Ace of Spades Pet Thread, October 31

Courtesy Roy Rubright

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Good afternoon and welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Thanks for stopping by. Kick back and enjoy the world of animals.

Would you like a treat?

Let's relax a little with the animals and leave the world of politics and current events outside today.

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Give them all the treats https://t.co/Q9Nvl393Ve
— Respectful Memes (@RespectfulMemes) October 31, 2026

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Watch those black cats on Halloween.

Happy Halloween 🧛🎃 https://t.co/QWQmdIWmgt
— Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) October 31, 2025

Cats And Their Owners Seem to Share A Weird, Hormonal Connection

You settle onto the couch after a tiring day, and your cat curls up beside you, resting its head against your hand. Its warm fur and purring are familiar parts of your bond.
How that connection affects both your bodies is less understood.
Scientists in Japan looked for signs of that connection in two hormones. Oxytocin plays a role in social bonding and can rise during affectionate contact. Cortisol helps regulate the body's response to stress and its use of energy.
The study, published in iScience, found that owners with higher oxytocin tended to have cats with higher oxytocin, too. Higher feline oxytocin was also associated with fewer negative emotions and lower cortisol in owners.
How these associations arise is still unclear. Petting is one possible explanation, lead author Saho Takagi of Kyoto University told ScienceAlert.

Courtesy NorCal Sierra Foothills Lurker

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Think these numbers are accurate?

The speed of dogs and big cats https://t.co/ueUPAPL3oI
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) October 30, 2026

🔥🚨LATEST: Horse rider Katilyn Gunther is going viral after revealing her horse’s Halloween costume. https://t.co/1FxjG6VY8e
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) October 30, 2026

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Meet The PetMorons

The PetMorons seem to be staying in for Halloween

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PetMoron Adjacent Animals
Encountered by Members of The Horde

DEER

Believe it or not, this is just 50 yds from the main 4-lane drag thru town.
We sometimes get foxes, rat snakes, raccoons and drunk college students wandering through also.
Cheers,
Dr. Varno

Brave critters.

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Moose visiting Island Park, Idaho

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Thank you for sharing your pets and animal photos and stories with us today.

If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:

petmorons at protonmail dot com
Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Until next Saturday, have a great week!

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If you start feeling nostalgic, here a link to last week's Pet Thread, the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, October 24

I closed the comments on that post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 03:05 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 ST

Posted by: Boss Moss at October 31, 2026 03:10 PM (KmZYi)

2 Meow!

Posted by: Puddleglum, drive by meow at October 31, 2026 03:11 PM (sAmhv)

3 What's a kilometer?

Posted by: Boss Moss at October 31, 2026 03:12 PM (KmZYi)

4 Two kilo-cents, same as in town

Posted by: Admirale's Mate at October 31, 2026 03:16 PM (/enuJ)

5 Kilometer? I hardly knew her

Posted by: Admirale's Mate at October 31, 2026 03:17 PM (/enuJ)

6 3 What's a kilometer?

---

its one of those little clicky things you hold in your hand and every time you kill someone, you click it and it shows you your total kills.

Posted by: Lemmiwinks at October 31, 2026 03:21 PM (tB7nu)

7 3 What's a kilometer?
Posted by: Boss Moss at October 31, 2026 03:12 PM (KmZYi)

It's in your hash.

Posted by: m at October 31, 2026 03:27 PM (odBC9)

8 Happy Caturday everyone
And the Ghosts and Spooks out there too

Posted by: Skip at October 31, 2026 03:31 PM (Ia/+0)

9 Patsy, the crazy cat, has finally realized that we leave the house to go to the lake. So she will sit on the back deck f the couch, looking for us out of the front window. Nice to see her little blackk and white face.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at October 31, 2026 03:33 PM (JNr/z)

10 I always use 50mph =80 Km.

Posted by: polynikes at October 31, 2026 03:37 PM (Ti9vn)

11 Given the number of deer carcasses near the highway, I can well believe that such roads do not scare them. They may see roads as a challenge.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at October 31, 2026 03:47 PM (CHHv1)

12

Believe it or not, this is just 50 yds from the main 4-lane drag thru town.

We went outside last night around 1900 to double check the Halloween decorations and lights. Spotted Momma White Tail, and her twins as they strolled around from the side yard. Momma looked at us, strolled another twenty feet closer and began cropping grass about ten feet away. The twins were more shy, and kept Momma between themselves and us. Pretty cool. Seen the trio before, but never so casually close.

