Happy birthday to my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow! Tail wags to everyone who left a message on his Facebook.

Basil enjoyed his birthday gifts more than the bow-tie he got for Christmas. He lapped up his favorite foods, catnip and tuna. (My fuzz-face isn’t allowed to eat tuna often, since it lacks some essential nutrients and contains an enzyme that destroys thiamine).

And, like every year, I made donations on behalf of Basil. We donated to his vet’s nonprofit fund, which provides medical care to stray cats. And we gave to Animal Rescue Kansai. They’re on the ground in Sendai, helping animals made homeless by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Speaking of kitties… Disney invited me to the advance screening of African Cats. Filmed in Kenya, the documentary tracks a lion and cheetah mother’s fight to raise cubs in a grassland lurking with dangers.

(Doesn’t Basil have the round face of a cheetah — and the fur, yellow eyes and big feet of a baby lion?)

The cinematography is through the roof, particularly in the the close-ups and slow-motions of predators versus prey. The cameras get whisker-close to the Maasai Mara wildlife, where big cats cross paths with moody buffalo and sassy ostrich. Everything’s enthusiastically narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, and set to a quirky Peter-and-the-Wolf-style soundtrack.

While anyone can enjoy this nature doc, cat lovers are especially in for a treat. It’s fun to compare your domesticated companion’s behaviors to those of his wild relatives.

Like Basil Farrow, the playful cubs roll around on the ground, and greet each other with head bonks. I died of cuteness when the cheetah mother picked up her babies by the scruff of their necks. And I learned why Baz pauses to think before drinking water. He’s looking out for crocodiles!

It’s heart-wrenching to see the feline mothers risk everything to protect their offspring. The cheetah mother, calling out to her babies separated in the dark and vulnerable to hyaenas… And the family shivering in pouring rain, with nothing for cover!

What a life my celebrity cat has in comparison. His greatest hardship is having someone sit on his favorite seat. Or take too long to open a can of byproduct-free premium food.

Disneynature’s African Cats gets my paws up. It opens in theaters tomorrow, on Earth Day.

I invite you to send Basil Farrow a birthday greeting on his Facebook or via Twitter. He sends cat fur and kisses to you all!

Do you celebrate your pet’s birthday? Are you raring (or roaring) to see African Cats?

Song of the Day: Garfield and Friends – Original theme song (one of my favorite cartoons.)