Wednesday, August 28, 2013

What Flavor is Kitty?



For your end-of-the-summer pleasure, I give you cats who remind us of ice cream.

1. Cookies & cream


I'll have two scoops of Cosmo, please.
My Cosmo has always reminded me of a giant scoop of cookies and cream. I love Oreos, and the crunch of the chocolate cookie mixed with the stiff, sugary stuffing, blended with creamy vanilla ice cream, is just about perfect to me. The bottom section of Cosmo's belly -- I call it his "panties" -- is so luscious, just like the inside of a Double Stuff Oreo. I often bury my face in that double-stuff gut and huff away. It's definitely a double-scoop kind of belly.

2. Snickers


She even snickers at the camera. Or maybe that's a glare. Photo: Jerry
To me, every tortie looks like a Snickers candy bar. Seriously! Look at her coloring. The rich chocolatey goodness, swirled with gooey caramel. I'm sure there's some peanuts in there somewhere. Torties would make a delicious scoop of Snickers ice cream. Have you ever tried the stuff? It's a-mazing. You know what else rocks pretty hard? The frozen Snickers ice cream bars. Oh, yeah. This cat is totally making me hungry. 

3. Orange sherbet

OK, before you start in with the "sherbet isn't ice cream" bit, let me stop you right there. I'm well aware that sherbet is made with milk, not cream. I'm grouping it into the ice cream family for this post because it's my post and I'm going to make some of the rules here. (If you just read the part about me grouping sherbet into the ice cream family, then you know my editors consented to my bold choice to go rogue with this one.) (Editor's note: Barely consented.) We here at Catster are all about pushing boundaries. Even when it comes to categorizing frozen treats. Boo-yaa!

I wanted my sherbet in a cone, not a basket. Photo: Amanda Wray
Take a look at this cat. Look at him!! Don't your taste buds sizzle with the essence of orange sherbet when you look at his creamy-looking fur? I'd also agree that he looks a little Creamsicle-y or Push Pop-ish. If you want to fight me on the sherbet thing, you can say he looks like a Creamsicle -- there's vanilla ice cream inside of that. However you want to look at him, YUM!

4. Coffee


That's called a double latte. Photo: Jerry Pank
When I was a kid, I couldn't stomach coffee ice cream. Even as a teenager, when I started drinking coffee, it was black. I never liked my joe with cream and sugar; however, now that I can spend $6 on a fancy sweet latte at Starbucks, I'm all over it. I even enjoy coffee ice cream from time to time. I think the quality of both coffee ice cream and hair products have improved since the '70s and '80s. 
Don't you think that Siamese kitties look like coffee ice cream? I've always thought their coloring had coffee-colored tones. They even looked like coffee ice cream in the '70s and '80s. 

5. Chunky Monkey


Can I have seconds? Photo: Colleen
This sweet kitty just screams Chunky Monkey, one of Ben & Jerry's most popular flavors. It makes no difference what's in the ice cream (walnuts and chocolate chunks in banana ice cream, in case you're interested), this cat just looks like a chunky monkey. In fact, if she were my kitty, that's exactly what I'd call her. But then I'd probably put her on a diet. And then I'd grab a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream for myself. 

6. Butter pecan


This bite is extra nutty. Photo: Tuija2005
Some cats are just a little nutty, like this one. You can just tell that this kitty has tons of personality and is always up to some kind of shenanigan. And the buttery shade of his fur makes my mouth salivate. I know some people think it's kind of an "old person's flavor," but I'm a huge fan of butter pecan ice cream. Of course, I'm a butterscotch candy fanatic, too. When I was a kid, I'd dig around and find the yellow cellophane-wrapped hard candy at the bottom of my great-grandmother's purse. And then I'd sit in her lap, suck on the candy disc and watch The Price Is Right. Don't tell me butter pecan is an "old person's flavor."

7. Fudge ripple


Mmm ... fudge. Photo: pratensis
Mmm ... those ribbons of rich chocolate in fudge ripple ice cream are just the best! The ripply stripes on tabby cats make me think of those ribbons. Don't you just want to dip your spoon into those tasty lines of love? Tin Roof Sundae has the same fudge-y stripes, but with the added crunch of peanuts. I think I'd enjoy a giant waffle cone of this cat.

8. Toasted coconut

Coconut is such a divisive flavor. It appears to me that people either love it or hate it. And they seem to always use the same line, "It's a texture thing." I love, love, love coconut. I adore the texture and the flavor is one of my all-time favorites. Mounds candy bars? Yes, please. I wish, however, they'd create a hybrid of Mounds and Almond Joy. I want the almonds and I want dark chocolate. Get on it, Hershey.

Looking for your own favorite flavor?
Check out all our kitty scoops at KSC available here!


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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

7 Odd Cat Behaviors Explained



We love our cats, but don’t always understand their seemingly bizarre behaviors. Sure, some things our cats do are unique to them but other actions are shared by felines the world over. Here are seven weird cat behaviors, and what they mean.
Head bonks. The first three months I had my cat, her head turned pink from head-bonking my lipstick. Rubbing behavior, which includes the forehead, cheeks, and full-body slams, is called bunting, and it transfers the cat’s signature smell onto objects to mark territory. That means head bonks are kitty compliments declaring you to be so important, he’s marked you as his personal property.
Elevator butt. You've probably seen many cats perform an “elevator butt” pose with their front-end down and tail flagged high. In some instances, it is the equivalent of offering to shake hands as felines sniff each other’s anal areas to say howdy. When your cat jumps into your lap, turns around and raises its tail, he or she is offering you the not-so-pleasant invitation to scratch that hard-to-reach itchy spot at the base of the tail. Intact female cats also do the elevator butt posture to entice male cats to get romantic!
Phone frenzy. Many cats come running when owners talk on the phone and they pester and meow like they want in on the conversation. What gives? Your cat sees you talking and since there is no one else there, thinks that you must be talking to them. Also, without realizing it, you may be rewarding that behavior by stroking the cat while you are sitting and talking on the phone, which encourages your kitty to come running next time the phone rings.
Flipping. Why do cats throw themselves onto the ground at your feet and flip back and forth? Sure, sometimes it is because a cat is under the influence of catnip but more often, rolling back and forth places a cat in a vulnerable position, and is a way for cats to request attention. If you you grant the kitty’s wish and fuss over it, your cat knows to do this again the next time he wants your love.
Covering poo. Owners take for granted that all cats naturally choose to cover potty deposits but this isn't the case. Some cats — especially unowned roaming felines — may not cover at all as uncovered feces can announce who owns the territory. Some indoor cats also want their potty graffiti seen and admired by the other cats or humans. Though is mom-cat is fastidious about covering her mess, her kittens will copy-cat the behavior.
Kneading. There are many names for this common rhythmic paw-pushing kitty behavior — treading, making bread, even “pawtycake.” But one thing is clear, the behavior takes hold when felines are very young, as kittens knead against mom-cat’s breasts to stimulate milk flow. When adult cats knead, it generally reflects deep contentment and safety, and yes — love. Cats typically target soft objects such as fuzzy blankets, pillows, or a beloved owner’s lap.
Privacy issues. Why do some cats immediately seek out their humans the minute they head into the bathroom? First, a closed door is a challenge and an affront to a curious cat which is one reason why you’ll see furry paws reaching under the door or cats racing to join their people in the bathroom. More importantly, the bathroom gives cats a captive audience as people glued to the facilities aren't able to move away.
Check out our kitties that are guaranteed
to exhibit one or more of these behaviors here!

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