What’s up with whiskers?

A few people have asked Maggie and me what’s up with our whiskers and why do we need them? Okay here are the feline facts.
Our whiskers are large, stiff hair that is twice the thickness of ordinary hairs. They are embedded much deeper into our skin and have many nerve endings. They tell us if we are about to touch something or if there is a change in the air pressure. Whiskers aid with navigation and sensation. The length of our whiskers lets us know if we can fit through an opening. If our whiskers don’t touch the sides of an open space, it tells us we can’t fit! DON’T EVER TRIM OUR WHISKERS. The cat’s body determines the length of the whiskers. If you trim our whiskers we won’t be able to accurately gage openings.
We normally have around a dozen whiskers in four rows on each upper lip and a few on each cheek. There are some over our eyes, on the chin and elbows.
Humans please don’t be worried if we lose our whiskers from time to time, its normal, they grow back.
Don’t forget to hug your animals
Sammy and Mags

Safari

Sammy and I suggested that this week's topic for Illustration Friday be Safari. They picked our idea! So here is our drawing of what the word Safari means to us. We believe that life is like a Safari adventure and that your friends and family help you along the way! Check out the other artists interpretation of Safari.

Remember always Hug your Animals

Maggie & Sam

Maggie & Sam's Movie Review Lincoln Lawyer

Paul and Jill treated Sammy and I to a special Movie Night out!. We went to an UltraStar Cinema and wow, it was great. They didn't charge more for the ticket pricing and our humans were given big oversized chairs to sit in! This worked out well because we didn't have to sit on them we could sit beside them! Lots of room. Also theatre people would bring by food and nobody noticed when I grabbed the potato chips off the arm rest! Now for the Movie Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey, and Marisa Tomei who were excellent. It is a murder mystery with a twist. Even Sammy could not guess the ending. It is more than just another lawyer movie. Sam and I give it 4 paws and a tail up! Also just a side note. When McConaughey is in a dilemma sometimes the camera motion goes a little crazy, so be prepared!

I am not your Fool, Fool!

I asked Sam that question and he just gave me the blank cat stare! So we decided to look it up. Here is what we found out from the Newspaper “The Miami Examiner”. It goes all the way back to 1582 and begins with Pope Gregory XIII when he ordered the Julian calendar to be replaced with the new Gregorian calendar. In the Past the celebration of the New Year lasted eight days. Festivities started on March 25th and ended on April 1st.

Since technology wasn’t around like it is now to get the word out (no texting), the news of the new calendar taking effect didn’t happen fast. A lot of countries didn’t know for years and some refused to follow the Gregorian calendar. So the ones who continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1st were called “fools” and made fun of. This is how Fools Day came to be.

Well that explains it! Hope everyone had a fun April Fool's Day.

Best Wishes,

Maggie and Sammy

We Need Sleep!

I hear our humans talk about Maggie and myself . They say we sleep a lot. I admit that I do like to nap in the morning, day and night but it's a cat nap! Maggie is out like a light must of the time (she snores), but girl cats need their beauty sleep. Plus Jill has us posting to Face book, drawing/being creative and responding to our Maggie and Sam fans, so we need some down time ! Here is some interesting facts on other animals and how much sleep they get. I found this information on Education World At Home's main page. Scientists are still researching sleep on different species and they don't understand everything, but they have measured how much sleep some different animals get.

Bullfrog = 0 hrs! That's right, no shut eye for the frog! Horse = 2.9 hrs. Cow = 4.0 hrs. Rabbit = 8.7 hrs. Baboon = 9.4 hrs. Dog = 10.7 hours No Comment Pigeon = 11.9 hours. Cat = 13.2 hours. Still less than the Ground squirrel, Brown Bat and Hairy armadillo! Ground squirrel = 14.5 hours. Brown bat = 19.9 hours. Hairy armadillo = 20.4 hours (The above picture is of a Hairy Armadillo)!

Don't forget to Hug your animals!

Sammy and Maggie

Wierd Animal Deaths

It's True Mags and I watch the news and Animal Planet with our humans. I don't know if you have noticed lately but a lot of animals in large numbers have been dying around the world. News on Animal Deaths

Just recently 2 million fish washed up dead on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Marylands' State Department said that it was because the water was too cold and the overpopulation of the " juvenile spot fish".

In Sweden 50 Jackdaw birds were found dead in the streets. In Arkansas thousands of blackbirds turned up dead. As in the case of Sweden, Arkansas' s officials said it was because of fireworks! Just a few days later 450 birds in Louisiana dropped dead. The cause from officials was that they hit some power lines.

