Cat Chit Chat

A pretty classic event in a home where there is a cat. They always scram off after they have created the mayhem. Is this guilt or fear of the noise that they have created? It is the latter in my opinion. It seems that there is a disconnect in their minds between their actions and the noise. I love the woman who shouts after the catastrophe has occurred. You don't know what you are going to face when you investigate. Note : if the video fails to work I apologise. It is embeded from a another website and I have no control over its existence.

This is an uplifting story from both Scotland and Egypt. The story starts badly with pictures of what would have been a beautiful white, long-haired, yellow-eyed cat of what appears to be of Persian origin, covered in purple and cyan paint. We are told that this beautiful cat was badly beaten and then covered in this toxic paint. We don't know the reason. There is no reason. It's the sort of cat abuse that you see anywhere in the world. Probably caused by a couple of kids having fun. Rainbow - before and after. Photo: Debbie Stephens (SWNS). Fortunately, the story picks up and gets a lot better because Debbie Stephens saw a picture of this cat on Facebook on the cat rescue page Safe Haven Egypt. Debbie, 56, agreed with her husband, Craig, to fly this beautiful cat to Scotland. The cat rescue organisation named the cat Rainbow and he's arrived in Scotland after months of delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. The picture of the painted cat broke Debbie's heart. Sh

This video from Big Cat Rescue (BCR) shows a melanistic Geoffroy's cat. The point being made right away is that this small wild cat species is not always dark charcoal or black like this. The "normal" colour of their fur varies from smoky grey to lion-coloured and there are many intermediate shades of colouring. The four subspecies (as at 2002) vary considerably in colour as does their body size. Although you can't see them on this melanistic Geoffroy's cat, there are numerous small black spots on the body. The tale is ringed with dark bands. On a sad note, as at 2002, the pelt of Geoffroy's cat was the most frequently traded cat skin after the bobcat. However, melanistic forms of this cat are common . Melanism is due to a dominant autosomal allele. "Melanism" refers to cats going black or dark charcoal when they should be normally brown with tabby-style markings. Image: PoC. The cat is a screenshot from the video. This cat is found in South Ameri

A funny bloke on YouTube said that the lion was "taste testing!". It made me laugh. The video maker said that this white lion is asking his dog companion for forgiveness. He picks up the dog's right leg and it is almost as if he kisses the paw. It is a very gentle and friendly act. You will find nothing on this type of lion behaviour in the best books on the wild cat species so we have to work it out for ourselves.   In my opinion the lion is not asking for forgiveness. He is simply greeting the dog in a friendly manner. It's almost like handshaking and it practically mimics the handshake of humans (but not during the corona virus pandemic!). There may be an element of reinforcing friendship in the greeting which is what friendly greetings are all about anyway.  Immediately after the "handshake" the dog turns and leads the way. The lion follows. Perhaps the dog is the leader in this super duo? This is my interpretation. There is one thing certain: they ar

I have to confess that I have become a little bit frustrated and perhaps irritated by a large number of articles on the Internet which state with complete confidence that cats hate water. They are generalising about all cats. You can't generalise like that. You have to drill down and analyse the situation in far more detail. The originan Van kittens swimming. Please click this link to read about the real Turkish Van Firstly, you have to decide whether you are referring to cats walking outside in the rain and getting wet or whether you are describing bathing a cat or a cat falling into a bath or pond. When a cat, and I'm referring to a domestic cat in this instance, is submerged in water they will in general dislike it. You can pretty well bank on that. But it depends upon the individual cat as to how much they dislike it. Some may hate it and some may simply put up with it while others will love being in the bath. Rain However, you have to compare that situation with being o

At 2020, Channel 5 surveyed 2,000 people to find the UK's favourite animal. 51% named the dog and 38% named the cat. The hedgehog, horse and robin were also in the top five. Cat and dog lovers! Poster by Ruth aka Kattaddorra. Channel 5 commissioned the survey to mark the airing of this week's episode of "All Creatures Great and Small". Callum Woodhouse, the actor who plays Tristan Farnon is a huge dog lover said. He adores the golden retriever who is also an actor in the series. 70% of companion animal guardians consider the animal to be part of the family. The best things about living with a companion animal were (1) company and (2) the affection they give you. 40% of those surveyed said they did not have a companion animal to live with and the main reason given was a lack of space for people living in London. Comment: this might apply more to cats than dogs because you can take a dog on a lead and therefore living in London should not be a big barrier although th

