However, one day I was sitting in my therapist's waiting room (I'm still recovering from some old wounds) and I was bored because I was -- for once! -- early, so I plucked a pamphlet from the wall. Those pamphlets always look like they've been there since 1995, probably because people pick them up, look at them, and then put them back. They have titles like "Are You Struggling With an Eating Disorder?" and soothing pastel color schemes and images inside that are all stock photos from the 1980s. None of this is funny, but when you've lived through it and you've managed to heal enough, there's a certain dark humor in looking back.

Which is how I arrived at the conclusion that my roommate's cat and I are in an abusive relationship. This is only funny because it's actually impossible, and by displacing the subject matter onto a cute cat, we can laugh. But enough of my diatribe on the complex orchestration of humor! Check out this list and see whether it makes you think of any cats you may know:

1. He's unpredictable

Here is Le Chat Gris accepting a treat from my hand. That means we're on good terms, right?

Wrong. Here is Le Chat Gris dismissing me entirely -- he won't even look me in the face!

2. He withholds affection

Look at him. Loafed in the distance. When I tried to approach him, he ran away.

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He is an evil loaf.

3. He is manipulative

Whenever my roommate is away, Le Chat Gris knows I'm his sole source of sustenance and poop-scooping, so if he wants a clean box to squat in, he cozies up to me. I mean, I'd scoop it anyway, but sometimes I pretend I won't, just so I get his affection. That makes us mutually manipulative.

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What a little sourpuss face.

4. He breaks things

One time I put a vase of flowers on the kitchen table to enjoy. It was the last time. There was a crash and a splash and Le Chat Gris darting from the room, and that was it: No more flowers.

5. He leaves me with scars I have difficulty explaining

The scratch marks from the last time I tried to cuddle him? Uh, I fell down the stairs? (Because no, dear landlord, I most certainly do not have an illegal cat in my apartment.)

6. When people ask me about him, I make excuses

Uh, it smells like a litter box in here? I don't know what you're talking about. No really, I love him even though, yes, he always runs away from me.

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See no evil.

7. He makes me cry all the time

I have severe allergies if I forget to take my allergy medication.

8. He acts nice to my friends

"But he's sooo cute!" they tell me, and I'm thinking, "Yeah, but he's so mean to me."

9. He gets jealous

One time I had a boyfriend over and he meowed and scratched at the door until I relented, and opened it, only for him to scamper off down the hall and proceed to glare at me and the boyfriend.

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"YOU WILL OPEN THE DOOR. OR ELSE."

10. I can't quit him

I just can't -- that's not how adoption works, silly!

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He tolerated this hug for exactly five seconds.

How is your cat "abusive" toward you? Let us know in the comments!

Here are most posts to make you laugh on Catster:

• 6 Reasons Why Laundry Baskets Are So Darn Sexy to Cats
• So, My Cats Failed an Intelligence Test
• 10 Cats Doing Their Best to Make Us Jealous. (It's Working!)

Secretly aren't you just a touch envious?

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"Whut? This is mine now." Photo by girl_named_fred

Do you think the cat knows you're kind of jealous of the way she can curl up in a cozy basket of warm, lemon-scented linens? Yeah, of course she knows. That's why she does it.

Here are some photos of other things she does just to watch you turn green:

1. Self indulgent acrobatics

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Cats can kiss their own butts. No wonder they are so self important. Photo by itchys

Show off.

2. Make sleep not only a priority, but her job

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That looks nice. Photo by barbourians

If the cat were awake right now, I'd be confused and a little frightened. If I manage to sneak four hours of rest in tonight, I'll be ecstatic (part of this is because I have too much to do and part of this is because I'm a mild insomniac).

3. Laser eyes

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You can only see them sometimes, in photos, but trust me, all cats have this secret power. Photo by Cramit

There's a reason people don't mess with cats.

4. Sleep on expensive electronic equipment

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Sleep on expensive electronics … and stare at your own face too. Indulgent narcissism at its best. Photo by Dan Correia

When someone hands me a laptop, they expect me to get to work. For a cat, sleeping is a job and a laptop is just a really solid electric blanket.

5. Be adorable -- no matter what

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Jelly bean toes! If I did this, people would be like, "Liz, don't be so desperate." Photo by Alison Elizabeth x

My cuteness is conditional, and those conditions are not often met. When I've had a full night of darting in out of bedroom doors, I look like hell the next day. When a cat does it, she still wakes up looking squee-worthy.

6. Be famous on the Internet for doing nothing

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This is Precious Princess Choupette. She's famous for doing nothing. Her owner is famous too, but I can't remember why.

Paris Hilton is (was?) also famous for doing nothing. But then I'd have to be Paris Hilton.

7. Sit in a cardboard box

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My parents would be all, "We sent you to an expensive private college for nothing!" and I'd be like, "Look, it's not what it seems." Photo by shashinjutsu

When I sit in a cardboard box, my parents wonder what they did wrong.

8. Almost always land on her feet

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I will bet you $100 that cat stuck that jump like an Olympic gymnast. Photo by rocketjim54

I'm lucky if I land on my feet. I usually land on my face.

9. Jumping in general

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One time I tried out for the basketball team. What I mean by that is one time I provided the basketball coach with some comedic entertainment. Photo by KingArthur10

Because how cool is that?

10. Look effortlessly cool

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Cat, is your name Kim Deal? Photo by :Salihan

How do your cats make you jealous? Come on, you can admit it!

Here are more cats being funny on Catster:

• 5 Ways My Cats Piss Me Off
• 6 Cats Caught in the Act
• Hey, RuPaul's Drag Race Finalists: Here Are 10 Cats You Should Be Watching

We’re not supposed to, of course. Just like you’re really not supposed to like one of your human kinds more than the other ... but do you, anyway?

Maybe you always say hi to one of your cats first when you get home. Or maybe you always sneak one of them an extra treat at treat time. Or maybe you pet them a little bit more often.

Let’s face it: One of your kitties is probably mommy or daddy’s special girl or boy.

In my house, it happens, but not with me (at least not that I’m admitting!). My boyfriend, however, loves Moo. Moo gets picks up all the time, cuddled and coddled and even called into bed. Pimp gets a pet here or there and gets attention when he’s around, but not like Moo.

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His favorite.

And it’s blatant, too. He has no shame about loving Moo more, and I kind of get it. Moo is a whore. He demands attention, and you can’t spend five seconds anywhere in the house without him being right there, on your lap or begging to be picked up.

Pimp, on the other hand, is a quiet old man who is content in one of his favorite spots, napping or relaxing. He gets on my lap and in bed next to me, but he doesn't do it as much with the boyfriend, so it’s no wonder Moo ranks higher in his mind. He just seems to like him more, and we tend to like people who like us.

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My favorites.

I get it, but it makes me feel bad for Pimp, so I find myself paying a little extra attention to him to make up for it. Pimp is 14 years old and has been with me his whole life. Moo came into our lives four years ago. My boyfriend doesn’t know life without Moo, but I have 10 years of extra history with Pimp, so I want to make sure he always feels super loved and still special –- regardless of this attention whore who lives with us now.

If the BF spends 80 percent of his cat time with Moo, and I spend 50 percent of my cat time with Moo, then you can see that the math works out way in Moo’s favor. So I try to pay special attention to Pimp.

But then here’s the thing: Now I feel like I’m playing favorites with Pimp, and I feel bad about my Moo time!

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The attention whore.

I have always made it an extreme point not to show favoritism. When Moo first came into our home, I told them both I loved them, but I always made sure to tell Pimp, “I love you first.” So that he knows he’s not replaced or missing out on attention he used to get all to himself.

If I'm playing with Da Bird with one hand for Moo, I'm throwing mice with my other hand for Pimp (of course they like to play with different kinds of toys). If I'm in bed, they each have their spots and get equal love before we go to sleep.

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Just because I'm nappy doesn't mean I don't want attention!

But it's still easy to see how Moo could end up as a favorite, just because he's more assertive and "fun" to be around. He likes the attention more, so it just makes sense that he gets more.

Do you do this with your cats? Do you find yourself calling one over to the couch more often or taking more pictures of one than the others? Flip through your phone pics and see! You just might surprise yourself.

Or maybe you're like me and try extra hard not to show favoritism.

Which one of your cats is mommy or daddy's little kitty? Let us know in the comments!

