Cats "Exploit" Humans by Purring
(July 14, 2009)
Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.
Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.
Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.
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Source: BBC |
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How Do I Keep My Cat Cool in Summer?
(July 04, 2009)
It's important to keep your cat cool and safe this summer. In particular white and pale-coloured pets are especially vulnerable, as they will require sunscreen on their noses and ear tips to prevent sunburn and skin cancer.
Don't leave your pet in a parked car and carry water even on short journeys as a precaution. If he starts to pant seek vet assistance immediately.
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Source: Your Cat |
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What are the Main Worms that Affect Cats? (May 22, 2009)
The two main types of worms that infect cats are roundworms and tapeworms. Many cats don't show signs of having worms, but large numbers can cause weight loss, vomiting, diarrhoea and the failure to grow and develop.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Pet Reassurance Over Swine Flu (May 06, 2009)
PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury, said: "Some pet owners are understandably concerned about the possible effects of swine flu on dogs and cats, particularly those living near farms and rural areas. "Having discussed the issue with the Pet Health Council we're pleased to report that at the moment there is no evidence that these pets can be affected by this new virus, so there's no need for alarm. The virus doesn't appear to be found in pigs in the UK, so there's no cause for concern over dogs and cats coming into contact with livestock or eating commercial pet food containing pork.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Workshop on Feline Aggression
(April 20, 2009) Feline aggression is an increasingly common problem behaviour that strains the owner-pet bond, frequently to breaking point. Sadly, this is also an area of feline behaviour where misunderstandings abound. However, it is also one where well-timed, appropriate intervention can often resolve the difficulties and restore the balance of the household.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Easter Eggs Can Poison Cats (April 11, 2009)
Certain foods, such as chocolate, are enjoyed by us humans and are perfectly safe for us, but it does not mean they are suitable for cats. Chocolate contains chemicals which for cats and other domestic pets can, in rare cases, be deadly, so make sure that Easter eggs are stashed out of his reach. Also remember that includes cooking chocolate and chocolate chips!
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Source: Your Cat |
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How Can I Remember My Cat? (April 04, 2009)
Losing a pet is one of the most upsetting events we can experience. Take time to allow yourself to mourn, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you feel you need it. Unfortunately, some people who don't own animals can be rather unsympathetic at such a time, but grieving over a pet is a very valid emotional
process.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Cat Calls Save Family From Gas Leak (March 12, 2009)
A US cat has saved the lives after of a family in New York after a carbon monoxide leak in their home. Nancy LaFornara of Lancaster, New York State said, "I heard Buddy but he was making a real funny meow it wasn't it wasn't his normal cry that he does meow it was like a distress call." His distress call was just in time, as Nancy's husband Joe was lying unconsious in the dining room.
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Source: Your Cat |
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How can I go Green with my Cat? (March 04, 2009)
Go organic - Organic cat food is free from artificial colourings and flavourings. The meat it contains will have been produced in an environment where no fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides have been used.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Why do I need a Scratching Post for my Cat (February 24, 2009)
If you buy a scratching post you could save your sofa, curtains - and even your wallpaper - from a life of certain shredding. Scratching is a natural part of cats' behaviour and helps to keep claws trim, so if you don't invest in a suitable post he will turn to other sources. Ideally, he will have been trained to use a post from a young age to help prevent him from developing any bad habits.
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Source: Your Cat |
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What do I need to Take my Cat Abroad? (February 19, 2009)
The age, type of animal, its personality, quarantine costs if applicable and practicality of the situation etc are all going to be things you'll need to consider first. Pets can travel out of most UK airports but if they are travelling under the Pet Passport scheme, you'll need to check with DEFRA, the government department responsible for animal health and welfare, in order to find out which airports they can travel out of under this scheme - only certain routes are applicable!
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Source: Your Cat |
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What does his Miaow Mean? (February 02, 2009)
Soft Murmurs - The purring and the delightful "Prrp" that he makes when you give him a passing stroke, mention his name, or just enter the room. The Miaow - Miaows can be demanding. Miaows can also be repetitive, enquiring or complaining. Their exact meaning isn't, however, that easy to decipher. Is this a familiar conversation?
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Source: Your Cat |
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Help - I've Got a Fussy Cat! (January 28, 2009)
Some cats are arch manipulators and use every trick in the book to persuade you to give them only the type of food they enjoy. If your cat is hungry enough, chances are he will eat his least favourite food! However, in normal circumstances, there are some issues you can look at. FUSSY CAT CHECKLIST - Is the food the right temperature? Cold food just doesn't smell right. Room temperature or slightly warmer is better.
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Source: Your Cat |
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What Stresses Out a Cat?
