Photo of gray and white cat with light green eyes in a beige fur cat bed against a beige fur wall. She is looking intensely to one side.

#caturdaycutie #eightsthecat is trying to remember whether she left the iron on. Your guess?? Wrong answers only!

#cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Gray and white cat lying on a pale gray patterned bedspread. Her head is raised with her mouth slightly open and lower fangs showing, mid-meow, and is looking slightly above the viewer. One paw is outstretched towards the viewer.

#caturdaycutie #eightsthecat demands that her afternoon tea be served to her in bed. Of course, of course, anything, Your Royal Highness!

#cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Just got back from the No Kings rally/march in Oakland, CA. A beautiful, sunny day and loads of people! I'm part of the Indivisible East Bay LGBTQIA+ group and we were handing out the Pride Flag lanyards with anti-ICE whistles.

Gray and white cat with light green eyes lying on white sheets and staring stonily at the viewer. Behind her is a window with a Progress Pride flag visible through vertical blings.

If you mess with LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC people, immigrants, women or anyone else who should be protected on this #caturday #NoKings Day (or any day), #eightsthecat will FOCK YOU OP. #NoMercy #Cat #Cats #CatsofBluesky

FELINE GRIMACE SCALE FACT SHEET [photo of tabby cat upper face] Evangelista et al. Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale. Sci Rep 9, 19128 (2019) WHY? Pain-induced behavioral changes are unique in cats and can be subtle. WHO? • The instrument has been developed and validated to be used by veterinarians. • It is currently under testing for use by other veterinary care professionals. WHAT? • The Feline Grimace Scale is a simple method of acute pain assessment. It is based on changes in facial expressions and can be easily and quickly performed in the clinical setting. • It differentiates painful and non-painful cats and response to analgesic treatment. WHEN? • The FGS is used for acute pain assessment in cats with medical, surgical or oral pain, etc. • Pain assessment should be performed as often as needed and on a case-by-case basis. HOW? There are five action units (AU): • Ear position, • Orbital tightening, • Muzzle tension, • Whiskers position • Head position Each unit is scored: 0 (absent), 1 (moderately present) or 2 (present) • The final score is calculated by the sum of scores divided by the maximum possible scores Analgesic treatment is suggested when the final score is 4/10 or O.4/1.0 Photo and line art of each state of cat. O-AU is absent • Ears facing forward • Eyes opened • Muzzle relaxed (round shape) • Whiskers loose and curved • Head above the shoulder line 1-AU is moderately present* • Ears slightly pulled apart • Eyes partially opened • Muzzle mildly tense • Whiskers slightly curved or straight • Head aligned with the shoulder line *The score of 1 can be also given when there is uncertainty over the presence or absence of the AU. 2-AU is markedly present • Ears flattened and rotated outwards • Squinted eyes • Muzzle tense (elliptical shape) • Whiskers straight and moving forward • Head below the shoulder line or tilted down (chin towards the chest)

This may help in figuring out if your cat is in pain, because cats are little sh*ts and won't tell you directly
#cat #cats #badcats #catsofbluesky

Photo of a gray and white cat with white whiskers and light green eyes. It's a closeup of her face and chest, and she has an intense look on her face.

It's #whiskerswednesday and #eightsthecat is being an intense girl, as usual! #cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Square image with black background and vignetted photo of a gray and white cat with light green eyes, licking her lips with her very pink tongue. Text in fanciful typeface: light green type above the photo "Eights the Cat" and below photo "I'm TEN!"; white type on the left "2016" and on the right "2026."

Eights the Cat is TEN! It's hard to believe, but she turned ten on Saturday. #eightsthecat #cat #catsofbluesky #goodkitty

Protest sign. Black background with type and stripes in the colors of the trans pride flag. GENDER = light blue, AFFIRMING = pink, CARE = white, SAVES = pink, LIVES = light blue. A bar of the corresponding color is next to each line of text.

Protest sign. Black background with type in the colors of the trans pride flag. YOU WILL = light blue, HAVE TO GO = pink, THROUGH = white, upper half of ME = pink, lower half = light blue.

I made two new signs to take to a march on Saturday 2/21 (Yerba Buena Gardens, 2:30 pm) that promotes healthcare access for trans kids and adults. If you're in/near SF, please attend. I'll see you there!

#trans #transpride #genderaffirmingcaresaveslives #youwillhavetogothroughme

This is my sweetie, Eights the Cat!

Gray-and-white-cat shaking her head vigorously up and down so her head is blurred.

Gray-and-white cat with light green eyes standing and looking directly at the viewer.

#caturdaycutie #eightsthecat vehemently says "Yes, I'll be your Valentine." I'm so lucky to have her!
#cat #cats #caturday #catsofbluesky

Photo of toy kittens carrying a heart-shaped candy made of black and white chocolate. At the bottom is text: It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air!" Text is black except for "Valentine's Day," which is red. Pale blue background.