Richard H. Gebhardt, former president of the Cat Fanciers' Association, tells us that cat breeders and cat owners should call their veterinarian under the following circumstances. He refers to illness symptoms and whether you should call a veterinarian immediately or the next day i.e. he is grading the importance of dealing with the matter. My cat inspecting the fence of his enclosure. He eventually escaped! Picture: Michael. Only 1 in 1000 escape thse enclosures I was told. I will list them as he writes them if I may as I don't think that there will be any copyright issues in doing this. It ensures the information is accurate. His book was published in 1991, almost 30 years ago. Any deep wound or wound still bleeding after pressure has been applied: see a vet at once. Seems drowsy after ingesting a foreign substance: see a vet at once Stopped breathing after chewing on a poisonous plant: see a vet at once Temperature elevated beyond 105: at once Temperature between 103 and

NEWS AND OPINION: Sometimes, kind people who feed feral cats start doing it accidentally. Perhaps they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is how Pauline Tribe and Rose Magic of Durban, South Africa started. Pauline said something which brings home one of the underlying problems (if that is a fair description) of feeding feral cats. You can't stop because once you start the cats rely on you for feeding them and you cannot let them down at that point. If you start you have to continue because you take responsibility and the cats rely on you. It is as if you become their owner (guardian). Pauline and Rose. Photo: iol.co.za It is a self-imposed situation born out of an emotional connection with the cats and a desire to help because some people cannot walk by and ignore vulnerable animals. And they cannot stop for the same emotional reasons. This is a good thing because it provides a constant source of motivation and there's no doubt this is needed because both Pauli

Abyssinian cat. Photo: Helmi Flick with her express permission. Patellar luxation is more common in some cat breeds than was once thought. Rather disturbingly, surveys of Abyssinian cats from California in 1991 and1992 discovered that 26/69 (38%) of examined Abyssinian cats had "patellars that could be dislocated, compared with 1/84 other cats tested". This condition can sometimes be found at the same time with hip dysplasia. The kneecap slides to the inside of the leg rather than remaining on top of the joint i.e. in its trochlear groove. There may be intermittent lameness and a reluctance to jump. The source of the information comes from the studies listed below: Giger Urs, P.A. Green and G.K. Smith: "Hip Dysplasia and Patellar Luxation in Cats", Veterinary Proceedings from the North American Veterinary Conference, 1992 Vol 6:321. This study is referred to in Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Risk Factors of Devon Rex Cats by Ross D Clark DVM. Guger Urs; Prese

Following an 80% slump in profits last year, an overhaul of the business is bearing fruit as shares in Pets at Home rose by 10% to 236.6p as indicated by their half-year results. The Telegraph newspaper put some of the success down to the burgeoning sales of pet cats and dogs and increased prices for these animals due to increased demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Pets at Home interior. Photo: thisismoney.co.uk In truth, they radically overhauled the business by launching new services in store, getting rid of underperforming veterinary in-store practices and acquiring a dog walking business called Tailster. Their veterinary business increased by 6.4% in the period. Overall, like-for-like sales increased by 7.8% in the six months to October 10. I go to the local Pets at Home in New Malden and I notice from the photograph that they have improved their interior layout and design. It looks appealing. Prices have also been reduced. Group revenue rose 9.4% to £546.3 million in the f

It takes 24 hours underwater to drown a flea! This is an interesting question and a pertinent one because cat owners sometimes like to kill fleas by drowning them. There are two aspects to the question. If you place a flea onto water they don't sink into the water. Therefore they do not drown this way. Fleas are too light to break the surface of water. And they are covered in a water repellent wax. A flea left on the surface of water in a bowl will eventually starve to death because they can't jump out, but not drown. If you force a flea underwater and hold it there for about 24 hours they would drown. Apparently it takes much longer to drown a flea than you might have imagined. Forcing a flea underwater for 20 minutes will not kill them. In fact a flea submerged for 12 hours may appear dead but will reanimate itself once removed. After 60 minutes or so they are revived. If a flea is underwater for up to 20 hours they can still revive themselves but it takes about 4 to 5 hour

