Maneki Neko, the famous “beckoning cat,” is a familiar sight for most cat lovers. Also known as “lucky cat” or “money cat,” it is said to bring luck and prosperity. It has been a popular feature in Asian businesses for centuries. National Geographic recently featured a fascinating article about the history behind this cat. While there are various origin stories, they all begin  in Japan. Visit National Geographic to read the article.

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Chef Amanda Hassner cooks for the people who develop Fancy Feast. After graduating from culinary school, she started working with Nestle helping to design Lean Cuisine, Stouffer’s and Hot Pockets. A dog and cat lover, she jumped at the chance to work for Purina (Fancy Feast’s parent company.) She developed a collection of recipes inspired by Fancy Feast’s Petites collection. For more about Hassner, and the digital cookbook, read the Washington Post interview with Hassner, or view the digital cookbook.

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In one of the  more unusual rescue stories I’ve come across, a cat who was lost for four days on a Swiss mountain followed hikers who were heading for the summit. The hikers kept an eye on the kitty and carried her part of the way until they were able to hand her over to another group of hikers who were on the way down to the valley and reunited the cat with her owners. Visit People.com for the full story and some amazing photos.

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A man in the UK was browsing an online real estate listing for his neighbor’s house when he spotted someone he recognized in one of the photos: his own cat lounging on a bed in the house. “The neighbours just put the house up for sale. Couldn’t resist checking it out on Zoopla. That’s our bloody cat,” Michael Hubank wrote in a post on Twitter. For more about the wandering kitty, visit Fox5DC.com.

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Our lead feature of this week’s round up is my annual warning about Easter Lilies. Ever year, I’m surprised how many cat parents still don’t know how deadly these flowers can be to cats. Just one small bite of a flower, leaf, stem or pollen of this plant, or even drinking from the water they’re kept in, can cause gastric distress, and, more importantly, if left untreated, can lead to fatal kidney failure. For more information, please read my full post here and please spread the word!

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I had no idea Mick Jagger was a cat lover! Earlier this week, the Rolling Stones front man introduced new family member Nero to his Instagram followers. I didn’t think I needed another reason to love Sir Mick, but there you have it.

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Thai navy sailors braved choppy waters to launch a dramatic rescue after discovering four cats had been abandoned on a sinking ship that caught fire. After the crew had been taken to safety, the navy was sent to the site of the capsized vessel to check for an oil spill, but discovered a few crew members had been forgotten. Visit Reuters for the full story of this wonderful rescue.

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The weather was freezing cold in Indiana when good Samaritans spotted what they thought was just a big chunk of snow and ice by the side of the road. When they saw a pair of eyes glow in the reflection of their headlights, they immediately turned around to investigate. There was a tortoiseshell cat covered in a layer of snow and ice. She was scrawny, cold, curled up in a ball desperately trying to stay warm. Despite being just skin and bones, her belly was round and she appeared to be pregnant. The took the tortie into their car to warm her up and contacted Catsnip Etc., an all-volunteer cat rescue, who took her in. Two days later, she gave birth to four kittens. For more about Camilla and her babies, visit LoveMeow.com.

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When a bomb squad in Ohio was called to investigate a suspicious package outside a church, they were surprised to find a mom and her six one-day old kittens in the duffel bag. The little family was taken to a shelter, where they were cleaned up and fed, and they have since been taken to a foster home. For more on this story, visit Today.com.

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While cat lovers wait with mouse-baited breath to find out whether President and First Lady Biden will adopt a cat to join Champ and Major as First Pets, the Washington Post ran a fun piece this week looking back at the long history of cats in the White House. From Abraham Lincoln’s cats to Socks Clinton, cats from both parties have inhabited the White House for centuries. The article shares wonderful photos and anecdotes, including the time when Mysty Malarky Ying Yang Carter made a grand entrance at a state dinner. Click here to read Who scoops the litter box? Answers to the mysterious lives of White House cats.

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