(Press Play to view video of cat astronaut)

Move aside, humans. The latest of NASA movies shows a frisky feline training to become the first cat astronaut in longer than we can remember. His mission? To install a Littermaid litter box – in space.

Weasel the tabby tom cat trains daily in zero gravity to be able to tolerate and execute the various labors that he must undertake during his tenure on the International Space Station. Within 10 years, it is expected that NASA will have populated the ISS with two to three feline astronauts. Currently, the “HabLab” module in the space station has urinals built only for humans, specifically males. Russian Blue cats may be able to toilet-train themselves for the “HabLab” module, but western breeds will need special modifications.

Although a clever cat litter box such as a Littermaid has definitely surpassed Science Fiction standards, these self-cleaning litter boxes have not yet been taken to the “Space Age.” This of course will change after Weasel makes his trip to outer space.

He says that his plan is extremely complicated, but it includes a “litter robot” which will actually come out and clean up the cat’s waste immediately after it has been deposited in a special Littermaid container. This will eliminate a cat’s need to deposit their waste in a clay or sand-like material, since in a zero-gravity environment, such materials would be impossible to contain inside a litterbox. A cat would simply back up to the Littermaid container, deposit his waste, and then immediately move away while the “litter robot” sanitizes the environment and disposes of the waste. This extremely efficient technology has been based on both the original Littermaid Mega litter boxes and the Canadarm which has been implemented on the American space shuttles.

It is expected to be at least two to three years before Weasel is ready for his trip to space, but he feels the extra time is necessary to ensure that no mistakes are made when he is at the space station. After all, once he is there, he will not have a ride home for the next six months. Therefore, accuracy in installing the Littermaid will be crucial to his mission.

Share This

Massage schools are usually not eager to accept a cat as a student, but Pickles has a special knack for kneading.

(Press Play to view video of Pickles the Cat giving massage to a dog)

At first, Pickles may look like any other ordinary ginger tabby, but he has a gift for massage that takes him above and beyond what most cats can aspire to do. After completing all of the required course work to become a registered massage therapist, The Feline School of Massage Therapy in New York City has awarded Pickles with his certification and diploma. Eager to advertise his new skills, he has already released his first television commercial in which he shows what a great massage he can give to a puppy.

“It’s not just for fun,” Pickles told us in an exclusive interview, stating that most customers actually have a medical necessity for a massage. However, in all patients, there are many health benefits available. During his courses at the Feline School of Massage Therapy, Pickles learned the anatomy and musculo-skeletal structure of cats, dogs, humans, and fish. He says that massage can strengthen the body and improve the immune system, as well as treat and prevent injuries. “I believe the whole body must be in tune to function as a machine,” he said. “Each muscle must be in order, and if one part of the machine becomes weak or tense, then the rest of the machine can not function as well.”

Pickles also prides himself in being an expert on alternative medicine, aromatherapy, and holistic care.

Share This

MARS — Earthling cats are scrambling to buy land on Mars after the NASA Mars Rover “Opportunity” issued photographs depicting a number of catnip plants growing in the wild on Mars. Several companies are already issuing Martian deeds for as low as UK £19.95 for one acre of Mars land, which is a great bargain compared to a Mars Meteorite which can run up to $99 US. The price difference is supposedly related to delivery costs.

To buy land on Mars, first a cat must research the Martian real estate market and of course study geological maps to discern exactly which locations would be the best for Catnip farming. Since the climate on Mars is very arid, the catnip will most likely be extremely potent, especially if it is cultivated with a little feline assistance. Although the planet can not sustain feline or even human life at this time, it is not unthinkable that within our lives we could see colonies of intelligent life building around this impressive, vegetative locale.

This is what NASA had to say about the photographs:

Opportunity’s Outcrop Outing

This composite of three images from the navigation camera shows the view from NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity toward the southeast, in the direction of “Victoria Crater,” on the rover’s 817th Martian day, or sol (May 12, 2006). To reach Victoria Crater, still about 1,100 meters (two-thirds of a mile) from this location, the rover must navigate among the large ripples visible on the left and ahead in the distance.

On this sol, Opportunity was preparing to deploy its arm instrument suite to analyze a rock on the outcrop pavement. At upper right is a small depression that was the target of further imaging on sols 825 and 826 (May 20 and 21, 2006).

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

Of course, as is typical with any government documentation, they did not give any notice to the catnip plants, as they also did not give notice to the gravel-paved walkways that are obviously accompanying the plants. Cats are therefore urged to proceed with caution and make sure that when they buy land on Mars. They should check all paperwork to be sure that it is legally binding and that the catnip plants will come with the property.

The cat who is able to call himself the first catnip farmer on Mars will surely be a legend.

Share This