Adult fleas live for between one and two weeks in favourable conditions. The flea needs a host on which to feed continuously and they prefer humid and warm climates. Fleas in a jar. Photo: PoC. However, the flea pupae can live for up to 5 months without food or light. I think you need to understand the life cycle to know where the pupae fit into it. The mother flea is on a cat feeding on blood. She lays eggs because the blood provides the energy to do this. They are laid in clusters of 20 maximum. She can lay a maximum of 50 per day. The eggs fall off the cat as the cat walks around. They fall into, for example, carpet.  The eggs hatch into legless embryos called larvae. They burrow deep into the carpet or the roots of plants in the wild. They live off pre-digested blood from their mother flea. They develop into cocoons or flea pupae. They can live in this state for up to 5 months without food or light. They mature into adult fleas with a lowered metabolism so that they don't ne

The big questions are how and why did this cat get into the stadium but no matter. Nobody was hurt and I don't think that it affected the outcome of the race. Domestic cats are very good at avoiding things even faster moving humans.

The domestic cat is both dependent and independent. In many respects domestic cats are far more independent than we are but in one major respect they are highly dependent: for safety, security, sustenance and warmth. However, unlike us they are not dependent upon water, shampoo and soap in order to wash themselves (unless they fall into a paint pot). In this respect they are entirely independent relying, as they do, on their saliva and their comb-like tongue to do what is necessary. And they do a great job in keeping their coat in first class condition provided they are not overweight, infirm, ill or they have been bred to extreme with overly-long coats. Sometimes they do enjoy some help from a feline friend although this is not strictly required. British SHs allogrooming. Photo: Karen Goldsmith (Germany) The domestic cat is also completely independent with respect to clothes. Humans have a wardrobe full of clothes or they normally do. My wardrobe is incredibly small but I am depend

An author on the website Catster.com asks whether your cat is meowing too much. My first thought was that a domestic cat cannot meow too much. It's impossible to envisage that situation. For a start off, domestic cats are not, in general terms, that vocal. Some cat breeds such as the Siamese are more vocal in others. The Siamese' rather raucous and harsh voice may grate sometimes but when you adopt a Siamese cat you know what you're getting. You are adopting a loyal, vocal creature and you like it. So no complaints. Cats start to meow at around 4 months normally . And they only meow at humans. Feral cats don't meow at each other . The only time that a cat can meow too much is not when they're meowing but when they're howling at night at midnight in the morning! Yes, cats can be too vocal but it will be when they are vocal at times which are undesirable from a human's perspective. Image: PoC The reason why this should happen is because cats are essentially

The answer depends upon whether you are referring to people or animals. If you're referring to the most dangerous cat species in respect of small animals then you will go for the black-footed cat. This cute looking and diminutive wild cat species is considered to be the most efficient hunter of all the cats . They hunt relentlessly, mainly at night.  Lions lose teeth in old age through hard usage. Picture: Ernest Porter. So to small mammals and birds this fast hunting and relentlessly efficient cat is highly dangerous. They employ three methods one of which is called "fast hunting". The cat jumps along through tall grass flushing out prey. Another method is to sit outside the burrow exit and entrance and wait for the animal to emerge. They can stay immobile for two hours (reminds me of my domestic cat). The third method is in between these two in which the cat employs a careful weaving action as they walk through their habitat sneaking up on potential prey. If the ques

There is a report today (20 Sept 2020) that a Philadelphia tabby cat weighing 29.5 pounds was abandoned (and fortunately rehomed). We have to presume that her owner abandoned her. If that is the case, and of course I am speculating, then the owner is the person who made her obese. He or she then decided that having done that to their cat they didn't like it so they got rid of her. They didn't even have the decency to take her to a rescue centre. They probably avoided a rescue centre because they were embarrassed by what they had created. Obese cat Lasagna was abandoned in Philly, USA. Photo: ACCT Philly The cat's first name is Lasagna which is appropriate considering her weight. She was found abandoned in a dog crate overnight in Hunting Park by ACCT Philly shelter workers last Sunday (20 September). Having posted her picture online they have been inundated with offers by people who fell in love with her. They like a chunky frame. She was quickly adopted by the Hammer fa