Read more by Dorian Wagner:

• I Can’t Do Anything Without My Cats’ Help -- I Mean, Who Can?
• Do You Remember Your First Cat?
• 7 Things I Can't Do These Days Because I Have Cats
• He's Into You, He's Just Not Into Cats? We Can Change That!

My justification for all this crap coming into the house is that I never spend very much, which means I love a good rummage at a thrift store or estate sale. I'm a firm believer in the thrift gods, who must be appeased with a purchase or two and who will then guide you to even better treasures at the next sale. 

Catster Editor-in-Chief Janine and I had some adventures in thrifting when we went looking for a bunch of cat statuettes and ornaments to send to the Teal Cat Project. I still keep an eye out whenever I'm at a thrift store or flea market, and have told my favorite estate sale specialists, Kevin and Vicky of the YES Co. in San Francisco, to let me know when there are cat trinkets to be had. 

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Two of my favorite trinkets from this sale: Kittens in baskets!

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Christmas ornament and wooden salt-and-pepper shakers that clip together by magnets. Adorable!

A few weekends ago I got an email about a three-day sale in the Sunset District that set my heart a-thumping. "Completely full home of old-time San Franciscan family" was enough to get me hopping, but Kevin's photos and descriptions of "CAT CAVALCADE, NECESSITIES NATION. EVERY AREA IS PACKED" meant I had to get over there, stat.

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This was just one of the photos from Kevin's email. I already had an irregular heartbeat seeing this.

I was afraid that the professional antique dealers would clean out the house before I got there, because we couldn't make it until Sunday. The upside of a late visit meant everything would be half price -- although I was fretting the sale would be too picked over.

How wrong I was. 

We walked up the path to a cute little house with ocean views, and I was immediately confronted by rows and rows of ornamental cats of all eras and descriptions. There were tables crowded with maneki neko, salt and pepper sets, Christmas ornaments, keychains, and earrings, and every single item had kitty ears and a tail. Clearly, whoever had lived here was a major cat lover. I was among my people!

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And yet still more books to be added to the reading pile.

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Postcards, greeting cards, and stamps: Spread the cat lady love!

Before I could scoop up more than a handful of the ornaments, my husband, Wade, called me: "Get downstairs now -- everything's free in the garage!"

I stashed my stuff and ran down to a scene of chaos. People were hurling stuff in and out of cardboard boxes across the garage and garden, and struggling out of the house under piles and piles of ... treasure? Trash? It was hard to tell in the melee.

Wade was huddled in a corner, guarding a pile of cat books. I quickly found a cardboard box and added everything I could find that was remotely cat-related -- pillowcases, greeting cards, and this lovely quilt.

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This cat-patterned quilt is covering up my couch at the moment.

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I think the cat on the left might be possessed, so I put him with the happy fluffyhead to counterbalance his evil.

The garage was dusty and musty, but I was filled with a bargain hunter's zeal. There's no better price than free, after all -- and might I be saving some real treasures from the dump? 

I usually draw the line at cuddly toys or plushes, but this bedraggled, graying gonk-kitty was crying out to be rescued. Her straggly nylon fur felt icky to touch, but I knew I couldn't let her get trashed. (I get a lump in my throat when I see threadbare teddies and toys at sales -- it makes me sad that they were loved for so long and are now so discardable.)

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Gentleman Jim is not impressed by the arrival of a tatty cat gonk.

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Ambrose the Velvet Lamb didn't know what to make of the ravaging horde of tchotchkes.

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The cats formed themselves into a circle of worship. Pinkie is clearly their idol.

Kevin stood by and laughed as I staggered out of the garage with four overbrimming boxes of cat stuff and headed back upstairs. I had sated the thrift gods, so I could now take my time in the rest of the house. And can you bet the house's rooms were full of yet more cat stuff.  

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A closeup of the cat trinket hoard. My tabby, Miss Uppity Tibbs, is sunbathing in the background.

This plate features the railroad mascot Chessie the Cat (I have a bathroom rug featuring this same image!).

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Chessie the kitten dozes on.

I didn't count my hoard of cat ornaments at the time, but it was pushing 50 when I gathered them for the photos. I'd grabbed fairly indiscriminately, but most of them were worthy of a cat lady's home. A few of the ornaments are verging on antique, while others look like silly gifts you'd get at the funfair or buy in a local gift store when you're on vacation. In your time machine. In the 1970s.

I stashed a bunch of the cat tchotchkes in a box, but I put my favorites on the bookshelf so they can all peer out at me, coquettish, innocent, or even just like sourpusses. Some of these little beasts have funny expressions, so I tried to pull a few faces to match.

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Is that you, Grumpy Cat?

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Competing for the best pout with Fluffhead.

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These two define the term "glamorpuss."

Wade isn't too keen on the kitty clutter, so I'm still thinking of donating the bulk of my thrift score to the Teal Cats -- but some of these little critters have such sweet faces that I might have to keep a few of them. I can't imagine erasing those pink noses and gilt tiaras, even for charity. 

As for the soft toys -- neck pillows, doorstops, cuddlies, and all -- I don't know what I'll do with those, but I may yet press them on houseguests. 

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At this point, I think things might be going a little too far in the cuddly cat world.

I saw Kevin last weekend when I bought a set of cat-headed fire irons (hey, at least these are useful!) from his latest sale, and he showed me some pictures of next week's sale featuring something like 500 cat ornaments. I'm not sure whether I'll go -- we have friends in town -- but I'm already getting the thrill of the chase. After all, you never know what treasures you might find in someone else's garage. 

Do you like scoring cat tchotchkes at rummage sales? Have you ever stumbled on a bonanza like I did? Let us know in the comments!

Bonus! Add your own fabulous feline estate sale treasures to the slideshow below. It's easy: Just click on "Select Photos" to upload an image from your computer, then give it a couple refreshes to display … multiple submissions will result in the collapse of the Internet. (Just kidding, but if you don't see your photo right away, check back later before trying again.)

Read more by Vicky Walker:

• The Teal Cat Project Turns Tacky Cat Figurines into Chic Centerpieces for Charity
• Who Knew Cat Tchotchke Thrifting Could Be So Difficult?

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Okay, so one time I saw Raja -- the winner of Season 3 -- at a show in Los Angeles and I was temporarily blinded by her sparkle.

Alas, I won't tell you who I'm rooting for. (If Roxxxy Andrews wins I might unfollow RuPaul on Twitter.) (Just kidding -- I'd never do that.)

But if Ru's gurrrls really wanna up their tuck, I'd recommend they study the original queens of fabulous. No, I'm not talking about Queen Elizabeth -- I'm talking about the purveyors of taste, the setters of trends, the rulers of the Internet. I'm talking about cats. Come on, when it comes to being catty, no one else has it covered (in luxurious fur) like a feline does.

Here are 10 cats "RuPaul's Drag Race" should be paying attention to: 

1. Luna the Fashion Kitty

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We're honored to host a regular column from Luna -- she is by far the most fabulous cat! Photo via Luna's Facebook page

We don't need to say much about Luna, except that she knows how to give face, face, face! (And tongue, tongue, tongue!)

2. Cherry Pop

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The last time we talked about Cherry Pop, someone was trying to fund a documentary about her extravagant life. Did they succeed?

Before there was Luna there was Cherry Pop, the original '80s glam pussy. Look at her! She has a tiny fake car and a tiny fake Rodeo Dr. sign! Fake it till ya make it, honey.

3. The "Oh girl, hold on" cat meme

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Let's get some shoes. Let's take this cat with us. Rumor has it Oh Girl Cat can detect a 70-percent off shoe sale from 10 miles away.

4. Catsparella's Charlie

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Catsparella's Stephanie Harwin is responsible for all our feline chic around here. But you know what they say -- behind every fashionista is a feline, and Charlie was musing for Harwin long before Choupette was whispering into Daddy Karl's ear.

5. Sukki, the up and coming starlet 

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This is Sukki. You don't know her yet, but you will. Maybe. Look, this is hard work. Sukki lives in West Los Angeles. She lives in such luxurious decadence that she doesn't even know what a weekend is ... because she doesn't work a nine to five the way the rest of us peons do.

6. Chester Smooshyface

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Photo via Chester's Tumblr -- and yes, you should bookmark that.

This is a look that says, "Treat yourself!" Treat yourself to that catnip, that sun puddle, that indulgent self-grooming session.

7. Pusheen

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Yay! It's Pusheen!

