival of the Cats tomorrow.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

For our combined Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt theme of two, we present a pair of Hipstamatic photos of Luna. A single pose, but two sets of lens and film effects:

It’s a sleepy morning for us, after I recover from two music performances over the past two days, and Luna basks in some sunshine after a wet and rainy Friday.

This weekend also marks the 400th Edition of the Carnival of Cats. That is quite a milestone, and we are happy to help celebrate! It is hosted by Mog, we has been the “Carnival Caretaker” over the past couple of years There is a history of the Carnival posted by last week’s hosts Nikita and Elvira of Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

Photo Hunt #291 is hosted by tnchick. The theme this week is two.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

We welcome everyone to Carnival of the Cats #394, a weekly round-up of cat articles from a variety of blogs. New participants are always welcome; and you can find out more at the official Carnival of the Cats site.

Many cat bloggers are marking LIVESTRONG Day, to recognize those who are currently fighting cancer and to remember those who have lost their lives to these terrible diseases. So we are dedicating this week’s Carnival to that effort. Cancer is complex and diverse and affects felines as well as humans, and we hope we continue to find ways to help people survive.

And so let us begin with the round-up.

Cats love resting in the sunshine. And the cats at The Second Half are no different. Above, we see Ed getting a little solar action. Follow the link to see Lizzie in the window.

At Gattina’s My Cats and Funny Stories, Arthur has not been feeling well of late. But he is on the mend and feeling like a king. And as such, he is regally demanding to be served chicken, liver and mortadella. We’re glad to see he is doing well!

Catsparella introduces us to The Cats of Disneyland. Inspired by an interview with Ryan Gosling, the article discusses the presence of feral cats at the Anaheim theme park, and the complex relationship as out-of-side rodent control (and the obvious irony of this for Disney).

If you can’t get enough feline news, Nikita and Elvira are launching the World Mews Repurrt. “We consider it our mission to bring you the news that possibly no-one but our fellow Felines, and their Humans, could give a fig about!”

Our friends at Animal Shelter Volunteer are marking LIVESTRONG Day by honoring family members who are battling cancer and remembering their human and feline loved ones who have lost the battle. We love their graphic for today!

Samantha, Clementine and “honorary cat” Maverick are also marking LIVESTRONG by hosting this year’s slideshow. We encourage readers to check it out. We thank them are their Mom Chandra for all the effort putting this together.

Cokie is a self-described “Bohemian cat blogging from his Hollywood Boulevard apartment”. We’re always happy to hear from more urban cats.

That’s the round-up so far. We will continue to post new entries the end of Sunday US Pacific Time. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Although not officially participating this time, Mog of Mind of Mog and coordinator of the Carnival of the Cats is also recognizing LIVESTRONG Day in honor both human and cat family members who have lost the battle with cancer, and we wanted to give her a mention here today.

We at CatSynth are planning a quiet August, and what better way to begin than with hosting both Weekend Cat Blogging and Carnival of the Cats on the same weekend!

Call it efficiency, or poor planning, but here we are and we’re ready to host both events together in a combined round-up.  So feel free to leave a comment below to submit your WCB post, or if you prefer use the handy COTC submission page.  Either way, it ends up here.

We begin with Nikita and Elvira of Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat. First Elvira demonstrates good diet and exercise practices.

Then we get a sneak preview of Kiril’s appearance at a charity event at the Oprheum Theatre in Downtown LA. We see the special name tags and business cards he printed up for the event, as well as his new suspenders.

Next up, Animal Shelter Volunteer presents Loreen and Krystal, two sisters available for adoption. They are a beautiful pair, and need to adopted together. Today, they are taking it easy while they wait for a forever home.

At Lost in the Cheese Aisle, Elisson introduces as to Bean, the littlest Barn Cat-in-Training.  Very cute, indeed!  Bean lives with Elisson’s “Elder daughter”, who has left urban (and urbane) life for a more bucolic existence, at least for the moment.

Catsparella presents The Catsparella Podcast Episode 2 and an Exclusive Sarah Donner Interview and Performance.  Follow the link to check out the videos of the podcast and performance. It turns out Donner is an animal advocate who fosters kittens when she’s not on tour, and even has a hit YouTube video featuring one of the kittens she rescued.

At Judi’s Mind of Matter, Jules poses very handsomely for Luna.   Black cats rule!  We always know we can count on Jules to provide a great shot for WCB.  Meanwhile, Vincent looks horrified at what happened to his friend Smudge from Pam’s Sidewalk Shoes.  What could it be?

It turns out Smudge had a trip to the vet for grooming and some serious dental care.  That does sound painful!  But in truth, he feels much better afterwards.

The cats at Friends Furever are celebrating Bora Bora day.  We’re not entirely sure what it’s about, though it looks like a lot of fun (Bora Bora is an island in French Polynesia).  And it involves a big fish.  We are also sending healing thoughts for Ellie, who is not feeling well this weekend.  Get well, soon!

