Mew-Mew House

Cat Spats!

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:07:00 GMT

Why are my cats fighting? And what can I do to stop it?

Mew-Mew House has about 30 cats. They don’t always get along. We’re fortunate that there haven’t been many really bad fights, but they’ve happened. But what causes these fights? What do you do about it? What about if you have cats that used to love each other, and now they can't stand each other?
Cats are wonderful creatures, but they also fight. In the wild cats fight, and there's good reasons for that. Our house cats, though, and we're providing a nice place for them to be. They're nice and comfortable. They're warm. But suddenly they're fighting.

Let’s think about why they might be fighting.

Territorial disputes: This is one reason why wild cats may fight. Cats are territorial creatures and will defend their turf. Resource guarding: In the wild, resources (like food and water) are often limited. Cats will defend the resources available in their territory to insure their own survival and that of their kittens. In the home, resources aren’t generally scarce, but cats may still instinctively be protective. Lack of socialization: Cats need to be taught how to get along with other cats. If they haven’t spent much time with other cats, or were removed from their mother too early, a cat might not know how best to behave. Changes in the household: This is unfortunately a super common cause of cats fighting. Cats are sensitive creatures and tell when their people are under stress, even if there are no overt changes in the home. Big changes, like adding a new cat to the household, moving to a new home, or changes in the family structure (such as a new baby or a divorce) can disrupt the cats' routine and cause stress, which can lead to fighting. Medical issues: We’re all grouchy when we don’t feel well. If there’s no other obvious cause for the cat fights, it could be medical and you should consider taking kitty to the vet.

With the exception of medical problems, most of these challenges can be mitigated with some changes in the home.

Increase their space: Sometimes all you need to do is provide a way for cats to stay away from each other. This can be difficult in a small apartment. However, cats like to climb. So if you’re out of floor space, go up! Tall cat trees and perches on top of furniture can help alleviate fighting. Provide separate resources: If you haven’t already, provide separate feeding and watering stations for each cat. If you can, put them in separate rooms or on the opposite sides of furniture, so cats can eat without seeing each other. Also, make sure there are at least one litterbox per cat, plus one. That is, if you have two cats, you need three boxes. Use pheromone sprays: Feliway is a common pheromone diffuser that can be used to help cats quit fighting. Pheromone collars also work sometimes. There are also sprays and drops available from people like Jackson Galaxy. Just be careful to be only using drops and sprays from reputable sources and keep away from things like essential oils as they can be highly toxic to cats. Play with your cats: Interact with your cats. Play with them. Give them treats. If you can give them a positive experience (fun playing or yummy treats) while they’re together, they may start to associate being together with positive feelings instead of negative ones. Seek professional advice: If none of this helps, it may be time to seek a pet behaviorist or speak to your vet. Spend some time watching videos from Jackson Galaxy to see if he has some nuggets of insight to help you out.
Cats have strong and diverse personalities. Because of this, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to cats fighting. If they are fighting and you need to separate them, to not stick your hands between them. If you have one available, a broom or any long-handled tool can be used to push them apart. Don’t hit the cats, but physically separate them and try to shoo them away from each other. Once they’re separated and don’t seem to be trying to get at each other any more, you can check the cats for injuries and then think about how to implement some of the solutions (or other solutions). It’s not easy to get cats to get along, but worth it in the long run.

Watch a replay of Cat Chat with Penny: "Cat Spats!"

TL; DR SUMMARY:
Cats fight each other for lots of reasons, many of which go back to their ancestors living in the wild. The two biggest things you can do to stop cats fighting is provide room for them to be safe and apart from each other (go up if floor space is tight) and to separate their resources so they’re not competing to food and water.

Cat Aggression Toward People

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 19:24:00 GMT

Why is my cat attacking me?

Cats can be aggressive. Cats can be pretty bitey and pretty awful, really. They can do some serious damage. So what causes this? Most of us, our experience with cats, they're cute and cuddly. We pet them. We love them. They're cute and cuddly, we pet them, we love them, they're fuzzy, they lick you. And sometimes they get a little pointy and they start playing and they bite you and it's not so comfortable.
But sometimes they're just downright mean and you try to understand why that is. And it's hard not to take it personally. But what we're going to talk about today is, well, is it really your fault or is it just something else going on? So what causes aggression and what can you do about it?
Most of the time it has nothing to do with you. Sometimes it does. But even then, it's probably not entirely your fault unless you're doing something stupid. (I will give you some examples of the things I have done that have gotten me bitten, scratched, hissed at, all sorts of stuff. I put myself into these situations because I work with cats in need.)
Here are six basic causes of cat aggression toward people:
Fear or anxiety: Cats may become aggressive if they feel threatened or frightened. This is the fight or flight response. It can be triggered by a variety of things, such as unfamiliar people or animals, loud noises, or changes in their environment. Pain or illness: Cats in pain or discomfort may become irritable and aggressive. I talked about the Feline Grimace Scale a couple of weeks ago. This is a handy way to assess if a cat’s aggression may be related to pain or discomfort. Territorial behavior: Cats are naturally territorial. We as humans don’t always recognize their territorial boundaries and can get ourselves in trouble because of it. Redirected aggression: This occurs when a cat is upset or agitated by something they cannot reach, such as another cat or animal outside. If you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you may get scratched. Play aggression: Some cats become overly aggressive during play. Even humans can get carried away when we start to play too hard. Lack of socialization: Cats that have not been socialized properly may become fearful and aggressive towards people and other animals. Socialization isn’t just about getting cats used to people, either. Removing kittens from their mother too early can result in lots of problems, like play aggression.

Most of these causes are not due to any fault of our own, nor are they malevolent behaviors of the cat. If our cats are acting aggressive toward us, it is important to first identify why they’re being aggressive and then address the behavior appropriately.

Watch a replay of Cat Chat with Penny: "When Kitty Attacks!"

TL; DR SUMMARY:
Cats can be aggressive toward humans. Ther e are lots of reasons for this, most of which are not malevolent in nature not necessarily the fault of the human. It's important to understand why a cat is behaving aggressively towards people so that the aggression can be addressed properly.

Mouth Cancer in Cats

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 17:45:00 GMT

What is oral (mouth) cancer, and what can you do about it?

If you noticed at some point, cat is drooling a lot, seems to be uncomfortable, maybe there's a swelling on your cat's face. Well, that's a worry, and that's something you need to go see your vet about. But what could it be? Well, if you're unlucky, you go to the vet, they take a look at it and say that horrible C word: cancer.
The cells in our bodies divide and replace themselves all the time. Cancer is when this division gets out of control. Instead of being regulated, cells just go crazy and start replicating, and they create these tumors. There's two general kinds of tumors, benign and malignant.
Benign means is that even though you've got a tumor there, it's not likely to go anywhere. You've just got a tumor. There are instances when you have a benign tumor that might cause problems if it's leaning against a nerve or something. But the tumor itself, the cancer, is not life threatening.
Malignant cancers do not stay in convenient tumors. Instead, these cells divide and then invade other tissue and take over and displace things. And they spread. This is what we call metastasis, where it gets into your lymph nodes and goes all over the body. This is life-threatening.
Mouth cancers are one type of malignant cancer that is shared by both humans and cats. The most common oral cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, and melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for over 70% of oral tumors in cats. This is what Peanut has.
Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma are both types of skin cancer. Fibrosarcoma is a cancer of connective tissue like collagen and bone. All three are malignant.
Signs and symptoms - Drooling, bad breath, and swelling are the usual signs of mouth cancer. Unfortunately, by the time these symptoms develop, the cancer is fairly advanced. Bleeding from the mouth, difficulty eating, and weight loss are also symptoms. For Peanut, the first indication was the swelling on her face, which seemed to come on overnight.
Diagnosis - In the case of Peanut (and of Napoleon, who passed due to squamous cell carcinoma earlier in the year) and experienced vet can identify the disease on sight. However the only way to have a positive diagnosis is through biopsy and potentially other diagnostic tests.
Treatment - Unfortunately, by the time oral cancer is recognized in cats, it’s often too late for other treatments. Surgeries can be done to remove a tumor, and radiation and chemotherapy may also be available, but most times are cost prohibitive, and then are only effective if the tumor was discovered early enough. Most of the time, palliative care is the only treatment.
Prognosis - Unfortunately, the prognosis is not good. That’s all I can say.
Prevention - It’s difficult to prevent oral cancers, but you can increase the likelihood of catching such a cancer early with regular veterinary checkups and dental cleanings, as well as reducing your cats exposure to cancer-causing agents such as tobacco smoke or intense direct sunlight.

Watch a replay of Cat Chat with Penny: "Oral Cancer in Cats"

TL; DR SUMMARY:
Cats, just like humans, can get cancer of the mouth. By the time you recognize that there is something wrong (drooling or swelling are common symptoms), the cancer is likely to be too far advanced for any treatment. Please take your cats to the vet regularly so that the earliest signs of cancer can be detected by your vet and treatment may be possible.

The Feline Grimace Scale

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 16:19:00 GMT

How can you tell if a cat is in pain?

Some people say cats are emotionless - their faces are always blank. They don't show emotion. They're just angry all the time (which actually may be true - I mean how would you feel as an apex predator that keeps getting picked up and smooched all over?). And they definitely don't show pain. Well, actually they do show pain, you just have to know what to look for. Today we're going to talk about how we can get an idea of whether or not they're in pain just by looking at their facial expression by using the Feline Grimace scale.
There are reasons why cats, like all carnivores, don't want to show pain. They're carnivores. They have to be the strong ones. Any sign of weakness is going to get them in trouble. So cats tend to be very stoic about their pain.
So what can we do? Cats show facial expressions of pain very subtly, but they’re there. And we can use the Feline Grimace scale to determine how much pain they may be in.
There are five criteria on the Feline Grimace scale. For each of these five criteria, you can score from zero, in which they look pain free, to one, which shows some evidence of some discomfort, to two, which is that it's showing signs of pain. You then total score for all five criteria. If your total score is greater than four, then there's probably pain going on there.
So what are these five points?
Ears - We can look at where their ears are sitting on their head because they do move their ears, but also where they're sitting when they're not actually listening, not engaged with anything, you can tell how they're feeling. Eyes - You can look at the shape of their eyes if they're wide open, if they're squinting. Muzzle shape - t heir muzzle, their upper lip, they actually do show a lot of expressions there. It's long and relaxed, or it's munched up. Whiskers - Their whiskers themselves say a lot. I mean, if they're relaxed and hanging, or if they're sticking straight out, Posture - and also where they're holding their head. If their heads are high, then they're feeling good.
Ear position: There are three states in ear position: Score of 0 - The relaxed, “I'm not in pain” state is the ears are forward, or they're upright, Score of 1 - Ears slightly off to the side may be an indication of discomfort. Score of 2 - Ears are low and directed down and to the side. This is not to be confused for when their ears are flattened back in anger or fear, but more like what we call airplane ears, where the ears are just hanging, almost horizontal.
Eye shape: Score of 0 - Kitty’s eyes are wide open and their alert. Score of 1 - Pain causes cat’s eyelids to droop a bit, so if the eyes are partially open, that may mean they’re experiencing discomfort. Score of 2 - Their eyes may be shut or narrowly squinted, just like we might wince if we’re feeling pain.
Muzzle shape: Here we’re referring to the upper lip. That part of the lip where the whiskers arise. Score of 0 - In a pain-free cat, this is typically roughly circular. Score of 1 - The upper lip becomes more elliptical, as though they’re pursing their lips. Score of 2 - The mouth is almost linear and the upper lip is a very squished ellipse.
Whisker position: Score of 0 - The whiskers of a comfortable cat hang low and curve toward the ground. Score of 1 - With some pain, the whiskers begin to stand straight out from the face more. Score of 2 - When the cat is in pain, the whiskers are very straight and no longer hang downward in a relaxed way.
Posture: Like humans, cats will hunch when in pain. Score of 0 - When cats are not in pain, they hold their heads high. Score of 1 - With some pain, the cat may have its head at shoulder level. Score of 2 - If their head is down and their tightly hunched, this is a good indication that they are in considerable pain.
Taken individually, each of these criteria could mean nothing. A ‘loafing’ cat may be quite comfortable, but looks like it could score a 2 on the posture scale. If they’re asleep, airplane ears and droopy eyelids are common and do not indicate pain.
For the Feline Grimace Scale to work, all five criteria need to be considered on a cat that is fully awake. A person ought to observe the states of each of these criteria in their cat when they know kitty is healthy and comfortable as a baseline for comparison when the cat may not be feeling well.

Watch a replay of Cat Chat with Penny: "The Feline Grimace Scale"

TL; DR SUMMARY:
Here are some tips and tricks to consider when making an outdoor shelter: Location: Choose a quiet and secluded spot, away from busy roads or other potential dangers. The shelter should also be in a place that is sheltered from the wind, rain, and snow. Insulation: Use insulation materials such as straw or foam boards to provide warmth to the shelter. Insulate the floor, walls, and ceiling, but leave enough space for the cats to move around comfortably. If you want to provide an additional layer of warmth, you can use a mylar blanket, which is a reflective, lightweight material that can help retain body heat. However, be sure to use it in combination with insulating materials, rather than on its own. Size: The shelter should be large enough to accommodate the cats and allow them to move around easily. A good size for a shelter is at least 2 feet wide by 3 feet long by 18 inches high. Entrance: The entrance should be small enough to keep out predators but large enough for the cats to enter comfortably. The entrance should be placed in a way that protects against the wind and rain. Bedding: Use bedding such as straw to provide a comfortable sleeping area for the cats.Blankets are generally not recommended for outdoor cat shelters. While blankets may provide warmth, they can also hold onto moisture and can become damp and cold, which is counterproductive for keeping cats warm. Instead, it's best to use insulating materials that provide warmth without retaining moisture, such as straw or foam boards. These materials can trap body heat and create a warm, dry environment for the cats. Water and Food: Place fresh water and food in the shelter, away from the sleeping area, to prevent spillage and keep the cats well-fed and hydrated. Safety: Make sure the shelter is sturdy and secure, with no sharp edges or potential hazards that could harm the cats. Regular maintenance: Inspect the shelter regularly for any signs of damage or wear and tear. Clean the shelter and replace bedding materials as needed. If possible, provide a second shelter: Provide a second shelter in case one becomes unusable or is occupied by another animal.

Straw is for Strays

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 01:07:00 GMT

Taking care of stray and feral cats during the coldest time of the year.

Did you know that if it's winter time and you've given your cats - well, the outdoor cats in your neighborhood - a nice comfy shelter to be in when it's super cold, and if you've lined that shelter with blankets, you might be doing more harm than good?
“Straw is for Strays.” What does this mean? That right there is a good thing to remember!
When you're building a little outdoor shelter for your cat or cats, or the community cats - strays and ferals - you just want to help. A great thing we can do is provide a place for cats to get out of the cold, especially when we have these deep freeze snaps where it stays below freezing for quite a while. What people default to is to have a nice box and to line it with blankets. This makes sense because if we're cold, we get under more blankets.
But here's the deal. Blankets are great. But if that blanket gets wet, it doesn’t work as well – or at all! Now if you have a down coat and that gets wet, it still keeps you warm. How does that work?
Air. That's it.
We talked last week about how important their fur is to keep them warm and insulated. Part of the reason why that works is because they have air in their fur. Air is a great insulator. It keeps the cold out, and also keeps the heat out during the summer. It's fantastic. Air does not really transmit heat very well.
Cats’ fur gets wet. When wet cats lay on blankets, the blankets get wet. Then they freeze.
Instead of being nice and warm and cozy, the blankets are going to freeze and the kitty is going to be laying directly on a block of ice.
Straw, on the other hand, looks like little hollow tubes. These tubes hold air. And when you lay on straw, the tubes are rigid enough that they doesn't get crushed into nothing. In fact, if you have enough straw in there, you can have a layer of water or even ice at the bottom of it, but on top, it's going to be dry. What that means for kitty is you've got this nice layer of air trapped between the super-cold and the cat. And the cat, meanwhile, is generating enough heat to be able to melt and dry any water in their fur.
If water drips off the cat, it runs back down through the straw, which means the cat isn’t not laying in water either. They stay dry and warm. Their fur can dry and the insulative properties of air really help keep them warm.
If you're building a shelter for a cat, you want to use straw as an insulator.
And no, you shouldn't put blankets on top of the straw because the same problem will happen. Even if there's straw between blankets, that blanket can still get wet and freeze. You got to just have straw inside the shelter. They can move it around and get comfy. You should replace the straw once in a while because it does eventually rot, but you probably won’t have to do that during the coldest part of the year. You might be tempted to use hay. But it’s not as good as straw. My guess would be - and I'm not an expert on this - that hay is better than a blanket, but is no replacement for straw.
Straw can be expensive. I have my best luck going to farmer stores, farmer supply stores. Stuff as much straw as you can into the shelter. Don’t worry, the cat will crush it and move it around to make it perfect. Additionally, you can use straw to line dog houses and chicken coops as well.
So straw is for strays. That's what you want.
You can build your own shelter for cats (to line with straw) from a simple box, like those plastic storage bins that are filling up your garage. Or you can put a smaller container inside a larger container and stuff the space between with straw or another insulator. Or you could get a Styrofoam cooler and cut openings in that because that's generally waterproof. Take your box, cut a door on the side and line it with straw. Try to do it with just one opening, because if you have two openings, then you can get wind tunnel, which kind of defeats the purpose. You can use a flap to block wind from getting into the box if you wish, but it’s not totally necessary, especially if you put the opening on a side that is out of the wind.
But the part that's going to be in contact with the animals has got to be straw.

Watch a replay of Cat Chat with Penny: "Straw is for Strays"

52 Weeks of Photos - Feb 27, 2022

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:05:00 GMT

52 weeks of photos - 2022 - Week 8

February 21 through 27, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

Cutest moment of the week:

52 Weeks of Photos - Feb 20, 2022

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 02:24:00 GMT

52 weeks of photos - 2022 - Week 7

February 14 through 20, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

New Residents

Meet Moochie and Sammy

52 Weeks of Photos - Feb 13, 2022

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 02:33:00 GMT

52 weeks of photos - 2022 - Week 6

January 23 through 30, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

52 Weeks of Photos - Feb 6, 2022

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 18:03:00 GMT

52 weeks of photos - 2022 - Week 5

January 30 through February 6, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

Outside - Winter Storm Landon

Was it a good week to go outside?

...or are you just buttering the cat?

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:06:00 GMT

Jorts the cat: A lesson in consent and accommodation

"Are you actually helping, or are you just buttering the cat?"

The cat above is Louis, one of the residents of Mew-Mew House. He's modeling his catnip butter-pat to illustrate the following story about Jorts.

Jorts is a sweet orange cat who spends his days in a workplace with his feline sister, Jean (a tortie). The greatly abbreviated story is that Jorts is a rather simple cat and struggles with things like opening doors and grooming himself. Jean is happy to help Jorts whenever she can. They have a good relationship with each other and are an important component of a positive workspace for all the humans involved as well.
Except there's one person, Pam (not her real name), who for whatever reason decided that she needed to help Jorts learn to open doors, get cups off his head, and groom himself a bit better. Pam (not her real name) was upset when Jorts' person basically asked her to stop. It was easy enough to use door stops and Jean had always stepped up to help and none of it was really a safety issue. Jorts' person added “you can’t expect Jean’s tortoiseshell smarts from orange cat Jorts”
The whole situation escalated to a point where HR was involved and accusations were being made about “perpetuating ethnic stereotypes by saying orange cats are dumb.”
Wait, what?
In the aftermath it was learned that Pam had been spreading butter on Jorts' back to encourage him to groom himself more. There were two problems with this:

Pam wasn't using butter. She was using margarine, which does not agree with cats' stomachs. (I can't imagine butter does either, but I digress).
Jean was the one licking the 'butter' off of Jorts' back, which lead to such digestive upset that a vet visit was warranted.