Pusheen is so fancy she wrote a guide to being fancy. Get that unicorn. Ride that rainbow. Anything is possible when you're a cartoon!

8. This random cat I found on Flickr

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Her paws are too pretty for the ground. Photo by Jochen Spalding

Look at this cat. Just look at it. Her fabulousness is literally lifting her from the ground.

9. Pudge

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Can Pudge stop with the cuteness already? No -- she can't.

Is this not the look of total blissful indulgence? That's a trick question -- it is the look of total blissful indulgence! Pudge is so pretty her human friend gives us daily photos of her and she is flaw-free in every single one of them.

10. This cat

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I mean -- yeah. Whenever someone gets jealous of your boogie, just say this to yourself. It's actually a magic spell that makes your haters vanish.

Check out some of the other fabulous things cats on Catster do:

• 7 Ways My Cats Are the Perfect Antidote for High Drama
• You Are Not Ready for Sushi Cat
• How to Take a Cat's Photo Like a Pro (With Advice From a Cat)

Photo: Fancy Ragdoll kitten by Shutterstock.com

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Cat mummies, circa 30 B.C.

It had never occurred to me to preserve the remains of my pets so I could continue to pet them and talk to them -- but I’ve learned that some pet owners find taxidermy, mummification, or freeze-drying to be a way of keeping memories of their beloved pets alive.

In response of a growing media buzz about pet preservation, today I explore these fascinating options. They might seem gruesome, but they do appear to be catching on. 

“Taxidermy is a booming field right now,” says Silverio Martinez, taxidermist at Martinez Brothers Taxidermy of Austin, TX.

Silverio, known to family and customers as Uncle Silver, is right. In the past couple of years, there have been three reality TV shows about the subject. Mounted in Alaska ran on the History Channel in 2011 for one season, but featured only wildlife, not pets. American Stuffers, which ran in 2012 on Animal Planet, also for only one season, dealt solely with pet preservation. Most recently, the AMC competitive taxidermy series Immortalized sparked an article in Time magazine about the “taxidermy renaissance.”

The Time story includes this video featuring Brooklyn pet mummifier P.D. Cagliastro (a.k.a. “Sorceress”), who charges $800 to $4,000 to preserve a pet’s remains in the ancient Egyptian fashion.

Fascinated by death, former embalmer and forensic reconstructionist Cagliastro hopes to mummify a human soon. Like the Ross family of Romance, AR, who starred in American Stuffers, Cagliastro believes that preserving a pet’s remains is an act of love and respect. Her reverent attitude is drawn from the Egyptian belief in the sacredness of animals.

The Martinez family has a more recent, albeit still historic, approach.

“We do traditional taxidermy by hand,” says taxidermist Alex Martinez Jr., whose father purchased the business in 1975.

Since it opened, he estimates the family-owned company has preserved 10 to 15 cats, with five being full mounts, meaning that the entire body was re-created. He says the business has preserved a similar number of dogs.

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Alex Martinez Jr. presiding over Martinez Brothers Taxidermy in Austin, TX.

Often, pet owners will ask for a souvenir of their pet, a part -- usually the hide or a paw -- rather than the entire animal. Alex Jr. says the most recent cat customer had only her cat's hide tanned.

Martinez Brothers charges cat owners $175 to $350 for a tanned hide, which is the same price as the hide of a bobcat. A whole mounting starts at $1,000; the final cost depends on species and size.

“If it’s a long-haired cat, the sutures are going to be covered by the hair, so that makes it easier,” Alex Jr. says. “It takes a little longer to do a short-haired kitty.”

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Daniel Ross of Xtreme Taxidermy works on a cat in Animal Planet's "American Stuffers." Image courtesy DCL.

When a customer wants a full mount, the hide is first separated from the carcass, which is frozen while the hide is being tanned. Once the skin is tanned, the carcass is thawed and positioned according to the pet owner’s wishes. (You might want your cat sitting up looking alert, or curled up to look asleep.) Then a cast is made with molding plaster. The hide is placed over the cast, re-creating the way the animal looked in life to the extent possible.

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Alex Martinez Jr. and a polyurethane mold of a cat. After the hide is tanned, it is placed over the mold and then cured over several days.

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A big cat taxidermied by Page Nethercutt on new taxidermy show "Immortalized."

“Most people, if they get a full mount, want the cat to look like it’s sleeping,” Alex Jr. says. “We do everything right here in the shop, including the posing. Except we have to outsource the glass eyes.”

Freeze-drying is another option for your kitty. This is simpler than taxidermy, which involves a complicated process of tanning the hide and reshaping the animal in a lifelike position by filling the hide with polyurethane foam. In freeze-drying, all moisture is removed from the carcass while it is frozen in a vacuum chamber. The moisture removal can take a long time -- as long s a few months for an average-size cat.

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Grieving cat on gravestone by Shutterstock

Perpetual Pet offers a combination of freeze-drying and taxidermy. The company, with facilities in West Virginia and Florida, calls it “a loving and lasting alternative.” Owners Chris and Sandy Calagan got into the business when their beloved cat Naomi died eight years ago and they decided to preserve her. Naomi, a calico, looks like she is about to awaken at any moment from a contented sleep.

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A freeze-dried family cat made by Preserved Pets.

Pet preservation, like most things associated with death in our highly thanatophobic culture, has its detractors. Take the outrage sparked last summer by “Orvillecopter.” Dutch artist Bert Jansen turned his pet cat, Orville, into a helicopter after the cat was hit by a car. A taxidermist preserved Orville in a splayed-out position, and Jansen inserted an engine into the stomach and propellers on each leg. In June 2012, videos of the macabre machine went viral as Orville flew through the Internet. Jansen was quoted as saying that because his cat liked birds, and now could fly with them, he felt the Orvillecopter was a fitting memorial.

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Many people prefer their departed pets to look as though they are sleeping.

Animal rights groups demonized Jansen, saying that making a flying sculpture from his pet’s body was disrespectful to the cat's memory. Many animal advocates and pet owners agreed. Some say having their animal preserved in a lifelike pose after its death would be a painful reminder of the loss. Others find it to be creepy and even disrespectful. However, a growing faction of people believe that preserving more than just memories of beloved animal companions is sacred as well as practical. As a former Pagan roommate of mine said of her cat, “When she dies, I’m going to make her into gloves.”

YouTube celebrity mortician Caitlin Doughty of Ask a Mortician has a webisode about pet death, suggesting all the options above. She also says you can plant a young tree and mix your pet’s ashes with the soil, but she doesn’t recommend the BiosUrn, a recycled paper urn made by a company that claims cremains have nutrients to fertilize the tree.

“Cremains are completely inorganic,” she says in the video “Pet Death.” If you go this route, make sure your pet’s ashes are mixed with plenty of soil and fertilizer.

If you’re interested in pet preservation -- whether taxidermy, freeze-drying, or mummification -- choose your postmortem artist wisely. Photos of bad animal preservation abound online, with websites dedicated to grotesqueries of unlucky critters frozen in bizarre poses, grimacing horribly, or staring like zombies with big glass eyes. Sometimes, it’s best to be content with photos of your pet while alive and happy. Body preservation is an art, and it is difficult -- as with any art -- to do it well.

Have you thought about how you might pay tribute to your departed cat? If so, would you consider body preservation? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!

More stories about the strange world of cats:

• Wait, People Really Believe in "Demon" Cats?
• A Look at Cat Mummies on Display Around the World
• I Saw the Ghost of My Cat

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I will try to explain this as best I can.

We open with a story about a rare and "magically combined" creature. The Sushi Cat is much like a unicorn -- but better. A Sushi Cat is a cat who rides around on a rice ball where you'd usually find a slice of delicious raw fish. How did the cat get there? What happened to the fish? No one knows for sure, but a really good guess is that the cat ate the fish and then found that the rice was a cozy place to hang out. But it doesn't really matter how Sushi Cat came to be. Sushi Cat is here.

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This is a Sushi Kitten -- rarer than the Sushi Cat.

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Make it raaain, Sushi Cat.

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Group photo!

Sushi Cat is like a falling star -- you can't go looking for a Sushi Cat, they just magically appear "between things." Sushi Cats were more prevalent before we got all jaded, but they're still around, and people who have particularly strong imaginations report more sightings than, say, curmudgeons who hate fun.

Watch the video below -- have you ever seen a Sushi Cat?