Posted by: BifBewalski - at October 31, 2026 04:03 PM (QVmho)

13 Top picture: Daddy's little murderfluff.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:04 PM (O7YUW)

14 That is a great Halloween costume the rider had for her horse.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026 04:05 PM (JrHfD)

15 soft, fluffy miniature apex predators!

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at October 31, 2026 04:06 PM (jb8Ss)

16 @3/Boss Moss: "What's a kilometer?"

The Fat Electrician explains:

https://youtu.be/p35-geJSJG4

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:07 PM (O7YUW)

17 We live in the country and although our dog, Luna, usually ignores the local wildlife, she DESPISES the black vultures that periodically perch on our roof. If she sees, hears, or smells a vulture she’ll assume her Warrior Princess stance on the ground below them and bark unceasingly until they take off or a human frightens them off.

Earlier this week a deer got killed on our street and it’s been odiferously expiring in a vacant lot nearby. That, of course, has drawn a huge crowd of vultures and some have been perching on our roof several times a day. Luna had been tirelessly evicting the vultures and every time she succeeds she does a victory prance around the living room to let us know that she’s repelled the invaders.

It’s earned her the new nickname Joan of Bark, the Mutt of Orleans.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at October 31, 2026 04:08 PM (VV/pN)

18 Neighbor checking in to see what's up.

https://post___.cc/qN8604NV

Posted by: JackStraw at October 31, 2026 04:09 PM (viF8m)

19 Re @18 from JackStraw:

To use Jack's link, the three underscores must be replaced with india mike golf.

It's an AOSHQ thing. *shrugs*

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:14 PM (O7YUW)

20 >>> 13 Top picture: Daddy's little murderfluff.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:04 PM (O7YUW)

~~dogs and cats~~ housekeeping and murderfluffs, living together!!!

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at October 31, 2026 04:15 PM (jb8Ss)

21 Afternoon, Pet Folken,

That opera cape would have made a great costume for the late smart black cat Marie-Antoinette. She'd have been willing to wear it as well. Very little ever frightened Marie once she realized Her Humans would take care of things for her.

Stirling or Wolf would look even more impressive. But Wolf hated costumes, even (or especially) the silly pink Princess cape and cap Linda put on Marie, and Stirling disliked it too.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:16 PM (wzUl9)

22 Yellow labs enjoy jumping in pile of leaves. Video:

https://tinyurl.com/3ef8pw7e

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026 04:17 PM (xz+xK)

23 Linda showed me a social media post this morning about a handsome black cat who was surrendered back to his shelter because, get this, "he was too affectionate." What do you people *want*? Get a stuffed animal. Or a lizard.

My cats have always showed me affection, in their own difficult way, and sometimes an outright fashion as Stirling does or Marie did.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:19 PM (wzUl9)

24
My cat has gotten so fat he can't curl up the way cats do, with his tail curled around to meet the tip of his nose. Can't do it. All he can do is wallow on his side.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at October 31, 2026 04:21 PM (mmrXZ)

25 Millard the kitten is very affectionate . He often sleeps with us on the bed, and if I come downstairs to the couch he will follow me and sleep beside me or sometimes on top of me. I don't think I recall having a cat that purrs so much. He probably won't like me so much after I have to take him to the vet to be neutered soon.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026 04:26 PM (JrHfD)

26 Straw with another Where's Waldo!

Posted by: IrishEi ?! at October 31, 2026 04:26 PM (3ImbR)

27 Just capatalize the IMG....

https://postIMG.cc/qN8604NV

Posted by: A random guy on the net at October 31, 2026 04:27 PM (5Op5D)

28 The horse held still while she painted that on him?

As far as the speed business, I've always read that the cheetah can hit 70 mph in its sprints. If 50 mph = 80kph, then multiplying times 1.5 gives 75 mph = 120kph, so I guess that's close enough.

The canine family are the endurance champs among mid-sized land mammals. They may not be as fast, but they can run their prey down over long distances. The cat family can't; they sprint, or they wait and pounce.

Though I've also read that, among bigger land mammals, 100 lbs. or more, man is the endurance champ. Most wolves don't get to 100 lbs.

Dolphins can apparently "sprint" at 37 mph or so. And they are doing that in a medium which they have to push aside, a medium denser than air.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:30 PM (wzUl9)

29 @20/Helena Handbasket: "~~dogs and cats~~ housekeeping and murderfluffs, living together!!!"

Mass hysteria!

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:31 PM (O7YUW)

30 Linda showed me a social media post this morning about a handsome black cat who was surrendered back to his shelter because, get this, "he was too affectionate." What do you people *want*? Get a stuffed animal. Or a lizard.

My cats have always showed me affection, in their own difficult way, and sometimes an outright fashion as Stirling does or Marie did.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:19 PM (wzUl9)
----
"Too affectionate?" What does that even mean?