Which brings me to the ideas of appropriate accommodation and consent.
Jorts actually did not need Pam's help. Accommodations like door stops and regular brushing were sufficient and Jorts' quality of life was not affected by his inability to open doors or groom his own back. In fact, trying to 'help' Jorts actually hurt Jean.
Additionally, whether accommodation is necessary or not, it's important that a person or cat consent to the 'help.' Even if they need the help, they might not want it from you. Or maybe the help you're offering is not actually helpful. If a person or cat can't actually give consent, then consent should be given by the person or cat's guardian. I sure as heck wouldn't approve of anyone putting butter on my cat just to 'teach' them to groom themselves, even when grooming is a problem.
So if you see statements like " Are you actually helping or are you just buttering the cat? " now you know the reference.
Finally, of the many outcomes of the HR fallout - which did lead to an improvement in Jorts' life - this one is my favorite:
"Pam is NOT to apply margarine to any of her coworkers. Jean has shown she is willing to be in charge of helping Jorts stay clean. If this task becomes onerous for Jean, we can have a groomer help."
If you want the full story, you can read it here:

J is for Jiffy - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 19:10:00 GMT

“J” is for the Jiffy Kodak

The Jiffy Kodak is a fairly common camera with a pop-out front that took roll film.

Many of the Jiffy Kodaks have an art-deco flair. I have a special love of art-deco, which might explain why I love these cameras so much!

The two Jiffy Kodaks in the PaleoPix collection.

The Jiffy Kodak Six-20 took 2.25 X 3.25 inch photos on 620 roll film.

The Jiffy Kodak Vest Pocket used 127 film.

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

52 Weeks of Photos - Jan 30, 2022

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 18:51:00 GMT

52 weeks of photos - 2022 - Week 4

January 23 through 30, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

Staying warm

Was it a good week to go outside?

I is for Instamatic - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:32:00 GMT

“I” is for Instamatic, Kodak’s camera for 126 cartridge film

Instamatics arose with the advent of 126 cartridge film. The cartridge made loading and unloading the camera very easy.

The funny thing about Instamatic cameras is that there are so many different kinds.

Some of our Instamatics

The Instamatic 400 – with the flash open and ready to accept the peanut bulb. 1963-1966

The Instamatic 704 took flash cubes. 1965-1969

Instamatics with ‘X’ in their name used the special ‘Magicube’ flash. 1970-1976

This Instamatic (the Instamatic 60) was made for 110 cartridge film. This one has a coupled rangefinder. 1972

Most Instamatics were rather cheaply made in the USA, but the Instamatic 500 was made in Germany with high-quality glass. 1963-1966

Almost all Instamatics were simple view-finder cameras, but the Instamatic Reflex was an SLR. 1968-1974

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

52 Weeks of Photos - Jan 22, 2022

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 18:16:00 GMT

Welcome 2022 - Week 1

January 16 through 22, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

Outside - Winter Storm Izzy

Was it a good week to go outside?

52 Weeks of Photos - Jan 15, 2022

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 20:53:00 GMT

Welcome 2022 - Week 2

January 8 through 15, 2022

This week it was all cats!

It was just a little too chilly for outdoor photography!

Was it a good week to go outside where you are? Tell us in the comments!

52 Weeks of Photos - Jan 7, 2022

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 17:31:00 GMT

Welcome 2022 - Week 1

January 1 through 7, 2022

Furry Friends

Featuring the residents of Mew-Mew House

Around the House

Sometimes mundane objects are the most startling photo subjects

Outside

Was it a good week to go outside?

H is for Hit - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 20:56:00 GMT

"H" is for Hit

Hit cameras are very small film cameras first marketed under the Hit name.

Hit cameras are adorable little cameras, originally made by Tougodo Optical of Japan. They were popular in the 1950s.

This one even bears the Hit name. Hit cameras, however, had lots of different names and are a popular collector’s item.

Here it is with the back open, the film reel removed, and my finger for scale. Now you can see just how tiny it really is!

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

Ginger - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:14:00 GMT

Genny's Story

“Are you not entertained?” cried Ginger as she stood atop the tower above the cheering crowd below. “I have come here to conquer, and that I have!” She jumped down into the midst of the crowd. They scattered as she snarled and slashed through them toward The Great One. “I bring you mice! I protect you from birds and bugs! And this is what I get?” She shoved another cat aside. “Am I not good enough for you?” The Great One swept a stick toward Ginger. “Away!” The Great One called. “Get you away!” “I have been every thing you asked for and yet you push me back!” The stick swung back toward Ginger. She gripped it and tugged. It slipped from The Great One’s grasp. The Great One cried out as Ginger tossed the stick aside and continued closer, screaming and spitting in her rage. The Great One fled and hid in the lower chambers, slamming and barring a door to keep Ginger away. Ginger paced at the door for a while, then headed back to her favorite place to sit, a high perch in front of a window where she could observe.
The sky was graying toward night when Ginger awoke hungry. She jumped down, ready to head to the kitchen, and was startled to see that the door between her resting room and the kitchens was closed. She lifted her nose to the air and caught scent of some fresh food. She followed the scent to a dish piled high with her favorites. She dug in excitedly, savoring every morsel as much as she could for eating as though she might never eat again. She was sitting to the side, licking her paws, when she realized that something was not right. Her arm felt weak and tingly. She shook it off, but the sensation came back. Her whole body became heavy and the noises of the room faded. Ginger was suddenly desperately tired. She stumbled off to find a soft place to lay down. She wasn’t sure if she ever got there.
Ginger awoke in a tiny cage with a water dish and a toilet. She inched to the bars and peeked out. Around her were rows and rows of similar cages, some empty, some occupied by other cats. The other cats looked lethargic and depressed. Some had tubes and wires passing through the bars. One cat - no two - had a giant cone affixed around its neck. It was pathetic. She looked around and realized what she was seeing. These cats were sick. But she wasn’t! What happened? Ginger threw herself at the cage door. It rattled, but did not open. She tried again. And again. A noise arose out of sight in another room. A One appeared. Not the Great One with which she was familiar, but a different One. A second One followed. The stood outside the bars and watched Ginger and glowered and growled back. Ginger screeched and attacked the cage door, reaching through to attempt to slash at the Ones nearby. They backed away and left.
She waited. The Ones came back with stick and a dish. They opened the cage door and held her a bay with the stick as they placed a dish of food in the corner of the space. She hissed and cried out angrily until they left. After a short pause, she investigated the dish. It had some food on it, but not food she’d eaten before. She was hungry, so she ate. And then she waited.
She wanted out, but the Ones seemed to only be willing to come feed her twice a day and would not allow her out of the cage. She wasn’t used to being trapped like this, and she felt her frustration growing by the moment. Every time the Ones would enter and take a defferent cat out of a cage, Ginger would become even more furious. She hated every one of them. Given the chance, she would attack, screaming and clawing until they backed away. The Ones whispered to one another. Decisions were made, but Ginger didn’t know what they were. She scowled. The Great One appeared in the door. It nodded. Ginger hissed. The other Ones ushered the Great One away.
Ginger waited. More days passed with only food and water being brought into the cage. Then something happened. A One she’d never seen before opened the cage and reached. The fool! Thought Ginger. She attacked. This One was persistent and somehow moved Ginger from the cage into a box with a handle. She screamed and slashed at the walls of the box as it was lifted and she was taken away.
The new One walked into the room. Ginger hissed and snapped, then ran under the table. The other cat dove aside as well, cowering under a chair. The One put down a couple of food dishes and sang at the cats. Ginger watched the other cat, who was staring wide-eyed at the One. The One left and Ginger slid out from under the table to eat. This food was better than what she got in the cage. And this One didn’t yell at her or chase her with a stick. Ginger eyed the other cat. She wondered if he was another gladiator. He looked like it. He bore the scars of many fights, and had the thick coat of a cat who’d spent many winters outside. He didn’t want to fight though, and gave her a wide berth. In fact, this place smelled of peace, not of arguments and anger. Plus, there was plenty of food and water, and the litterboxes were always clean. Ginger was not sure what to make of the new accomodations, but she liked not having to fight all the time.
The One came in on this day and sat down. The One carried a small container that it rattled as it called out for the cats in the room. Ginger crept forward, skeptical of the One’s intentions. The One opened the container and placed several small bits of food out. The best kind of food! The tastiest! Little sweet morsels of deliciousness! Ginger got excited then pulled back. Was this a trap? The other gladiator watched the One from his hiding place under the desk. The One chirruped and called gaily, pointing at the snacks. Then the One tossed a snack toward each of them. Ginger slinked forward and gobbled up the treat. The other gladiator did likewise. The One tossed a few more snacks then left, leaving a couple of piles near where they had been sitting. The One closed the door and Ginger and the other gladiator were alone.
“You have obviously been successful many times, Gladiator,” Ginger said to the other cat as they hurriedly ate the treats left by the One. “I was victorious often as well.” “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said the other, smacking his lips as he ate. “I’ve only ever tried not to get killed.” “But you’re obviously a warrior.” “Hardly,” he muttered, looking around. “I always wondered what the inside of One’s homes looked like.” “You lived outside?” He sat down and licked his paw. “Outside forever. Then one day the Ones came. I thought they would kill us all.” He shrugged. “Now I’m here.” “The Ones are fools,” said Ginger. “The Ones can kill us,” snarled the other. “I don’t think this One will.” “I’m starting to think that. I like being warm.” “Do you think we’ll have to fight?” “What, each other? I hope not. I’d rather not.” “I think there are other cats here. I think I smell them.” The other cat nodded. “There are. Sometimes they come in here and One removes them.” “Do they look healthy?” “They look… happy.” The other cat shrugged and ate the last snack in front of him.
Ginger sat on the rug as the One came in with the usual container of snacks. As the snacks were laid out on the floor the One continued to talk, cooing and crooning at Ginger and the other gladiator, that Ginger had learned was named “Big Red.” Big Red was hidden under the table as always, but Ginger had decided to sit in full view of the One, just to see what would happen. The One tossed snacks at her, which Ginger ate hungrily, warily getting closer to the One, who for some reason had not moved away from the line of snacks on the floor. Ginger crept forward and ate one of the treats, keeping an ear trained on the One. She sneaked another, but lurched back when she saw the One move. The One cooed an apology and Ginger felt bolder and moved in for another snack. Ginger shrieked and lashed out. The One had touched her! She dashed away, abandoning the snacks, and crawled under a desk, wild eyed and angry. The One yelped and gripped its hand. Blood oozed from its fingers. Now would come the stick, thought Ginger. The stick, the stick. Instead, the One calmly stood and left. After leaving a few more treats on the floor.
Ginger cowered under the desk when the One came in again. As always, the One cooed and called. Their hands held only dishes of food and the container of snacks. Ginger waited. The One sat and sang to the cats. Big Red crawled a short ways out and was rewarded with a shower of snacks. Ginger felt envious, and dared herself to peek out. But she was too nervous. The One was probably still angry, and there were now bandages on their fingers. She took a cautious step forward then cowered back when the One saw her. There was a click and a snack slid right in front of Ginger’s nose. She looked up as the One tossed another, but she didn’t move. Ginger stared at the One and the One blinked back slowly. Ginger took the snack.
Weeks passed. The One had opened the door and Ginger and Big Red met many of the other cats of the house. Some were overly friendly. Some were polite but distracted. And a couple were downright rude. The One continued to visit the room with treats and singing, but Ginger wasn’t always there any more. She had discovered other places to hide and sleep. She’d also found other food dishes and liked this fare much better than what was served in the other room. Ginger had a favorite spot where she could sit and observe the other cats and the One. Most of the cats gave the One space and were all too happy to move if the One asked them to. Ginger watched the daily ritual of feeding and cleaning, trying to better understand what motivated this One and whether trust was deserved. She chuckled when the One picked up an elderly blind cat and danced with her. Or the time the One wrestled with the kitten - at least until the kitten bit, then wrestle-time was over. Ginger began to sincerely wonder if this One was really just a very large gangly cat. Occasionally, the One would care for a cat in a way that the cat didn’t like. Ginger gasped as the One tolerated being bitten and scratched just to loosen a mat or trim an overgrown claw. Ginger herself had not allowed the One to touch her. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But she remembered when she’d bitten and scratched the One on those early days, and maybe felt a little bad for the pain she’d inflicted.
Ginger was exploring on this morning when she heard a yowl from the other room. She turned an ear and heard the One yelp. There was a growl and hiss and the One’s voice grew alarmed. The One yelped again. This was Ginger’s call to action. She raced into the room to see the One sitting up on the bed wrestling with an unhappy - no, angry - mostly-black cat. The black cat swatted at the One again and Ginger leapt into action. She jumped onto the bed and launched herself at the black cat, swatting angrily. “Back off! Don’t hurt the One!” she cried. “The One hurts me,” growled the black. “The One is our friend,” Ginger hissed back. The One pushed the two cats apart. The black one jumped away. Ginger growled at him as he left. Ginger looked back at the One, ears still back and fuming. The One blinked slowly and stroked her fur. And sang.

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

G is for Graphic - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 13:25:00 GMT

"G" is for Graphic: The Graphic 35 from Graflex

The Speed Graphic from Graflex is a camera that recalls the past. This was a common press camera, that took images on large plates.

Of course "Speed Graphic" begins with an 's,' so it shouldn't go under 'g.' However, we do have a Graphic 35. This is a coupled rangefinder camera for 35mm film.

The Graphic 35 was manufactured from 1955 to 1957. The black buttons on either side of the lens are the focus.

Because I mentioned the Speed Graphic... Here is an early Speed Graphic and a close-up of its lens. Manufactured from 1912 to 1927.

Two more Speed Graphics

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

Giving Tuesday at Mew-Mew House

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 22:51:00 GMT

'Tis the season for giving. Please consider giving to Mew-Mew House!

As Mew-Mew House has grown, some needs have become more and more apparent. This Giving Tuesday, we're asking for some special requests so that we can keep Mew-Mew's residents as happy as possible.

The cats here are in varying states of health, but many are older and disabled, like Jeter here, who's mostly blind and deaf.

Or Monster, who at 20 isn't so interested in jumping up onto the bed any more.

These two cats, and others past, present, and future, would benefit from some simple comforts and tools that are not currently available in the home.

Our Wish List

Pet stairs such as these make it possible for cats of all abilities to climb onto the bed and sleep comfortably with me. An extra set or two would make it possible to allow cats access to the water fountains that I have spread throughout the house. These are set on tables which makes them inaccessible to the blind or those who cannot jump.

Electric blankets and warming pads allow us to provide warm patches for kitties' aching old bones in our nearly 200 year old, very drafty house. Not only do they keep the feline residents warm, they also keep us warm so we can snuggle with our cats in whatever room they're most comfortable in.

As always, Mew-Mew House welcomes donations of money, so we can purchase comfort items like those above, or other necessities as they are needed.

(PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House are sister organizations both owned by me and operated out of my home.

Money earned by PaleoPix goes directly towards managing my household and for cat care.)

Not comfortable with a monetary donation? Want to support Mew-Mew House in some other way? Check out how else you can help, including the purchase of basic supplies like cat litter.

Hint: We can always use more cat litter!

If you want to know more about where your donations go, please check for regular updates on Mew-Mew House on our Facebook page!

Genny - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 19:39:00 GMT

Genny's Story

They called her Sunshine, but that wasn’t always her disposition. She was regarded as patient and kind, but there were rules. And no one broke the rules. Of course, not everyone was perfect. And not everyone knew the rules when they arrived at the convent. So Dappled Sunshine was kind and patient. For a while, at least. She’d give them a few months, with maybe a little more patience for kittens. Kittens’ growing bodies often superseded their ability to behave appropriately and make good decisions. Her job at the convent was to make sure everyone felt welcome. She operated on the assumption that any new resident would be grateful to be here. In most cases, that was true. Most of the time, new residents were frightened and exhausted. Through her experience with her own kittens, and the litter she adopted, Dappled Sunshine knew that gentle purring, kind words, and a full belly could overcome most of the challenges faced when someone new joined the family. It was the times when conventional wisdom did not work that stayed in Dappled Sunshine’s mind.
“I’m hungry!” demanded the gray feline. “Get out of my way!” Dapples stepped aside, motioning to the gray one to please step in. He shoved her aside and commenced to gobble down the food. “There’s plenty, you know.” “Shut up,” the gray one snarled, spattering food as he spoke. Dapples stepped back further. “Don’t have time to deal with fat ones,” the gray one grumbled. Dapples sighed at the slight. She wasn’t fat. She was curvy. And the kittens loved it because she was soft. It wasn’t worth the battle. There was plenty of food. This cat was scarred from many fights. He was even missing his tail. She had no interest in tangling with him. There were different battles to fight. She padded off into the other room. She was hungry, as it happened, and she saw an unoccupied dish on the other side of the room. Deftly, she jumped over three cats and approached the dish. The other gray one was there, crouched, guarding. He was fluffier than the angry gray cat, and still had a full tail. Some of his fur was matted, which she knew as uncomfortable. She hoped she could help him. “Well hello there!” Dapples sing-songed. The cat growled to himself and crouched lower. “You shouldn’t be afraid of me,” Dapples said. “I won’t trouble you.” “I don’t know,” he grumbled. Dapples purred. “I know it’s new, but you’re safe in this place!” He crouched even lower. “I don’t know.” Dapple stepped back from the dish. “You know, why don’t you just eat? I don’t need to eat. I’ll stay here and make sure everyone leaves you alone. Would you like that?” He eyed her skeptically. “I don’t know.” Dappled stepped back and turned. She got herself comfortable as a feline barrier between the new gray cat and the food dish. Soon, she heard crunching behind her. He was eating. That was good. “You again?” The first gray cat stood looming over her. “I want that food now.” She stood and blocked his path. “No. It’s not for you.” “You said there was plenty,” the angry gray cat sneered. “There is. Over there.” Dapples pointed behind him. “But I want that.” Dapples turned her ears back. “You can’t have it.” “You can’t stop me.” The angry gray cat tried to shove her aside. She didn’t budge. “You can only move me if I allow you to.” The gray cat leaned over her, growling. She laughed. He attacked, slashing at her shoulders and biting her ears. She clawed back. The rolled and collided with the fluffy gray cat. The fluffy cat screaming and slashed with claws and teeth. It was such a noise that the angry cat released Dapples and reared up on his hind legs in defense. The fluffy cat lunged and clawed. The thick fur on his back protected him from return slashes from the angrier foe. Dapples righted herself and smacked the angry cat across the nose. “Stop it!” Both gray cats froze. Dapples pointed a finger at the tail-less cat. “Go find food elsewhere. Now!” The cat wheeled and left, grumbling to himself. The fluffy cat remained, visibly upset and purring to calm himself. “I don’t know,” he mewled. Dapples went in for a head butt, but he backed away. She stopped. “It’s okay,” she said. “He’s been mean to everyone. We’ll watch out for you.”
Dappled sunshine rapped the stick against the wall calling for a gathering. Nearly everyone was there, except for the outside cats and the deaf ones. The angry gray one was outside, so that was good. She clapped her paws and all ears turned to her, even when several cats continued to groom themselves. “I want to remind everyone that we all share this space,” she shouted. Several cats rolled their eyes and one very large ginger cat went so far as to flop over dramatically. Dapples slapped the stick against the wall causing everyone to freeze and turn to her. “We all have to live here and some of us think we are worth more than the others.” “You’re talking to the wrong clowder,” grumbled the flopped-over cat. “The cats you need are elsewhere.” “No, I’m talking to you.” She pointed a claw at him. “You push aside the skinny ones to feed your massive body.” “I wouldn’t talk about being fat,” the ginger cat laughed as he struggled to sit up again. “You’re not exactly skinny.” She put her hands on her hips. “I’m hungry,” said one of the more elderly cats. “But I don’t want to be pushed around.” Dapples stared pointedly at the ginger cat as she indicated toward the speaker. “You’re young and healthy. Please defer to the sick and elderly.” “Why don’t you tell that to the gray one,” grumbled the three-legged black cat. “He’s the bully.” “Yes,” Dapples nodded, “and that’s why I gathered you here.” She motioned toward the back of the crowd. “Have you all met our new member?” Heads turned and the fluffy gray cat crouched as he so often did. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “The angry gray one went after him today,” Dapples said. “And attacked me. Do you think that’s acceptable?” Everyone mumbled. “So what do we do?” said a younger cat in the back. “He’s attacked me before, too.” “We just need a plan,” said Dapples sitting down. “So let’s come up with a plan.” “I don’t want to fight him,” said the three-legged cat. “I don’t think I’d win, anyway.” Dapples chuckled. “We’ll kill him with kindness. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll redirect him to be somewhere else.” “I don’t know,” said the fluffy gray cat.
The angry gray cat stormed through the house. The rest of the cats scattered before him. “Where’s my food?” he demanded. The others said nothing, only got out of his way. He had made several laps through the realm, visiting all the food dishes and grumbling that there was nothing fresh. No one said anything to him. They only got out of his way. He stopped where the new fluffy cat was crouched. “Where is the food?” The fluffy cat shrugged. “I don’t know.” “What good are you?” The angry cat waved a paw and marched on, continuing his angry path through the homestead. He rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the ginger one, who sat squarely in a doorway, blocking everyone’s passage. “You ate it all, didn’t you?” the angry one snarled. “Or maybe not,” shrugged the ginger cat. “Maybe there is no food.” “I’m hungry and I expect food!” The ginger cat shrugged and laid down. “It’s not here.” The angry cat growled and leaped over the ginger one. When his paws touched the ground he realized he may have made a mistake. Dappled Sunshine sat directly in front of him. “In a hurry?” she purred. The angry cat shifted his gaze to the gathering of cats that had surrounded him and were getting closer. He took a step back and bumped into the ginger cat, who’d sat down behind him. “What are you doing?” demanded the angry cat. “You need to stop,” said the ginger. “We all share this space.” “Stop what? I’m not doing anything wrong.” “Stop bullying everyone out of your way.” “It’s not my fault you’re all weak,” he said. “I just deserve to eat more.” “No you don’t,” said an older cat from the back. “I need to eat more because I’ve been sick.” “I need to eat more, because I’m a kitten,” said one of the younger cats. “I need to eat more,” said the ginger cat, “because it’s how I regulate my blood sugar.” “Are you out of your mind?” said the gray cat. “I need to eat the most because I go outside.” “You don’t need to go outside,” said Dapples. “But you do, and that’s your choice.” She stood and came closer. “You don’t need to harass everyone. You don’t need to scratch everyone. You don’t need to be mean.” “I live here too.” “Then act like it!” said the three-legged cat. “We all do our part to make this the best kingdom. You need to do your part.” “And what’s your part, gimpy?” snarled the angry gray cat. “I am a defender of the homestead!” the three-legged cat announced. “I may be missing a leg, but I run as fast as anyone, and my claws are just as sharp.” The angry cat snorted. “I could take you.” “You’ve never tried. I’ve never given you a chance.” “So you’re a coward,” said the angry cat. “No,” smiled the three-legged cat. “I’m just not willing to waste my energy on such nonsense.” “What?!” “But, rest assured,” continued the three-legged cat, “from this day forward, you be be assured that I will defend those who cannot defend themselves.” “As will I,” said the ginger cat. “And me too,” cried a kitten. All the cats, even the weakest and most frail shouted that they would no longer tolerate the bullying. The angry cat sat down and waited. Silence fell over them. The angry cat snorted. “And what about you?” He pointed at the fluffy cat. The fluffy cat was crouched in his usual way off to the side. “I don’t know,” he said. The angry cat guffawed. The fluffy cat straightened. “I don’t know about anyone else,” he said, “but I’m not gonna let you push me or anyone else around.” The cats cheered. All of them except the angry one. He crouched and dipped his ears backward. The ginger cat came around in front of him. “See? You can go now. And you’re welcome here. Just don’t pick on anyone.” The angry cat turned and ran away toward the exit to the outside.
Dapples came through the halls the following day. Everyone greeted her with a smile and a nod. All the bellies were full and everyone was comfortable and happy. The fluffy cat came up to her and gave her a gentle head bonk. “How are you doing today?” said Dapples. “I don’t know,” he chuckled, “but I’m not scared any more.” Just then the angry gray cat trotted by. He slowed and eyed them both warily then continued moving toward an unoccupied food dish. They watched him disappear around a corner. “I don’t know,” said the fluffy one, “but it’s better now, isn’t it?” Dapples nudged him with her nose. “Yes it is!”