We're not sure why this exists. We don't really care. It's sublimely absurd and don't worry! No kitties were hurt! Everything was digitally altered! Binary magic! And don't worry, no one is saying we should eat Sushi Cat -- these handsome and terrifying creatures are strictly for magical, euphoria-inducing purposes.

If you're not grinning ear to ear, we don't know what's wrong with you.

Bonus! Below is the video, History of Sushi Cat, and it explains things more eloquently than we ever could.

Via LaughingSquid

According to the original poster, the cats and the dog never exchanged olive branches. The cats resorted to your typical feline retaliation tactics: Franklin, the bigger, darker cat in the photos, peed in the bed, while Mabel, the Bengal cat, took advantage of every opportunity to harass the puppy. The Beagle puppy, named Ripley, looks pretty confused by the whole situation. 

Does this scene look familiar?

At first the two cats detected something new in their environment. Something that smelled distinctly of freshly cut grass and dog breath ...

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"Hey what's that?"

"A dog! There's a dog on the premises! Engage attack mode!"

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Someone is really unhappy.

"Not so fast. Let's observe the dog first from a safe distance."

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"Observe the enemy from a distance."

"Dude, what the fluff? My human friends left me with two cats. What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this?"

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"This sucks."

"Approach the target carefully, with slow, steady steps. They say dogs only respond to rapid motion. Stalking makes cats virtually invisible."

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Poor Ripley!

Separated only by a pillow, Mabel stares at Ripley with pupils dilated, wondering if she should take advantage of Ripley's moment of distraction for an aggressive pounce. Meanwhile, Ripley wonders what exactly she did to be abandoned thusly to two cats. "Was it that time I peed on the rug? I was barely housebroken!"

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Standoff.

What's it like when your cats encounter a dog? How long does it take for your cats to warm up to a guest?

Images via Reddit 

This week, cats all over the country will hack and cough and yak their way to feline excellence, so make sure you check your shoes before you slap them on for work.

Just kidding! Hairball Week is all about learning about the anatomy of hairballs and how to prevent them. 

And who better to kick off Hairball Week than Colonel Meow? With such a luxurious coat, Colonel Meow must produce hairballs that defy logic -- tiny galaxies of fur and bile spinning out into the universe. Some say they have their own gravitational pull.

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FEAR HIM! Photo via BuzzFeed

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Bow down to our new overlord. Photo via BuzzFeed

Colonel Meow recently became the new CEO at BuzzFeed, where he punished his minions for their appalling lack of wet food. Then he awarded himself several accolades for his superior leadership skills. We dare not question his decision. With his hostile takeover of BuzzFeed, Colonel Meow's global domination is now complete.

And the world shall be covered in his glorious hairballs! Led by the illustrious Colonel Meow, here are 10 furry cats who will be producing some of the most amazing hairballs from their formidable fur coats:

1. The dark gaze of a cat pondering where to yak

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Photo by eva101

2. This cat could probably produce a hairball his own size

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Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

3. Where is the head? Where is the tail? You'll know soon enough when she decides to cough up her gestating hairball

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Photo by rjw1

4. The hairball potency of this cat is so high she actually makes our vision blur, like a heat mirage

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Photo by alexbrn

5. We assure you that this is a cat and not a shag carpet

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Photo by tata_aka_T

6. Someone mastered the art of back combing!

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Photo by Tomi Tapio

7. A majestic coat for a majestic hairball -- she is queen of all she pukes on.

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Photo by McD22

8. Mark her words, the hairball cometh.

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Photo by McD22

9. Cat or duvet cover?

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Photo by monkeywing

10. Oh we want to bury our hands in that belly floof!

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Photo by fab4chiky

See more celebrity cats on Catster:

• Hey Paris Hilton! You Didn't Roll Out the Red Carpet for THIS Celebrikitty!
• There Are Other Famous Cats on the Internet, You Guys!
• I Met Grumpy Cat, and Now My Life Is Complete!
• Lil Bub Skipped My City on Her U.S. Tour and I'm Heartbroken

For example, what if your cat were possessed by a devil, or was a demon in feline guise?

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Superstition has a lot to say about cats. Evil-looking kitty by Shutterstock

In our rationalist, post-Enlightenment world, that seems a bit far-fetched, but for much of history and in many cultures, it was not uncommon to believe that our delightful household companions might have demonic ties.

Because cats are by nature nocturnal, elusive, and independent, many ancient peoples associated them with dark and mysterious things. These included night, the moon, magic, and even death ... and such themes were a natural segue to align cats to demonism and evil powers.

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A man rides a cat to a witches' sabbath in this 15th-century illustration.

This belief has deep roots in the ancient world. The Israelites were very suspicious of cats and called them "demons of the desert," according to Isaiah. For the Chaldeans -- the Mesopotamian tribe which came to rule Babylon -- cats were to be shunned, referred to as "the accursed ones." In Iran, the Zoroastrians considered cats to be servants of the devil Ahriman.

The suspicion that cats were tied to evil powers was found as far away as the Malay Archipelago, where a demon known as a bajang, normally of deformed human shape, would sometimes assume the guise of a cat in order to gain access to villages, where it would eat fetuses and wreak havoc. In Japan and the Scottish Highlands, meanwhile, demonic cats were believed to steal the souls of the recently deceased and drag them to hell.

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A Ghanaian movie poster featuring the titular evil cat.

Ancient Egypt is usually cited as a rejoinder to this ailurophobia -- for Ra's daughter Bastet, cats were considered divine. Bastet even had her own city, Bubastis, where cats were sacred. Still, Egyptians acknowledged that the cat had a dual nature. It could be divine, but it could also be demonic.

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Egyptian cat statues by Shutterstock

Sekhmet, the lion goddess, is considered Bastet's twin, but their relationship more resembles opposite sides of a coin. Bastet is typically considered a tranquil domestic goddess, while Sekhmet was famed for deviltry, violence, and uncontrolled wildness, known to rejoice in slaughter and lap up the blood of humans.

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Lion-headed goddess Sekhmet is known for wildness and devilry -- very catlike! Sekhmet painting from Egypt by Shutterstock

The Christian era further solidified the links between demons and cats. A theory existed that demons had been prolific in the pagan world, and with the coming of Christ, people were now considerably more resistant to their influence. The demons did not just disappear, however -- they transmigrated into the most amenable hosts they could find: animals. Thus, animals were considered ripe for demonic possession, in particular cats, which already had potential ties to sinister forces. A possessed cat would exhibit behavior much like a possessed person: speaking in tongues, levitating, performing acts of sacrilege, and spitting fire or vomiting forth strange objects.

Certain demons were thought to be especially likely to assume the form of a cat. Chief among these was Baal. A former Semitic divinity considered by the Israelites to be a false god, Baal had stuck around and eventually evolved into a major arcana, becoming one of the princes of Hell.

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The demon Baal: man, cat, and toad. From Collin de Plancy's Dictionnaire infernal (1862).

He was depicted with a tripartite nature -- equally man, toad, and cat. As a cat, he could easily sneak into towns and villages and wreak havoc. Cat-Baal was blamed for defiling a French church, including killing the priest with bursts of toxic vomit and removing the human head from a statue of Christ and replacing it with a feline one covered in some kind of reeking liquid.

Baal was also accused of appearing as a cat during a Holy Week procession in Spain. It was said that the cat defecated on the crucifix carried by the parishioners. When shocked church members tried to shoo it away, the cat grew to enormous size and chased them off with huge fangs bared, then released a fart so powerful it broke windows.

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Meet Kasha, the Japanese demon cat who eats corpses.

Such stories further enforced the belief that cats could be in league with demons. Sixteenth-century French scholar (and demonologist) Nicholas Remy even commented that "all cats are demons." The Enlightenment quashed such stories by making them unfashionable and vulgar. Still, the belief in possessed cats continued, proving especially resilient in some areas; within the last decade, cats and goats have been tried for witchcraft and demonic possession in Africa. A horror film was even made in Ghana about demonically possessed cats.

There were multiple accounts of a demonic cat in London during World War II, and there is a demonic cat which is to this day believed to haunt the U.S. Capitol. Known as "D.C." (for "demonic cat" and "District of Columbia"), it is also the one which has been most testified to. Prowling the Capitol for the past 150 years, it has been seen by maintenance workers, guards, and even a gaggle of well-known politicos. Among other honors, it is the only demonic cat to have its own Wikipedia page.