Each animal has a unique personality. All of my cats show affection for me in their own way. I would never claim any of them is "too affectionate." Hexie can be a bit annoying when I'm trying to fix her food. Penny can be annoying when I'm trying to read in bed. But I'd never take them to a shelter for that.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at October 31, 2026 04:31 PM (FZ29D)

31 A rare human like Usain Bolt can hit about 23 mph in a sprint, and that's in air. So dolphins and killer whales are faster in their element.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:31 PM (wzUl9)

32 @24/Blonde Morticia: "My cat has gotten so fat he can't curl up the way cats do, with his tail curled around to meet the tip of his nose. Can't do it. All he can do is wallow on his side."

Achievement unlocked: Catloaf!

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:32 PM (O7YUW)

33 "The reason cats are so angry is they're God's perfect killing machines..."

Pound-for-pound, I think mustelids take down bigger prey. But felines are second.

Posted by: mikeski and/or Wesley Crusher at October 31, 2026 04:33 PM (VHUov)

34 That cat looks like Snowflake!

Ralphy lived another month. 106.5 dog years.

Doors closed for Halloween tonight. He's too much to deal with. Tons of life. Everyone have a good night.

Posted by: Stateless - Ralphy 106.5 years old - puppy at heart at October 31, 2026 04:34 PM (Sco7b)

35 Millard the kitten is very affectionate . He often sleeps with us on the bed, and if I come downstairs to the couch he will follow me and sleep beside me or sometimes on top of me. I don't think I recall having a cat that purrs so much. He probably won't like me so much after I have to take him to the vet to be neutered soon.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026

***
I've never known a cat, male or female, who changed in his affection toward me after the Big Surgery. You'd think they would -- but no. It's not like they can realize what their future could have been and what they are missing. (Good thing.)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:34 PM (wzUl9)

36 Murderfluff patrol:

Penny is snoozing in a milk crate on top of the bookshelves in my office.

Allie is curled up in a plastic bin in the closet of my bedroom.

Hexie is wandering around somewhere in the living room / sunroom.

Chloe is lurking by the window in my library.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at October 31, 2026 04:35 PM (FZ29D)

37 Cetaceans and fish are commonly so streamlined that the energy expended to "part" the water ahead of them is returned as a push from behind as the water closes back around them.

Hence why submarines, and ships, are pointy on both ends.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at October 31, 2026 04:36 PM (0kX4S)

38
@24/Blonde Morticia: "My cat has gotten so fat he can't curl up the way cats do, with his tail curled around to meet the tip of his nose. Can't do it. All he can do is wallow on his side."

Achievement unlocked: Catloaf!
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines

If we were in an elevator, Gabriel Iglesias (Fluffy) would be pressing the door close button saying "oh hell no".

Posted by: BifBewalski - at October 31, 2026 04:36 PM (QVmho)

39 The fattest cat I ever saw was many years ago at a Bed & Breakfast in Williamsburg, VA . They had also trained it to use the toilet instead of a litter box. Kind of odd.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026 04:36 PM (JrHfD)

40 @30/"Perfessor" Squirrel: { "Too affectionate?" What does that even mean? }

"He keeps trying to copulate with my left nostril at 3 am while I'm trying to sleep" ? That might qualify.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:37 PM (O7YUW)

41 Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:34 PM (wzUl9

I was kind of kidding. I just will feel bad for him for having to wear, I expect, the "cone of shame".

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026 04:39 PM (JrHfD)

42 Though I've also read that, among bigger land mammals, 100 lbs. or more, man is the endurance champ. Most wolves don't get to 100 lbs.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

It's not even a matter of size. If you hold "the Cannonball Run" for every land animal, humans come in second, and there's nothing running close behind us.

But we're even further behind the winner: the American pronghorn. They have some crazy blood with way more red blood cells than any other animal, in addition to outsized lungs, heart, and windpipe. So in a race that's really "who's got the best cardio," they're running without restrictor plates while everyone else is. They can cover 4 miles at 35 mph without stopping. Nothing else runs like that.

Posted by: mikeski at October 31, 2026 04:43 PM (VHUov)

43 @38/BifBewalski: { If we were in an elevator, Gabriel Iglesias (Fluffy) would be pressing the door close button saying "oh hell no"."

*bwahaha* I remember that bit!

For everyone else:
https://youtu.be/yDvtpAqjkLY

Worth it!

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 31, 2026 04:43 PM (O7YUW)

44 When you catch your cat staring at you, he's usually day-dreaming of ripping your throat out like his distant cousin the Saber-Toothed Tiger would do.