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

Dappled Sunshine - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 19:36:00 GMT

Dappled Sunshine's Story

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

The Holiday Dinosaur

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 20:49:00 GMT

The Holiday Dinosaur

For many people, the holidays of November and December are a time for the gathering of families and for large meals. These meals often include the animal pictured above. The wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo . But what a lot of these unsuspecting families don't realize is that they're not just enjoying turkey; they've welcomed a dinosaur into their home!

But how do we know that?
What is presented here is a re-hashing and updating of what is already available at the University of California Museum of Paleontology’s website.
It starts with a drawing of the skeleton of a turkey, and the pointing out of certain dinosaur-like features. Thomas Holtz takes their drawing a little farther and labels it with all the features of the turkey skeleton that are shared with dinosaurs.

In this post, we're going to go step-by-step, explaining where each of these different traits fits in with the dinosaurs. But first, we do need to discuss how we classify and categorize animals.

Part 1 - Classification of Things

It is human nature to categorize and classify.
We do this because the world is complex, and it's helpful to have categories by which to discuss over-arching concepts. Rather than having to run through a whole list of things, it's easier to simply say "trucks" or "cats" or "words that start with the letter q."
We do this unconsciously which can lead to some troubling biases and misconceptions. It is our job to make sure that our categories are both helpful and reflect the truth.

Categorizing Objects and Concepts in Our Experience

We look at objects and concepts and group them. This is a great exercise for children. From a young age, we engage in sorting and classifying as a way to teach:

The kinds of automobiles
Different types of books and where they are in a library
Shoes for every occasion
Art that uses differing media and styles

Sorting exercises like separating red objects from blue objects can be fun. We develop our categories, then drop objects into our classification scheme as we learn, or we may have to revise our scheme once in a while. With experience, we soon discover that even the tightest of categories can be problematic. For example, there are cars and trucks, and SUVs, and station wagons. But then what about the so-called 'cross-over' vehicles. The Subaru Outback, the "World's first sport-utility wagon"? Where does that go? We either force unusual things into existing categories, add new categories, or expand the concept of the categories that we already have.

Categorizing Living Things

Living things are also classified. As we look around the world, we experience dogs and cats and horses, and alligators and frogs. And mosquitoes.
We categorize these too, in various ways for the needs that we have. The biggest categories that are easy to understand are plants and animals.
There are other living things that are neither plant nor animal: The fungi, bacteria, and other single-celled organisms.
This gives us five Kingdoms of life:

Monera (the bacteria, which is sometimes broken down into Eubacteria and Archaebacteria)
Protista (the single-celled, but sometimes colonial organisms)
Fungi (multicellular organisms that absorb nutrients from the environment)
Plants (multicellular organisms that photosynthesize nutrients)
Animals (multicellular organisms that must eat to gain nutrients)

Since we're thinking about animals (e.g. dinosaurs and birds) we'll focus in on the animals. These we categorize in lots of ways, but for our interests we'll limit ourselves to animals with bones versus animals without bones.
Furthermore, animals with bones are typically subdivided into:

Fish
Amphibians
Reptiles
Birds
Mammals

When we consider these groups we thing of them as all being at the same "level." That is, in our own experience, they've always been around at the same time. They are completely distinct from each other. It takes some mental exercise to find the similarities among them.
Then come the geologists and the paleontologists and we add new groups to this list. Groups that are extinct, but once did exist, and were in the category of animals with bones, and are (apparently) completely distinct from the five groups we're familiar with.
In particular, the dinosaurs.
What we know about dinosaurs - at first, anyway - is that they are huge and laid eggs. Amphibians don't lay eggs like that. Mammals (with exceptions) don't lay eggs at all. So they are either bird-like or reptile-like. Well, birds don't have teeth (but dinosaurs do) and birds have wings (and dinosaurs don't), so dinosaurs were considered enormous reptiles.
It didn't take long for paleontologists to realize that dinosaurs have less in common with reptiles than they do with birds.

Shared Characteristics

Biologists and paleontologists group organisms not by what they look most like, but by shared common ancestry. For example, if we look at modern dogs, coyotes, wolves, foxes, and hyenas, we know that dogs, coyotes, and wolves are most closely related in part because of their similarity in appearance, but also in their ability to interbreed. Foxes look more similar to dogs-wolves-coyotes than to hyenas based on the overall shape of the teeth and skeleton, so foxes probably share a common ancestor with dogs-wolves-coyotes that hyenas do not. However, all five of the animals are startlingly different than any kind of cat like a lion.
Biologists are able to use the ability or inability of similarly looking organisms to be able to reproduce to determine relatedness. Paleontologists are limited to features of the skeleton to determine relationships. Detailed examination of the teeth of dogs, coyotes, and wolves show some important similarities that distinguish them from foxes, hyenas, and lions.
In the past, scientists used similarity to classify organisms using a scheme that you've probably heard of: the Linnaean Hierarchy or binomial nomenclature. It goes something like this:
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, species .

Where each group was a subset of the group above and that species were given scientific names with two words, like Homo sapiens , or Canis latrans . Today the system is still in use, but has been modified because nature has more subtlety than these seven categories can capture.
Species names are still two words but the larger divisions are not always assigned the ranks like Order or Genus. Instead we regard these divisions as clades as best we can. A clade is defined as a group of organisms that are united by having a common ancestor. We determine common ancestry by looking for shared novel developments (you may hear them called 'shared derived characters') within members of the clade.
Animals with bones are in a single clade because they share bone, which appeared as a novelty after animals already existed. We call the 'animals with bones' clade the Vertebrata .
When we discuss clades then, we discuss the shared novel developments that distinguish members of that clade from all other members of the next larger clade. These changes can be small, resulting in hundreds of clades starting from all members of the Animalia , to a single species of dinosaur.

Part 2 - Defining Dinosaurs

So what are dinosaurs? How can we classify them? Dinosaurs aren't something from our modern existence, and in many ways are not necessarily distinct from the other animals with bones on the planet.

The Amnion

Shared similarities are used to categorize and classify organisms.
Let's go back to animals with bones and the categories that we're familiar with:

Fish
Amphibians
Reptiles
Mammals
Birds

We assume the first animals with bones were fish. We feel safe with this assumption because all of the oldest fossils are of organisms that lived in water. This makes sense because life probably originated underwater. And water is such an important component of life on earth.
Amphibians were the first animals-with-bones the walk on land. They had the first legs, a novel development. In fact, the first amphibians were remarkably fish-like.
Having legs instead of fins is a shared novelty, a similarity that unites amphibians with reptiles, mammals, and birds. All four groups find common ancestry with an animal that learned to walk on land. They're all related, and separate from all other fish.
A group that can be united by a shared novel development, like the development of legs from fins, is called a clade. Animals with bones are in a clade called the Vertebrata . Animals with bones that also have legs are in a clade called the Tetrapoda (which means four feet).
These first tetrapods were tied to water, just as modern amphibians are. They needed water to lay their eggs to reproduce. At some point, however, the amnion developed, and tetrapods were able to lay eggs away from water. The amnion, plus an egg shell, provided a way for an egg to develop with its very on personal pond. The tetrapods that have an egg with an amnion are in a clade called the Amniota , and are called amniotes. This includes reptiles, birds, and mammals and excludes amphibians.

Diapsids

The obvious ways with which we distinguish birds from mammals from reptiles in modern animals are their body coverings (feathers, fur, and scales, respectively). Unfortunately, body coverings tend not to fossilize very well. Most of what we have are bones and teeth.
Happily, skulls and skeletons preserve features that are distinctive among the three groups. The skull provides a first pass distinction between mammals and the other two groups.
Amphibian skulls have the basic structure of a bony braincase which then has a secondary bony helmet or armor over the top. It is in this space between the braincase and the outer armor are the jaw muscles (which incidentally is the same arrangement with fish!). In amniotes, there may or may not be one or more openings in the outer 'helmet' which allows for the jaw muscles to expand when biting, which further allows for an increased strength of bite.
Mammals have only one opening in their skull 'helmet,' which is called the 'synapsid' condition. Birds have two openings in their skull helmet, called ' diapsid '. Reptiles either have two openings (' diapsid ') or no openings ('anapsid').
Dinosaurs have diapsid skulls, which categorizes them with modern reptiles or with birds. This is our first clue about the relationship between dinosaurs and birds.

Dinosauromorphs

Dinosaurs and birds and some reptiles are diapsids. Some diapsids have additional openings in the skull. In particular birds, dinosaurs, and crocodylians (as well as pterosaurs) have an opening called the antorbital fenestra, which is a fancy science-y way to say "opening in front of the eye."
All diapsid amniotes that have an antorbital fenestra are in a clade called the Archosauriformes , and are called more informally "archosaurs." Some archosaurs have a suite of characteristics that unite them into a clade that is called the Ornithodira . The ornithodires exclude the crocodylians, but include dinosaurs, birds, and pterosaurs. What distinguishes ornithodires from from the rest of the archosaurs is the structure of the spinal column where the neck vertebrae are different than the vertebrae that have ribs.
In the clade called the Dinosauromorpha , which includes dinosaurs and birds and excludes pterosaurs, the animals have a hinge-like ankle and what's called a parasaggital stance, which is a fancy way of saying the the legs are drawn underneath the animal rather than sprawled out to the side like lizards or salamanders. Mammals also have a parasaggital stance, which came about separately from how it came about in the dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs

What then is a dinosaur?
The dinosaurs are in a clade called the Dinosauria . A dinosaur is an amniote that has the characteristics of an archosaur, and ornithodire, and a dinosauromorph, as well as as being an obligate biped (walks only on two legs), and specific modifications on the humerus (upper arm bone) unique to dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs and birds all share these characteristics which unites them and distinguishes them from all other amniotes. Thus, birds are in the same group as dinosaurs - they share a common ancestry - meaning that birds are dinosaurs.

Part 3 - Defining Birds

Okay then. So birds and dinosaurs share a common ancestry and because the group is called the Dinosauria , this makes birds dinosaurs.
But, I'm sorry, birds don't look anything like a Triceratops . (Also, didn't you just say that Dinosaurs were 'obligate bipeds'? Because last I checked, Diplodocus didn't walk only on two legs.)
Not all dinosaurs are the same, and we can use the same tools to group birds in with dinosaurs to further figure out which dinosaurs are the closest ancestors to birds.

Theropods

Dinosaurs are traditionally divided into two major groups: The saurischia and the ornithischia. The Theropoda , which famously includes Tyrannosaurus , has been considered a saurischian dinosaur, but recent research placed that group with the ornithischia.
In either case, the theropods remain as a distinct group of mostly carnivorous dinosaurs that are bipedal and have three main toes on the feet with a fourth toe that's separated. There is no fifth toe. Modern birds share these characteristics of the feet. Furthermore, birds share the furculum (or wishbone) with a sub group of the theropods called the Neotheropoda , which includes Tyrannosaurus.
If feathers were not already present within the Theropoda, a subgroup of the Neotheropoda called the Tetanuridae almost certainly did. Additionally, the tetanurids were characterized by having a long stiff tail.

On Warm Blood and Feathers

Birds, like us, are warm-blooded, meaning that they generate a high body temperature. Reptiles and amphibians are cold-blooded in that thy do not use metabolic processes to maintain a warm body. This leaves paleontologists wondering when warm-bloodedness arose in the lineage leading to the birds.
In modern birds, feathers serve two purposes. The first is to provide the aerodynamic surface that allows birds to fly. The other is to provide insulation, which is important for warm-blooded organisms. Feathers, like fur, tend not to fossilize, but there are situations in which evidence of feathers can be preserved. Such evidence has appeared throughout the Dinosauria and it's believed that feathers appear fairly early on among the dinosaurs. These dinosaurs were clearly not flying, so paleontologists use the presence of feathers in this case to indicate that warm-bloodedness was common within the Dinosauria.

Feathered Dinosaurs

Theropods, and tetanurids more specifically, are clearly dinosaurs. These are the ones that we have plastic toys for and are the heroes (or villains for certain Hollywood franchises). What isn't portrayed well in the movies is that these dinosaurs were likely to have been covered with feathers, but other than that, the movie image is close to how we understand what reality would have been. The dinosaurs of the clade Avetheropoda have lost digit IV from their hands, which is shared with birds.
The Maniraptoraformes are a clade within the Avetheropoda that has wings with long, stiff, pennaceous feathers.
The Maniraptora have features that are very notably bird-like, including an enlarged sternum and a backwards-pointing pubis on the hip bone. The Maniraptora includes familiar dinosaurs, Deinonychus and Velociraptor .
The clade Penneraptora is united by some distinctly 'bird' characteristics, in particular the semilunate carpal (wrist bone) which allows bird wings to fold as they do. Additionally, the shoulder joint points out to the side of the dinosaur, rather than down or to the back in earlier dinosaurs. Velociraptor and Archaeopteryx possess these characteristics, but Deinonychus does not.
Velociraptor , Archaeopteryx , and other animals recognized as birds further share characteristics that unite them into the clade Eumaniraptora . Eumaniraptorans have a very mobile tail at its base as well as having the great toe turned to the back side of the foot. Eumaniraptorans are still dinosaurs, as they are in the clade Dinosauria, but they are distinctly bird-like and some people refer to Archaeopteryx as a bird.

Bird is the Word

We have reached the point where the dinosaurs we're discussing are so bird-like that we may be tempted to call them birds. This is good because it illustrates one of the major problems with the Linnaean classification scheme as we are taught in school.
In the Linnaean scheme, birds are in the Class Aves and Dinosaurs are in the Class Dinosauria. Since both are at the rank of Class, this implies that they are distinct from one another. However, as we'll soon see, the Class Aves is a clade within the Class Dinosauria.
The clade Avialae is the largest clade that excludes things that are considered dinosaurs and superficially would be labeled as bird by most lay people. The most important distinction between members of the Avialae and the eumaniraptorans is that a opening in the bone of the lower jaw - the mandibular fenestra - is lost.
Within the Avialae is the clade Pygostylia , united by the appearance of the pygostyle, the short stubby tail bone of birds to which all their tail feathers are attached. Gone is the long, still tail of the dinosaurs. Pygostylians also have some modifications of the lower leg, in particular the fusion of the tibia (shin bone) to the tarsus (foot bones), which is shared with modern birds.

The clade Ornithothoraces share the extreme fusion of the wrist and hand bones seen in birds as an anchor for the strong flight feathers. Additionally new neck bones arise, resulting in a longer, more flexible neck.

Within the Orniththoraces, the Euornithes have a fully modern pygostyle, though still have belly ribs in common with earlier dinosaurs.
The Carinatae are indisputably birds capable of flying. They bear the keeled sternum necessary to support the chest muscles required for powered flight. The hip bones and sacrum are fused into a single unit, the synsacrum, for strength and stability. The unguals, or the last finger bone of the typical three per finger, is missing from the hands. The Carinatae includes a bird called Hesperornis , which seems superficially cormorant or penguin like and was likely a diver. But it had teeth.
Aves is the clade that includes all modern birds. No modern bird has teeth (the egg tooth seen in many birds is not a true tooth), and has a greatly reduced upper jaw bone, the maxilla.

Part 4 - Dinosaurs you would know

Dunkelosteus - A fish. Not a dinosaur.
Tiktaalik - A fish. Not a dinosaur.
Ichthyostega - An amphibian. Not a dinosaur.
Dimetrodon - An amniote. A synapsid. Not a dinosaur.
Alligator - An archosaur. Not a dinosaur.
Ramphorynchus - An archosaur. An ornithodire. A pterosaur. Not a dinosaur.
Parasaurolophus - A dinosaur. An ornithischian.
Triceratops - A dinosaur. An ornithischian.
Dilophosaurus - A dinosaur. A theropod.
Tyrannosaurus - A dinosaur. A theropod.
Compsognathus - A dinosaur. A tetanuran.
Deinonychus - A dinosaur. A maniraptoran.
Velociraptor - A dinosaur. A eumaniraptoran.
Archaeopteryx - Also a dinosaur .A bird? A eumaniraptoran.
Hesperornis - A carinatid bird. Also a theropod. Also a dinosaur.
Aquila - A modern bird in Aves. Also a theropod. Also a dinosaur.
Meleagris - A modern bird in Aves. Also a theropod. Also a dinosaur.