Mags and I don't think these deaths are a coincidence. These animals are dying in large amounts and it seems to be happening often. We are just asking you humans to keep your eyes open. This isn't just the work of fireworks and power lines. (Although just for now stop firing fireworks into the sky okay), if this is truly killing birds stop it!! Also if the water is too cold why is it too cold?

Anyway eyes open humans look out for us animals

Mags and Sammy

Movie Time! The Adjustment Bureau

Saw the Adjustment Bureau with Mags and our Humans. It was a good movie and a very unique love story, which is rare in human movies. I thought the story was underdeveloped. but Mags explained to me that it was based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, the "Adjustment Team". Matt Damon and Emily Blunt were amazing in this movie. Whoever thought you would find love in a man's bathroom? Go see the movie it's worth seeing, Mags and I give it 2 1/2 paws. We just wanted to know more about the Adjustment Bureau is that to much to ask?

Hug your animals,

Sammy and Mags

It's Time For the Oscars!

As everyone knows Mags and I are great movie buffs. So this year we are going to try to pick the movie that is going to win for the Best Motion Picture of the Year. We believe the below movies are the immediate contenders;

1. The King's Speech (Mags & I didn't not get to see it but we believe it will win. We saw the trailers, smashing)
2. Fighter (We loved this one 4 paws and 1 tail up)
3. Inception (Loved this but there was so much going on that it was a little confusing. It gets 3 paws up)
4. The Social Network (Mags and I really liked this true and fascinating story. 4 paws up)
5. The Black Swan (Didn't get to see this but we heard from our neighbor that it was twisted and no cat's meow)!

Personally I agree with Maggie that Secretariat should have been in the running. The horse should have at least received a nomination for it's acting ability!

Hug your animals and hope to see you at the Movies!

Sammy and Maggie

It's all about the Rabbit !

Mags and I were born in the year of the Snake 2001. This year we have been told that it is the year of the rabbit. This is excellent, I love the bunny! Mags and I see one in the yard almost everyday. Here is the scoop for any humans and animals that were born in the year of the rabbit; They are usually calm, gentle and loving. Rabbit groupies are very ambitious and know how to achieve their goals. Good listeners combined with a sweet nature they tend to make great friends (and are good huggers). For a more information on the year of the Rabbit please check out this link: The year of the Rabbit. Mags and I would like to know is anyone out there born in the year of the bunny? Come on, let us know, comment!

Sammy

Rabbit groupies dress well , and love fashion! Some of the celebrities born in the year of the Rabbit are; Albert Einstein, Leon Trotsky, Frank Sinatra, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and David Beckham.

Mags

Punxsutawney Phil's 2011 Weather Prediction

This picture is from the National Geographic Daily News.

Humans are so silly they actually have a groundhog named Phil, who predicts the weather! Here is how it works, on February 2ND if he sees his shadow, there will be a long winter (six more weeks). If he doesn't see his shadow, then spring temperatures are just around the corner. Phil "speaks" to his human caretakers, known as the Inner Circle, in Groundgogese and tells them his prediction. (Totally believable because Maggie and I talk to our humans, Paul and Jill all the time!) He did not see his shadow last week so according to Phil it should start to warm up for everyone (Great News for all animals and humans)! I hope the ground hog got it right because it has been cold this past week. Seriously Maggie and I thought our paws were frost bitten!

Don't forget to hug your animals!

Sammy and Mags

Sumatran Tiger Cubs

Mags and I just learned that our cousin a rare Sumatran tiger in Indonesian just gave birth to some cubs at the Taman Rimba zoo. The Sumatran tiger is the smallest cat of the five remaining tiger subspecies. I would like to point out they are still much larger than Mags and myself! They live in the most tropical jungles on the Sumatra Island of Indonesia. There are only 400-500 left.
The above 2 pictured are 2 female Sumatran tiger cubs from the San Diego Safari Park. Please check out the story about the Sumatran tiger cubs that were just born at the Indonesian zoo. The parents of the cubs, Peter and Uni are very proud!

Sammy and Mags!

The Fighter

Maggie and I went to the movies again, good times! We went to see The Fighter. It’s a real life story of the boxer Mickey Ward who competed for the boxing title of a welterweight. A welterweight is heavier than a lightweight but lighter than a middleweight. The boxer must weigh between 140lbs -147lbs. That is one fit human! Mark Wahlberg played Micky and I felt he did an outstanding job. He even built a gym in his home to work out for the role!

This movie set in the 80’s, really gave me insight into what human families are all about. I loved it! 4 paws and a tail up!

Sammy

Christian Bale threw me for a loop I didn’t know whether I wanted to meow at him or rub up against him to give him some comfort. He played Mickey’s half brother, Dicky . Dicky wanted so much to help Micky but he had a tough enough time trying to help himself. In fact Mickey’s entire family with their big hair was really entertaining. It’s definitely a must see. 4 paws and a tail up!

