More Kitty Facts!

This information was obtained from Kitty Flix plus my own two cents.  First one deals with your cat's fur standing straight up.  What does that mean?  The suggestion is to see if ALL of the fur is standing up.  If it is, your cat is frightened and not likely to attack.  However, if the stripe along its spine is standing up and the rest of the fur is laying down, be concerned about your kitty attacking. 

 In either case, there are some steps you can take to calm down a disturbed cat:

1. For one, make sure your cat is in a secure area where it can't run off.

2. Next, try speaking to your kitty in a soothing tone.

3. Get on your kitty's level by staying low to the ground. This way, it won't feel as intimidated by a tall human towering over it.

4. Once your kitty has calmed down a bit, give it some time to relax even more. Eventually, you can try stroking the bridge of its nose.

5. Feed it some tuna! Kitties prefer wet, smelly food, so this will make it happy. (Not with mine, unfortunately.)

6. Continue speaking soothingly to your kitty and eventually let it get to a higher place so it feels more secure. Remember: a little patience goes a long way!

The next topic might be kind of weird, but Kitty Flix thought it was important.

 A Cat's Urine Does What?!

Ever heard the "myth" that a cat's urine glows under a black light? Turns out it's actually a known fact based in science!

A kitty's urine contains phosphors, which react with the UV rays in a black light, converting the energy it emits into "visible light."

Why do we think you should know this? While you can always smell it when kitty has an accident, you CAN'T always see it. With a black light, you can find and eliminate the odor, decreasing the chances that kitty will go in the same spot (as they tend to do)!

 You are NOT the father! Or are you...?

Did you know that within a litter of kitties, individual kittens can belong to different daddies? The technical term for this phenomenon is "superfecund," and occurs in dogs as well.

While humans aren't superfecund (thank heaven!), according to Greek myth, twin brothers Hercules and Iphicles were. The sons of Zeus and Amphytrion, respectively, the twin boys were both mothered by the mortal Alcemene.

Now, when you see a litter of kittens that look NOTHING alike, you'll know why!

Cats love catnip!  Kirby has a play mouse that contains catnip.  He rolls around with that and has a good time.

 The catnip "high" explained

Also known as "catswort" or "catmint," catnip contains a substance that is thought to release cat pheromones -- meaning your kitty is feeling hot and bothered, and is ready to mate!

But its effects are only seen in two-thirds of cats, who inherit a gene that causes them to exhibit the typical effects of rolling around, nipping, scratching, and drooling.

Interestingly, cat nip works on the big cats, too! We're talking mountain lions, bobcats, cheetahs... you name it.

What does your kitty like to eat?  Be careful what you feed them.  Here are some suggestions.

Veggies, cheese, eggs, cooked meat and fish are the top kitty-safe humans foods your feline will enjoy.

Go easy on the dairy, though, as many cats are lactose intolerant. Start with small portions to avoid an upset stomach.

Other foods like onions and garlic; grapes; caffeine and chocolate; fat trimmings and bones; and raw meat and fish can have adverse effects on your kitty's digestive system.

Here's something that I need to remember!

A typical 10-pound indoor cat only needs 180-200 calories of food a day. Their lack of physical activity means they can survive on very little, and overeating can lead to obesity.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 54 percent of pets are obese. Obese cats are at risk of developing diseases like diabetes, so keep your kitty's diet in check!

The last topic is sleeping with your cat.  Since I have allergies, my doctor keeps asking me if the cats are allowed in my bedroom.  Of course they are!!  But, it can cause problems for some people.  You have to decide yourself whether you will be comfortable or not.  I take allergy shots to help me with this problem.

 According to WebMD, as long as you don't mind being disturbed at night, it's perfectly safe and healthy to sleep with your cat.

Those with allergies and asthma beware! Letting your kitty in the bedroom can wreak havoc on your sinuses. Allergy shots and an air filter can help ease the sneezing and watery eyes.

Hope this information was useful and entertaining.  More later.  Have a good one!

