Taylor Swift signs off "Childless Cat Lady" on Instagram post supporting Kamala Harris

Taylor Swift is the world's most musically talented and influential 'cat lady' even if she adopted the wrong cat - a Scottish Fold 😎😒. It seems that the almost the whole of the USA is following her on Instagram. The US population is 336 million at present and she has 284 million followers. She has the power to make a difference in this election.

Taylor Swift and Benjamin Button a Ragdoll cat. Photo Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift has said that she supports Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the presidential election. She signs off her post as a "Childless Cat Lady" in taking the Mickey out of J.D. Vance who as you may remember criticised childless cat ladies as people who were unhappy because they did not have a family. He both denigrated independent-minded women and the domestic cat at the same time. His comment attracted an avalanche of criticism which damaged Trump's presidential campaign. He tried unsuccessfully to backtrack.

And Taylor Swift said, as you can see in the post below, that she has to be transparent about who she wants to support because AI is a danger to the Internet (and of course it can be a great benefit - it depends how you use it). She says that an AI bot appears to have adopted her persona and made a post on her Instagram site saying that she endorsed Donald Trump; clearly very false and damaging information.

So in the vein of being transparent and open, she has clearly stated that she "will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election".

She is voting for Kamala Harris, like many other people, because she champions the right sort of causes. She is a balanced individual. She's smart and decent and I say that she has a good face by which I mean that she has integrity which you can see in her general demeanour and her facial expressions.

And I've also stated that she is an animal champion. She champions animal welfare. This is the behaviour of a tender-hearted person in a world needs that kind of person.

Taylor Swift agrees with me that if Donald Trump becomes president there will be a certain amount of chaos. I have argue that if we have Putin plus Trump plus Xi Jinping in power at the same time we going to have chaos. We need someone to moderate things and focus on cooperation and compromise in order to stabilise the world. And I believe that Kamala Harris is that person.

And Taylor Swift says that she is very heartened by Walz's support of LGBTQ+ rights and IVF and "a woman's right to her own body". That's a reference I believe to abortion. The right to an abortion has been curtailed as I remember in certain states thanks to Trump's time as president.

Taylor Swift has done her research she says and she asks her followers to do theirs. She wants her followers to vote for Kamala Harris.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

------------

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Olivia Benson, a cat worth millions with big earning potential

Everything that Taylor Swift touches turns to gold metaphorically speaking. For example, Taylor Swift, herself, is officially the most followed person on Instagram with a mind-blowing 239 million followers. We know she loves cats and we know that one of her cats as Olivia Benson, a Scottish Fold.

Olivia Benson. Image: Instagram (modified by MikeB)

And because of that connection and for no other reason in my opinion the news media are saying that Olivia Benson has the potential to earn millions and therefore is worth millions herself.

Taylor Swift has given Olivia her own Instagram account. From that account she has the potential to earn big. She is described as a moneymaking machine with an estimated value of US$97 million.

How does it happen? Why can't I have a cat worth millions of dollars!? Hundreds of millions of people would love that too. But you've got to be Taylor Swift. Olivia Benson living with John Doe in a suburb of New York would not make a penny even if they had their own Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

The idea that Olivia Benson is worth pots of money comes from a website called All About Cats in which they state that Olivia "has found success outside the world of Instagram influencing. The Scottish Fold earned her fortune starring alongside her owner in several music videos, has crafted her own merchandise line, and has had cameos in many big-budget ads."

That's the story! I don't have much more. I have to touch on a couple of moral issues which I know are boring and there's no glitter or celebrity discussing moral issues but I have to do it.

Note: these embedded social media posts sometimes fail. It might not work. If so, sorry.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Olivia Benson💎 (@_olivia_benson_the_cat)

Benson's followers

Well, I have discovered that Olivia is not doing great on her own Instagram page with a measly 581 followers. Perhaps this story is all hype, smoke and mirrors?!

Moral Issues?

The first issue is that Olivia Benson is a Scottish Fold as mentioned. A lot of people think that this is a cat breed that should not exist. The reason why the ears fold flat is because the ear flaps, made of cartilage, are defective. The cartilage isn't stiff enough to keep the ear flaps erect and that is due to a genetic mutation which has been handed down to offspring through selective breeding over many years. 

The Scottish Fold is a breed of domestic cat with a natural dominant-gene mutation that affects cartilage throughout the body, causing the ears to "fold," bending forward and downward towards the front of the head, which gives the breed its distinctive appearance. Scottish Folds are known for their sweet and affectionate personalities, and they are a popular choice as pets. 

The genetic mutation that causes the folded ears is dominant, which means that if a Scottish Fold is bred with a cat that does not have the mutation, approximately half of the offspring will have folded ears. However, there are some potential health concerns associated with the Scottish Fold breed, including an increased risk of developing certain orthopedic problems due to the genetic mutation.

So, Olivia Benson is perpetuating something which is not that great to be honest. And secondly, I'm not sure it's a good idea to have a domestic cat earning money for you. My mind immediately turns to that great organisation PETA which has that wonderful motto on their website about animals that are not ours to be used for our entertainment or any other purpose.