(January 19, 2009) Cats prefer the consistent life. It's in their nature, of course, to come and go as they please, but they like to have a routine to their lives. Their territory is very much their own. Anything that disturbs that daily pattern or threatens their domain can make a cat stressed.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Cat Predicts Emphysema Attacks (January 14, 2009)
A US man is claiming that his cat alerts him before he has an emphysema attack. Charles Bennett, from Albany, Oregon, iis convinced Blackie the cat has a sixth sense and that he knows ahead of time when Bennett will wake up gasping for breath. "I've tested this with him, and so I know it's true," said the 72-year-old retired engineering consultant, who suffers with emphysema. It happens too often to be a coincidence, he says.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Big Cat Sightings Reliably Confirmed (January 11, 2009)
Big cats have been caught on camera in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire twice in the past seven years, the Forestry Commission has confirmed. The animals were spotted by rangers who were filming a deer survey.
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Source: Your Cat |
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What are Good Cat Friendly Trees? (January 05, 2009)
If you are choosing a tree for a garden that will have cats in, you first need to think about the habit of the trees you are considering. Those with open habits of growth are easier to clamber up than those with erect branches like the fastigiated pencil cherry, for example.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Cat Lives on in Gutted Flat
The Mayhew Animal Home rescued ginger tom, Bernie, after their Animal Welfare Officers were notified he was living in a burnt out flat - three weeks after the fire occurred. Officers from the fire brigade didn't see Bernie when they put out the fire last month at the eight-floor flat in Kilburn. Scared and alone, Bernie had been living in the burnt out rooms until The Housing Association rang Mayhew Animal Welfare Officers.
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Source: Your Cat |
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Meow Mix Game Show
American cat food company Del Monte Foods, owners of the Meow Mix brand, have launched a new competition for a cat and his owner to win a million dollars. Based loosely on the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The Meow Mix Game Show will challenge cat owners to ‘think like a cat’.
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Source: Your Cat |
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When is a Wild Cat really a Wild Cat?
Two thousand years of potential interbreeding with domestic cats, and persecution for its fur and as vermin, has taken a considerable toll on the Scottish wildcat, and doubt now surrounds whether true wildcats still exist at all in Britain. But recent research suggests that wildcats do prowl the Highlands and points a way forward for conserving Britain's only native feline. A 1990 prosecution for the illegal killing of three wildcats failed because the expert witness could not identify them beyond reasonable doubt as wildcats. This confusion over the distinctions between wildcats, feral domestic cats and their hybrids prompted Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to make detailed measurements of wild-living cats either trapped alive or killed by game keepers and cars. The specimens fell into two groups. Group one had longer leg bones and shorter guts than group two and was associated with cold and dry regions of the eastern Highlands, making it a contender for the 'wildcat' label. But coat markings were highly variable in both groups, suggesting that visual identification is untrustworthy, and legal protection, therefore, problematic. "What is clear is that there is a group of wild-living cats in Scotland which have different characteristics to other cats," says SNH advisory officer for mammals, Mairi Cooper. "Whether these cats are true wildcats is something we are currently addressing."
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Source: BBC |
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Why do Cats Purr?
Over the course of evolution, purring has probably offered some selective advantage to cats. Most felid species produce a "purr-like" vocalization. In domestic cats, purring is most noticeable when an animal is nursing her kittens or when humans provide social contact via petting, stroking or feeding. Although we assume that a cat's purr is an expression of pleasure or is a means of communication with its young, perhaps the reasons for purring can be deciphered from the more stressful moments in a cat's life. Cats often purr while under duress, such as during a visit to the veterinarian or when recovering from injury. Thus, not all purring cats appear to be content or pleased with their current circumstances. This riddle has lead researchers to investigate how cats purr, which is also still under debate.
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By: Leslie A. Lyons
Source: Scientific American |
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Strange but True: Cats Cannot Taste Sweets
Sugar and spice and everything nice hold no interest for a cat. Our feline friends are only interested in one thing: meat (except for saving up the energy to catch it by napping, or a round of restorative petting) This is not just because inside every domestic tabby lurks a killer just waiting to catch a bird or torture a mouse, it is also because cats lack the ability to taste sweetness, unlike every other mammal examined to date. The tongues of most mammals hold taste receptors—proteins on the cellular surface that bind to an incoming substance, activating the cell's internal workings that lead to a signal being sent to the brain. Humans enjoy five kinds of taste buds (possibly six): sour, bitter, salty, umami (or meatiness) and sweet (as well as possibly fat). The sweet receptor is actually made up of two coupled proteins generated by two separate genes: known as Tas1r2 and Tas1r3.
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By: David Biello
Source: Scientific American |
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