You may have heard about the study from the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada). The researchers say that feeding your cat once a day with the same quantity of food that you would have given them over the entire 24 hours, improves their health. They suggest that a once-a-day feeding to some extent mimics a mild form of fasting and fasting improves health. This is a known benefit in people. So I think that this one meal a day suggestion is partly based upon the concept of intermittent fasting to improve health. Does once a day feeding mimic wild and feral cat feeding? I think not. Photo in public domain. The researchers say that when you feed a domestic cat once-a-day they have higher levels of protein in their blood, leaner bodies and higher levels of hormones which are linked to appetite regulation. The regime allows cats to build more protein and improve muscle mass. The cats are more satisfied with their food and they are less likely to beg for food throughout the day. The onc

The most common domestic cat diseases treated under pet insurance policies in America in 2018 were reported as: undiagnosed diarrhoea and vomiting, urinary tract diseases, kidney diseases, gastrointestinal conditions, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, periodontitis and general oral health problems. This information comes from five different pet insurance companies: Trupanion, ASPCA, Pets Best, Nationwide and Embrace.  You can see a trend there or at least I can. Urinary tract problems including kidney disease are a major issue in domestic cats and also it seems are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These would appear to be related to diet because what goes in has to be digested and waste is expelled. Both ends of the food processing channel are affected. Photo: Pixabay. I have this feeling that there is something hidden is going on in homes in the West which is affecting the health of domestic cats. The high incidents of kidney disease is unacceptable. And I don't think anything

The UK government is drawing up plans to prohibit the sale of clothes containing fur in shops after Britain leave the European Union's single market and customs union. This is the result of Brexit. The government is currently negotiating a Brexit agreement with the European Union and it looks more hopeful at the moment.  The European Union banned the import and sale of fur from domestic cats and dogs across the EU in 2009. However, an investigation by the Humane Society International in the UK discovered that fur described as faux fur is in fact real and can be found in some clothes and shoes. Faux fur is not better than the real thing. Objectionable fur clothing. Photo: Pixabay. Note: I am not criticising this man who is probably a model. Also I am not sure if the fur is fake or genuine. The point to make is this: it is very pleasing to animal advocates that the UK government is going to put an end to the sale of clothes containing fur in the UK starting next year (all being w

Like most purebred, pedigree cats Oriental Shorthairs  (OSH) have inherited certain health problems due to selective breeding. One major issue for me, is that there is a family of Siamese cats which includes the Oriental Shorthair. They are all centred around the Siamese cat because the Siamese cat is in their breeding lines. And the problem here is that, on my reckoning, and based upon my extensive research, the Siamese cat has the most inherited health problems of any cat breed. So the question is: is the Oriental Shorthair susceptible to many of the medical problems that potentially affect the Siamese cat? Oriental SH - photo: Helmi Flick In addition to that long list of possible illnesses it is said that these animals are susceptible to respiratory illnesses and cardiomyopathy has also been reported in some lines. This information is according to Dr Ross D Clark DVM in his book Medical, Genetic and Behavioural Aspects of Purebred Cats. A pet insurance company say that the OSH ca

It's emerging, gradually, that a considerable percentage of cats and dogs can get Covid-19 from their owners. They even have the same symptoms. A recent study suggested that 88% of cats contracted the disease from their owners or other people in the home as they had Covid -19 antibodies in their blood. And their owners said that they had symptoms similar to theirs such as breathing problems. Where does it leave us? Montage: PoC. Pics in the public domain. If further research reveals that our beloved cats and dogs present a danger to their owners because they are a pool or reservoir for the disease then it may come to pass that governments place restrictions over cat and dog ownership. I'm speculating wildly but it seems quite feasible that this may happen. It depends how the coronavirus pandemic develops. However, it is not going away. A second spike is developing and winter is arriving. Humankind is depending on a vaccine to see us through this and to get back to normal. Howev

Photo: Regina Cat Rescue on Facebook This is a cool (excuse the pun) way to quickly make feral cat homes. They keep the cats warm during winter which is coming up. The idea comes from Regina Cat Rescue. They are based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The boxes were used to transport blood products before they were modified by the volunteers. It's great to see recycling like this. Last year they found that the boxes kept a temperature of 20°C during the winter. I presume this is with a cat inside! They hand out about 75 shelter boxes annually to residents who want to help feral cats in the area. I flag up some potential health issues with Styrofoam in another post . Source: CBC.

