Caturday blogging: Friends of all stripes

It was a week for weird cats in the news, so this Caturday, we thought we’d do a quick tour of the interesting cats we learned about!

It’s been an especially nutty news cycle this week, and more than constant in the politics department. So it was a breath of fresh air each time a major outlet took a moment to talk about an unusual cat they had heard about. Fortunately for us, this also happened a bit more often than usual this week. And it’s Caturday! So if you missed any of the fabulous, unique felines we met this week, now’s your chance to hear their stories.

First up, we have Lord Bigglesworth, who is an “utter bastard of a cat.” He’s currently up for adoption in Australia, but if you read his bio, he actually sounds completely fabulous. He can be incredibly sweet, just on his own terms, and require someone patient with his eccentricities who won’t freak out when he doesn’t want cuddles or raises a ruckus about wanting out:

"He will let you know [when] he is not happy, which is often because things are often just not up to his high standards. … Mr Biggles likes his cuddles on his terms, and will sit in your lap when he decides it’s time. If the stroking is not up to his standards, he will nip you."

Biggles is no longer up for adoption, but is instead on hold, meaning he’s probably found just the right human to put up with his tantrums in return for the rewarding love that only comes from a well-cared-for kitty.

Next up, meet Omar:

Omar is currently in the running for the Guinness Book of Work Records for the world’s longest cat, clocking in at 3 feet, 11 inches. Omar is a Maine Coon who started out as a normal-sized kitten. No one suspected he would grow into the gorgeous, orange giant he is now!

Omar likes to sleep on the trampoline, eat kangaroo meat, and play outside. He weighs 31 lbs, making it difficult for his human to cart him around. He’s not too keen on all the attention and work lately with the Guinness Book, though, and would rather go back to sleeping in the sun. Same, Omar. Same.

Since we’re talking about World Records, here’s another one. This kitty has the world’s loudest purr:

You can tell that cat is happy from rooms away! Good thing it’s so easy to get Merlin to purr in the first place.

The Chicago Tribune this week did a piece on Adventure Cats, cats who swim, surf, hike, camp, and ski alongside their humans. We’ve covered one of them before: Jesper, a cat that loves to hike and run alongside his people while they ski, then ride on their shoulders or in their bags when he gets tired out. Intrepid!

And finally, this one made the rounds this week, but is (sadly) completely fake:

Next: Caturday Blogging: 8 Tips and Tricks for Grooming Your Cat

That cat doesn’t really sound like that. Snopes debunked it. But I’m enjoying suspending my disbelief for a moment to gaze at a tiny, big-eyed cat deeply croaking, “Woa” at the camera. Woah.