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MINNEAPOLIS - Here, kitty kitty ...

A study suggests cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than people who, well, don't own cats.

And no, dogs don't do the same trick.

The study, by researchers at the University of Minnesota, found that feline-less people were 30 to 40 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those with cats.

Yet dog owners had the same rate as non-owners. "No protective effect of dogs as domestic pets was observed," said the study, presented Thursday at the International Stroke Conference in New Orleans.

Dr. Adnan Qureshi, a stroke expert at the university, said he decided to raise the question because other studies have suggested pets can help reduce stress. He and his team analyzed a group of 4,435 people who had answered questionnaires about pet ownership and other risk factors.

But the cat-dog differential came as a surprise. "We don't understand this," he said, but "it's probably not a coincidence."

Asked if he owns a cat, Qureshi replied: "No. Maybe I should get one, though."

So Jaki finally gets why that candy bag was so popular.

Hoho pretty much just loves Stella.

I ran almost 12 miles today then I took a 3 hour nap. I can go from spritely to sluggish in 10 minutes flat. Needless to say, I was popular with the cats during the sluggish phase of my day.





Then I took a meme. Bad punctuation, but what can you expect from memes.



Intelligent and insightful, you are a gifted individual, who although may sometimes be buried in academic affairs, is friendly and welcoming.

But I was only 2 percentage points from getting this one, which I really wanted.



As Minerva McGonagall, your strict facade is complimented by a warm heart, and you always do what is for the greater good.



I finished my fourth Douglas Coupland book. So to change genre I'm off to read Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects by Bertrand Russell and slug some more. I wonder if solar_diablo has read this.

Take a look because, gosh, I'm adorable.

~~*.,.*'`'*.,.*'`'*.,.*'`'*.,.* *.,.*'`'*.,.*'`'*.,.*'`'*.,.*


( WARNING KITTEN PICTURES!!! )

I have not been getting any sleep because I have a kitten that thinks my head, more my hair, is his mother.

Lurking kitten ready to attack terrible paper towel wiper.

I got a $290 payback from some Dependent Care reimbursement. So instead of giving it to the needy, or buying some biyatchin clothes no one would see much of, I ordered a 50mm f/2.8 Macro Lens and a few filters adding up to $290. No sweat, I break even.

Stella accidentally steps on Jaki's foot (he is always under foot) and he limps a little. Paranoid nervous me (still guilty over Kiki) brings him to the vet to get x-rays. Diagnosis: a little sprain. Cost of X-rays? $290 (I don't have him under insurance yet).

Sigh.

I hope I'm not jinxing myself by doing this... :S




See those wild eyes? Well, he IS wild!!! I haven't had a baby in a while...they are SO demanding!

( 2 more pics if your dare )

New Friends

Kiki was very sickly --not eating, lethargic, throwing up green gook. I took her to see her vet and he said she swallowed a string and it is stuck inside her. They probably will have to operate. I left her there on an IV and getting x-rays plus all types of prelimlinary tests.¹

hernandezstudio where are you? I need someone that knows about this stuff to tell me it will be OK.

Hopefully I can visit her tomorrow.

¹Estimated cost $1400. Thank gawd I always get insurance! Smaht. My kids never needed this much cost

Amazing Cat: Cat just brushes off 80 feet fall.

( And, Oooh, aren't I speeeeeeecial )

Hoho, bless him, is a mentally-challenged cat. He is lovable, but easily the stupidest cat I've ever had. Yesterday he got stuck in the chimney. He jumped up there when the doorbell rang (the "gate" had been pulled open) and spent hours on a tiny ledge inside the chimney until I finally heard the "help me" mewing sounds.

I tried everything to get him down on his own but he was too scared. I'm not a big person, but the chimney is very narrow and bends. I had to squeeze and contort my body to try to get in to rescue him. I had visions of the fire department having to get BOTH of us out with a jackhammer. I finally grabbed him by a leg and pulled him out. He was perfectly fine (I thought he may had be injured and paralyzed); I, on the other hand, was all black-faced with soot and scratched up from squeezing against the bricks. I looked just like one of those cartoon characters that just got blown out of a cannon. Hoho had the nerve to look at me like *I* was the crazy one.

I'm getting baby ducks. Maybe they'll be smarter.