Mags

Our Favorite Rodent the Capybara

While reading one of our Baby Animals Books we discovered a rodent species called the Capybara. Check this rodent out!!! They are related to rats and mice. The Capybara is the largest rodent in the world!! They can grow up to 4 feet and weigh over 100lbs. Their main predators are jaguars and the anacondas. The Capybara love the water and can stay under for up to five minutes. Sam and I would love to ride one!

Mags and Sammy

Best Book Ever!!!

Our humans read to Maggie and I this week the Warriors into the Wild by Erin Hunter. Great book. It's basically about a house kitty (Rusty) going rogue. Maggie and I want to go wild, watch out Garfield, here we come!!! I was inspired by the cat warrior clans. Maggie liked the part about catching mice, birds and rabbits in the forest. My favorite part was when Rusty trusted his own instincts when determining who was a true friend or foe. Mags and I agree that both humans and animals of all ages can benefit from reading this book. We both give it 4 paws up with a tail!

Sammy and Mags

Squirreling Around

Yesterday when Jill opened the door I darted outside. Jill didn't see him but there was a Squirrel on the rock right near the grill. He was up to something. Anyway, I tried to catch him but he tricked me and ran the other way. These little guys are fast. Oh well maybe I will catch him or one of his relatives and invite them over for Christmas Dinner, hmhm, I will try. Sam will like that!

Mags

Manta Rays Rock!!!

While watching Animal Planet online, Mags and I saw some huge Manta Rays.
I did not realize just how big they really are! They can grow to be 25 feet in length and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. They are closely related to sharks and stingrays. They don't have stingers. I love them, check out the below video.

Great Manta Ray Video

Sam

There are only four in the world that are in captivity. They are just too big to keep. Not your ordinary pet! I would love to ride on one of their wings. I think it would be a lot of fun!
Mags

Unstoppable Movie Review

Wow, is all I have to say after watching this movie. This time Paul carried me into the movie theatre under his jacket nobody suspected a thing. Maggie was hanging out in Timea's purse and Jill distracted everyone as we strolled in to take our seats. Paul let me sit on his lap because the movie had me on the edge of my tail. I couldn't look away. Were the children, or horses going to get hit by this un-manned train? Uh, there was so much drama I almost got stressed out. Great True Story! A must see, I give it 4 paws up!!!

Sam

Denzel is hot and Chris Pine rocks. But it's more than hot men, this movie pulls you right in. From what I have read on the Internet there are just a couple of things in this movie that are not true. For instance it takes place in Ohio not Pennsylvania and nobody dies!

I give this captivating movie 4 paws and a tail up!!

Mags

Pumpkin Time is for Everyone!

Maggie and I realize that it is past Halloween. But we just received this wonderful video from our neighbor cat Sirius and we wanted to share this with everyone. Please don't throw away your pumpkins after Halloween, click on the Link below to see who they can be given to!

YouTube - BIG CAT HALLOWEEN!

Meow,
Sam & Mags

Thanksgiving Turkey Receipe for both Cats and Humans

One of our really good friends Kathy Anderson emailed this special Thanksgiving recipe. We liked it so much that we are sharing it with all of our Maggie and Sam friends and family!

GETTING READY FOR THANKSGIVING
TURKEY RECIPE
I thought this sounded good! Here is a turkey recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing ingredient -- imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when turkey is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out.
Give this a try.
1 - 15 lb. Turkey
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good)
1 cup un-popped popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT IS BEST)
Salt/pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter, salt,and pepper.
Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan making sure the neck end is toward the front of the oven, not the back.
After about 4 hours listen for the popping sounds.
When the turkey's ass blows the oven door open and the bird flies across the room,.... it's done.
And, you thought we didn't cook...

Love,
Maggie and Sam

Secretariat Movie Review

Time for another Movie Review by myself and Mags. This time Paul tucked me under his arm and I pretended to be his man purse. Jill put Maggie in her coat and into the movie theatre we all went. Even at an early showing the theatre was packed! Everyone had come out to see the epic story of this great horse. I wasn't disappointed. It was a great flick. At times I felt that Secretariat was trying very hard to communicate with his humans. Sometimes they understood him and sometimes they didn't (humans can be very thick). A must see, I give it 4 paws and a tail up! Check out this picture of Secretariat.
Sammy

Loved it, Secretariat should be nominated as best actor, for an academy award! This horse was amazing. Let the big red horse run!!! I really liked the lady who owned the horse, she had moxie. Her story was just as fascinating as Secretariats. If you get a chance, go see Secretariat it is definitely a 4 paws and a tail up movie!
Maggie