We are also sending healing vibes for Samantha at Life at Cat’s Perspective, who could use some healthy thoughts after her last vet appointment.  But amidst the seriousness, the whole gang is also heading to Bora Bora.

It’s a low-energy day at Chez Ranger, so they are reposting some old pictures.  But hey, they are new to us, and the first picture is quite nicely composed.  They report that Maddie is in good health, after her recent vet trips and health concerns.

As the above entries suggest, health concerns and sickness theme to be a big theme this week.  And sadly, there are many others beyond those participating in WCB and COTC.  Our friends Tillie and Georgia are foregoing their usual Friday close-ups and instead offering thoughts for all their sick-kitty friends.

But we do have some great close-ups from Team Tabby.  All five cats are in a happy mood, and we are happy to have them join WCB this week.  We show a side-by-side comparison of Mindy’s photographic portrait and a more stylized rendering.

We conclude with a bit of WCB apocrypha.

We meet Cheops of Donna’s Designs, who is joining WCB for the first time. Welcome!

At The Chair Speaks, Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK looks displeased (one might even say contemptuous) after his claws were clipped.

It looks like Faz wants a closer encounter with a nearby seagull.

Thanks to everyone who commented or participated this week. We will continue to post both WCB and COTC entries through the end of Sunday (US Pacific time), so do join us if you are interested in participating.  Also, please let us know if we missed your entry in the complexity of handling both at the same time and we’ll add you right away.

We at CatSynth are happy to be hosting Carnival of the Cats this weekend.   For those who have no idea what this is, Carnival of the Cats is a long-running weekly round-up of cat-related blog posts from around the internet.   All blog authors with cat posts from the past week are encouraged to participate using the handy submission form, or by leaving us a comment below.

As usual, we’re off to a slow start this Sunday.  But with plenty of coffee and our eclectic music in the background, we are ready to begin.

We open with a sentimental post from Ellison of Lost in the Cheese Aisle. While Haukna sits quietly, it looks like she is being watched over by the late Matata on an electronic frame, while we imagine Gershwin’s classic in the background.

Good news from our friends at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life.  Long time shelter resident Bootz has found a new home.  It’s always nice to hear about more mature cats being adopted, and wish him well.

We loved reading this post from Catsparella about fashion photographer Kristina Wilson and her fondness for cats.  It was interesting read, lots of great pictures, and that first photo from Tokion Magazine is quite inspiring (not sure if the cat in the photo agrees, though).

At Gattina’s My Cats and Funny Stories, Rosie investigates one of the cat figurines in the garden.  She ponders whether this is in fact a dead cat, but after learning that it made of stone, decides it is a good place to rest.

At Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat, Nikita and Elvira are helping their Dad heal from a serious ankle injury.  As one can see, it is quite an exhausting task.  We are glad that their Dad Kiril is on the mend.  They also want to thank everyone who has sent good wishes and healing thoughts.

StrangeRanger presents this study in black and white in lieu of “scintillating prose.”  It seems they have been busy tilling the earth and thus quite tired out.  We are of course fond of wordless images here at CatSynth, so welcome this “place holder” post.

Over at Mind of Mog, we have an exercise in contrasts.  Ritzi enjoys her spot on the sofa covers while Meowza enjoys rolling in the dirt.  He is also out enjoying a nice Sunday morning before it gets too hot outside.  That is something we definitely don’t have to worry about here this Sunday.

UPDATES: Samantha and Clementine share some glamor shots to share with us for the carnival. Visit their site for the full-size versions.

Finally, Nikita Cat asks the question “do cats watch too much TV?” There are reasons for and against watching television, with the observation that cats experience the images from this popular device differently. Read further to see the conclusions for yourself.

This concludes the carnival for this weekend!  We will continue to add late entries for the remainder of Sunday (US Pacific time) so let us know if you would like to participate.

We at CatSynth would like to welcome everyone to the 360th Carnival of the Cats, one of the longest running weekly roundups featuring cats from around the blogosphere.  You can find out more, including how to participate, at the Carnival of the Cats website.  If you would like to participate today, you can use the handy submission form, or leave a comment below.

First, we open with a fast-forward Luna’s WCB photo from yesterday.  She is after all the host for this week.

And while she keeps busy with her napping, we proceed to the carnival proper.  First up, we have Maddie relaxing in her box of paper.

It turns out that “Maddie in the box with paper” scans perfectly to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.  Trippy! The cats at StrangeRanger also have some new portraits posted today.

Next up, we have a few submissions from our friends Nikita and Elvira.  First, we see them enjoying a lazy Friday afternoon.  But they have also been industrious, registering for Blog Paws 2011.  This a leap of faith, as they and their dad (like many) had a rough 2010.  But there is also bright news, as Elvira prepares to celebrate her first birthday.

Happy birthday in advance!

We at CatSynth marked Groundhog Day this past Wednesday.  But Hakuna remains unimpressed. “Groundhog Day? Screw that. When’s Caturday?”