Buddy the Sage - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 20:12:00 GMT

Buddy the Sage's Story

Buddy stomped through the crowd, his dagger flapping at his side with each hop. He growled and the others moved aside. He had business here. The others were only here for show. There was trouble in the kingdom, yet the king remained indifferent. It was time to change that. Buddy launched himself at the door, slamming it wide open. The king looked up from grooming his hind leg, his tongue dangling akimbo. “Sire!” Buddy lunged forward. “Sire! There is trouble on the lands.” “What?” bellowed the king. “WHAT?” Buddy froze. The king shrugged and went back to his grooming. The Queen slinked out from behind the king and approached Buddy. “And what is it that is so important, Sir Buddy?” she purred. The king paused again watching the pair, then switched to grooming his other leg. . “There is another in the land,” Buddy said. “We must act.” “Another what?” said the queen. “A cat. A cat of course,” Buddy stammered. “There are many cats here,” the queen said, sitting down to lick between her fingers. “We have new guests all the time.” “But no. This one is different.” “I’m hungry,” bellowed the king to no one in particular. The queen went to him and licked his face. Buddy waited impatiently. Surely at some point they’d remember that he was there. He cleared his throat and the queen looked up. “Oh, yes, of course,” said the queen. “Talk to the Lady Dapples. She will know what to do.” She turned back to her husband. “But there is risk!” The queen stopped again. “Like what?” “There’s not enough food.” “There’s always enough food.” The queen waved him off. “See Dapples. Leave us be.” Buddy sighed exasperated. Their majesties had no idea the danger that was present. Oh to be the king and never have to worry!
Buddy hissed as he left the king’s chambers. Courtiers scattered, yowling in fear. He growled to himself as he stormed through the castle seeking the chambers of the Lady Dappled Sunshine. Yes, she would know what to do, but, like their majesties, she’d be wildly indifferent about the whole affair. But he knew. Buddy knew that when new cats came, there was always upheaval. And big changes. It was always awful. The Lady Dapples was where she always was, curled into a circle in the basket bed, which itself was atop an enormous people bed. Buddy hopped up the carpeted steps onto the top of the bed, approaching the dosing lady. Dapples opened an eye and blinked at the black figure as it drew closer, shaking the bed with each hop. “Buddy the Black,” she murmured. “To what do I owe this honor?” Buddy sat. “Their majesties sent me to you. They care not about the dangers presented by our newest guest.” Dapples lifted her head. “Someone new?” “Yes, from three days past. The new one occupies our person and eats from our dishes.” Dapples drew a heavy sigh. “You know we go through this every time…” “But this one is different!” “How so?” “This one notices not the others until they are on top of her. She hears them not. She sees them not.” “She can see,” said Dapples softly. “A little. And her hearing is poor, though not so poor as our king’s.” “But how do we protect our needs?” Dapples sat up. “Are you serious? You were once the new one. Nobody panicked.” “Well yes, but I am young. I can protect the realm.” He patted the dagger at his side. “You’re missing a leg.” Buddy worked his jaw, searching for a retort. “You are right. You are young and strong and serve our homeland well, keeping us safe from interlopers.” Dapples leaned forward. “Your job is to protect and serve the elderly. The new one is elderly. Do not fear her. Protect her.” “But what of the food situation?” “The people manage that. There is never a shortage.” Dapples pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. Buddy hung his head. “Now, attend to your duties,” Dapples said, lowering herself back into the basket bed. “I must sleep.”
Buddy hopped back down into the lower levels, Dapples’ words echoing in his head. Was missing a leg worse than being mostly blind and deaf? Was it worse than being old? He hopped lost in thought into the kitchen and stopped when he nearly collided with the new cat. She blinked at him, eyes wide and unseeing, sniffing. Buddy started to go around and she backed away. He paused. “Can you hear me?” Buddy said. Her ears perked up. “Who is that?” she mewled. “I am Buddy. The Black,” he said proudly. “Buddy, you say?” She looked toward him, practically through him. “The Black? Are you black?” “Yes, I am black.” “I thought you were a shadow,” she said. “My eyes have gone bad and everything is so quiet now.” Buddy shrugged. “That’s not all bad. The wolves bark and howl a lot and it’s very loud.” “I think I’ve heard them.” “Where are you from?” “I lost my person,” she said. “My person loved me, but she got sick.” Buddy sat. “I lost my person too.” “I don’t know this new person.” “This new person is nice. She feeds us.” “What? Sorry.” She looked so sad. “Our person feeds us well,” Buddy said louder. “This is a nice place.” “I like the food,” she said. “I miss my person.” “Do you have a name?” Buddy said. “Sorry,” she said, twitching her ears. “What?” “Your name.” Buddy raised his voice. “Do you have a name?” “I’m Jeter,” she said. “You’re very big.” “I’m charged with protecting this realm. No one can harm the residents of this place.” “I’m glad someone will keep us safe. I’ve been a little scared.” “The people can be loud, but food is aplenty.” “I’ve heard wolves,” Jeter said turning blindly in the direction of the other end of the castle. “I’m sure there are wolves.” Buddy chuckled. “Yes, but the wolves aren’t very smart.” “Are you not afraid?” “Why should I be?” Jeter looked disappointed and started to walk back into the room where she spent most of her days. “Well, I mean, our people—,” said Buddy. “The wolves obey the people and the people take care of us, so we’re safe. We’re safe.” Jeter stopped and glanced back. “The wolves like to try to play with us, but we won’t play with them because they are so big. But they’re also afraid of our claws, so we’re safe.” Jeter held up a paw and laughed. “I can’t understand a single word you’re saying. Slow down! You young ones always in such a rush.” She waved him off and kept walking.
Buddy stretched out at the door of Jeter’s room grooming himself gently. Paws with untrimmed claws approached. “Move it,” snapped the grizzled traveler. “I’ll not,” said Buddy sitting up. “Who are you?” The cat was gray and tail-less. A scar ran across his nose and his ear was slightly torn. “Just get out of the way,” the visitor snarled. “No. There are others sleeping inside. I’ll not have you disturb them.” The gray cat turned his ears back. "I’m hungry, and the good food is in there. Out of my way, cripple.” Everyone knew the gray one was a bully. Nevertheless, it still hurt to be called out for an injury over which he had no control. Buddy felt a rumbling rising in his chest. “Says the one with no tail.” The gray one screamed and lashed out, claws extended. Buddy jumped back, dodging the swipe. “Speak to me not in this way,” snarled the gray one. “Likewise, you.” “I could be running this kingdom, but that the deaf one is leader, and his toothless wife.” The gray one rolled his eyes. “Speak you not of our king in this way. He leads with kindness and compassion.” “He’s a fool. We should have all the lands, inside and outside of the realm walls.” “We have as we need right here. And a person to feed us.” “I could rule that person, too.” Buddy growled. “The person provides for us.” Silence. Buddy slid his paw to the hilt of his dagger. The gray one crouched eying the open door just over Buddy’s shoulder. The gray one took a tiny step and Buddy grasped the dagger. The gray one sailed over Buddy’s head, slashing as he passed. Buddy defended with the dagger and swatted the gray one’s hind feet, knocking them aside. The gray one landed on his side, scrambling to dash into the room. Buddy tackled him and they fought, screeching. The person appeared, emitting such a noise that most cats would scatter. The gray one did not, and Buddy continued to wrestle with him. A person’s hand came from above and lifted the gray one into the air. The gray one fought, but the person was too strong. Stern sounds came from the person and the gray one relaxed. Buddy grinned as the gray one began to purr and head butt the person affectionately. The person carried him away and Buddy gave himself a good shake, checking himself for injuries. A purring from behind caught his attention. Jeter was approaching, cautiously feeling her way through the door. “Is it safe?” “You are safe, my dear lady,” Buddy said. “That sounded awful. I felt it.” “They gray one spends most of his days outside the realm walls.” Buddy sat and started grooming a scratch he’d discovered on his paw. “Are you injured, my Lord?” “Tis but a scratch,” Buddy smiled. “What did he want?” “He is jealous. He wants your food.” “I eat so slowly,” she said. “I’m not used to others being around.” Buddy sighed. “The Lady Dappled Sunshine reminded me that there is always food aplenty in this house. You should not have to fight for it. But the gray one is a bully. He must always fight.” “I am too tired to fight.” “Worry not, my Lady,” Buddy said. “I will watch over you.”
The person cooed as Jeter ate her dinner. Buddy sat to the side, watching. The Lady Dapples trotted into the room, awake from her long nap and hungry herself. She nodded at Jeter eating and came to Buddy with a hearty head butt. “Oh, you have a scratch!” she said, seeing a line of scabbing across Buddy’s nose. “It was the gray one,” Buddy said. “I’ll not let him have the lady’s food.” Dapples sat beside him, watching Jeter eat as the person stroked her. “The gray one didn’t spend enough time with his mother,” Dapples said. “But what of your concerns? Does this old woman threaten our realm?” Buddy chuckled. “No. The gray one threatens our peace, but this one is no threat to us. We have plenty of food.” “And what shall you do now?” “I am a defender of the realm,” Buddy said. “I will protect those who cannot protect themselves. So I shall sit here.” “You are a noble man,” purred Dapples. “You should eat, too.” “I’ll wait until she’s had her fill.” Dapples pressed her cheek against his forehead. “You’re a good man, Buddy the Black. I’m glad you understand now.” Buddy nodded and settled down to nap. Yes, he got it now. And he would make sure everyone else got it, too. And if they didn’t, he still had his dagger.

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

Buddy the Black - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 14:44:00 GMT

Buddy the Black's Story

His arm hung off of the tree branch. The breeze ruffled his coat. Big Red yawned and smacked his lips. With great care he partially stood, then turned to put his weight on his other hip and lay down again. He sighed. Now the sun was in his eyes. This time he sat up and surveyed his land. Big Red was disappointed to see the crowd gathered below his tree. The zebras were there. And the wildebeest. Young meerkats dashed around the base of his tree, being chased by warthog piglets. One of the zebras jumped and kicked. “He’s awake!” Everyone joined in the clamor, and even more of the garden animals gathered. On a lower branch what his lioness, Mommy, a paw to her face. Every morning was like this. The moment he woke, the herds went crazy. “Oh look. The flamingos,” she muttered as the pink flock settled in among the wildebeest. “What shall we do today?” cried the eldest wildebeest. “What do you instruct?” “The people are here!” called a younger zebra. Big Red waved a paw to silence the crowd. “We will do as they expect. Go zebras, wildebeest, and flamingos to your water hole and frolic. Perhaps invite a croc to a game of tag, just for the enjoyment of the people. Warthogs and meerkats, go dig your holes and hide. Squeal and play. Invite the snakes to dance. Give the people what they want. We will eat well tonight.” Big Red continued with his instructions for the hippos and giraffes, and the elephants and gazelles. All the animals here lived to entertain the people and he and Mommy were the only big predators. Later in the day, when the trucks were around, he and Mommy would prowl. They would stalk the gazelles and zebras for show. Some days - but not today - they’d let the wildebeest win a fight against them. Red was tired today, though. Just give the people what they want so that everyone can eat. That was good enough. He hopped out of the tree and joined Mommy at the water trough. “Another day, another nap,” he said. “It’s a little dull,” Mommy agreed. “I mean, I love a nap as much as anyone, but—.” Big Red looked up and butted her gently with his forehead. “Can we do something fun?” she said. “Like what?” She sat down and pondered the prairie before her. Over at the water hole, a croc snapped at a drinking zebra causing the herd to disperse in a panic. “What if,” Mommy started then whispered in Big Red’s ear. Red grinned.
The next morning the animals gathered beneath Big Red’s tree. He was sitting, looking over the gathered crowd. On this morning, he called all the animals that could walk on land to gather at the tree, and all the birds, too. He instructed carefully that what he was about to explain needed to be shared with the fishes and water bugs, too. “The People come to watch us,” Red started. “They want to see animals like us ‘in the wild.’” The zebras brayed in delight until they were shushed by the wildebeest. “The more people that come, the better we eat.” The crocs snapped their jaws in agreement. “More people. More food. Better for our cubs and foals and fawns.” The meercats stood up, waving their paws. “We’ve long agreed that we’re in this together, and though we know that lions eat wildebeest, and crocs eat zebras, and meercats eat snakes, we’ve only ever put on a show for the people so that they’ll feed us and we needn’t actually hurt each other.” The flamingos flapped their wings and the gazelles leaped straight up. Everyone started calling and braying and hooting. Big Red raised a paw. Silence took hold. “We want more people to visit. We want more food, yes?” Nods and grunts shook the crowd. “So let’s have some fun.”
“People are here,” brayed a zebra. The croc at his feet rolled and put on his best ‘I’m a dead croc’ face. As the truck full of enthusiastic tourists drew closer, the zebras began to put on a show. They stomped and brayed and pretended like they were eating the croc. They’d found some red mud and smeared it on their faces and legs to look like the blood of their ‘prey’. They were laughing as they played. Even the croc, because zebra noses tickled his soft belly. Lucky, people can’t tell a laugh from a cry of terror in zebra bray language. The people cried out and the truck stopped. Hundreds of cameras were trained on the crowd of zebras and the hapless croc. “Now charge them,” giggled the croc. “Chase them away.” The zebras stopped their frolicing and turned to the van. “Pretend you’re angry.” The zebras pinned their ears back and flopped their lips to show their teeth. Then three of them, big stallions, raced toward the truck. The people dove inside while the zebras reared and hit the truck with their hooves. In moments, the truck sped off, with one of the zebras in hot pursuit. Soon the zebra stopped and rejoined the herd. Everyone was hollering in laughter. That had to be the best game ever! The croc flopped back onto his feet and slid back to the pond. The zebras joined him for a long drink.
A gazelle ran back to the combined herd of wildebeest and his own kind. “It was amazing!” he said. “The zebras rocked it!” “Where are they now?” crooned the eldest wildebeest. “They’re on their way! I can’t wait!” “Places!” cried the wildebeest. The wildebeest spread out across the field, while the gazelles gathered under a tree. Several laid down, sprawling luxuriantly. A few stood off to the side, watching for the truck. When it slid into view, they sprang into action. Four younger gazelles trotted off toward the wildebeest, particularly focused on one - the eldest - that was on the edge of the herd. They could hear the voices of the people on the truck now. The four gazelles began to leap into the air at short intervals, to catch the people’s attention. Soon enough, someone was pointing. The gazelles, stopped their leaping and continued to jog toward the herd of wildebeest. Occasionally one would leap to make sure that all people eyes were on them. Abruptly, the gazelles spread out and began to surround the side of the herd in which the eldest wildebeest was grazing. The gazelles slowed to a walk, then they crouched down, trying to keep their heads below the grass as they approached the elder wildebeest. Occasionally, they froze mid-step. The people were talking and taking photos. The elder wildebeest snorted. All ears flipped to him as he continued to casually graze. He snorted again. The wildebeest herd sprang to life, dashing off in a mock panic. The young gazelles raced at the elder wildebeest as he faked surprize and ambled away, kicking up as much dust as he could. The gazelles leaped and the wildebeest dropped to the ground, trying his best to time the move so that it looked like the gazelles knocked him down. The five of them wrestled and jumped around, kicking up dust and throwing grass into the air. The wildebeest crawled to a pile of red mud they’d hidden in the grass and rolled in it. The gazelles dipped their noses in the red mud and smeared it on themselves and each other. As the dust settled, the elder wildebeest lay stretched out on his side with four gazelles poking at him with their noses, pretending to be feeding. The other gazelles had come out from the shade and were joining the group. The people, as expected, were going crazy with photos and video, begging the driver to get closer. The driver was on the clock, however, and the animals knew it. Soon enough, the truck drove away headed towards its next stop.
The flamingos were ready. The truck would be coming soon and the people would ooh and aah at the pretty pink birds skimming bugs from the bottom of the shallow pond. But today, the flamingos were in the trees, balancing a little uncomfortably on branches that their feet were ill designed to grasp. They were humming at each other in anticipation. The idea that Big Red had shared with them was so exciting that they could hardly contain themselves. This was going to be great. The truck buzzed into view, nearing the pond. Not a single flamingo was there and they could see that the people were disappointed. Then a person pointed. The flamingos were crowded into some trees a half-mile from the pond. The truck turned and approached the roosting birds. “Ready,” squawked the lead bird. The others were fluttering their feathers, struggling to be still. The truck was right there. The people’s faces were visible and cameras were raised. “Now,” cried the lead bird. They all took flight and swarmed the truck. They squawked and snapped at hats and hair, swooping in and out until all the people had ducked back into the truck and cameras were hidden. The truck was in motion again. It turned around and began to head away. The lead bird cried out again and the flock followed him back to the trees, where they perched again and begin to preen themselves. They chuckled to themselves about how clever they were and couldn’t wait until they had a chance to do something like this again.
Big Red yawned and backed himself into the warthog hole. His plan for himself still involved sleeping the day away, but he knew he needed to participate in the shenanigans. The people loved to see the lions and they would. Red looked across the meadow at his favorite tree. The warthog family was curled up and asleep at its base. Soon they’d work to find a way to have the warthogs sit in the tree as Red himself often did, but for now, they’d take the soft spot at the tree’s base. Mommy had found another hole nearby and was snoozing hard. She didn’t really care to sleep in the tree as much as he did, and was really enjoying the change in environment. To be honest, Big Red had never realized that warthog holes could be so comfortable. The underground was much cooler than the tree. But the tree is what gave him is status. He was King, and all the animals looked up to him for guidance. And he couldn’t wait to hear how things had gone on this day. He hoped that the people had enjoyed the change and maybe there would be more food. If anything though, it had been fun.
The truck rolled up on the tree and the people were visibly disappointed that there were no lions there. Red pulled himself part way out of the warthog hole and watched the people struggle to come to grips with a pod of warthogs lying where the lions should be. Big Red sat up straight and began to call out. He roared. And again. And again. The people noticed and the truck turned to approach. Mommy crawled out of her hole and joined him. Roaring roaring roaring. They were surrounded by the clicks of shutters and the whoops of excited people. There were lions here after all! Big Red smiled at Mommy and she giggled.
The zebras were waiting. As soon as the truck was close enough, they pinned their ears back and charged, braying and hollering as much as they could. Their noses and hooves were still coated with the red mud as they charged the truck. The people yelped in shock as the driver immediately turned and sped away, heading back toward where ever the people came from each day. The zebras chased for a while longer then stopped, trotting back to the watering hole where all the animals were now gathered and chatting about the exciting events of the day. Big Red and Mommy strolled up, proud of their extended family. “What are we doing tomorrow?” asked a zebra, excitedly. Big Red smiled. “Oh, I have some ideas!”