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Does a scary black cat lurk in the Capitol? Black cat and pentagram by Shutterstock

The demonic cat in Washington has long been considered a harbinger of national disaster. It is known to appear, growing in size over a period of nights, to presage catastrophes soon to strike the nation. These have included sightings before a flood killed 2,200 people in Johnstown, Pa., in 1889; prior to a hurricane which killed 8,000 in Galveston, Texas, in 1900; and in advance of the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.

The demon cat was also said to appear before Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were assassinated, and in the days before Richard Nixon's resignation. Its current whereabouts are unknown, and it has not been seen for in recent memory -- but it is telling that a maintenance worker reported strange meowing sounds the night before the 9/11 attacks. Somewhere deep in the recesses of the U.S. Capitol Building, at least one demonic cat still lurks in the modern world.

Paul Koudounaris has a Ph.D. in art history and is the author of The Empire of Death, a study of religious sanctuaries decorated in human bone, and the forthcoming Heavenly Bodies, a study of 17th-century decorated skeletons. He has written for a wide selection of magazines and newspapers, including several features for Fortean Times. He can be contacted at his website, Empire de la Mort. 

Read more about ghost cats, psychic cats, and other spooky things:

• I Saw the Ghost of My Cat 
• I Was Visited by the Ghost of My Cat, Maynard 
• Why Black Cats Sometimes Get a Bad Rap
• I'm SO Over the Myth ofBlack Cats as Bad Luck. Are You?
• When the Cat Met the Psychic House Cleaner 
• A Look at Cat Mummies on Display Around the World 

But if you ask your cat about it, the cat will say, "I am not stealing. I am a cat. I own everything. I am just letting you borrow that glass of water, but it's actually mine, and I can take it back at any time with or without warning."

Here are 10 cats taking back what's "rightfully" theirs. Who's going to object?

1. You've had your cootie shots, right?

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Photo by ButterflySha

2. That's enough coffee for you, now get back to work paying attention to me

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Photo by schwuk

3. This is my candy now

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Photo by rileyroxx

4. This is also my candy now

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Photo via Reddit

5. Speaking of food, this is my pizza crust

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Photo by Dan4th

6. Thanks for keeping this seat warm for me -- your big human butt is perfect for that

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Photo by flossyflotsam

7. I will not be outdone by your man-cub. I, too, can dribble food down my chin.

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Photo by quixado

8. This is my vacation -- thanks for packing my bags for me. I sure hate packing.

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Photo by kaelin.fe

9. This is my fish -- thanks for catching it for me. Yes, I'm making sushi.

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Photo by Genista

10. Whatever you have, I want it. Preemptively.

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Photo by tralliott

What kind of items do your cats "steal"? Tell us in the comments!

Photo: Cat quietly went to the table, hoping to steal a sausage dish by Shutterstock

And don't forget about the mega-boards bursting with cute outfit ideas and even cuter men and kittens. Sometimes the Pinterest gods smile upon us and we happen upon a board featuring cute men holding cute kittens. 

What would cats post on their pinboards? We have some ideas! 

1. TP art projects

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Cats love crafts! Cat-Scratched Toilet Paper by Flickr Creative Commons

It may look like cats mindlessly scratch toilet paper rolls, but there's actually some creativity behind those claws. Some cats prefer precise techniques while others get their Pollock on, but they all have one thing in common: They're artists. Sometimes a cat is tired of the same old technique and wants to get the the artsy juices flowing, so where does he turn? Pinterest, of course. There, an artistic feline can peruse photos of toilet tissue art and pin their favorites to their TP Art board.

2. Box brainstorming

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A box and grease! Great idea! Cat Lying in Pizza Box by Flickr Creative Commons

Cats are always looking for new ways to mix up the box experience. Kitty Pinteresters will explore other users' unique angles on getting the most out of the trusty old box. Lying in a used pizza box is beneficial in two ways: The cat enjoys the box as a resting place, and he can easily lean over and lick the delicious post-pizza grease from the cardboard. Who knew?

3. Bugs and other swattables

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"This is the best eye candy!" Fly on a Leaf by Flickr Creative Commons

Flies, moths, butterflies and ladybugs are just the beginning of the fun and tasty images pinned to these boards. Cats take such pleasure in watching these creatures poised on the screen or in a light fixture. They'll stare at them for hours, waiting for the moment of their movement. The anticipation makes the swatting so much sweeter. When there's no insect readily available, they can gaze at Pinterest boards and dream. 

4. Dish decorating

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"I'm trying this one, for sure!" Cat Toys in Water Bowl by Flickr Creative Commons

Why settle for a plain bowl of water when you can adorn your agua with floating decor? The dish decoration boards are hotspots on Pinterest. Nothing tickles a feline's fancy more than sipping water or eating food from a festive dish. And if floating toys aren't their thing, they can drop some dry kibble inside and watch it expand! Fun and decorative! 

5. Practical tips for the morning

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"I haven't tried this one!"Cat Lying on Woman's Face by Flickr Creative Commons

Morning is a cat's favorite time, and when she's ready to wake up, she wants us to rise and shine. Walking around the bed and meowing gets old, and simply staring at the sleeping human doesn't get results. On these helpful boards, cats will learn techniques from the successes of others. Stealing a pillow sometimes works well. Draping yourself over a slumbering face is even more effective. 

6. Humorous quotations

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"Sharing."

Cats love a good laugh and spend hours chuckling at the hilarious quips and quotations found on these boards. Some jokester felines boast popular humor boards whose traffic rivals that of Cheezburger. 

7. Slick lookouts

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"I'm going to remember this one!"Cat Perching on Top of Door by Flickr Creative Commons

Good hiding spots are sometimes difficult to come by, and cats tire of tucking themselves under beds and dressers. Why not benefit from the experience and cleverness of cats who've mastered the art of concealment? On the hiding boards, kitties demonstrate smooth techniques and creative hideaways available in most every home.

8. Time management suggestions

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"This looks fun!" Cat Scratching Sofa and Sliding by Flickr Creative Commons

Don't have time for scratching furniture and sliding around on the floor? Why not save yourself some time and combine the two? Everyone knows cats are busy and always looking for building more "me" time into their day. With the time management ideas found on these boards, cats can easily add two to three more hours of sleeping and bathing into their day. 

9. Seasonal shoe delights

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"I love summer."Cat Lying on Flip Flops by Flickr Creative Commons

Stinky shoes! Each season is an olfactory festival for kitty as he explores the parade of weather-appropriate footwear. But he doesn't have to wait until June to enjoy photos of flipflops and strappy sandals. In the middle of January, he can log onto Pinterest and daydream about the smells of the summer season. 

10. Drawers-aplenty

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"How cozy!"Cat Lying in Drawer by Flickr Creative Commons

Open drawers of all sizes are cat magnets. Drawers of dish towels? Yes! Drawers of socks? Yes! Empty drawers on the floor? Yes! A cat can pounce right onto the drawer boards and glean insight into a variety of household drawers he might not have considered. Note to humans: Although cats love drawers, they can become trapped if we're not careful. Please thoroughly check every drawer before closing it. 

What would your cat pin to a Pinterest board? Tell us in the comments!

Read more posts by Angie Bailey:

• 8 Fortune Cookie Messages For Cats
• We Decode the Facial Expressions of These 10 Cats
• 5 Ways My Cats Show Me Who's Really in Charge

That is the fortune bestowed upon me by Sister Clara Clairvoyant: the Psychic Cat.

It was the beginning of my sophomore year of college in Los Angeles. I was experiencing an existential crisis (indulgent, I know), so I called up two classmates whom I barely knew but already felt connected to.

"Hey, let's get out of here. Let's go to -- I dunno -- Johnny Rockets at the Promenade and grab dinner. I'll drive."

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The Promenade adorned with lights for the holidays. Photo by Matt A/Evasion Photography

We sat around the table outside. It was warm autumn day in Southern California. This was back in 2004, before the big box stores arrived on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, sweeping the panhandlers and unlicensed street performers under the rug to transform it into a tourist destination.

My friends and I pretended to be adults as we lamented our troubles. We were all going through bizarre roommate drama. Macy's roommate situation had devolved into random messages from strange men, Stacy's roommate situation involved a visit from the paramedics, and my own roommate situation found me requesting a new place to live within university housing.

