Wolves...Roamers of the Forests

Today's contestant in TACAC(The Artful Cat's Animal Contest)is furry, a howler, and a pack leader.

Drum roll, please....

The WOLF.

                                
The wolf is a powerful, handsome animal. He is the father of all dogs.

The wolf is a social animal, unlike us cats. They live in packs which can number up to twenty or more! The pack consists of a mated pair and their adult offspring. Some wolves may break off from the pack to either live as a loner, or start packs of their own.

Life in the pack is good. A pack can easily take down a deer or other animal with their combined force, so hunting's good, food's plentiful, and everybody's happy.

But life for the loner wolves isn't often as nice. A loner lacks the protection and hunting that life in the pack can bring, so loners have a tough time of it. A deer can easily outrun one wolf, and bears sometimes snack on the furry canines. So it's best to stick to the pack.

Friends, fur and companionship. Life is good!

 Mother and cubs. "Move over, Ma!"

"Stop hugging me, I'm trying to howl!"

"Will ya look at the size of that deer!"

                                                                 Bye for now,

                                                                              The Artful Cat

                                       

                             

ANIMAL SPECIAL!!!

Hello!

Today I've decided that the badger post was so fun I'll do a WHOLE animal special spotlight! You vote in the comments for the best animal!

And our first contender is.....a cat. YEEEESSSS!!!

The main difference between us cats and dogs are that dogs were domesticated. WE domesticated ourselves. In ancient Egypt, we came to the Egyptians and hunted near their grain bins and ate all the mice we wanted. The Egyptians were flattered by this, as before the mice were eating all the grain. Then, the grateful Egyptians started leaving out fishes and other tasty treats as to say 'thanks'. We, taking this gesture as friendly, went to the Egyptians and started living with them. The Egyptians took this as a sign from the gods and made the cat a goddess, the goddess Bastet.

The Abysinnian, one of the first cats to domesticate itself, followed by...

The regal Egyptian Mau, descended from the very cats who came to the Egyptians so long ago.

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Thank you for staying to see our cat special today. Next time, we shall take a look at the world of wolves, dog's distant ancestors..........................

Bye for now,
The Artful Cat

Badgers...! Part 2

Hey!

Badgers again. Badger cubs are so sweet!

Mmm....This way, Stripes. We may find some tasty grubs!

Hello there!

 
Badger babies love to drink their mother's milk. After seven weeks, they move on to other things. Grubs, earthworms and other creepy crawlies are among Baby's favorite foods. When he gets older, he eats small animals such as rabbits, birds, mice....and cats! Gulp......

As much as we'd love to stay with this cete of cubs, it's best that we be moving on.
                                                             
                                                    Bye for now,
                                                                        The Artful Cat

Badgers....! Part 1

Badgers!! Kittens, run for your lives!!!!

Okay, I know badgers are the sworn enemies of all cats, but they are still pretty cool creatures. For instance, they like their setts(dens)to be very neat and clean...like us cats!

Badgers belong to the family Mustelidae, the weasel family. Here is a female badger(sow)saying hi! Note the bright, beady black eyes and the distinguished stripes on her head.
 And here is the male(boar)snuffling around for food for himself.
 And here is baby badger! (cub)

A group of badgers is called a cete, or clan, so in this case, let us say goodbye to the cete of badgers for now.
                                                   Bye,
                                                               The Artful Cat

Summer Drinks

Hey cats and kittens!

Summer, that season with the days touched with gold, is here! But I, as a cat, have found it hard staying cool. Here are a couple simple recipes for cold drinks that keep the sun from getting too hot for comfort.

RASPBERRY LIMEADE COOLER

INGREDIENTS:
One cup raspberries, fresh or frozen(if using frozen, thaw for 15 minutes before use)
One cup assorted berries(or you can just use another cup of raspberries, or even some other kind of fruit, fresh or frozen. If using fresh, make sure it's diced.)
One cup plain yogurt(or vanilla ice cream, then you can check sweetener off the list)
Two or three freshly squeezed limes(depending on your taste, you might just use one.)
Sweetener of your choice, in measure according to taste
Ice cubes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Add ingredients to a blender in the order they were listed. Blend. Drink. Savor.

LEMONADE

INGREDIENTS:
4 lemons
Half a gallon of water
Sweetener of your choice, in measure according to taste
GARNISH:
1 lemon, cut in half
1\2 a cup fresh rasberries

DIRECTIONS:




SIMPLE SLUSHY

INGREDIENTS:

Apple juice, fruit punch, or blackberry juice, any kind of juice can be used

DIRECTIONS:

Pour juice into a plastic cup, or a cup that can be put in the freezer. Stir every 15 minutes for an hour, or as long as needed. Remove when juice has turned to slush. Get spoon or straw and drink. Deliciously simple.

FRESH STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:
1\2 a cup strawberries, fresh or frozen(if frozen, thaw for 15 minutes before use)
1\2 a cup assorted berries
1\3 of a cup plain yogurt
1 cup milk
1\2 a teaspoon vanilla
Sweetener of your choice, in measure according to taste
Ice cubes(optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Add ingredients to a blender in the order they were listed. Blend. Drink. Instant strawberry goodness.

JUICE CUBES

INGREDIENTS:

Any kind of juice

DIRECTIONS:
Pour juice into ice mold. Freeze. Put in drink of choice.
                                     ******************************

I hope you enjoy these treats as much as I do!

                                                                    The Artful Cat