Posted by: Sharkman at October 31, 2026 04:43 PM (/RHNq)

45 I always use 50mph =80 Km.

Posted by: polynikes at October 31, 2026 03:37 PM (Ti9vn)

You are correct, sir!

Posted by: ghost of Ed McMahon at October 31, 2026 04:43 PM (w6EFb)

46 As for my two furry thugs: Stirling is curled on the floor not far from the living room window. No idea where Dagny is. She loves to pretend she is a forest feral or Pallas's cat, and curl up in out of the way places like under the bed, the bedroom window behind the drapes, or between the sofa and the end table. Or behind the sofa.

At age 4.5, La Siberienne is still not very affectionate. She likes Linda more than she does me, I suspect. Though she will follow me (the cat, I mean, not Linda) into the bathroom and lounge on the sink counter while I brush my teeth or shave. Sometimes it's because she wants water from the tap. Other times, I turn the water on, and she ignores it. She seems to like our company, but not to need a lot of petting, though she still gets it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:45 PM (wzUl9)

47 I was kind of kidding. I just will feel bad for him for having to wear, I expect, the "cone of shame".
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026

***
None of my cats have ever needed that; they don't try to gnaw at their stitches. We tried putting the cone on Dagny. She went ballistic, racing around in near-panic trying to get rid of The Thing That Was Attacking Her Head. We collared her (heh) and got it off, she calmed, and there was never any problem. So Millard may not need it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:47 PM (wzUl9)

48 >>Straw with another Where's Waldo!

He's right there looking at you.

Posted by: JackStraw at October 31, 2026 04:48 PM (viF8m)

49 Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:47 PM (wzUl9

That's good to know. I hope so.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 31, 2026 04:49 PM (JrHfD)

50 Marie had been altered before she came to live with Linda, and her front claws had been removed. It never seemed to bother the medium-hair black cat. I'd catch her occasionally working her paws on a rough surface, as if she were secretly hoping the claws had grown back.

Maybe her paws itched.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:51 PM (wzUl9)

51 Marie had been altered before she came to live with Linda, and her front claws had been removed. It never seemed to bother the medium-hair black cat. I'd catch her occasionally working her paws on a rough surface, as if she were secretly hoping the claws had grown back.

Maybe her paws itched.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 31, 2026 04:51 PM (wzUl9)
----
I have two cats who have been declawed (Allie and Chloe--both before they came to me). They use scratching posts like any other cat. I think it's instinctual behavior.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at October 31, 2026 04:53 PM (FZ29D)

52 Happy Pet Day!

Everyone is snoozing here, though tonight will probably be stressful if we get a lot of trick or treaters. The cats won’t care, but Saijo is quirky, a walk with costumed and loud kids will not be something he enjoys.

Posted by: Piper at October 31, 2026 05:12 PM (ZdaMQ)

53 Our cats have resumed being... cats. The late summer, early fall was unbelievably hot and dry. Typically it would be in the low 80's or mid 70's.

Late September/early October here was in the 90's.

They're now prowling the 'hood again. The "hood" being the 20 acres around us, including our 5. Amazing how far they'll go just to lay in the weeds.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at October 31, 2026 05:15 PM (RORbl)

54 It's about time to feed my merry band of murderfluffs...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at October 31, 2026 05:20 PM (FZ29D)

55 HOBBY NOOD

Posted by: Skip at October 31, 2026 05:31 PM (Ia/+0)

56 I have a seed-germinating heating pad in a terrycloth cover out on an end table for the cats to lie on, and the older cats like it the most, especially in rainy weather. The other day my oldest, Chloe, who is 17 came to the end table and the youngest kitten, Becca, was on the heating pad.
Chloe sat and stared at Becca, and after a while, Becca shifted a bit, then moved aside for extra room, and when that didn't work, she rolled on her side and stared back. Eventually Chloe sighed and went to another cat pillow by the window.
I think the whole conversation was, "you are in my spot child" and the response was, "yes you are still boss, and I will fight you for the warm spot if you won't share"

Posted by: Kindltot at October 31, 2026 05:34 PM (rbvCR)

57 This year we have no doggehs to greet the young trick or treaters! Wish we did!

Thanks for the pet thread KT!

Posted by: Huck Follywood at October 31, 2026 05:48 PM (WKesY)

58 Happy Halloween!

There's a dead deer in my Dad's yard. Been there a while... ew. It's in a out-of-the-way place, or I would've noticed sooner. Probably got hit by a car & died later of its injuries, there's a busy road nearby.

Ugh.

Posted by: JQ at October 31, 2026 06:20 PM (rdVOm)

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