Certainly, when cats are used to make money, they break that PETA mantra big time. I'm not suggesting that Olivia Benson doesn't like performing for the camera and making some dosh for her owner but she would probably be happier at home snoozing above a warm radiator or soaking up the sun by a window.

Cat-eye thread lifts have gone viral on Instagram but is it a good thing?

Instagram influencers in conjunction with high profile female celebrities such as the model Bella Hadid and the Kardashian sisters are fuelling a viral trend which is encouraging followers - of which there are millions - to go for a "cat-eye thread lift". So what is it? You may well know if you are one of those Instagram followers but to many people they will be a mystery. 

My cat with upward slopping eyes (slightly). Photo: MikeB.

Bella Hadid with cat eyes. Are they genuine? Photo: Getty.

It is a minimally invasive plastic surgery operation in which a dissolvable thread is placed under the skin in the corner of the eye which allows the surgeon to lift up the area at the corner of the eye to give the appearance of a cat eye.

For me, having some knowledge about the domestic cat, there is a weakness in this because not all cats have eyes with slope upwards at the outer edges. I think that it is a false presumption to say that they do. Some do, like my cat but others don't like the famous Persian cat or the shorthaired version, the Exotic shorthair which you see below.

The round eyes of an Exotic SH. These eyes don't slow upwards at the outer edges. Photo: Instagram.

The same applies to many other purebred cats which are known for their big round orbit-like eyes. These are meant to mimic the eyes of a baby and therefore there is no way that they can be like the eyes of a cat. 

Also, it is said that you can achieve a similar result by shaping your eyebrow and drawing an eyebrow in. That's a good idea I would have thought. It should be added, by the way, that domestic cats don't have eyebrows which also kinda undermines the analogy of having the eyes of a cat.

Also, there is an underlying problem to all of this which is that it is not mentally healthy, if we are honest, to encourage young women and teenagers to focus too heavily on their appearance. It is not mentally healthy for these teenagers to try and do the impossible anatomically. 

I say that with respect because a lot of these photographs on social media are digitally manipulated for a start off. And if they aren't there may be lots of professional make up and in any case a cat-eye thread lift is not a great thing for a young girl to desire. I would much rather they learn to love themselves, to boost their self-esteem without resorting to artificial and invasive methods which are only temporary anyway.

This minor operation fades after a few months because the thread is meant to dissolve. So what happens when your face goes back to the way it was? You might become depressed and have do it again so how much does it cost? What it might cost about $1000 in America. So where does a young woman find that on a limited budget? Another reason why she is liable to become anxious. Anxiety can lead to depression and stress. You can see where I'm going to.

My attention immediately is drawn to that wonderful icon of beauty, Brigitte Bardot. She said that she gave her life to men when she was in her beautiful prime and now that she is in the autumn of her life she gives her life to animals and their welfare. 

Brigitte Bardot. Photo in public domain (believed).

And, I believe that she has never had plastic surgery. Her face is lined and she's put on some weight which is typical of a woman of her age. However, she is still beautiful. Her beauty is in her character, her attitude and her love for animals and no longer in her physical appearance. 

She battles against the authorities sometimes and perhaps other residents in her neighbourhood in striving to improve the lives of animals. I admire her tremendously and I hope that many others do. She deserves it.

All teenagers should look to her for inspiration and not the Kardashian sisters or Bella Hadid.

Pictures of Pompous Albert, a grumpy Selkirk Rex

I have just discovered Pompous Albert and feel I have to put a few words down because he is quite an extraordinary looking cat. He is named after Albert Einstein. I wonder whether he is as clever as Mr Einstein. In terms of the amount of grumpiness on his face it is not that dissimilar to the famous Grumpy Cat. But there was only one Grumpy Cat and the world is not ready for another. However, Pompous Albert has a very healthy following of 306,000 followers on Instagram. He is therefore a major success as a celebrity cat.

Pompous Albert as a youngster I believe. Photo his Instagram page.

Selkirk Rex cats are sometimes referred to as 'the cat in sheep's clothing' or the 'Poodle Cat' but there is a specific cat breed called the Poodle Cat so the name is confusing. You can see why these alternative names stuck. I'll write a few words about the Selkirk Rex which incidentally is not that popular a cat breed which is surprising because they do look very unusual and people like unusual-looking cats.

Pompous Albert. Photo: Instagram page.

This cat breed is one of three breeds with this sort of crinkly coat. They are called Rex cats. The mutated gene which causes the curly hair in the Selkirk Rex differs from the gene that causes curly hair in the Cornish and Devon Rex cats. It is a dominant gene. The breed started in 1987 in Montana, America. The founding breeder is Jeri Newman.

A rescue cat gave birth to a litter of kittens and one had the mutated gene and therefore the curly hair. She was housed by Persian cat breeder who named the kitten Miss DePesto. This single cat is the founding cat of this breed. The cat's name come from the mountain range in Wyoming, USA. In Scotland the town of Selkirk is 60 miles south of Edinburgh.