Finishing our milkshakes and fries, we noticed a street vendor with a cardboard sign and a cat on his shoulder. The cat was dressed in a shiny silk vest because she was a psychic cat -- she was Sister Clara Clairvoyant. For five dollars she would tell you your fortune.

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Five dollars seems like a small price to pay for my future (or, at the very least, a bit of entertainment). Photo by Malingering

This seemed a small price to pay for such important information, and I was feeling a little desperate for an answer, so I sat down on the stool in front of the man and his cat and handed over my money.

Sister Clara was, of course, no actual oracle, rather just a cute, well-trained cat with no fear of crowds, who didn't seem to mind her harness, leash, and vest ... but let's suspend our disbelief and pretend that she was, indeed, a psychic cat, and that her human in tow was, in fact, the priest serving her temple of vision.

The man instructed me to roll up my five dollar bill, so I did, and Sister Clara gingerly plucked it from my fingers between her paws. Then the man mumbled an incantation, looked briefly at my palm, and whispered something to the cat, offering her a basket of neatly rolled up tiny scrolls. Sister Clara meowed, her green eyes focused, and after a moment of hesitation, selected my fortune, handing it to me the same way she took my money. The reading was done.

"What does it say?" Macy asked as I unrolled the paper. I showed it to her. "That's really vague," she said.

Allow me to repeat the fortune: "Finally, your good days are coming. Let love come into your life, which will amaze even you. Take advantage of meeting the best person who is quite compatible with you. So do all you can to keep a happy balance."

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This isn't me. But, as you can see, the Psychic Cats were a famous 3rd St. staple. Photo by Mulling it Over

That year I fell in love with a boy who introduced me to My Bloody Valentine and the Oakland A's and the art of drinking beer slowly on a Tuesday night. It wasn't really love, but for years I thought he was the "best person who is quite compatible" with me. We dated throughout college with the reckless passion of two young, stupid, aimless people. I thought my "good days" had come. We broke up after trying to live together. Sister Clara had been wrong.

But while my romantic relationship had ended, my friendship with Macy and Stacy persevered. Years after our first trip to the Promenade, we went to see a friend's art show at a gallery in Santa Monica. Gone were the street vendors -- the man who would dance on roller skates to a retro stereo blasting music, the kids who would do backflips down the corridor and then offer their upturned caps for change, the transient population taking advantage of the weather, and, sadly, the feline oracle and her human priest. In their places loomed a Gap, an American Apparel, and an Urban Outfitters, along with tourists who tripped as they stared at the dazzling displays.

It was then that it occurred to me that Sister Clara had not been referring to romantic love, but the love of eternal friendship -- specifically with Macy and Stacy, who had been present the night of my fortune-telling. Indeed, the steadfastness of our friendship "amazed even myself." We had remained friends while my romances came and went.

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According to other accounts, sometimes the cats wore dresses. Photo by Bright Green Pants

Until, that is, I moved to San Francisco and our friendship dissolved in the universal solvent of time, distance, and actual adulthood. People's priorities and practices change, and I admit I stretched the patience of my friends with my emotional needs, as I navigated my rocky uprooting to a new city.

Now I consider the fortune of Sister Clara, recalling that night, balmy still with the leftovers of summer, when my now-former friends and I sat huddled around a table at a faux-'50s chain restaurant pretending to be grown-ups. I'd been so naive -- I thought I was going through the worst time of my life when, really, it was the best time of my life, and I had wasted it worrying about a future I couldn't control. Sister Clara didn't actually know anything.

Or maybe she knew everything. This is no revelation, of course, but the fortune she bestowed upon me is that the future is unpredictable. Just now I searched through old photos, trying to find the one Macy (or was it Stacy?) took of me receiving my feline fortune. I am sure the photo exists, but I can't find it. I wasted a lot of time looking through snapshots, digging in vain for some proof that night actually happened.

And in doing so I fell down a shaft of regret -- I wish I had not said some of those mean things I said to my college boyfriend, I wish I had found a therapist in San Francisco sooner so I would not have burdened my friends ... I wish, I wish, I wish. But just as I wasted my youth worrying about my future, I realize now I am wasting my wisdom worrying about the past.

As Sister Clara said, "Do all you can to keep a happy balance." I suppose that balance is to remain present.

Got a Cathouse Confessional to share?

We're looking for purrsonal stories from our readers about life with their cats. E-mail confess@catster.com -- we want to hear from you!

What I never anticipated was in addition to life-saving work, there’s a flipside. I call it the freak factor. Yes, I’m referring to dealing with people.

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To be fair, if someone wants to adopt from us, I don’t blindly give up the cat. Each person has to fill out a pre-adoption application. I call the person's vet for a reference. I do a home visit. Some people cruelly joke that it’s easier to purchase a handgun than it is to adopt a kitten.

I recently got an application for our foster cat Bongo. I rescued Bongo from a kill shelter. He had no hope of ever getting out alive because the shelter in question euthanizes 98 percent of the more than 300 cats that arrive every month.

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Bongo gets to know me. Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

Bongo has severe nerve damage to his right front leg, so he can’t walk on it. I’ve had four vets review his X-rays and confirm that Bongo can keep his leg, but this means whoever adopts him must be willing to have his leg examined occasionally.

The application in question left me cold. The person is unemployed, she lives out of state (too far to do a home visit), and she didn’t provide much more than a single-word answer to the questions on the form. I had a bad feeling about it, but because I wanted to be fair, I called her vet.

A person at the vet's office reported she’d brought her cat to them a few days ago and had it euthanized. The cat was 14 years old and had a mass in her abdomen. I asked whether the cat had come in for any care prior to being put down, and the person said no.

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Bongo likes what he sees. Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

I wanted to spare this woman’s feelings, so instead of denying her outright, I wrote saying we could not do an out-of-state adoption, hoping it would be enough to send her on her way.

She volleyed back with an accusatory (uncorrected) email saying: “How can you turn down me. I thought SPCA'S and any kind of animal shelter looks for homes for these sweet pets. Your breaking my heart even more. I had my heart set on hoping to get him..Please let me adopted Bongo.”

Along with her messages were two photos -- one of her holding her dead cat, the other one of a tin containing her cat’s cremains. When I saw the photos, my jaw hit the floor.

It was a cruel thing to do, but in the photos I saw why she went off the deep end about my foster. Bongo looked exactly like her deceased cat!

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Bongo does resemble this cat who crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

I’m sorry, but a cat is not a lamp you broke. You can’t go to the store and get a new one just like it to replace it.

It happened to be my birthday, and all I wanted to do was go out for a seafood lunch along the shoreline. I rarely go out, and it was a special treat, but now that this person was ramping up her tactics, I began to wonder whether it was safe to leave.

No sooner than my partner Sam and I began our trip to the coast, the voicemail chime went off on my mobile phone. I began to read the choppy voice-to-text transcription: “Hi, this is ____ that I'm at the new town. Please station…”

The Newtown police station? She’s at the police station trying to get my address?

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Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

She had driven more than an hour to do what? Did she figure that in person she could “charm” me, changing my mind about adopting Bongo to a crazy person? What was she going to do if I didn’t give her the cat?

In a fit of rage I called her back. How dare she pull these dramatics when all I had done was be respectful to her? I told her I found her actions “alarming” (though I wanted to use much harsher language). She told me that I had mental problems and then hung up on me. What do I do now? Do I race home and protect my house? Do I have my lunch and not let her hysterics ruin my day?

I had a lousy lunch. We canceled our other plans and returned home.

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This lobster turned out to be rather unfriendly. Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

As soon as we arrived, I frantically scanned the house checking on each of my eight cats. They were fine. I entered the foster room and saw Bongo, sitting there on his cat tree, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

Relieved that all was well, I returned to my office and sat down at my computer.

The woman hadn’t given up. Waiting in my inbox was another accusatory email. This time her goal was to belittle me. I fought the urge to reply because I didn’t trust myself to not to fire back at her.

I had Sam draft a reply. He’s the vice president of our rescue and was far enough removed from the situation to lend some clarity. His response was plainly written, fact-based, and not aggressive in tone. His letter included a few words in my defense that I was grateful to read: “Your assessment of Robin is unfair and just plain rude. We deal with the public every day - from government officials and the media to small children -- and she's a skilled and empathetic communicator. People who know her -- as opposed to people who merely shout at her on the phone -- know this.”

