Nora The Piano Cat
Who would have thought that a simple cat like me, born on the streets of Camden, NJ in the United States, would have fans and friends from all over the planet. I am definitely one fortunate feline.
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While visiting New York City today, B&B were surprised to find that the November 28th issue of New York magazine referenced yours truly (twice) in a short piece about cat humor. Funny how some folks just can’t take a piano-playing cat seriously. Perhaps if I stood up and told a joke, they’d write about my immense and remarkable talent on the ivories. So, a cat, a mouse, and a goldfish walk into a bar….
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“Puppies Vs. Babies” is a brand new three-part series from Animal Planet that will pit videos of cute pups and kittens against the smallest and cutest of humans in a contest to decide who’s cuter. And I am featured in the very first episode, which will air on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 10 pm. If you ask me, the program should be called “Kittens and Puppies Vs. Babies,” but they [Animal Planet execs] didn’t ask for my input.
I’ve known for a long time that I, personally, like classical music. My favorite composer is Bach. But how do other cats “feel” when exposed to classical music? A study at Colorado State University is looking at that question with regard to reducing the stress levels for cats during vet visits. Ingrid King, author of “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher,” recently wrote an article about that study and what its findings could mean to your feline friends. You can read Ingrid’s article on her blog, The Conscious Cat.
Oh, and by the way, that is a photo of yours truly being used to illustrate the article. :-).
Can classical music lead to better veterinary care for cats?
What does Nancy Drew, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Ziggy, and yours truly have in common? We’re all represented by the licensing company Moxie & Company, LLC. And Moxie’s very own Arlene Scanlon and Laura Becker will be “representing” us all (and many more) at this year’s 2011 Licensing International Expo, June 14-16, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. I won’t be there in person – cats are such homebodies, you know – but don’t let that stop you from dropping by booth #1874 and saying hello to Arlene and Laura. Tell them Nora sent you.
P.S. The photo is from last year’s expo. Can’t wait to see what they come up with this year!
We all like things that are interactive, right? Like playing an instrument, for instance. Well, Sprint just created an interactive app called Kitty Chorus. The app contains loops from parts of various YouTube cat videos. You can then click on them to play the loops of your choice to create your own mix. It’s really a lot of fun. And very rhythmic! And best of all, I’m right in the middle of it playing my piano riff (that is if you click on me, and I hope you do). I’m in the second row, third from the left. You can even record your special mix. Have fun.
Check it out at: http://now.sprint.com/nexus/#/kitty-chorus?id12=MA:MS:20110411:ATN:HE
Kathy recently contacted me to find out what I’d been up to. While I do sleep for about eighteen hours a day, the rest of my time is spent doing some pretty fun things. Find out more at the Animal Planet – Cat Scratchings blog. Or click the graphic above. If you like what you read, give a holler – or at least a meow.
What you see above is strictly a parody of an Oprah magazine cover. Burnell created it to amuse himself. He loves to do that. But it got me to thinking: gee, if it’s good enough for Oprah, then why not? I mean, I’ve got plenty to say, and I am an internationally known media star, not unlike Oprah. And let’s face it, there are just so many things to write about that interest cats and the people that love them. So, who knows? Perhaps the world is ready for a cat-centric magazine written by and for cats with the world’s greatest feline diva at the helm. Hmmm?
Being a musical “big cheese” in the feline world, it’s no wonder that somebody finally got the idea to immortalize me in, well, cheese. That somebody was Friskies. They were looking to promote a new Tasty Treasures cheese flavor cat food at this year’s SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX, so they got Master Cheese Carver Troy Landwehr to do the honors. (See photo at left.)
Three other famous Internet felines were also sculpted: Standing Cat, Gizmo-The Toilet Flushing Cat, and Monorail Cat.
Read more about the sculpture HERE.
Read the interview with Nora on The Cat’s Meow.
As you know, I have been referenced in the comics before and by such television icons as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, and Ellen Degeneres. I’ve even been the subject of a skit on Conan O’Brien where, I might add, he used a look-alike as a stand-in cat. And I made a brief video appearance on the hit TV show Cougar Town. I’ve also been the answer to a game show question and I’ve ended up in a couple of textbooks. Most recently I was referenced in the syndicated comic strip Edge City by Terry and Patty Leban. I guess you could say that popular culture has welcomed me with open arms.
What’s next? A guest host spot on SNL? Well, since I don’t travel more than a hundred feet from my beloved grand piano, that’s unlikely, but perhaps one day I’ll be offered my own show. I can hear the announcer now: “And here she is, Philly’s Phavorite Pheline: Nora The Piano Cat.” Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?
I am purring so loudly right now. Hey, Oprah. How about sharing a cover with yours truly?