I Like To Watch: A photographic record of cats transfixed; self-referential cats; cat Witnesses of Our Time; cat onlookers; cats gazing stupidly at infinity; lightly hypnotized brainpan-fried cats; feline couch potatoes; cats afflicted by the staring disease; briefly and easily amused cats; UN observer cats; guilty bystander cats. All in all, an extremely important investigation into the perennial question of how to hold a cat's attention. [Click on "Cats", funnily enough.]
posted by MiguelCardoso on Jun 21, 2004 - 10 comments

Is It Politically Incorrect To Decry The Eating And Killing Of Civet Cats? Is Western consciousness of hypocrisy (due to the enormous number of animals we kill for food) preventing us from criticizing countries, like China, where practically all animals are eaten? Is sentimentality and the protection of animals we regard as cute better than having no qualms at all? I'm sure that the ratio of animals killed-per-capita is higher in the West than in China. Is there any moral difference? Probably not. Why, then, is it so shocking?
posted by MiguelCardoso on Jan 19, 2004 - 24 comments

Cats
posted by MiguelCardoso on Sep 14, 2003 - 23 comments

Cats Can Be Workaholics Too, You Know! Some, like Doncaster's sixteen pest-control experts, hate being out of work so much they're desperately looking for new fields of employment. Others are important tools of bibliographic research. Non-intellectual types prefer police work and other less desk-bound jobs. Shopcat.com has compiled a state index of these working stiffs so grateful citizens may more easily seek them out and warmly shake their paws: Good work, guys! How can anyone still imply you're a bunch of lazy, selfish bastards whose breath smells of cat food? [ My favourite employee, who's many a time given me her signature cold-shoulder treatment is Matilda, the official recepcionist and furniture-duster at the Algonquin Hotel in New York.]
posted by MiguelCardoso on Sep 23, 2002 - 13 comments

Even Ocicats In Hats Do It! How does this extraordinary woman know her cat is gay? Well: People ask me why I think my cat is gay, and it's really hard to explain in words. If you hang out with him at all, it becomes obvious. His effeminate, overdramatic affectations speak volumes. He will go from languid, swishy posturing to screaming hysterics for no apparent reason, and then will fall over in an apparent swoon. If he is, he's certainly not alone (predictably, even Guinean cocks-of-the-rocks do it). Giraffes are thought to be the gayest of all mammals but cheetahs seem to run a close second.[Please scroll down a bit. Requires Real or QuickTime. First link via Andrewsullivan.com.]
posted by MiguelCardoso on Jul 5, 2002 - 21 comments