Photo of toy kittens carrying a black toy coffin.

Text: "Or a coffin? Love is probably better though. Whatever you’re celebrating (or not), Eights the Cat and I hope you have fun doing it! Big hugs, Nicola and Eights." A red heart is on the left of the last line; a red paw print is on the right.

Happy Valentine's Day! Whatever you're celebrating (or not) today, Eights the Cat and I hope you have fun!

A ginger-and-white kitten and a black-and-white kitten against gray asphalt and a gray wall. On the right is a dead rat with three red hearts above it.

In cute, curly type: "Eights the Cat and I got you a Valentine’s Day present! I’ll just tuck it in your shoe in the closet so it’ll be a nice surprise. Big hugs, Nicola and Eights"

Eights the Cat and I got you a Valentine’s Day present!

I’ll just tuck it in your shoe in the closet so it’ll be a nice surprise.

Big hugs,

Nicola and Eights

#eightsthecat #cat #catsofbluesky #HappyValentinesDay2026

A wreath on a gray-green door. The wreath is a brown wicker circle with pale pink maribou feathers and a red metallic heart garland wound around it. There's a red ribbon bow at the bottom.

Happy Valentine's Day! This is the wreath on my front door. It's a wicker circle with pink maribou feathers and a red metallic heart garland wound around it. Whatever you're celebrating today (or not), Eights the Cat and I hope you have fun!

#eightsthecat #cat #wreath #happyvalentinesday

The audacity

Awwww!

Do you have pics?

Closeup of head and shoulders of a gray and white cat with light green eyes. She is staring accusingly directly at the viewer.

#caturdaycutie #eightsthecat wants to know why you have disturbed her slumber. #cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Yes! Twinsies!

Gray and white cat with light green eyes sitting in "loaf" position on a speckled gray comforter.

#caturdaycutie #eightsthecat is big mad I woke her up to take a photo. Sorry Sweetie! #cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Two blurry black-and-white photos, cropped to diamond shapes, of a black cat with light eyes.

Collage of five photos of a black cat with yellow-green eyes.

28 years ago today I adopted my first cat, my best cat, my beautiful sweet Lucy! She was black with yellow-green eyes but the first two photos I have of her are black-and-white.

All Hail Lucy!

#cat #cats #catsofbluesky #lucywonderswhetheryoutastegood

Two blurry black and white images of a black cat.

Collage of five color photos of a black cat with yellow-green eyes.

28 years ago today I adopted my first cat, my best cat, my beautiful sweet Lucy! She was black with yellow-green eyes but the first two photos I have of her are black-and-white.

All Hail Lucy!

Gray and white cat with light green eyes lying on a fleece blanket in front of a small space heater.

#caturdaycutie #eightsthecat has parked her furry butt in front of the space heater. Warm kitty! #cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Your kitty looks SO MUCH like my first, best, cat, Lucy (RIP)

Color photo with black and white background of head and shoulders of a gray and white cat with eyes slitted.

#eightsthecat is BIG GROMPY because I'm taking her picture (it's #caturday)
#cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Photo shot from above of a gray and white cat with light green eyes, looking up at the viewer. The cat is in a cardboard shipping box.

Photo of a gray and white cat with light green eyes, looking directly at the viewer. The cat is in a cardboard shipping box. The upper flag of the box is overlaid with sky blue and the lower flap with bright yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Gray and white cat with light green eyes peeking out of a hiding place in a gray cat tree.

Gray and white cat with light green eyes peeking out of a gray soft pet carrier.

Late for Boxing Day—Eights in Boxes
Whoops! I got distracted by life yesterday and forgot to post this Boxing Day photo of Eights the Cat in her new box. (Yes, I know every day is Boxing Day for cats.)

More info at www.nicolaginzler.com/2025/12/27/l...
#cat #eightsthecat #cats #catsofbluesky

To all my OTRB 🌈 kitties, I'm remembering the happy Christmases we spent together! Much, much love. I'll never forget you! Lucy, 1991(?)-2008; Isotope, 2008-2016; Perdita, 2002-2019 #cat #cats #OTRB

Happy Christmas to #eightsthecat ! #cat #cats #merrychristmas

Happy Christmas, if you celebrate it! Here’s today's blog post, “In praise of family and friends!” www.nicolaginzler.com/2025/12/25/i... #CatWhiskers #SantaHat #Peace #Joy #EightsTheCat #Cat #Cats

For today, my beautiful sweet Lucy (RIP), whom I still miss so much, in her holiday gear on December 4, 2007: www.nicolaginzler.com/2025/12/16/m...

For more holiday posts: www.nicolaginzler.com/blog/

What’s cuter than a kitten saying “Hello”?
A kitten in a Santa hat? A kitten buying treats? Two kittens in a basket? You be the judge…

Whatever you decide, Eights the Cat and I send love and wish you Happy Holidays!