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

Big Red - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 14:40:00 GMT

Big Red's Story

The hard wood floor creaked under his paws as he approached is office door. The light at the end of the hallway cast a long shadow almost to the other end of the hall, creating the illusion of another cat, a black shadow cat, approaching from the other direction. He chuckled when he reached the door, dark stained wood with a frosted glass window. Arthur Dent, P.I. In giant black letters etched across the glass. Arthur nodded and tipped his hat in greeting to his own office. He extended a claw and picked the lock. The door squealed in protest as it opened. He kicked it closed behind him as he padded to his desk and tugged the chain on the desk lamp. The light came on and the chain wiggled. Arthur batted at the chain, switching the light off again. He straightened and cleared his throat. Again he tugged the chain and a small circle of light shown on his desk. He pulled his paw back to his face, resisting the urge to play with the sparkling chain. It was almost too much, but he was able to back away. Arthur tossed his fedora toward the coat rack. It bounced off and fell to the floor. He sniffed at it and shrugged. It’d be fine there. The room was dark, other than the circle of light on his desk. Arthur went to the window and peeked through the blinds. The outside was gray, the same color as his own coat. He tugged the string and the blinds rose. He released the string and the blinds dropped, sending the string high. Arthur leapt at it, grabbing it with claws and teeth. The blinds snapped up and this time stayed. For a few moments Arthur lay on the floor gripping the string and kicking at it with his back legs. The excitement passed. He went to his desk. There was mail on the desk. Bills to pay. Notices. Arthur climbed into his seat and shoved the papers aside. Desks are for laying, not for piling papers. He folded himself into a circle and dozed off.
The click of claws on the hardwood floor got his attention. Arthur rolled and stretched, nearly knocking the lamp from the table. A silhouette appeared outside the office door. A cat, with long ears and whiskers. There was a quiet scratching at the door and a soft mew. Arthur ignored it. The scratching came again. Then quiet. Then drumming. Whomever was outside was sticking their paw under the door and pulling, pulling, pulling rattling the entire wall. The meowing grew in volume. Arthur listened. A dame , he thought. Always a dame . “How’s a man gonna nap with all that ruckus,” he called. “Please sir,” came the soft response. “I need your help!”
She strutted in, her white coat and bright blue eyes a striking contrast against the dark and gray interior of his office. Arthur dashed back to his desk and hopped into the chair, staring down at her. She smiled coyly and leapt onto the desk. She sat and groomed her paw casually. “So, what?” meowled Arthur. The white cat froze mid lick, her tongue sticking out. After a moment, she licked her lips. “Oh yes,” she said. “I need your help.” She stood and shook her body, her hair fluffing and waving and she did so. Arthur rolled his eyes. Drama. Of course, there’s drama . “This morning I woke up,” she said, glancing around the room. “And…” “And what?” “I saw a mouse.” Arthur slumped. “A mouse?” “Yes!” She gestured enthusiastically. “It was huge! And there at my dish. Eating!” Of course . “Yes, mice will eat.” “But it’s my food,” she wailed. “Mine!” Arthur slumped. “What do you want me to do about it?” “Get rid of it. Get rid of it. Get rid of it !” Arthur leaned back. Mice were nothing. Yeah, not something you want in the house or eating from your dish, but nothing to lose your mind about. This cat was losing her mind. He extended a claw and stuck it between his teeth. That piece of tuna had been bugging him for a while. “A mouse, eh?” She stomped. “That’s what I said.” “I can get rid of a mouse.” Arthur leaned forward. “But it’ll cost.” She trilled. “I don’t have much.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll think of something.” He picked up a scrap of paper from the floor and dipped a claw in the ink well embedded in the desk. “You have a name.” She puffed up. “I am Snow, for I am as white and fluffy as the beautiful snow of winter.” Arthur grunted. I t’s only beautiful if you don’t have to sleep in it. He scribbled he name on the paper. “Let’s go take care of your problem.”
She was nervous, Arthur could tell. Obviously, being outside of the house was not her usual M.O. The mouse must have been extremely upsetting for her to decide to leave the house and find help. Still, it was just a mouse. Arthur didn’t get it. They dove through some bushes that opened into an expansive yard. Arthur paused for a moment, gaping at the house before him. It was simply enormous. He followed her as she padded carefully to a stone porch to a dog flap. She meowed and an exuberant dog raced to the door. There was a click and the dog pushed the door open with his nose, sniffing at her and Arthur. Arthur instinctively arched his back and hissed. The dog backed quickly into the house and barked. Snow drew a deep breath. “He’s big. He’s stupid.” She turned to Arthur. “He’ll make a lot of noise but should leave us alone.” Cautiously, Snow shoved the door open with her nose and slipped into the house. The dog stood to the side barking wildly. Snow hissed and spit, raising a paw. The dog leapt back. Arthur took that as his cue to dash through the door and into the house. He darted passed the dog into the darker parts of the house and hid, waiting for Snow to come through. His wait wasn’t very long. She ran past and Arthur took up chase until they passed through a gate and Snow stopped. Arthur jumped over her to keep from crashing into her. He stopped and looked back. She was seated and grooming herself casually. The dog meanwhile barked at them both from the opposite side of the gate, whining and crying in frustration. Arthur chuckled. This girl was wild! “Explain to me again how you’re ok with that dog and not with a little bitty mouse?” Snow paused mid-lick. She turned to Arthur. “Did I say itty-bitty?” “You said mouse.” “This isn’t itty bitty.” She stood and strutted past Arthur, deeper into the house. The further they went, the further from the exit. Arthur was concerned about her comment. Not itty bitty? But mice are tiny . They came into a well-lit room. In front of them were three bowls, one with water, one with kibble, and one that was empty. Arthur trotted forward and started eating the kibble. He hadn’t eaten in a while, so this was welcome. Snow snorted in disgust. Arthur stopped and wiped his mouth. He cleared his throat. “So this is the place?” “Yes,” she said. “Don’t you smell it?” Arthur tested the air. He didn’t smell mouse. He dabbed his nose at the water dish and at the empty dish. Still no mouse. But definitely something else. Something he’d smelled before, but couldn’t quite place.
Arthur thought back to his kitten days. He lived with family on the streets, searching garbage cans and trash bags for morsels to eat. His mother would lead he and his siblings through the alleys to the best places to eat. Most of the time, they could just walk up and start munching. If there were mice or rats already eating, she would puff up and chase them off. But there were times when she would turn the family around. It was always about someone else already being there. He’d thought it was another cat, but there was always this smell. The smell he smelled right now. He didn’t know what that smell was, but he knew it wasn’t good. “The mouse comes here and eats all my food,” Snow grumbled. “It hisses at me.” Arthur shook his head to clear the memories and get back to where he was now. The bowl smelled of that mysterious other that his mother feared so much. The only thing he knew for sure was that this was no mouse. No rat. It was no animal he’d smelled before. “It’s not a mouse,” he muttered. “A rat, then. A rat,” Snow said. Arthur frowned. “Why do you think that? Rats don’t hiss.” “This one does.” Snow started grooming herself again. “Rats and mice don’t hiss.” “It looks like a rat.” “In what way?” “It has a long nose, round ears, and an long scaly tail. It’s a rat.” Snow shrugged.
Arthur sat watching the bowls. A person had put food in the empty bowl while Arthur hid. No person would want him in the house and Arthur didn’t want to get found out. But also, this person was so inattentive that this ‘rat’ had been able to sneak in and eat Snow’s food. Arthur didn’t have to work very hard to keep out of sight and was now stretched out napping with one eye on the bowls, waiting for the mysterious ‘rat’ to appear. The room was dark when Arthur heard the slap of paws on the linoleum. He opened an eye. The click of claws and watery breathing came closer. A dark shadow loomed. Arthur’s eyes widened. The black silhouette of the most massive rat he’d ever seen slipped past him on his way to the food dishes. It stuck its nose in the bowl and started eating, breathing heavily with each bite. Arthur slipped out from his hiding place and realized his fur was standing up. He shook to try to lay it down, a sound which attracted the attention of the giant rat. It stopped eating an turned toward him. The smell. That was the smell. The one that was more than his mother would bear. It was staring at him. “Who are you,” Arthur stammered, standing as tall as he could. The ‘rat’ hissed. “Mine,” it said. “It’s not yours,” said Arthur. The rat turned. “It’s mine!” Arthur stepped back, feeling his back arching up. He squinted, leaning forward. “What are you? You’re not a rat.” It was taken aback. “Rat? I am no rat!” “I see that. But I’ve never seen someone like you before.” “Then you haven’t been paying attention.” The creature turned back to the bowls. “But you’re eating someone else’s food.” “Are you gonna stop me?” the creature said with a full mouth. It turned. “Those dogs can’t stop me. What makes you think you can?” Arthur tapped a claw, then sat. “But who are you? What are you?” “Haven’t you ever seen an opossum?” the creature said, exasperated. “You talk too much. Go away.” He went back to eating.
Arthur skulked through the house. He found Snow asleep on the bed with the person. He hatched a plan. Cautiously, Arther woke Snow. She growled for having been disturbed but became silent as Arthur whispered to her. They jumped off the bed and sat side by side. And they screamed. They made all the screams they could muster, as though they were fighting. Snow could barely restrain herself from laughing, but they kept going. The person yelled angrily and flipped on the light. They dashed out the door into the hallway and continued to scream. The person struggled to get his slippers on and stumbled after them into the hall. Snow and Arthur continued to shout and carry on, just ahead of the person. They stepped into a dark room and collided with the opossum who had been beating a hasty retreat. Snow cried out startled. The opossum hissed back stumbling into the hallway as the person flipped on the light. As soon as the person laid eyes on the opossum he flew into action. He snatched a broom and prodded the opossum in an effort to startle it away. Instead, it collapsed. Arthur and Snow cowered in the dark room watching the scene unfold. The opossum was limp and didn’t respond no matter how much the person poked at it. The person finally scooped up the opossum with a shovel and carried it outside.
Arthur Dent was napping on his desk when there was a gentle tap at his door. He sighed and stretched, reluctant to wake. At the door was Snow, smiling coyly. “Hello, Arthur Dent, P.I.,” she smiled. “Snow ma’am.” “I just wanted to thank you for getting that rat out of the house.” She batted her eyelashes. “My person has fixed to door, so it can’t come in any more. Plus, that was fun.” Arthur nodded. “Just doing my job.” “I thought maybe we could do something, you know, some time.” Arthur snorted. “Call me when you have another case, ma’am.” He ushered her to the door. “I got other things to do.” He shut the door on her and turned back to his desk. Dames. Always want something . But he didn’t have time for that. There were naps to be taken.

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

F is for Falcon - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 19:00:00 GMT

"F" is for Falcon

Falcon was a name given to many inexpensive, often plastic cameras, mostly manufactured by Utility Manufacturing Company.

The company was founded around 1934 and was sold to the Spartus Corporation of Chicago sometime in the 1940s.

The Falcon Miniature - c1938

Two Falcon Minicam Junior s with different body styles - c1938

The Falcon Model 4 - 1939-1942

Falcon Junior - late 1930s

The back of the Falcon Model F showing the movable cover for the red windows - c1938

The Falcon Special , and upgrade from the Falcon Model F - c1939. On top is an extinction meter (a simple light meter) next to the viewfinder. The back of the Falcon Special is similar to that of the Falcon Model F.

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

F is for F - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

"F" is for F: The Nikon F Photomic FTN

The Nikon F was Nippon Kogaku's first Nikon SLR camera. The Photomic FTN was a specific type of prism on the top of the camera.

Production of Nikon F cameras began in 1959. More than 780,000 Nikon F cameras were made. These take photos on standard 35mm film.

This camera had interchangeable lenses that remain compatible with Nikon's newest digital SLR cameras.

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

Arthur Dent - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 21:22:00 GMT

Arthur Dent's Story

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

Annie - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:40:00 GMT

Annie's Story

Everything is so loud here. So many others, too. They’re everywhere . Like everywhere. How’s a girl supposed to take a break when every time you turn around there’s another cat? And another? And another? At least the food is good, even though the service is unresponsive and slow. And the bathroom conditions are terrible. Terrible , I tell you. But then again. I miss the old place. It was just me and her. We were happy. I wonder what happened? It got strange. So bizarre. I miss the old place. This place is active. In a constant state of motion. Everyone is everywhere. And that fat one. Ugh, the fat one. No respect for elders, I tell you.
“Tell us a story, Annie,” said Possum. “We want a story.” Arthur yawned and stretched. “Stories are nice,” he mumbled. Annie was tired and in no mood for storytelling. These kittens were persistent though, and tended not to go away. Toast tucked his legs under his body. “I’d like a story, too.” The comfy pillow beaconed from beneath the shelving unit. Oh, how good it would feel to rest her aching hips on it. She eyed it longingly. “A story about the olden days,” Possum cried. Annie tried to ignore him. Possum was not to be ignored. He jumped up into her face. “Have you been in a car? I was once! It was loud. What do you think of cars? Is outside safe? Do you like going outside?” Annie hissed. Possum froze. “I like your fur,” Possum whispered. “It’s very pretty.” Annie straightened. She wasn’t the only black cat in the house, although that other guy had some white patches so, yeah, he wasn’t really black either. But he was plump and glossy. She missed her glossier days. Those had been good days. Now everything ached. And everyone was a kitten, compared to her.
Dappled Sunshine ushered the younger cats to the couch. Annie had less disdain for Dapples than for the others. Dapples seemed to just know that Annie wanted to be left alone. And Dapples knew the rules. She’d raised kittens of her own and knew how cats were supposed to act. Clearly some of the other cats in the house had been taken from their mothers too early and simply didn’t know how to act. Annie chuckled as Dapples sat on Possum to get him to hold still. “Maybe,” Dapples smiled, “Maybe Annie can tell us a quick story if we all just sit still.” Possum squirmed for a moment, then settled. Toast curled up next to Dapples, snuggling in yet eagerly awaiting an exciting tale. Arthur plopped down on the other side of the couch, curiously eying the pile of cats on the opposite end. Annie stretched and yawned. “If I give you a story, you’ll leave me alone, yeah?” “Story!” said Possum. Dapples rolled her eyes and nodded to Annie. They both knew that there was to be no ‘leaving alone,’ but maybe a story would be a temporary respite.
Annie sat, a light from behind made her presence a brilliant silhouette. “Once,” she began, “all cats were black.” “Ooh,” said Possum. “What happened?” Dappled Sunshine shushed him. Annie continued. “We were creatures of the night. We owned the shadows. We were invisible. The world was our feast! The mice and the snakes were all ours for the taking. “Our great father cat, Midnight, owned the night. He sent his followers all through the world to make sure that the dark places belonged to the cats. “The wolves kept the light places and slept while the cats did their work, ridding the landscape of vermin. But the wolves befriended the people and the people liked the wolves. “Wolves are useless, though, except for guarding cattle and sheep. The vermin destroy the people’s stores and the people suffered anyway. The cattle and sheep suffered over winter when the vermin ate their food. “Midnight sent his minions to the people, and said ‘We can protect your sheep in the dark. We can protect your food in the winter.’ But the people swatted at the minions. Evin shadows, the people called them. Darkeness with teeth and claws. “People believed that we stole the souls of babies, that we were the dirty carriers of disease. They chased us away. Disease was rampant.” “People are awful,” said Arthur. “I don’t disagree,” said Annie. “But our person is good,” interjected Dappled Sunshine. “We like our person.” “Our person’s kindness is the result of Midnight’s plan,” continued Annie. “For he knew that the people would never trust the dark minions, the creepers of the night, the vermin-eaters. He had a plan. “One day he called his minions to him. They gathered and Midnight smiled. Gold, green, and blue eyes shown in the darkness, eagerly awaiting his decree. ‘My loves,’ said Midnight. ‘We must win the day. We must take it from the wolves.’ “The minions were fearful. ‘But how?’ they cried. ‘We are night and they are day.’ “Midnight nodded. ‘We are night and we will soon be day. I bid some of you - half, perhaps - to sit in the sun as night comes or as day begins. Lighten your coat. See the color of the land.’ “The minions gasped. But they understood. They returned to their forests and swamps, the barns and roads. They kept eyes on the sun, though it was painful. Some could not bear the sun’s rays - those cats stayed black and maintained their life in the darkness. Others sat my streams at dawn and saw their coats lighten. Those of the desert turned the color of the sand. Those of the forest turned the colors of light and dark shadows through the trees. Those of the far north and south turned the color of the snow.” Arthur raised his paw. “What about me? Where do gray cats come from?” Annie smiled coyly. “The gray cats are those of the mountains, for their coats are the color of the rocks.” Arthur puffed up. “I’m a mountain cat.” “The people saw the cats of the day,” Annie went on. “The cats matched the world around them, and the people were less afraid. They liked the white cats, and the striped cats, and the orange cats, and the gray cats. The cats let the people touch them, pet them, and groom them. The people made beds for the cats in their houses. This was not a bad arrangement. The cats liked the comfort. And the people liked how soft the cats were. “The people did not know that the cats would wake while the people slept and go about their business of killing vermin. Cats would step past and over sleeping wolves - who continued to be useless, especially at night - and catch the mice in the house that nibbled on the people’s food. “Cats would creep out of the house in the night and clear vermin from the grain stores and barns. The people did not know this. They only ever saw the cats sleeping peacefully. The people began to wonder why they were letting the cats share their space.” “People like us because we’re cute and we play,” announced Possum. “That’s all people want.” “Perhaps today,” said Annie. “But when cats first joined people, the people lived in fear and struggled every day against the world. The world wanted to kill the people. The house wolves protected the people and the people’s herds. Cats. The cats were interesting to the people, but in their minds were no substitute for the wolves. “Midnight was perturbed. Surely the people understood the values of the cats in their homes. His minions came night after night, telling Midnight of their work and of how people treated them. Yet he was disappointed. Wolves were still in the houses. The cats had boxes and corners, but no fluffy beds. They were kept out of bedrooms and forbidden from being near babies. The dogs had no such restrictions. “He gathered the minions again. ‘The people do not know what we do for them! The people are fools to put so much faith in wolves and so little in us. We must show them our work! We must prove our value to them!’ The minions nodded and left, returning back to their boxes and barns to contemplate how best to show people their value. “The people woke to find mice on their porch step. And squirrels at the foot of the bed. The cats smiled, pointing to their prizes. ‘See what we did for you?’ the minions meowled. ‘We saved you from this!’ “The people were revolted. The shrunk back in horror and the tiny lifeless bodies gifted them by the cats. The mice and squirrels and birds were tossed aside in disgust. The minions shrugged and waited. “Day after day, week after week, year after year, Midnight’s minions hunted in the dark and brought offerings in the mornings. People were slow to understand, but one day they did. The grain stores were less ravaged. The sheep were healthier. Food stored in the kitchen was less often chewed on. It was the cats doing this, for the dogs were too stupid, loud, and slow to be able to fend off such tiny trouble-makers. “When they finally understood, the people suddenly made their homes compatible for the cats. Tall things to climb on. Places to scratch. Soft beds. They knew our worth and we were all happier.” “I’ve never caught a mouse,” said Possum. “I have,” said Toast. “They taste like chicken.” Possum was silent for a moment, then shook off the comment. “We don’t bring mice to our people do we? I’ve never seen a sheep.” “They have chickens,” said Stanley, who had been listening sleepily from the back of the couch. He had sneaked in while Annie was speaking. “Which also taste like chicken,” said Toast with a giggle. “Have you brought our people mice, Mr. Stanley sir?” said Possum. Stan sighed. “I used to, but not here. This is a different place. And that’s a story for another day.” Annie cleared her throat. “Midnight taught his minions to show their value to people. Then the people let us in. Now the people keep us inside and safe and call us part of their families. Things are much different now. “Today, people don’t keep sheep or cows. I guess our person has chickens - I didn’t know - but people don’t keep cats to work so much any more. They keep us for friends.” She pointed at Possum. “You’re not here to catch mice. You’re here to help the others. To be a friend. And, yes, to be cute. But your heritage is in the fields and in the dark. You are a hunter and are best off to remember that.” “Some of you have never experienced living without a person,” said Dappled Sunshine, “to live without shelter or food or clean water.” Arthur nodded. “I did that once. It was hard and I got hurt. People helped me, but I still don’t like them.” Stan nodded his agreement. “Some people still need our help to keep the vermin away. That’s what I did before coming here. You are lucky, kitten,” Stan pointed a claw at Possum, “that you haven’t experienced starvation.” Possum patted his over-round belly. “I met my first person on a road in the rain. I miss my mother, but I’m glad the person brought me here.” Annie cleared her throat again. “Today, Midnight’s minions - that is all of us - are still hunters of the night, though our coats are changed to please the asthetic of people. People have taken us all over the world, which is why that in this house we have striped cats, spotted cats, orange cats, gray cats, white cats, and black cats.” Annie sat taller and puffed up. “Those of us who are black are closer to the First Cat, Midnight, but we are all his descendants. Today, people gather food at stores and no longer remember the fear of vermin eating their crops. But they do still remember how soft our coats are and how pleasing we are to look upon. And we remain in their homes, just as we do in this one.” Annie stood and stretched. “Now. I am tired. My bones are achy and my voice hurts. Please leave me be that I might sleep.”
“Thank you Annie,” said Dappled Sunshine as she shooed the cats off the couch. “Thank you for reminding us of our heritage.” Annie waved her off and ambled over to her favorite pillow. She was proud of her history, but she was glad she didn’t need to catch mice any more.