A Day of Eating

Apologize for not posting the last two weeks!  After finding out that I do NOT need shoulder surgery, I proceeded to pull the hamstring in my left leg and was told I was grounded in the chair for four weeks.  I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!  However, I found out the doc was correct in his diagnosis because this is healing very slowly.  I'm to the point now where I can sit at my computer for about an hour without my leg cramping up.  Oh, well, this too shall pass.  At any rate, hope that I'm up and running once a week again.  Look forward to your wonderful comments, as always, about the blog.




It's always best to remind your human at the beginning of each day so they don't forget.

It's best to keep an eye on things to make sure things are done right.  After all, it's your food!

Just to be sure you get your day started off right, you might want to try this.

There are certain sounds to help you know that food is on its way.

 

Of course, just because you said four times a day, doesn't mean that you can't feed yourself if you find something interesting. 

 

Hopefully, getting to your food will not be a problem!

And if the human forgets to feed you at the proper time, don't be shy.  Let them know!

ANY human will do.

Have a great day!

Reactions to Bringing Home a New Pet

You're so excited about bringing home your new pet!  You already have a cat and have found a new puppy that you just couldn't resist.  Such a bundle of joy!  You've read all about introducing a new pet into the household, etc. and feel that things will work out well.  After all, your cat is very easy going; doesn't seem to get too upset about things, and so on.  With a little love and persuasion on your part, the animals will bond.  It's going to be so much fun!

You've told your cat about what's going to happen.  (Of course, you have!  We all talk to our pets as though they were people.)  However, you might get a reaction like this:

Awwww!  Such a sad expression.  But, you're not going to let this get you down.  It WILL work out!  However, if you get a reaction such as this, you might want to start to worry!

Hopefully, after the two get acquainted, the situation will be better and even entertaining.

Once in a while, you will no doubt have this situation:

You know there's always two sides to any problem, so you'll have to investigate to get the facts.  The animals may, or may not, be able to help you with that.  It's hard to know the truth sometimes.

The days go by, and you watch them "play".  Or, at least, you THINK they're playing.  Perhaps there's something going on that you really don't know about.

Sometimes, though, you really do get a clue about how your kitty feels about the new addition.

But, don't give up!  Once they establish who's the boss (the dog will eventually learn its place), things will settle down.  Occasionally, they can become real buddies.

Hallelujah and amen!!

Life Without Cats

No, I don't think so either!  After all, who would make sure that I get up in the morning in time for breakfast?

Who would help me with choosing what to fix for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Who would help me with my shopping

or taking care of chores around the house?

No, it just wouldn't be the same.  And what about at night?  Who would help keep my feet warm?

Who would tell me bedtime stories so that I would get sleepy and ready to go to bed?

And finally, who would make sure that I was comfortable and ready to sleep?

Life would be VERY BORING indeed without my two furry buddies!

"Odd" Kitty Facts

Have been going through some articles and found a few cat facts that were interesting, so I thought I would share them with you.  The first one is the answer to a question about whether your cat is right-pawed or left-pawed.  The answers might surprise you!

Interestingly, most female cats are right pawed, while the majority of males are lefties. Guess what - the same goes for humans! Well, almost. 90% of humans are right handed, but the majority of the remaining 10% are left-handed males.

Next time you break out the kitty toys, take note of which paw your kitty uses first. You can also try placing some tuna or any treat your kitty loves at the bottom of a narrow jar. Which paw did your kitty use to try and get it?

According to that definition, this kitty artist must be a male:

None of my cats have ever been blue-eyed or two different colors.  Quite a shock to look at them.  :>)  Many white-haired, blue-eyed cats are actually deaf. This has to do with the connection between the kitty's iris (the part of the eye that holds color) and the inner ear, which kitties (and humans) use to hear.

This only goes for pure-white cats, which make up 5% of the population. Out of all pure whites, 15%-40% have blue eyes, and 60%-80% of pure white, blue-eyed cats experience hearing loss. We're talking about quite a small proportion!

Plus, if a kitty has only one blue eye and another eye that's a different color, there's an even lower chance they'll be deaf. This phenomenon is genetic and quite complex.

Who could ever resist these eyes?