Selkirk Rex - not Pompous Albert. Photo: Helmi Flick.

Because the gene is dominant, 50% of the offspring of a mating between a cat of this breed and one of a non-curly cat breed or random bred cat will be Selkirk Rex cats. Don't think that because the fur is very different that they don't shed fur. They shed fur like any other cat and neither are they hypoallergenic.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no outstanding health issues inherited into cats of this breed. If my assessment is correct then that is a big endorsement because many of the cat breeds are linked to certain unfortunate inherited illnesses which purchasers should be aware of.

@kadylone (Kady Lone) lives with a tortoiseshell-and-white Exotic Shorthair with a white moustache

Kady Lone is a beautiful woman who, I guess, is an influencer on Instagram. You know those beautiful women who influence others into purchasing make up products and other beauty products. She also cooks. They make their money by advertising beauty products in a very subtle way. They can make quite a lot of money as you are probably aware. Manufacturers have decided that this sort of subtle advertising can be more effective than the standard form.

Kadylone (Kady Lone) lives with a tortoiseshell-and-white Exotic Shorthair
with a white moustache. Here they are on a plane together.
I guess that it is an executive jet. Photo: Instagram.

I'm pleased to say that @kadylone (her Instagram username) features her tortoiseshell-and-white Exotic Shorthair cat with a white moustache quite a lot on her Instagram pages. Americans call tortoiseshell-and-white cats "calico cats". British people don't really like that!

Pudge the Exotic Shorthair living with Kadylone. Showing the flat-face.
Picture: Instagram.

Kady Lone describes herself as the mother of Pudge the Cat. Yes, her cat's name is Pudge. I guess that name derives from her cat's appearance which is quite cobby in cat fancy parlance. This means stocky which is quite normal for an Exotic Shorthair. This is a shorthaired version of the better-known contemporary Persian, which has very long hair.

Kadylone and Pudge. Pic: Instagram.

Other than the length of hair the cats are very similar with, I regret to say, the same sort of health issues, which are inherited. These defects are inherited because of selective breeding resulting in the extremely flat face which distorts the tear ducts. This results in what is called "tear duct overflow". Persians also have a high incidence at about 35% of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). I suspect that the Exotic Shorthair has the same health problem. It is a major factor in considering adopting this cat breed. But I do not want to put a wet blanket over this post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kady Lone (@kadylone)

Kady Lone appears to be a very sweet, gentle and concerned cat caregiver which I like a lot. Calico cats are almost always female for genetic reasons: the sex genes are linked to the coat type genes. Male Torties are sterile as I recall. The Cats of Instagram page follows three individuals or entities one of which is Kady Lone. She has 35k followers. Cats of Instagram has 12m followers.

Kate Beckinsale dances in a sports bra for her chinchilla Persian cat Willow

Judging by her Instagram account, as far as I can tell, Kate Beckinsale lives with two Persian cats and a brown, fluffy toy dog. The Persian cats appear to be a chinchilla Persian which is near white with some grey streaks and a grey tabby. They are both what I would call contemporary, flat-faced, punch-face, Persian cats. She likes to dress them up and make them look pretty.

She lives in a very nice modern home and last Friday the actress, 47, posted on her Instagram page a video of herself dancing in her kitchen to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl". She was wearing a Niki sports bra and some fancy sweatpants over some fancy underwear which she flashed in copious quantities. Perhaps it wasn't underwear but it kinda looks like that.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)

Her beautiful little Persian cat Willow was, as expected, completely disinterested in Kate Beckinsale's attempts to stimulate some sort of excitement in her. Persian cats are well known to be rather inactive. Sometimes people refer to them as pieces of furniture. I can remember being at cat show with the cat photographer Helmi Flick photographing various cat breeds and you noticed then how some are more active than others. Persians are inactive compared to Bengals.

Ms Beckinsale says that her effort of "Trying to hype Willow up about winter woolly has been low yield so far". Her Instagram page is full of pictures of her cats so she is definitely a cat lover which I like. The other Persian is called Clive, he's the one with a grey coat.

Kate Beckinsale and Clive her flat-faced Persian one of 2 that she lives with. Photo: Kate Beckinsale on Instagram.

She has admitted that she is "very much a cat person". When she was growing up she had cats and a big dog she says. For her, cats are easier than dogs because "you don't have to walk around with a bag of poo like you do with a dog, which I hate to walk around with a bag of poop".

Clive is about 11 or 12-years-of-age. He had cancer and sometimes she shaves him. Shaving a cat with very long hair is not a bad thing to do but you may have to put the cat under a full anaesthetic which is a bad thing to do because it is potentially dangerous.

She inherited Willow from a friend. She describes Willow as "insane". That's why her friend gave Willow to her. They have completely different personalities. Clive likes suitcases and boxes and bags. He likes to climb into things. He has a suitcase bed which suits him perfectly. Willow prefers to "sleep in creepy, psychopath places like the back of a drawer, places that she could die [in]".

Apparently Willow is more difficult but she's pretty so she's forgiven!