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

Peyton - #NaNoWriMo 2021 - Cat Tales

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 20:06:00 GMT

Peyton's Story

The wind ruffled Peyton’s fur. He wrinkled his nose at the air, sniff-snorting the tell-tale scent of dinner wafting up the hill. The breeze vibrated his whiskers and he sneezed, rubbing his cheek on his forearm. He stood and arched his back. A little twist right to left eased the knots in his shoulder and hips. He stretched his feet behind him and his tail gave a little shake. Time to get off the hill and report his findings. There was no rush. The others would have already ravaged the food offering, but some food would remain. Just enough for him. Maybe he could get a special morsel, if he pushed someone else out of the way. But it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t need the fancy food. He just needed food. There was plenty of that. By the time he moseyed into the kitchens, most everyone else was beginning their satisfied slumber. Some were slumped off to the side of the space. Others had scurried off into their hidey-holes. He could eat with leisure. Just the way he liked it.
“Sir,” came a peep from behind. “Sir?” Peyton turned slowly, water dripping from his chin. He loathed being interrupted at the water station. The kitten crouched, expecting to be swatted. “What?” grumbled Peyton, spraying the kitten with water and spittle. “There’s a problem, sir,” the kitten whispered. “A disturbance.” “So deal with it.” Peyton turned back to his water dish. “The others are afraid,” the kitten said. “None will go near.” Peyton slumped his shoulders. Of course they’re afraid. Always afraid. “Where?” he mumbled between slurps. “The Wildlands,” said the kitten. “And why do we care about a disturbance in the Wildlands?” “Because it’s meowing.” Peyton sat down. “A meow. In the Wildlands?” “A tiny meow,” the kitten said. “And the wolves are howling.” Always the wolves. “Are all accounted for?” “Yes,” said the kitten. “Yes Sir,” grumbled Peyton. “Sir. Yes sir,” the kitten stammered.
Peyton approached the guard shelter. Stan peered at him and scoffed. Stan didn’t think much of Peyton. It annoyed Peyton. He was way beyond needing to prove himself to this younger cats, no matter how experienced they were. Stanley was good, and deserved his rank, but could do with a little less sneering. “Greetings, Sir,” Stan dripped, eying Peyton’s furless upper lip. “What brings you here today?” “The kit says there’s trouble.” Peyton looked past Stan through the gate and toward the Wildlands. “What trouble is there?” “The wolves are loud this evening,” said Stan. As if on cue, barks and yowls cascaded over the hills and into the gates. The wolves were excited all right. “Just the howls, or is there more?” Stan shrugged. “Some say there’s hissing and mewling from afar.” “What do you say?” “I say there’s nothing we can do, so it doesn’t matter.” “The kitten is upset,” said Payton. “The kitten will get over it,” retorted Stan. “I’m not going to go out there tonight.” The wolves quieted. A tiny mew fell into Peyton’s ear. “I hear it,” he whispered. “Go on then, old man. Save the cat.” Stan snorted and turned away. Peyton stood, nose in the air, searching for a scent. He knew some things that none of the others knew. He was not afraid.
The breeze across his whiskers always bothered him, especially since his fur had started falling out. The others mocked him for his furless lip and stunted whiskers, but he regarded them as advantageous. His skin was so sensitive that he could detect the tiniest wind current. This was good, because he could use this to tell where any scents were coming from. He was smelling wolves. And something else. The wolves were quiet at the moment, and the air was almost still. It would be difficult to track the source of the commotion, but for the tiniest whiffs of scent and… Was that a chest rumble? The smell of wolf was thick in the air but there was another smell. This one was clearly feline. Payton paused to sniff the air. He turned and shifted trying to get any sense of direction for the other scent. What he didn’t want to do was startle the wolves. They could get aggressive if they were surprised. And surprised wolves can bite. But there were ways to keep the wolves from snapping. One was to sneak by before they even noticed. That was risky. A better way was to wait until they were calmed down and just stroll through. It turns out, as Peyton had learned in his younger years, that wolves are afraid of cats. At least they could be if you taught them to be afraid. And that was something Peyton had taught them years ago. One quick swipe with open claws across the snout will keep the wolves away for the rest of their lives. Just be big. Poof up the fur. Stand tall. The wolves will move aside. As long as you didn’t startle them first.
Peyton was squatting behind a bush, watching the wolves and listening for the mewling of the unseen ‘other.’ Peyton had been in this position for an hour. His legs were starting to cramp. But he kept listening. The wolves were sleeping. Two of them, curled in little circles, occasionally smacked their lips, but were otherwise quiet. Though he was old, Peyton knew that the silence he heard was not from age and deafness. He was missing fur, but his hearing was as sharp as ever. No, the reason why he heard nothing was because there was nothing to hear. But he knew he’d heard the faint terrified mewling of someone before he left the encampment. He just had to wait. He hadn’t gotten as old as he was for being impatient. His ear twitched. There was a shuffling. It stopped. Peyton tilted his head, straining to hear. It started again. The padding of paws. He straightened and leaned toward the sound. One of the wolves sleep-barked. Something lunged out of the darkness and collided with Peyton, bowling him over backwards. They tumbled briefly, then froze. The wolves jumped up, snuffling energetically for a moment, then grew bored. And sleepy. When the wolves laid down again, Peyton turned his attention to the furry lump beside him. He sniffed and nodded. It was another cat, just as he’d expected. Another sniff. But older than he’d thought. The other cat was rumbling in fear. Peyton purred back. “They don’t care,” he whispered. “They’ve already forgotten about you.” Golden eyes turned to him. “You sure?” came the hissed reply. Peyton nodded. It was a female cat. Maybe as old as he was. A little ruffled. A little bony. “We can sneak away,” Peyton said, bending his body to slip his feet back under himself. “Don’t like wolves,” she snapped. “No one does,” Peyton replied. “Some do,” she growled. “I don’t.” “I don’t like them,” Peyton sighed. “But I’m not afraid of them. They’re stupid. That’s why cats are better.” She looked around. Her eyes were wide and her whiskers tucked back against her cheeks. She shook her head. “Don’t like wolves.” “Come with me,” Peyton purred. “I know a safe place.” They skulked away, the new cat muttering the whole time. “I hate wolves. Hate wolves.”
They had been keeping to the shadows, though this lady was a shadow herself. Her coat was short and very black. Her thinness made fur project at strange angles, but Peyton could see that with some good meals, she’d plump up and her fur would lay flat and glossy across her body. She said little, merely muttering along behind Peyton. He’d pause from time to time, peeking back at her when she would hesitate. “How do you come to this place?” Peyton said. “Wolves,” she muttered. “Come again?” Peyton tilted his head. She stopped and glowered at him. “I don’t like pushy cats, either.” Peyton shrugged and turned back toward the path. “Just curious.” They continued over a small rise and then sneaked along the edge of a meadow, keeping just inside the trees. If the wolves woke, they could hide easily. The new cat froze often. Every new sound was cause for panic. Peyton wondered what her story was. Surely she came from somewhere. But how could a cat be so terrified of everything? They finally rounded a corner and the compound gate came into view. Stanley was basking in the sun just outside the gate. Of course he is, thought Peyton. These younger cats were always tempting fate. The wolves were dumb, but not stupid. “Get up, you oaf,” Peyton yowled. Stan kicked his feet and sat up. Casually, he licked his paw. “Not an oaf,” Stan mumbled. “I know exactly what’s happening around here.” “Really?” Peyton raised an eyebrow. Stan nodded. “Yeah, like who’s that?” He poked his nose in the direction of the black cat. She was standing with her tail straight behind her, growling softly. Peyton fluffed up. “She won’t tell me.” He chuckled. “But she hates wolves and pushy cats.” “Luckily, I’m not pushy,” said Stan, who proceeded to prance right toward her. “My lady. Would you like to come inside?” “Back off,” she hissed. Stan kept pressing forward. “I said BACK OFF,” she roared and swiped at Stan’s face with sharp, silvery claws. Stan leaped back. Peyton sat down and laughed. “You’re not that special,” he muttered. “Please, my lady,” Peyton addressed the black cat. Let us come inside. “I don’t like this,” she grumbled. Stan shrugged. “Or you can hang out with the wolves.” She abruptly darted past Stanley with a hiss. She hesitated as she approached Peyton, giving him a wide berth as she trotted through the gate.
“I knew it was another cat!” The kitten ran forward to meet the black coated guest. She turned on him, arched her back, and hissed. The kitten froze. “Stay AWAY,” she cried. “I just wanna meet you,” said the kitten. “We can be friends.” “I don’t like friends,” she said, backing away. Peyton sidled up to her. “But I’ll bet you do like dinner.” She lurched away from him in disgust. Then her expression softened. “I am hungry.” Peyton nodded. “We share here. There’s always enough. The Kitten is kind of a glutton, but he can’t eat all of it.” “I’m not a kitten,” the kitten said. “I’m an adult!” Stan snorted. Peyton grinned. “Not with that squeaky voice,” they said in unison. Possum sat and pouted. “My voice isn’t squeaky.” The new cat huffed. “In fairness,” said Peyton, “It was the Kitten - er - Possum who heard you, lady.” She blinked. “What’s your name?” Possum peeped. She eyed him with a bit of a lip curl, then scanned the faces of all the cats that had gathered. 25 cats in all, staring at her eagerly. Some whispering to each other. Others casually grooming themselves. She rolled her eyes. “My name is Annie.” “That’s pretty,” said Possum. “Welcome, Annie,” said Peyton. Murmurs of greeting wafted through the crowd, and the others slowly dispersed. Annie turned to Peyton, frowning. She said nothing. Peyton nodded. “You don’t like pushy cats.” “I don’t like pushy cats,” echoed Annie. She sighed. “But I would like to sleep.” Peyton smiled. “I know just the place. Welcome to the family, Annie.”

This month Mew-Mew House is participating in the National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. We are preparing a series of silly, unedited stories including each of our cats.

This first installment is written in loving memory of Peyton, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge the day before NaNoWriMo began. We miss you big guy.

E is for Exakta - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 14:15:00 GMT

"E" is for Exakta, from Ihagee

The Exacta cameras, and smaller Exa models, are single-lens reflex cameras made in Germany.

We have two Exaktas and an Exa in our collection. The Exaktas came primarily with a viewfinder hood. You'd have to hold the camera at waist level and look down to aim and focus the camera. You were, however, looking directly through the lens. Our oldest Exakta is the Exakta Model B Type 5.1 , which was manufactured from 1937-1939.

This was not a camera for 35mm film. Instead it took larger photos on 127 roll film.

We also have the much newer Exakta VX 500 , made around 1969, which was for 35mm roll film.

For fun, I'll also include the Exa Type 1.2 that we have in our collection. This little camera, made specifically for 35mm film, was only manufactured for a few months in early 1952.

New Paragraph

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

Feeding the Fur Fam

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 19:12:00 GMT

As part of Mew-Mew House's Virtual Open House, Penny gives a tour of what it takes to feed all the feline residents!

Feeding so many mouths is a big project and must be done twice a day!

To summarize:

30 bowls for wet food (7 upstairs and 23 downstairs; 15 main meal and 15 "wet bribe")
13 bowls downstairs for the "dry bribe"
6 gravity feeders for dry food (2 upstairs and 4 downstairs)
5 water fountains (2 upstairs and 3 downstairs)

It adds up! How much do I spend each month on food? Look here:

Helping people with cats at their time of greatest need is one of the move fulfilling things I've ever done. I don't want money to be the reason why I fail these cats or their people. Please donate to Mew-Mew House by clicking below!

(PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House are sister organizations both owned by me and operated out of my home.

Money earned by PaleoPix goes directly towards managing my household and for cat care.)

Not comfortable with a monetary donation? Want to support Mew-Mew House in some other way? Check out how else you can help!

Hint: I can always use more cat litter!

Don't forget, this week (October 18-22, 2021) is Mew-Mew House's virtual open house! Learn more about the cats here and what their lives are like though blog posts, photos, reels, and live video on Facebook!

Mew-Mew House Needs You!

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 21:52:00 GMT

Mew-Mew House has an unprecedented emergency, and we need help!

When I began taking in senior and hospice cats in 2020, I thought that there would be a cat in need here and there. Over the last year, I've learned a great deal about the plight of old, sick, or otherwise "broken" cats, and it's heartbreaking.

Most often, cats come to Mew-Mew House when families contact me after the loss of a loved one. Families often cannot take on the beloved pets of their lost member, but cannot fathom taking these cherished family members to a shelter ... or worse. I am grateful that I can be a permanent home for these cats, and in doing so providing peace for families that are already struggling.
Most of the time, I don't get a chance to know the family member that is lost. Families find me later. Last week, for the first time, I had the opportunity to speak to a pet parent with a terminal condition, who wanted more than anything to see to it that their five cats were provided for.
Of course I'm going to take these cats! A person with terminal illness has enough to worry about. Yes, the cats will be fine. No, don't worry that they're old, or skittish, or sick. I got this. You take care of you.

Last week I also learned that Snickerdoodle needed surgery to remove a massive tumor from his thyroid. He's been hyperthyroid for as long as he's lived with me. My hope is that the surgery will mean no more twice-daily pills for him, which equates with a greater quality of life.

I can't do this alone! I'm about to take on five cats, in various states of health. They all need updates on vaccines and vet checks. I'm looking at at least $500 in vet expenses, plus $350 for Snickerdoodle's surgery.
Helping people with cats at their time of greatest need is one of the move fulfilling things I've ever done. I don't want money to be the reason why I fail these cats or their people. Please donate to Mew-Mew House by clicking below!

(PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House are sister organizations both owned by me and operated out of my home.

Money earned by PaleoPix goes directly towards managing my household and for cat care.)

Not comfortable with a monetary donation? Want to support Mew-Mew House in some other way? Check out how else you can help!

Hint: I can always use more cat litter!

Virtual Open House

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 15:48:00 GMT

Mew-Mew House and PaleoPix invite you to a virtual OPEN HOUSE!

October 18-22, 2021 Mew-Mew House - and by default PaleoPix - will open their virtual doors so you can see the goings-on in a house full of cats!

Join us as we introduce ALL the cats plus get an insider view of day-to-day life in a house full of cats!
You'll see:

Insulin Injections
Morning Meds
Poopin' Scoopin'
Zoomies
Cat Spats
and Feline Fun Time

The open house will take place on Mew-Mew House's Facebook Page. It's free and open to the public!

Want to support Mew-Mew House? Check out the ways you can help!

Hold on! We're gonna need a bigger paleontologist.

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 15:57:00 GMT

This post is not about paleontology. It's about dealing with all the overwhelming stuff that happens in life. Which I guess could be trying to figure out how to become a paleontologist.

Get ready, because I'm gonna swear.

Every one of us at some point is faced with an overwhelming problem. Something so big that it seems hopeless to attempt. Sometimes these challenges have aspects that are beyond our control (like the action or inaction of others), which leaves us feeling helpless.
In all cases, these problems are often so huge that they can't be dealt with in a few hours of work and they wind up resting in the back of our minds, eating away at our subconscious, invading our dreams, and affecting our ability to deal with the day-to-day matters of our lives.

Content Warning: I'm going to swear. I'm going to swear a lot!

The only swear word I'll be using here is "sh!t". It's a useful word. Some people are absolutely anti-swearing. Some won't swear in front of children. As an adult raising an autistic child, I believe strongly that there is a time and place for swearing, and that of the swear words, "sh!t" is not the worst of them. I'm proud that my son swears appropriately and not just for effect.
What I'm about to talk about is all the stupid "sh!t" that we have to deal with in life. And after this sentence, I'm no longer replacing the i with an exclamation point.
You've been warned.
Real life includes a lot of really shitty things. As human beings, especially as independent adults, life includes wading through a lot of shit. Some of that shit is our own doing, some of it is done to us, but no matter what, we have to deal with that shit before we can go on to doing the more meaningful things that bring us joy.
The last two years or so have dealt everyone a heaping pile of shit. Pandemic, unemployment, vaccines, politics, wars. OMG. I stopped watching the news because it was too much shit for my day.
I personally was dealt some extra shit in the form of divorce and loss of employment not related to COVID, and then trying to figure out how to support myself in the midst of a freaking pandemic.
It just keeps coming. Shit on top of shit with shit flavored shit sprinkles.
And then when you think you've got a handle on it, a shit storm hits.
(As an aside, I like to use the phrase "fecal turbulence" instead of "shit storm" when in polite company.)
I was in a Zoom session with friends last week complaining about the most recent thing that's holding me back. A thing that I feel that I don't have control over. One of my friends offered this sage advice. Now I'm sharing it with you.
She asked me if I had a list. Of course. I always have a to-do list.
No, she pressed. Do you have a ' Big Shit ' list?
Silence filled the Zoom session, partly because this person is not one to drop swear words lightly.
What she then described is so simple to be profound. And the revelations of that session were amazing.
We all have things going on for which we feel we have no control, but that will drive us to madness. Those items go on the ' Big Shit ' list.
Your daily to-do list, or all those concrete tasks that you know exactly how to approach? Those go on your ' little shit ' list.
When was the last time you wrote your Big Shit list? I wrote mine yesterday and there were four things on it. Only four. "Only." HAH! That shit is driving me batty and keeping me from resting at night. The Big Shit list is the BIG SHIT that's disrupting your life, such as "How in the Wide, Wide World of Sports am I going to make enough money to pay the mortgage when I don't even have a job right now?" size shit.
So the Big Shit list is the first step. You dump that shit right there so you can see it and call it what it is.
What you really want is for that Big Shit to become little shit . Calling it out is the first step.
The second step is talking about it.
Find someone to talk to. Or several people. People who aren't gonna be judgmental, but who will provide helpful feedback. I just happened to whine about a Big Shit problem I was having that was affecting my business in a Zoom meeting with my business coach and coaching cohort. One of them had been there, done that . The other (as noted above) had asked me about my list.
The point is, you don't know where the advice is gonna come from, but you have to talk about it, if only to know that you're not the only person ever to have to deal with this particular Big Shit item.
The benefit of talking about it is that there is a good chance you'll learn how to deal with the Big Shit item, whether by learning that it's really not Big Shit , or by being offered thoughts on how to move the item from the Big Shit list to the little shit list.
Today, I have two actionable items on my little shit list that can get that one Big Shit item off the Big Shit list. Plus those actionable items have obvious next steps.
Now it's up to me to take care of those items on the little shit list, but I can do it because I know exactly how to do them.
So, to summarize:
Life got you down? Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the shit on your plate?
Have you written your list? Your BIG SHIT list?
Do it!
Once you have your Big Shit list, pick an item and talk to trusted friends about it. Break that Big Shit into a bunch of little shits that you can deal with.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

D is for Dynamatic - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 14:24:00 GMT

"D" is for Dynamatic, from Voigtlander

The Dynamatic cameras were manufactured in the early 1960's for the standard 35mm roll film.

The different models of the Dynamatic were distinguished by lens and shutter arrangements as well as the chrome front.

The Dynamatic Deluxe has a chrome front plate and the Prontormat S-V shutter. 1961-1962

You might have seen this camera in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We actually have two Matchmatics. One has a fancy light meter attached. Last year, I put a roll of black and white film through one of the Matchmatics and got some fun photos.

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

C is for C3 - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 18:51:00 GMT

"C" is for C3: The Argus C3 - AKA the "Brick"

The C3 Brick

The Brick was the name applied to this rather brick-shaped camera that was very popular in the 30's to 50's The Argus C2 and C3 cameras are a bit hard to tell apart. They are both brick-shaped with the coupled range-finder for focusing. The difference is that the C3 has an internal synch for the flash (evidenced by two plugs on the side to attach the flash apparatus to the camera).
The C2 began production in 1938, and the C3 in 1939. The C3 was a very popular camera (and still a common antique), and continued to be manufactured until 1966.

While you might not have seen a C3, there's a good chance that you've seen a C3 Matchmatic.

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

B is for Brownie - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 19:06:00 GMT

"B" is for Brownie: The infamous Kodak Brownie.

Eastman Kodak Corporation

The Brownie camera was introduced by the Eastman Kodak Company in 1900. It was the first camera that made photography available to the average citizen.
Brownie cameras are probably the best known of antique cameras. It seems inevitable that if I mention that I collect cameras, someone asks me if I have a Brownie. The answer is yes. Most often, when people ask me if I have a Brownie, they're thinking of the box camera.

But did you know that every single camera pictured below is a Kodak Brownie?

This Brownie belonged to my grandmother.

