International Day of the Cat!

I have had a really frustrating weekend with regards to the Internet. Listen to me grumble when a few years ago I was learning how to send a text message. Now I get frustrated if Google is not available as quickly as I need it! I was trying to find something interesting to write about this week and I always find something if I surf the net!!!

And this morning I did! I decided not to bore you with the fact that my car needed a new battery, and the grader had graded the roads just in time for the rain. No, I delved further. Did you know that August 6 is 'Root Beer Float Day'? Or that 7 August is 'Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day'? I thought not. Or how about August 9? That is 'Rice Pudding Day' (and I can do without that thank you).

But, this is what caught my eye. Friday the 8 August is 'International Day of the Cat'.

Our dear old boy Clyde.

I thought that was really sensible and worthwhile, a day to honour the animal that is the most popular pet in the world. Declared by the IFAW (International Fund of Animal Welfare) and other animal groups, the first Day of the Cat was in 2002.

Rescued kittens in Dubai, thanks to Catherine.

There are approximately 500 million cats worldwide frolicking about in gardens, or, like ours, lying about doing nothing in particular, and someone in every family has one! I bet everyone reading this has a granny, aunt (sister and daughter!) who has at least one feline in the family. We have two fairly sensible cats and one boy Dilly who lives up to his name! This morning, while it was pouring with rain and blowing a gale, he was outside while Basil and Dopey were curled up in the warmth. He will be in tonight and will curl up on my lap but during the day I cannot get near him!

Dilly as a youngster.

A fat homeless boy in Madrid.

It has been proved that simply stroking a cat improves mental health and relieves stress, anxiety and depression. I'm not too sure about the relieving stress bit when Basil arrives with a mouse and then puts it down somewhere in the house to die and we only find it days later after we have turned the house upside down tracking the source of the smell!

A Camp Cat in Montagu.

And here are some interesting (and possibly unknown) facts that I found on 'Random Facts' (via Google, where else?)

Basil watching 'Eastenders' with us.

A cat's hairball is called a 'bezoar'.
A group of cats is a 'clowder'. (I think a 'purr' of cats is better!)
The oldest known pet cat was found in Cyprus in a grave that was 9 500 years old. This pre-dates Egyptian art depicting cats as pets, by 4 000 years!
A cat can jump up to 5 times its height in a single bound!
A cat makes about 100 different sounds. A dog only makes about 10. So to all you dog lovers, sorry!
And finally, cats usually have 12 whiskers on each side!

Basil The Handsome!

With that I shall leave you. I am off to count whiskers!