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CAT FACTS CATS HAVE A HOMING ABILITY that uses its biological clock, the angle of the sun & the earth's magnetic field. A cat taken far from home can return to it, but if a cat's owner moves from its home, they can't find them. CATS HAVE 3 KINDS OF SLEEP the brief nap, the longer light sleep, and the deep sleep. A kitten during the first month experiences only deep sleep, which lasts about 12 hours. After the first month, the kitten quickly switches to an adult sleep pattern. THE ANCESTOR OF ALL DOMESTIC CATS the African Wild Cat which still exists today, a small brown tabby that today is an endangered species. CATS WALK ON THEIR TOES and if a cat is in good shape, it can run 30 miles an hour. A CAT'S HEART BEATS about twice as fast as your heart = about 110 to 140 times a minute in the average cat. CAT CAN COMPRESS OR ELONGATE THEIR SPINE making them smaller to sleep in snuggly places or longer to leap across wide open spaces. CATS WALK MOVING THEIR FRONT & BACK LEGS ON ONE SIDE THEN THE OTHER SIDE. That is, the right hind leg moves forward, then the right foreleg; then the sequence is repeated on the left side. Only camels and giraffes move in the same way. ALTHOUGH A KITTEN IS BLIND AT BIRTH the touch receptors in the nose are already developed, and touching noses helps a kitten make contact with his mother. This practice of nose touching remains a friendly greeting for other cats (and humans) throughout a cat's life. A CAT'S EYES GLOW GREEN OR GOLD when you shine a light in them because the light is reflected from a layer of mirror-like cells called the tapetum lucidum, just behind the retina. These cells help cats see in very low light, by reflecting all available light
back into the retina.
OF SENSITIVE TISSUE A cat adjusts his grip on his prey until he feels a tiny depression in its neck, just behind the skull. The canine teeth are designed to fit perfectly into this depression, so the cat can sever his prey�s spine
with one quick bite. are specialized to detect the amino acids in meats, but are less able than
ours to detect the carbohydrates in plants
and grains than just about any other animal. They average 16 hours of sleep a day,
most of it in short naps that allow the cat
to quickly become fully alert.
about 26 cycles per second, the same
frequency as an idling diesel engine.
Dogs can make about 10.
is about 14 times stronger than a human's.
the cat's paws have the most sensitive touch receptors. They are exquisitely pressure-sensitive, and some researchers believe
they can even sense tiny vibrations.
compared to 206 in our bodies. Think about how much bigger you are than your cat, and you'll understand why cats have a lot more places where they can bend and twist than we do. NORMAL HEART RATES FOR CATS might be up to 220 beats per minute, compared with 60 to 80 for a person at rest. Human body temperature is about 98.6 degrees, but it's 100.5 to 102.5 for cats. IN INTRODUCING ANOTHER CAT INTO THE HOUSE Try putting a little perfume on both cats so they will smell the same and trust each other more. IF YOU'RE TRYING TO PROTECT SOMETHING a cat will not walk on aluminum foil. CATS ALSO HATE THE SMELL OF VINEGAR If you have a "stray" cat that is marking its territory on your house, try pouring distilled vinegar over the place where it has been sprayed and then rinse with the hose. CATS DO FINE ON A TUNE DIET Giving your kitty an all tuna diet is actually DANGEROUS. Tuna doesn't have all the vitamins and minerals cats need so such a diet could cause them to get diseases caused by a vitamin deficient diet. IF A CATS WHISKERS ARE CUT OFF THEY LOOSE BALANCE Cats whiskers act more as ��feelers� and are not involved in maintaining balance. BALANCE Cats whiskers a DRY NOSE - ILLNESS vs. COLD WET NOSE - SIGN OF HEALTH In reality, a pet's nose is influenced by activity, climate, and overall behaviors of your pet. Healthy pets occasionally have a dry, warm nose, so unless it is accompanied by signs of illness, there's no need to worry. Pet owners shouldn�t rely on this rule to evaluate when its time to see your veterinarian. Check out your pet's behavior, appetite, and other signs of possible illness. That's a much better predictor.
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CAT MYTHS Weekly Pet Gazette Column
~Katie Crane, Consumer Affairs~
CATS NEED TO DRINK MILK
stomachs and cause diarrhea. Fresh water is the best thing
to quench their thirst.
shown that they will also purr when they're injured, giving
birth,
or dying.
(and for cats, this is a good
enough reason)! out of them. According to the Humane Society of the United States,
there are no documented cases of a cat killing a baby by
sitting satisfying to them. It also marks their territory by leaving their scent behind
from the scent glands in their feet.
shows this. He's not hungry enough to eat it, but he is
driven
by instinct to hunt. They were believed to be servants of witches (those who believed in a Pagan religion as opposed to Christianity), and witches could turn themselves into black cats. Many believed that a witch could take on the form of a cat nine times during her lifetime. Perhaps this number was taken from the myth that cats have nine lives or vice-versa. Although Americans tend to think that when a black cat crosses your path it will bring bad luck, in England and Australia, it is just the opposite. Either way, this is purely superstition. DECLAWING IS LIKE TRIMMING NAILS Declawing is actually the surgical amputation of the first joint of each toe of the cat, a procedure which is viewed as mutilation by advocates. CATS CAN THRIVE ON A VEGAN DIET Some people who choose a vegan lifestyle also subject their cats to a meatless diet. By and large, veterinarians disagree, because cats are obligate carnivores and need animal tissue, e.g. meat, to meet their dietary needs. The fact is, cats do not have a "moral sense" where it comes to their nutritional needs. It is morally wrong to try to force them into an unnatural diet to satisfy our own moral convictions. CATS DON'T NEED VACCINATIONS The scare about VAS (Vaccine Associated Sarcoma) a few years ago has made some people reluctant to allow their cats to have any vaccinations. The VAS Task Force has listed certain vaccines as core, and almost all cats should receive them. Cats who routinely roam outdoors should also receive both the rabies vaccine (required by law in many states) and the FeLV (feline leukemia) vaccine. The latter two are now given in the hind legs, with killed virus, as called for by the Association of Feline Practitioners' protocol. CATS ARE UNHAPPY KEPT INDOORS While an older cat who has been outdoors for years might be unhappy at being kept inside, cats that grow up indoors, even in apartments, can be very happy, as long as they are provided with plenty of toys, window perches for looking outside, and climbing towers for exercise. NEUTERED MALES CATS HAVE MORE UTI'S Although one study found that castrating cats did not increase the chance of UTIs, a Winn Feline Foundation study found the greatest risk for certain uroliths (crystals) is the 10 to 15 year old neutered male cat. When measured against the many risks of leaving male cats whole, neutering is still the better choice. FEMALE CATS NEED A LITTER BEFORE SPAYING A cat can suffer more harm through pregnancy than she can by being spayed. The truth is that some people just want kittens, and will use any excuse. Spaying will prevent uterine cancer, and help prevent mammary cancer, ovarian cysts, as well as complications of pregnancy, including stillbirth and malformed kittens. Need I even mention the overwhelming cat overpopulation problem? CATS ALWAYS LAND ON THEIR FEET Cats usually do land on their feet after a fall, however not always without injuries. Although cats can survive a long fall (the unofficial record in NY is 18 stories), it behooves us to watch out for open windows, as cats can incur severe injuries while landing on their feet. Strangely enough, some of the most serious injuries occur in a fall from 10 to 12 feet. |
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