This is the label on the side of the special "Anniversary Brownie" that Kodak gave away for its 50th anniversary.

Here are two Brownies, both which seem to have been cast from the same mold. One, however, was manufactured in Canada.

How about this beauty that was made in England?

This one is a lovely one as well:

But, by far, my favorite Brownie is this one:

This is just a small selection of the Brownie cameras we have in our collection . But now you can see why I always smile when someone asks me if I have a Brownie.
There's a lot of Brownie cameras. Which one was yours?

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

A is for A - The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 19:27:00 GMT

"A" is for A: The Univex Model A camera.

Universal Camera Corporation

The Universal Camera Corporation lasted from 1933 to 1952. The Model A was one of its first cameras, designed to take photos on special No. 00 roll film.

Model A

This camera was sold in 1933 for $0.39. It had a very simple lens and the shutter is actuated by a small lever on the side of the camera to the right of the lens.

There were quite a number of different versions of this simple-yet-elegant camera.

The cameras of the Universal Camera Corporation are among my very favorite. Expect to see quite a few of them over the coming weeks!

Some other "A" cameras:

The Minolta A

A lovely rangefinder camera manufactured from 1955 to 1957. The lens is nice and clear. One day I should put a roll of film through this.

The Argus A3

Another rangefinder camera manufactured from 1940 - 1942. What's cool here is that the shutter release is on the side of the lens.

The Acro-Flash by Herold

The Herold Acro-Flash was one of many, many cheap plastic cameras for 127 film. Such cameras were common in the 1950's. One had to read the frame numbers on the film itself to advance the film properly. The numbers could be read through the red windows. This particular camera still had a roll of 127 film in it when we bought it!

Reference: McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th edition, ISBN 0-931838-40-1

The ABC's of Antique Film Cameras

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 19:44:00 GMT

Photography has been around for close to 200 years. Film photography was revolutionized in 1885 when Kodak created the first roll film which led to the creation of cameras that made photography accessible to common people. In this blog series I will be illustrate the history of film photography discussing antique film cameras from A to Z!

Origins of Photography

The first ever photograph was taken by a French inventor named Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1827. Before this, paintings and drawings were the only way to capture memories or moment of time. It took over ten years for photography to be improved upon enough so that it could replace drawing as an art form. In 1839 Louis Daguerre invented a printing process for photos which is now known as a “daguerreotype” and made photographs more popular than they had been before. The proliferation of film photography happened in 1888 when George Eastman created the Kodak #1 camera that was affordable for people who wanted to document life but couldn’t afford expensive cameras with glass plates like those used earlier on in history.

Photographic Film

Until the early 2000's, film photography was the main technique of taking photographs. Film cameras are very different from digital cameras in how they work to capture still photographs. Film cameras use film, which contains light-sensitive chemicals called "photographic emulsions." The surface of the film can be exposed and then processed to create a negative image on it. This negative image can be photographed onto another piece of film or paper to create a positive image, which is what we see as an actual photograph. Film photography was popular until around 2006 when digital cameras became more widely available and affordable for the general public. Today's antique camera enthusiasts have an interest in preserving these beautiful old pieces of history before they become lost forever! This blog series will cover different film cameras - one camera for each letter of the alphabet - over the course of the next 26 weeks. Some will be cameras you've heard of (like the Kodak Brownie) and others will be cameras you've never seen before!

Antique Film Cameras from A to Z:

As the days go by, links will be added to each of the letters below. "A" is for A: The Univex Model A. "B" is for Brownie: The Kodak Brownie. "C" is for C3: The Argus C3 - AKA 'The Brick.' "D" is for Dynamatic: The Voigtlander Dynamatic. "E" is for Exacta: The Exacta and Exa cameras from Ihagee. "F" is for Falcon. It's also for the Nikon F. "G" is for Graphic: The Graflex Graphic and Speed Graphics. "H" is for Hit, and for the Erneman Haeg. "I" is for Instamatic: The Kodak Instamatics. "J" is for Jiffy: The Jiffy Kodaks "K" is for Karat, and Kandor "L" is for Land Camera "M" is for Mercury "N" is for Nikomat "O" is for Optima "P" is for Perfex "Q" is for Quickmatic "R" is for Retina "S" is for Steky "T" is for Taron "U" is for Uniflash "V" is for Vitessa "W" is for Winpro "X" is for X-GA "Y" is for Yunon "Z" is for Zorki

Farmington Farmer's Market

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 19:56:00 GMT

PaleoPix has been part of the Farmington Farmer's Market this summer.

We're there with other local businesses selling various home-grown products.
PaleoPix is selling prints of out photos, as well as scheduling clients for photo shoots or digital art. But since were there, we simply must take photos of the other products available.
Here's a sample of what you can buy if you visit!

Stop in to visit!
The Farmington Farmer's Market takes place Fridays into October.
Open 3 to 6 pm (Eastern)
1560 Rochester Rd Farmington, NY 14425
Hope to see you there!

Photojournal - July 12, 2021 - Williamson Apple Blossom Festival

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:57:00 GMT

Always carry a camera

The Apple Blossom Festival is a Williamson, NY tradition held every year on the third weekend in May.
Well, every year except last year and this year.
Last year, I was completely canceled due to COVID. This year, it was postponed until July. But it happened, at least. Here are some photos:

PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House on the radio!

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 23:32:00 GMT

Thinking about starting a business? Listen in to learn what steps Penny took to get started with PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House.

Are you thinking about starting a business, but not sure what it should be or where to begin? If so, Tune in to “Re-Thinking Business: Success Sauce & Two Pickles,” Greater Rochester SCORE’s weekly radio show, Tuesday July 6 at 5:00pm Eastern. PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House owner and operator Penny Higgins will share with you all of the things that she’s learned from starting these two businesses. If you’re looking for inspiration or just want to know more about how we do things at PaleoPix and Mew-Mew House then tune in!

The Essential Geologist's Day Pack: What To Bring to Your Field Site

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 20:08:00 GMT

A typical Paleontologist's Day Pack is not a light load.

Paleontologists are responsible for collecting and documenting every rock or fossil they find, as well as studying the terrain in order to make sense of it all. Paleontologists also have to be prepared for any emergency or bad weather that might come their way! So what does this mean? It means that you need to pack carefully - but don't worry, we've got your back. In this blog post, we'll talk about the essential gear for field work and give tips on how to pack efficiently without forgetting anything important.

Is it Paleontology or Geology?

Though paleontology as a science deals with animals - long dead and typically extinct animals, but animals nonetheless - it is regarded as a subdiscipline of geology. Geologists study the rocks and fossils found of the Earth. Thus, geology is a broader discipline that studies everything from mountains to human-induced phenomena such as mining activities or waste disposal sites. Paleontology restricts its focus to the fossils and remains of animals. Geology is a more general discipline, while paleontology focuses on just one aspect: fossilized or otherwise preserved evidence from ancient life that has since disappeared. Because of the intimate relationship between the two sciences, the necessary equipment for field work is essentially the same.

Hiking Gear

First and foremost, field work involves hiking. It's not geology without hiking. You should have at least one lightweight backpack that can fit everything you'll need for the day (or days).

Backpack

Where else will you put your lunch and all those rock samples you’re going to collect? I am a big advocate of the style of pack that includes a water bladder with hose and bite valve. One of the greatest risks we face is dehydration, and the water bladder will help you to drink as much water as possible without having to stop for a minute.

Field Vest

Another convenient way to carry gear is in a multi-pocketed vest of sorts. There are special geologist vests out there but a basic fishing vest will often suffice.

Water

It doesn’t matter how you do it, but you must bring plenty of water. For the work I do, I ensure I have the capacity to carry at least a gallon. I never start the day with less than a liter (~ a quart). Fancy water bladders like I mention above are great, but I also still carry a couple of liter water bottles just in case.

Food

This is another critical thing that needs to go into any field gear. In case of an emergency, you may be stranded for a day or more and need to rely on your own supplies. Or, if you're like me, hypoglycemia can sneak up on you and before you know it, your blood sugar is bottoming out. I always carry a couple of energy bars or other snacks.

Safety Gear

There are risks associated with field work. Water and food are necessary for survival, but there are other threats. Being well-prepared will thwart most hazards.

First Aid Kit

It doesn’t need to be anything huge, but cuts and insect bites happen quite a lot. Bring something for headaches. Anything you need for allergies.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must-have for your day pack. Geologists and Paleontologists typically spend their days in the sun, so the risk of heat exhaustion, sunburn, or worse is very high.

Insect Spray

Mosquitos like paleontologists. So do ticks. And so does the Lyme disease they may carry with them. Lyme disease, or serious reactions to other insect bites can leave a paleontologist unable to work. Bring insect spray.

Rain Gear

There are few things as miserable as getting soaked and cold, trudging back to camp in the mud. What's worse though is if you equipment gets wet. Geologists and paleontologists are carrying a lot of electronics these days, so when it rains, gear must be protected. Even a simple poncho that can slip over your backpack is better than nothing.

Documentation Gear

When doing science in the field you have to examine and document everything you find. Here are the basics necessary.

Notebook

If you don’t write it down, it didn’t happen. Notes are important, so that people can follow in your footsteps if they want to continue your research when you’re not there. The best notebooks are made with special paper that does not fall apart when wet.

Pens and Pencils

There are some arguments about which is better, pens or pencils. I carry both as well as permanent markers. Pens are good for field notes, but don't work well under wet conditions and could dry out at an inconvenient moment. Pencils are more reliable but can be erased and modified later.

Hand Lens(es)

Especially now, since my eyes have started getting bad, I need the hand lenses to help me see the little things that could matter a lot. You can find a 10X lens for less than $20. Higher magnification lenses get substantially more expensive, but allow you to discern even smaller details that could be critical observations to record in your notebook.

Dilute Hydrochloric Acid

This one often surprizes people. Why would you carry hydrochloric acid in the field? It turns out that this is a powerful tool for determine what minerals a rock or fossil contains. Rocks and fossils with calcium carbonate (AKA calcite) 'fizz' when acid is placed on them.
This is especially important if you're a geochemist like me and need to know if there is carbonate in a rock. It is carbonate that I typically analyze and if there's none in a rock, I won't waste my time preparing a sample.

Camera (and Scale Bar)

It's important to photographically document everything as you're working. Back in the days of film photography, this was more difficult because you had to ration your shots so as to not run out of film. Today, digital photography means that you never have to worry about running out of pictures or film. Unfortunately, digital cameras also require batteries, so there's always a risk of them dying an a bad time.
An important thing that paleontologists have to include in any photos they take is something to indicate scale. This is often a lens cap or a coin, but an actual scale bar is preferred. For photos of big things, like whole outcrops, a person is usually included in the shot.

Maps (and Clipboard)

I feel like the notion of carrying a physical map is falling by the wayside, but there are some really great reasons to carry a paper map. For one, a paper map doesn't require batteries. And it doesn't run the risk of running out of storage space.

Compass

Carrying a compass is also perhaps "old school," but like a paper map, a compass works day or night and doesn't require electricity. It's also a handy way to orient yourself if you're unsure of which way you're going. Finding North in flat terrain in the middle of the day can be difficult.

GPS

When I started doing paleontology, GPS was novel technology. And it was decidedly unreliable and inaccurate. At the time, paper maps and magnetic compasses were the only way to navigate. If I was out in the field, I could be sure that my compass and map were accurate.
Nowadays geologists rely on GPS for both navigation and mapping, which is great and convenient - unless the battery dies or the files are corrupted.
So a word of caution: Use the GPS, but write everything down too!

Collection Gear

Collecting rocks and fossils requires tools. Geologists also generally carry a hammer of some sort for breaking rock or fossils out of the ground. Collecting also requires a means to package and carry the samples, without losing track of which is which. Geologists have been known to use everything from plastic bags and paper envelopes, to more expensive but higher quality containers like Tupperware.

Basic Preparation Tools

In paleontology-speak, "preparation" means removing the rock or sediment from around a fossil. There are a variety of tools and techniques that can be used for this. Most people think of trowels, which are good, but we also use other implements like dental picks, small screwdrivers and other point tools.

Hammer(s)

I have many hammers that I may or may not carry in the field. The most basic hammer is a rock hammer, with a flat surface on one end and a point on the other. My favorite hammer to carry is a masonry hammer, that has a flat, chisel shaped end instead of a point. This is helpful for trenching, an important activity in the extraction of fossils. Other hammers I keep handy include sledge hammers and pick-axes, for breaking extremely hard rock or for digging deep holes. Occasionally, a pry bar is used. These aren't things I typically carry if I'm going on a long hike, but I have been known to schlep a small pick-axe (called a hoe-pick) for miles and miles.

Toilet Paper

Yes. Don’t forget this. It’s good for toilet-y things, but is also an important component of your field sampling kit. Sometimes called PT for ‘paleo tissue.’ This stuff is vital for wrapping fragile specimens, before putting them into sample bags. Because toilet paper turns to mud when it gets wet, it is highly highly recommended that it is stored in a sealed plastic bag in your backpack. I can assure you that at some point your water bottle is going to leak.

Sample containers - bags, bottles, and boxes

The basic sample container for geologists and paleontologists are plastic resealable bags, like quart-sized food storage bags. I keep many different styles and sizes in my backpack and use them to collect both fossils and rock or sediment samples. For small fossils, bottles are also great. Isolated teeth can be stashed in an old prescription bottle with some toilet paper so that we know that they won't get crushed in our backpack.

Permanent Marker

It's all for naught if you don't label your samples. When you collect samples, you carefully record the GPS coordinates, and make all appropriate notes in your notebook. Then you assign a sample number to your sample and somehow associate that number with the fossil or rock that you've collected. With a permanent marker, you can write directly on the rock, or on the sample bag, or on a paper label that goes into the bag.

Don't Leave Home Without

These are two things that you basically don't want to walk away from your vehicle without.

Cell Phone

Not so long ago, the cell phone was a convenience that we could tuck into our backpacks just in case. Today, they're an indispensable tool to the geologist and paleontologist. Geologists and paleontologists use them to take pictures, texts, emails, navigate the terrain with GPS or even just call someone back in case of an emergency.

Duct Tape

Because you never know when you’re going to tear your pants. It happens. Trust me.

July is for Putting the "Paleo" in PaleoPix

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 20:38:00 GMT

It's a common question. If I'm a pet photographer, why is my business called PaleoPix? Why "Paleo"?

The "Paleo" Is for Paleontology. The landscape photography featured in PaleoPix's galleries is largely photos taken while Penny was visiting remote places looking for fossils.
The photo above was taken back in the last century some time when I was working on my Ph.D. research.
The video below explains a bit about what the month of July will entail. The plans are always in flux, but the gist remains the same:
July is for fossils!

Wrapping up Photography from A to Z

Sun, 16 May 2021 20:42:00 GMT

Do you want to become a better photographer? Then it's time for you to understand the basics. This post will cover everything from Aperture to Zoom, and we'll answer all your photography questions along the way.

A is for Aperture

Aperture is the opening inside a camera that lets light into it. A larger aperture lets more light into the camera, making a photo brighter. However, a larger aperture also means that objects in the background will be more blurry. The opposite is true for smaller apertures.

B is for Bellows

Bellows are an attachment to a camera that can extend the length of its lens. A bellows is used to take pictures at very close range or in cramped spaces, but it also limits some focal lengths and magnifications.

C is for Camera Obscura

The camera obscura was one of the earliest forms of photography invented by a scientist named Ibn al-Haytham in the 11th century. This device has a lens (typically just a tiny hole in a wall) that casts an upside down image onto a surface opposite the hole, like the wall on the opposite side of the dark room.

D is for Depth of Field

Depth of Field refers to the area in front and behind an object, which is in focus. The point at which this field becomes blurry typically varies depending on your aperture setting. Larger apertures have smaller depth of field, while smaller apertures have greater depth. For landscapes you may want a large depth of field; if shooting portraits, you might prefer to have only one or two people sharp while the background is blurred out.New Paragraph

E is for Exposure

Exposure is a term used to describe to how much light a camera sensor (or film) is exposed. Exposure can be increased by either slowing the shutter speed or by using a larger aperture.New Paragraph

F is for f-stop

The unit of measure we use for aperture is the f-stop. The higher the number is, the smaller your aperture will be and vice versa. f-stops or f-numbers are calculated by taking the distance between the lens and the point of focus on the film (or sensor for digital cameras) and dividing it by the diameter of the aperture.

G is for Grain

A term used to describe the texture of film. My precisely, it is a measure of the size of the light sensitive particles on a film. The larger the grain, the more "noisy" your image will be and vice versa. The size of these particles is determined by your ISO setting. Smaller ISO measurements produce less grain, but are also less sensitive to light

H is for Hot Shoe

An accessory for cameras that allows you to attach a flash or other device. The reason why it's called 'hot' is because the flash device uses electricity to produce a light (a flash) that is then bounced off of something and onto your subject.

I is for ISO

The measurement of the film's or digital camera sensor's sensitivity to light. If you have a high ISO, your photos will be more sensitive and take less time to develop; but this also means that there is an increased chance for grainier images.

J is for Joule

The Joule is a measure of energy in the form of light. In photography, it's a measure of how much energy is emitted from an electronic flash or other device in one second.

K is for Kelvin

Kelvin is a unit of temperature, and in photography it's a measure of the quality and color of light. The Kelvin scale is used to measure the color temperature of a light source, which means that it's also an indicator for how warm or cool the light will appear.

L is for Lens

The lens is a thin transparent optical element that is used to focus light and form an image. Lenses are a key component of all camera systems, whether they're digital or analog film cameras.

M is for Macro

In photography, the term macro photography implies that the subject is close to and fills a significant portion of the image. In general, macro photos show close-up views of a subject, such as small plants or insects.

N is for Negative

When an image is recorded on film or photographic paper, colors are reversed, or inverted. Dark tones on the film are caused by exposure to light and lighter tones caused by lack of exposure. This is called a negative.

O is for Opacity

The opacity of a material is its ability to block light. It is the opposite of transparency. Even clear materials, like camera lenses, are not 100% transparent. Coatings on the surface of the lens can improve the ability of light to pass through a lens.New Paragraph

P is for Pentaprism

A pentaprism is a mirror used in photography to reflect the image from the camera's lens and route it 90° down for viewing on the back of the camera. When you look through your viewfinder, you're looking at light that has been reflected off of a Pentaprism inside your camera.

Q is for Quantum

Quantum is a term in physics referring to the smallest possible amount of energy. In photography, this term is often used to refer to the level of sensitivity or resolution available on a camera sensor (e.g., "quantum dots").

R is for Rangefinder

Rangefinders are tools used by photographers to measure the distance between themselves and their subjects. They work by providing two images of the same scene, one with a slightly different perspective than the other. The photographer then must take note if and where any objects in either image appear to be aligned or out of alignment--provided that they are visible on both pictures as well -and use those measurements to calculate distance.

S is for Shutter

The familiar click of a camera's shutter is a sound that most photographers are intimately acquainted with. A camera’s shutter has two basic functions: controlling the light to which the film is exposed, and controlling the duration of exposure.

T is for Telephoto

A telephoto is a type of lens that allows you to take close-up pictures. This effect is created because a telephoto has an extended focal length, making it seem like objects are closer than they really are.

U is for UV filter

One of the most important tools in your camera bag, a UV filter protects the lens and sensitive sensor from dust, water droplets (or rain), fingerprints, and smudges. It is affixed to the camera lens, in front of any other filters that might be present.

V is for Viewfinder

The viewfinder is used to frame the image you wish to capture. It is a device that helps you compose photographs by looking through a window that shows the image as it will be captured. A camera’s viewfinder displays the scene by routing light from an eyepiece in front of its body to a small screen or window at the back (or top) of the camera where you see what will be recorded.

W is for Wide-Angle

The opposite of a telephoto lens, a wide-angle lens captures an expansive landscape or vast interior in one shot. The fish-eye lens is an extreme wide-angle lens that produces even more dramatic distortion.

X is for X-rays

X-rays are a kind of electromagnetic radiation like visible light, but with shorter wavelengths and higher energy. X-rays can penetrate materials that are opaque to visible light, such as clothing, paper or wood. Despite being invisible to the human eye, they can be captured on film.

