Texas Aggie - no longer proud to be a Native Texan - Democrat - lifelong fighter for the underdog - late discovery adoptee - Russian speaker learning Ukrainian
This might look like just cozy morning photos , but they carry a load enough to break your heart - I know it because they just did mine: this is Mariupol, before the hell Russia brought in 2022.
The longer you look at these photos the more it feels if you
I went to the shelter yesterday to look at dogs. Our sweet dog died 6 weeks ago.
A woman came in with a two week old kitten who was bottle fed- she could not keep him due to work and she had no choice but to bring him in. They let her know kittens were put down immediately due to lack of staff unable to bottle feed.
Meet Mango.
He is two weeks old, his motor is insanely loud and he eats like a champ. I do not need another cat but the cat distribution system felt otherwise. 🧡
In many cities around the world, street cats are left to survive on their own. But in Valencia, Spain, things are a little different.
Across the city, small, carefully designed houses have been installed to give outdoor cats a safe place to rest and shelter. These tiny refuges protect them from rain, heat, and cold, offering comfort and security in an otherwise unpredictable environment.
One of the most charming examples can be found on Carrer del Museu, where a miniature house built into a blue wall captures the attention of passersby. Though only about 30 centimeters tall, it’s beautifully crafted in traditional Valencian style, complete with Spanish roof tiles, a small fountain, and even a tiny garden.
Created by artist Alfonso Yuste Navarro, the piece also carries a meaningful dedication inspired by a local legend, honoring four cats said to have survived a time when felines were once persecuted in the area.
Today, these small houses do more than decorate the streets. They reflect a community effort to care for animals, supported by volunteers and animal welfare groups who believe every cat deserves safety and dignity.
The entire planet is counting down to the single most satisfying obituary ever written. Because he is, was, and forever will be an irredeemable piece of shit.
A railway company in Japan once ran out of money to pay a stationmaster. So they gave the job to the cat who lived outside the station. She wore a custom made hat, worked for cat food, and saved the entire line.
Her name was Tama. She was a calico cat who had spent her days sitting near the entrance of Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, greeting passengers anyway. When the company destaffed the station in 2006 to cut costs, the president visited to discuss what to do about the stray cats living nearby. He looked into Tama's eyes and later said they conveyed a sense of purpose as strong as any of his employees.
He made her stationmaster.
Within a month passenger numbers rose by seventeen percent. People began travelling from across Japan just to see her. Tourists arrived from other countries. A French documentary crew came to film her. The station was eventually rebuilt in the shape of a cat's face.
In her eight years as stationmaster Tama contributed an estimated one billion yen to the local economy. She was promoted four times. She eventually held the title of Honorary President of the railway. The only female in a senior position in the entire company.
When she passed away in 2015 over three thousand people attended her funeral. She was given the posthumous title Honorary Eternal Stationmaster and enshrined at a nearby Shinto shrine as a goddess.
The position of stationmaster at Kishi Station is still held by a cat today.