The next fact had to do with their sensitive hearing.  Ever wonder what makes your kitty snap its head around at the slightest sound? You guessed it -- their hearing is far superior to ours and even that of doggies! Here are a few important things to know about your kitty's hearing abilities:

• Cats can pinpoint the location of a sound within six one-hundredths of a second from up to three feet away.
• Cats can hear four or fives times better than humans can!
• A cat's outer ear (a.k.a. the "pinna") can rotate up to 180 degrees.  Combined with their exceptionally long ear canals, it's practically a satellite dish!

The next time you're in a room with your kitty, check out how their ears respond to the slightest sound you make! Also, keep your music down -- since your kitty can hear things much more loudly than you, loud noises could frighten it!

Maybe this kitty is trying to protect those sensitive ears:

Has your cat ever gone missing and reappeared later.  Sometimes  MUCH LATER?

Do all kitties have a magical pair of ruby slippers we don't know about? If not, how is it that they always seem to find their way home, despite disappearing from home for hours on end? Well, science will tell you it isn't a glittery pair of shoes that miraculously teleports them back to their starting point.

Known as "homing," there are a couple of theories about how kitties find their way home. One theory is that they judge their location based on the angle at which the Sun is hitting the Earth. Others believe that kitties have magnetic cells in their brain that act as an internal compass. While both theories seem a little far-fetched, they actually are used by other animals. Plus,how else would you explain this eery phenomenon?

One thing is for sure: there have been some astounding stories about cats traveling vast distances to return home. Just earlier this year, a cat living in West Palm Beach, Florida went missing while vacationing with her family 200 miles away in Daytona Beach. Two months (and 200 miles) later, she reappeared on a neighbor's doorstep -- weak, but alive, and leaving her family wondering just how she was able to make it home.


This neighborhood cat runs a taxi system, so his friends can get home easily:

As I said in a previous blog, I couldn't believe how high one of my females could jump!  Now I know why.


A cat can jump up to five times its own height in a single bound?! Height-wise, that's about eight feet high -- over two feet taller than the average adult male!

So how do they manage this seemingly ambitious feat? It's all thanks to a powerful set of muscles in their hind legs, which serve as a kind of springboard that allows kitties to sail effortlessly over countertops, balconies, you name it! When jumping, kitties also use their tail for stability, their stretchy spines to extend their leaps, and their whiskers as distance markers! Who knew?!

In addition to jumping high, kitties also exhibit something known as the "righting reflex." This is a reflex that is unique to kitties, and allows them to land on all four legs with ease -- even if they have fallen from tall heights.

The name for this reflex comes from the process a cat uses to orient its body when falling: first it turns its head in the right direction. For example, if a kitty is falling head first, it would turn its head upwards so that its spine and hind legs would follow. Just before the kitty lands, it bends its back to absorb the force of the fall, and its soft paw pads help with harsh landings as well.

Oh, yeah, these guys know how to do it:

Those are your "cat facts" for today.  Hope you learned something new.  :>)

A Typical Cat Day (Or Maybe Not)

Every day in the life of a cat or the household they're living in is not the same.  There's kind of a routine at our house, but that is subject to change at any given moment.  Cats sleep sixteen hours a day, so you would think that they couldn't cause so much commotion in the remaining eight hours.  What a silly person you are!  Cat owners are prepared for anything at anytime and really expect nothing less.

Well, of course, the first order of the day is breakfast.  Mine feel it's their duty to inform me if I'm not up right at the time they think I should be:

They are sitting by their bowls by the time I finally crawl out at 4:30 a.m. and make my way into the kitchen to feed them.  This little guy already has a shuttle system built in to help him in the morning.

When the food is gone, it's playtime!  Sometimes it's pretty vigorous with them chasing each other around the house; other times, it's an half-hearted attempt.  So we can go from this:

to this:

and finally this:

By this time, they're sleepy and ready for a nap.  Sometimes they will sleep in the same room, but, most of the time, they're in separate rooms.  (Probably had enough of each other while they were playing)  One curls up into a tiny little ball; the other one likes to let it "all hang out".  My older one has actually laid in front of the fan this summer like this cat is doing.  Cracks me up!

The other one is wrapped up as tight as this little Purrito.

And so it goes on through the day.  Sleeping, eating, and playing.  They have their favorite spots for doing all of these activities, but you can find them in some unusual places sometimes.

Wherever you find them, you can count on being entertained during the day.  Let us know the crazy things your cat does.  :>)