HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, with 2009 being the Year of the Ox, and year 4707 on the Chinese calendar. So to all my Chinese kitty (and human) friends, let me be among the first to say GUNG HAY FAT CHOY… which loosely translated means, “Best wishes and congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year.” That's a traditional Chinese good luck cat in the photo on the left.

Now some of you curious cats might be wondering why each year on the Chinese calendar is named after an animal. Well, ‘ole Quaz Yat-Sen has the answer for you! According to legend, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve animals showed up and Buddha named a year after each one. Unfortunately, no kitties came (they must have been napping or otherwise occupied at the time), so there is no Year of the Cat. Buddha also said that people born in a particular animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality… which is probably too bad for people born in the Year of the Snake, the Year of the Rat, or… horror of horrors… the Year of the Dog!

Also, and how cool is this… I just found out that The World Is Your Litter Box will be released in Taiwan later this year. So all you mingows (that’s cats) in Taiwan, be on the lookout for it! What would Buddha say!