Pets

Maybe the coolest cat contest got you thinking about getting one of your own? A reader writes:

“This cat showed up and was so friendly and beautiful that we figured someone must have lost him. But, he is still hanging around. I have pictures of him, attached. He is so sweet (he will let you hold him like a baby), but we already have enough cats. Could you please put him on your website so maybe someone will adopt him?”

If interested email – Paige at [email protected]

The following story written by “WDC” was inspired by yesterday’s post, The Mice are Menacing. Even though it doesn’t take place in DC I thought it was a great story. The photo is actually the author’s pet – Colby. The cost of publishing Raider’s photo is far too high for this little blog.
“Cities have mice. Even urban ivory towers are invaded from time to time, a reality to which a certain high-profile business school in a city somewhere north of here can attest. The University Powers fervently believed in the market. It’s their bread and butter, after all. So they hired experts… the more expensive, the longer the wait, the better. They bought gadgets and potions with the kind of frenzy one normally associates with the tricking-out of Republican vice-presidential candidates. To no avail. Staff snacks were continually defiled. Co-eds still had daily excuses to shriek and jump into the arms of waiting swains. Chaos threatened.

The University Powers formed committees, dispatched consultants, thought outside the box, leveraged resources, circled back, sought buy-in, touched base. I can only assume that the first person (likely a newcomer to the University, unfamiliar with their ways) to suggest getting a cat received stares disbelieving, withering, and contemptuous. But in the end, ever more desperate for a solution, they agreed. Of course, it had to be a cat worthy of the University. His name was to be Raider. As in, Corporate. This was decided before the junior member of the committee was even dispatched to the animal shelter, I’m sure.

Raider joined the University staff. He was housed in the basement of an administrative building, sharing his space with I.T. and H.R. He was assigned an email address and Outlook calendar. Should any staff member spot a mouse in her environs, she had only to send a scheduling request to Raider via email. At 5:15 in the evening, Raider was brought to the office, with all his accoutrements—food, water, litterbox, and a small radio. Raider worked best with a little music. (I imagine it like that scene in Reservoir Dogs.) His visits were so efficient and (presumably) ferocious that the mice didn’t return for months afterwards. He cleaned up after himself, too, depositing his leftovers in the litterbox, so as not to alarm the office’s normal occupant. And by 7:45 the next morning, he was tucked into his carrier and returned to the basement of the administrative building, where he spent his downtime sleeping in inboxes and file drawers, and shredding any bulletin board within reach.  Continues after the jump. (more…)

This was a weekend of firsts for me. I’d never seen a cat on a leash before. (For the record, I did ask permission to take this photo.) Have you ever seen a cat on a leash before?

Last year Celia (photographed above) was crowned champion with a narrow victory over Izzy (below). This year is going to be a little different. There will be three categories – Dog, Cat and other. We will vote on finalists in all three categories. If you entered last year you can enter again but please use a new photograph. I will accept entries until August 1st. Please email only one photograph per category to princeofpetworth (at) gmail (dot) com. In the subject line please say “coolest pet in PoPville contest”. I will make shirts up for the winners with the pet’s picture and coolest pet in PoPville written on the front and the PoP tree on the back.