Y is for Yellowing

Old photo prints, especially those made in an old-school dark room, may turn yellow over time. This is called 'yellowing' and is often the result of improper rinsing after the photographic paper is developed.

Z is for Zoom

Zoom is a term in photography that refers to the act of changing lens focal length in order to 'zoom' into a subject. A lens with the capability of zooming is called a zoom lens.

Z is for Zoom

Sun, 09 May 2021 21:17:00 GMT

A zoom lens is a camera lens that has the ability to change the focal length of the lens. It allows photographers to take pictures from great distances or get close up shots with just one lens. Zooms are popularly used in photography because they offer versatility and flexibility, but they can be more expensive than basic lenses which only focus at one focal length.

What is a zoom lens?

"Zoom" in photography is a term applied to lenses. We’re familiar with the effect of zoom lenses because we use the phrase “zoom in” in regular daily banter. "Zoom in" means get closer, but how does that work?
Lenses with longer focal lengths (telephoto lenses) are able to make the image viewed through the lens larger, which creates the effect of getting closer. In contrast, lenses with shorter focal lengths (wide angle lenses) make objects seem more distant.
What a zoom lens does is allow the focal length of a single lens to be changed allowing the photographer to choose how large the subject of the photo will be in the frame. This in turn allows the photographer a great deal of control on the composition of their final photograph.

Nikkor 28–200 mm zoom lens, extended to 200 mm at left and collapsed to 28 mm focal length at right. Credit: Marc Lacoste CC By-SA 2.5

How do zoom lenses work?

This is accomplished by having multiple elements within the lens that are moved to change its focal length. This is also why zoom lenses are so much more expensive than single focal length lenses.
The best zoom lenses have to be able to do the following: - Allow zooming in and out without distortion or vignetting (darkening) of any area - Have an excellent image quality throughout its entire zoom range, regardless of whether it's at the maximum or minimum focal length

What is the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom?

Multiple element lenses of variable focal length were the original zoom lenses. They require the physical movement of the various lens elements to alter the focal length. It's physics. It's optics. And it works in the absence of electricity and computers. Digital zoom is a result of a application that enlarges the pixels in an image taken by a digital camera. The image quality is not as good as optical zoom but is included with digital cameras for convenience.

Y is for Yellowing

Sun, 02 May 2021 21:28:00 GMT

So what does yellowing have to do with photography? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I know from personal experience that the photographic prints I made in my high school’s dark room have yellowed. The yellowing, at least with respect to my high school prints, is the result of me being a little impatient during the printing process.
Photographic prints may yellow over time because the photographer rushed during printing process and didn't rinse off fixer properly allowing the print to dry.
There are four steps to print a photograph:

1) Developer

After the photographic paper has had the negative exposed on it, it is placed in the developer bath. The developer bath is a heavy metal solution that reacts with the silver in the negative, turning it into metallic silver. This makes the negative image appear as light and dark shades of gray on the print.

A photographer developing photos in the the darkroom. Credit: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT CC By 3.0

X-rays are dangerous, though, which is why we don’t have X-ray units in our homes. They are of even higher energy than UV light (which we already know can cause burns), and without care can result in cancers.

X is for X-Rays

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 21:33:00 GMT

We know X-rays. Or we think we know X-rays.

X-rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes light. X-rays are invisible, but behave like the light we’re familiar with. We use X-rays in medicine because X-rays can pass through soft tissues like skin and muscles, but are stopped by dense materials like bones.
We can use photosensitive films, therefore, to take pictures of bones in the body without needing to do surgery by shining X-rays through the body and seeing what part of the film gets exposed.

X-ray image of human lungs. Credit: Sudraben CC By-SA 4.0

An extreme example of a wide angle lens is the ‘fisheye’ lens.

W is for Wide Angle

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 21:42:00 GMT

Wide angle is a term applied to lenses that can capture an image over a large area in a single shot.

A wide angle lens is essentially the opposite of the Telephoto lens. Telephoto lenses work by increasing the focal length (the distance between the front of the lens and the film) to capture objects far away. Wide angle lenses work by decreasing the focal length and bringing the lenses closer to the film.

An extreme example of a wide angle lens is the ‘fisheye’ lens.

An image taken with a fisheye lens. Credit: ESO/José Francisco Salgado (josefrancisco.org) CC By 4.0

Wide angle lenses are great for photographing landscapes and architecture, and can also be used for some fun effects.

V is for Viewfinder

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 21:46:00 GMT

The viewfinder is the window (or sometimes just a wire frame) attached to a camera that is used to frame the part of the scene that the photographer is trying to capture.

For most point-and-shoot cameras, the viewfinder is near the top of the camera close to the lens. The image seen in the viewfinder is not exactly the same as what will actually be captured on the film. Thus, it can be important to make sure the subject you’re interested in photographing is somewhere near the center of the viewfinder’s view.
With single-lens-reflex (SLR) cameras , the image that’s seen through the viewfinder is the exact same one that will be captured onto the film (or onto the CCD [the electronic ‘film’] in the case of digital SLR cameras) .

The viewfinder for my camera.

UV filters are also a good idea to simply keep on your camera because they also protect the camera’s lens from dust and other things that can obscure the image or damage the lens. It is far cheaper to replace a UV filter than it is to replace a lens.

U is for UV Filter

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 21:48:00 GMT

UV stands for ultraviolet, which is part of the spectrum of light which is invisible to humans but will cause you a dandy sunburn.

UV light is very high energy (hence the burns) and will cause film to be exposed even though we can’t see it.
The UV filter removes UV light from the light entering the camera, which provides more control over the exposure of the film and improves the focus.

The UV filter on the front of my camera's lens.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Justin

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 02:54:00 GMT

Last Wednesday, after getting my son on the bus, I took a walk to the wood pile. It’s winter. It’s cold. I needed to bring in more wood. This is what I found:

He is an incredibly friendly and trusting cat, which makes me think he’s a lost or abandoned pet. But that he’s clearly been out through the winter and was neither neutered nor microchipped, I have to wonder if he’s just an anomaly in the feral cat world.

Long story short, I’ve done my due diligence to try to identify an owner, and in the meantime, he’s now fully vetted and neutered. I named him Justin.

The vet thinks he’s about one year old. Despite being heavily matted and dirty (and slightly skunk scented) he has shown himself to be a perfectly ordinary house cat.

If no owners come forward, he’ll stay with us until he’s recovered and his white fur has turned white again. Then we’ll make a decision about whether to re-home him or if he’ll be a permanent member of Mew-Mew House.

I think Justin’s already decided what he’d like.

Cat-ndid Camera – Looking up

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 01:50:00 GMT

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Zelda

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:27:00 GMT

Zelda came to us from a local animal shelter. Through no fault of her own, at 14 years old she found herself without a home.

Zelda struggled at the shelter. She wasn’t eating well and mostly cowered into a pile of blankets in her cage. The vets there were uncertain if her disinterest in food was due to stress or to the fact that she’s lost all her teeth.

Happily, she’s doing well here. I know she’s been eating, though she mostly stays hidden. She’s a little uncertain, but once she sees you’ve invited her to sit with you, she’ll give you purrs, headbutts, and all the drool (we call it ‘love sprinkles’) you can handle.

Welcome Zelda! We’re glad you’re here!

Learning to Cat

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:27:00 GMT

Most of the cats living in Mew-Mew House enjoyed a healthy youth with a human family. It was in these early months when they each learned to ‘cat’. How to interact with other cats. How to play. How to share (or not share) resources and toys.

In these early months, cats also learn to understand the humans around them. How to interpret human intentions. How to socialize with people. Some cats are introduced to bumbling dogs and other mammalian (or non-mammalian) companions for humans.

After this important phase of life, cats have determined their preferred social network. Some like to be left alone. Some really, really, really like being with people. Some are convinced they’re dogs.

Mew-Mew House is a big enough space with strategically placed gates whereby the feline residents can get away from each other, stay separated from the dogs (who are both the best bois), or avoid human contact. Over time, we get to learn each cat’s temperament and social preferences.

Sage is a momma’s cat, and would be happy if I carried him around all day.

Shadow believes that he is the Emperor, and even keeps the dogs at bay.

Spell does not like other cats, but tolerates the dogs. If I gave her the choice, she’d have me all to herself all the time.

Snickerdoodle is in love with me and just wants to touch me.

Monster loves all the cats, but the others consider him a bumbling oaf.

Possum is a rocket cat and plays with any mammal within reach.

Toast thinks Shadow is the bees-knees, but also likes to play hide and seek with the dogs.

Dappled Sunshine is Mom to all the cats, but will never be seen anywhere near the dogs.

Snow is still finding her place, but definitely prefers human companionship to that of other cats.

Stanley is busy doing his own thing. He was a working cat before coming here, and he still works. He’s the old warrior who turns up for dinner and pets, but mostly prefers to find a place to curl up and observe.

These ten all know how to cat. When they enter a room, their tails are high. They demand your attention. They huff and hiss at each other and know just what to do to make their feelings clear.

But then there’s Arthur Dent. He spent most of his formative months in a vet clinic. Stress abounded. Humans poked and prodded. He played, sometimes, but really didn’t have strong relationships with other cats or people.

Now, he’s got his own room (with access to the rest of the house if he wants it). He’s got toys. And he’s got two kitten buddies that show up once in a while.

He hunches down and watches as Toast and Possum wrestle. They chase each other and he can’t help but bound after them. But then… He freezes. What now?

Possum is all stretched out and batting at him, and Arthur backs away. What does it mean?

He skitters back to his hidey spot.

Toast comes over to investigate. They bat at each other. Arthur gets tense. Toast reads the tension and flops down. They’re just playing. But Arthur doesn’t know this ‘play’.

The tension breaks when Possum and Toast resume playing and Arthur Dent goes back to watching.

I’m able now to get on the floor with Possum or Toast and wrestle a little (as a person and a kitten can). Arthur watches with great interest. He comes out and sniffs at me and the other cats, then scurries off again.

Arthur wants to play, but he’s not sure how. He doesn’t trust my motives. He doesn’t know the intentions of the other cats. But he wants to play.

I give him a little pat with each feeding. That’s all Arthur will tolerate before the growling starts.

Trust.

Trust is hard to gain. Arthur needs to trust that he’s safe. He needs to trust that I’ll never hurt him. He needs to trust that the other kittens just want to play.

We must all be patient. Thankfully, the rest of the feline family is well adjusted and can give Arthur all the space he needs. I’m practicing patience as well. Poor Arthur needs a good combing, but that’s months away, I’m sure.

Trust takes a long time to gain, but can be lost in a moment.

You can trust me Arthur Dent. You’re safe now.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Arthur Dent

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:26:00 GMT

Arthur came to us from New Jersey. At about ten months old, he’s already had plenty of trauma in his life. He was brought here so he can just be a cat and do cat things.

At the end of May 2019, Arthur Dent was trapped as a three-month-old stray kitten. His jaw was broken. Vets wired his jaw back together and nursed him back to health.

They named him Jaws.

His recovery had ups and downs. He had a seizure at one point. Vet records suggest this might have been due to low blood sugar.

He wasn’t too keen on being a cage cat and poor Arthur got a reputation for being a little bitey.

All told, Arthur Dent lived at the vet clinic about seven months. Because of his unpleasant demeanor, people at the clinic were unable to find a suitable foster for him, and it was decided he’d be released back to the colony after neutering.

Luckily, Arthur has advocates. People in New Jersey did not want to see him turned out in the middle of December and put out a call for fosters. A local friend of ours shared the call and we at Mew-Mew House couldn’t let Arthur Dent down.

He was driven to Rochester by one of his rescuers in New Jersey and then delivered here by a local Rochesterian.

It’s been a week since he entered this house. The first thing we did was change his name. Arthur Dent is much more appropriate for someone who hitched a ride up here. Thursdays aren’t his favorite, but he does always have a towel.

Though he remains skeptical of our motives, Arthur Dent enjoys having friends of his own age here and gets along well with the other feline residents of Mew-Mew House.

In the end, we don’t really care if he doesn’t like people. As long as he gets along with the other cats, we could not be happier to have him!

Rainbow Bridge

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:25:00 GMT

On December 1, 2019 Mew-Mew House lost a rockstar. Animal was the original Metallicat.

Her loss was abrupt. One day she was fine. And then she wasn’t.

But until the last moment, she was Animal. The Metallicat.

Her impact will be lasting. She is dearly missed.

Rainbow Bridge

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:24:00 GMT

On November 9, 2019 Mew-Mew House lost Peanut.

Peanut awoke that morning unable to use the left side of his body. The paralysis also affected his face.

We’re not sure what happened, but the veterinary professionals at the emergency vet clinic all concurred that recovery was unlikely.

I held him in my arms that day as he passed from this world to the next.

We’ll miss you, Peanut.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Snow (AKA Baby Kitty)

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:23:00 GMT

Many cats at Mew-Mew House have endured tragedy, and Snow is no exception. She comes to us following the untimely death of her person.

Snow is around 13 or 14 years old and has been through the shelter system. She was rescued by her person who promised that she would never go back to a shelter. One very difficult diagnosis later, Snow’s person’s family contacted me to make sure that promise was kept.

Snow has been with us for several months now, and has settled in nicely. She’s a happy girl whose favorite place to lay is right across your nose. We love her very much!

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Dappled Sunshine

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:22:00 GMT

Dappled Sunshine, AKA Dapples, AKA Momma comes to us from a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) group.

It was clear from the start that she was not your typical feral. In fact, she has become a wonderful and loving house cat.

She’s not a senior like all the other cats. She moves a lot and is nearly impossible to photograph.

Nevertheless, she is a wonderful can full of purrs and head-butts, and is completely delighted to be someone’s house cat now.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Animal

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:21:00 GMT

Animal is an 18-year-old spitfire Metallicat.

She comes to us a the unfortunate victim of divorce. Thankfully, her loving Paw-Purr is able to visit regularly (he just couldn’t take her to his current living situation).

For being 18, Animal is still a very lively kitty. And is extremely helpful in protecting us from the evil SHOWER!

We look forward to many happy years with Animal in residence.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Peanut

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:20:00 GMT

Peanut is about 8 years old. He’s diabetic.

He came to us when his loving family were forced to move and could not take him with them.

Thankfully, he’s easygoing and takes his insulin, and the regular blood glucose testing like a champ!

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Monster

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:19:00 GMT

Monster is an 18 year old orange tabby who recently lost his human too soon.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever been in the company of such an easy-going cat. Almost immediately, he set about exploring the home, quickly discovering his favorite place: my son’s bed.

Monster is an old guy, but lively and certainly happy to be here. But after a long day of walking his territory, he picks a comfortable place to sleep and sleeps hard.

Cat-ndid Camera – Stan in the Stacks

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:18:00 GMT

The Cast of Mew-Mew House: Comet and Scout – Feline-Friendly Hounds

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:17:00 GMT

Not only do we share our home with the cats, but we also have two goofy dogs to keep us entertained.

Though huskies are labeled as rambunctious and high-energy (and these two certainly are), Comet and Scout are completely gentle with our beloved seniors.

Comet does try to play with the cats, but if they don’t respond favorably, he gives up and lays down to observe.

For cats that aren’t fond of the dogs, there are dog-free parts of the house with gates (which all have cat doors). There’s always shelter for the cats in this home.

Rainbow Bridge

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:16:00 GMT

On June 12, 2019, Spike crossed the Rainbow Bridge, ending his struggle against FIV.

Spike was truly the most chill cat I’ve ever known. He was unperturbed by the hyper dogs, not troubled by the vacuum cleaner, and generally just happy to see you.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Spell

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:15:00 GMT

As a dilute tortie, Spell definitely embodies the ‘tortitude’ that many tortoiseshell cats are said to embody.

Spell (AKA Spelly Bean) fancies herself the Princess of the house, and conducts herself as such.

The first cat on your lap at the end of a long day, she will happily provide ample purrs and make muffins on your leg, and then grace you with ‘love sprinkles’ (which is her drooling for joy).

Spell is also quick to remind you when she disapproves, growling, scowling, and swiping with claws as needed.

Most impressively, Spell is a shoe artist and has her own Twitter account.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Rainbow Bridge

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:15:00 GMT

On Saturday, May 25, 2019, Skittles crossed the Rainbow Bridge

When you take on senior animals, this is frequent and inevitable. We loved her very much.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Shadow

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:11:00 GMT

Shadow is the clever big boy of the group, who’s figured out how to use the dog door. We try to be indoor-only here, but far too frequently, I find Shadow waiting for me at the front door when I get home from a long day of work.

He comes by his title of Emperor honestly. Shadow terrorizes the dogs and always has first dibs on the food bowl (which is why we keep many bowls around).

Shadow came to us as an emergency re-home. He’s 15 years old (or is it 16?) and has a history of bladder stones, so he needs his diet managed carefully. I sure hope the mice he keeps bringing us work with is diet!

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Snickerdoodle

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:10:00 GMT

Snickerdoodle is the other half of the Tuxedo Twins, along with Sage. And like Sage, he spent a very long time in the shelter before I took him home: 6 months.

I don’t understand why he couldn’t find a home, other than maybe his endlessly disinterested expression or that fact that he’s hyperthyroid and therefore needs medications for the rest of his life.

Remarkably, he is the only other cat that Sage will really tolerate. The rest are greeted with hisses and hair-curling screams.

Snickerdoodle’s favorite pastime is scent-marking your hands so hard that you drop whatever you’re holding.

He’s also planning to start a modeling career, because who could pass on such a sultry guy?

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Skittles

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:09:00 GMT

Skittles is probably the tiniest of the cats living here at Second Guess, but she’s the spunkiest. There’s good reason why we refer to her as the “Goddess.”

She came to live here when her family moved overseas and simply could not take her. It wasn’t for them not wanting to bring Skittles, it’s just that this little powerhouse is hyperthyroid and has congestive heart failure. The trip would likely have killed her.

So naturally, she came to live here. Her name does start with an ‘S’ after all!

At first, she was angry and very, very pointy. I’ve bled a few times because of her. I have leather gloves handy for pilling time.

Now, however, she’s decided that I’m OK, and will happily enough sleep in my lap.

This little girl has some serious health issues and will be taking medications twice a day for the rest of her life. But now that she’s settled in, she’s another happy member of the family.

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Sage

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:09:00 GMT

Bringing Sage home from the animal shelter was when I realized that I wanted to operate a rescue. Poor Sage had spent an entire year at the shelter. For some reason, no one was interested in taking on a friendly 12-year-old cat with no other health problems.

Now Sage is 15 years old. He’s part of the “Tuxedo Twins,” my black-and-white bed buddies (the other is Snickerdoodle, who’ll I’ll introduce later).

At first, Mr. Sage rarely left the bedroom. He was afraid of the dogs (there are two that live here) and felt most secure where he could hide. Today, two years later, Sage sits on the stairs and scolds the dogs while demanding that I come and make sure there’s food in his bowl.

And if I take too long, he goes downstairs and helps himself to the dogs’ food.

Sage had been a standoffish cat until Snickerdoodle came to live with us. Now he has a friend. Or at least a doppelganger who can confuse me.

Maybe that’s his plan. He’s a clever one, he is!

The Cats (Cast?) of Mew-Mew House: Spike

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:07:00 GMT

Of the seven cats under this roof, Spike has a most special place in my heart.

Right before Thanksgiving of last year (2018), a call went out for a winter foster or permanent rehoming of this approximately 10-year-old grey cat. Spike is a former feral who has seen some stuff. His ears are tattered from past fights, and he’s totally deaf. Spike is also blind in one eye. And completely toothless.

I was hesitant at first, because Spike is also FIV+. This is kitty AIDS, and just like human AIDS, FIV is ultimately fatal. But also just like human AIDS, it’s really really hard to pass FIV from one cat to another. The best way is through biting. Have I mentioned that Spike has no teeth?

So Spike has lived with us since Thanksgiving. He is a most wonderful and sweet kitty.

Sadly, FIV has taken its toll on him, and we are in the vet’s office regularly for more blood work. Spike seems to have some sort of infection that antibiotics simply are not touching.

Spike is still happy, despite anemia and elevated white blood cell counts. I call him my hospice kitty and enjoy every day we have with him. He’s got fight left in him and I’m gonna do everything I can for him until the time comes…