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Photo by Robin A.F. Olson

To date I haven’t heard from her again, and I’ve moved on to reviewing another application. This one says “there is no way I’m going to let you do a home visit -- get real. I have three kids. We need to get a cat this week, so when can we come see them?”

Here we go again.

Meanwhile, Bongo is still patiently waiting for a less “enthusiastic” adopter.

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Robin A.F. Olson writes the cat-centric blog Covered in Cat Hair and is president and founder of Kitten Associates Inc. Olson lives in Newtown, CT, with an ever-changing number of cats. When she's not scooping litter pans, she does stand-up comedy and is a spotter for the National Weather Service.

Since then, I've made a cat toy out of cat hair, created a felt finger puppet in the likeness of my own kitty, and even had a reader send me a beautiful cat-hair bead necklace that she created using fur from my cat, Priscilla. (And yes, it felt a little weird sending someone I had never met an envelope of cat hair, but the end result was totally worth it.)

Last year, FURminator held a competition amongst cat bloggers from across the country to create a celebrity using excess cat fur. My creation was a blue-haired Katy Perry (er, Katy Purry), and guess what? I won! The grand prize was a $1,000 donation to the animal rescue of my choice, proving once and for all that crafting with cat hair can pay.

I know some people have trouble getting over the idea that cat hair is "gross," but it's clean, doesn't smell, and comes in plentiful supply. I hate finding stray cat hairs in my food as much as the next person, but when it comes to crafting, it's fair game.

If you're not ready to get your paws mixed up in your cat's excess fluff, there are quite a few Etsy artists who are happy to do the heavy lifting and create the cat hair project of your dreams. Whether you're commissioning a custom piece or are content with using the cat hair of another, these five unique items are sure to give you fur-ball fever.

1. Felted Kitty Finger Puppet

This adorable, embellished finger puppet was made using a tutorial from "Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat," by Japanese artist Kaori Tsutaya. The process for making your own keepsake puppet isn't particularly difficult, but can prove to be time consuming, as I learned when trying the project out for myself. 

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Simplify the process by picking up a perfectly sculpted, pre-made cat hair puppet from Monika of Felt Like It 222. Sure, it may not be made out of your own cat's fur, but you'll still own a cool conversation starter, along with a piece of Monika's adopted cat, KC.

2. Cat Luv Necklace With Your Cat's Hair

Flora Davis is a talented jewelry maker who gained fame after turning her Ragamuffin cat Gaia's hair into unique, cat hair-inspired accessories. Davis's catty creations include earrings and sculptural necklaces, which are bonafide works of art.

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In addition to working with Gaia's fur, Flora is also open to creating commissioned pieces using your cat's own fluff. My favorite design is the Cat Luv necklace, which includes a felted heart made from your cat's hair, enclosed between two squares of wire mesh. You might not always be able to have your kitty by your side, but you can always keep them close to your heart!

3. Cat Hair Catnip Mice

Another fun, easy, and weird use for cat hair is to make cat toys out of it. Since it can be molded, it's easy to roll into little logs or balls, which cats love to toss around. But why stick to simple shapes when you can go all out? The artist behind Nine Live Twine Cat Hair Creations got creative and fashioned her cat's fuzz it into a traditional cat toy shape, which is sure to drive your kitties wild.

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These adorable catnip mice have a felted cat-hair exterior and wool core stuffed with organic catnip and organic catnip spray -- which will definitely help soften the blow once the cats realize that their mousies are really just kitties in disguise.

4. Handknit Ragdoll Cat Hair Bag

I feel like I'm obligated to make some kind of "cat's out of the bag" joke here, but in reality the cat here actually IS the bag. Entwined Spirits creates handknits out of dog and cat hair, including bags like this one, and something called "spirit baskets." 

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This particular bag was made using the fur of a handsome Vancouver Island Ragdoll kitty named Gabriel. According to the seller, Ragdolls tend to be "affectionate, playful, and easy-going," and it is her hope that owning the bag will also help bring some of those qualities into your life. On an unrelated note, imagine carrying around this furry pouch and having someone ask you where you got it! They'd either end up running for their lives or thinking it was the coolest thing ever. 

5. Meowmorials

As morbid as the name might sound, Meowmorials are actually touching feline tributes, which can be commissioned long before your kitty makes her journey to the great litter box in the sky. These cool little figures can be made to look just like your kitty using his actual hair, and they provide a lasting memento in a way that's much cuter (and less creepy) than taxidermy.

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The custom made critters by Nine Lives Twine Cat Hair Creations come as small as 3 to 4 inches tall, or as large as 5 to 6. The artist also encourages embellishments like cat whiskers (if you don't have any, she'll add her own), and other long hair accents like mane, paws, and tail. As far as custom kitty items go, this one of the coolest I've ever seen. If you're looking for something a little more personalized, it's an interesting, if not unusual, alternative to a traditional felted figure or portrait.

Looking for more cat style? Check these out:

• Seven Creative, Crafty Uses for Cat Hair
• Be the Cat of Your Dreams: Wear a Cat-Ears Headband
• The 5 Craziest Cat Leggings to Rock This Spring

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This is how your cat sees herself every time she chases after a laser pointer.

"A long time ago, human, we were once mighty lions and leopards, roaming the hot, sparse grasslands or stalking through wet, dense jungles. I myself am the distant relative of an ancient Asian tiger who battled a python to become King of the Jungle, striking fear into the hearts of all who beheld him. Don't raise your eyebrow, human, this is the truth, and for your petulance, I promise to rise at 4 a.m. every morning for the next month, demanding to be fed."

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This is what your cat is thinking when she looks at birds out the window.

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Queen of the Jungle.

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"Me and lions, we're like THIS."

OK, maybe it doesn't happen exactly like that, but come on, admit it -- there are times your cat gives you that look of disdain that says, "Don't forget I am one of nature's finest killers!" Usually followed up with a decapitated bird on your doorstep.

Cat food brand Whiskas has tapped into your kitty's ego with a series of ads featuring cats in their natural habitat: Pretending to be much bigger than they are. And just like cats love when you stroke that spot right above their butts, they also love having their egos stroked. So these ads totally nail it.

Whatever you think of Whiskas, these ads are pretty darn clever.

Via Design Taxi

And forget about getting the perfect photo the the first time around. Not only will kitty make us work for that pic, she'll jump in and sabotage any other non-her photo we're attempting to snap.

Each feline photobomb comes with its own intention. Some are more in-your-face than others, but they all have one thing in common: They wreck our efforts at capturing that flawless photo. Here are six types of cat photobombs.

1. The subtle photobomb of disapproval

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"This is weird, right?" Photo by Bitch Cakes

This type of photobomb is a great way to convey sarcasm: "I want you to see my disapproval, but I also want you to notice I don't care enough to fully place myself inside your silly little frame. In fact, you're lucky you get to see me at all -- I'm pretty busy." This move sends a strong signal of both criticism and arrogance, both of which come naturally to felines. Despite their aloof facade, the cat will return for more of these photobombs, proving that cats can never find enough opportunities to bask in the splendor of superiority.

2. The obvious photobomb of disapproval

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"No." Photo by Sentience

In this more brazen brand of photobomb, the cat clearly desires to send a strong message of repugnance. She places her perfectly focused, disapproving face well within the frame and maintains a position that will undoubtedly ruin the special moment to be captured in the pic. She wants no misunderstandings -- she's irritated and she wants the world to see her annoyance. This is the equivalent of a cat unapologetically flipping off a human. 

3. The subtle photobomb of narcissism

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"Meeee?" Photo by MaryLouiseEklund

This maneuver is mostly the result of a cat trying to make herself the center of attention, but not moving quickly enough to finish the effect. The instigator is oftentimes a newbie to this play and, unfortunately, the sloppiness of the amateur move makes the photobomber look more desperate and less self-centered. In fact, she's not centered at all.

4. The obvious photobomb of narcissism 

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"Meee!"Photo by MaryEllenCG

The cat who uses this one knows how to work a photobomb. She pokes her entire head into the frame just before the photographer notices her presence, hijacking the snapshot. When we remove her from the area, she creeps back in and pops up in each subsequent shot. She's like a tiny, conceited, photobombing ninja. She cannot be contained. 

5. The subtle photobomb of tomfoolery

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The tail-end of a photobomb. Photo by Ced

This photobomb has the word "shenanigan" written all over it. The kitty disrupts the photo only slightly, just enough to ruin its perfection. The cat who fancies this tactic is an intelligent trickster. She knows the art of stealth and is skilled in pushing a prank just far enough to make mischief, but not far enough to get caught. 

