#river cats

[mushybeachbreak]

River cats

I saw this guy and a few other stay cats that live in the rocks along the north side of the river.

Ironically, the side of the South of the river is dog beach.

People bring the cats food and water.

[rivercatsappreciationblog-blog]

Mood.

[numberthirtyfive]

blep

[smarmybouquet]

When you're at a cool place you gotta be your own embarrassing parent making you take photos with landmarks

[rivercatsappreciationblog-blog]

[rivercatsappreciationblog-blog]

When boo gives you the Notice®️

[rivercatsappreciationblog-blog]

"I’m not gonna squander any opportunity to go out and make some noise.”

Who’s That Kid: Chris Shaw

[catciety]

river cats and needle felting

one of the more realistic displays of crafting is the ability to needle felt. leftover fur from grooming and prey can be matted together by cats kneading the loose hairs together. this is possible by biting small notches in their claws to achieve the barbed form of needles used for this process

similar to the image above though, most mats are gray or brown unless otherwise intentionally felted in patterns or with specific colors in mind. loose fur can be used as bedding, but is messier and makes a morning grooming a mouthful

these mats are most often used as bedding or seat liners, which are interchangeable concepts to most cats

a more complicated craft using furs is spinning it into yarn. groomed fur is washed, sun dried, carded, and then spun by paw on a flat smooth stone. this yarn is possible due to the access river cats have to fresh water and saponifiers (putrefied fish oil + ash )

it has a variety of uses:

that thread is used to string decorative shells, beads, acorns, and other eclectica together

it is braided together for thicker fastenings

it is turned into nets for fishing, though more often than not most fishing is done by slatting wood to impede fish passing through the river at choke points. slats are removed 2-3 at a time to allow fish to live and populate the stream uninterrupted but in sessions will add them back in to trap them. nets are then used to corner trapped fish slowly by multiple cats

it is woven for hardier mats and textiles by multiple cats at once, usually as a duo or group effort and the process is time intensive. weaving is such a specific and skill based task that cats are trained for the role and consider themselves Weavers. its a respected position but a difficult one. This is a River Cat specific culture and the main desired export of the community

macrame style weaving/braiding

Weavers themselves are often joked of as only partnering with long haired cats, as the fur they shed is easier to work with, and as incredulous as they may be about the joke they will all fawn over a long hair the moment they enter a situation, especially if their coat is mono color