When Matilda the Algonquin Hotel cat updated her Facebook this week saying, "Getting my suitcases down and gathering up my toys—travel time is almost here," we worried that Mayor Bloomberg was booting her from the hotel, following some troubles with the Department of Health. Then Matilda added, "They think I don't know—but am being taken to the vet today for my travel check up—then to the passport office (ooops—am I telling you too much?)" When we tried to contact her via email, we got an out of office reply, saying, "Happy Holidays FURiends. Matilda." So, finally, we made the call. more ›

It's a Christmas miracle! The Brooklyn family that had to begrudgingly give up their beloved family cat, Sumi, for human health reasons, have found her a new home. If she wasn't adopted by December 26th she was likely going to be euthanized by the shelter she's been staying at, but the owner has delivered some good news, saying: "I am happy to report that Sumi has found a new home. She will be staying in Western Massachusetts with a friend of the family. Thank you to everyone that reached out to offer help and advice." more ›

Since he decided he could no longer justify the idea of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) for urban feral cats, Paul Zhang has seen a lot of cats put down. How many? "I did five cats from a few other people," he told us, before describing taking 62 cats—25 from his own home—to three different vets in Queens to be freed from their mortal coil. "People keep calling me crazy now and won't talk about my solution" he says, "but I told the three vets I used exactly what it is. I am trying to prevent or reduce colony cat suffering. Why would I go through this trouble, to do this? What sick reason could I have?" more ›

You know how that d-bag you briefly dated while under the influence of Natural Light and JELL-O shots would totally get his dog high by exhaling his schwag weed into its face? That guy was such a jerk, why did you ever even date him? Anyway, today we came across this article that he probably wrote, saying it's totally chill for dogs to get high. According to one local vet sourced in the piece, "it’s perfectly ok for your dog to smoke marijuana. He can even take bong hits. He just can’t eat it.” more ›

Nothing beats a Bart's People story, right? On October 28th, New York's Bravest saved this adorable cat from an evil barb wire fence in Queens. The FDNY's Frank Dwyer tells us that Friday at 3 p.m., the FDNY members from Ladder 138 in Queens were notified of the stuck animal, who was on top of the fence at National Street and 43rd Avenue. Dwyer says, "Firefighters used the tower ladder bucket to reach the cat, and removed the cat from the wires in a few minutes." more ›

Cut us some slack, it's Friday. Oh no, it's Thursday? We are so screwed. Whatever: men with cats on their heads! What's up with that? This purrrfect accessory first came to our attention in 2008, when we published a hard-hitting exposé on New Yorkers who take their cats outside on leashes. Months later, Corey Kilgannon filed a story in the Times about Charlie Perito, who likes to parade around town with his cat, Nicholas, perched on his head. Now fast forward to October 20th, 2011, when Kilgannon discovers that Nicholas has surfaced atop a man's head in Google Street View! more ›

And now, for your end-of-day-viewing pleasure: the oh-so-amusing Fat Cats Of Wall Street Tumblr, which finally puts together all the punny fat cat-Wall Street allusions we've been using for years. We're getting in touch with the mysterious creator of this Tumblr for more information, but in the meantime, please enjoy the small collection of droll, strangely spot-on feline-fueled social commentary. And remember, protesters: Wall Street Fat Cat feels nothing. more ›

AWWW, Willow the Colorado cat who went missing five years ago, only to turn up in New York City last week, was reunited with her family today. Her owners, the Squires family, said the media attention on their cute calico was "surreal," but they welcomed it if it meant people would be encouraged to microchip their pets. Matt Lauer couldn't resist a pun, noting, "It's a story that's making big tabby-loid headlines here in New York." more ›

The nearly 2,000-mile journey that a little calico cat made from Colorado to the Big Apple has captured everyone's imagination—even Mayor Bloomberg's! During a press conference yesterday, Bloomberg was asked about Willow, the cat found on a Manhattan street who turned out to be a cat who went missing five years ago from her Colorado family's home. Bloomberg waxed philosophic, “I think what it does show is that everybody, in the end, wants to come and live in New York. Now, cats reputedly have nine lives, and [Willow] clearly wanted to spend at least one of them here in New York City. I just don’t know what [she] was waiting for.” more ›

Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Irene caused a lot of damage, and displaced a lot of people, throughout New York State. But at least we know of one happy ending for a cute critter whose life was upended by Irene: over the weekend, reader Justine Barry came upon a yellow white cat in Clinton Hill in the aftermath of the storm. We're happy to report that the cat has now been adopted by a local: "The internet is awesome sometimes," she wrote us. more ›

A reader came upon the cute cat above in Clinton Hill this morning after Hurricane Irene came through town. They write: "I found this beautiful yellow white cat trying desperately to get into my building on St. James and Lefferts Place, but nobody here owns her. She is clearly not a stray and I'm hoping you all can help reunite her with her family. She is very friendly and very freaked out. I think she was out all night during the hurricane." If you're the owner(or you recognize the cat), contact us at tips@gothamist.com. Also, until we hear otherwise, this cat 's temporary name will of course be "Irene." more ›

A 16-year-old cat fell 20 stories while his owner was away on vacation on the Fourth of July and survived with barely a scratch. Web developer Barry Myers tells us he cracked a window several inches in his Upper West Side apartment before leaving town for Cape Cod with his wife and five-year-old child. On July 4th he got a call from his neighbor who had come by to feed the cat, named Gloucester. "She didn't see him anywhere in his usual nooks and crannies, and after searching the entire apartment she noticed the crack in the window." Down in the courtyard, a security guard and another tenant had already discovered poor Gloucester. more ›

A cat owner says her 9-year-old tabby is a "miracle cat" after the cat fell 12 stories from an apartment on West End Avenue. Andrea Lang told the NY Post that the vets were shocked at Copper the cat's recovery, "It's just remarkable. They said they didn't think she would make it... They actually suggested we put her down. But I said, 'Let's give it 24 hours.'" And how did Copper fall? Well, the fearless feline ventured through a 3-inch gap from an open window at Lang's 14th floor apartment and apparently fell onto the roof of a neighboring garage. more ›

Here's proof that Rep. Anthony Weiner wasn't sending his sext partners messages and photos from his Congressional office—at least some of the disclosed photographs were taken from the Forest Hills, Queens apartment he shares with (now pregnant) wife Huma Abedin. The couple had put the two-bedroom condo on the market, but the Post said they "suddenly yanked the condo off the selling block a few days ago, said a broker with Madeleine Realty, which was handling the sale." If you look at the listing photographs, you'll notice some things:


• The same filing cabinet appears in the "topless" photograph as in the listing's study/second bedroom photo.


• Another listing photo of the study shows a PC—with a webcam—opposite the filing cabinet.


• The couch and shelf in the "Me and the pussys" photograph is the same as the couch and shelf in the living room listing photograph.

The cat that washed up on Governors Island shore last month has been named. And she is Molly Brown, after the Unsinkable Molly Brown! According to the Governors Island Blog:

It seems the most popular name was Molly Brown, for the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, who became famous after travelling on the Titanic‘s ill fated journey. After boarding lifeboat #6 once the Titanic struck ice, Molly helped row the boat with other women for hours and looked for survivors in the surrounding waters. She assisted those who had lost everything in the tragedy and raised funds to assist survivors as they started a new life after losing so much.

It's not Caturday, but every day is an opportunity for some feline news: Governors Island has announced the five most popular names suggested for the adorable calico cat that washed up on its shores last month. They are: "Mary Ann and Ginger (think Gilligans Island); Molly Brown (for the Unsinkable Molly Brown); Salty [because she was salty from being in the water]; Buttermilk (for the Buttermilk Channel which separates the Island from Brooklyn)." more ›

Like much of the nation, we've spent the past few days in this post-Osama world obsessing over the war dog who helped kill bin Laden and its fellow military canines. But should dogs really be the only animals us humans enlist in our battles? OK, so the army still has some horses and mules, but still! Inspired by Slate's gallery of war cats we've done a little research and come up with five animals right here in New York City we think should be drafted. more ›

Everyone is excited about the adorable calico cat that washed up on Governors Island last week. But kitty needs a name! Governors Island marketing and communications director Elizabeth Rapuano wrote, "We have received many calls and emails about the cat that found her way to Governors Island over the weekend. The cat is doing great and is making herself at home around the office and the Island. We realize that this cat needs a name! We remembered that one of the most popular areas of the Island, Picnic Point, was named by one blog reader, so we are again turning to all of you for your ideas." more ›