6. The obvious photobomb of tomfoolery

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"Don't mind me."

Jokesters who throw this curveball like to cause scenes and don't care who sees them. They're the streakers of the feline photobombing crowd. Their main objective is to effectively destroy the entire photograph (and then show not an ounce of remorse). The more they can wreck the shot, the better. A cat proficient in this play considers each photobomb opportunity a challenge to see just how much of the frame she can commandeer and how creatively she can block the subject being photographed.  

Do you cats use any of these photobomb tactics? Tell us about it in the comments!

Read more posts by Angie Bailey:

• We Decode the Facial Expressions of These 10 Cats
• 6 Ways Cats Are WAY Cooler Than Me
• 6 College Degrees For Cats

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The poster continues to live in classrooms and offices everywhere, and has been parodied and replicated and re-imagined. In all of its pop culture history, no one's ever stopped to consider the obvious: Why would a cat -- of all creatures -- be offering motivation?

Cats are the laziest creatures on Earth, motivated only by the sound of a can opener, the rustle of a treat bag, or the sheer nefarious joy of waking us in the middle of the night with their thundering races around the room. In protest of this gross "misrepresentation," here are 10 un-motivational cats:

1. It's not even worth it to open my eyes fully to look at you

This narrow view of you is enough to know I'm disgusted, and so is everyone else, so just stop trying.

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Photo by patti haskins

2. Hit the snooze button

In fact, just throw your alarm clock out the window. What's the point in getting out of bed today?

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Photo by Canadacow

3. You will never catch the birds

You call it a "glass ceiling," we cats call it a "glass window."

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Photo by Jacob Davies

4. This is what I think of you

This is what everyone thinks of you.

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Photo by zenilorac

5. You're never going to finish writing "that novel"

Especially not with this relic of a computer.

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Photo by AlishaV

6. At least you made it to the couch

Although that's not a far leap when you fell asleep there last night.

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Photo by niseag03

7. You will never be as cool as we are

Look at our laser eyes. You will never have laser eyes.

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Photo by heydn

8. Hey, are those my own paws?

(This cat is too distracted to motivate you.)

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Photo by lofaesofa

9. Don't bother getting up

You make a better cat bed than a contributing member of society.

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Photo by TheSeafarer

10. You will always be stuck without an arm rest

Because I am sitting on it.

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Photo by Mr. T in DC

Training in dog face boxing starts young. Here's Nikita the kitten versus a toy dog. Nikita proves to be a fierce foe, deploying a series of springing leaps and kicks to knock the toy dog off its little wheels. If Nikita keeps practicing this way, she's sure to become a skilled fighter.

Cats 1, Dogs 0

This miniature sighthound and cat seem to be pretty evenly matched weight-wise. The cat's swift moves lull the dog into a confused trance, as if the cat is some kind of feline Jedi. "You will buzz off," the Jedi cat commands. And the "weak-minded" dog does exactly that.

Cats 2, Dogs 0

HALFTIME! 

Well, not really. We just wanted to take a break to show you two cats shredding a roll of new paper towels. To add insult to injury, the camera pans left, revealing an entire cat-tree scratching post at the cats' disposal. What's more fun than a cat tree? The sound of agony humans make when you waste their hard-earned dollars.

Back to the fights: 

Another method of dealing with dogs is the good old "act blasé about it" method, which whips peanut-brained canines into a frenzy. Even a dog named after fighting -- the Boxer -- can't deal with this cat's sly moves. While the dog exhausts himself, the cat delivers only a couple of strategic blows to victory.

Cats 3, Dogs 0

But when all is said and done, these "enemies" are only playing, and then it's time to cuddle up for bed. That is, until they have to fight over who gets to hold the stuffed animal for the night -- Pancake the cat decides to be nice and let Sugar Tree have the plush eel.

Along with the cats featured in this post, we hope we never meet any of the jerk cats in this video. Although, if your cat starts acting like a jerk when she is normally well-behaved, there might be something wrong with her. The cure might be a vacation, but don't expect her to send postcards.

Photo: Cat confronts a dog by Shutterstock

We also live with our cats much more closely than we once did -- our own cats are increasingly indoor-only, a practice many people are following because of the dangers of outdoor life. We look at our companion kitties as members of our family, not as property.

The law, unfortunately, has not done quite as good a job of acknowledging the expanding role of pets in the lives of their humans. In most states, pets are property. This means that, while it’s a popular trope in movies, you can’t leave money to your cat in your will. So, if you care about your cats, you need to make a plan about what to do for your kitties while you’re still alive.

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Sorry, Hollywood. No cats in wills. But there are other legal ways to provide for your pet. Last will by Shutterstock.

Before going further, I'll address a few preliminary issues. First, wills, trusts, and estates, and the laws that govern them, vary wildly from state to state. I'll discuss them in the context of California law, but the laws of your community may be different. Second, although I am a law student scheduled to take the bar exam in July, I am not a lawyer, and nothing I say should be taken as legal advice, other than I can help identify issues that might interest you. Third, if you read this after I have been admitted to the bar, then it shouldn’t be taken to establish any sort of attorney-client relationship.

Now, let's talk about our pets.

In California (and most states work similarly) you can’t leave money to an animal. Likewise, animals cannot be the beneficiaries of a binding contract. When you pay for pet grooming, you’re paying for a service for yourself. And while you may be able to seek damages if the groomer hurts your pet, you can’t complain that kitty doesn’t like his haircut. So, I can’t just buy some life insurance to keep Mina in the kibble and scritchies to which she has grown accustomed.

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Will kitty get the car? Probably not, but he might still be able to sleep on top of it. Photo by Pelican

You can leave a pet to a person that you trust, however, and you can ask that person to care of your cat. You can leave money to that person to pay for the costs of maintaining your beloved kitty. On the other hand, you can’t condition that the money must pay for the cat, or that the person must care for the cat. You can certainly include such language in your will, but, in California, it won’t be enforceable. As a note, if you really trust the person, this will probably be fine. Most people do this, and the cats lead happy lives.

If you have someone who you trust to care for your cats, talk to that person. Make sure the person is willing to care for your fur child, and pay attention to changes that could make such an agreement impractical. A new baby may intervene, or newly discovered allergies may render such a promise impossible. The care for your beloved companion will depend entirely upon what this person chooses to do, so make sure that it is as easy as possible to provide good care.

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Will kitty get to keep drinking water from fancy stemware? Depends on who oversees the trust. Photo by Michiel Van Balen by Shutterstock.

If you want a means of leaving money to care for a pet, you can establish a trust. A trust is a legal instrument with a goal to serve a specific purpose. Trusts exist to fund scholarships, to maintain buildings, and to take care of people. You can also have a trust to take care of a cat. Establishing a trust requires a trustee. The trustee should be a person you trust (heh) to take care of your cat, but here’s the difference: A trustee doesn’t necessarily need to physically care for the cat. That person can have the cat boarded, find it a good home, or otherwise make sure your beloved pet is taken care of. The advantage of the trustee over the person named in your will is that the trustee has a legal obligation to make sure your little kitty continues in the life to which she has grown accustomed.

Pet trusts are currently allowed in 46 states. To see whether your state is one of them, click here. A pet trust is an enforceable legal document, which contains all of the following:

• What animals are covered
• Who takes care of the animals
• How much money will be kept by the trust to care for the animals
• Special instructions regarding care
• Who goes to court and enforce the trust if the caretaker doesn’t care for your kitty
• What happens to any remaindered money in the trust after kitty passes on

Also, you can include a stipulation regarding what happens if you can’t take care of your pets before your death.

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Vacations in Italy for your cat? Sure! If you've got the money. Cat at luxury country house in Tuscany by Shutterstock.

Not all trusts require paying a lawyer, but a good estate lawyer will have a reasonable price to look over your trust and make sure that it is binding and includes all necessary details. Also, an attorney can make sure the trust is filed -- and that attorney might be the one you assign to pay attention to what happens to your cat after your death, and to go to court to enforce the demands of the trust.

There are books and online resources to help you establish a trust, but make sure that you’re using ones for your state. Also, remember that no book can take the place of a trusted competent professional. People from California should check out Nolo Press. Other states have similar resources.

Do you have a plan for your kitties should you pass away before them? Let us know in the comments!