You have to appreciate that surly expression.

Rather than being surly, Samantha and Clementine seem fascinated by the snow that has been falling in Texas.

Based on all the commentary about the Super Bowl in Texas today, I am guessing this is not supposed to happen.

Catsparella presents this post featuring cats with heart-shaped fur markings:

This should probably come with a cuteness warning of some sort.

That concludes the carnival for now.  We will continue to update with any submissions we receive through the end of Sunday.  Thanks to all who participated.

We at CatSynth are happy to host another (slightly tardy) edition of Carnival of the Cats

¿Por qué en español? Well, this weekend happened to also be the big Carnaval festival in San Francisco.

I spent most of yesterday at Carnaval with friends, enjoying the music, the rather vibrant and colorful costumes, and the overall energy. Considering that this actually has very little to do with cats, however, let is move on to our regularly scheduled “carnival”:

It’s been a sunny and warm weekend for us. And for others, too. K.T. Cat shows his jungle heritage while enjoying some sunshine outdoors in this great “nature photo” at K T’s Sratching Post.

Our friend Nikita Cat is also enjoying the outdoors in a unique way, as he goes for a stroll outdoors with his dad. Literally, a stroll in a stroller. In addition to being a great way to enjoy some fresh air, it’s helping his dad’s continued recovery and rejuvenation. And he certainly gets some attention from passers by. And this is a lead in to Nikita’s second contribution concerning how much non-felines obsess over cats.

Elisson visits his elder daughter’s new digs and meets some of the animal residents, including Miss Kitty, who has adjusted well to domestic life after being adopted from the streets (I wonder if she should meet Mister Kitty). There is also Minnie, appropriately described as “one tiny ass dawg.”

At Elms in the Yard, Hadi is adjusting well and learning to trust humans after her past experiences (including the vet). As one can see from this image, she is learning not to trust but to quite appreciate belly rubs. Rahel also encountered a visitor in her home while preparing for bed. Fortunately, the stranger turned out to be a neighbors’ cat, and was soon back home safely.

At Dophin’s Dock, Dolphin says “goodbye” to Sigyn. But this story has a happy ending, as Sigyn is going to a new home where she should be able to enjoy a lot of love and attention.

Antics about at Life from a Cat’s Perspective, where Samantha and Clementine have a rough over a paper sack. They have a photo series with the action unfolding. Samantha does not look pleased.

That concludes our Carnival for this week. Thanks to everyone who participated.
(Note, if you had planned to participate but I missed your entry, please leave a comment or contact and I will be happy to add you.)

Sometimes a theme can be so easy that it becomes a challenge.  Such is the case with this week’s Photo Hunt theme of sweet. Luna is the embodiment of sweetness, and the number of images in the CatSynth archives documenting this can be a bit overwhelming. So we start with the present. Luna often parks herself nearby my workstation in the studio/office and watches quietly. There is something quite sweet about her presence:

There is something very sweet about a sleeping cat, curled up and peaceful:

and of course getting pets and affection:

In retrospect, this really was not difficult at all.

Weekend Cat Blogging #252 is being hosted by our friend Nikita at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

Photo Hunt #207 is hosted by tnchick. This week’s theme is sweet.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at Mind of Mog.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted this weekend Samantha and Clementine.

And the friday ark is at the modulator.

Luna and I welcome everyone to Carnival of the Cats #299.

We have unfortunately been experiencing technical difficulties with the main Blog Carnival submissions page. So this week’s Carnival is a little on the spare side. But we’re here for all the cats who made it, and we will leave the Carnival open for submissions through Monday by leaving a comment on this post. So without further adieu, here are the cats:

First up, Nikita reports on his recent visit to the Vet at Musings of a MadMacedonian. Looks like Nikita survived the experience and came home with a little less fur, but a few more “rewards” waiting for him. We at CatSynth also like the artwork in his vet’s office.

At Laurence Simon’s This Blog is Full of Crap, Piper is remembered and missed. Check out the video of Piper lashing her tail. “She was such a strange little cat.”

At Mind of Mog, Meowza demonstrates advanced yoga positions as part of his Wordless Wednesday offering.  He also reminds us that cleanliness and wordlessness go together. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is his reaction to receiving his secret paws package today.

One thing that comes with the holiday season is an increase in sickness. This seems to hold true not only for humans, but cats as well, and the cats a When Cats Attack are dealing with the own round of plague and pestilence. We certainly hope they recover soon.

Sniffie and the other cats at Friends FurEver wish their canine family members a Happy 9th Birthday. We can’t think of a better present for a pair of handsome dogs than to be featured in a blog article devoted to cats .

Sounds like things are getting a bit cold in Houston, and although Momma Grace and Company received almost no snow, it sounds like they got a decent covering of frost. Frost and snow are certainly pretty, but the cats have the right idea by staying toasty warm inside.

That concludes the Carnival of the Cats for now. If we missed you due to our technical difficulties, or you would like to be included, please let us know.