In a NSW conservation programme the Australian authorities are going to put greater bilbies into an enclosure where there are a limited number of feral cats. Those which learn to survive will then procreate and teach their offspring to survive in a landscape where there are feral cats. The objective is to create a large enough group of greater bilbies with an inherent fear of feral cats and the means to avoid them so that they can be released into the wild in Australia and survive. Great bilby atTaronga Zoo. Photo Rhett Wyman CREDIT: RHETT WYMANAdd caption The experts are calling it "accelerated evolution". It's a reference to the fact that this small native marsupial species did not have time, they think, to evolve avoidance skills of predators such as feral cats. They are giving them the chance to evolve quickly and develop that skill so that they can prosper in an environment where there are too many feral cats according to the authorities. It's another take on how

NSW is an acronym for New South Wales, Australia. At 23rd September 2020, under the provisions of the Companion Animal Act 1998 domestic cats within NSW are allowed to roam free (laws change). And they can't be picked up by rangers because they might be someone's pet. They can't assume that the cats are stray and unowned just because they are outside. However, rangers can seize cats in areas where they are prohibited. These are areas such as wildlife protection areas, commercial kitchens, restaurants or cafés. Feral cat in Australia. Image in public domain Also, cats can be seized by rangers if they have injured a person or another domestic animal. Against that information, there is a general trend in Australia to restrict the movement of domestic cats and to regulate cat ownership in the interests of native species because there is concern that many native species are endangered and heading towards extinction in the wild. Small mammals are the domestic cat's menu.

I have decided that pet insurance is a socialist concept. Sweden is a very socialist country. They pay high taxes and they are willing to do so because it improves society. It is a fairer society. And in Sweden pet insurance for dogs, I am told, is at 90% of the dog population. I am sure that it is not dissimilar for domestic cats. A 90% pet insurance rate is far above that of the UK which I believe is somewhere around 25%. In general, pet insurance uptake is quite low in part because it is uncompetitive compared to self-insurance which is a savings scheme run by the companion animal guardian. However, I have decided that an important aspect of pet insurance is animal welfare. Pet insurance does two things. First it spreads the risk. If you are unfortunate cat owner and your cat is chronically ill out of pure bad luck for a long time but you have insurance then those heavy costs are paid for out of your insurance policy. Part of that policy is paid for by the lucky person who has a hea

KitTea Cat  café . Photo from the fundraising page. Cat cafés are in the hospitality business. Well, they're actually in the cat rescue business as well but essentially they are in the hospitality business which is on its knees because of the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown has pretty well stopped these businesses and social distancing has undermined them and the people work from home are less likely to visit cafés of any sort including cat cafés. In this instance San Francisco's first and only cat café is in financial trouble and the owner is asking for help. KitTea Cat café in Hayes Valley opened in 2015. It is owned by Courtney Hatt who said that it was closed for much of the pandemic. It is now operating at a fraction of its normal levels and the income can nowhere near cover their expenses including a $10,000 rental. She wants to move to a cheaper place but the landlord won't release her from her five year lease. San Francisco’s @kittea_sf is at risk of closing b/c

The major reason why the Internet is expanding rapidly and continuously is because Google wants it to be like that as they can make more money if the Internet is bigger. And the way they encourage the Internet to grow so rapidly is because their search engine penalises websites that do not constantly add fresh pages. If you leave a website alone for several months it will basically die because Google's search engine will stop finding it or find it less often. Conversely, if you constantly add to a website with fresh pages Google's search engine likes it and it will tend to find the site more often. It will rank the pages higher in search results. The more pages you can add the better the search results will be provided the content is good. It's pretty much as simple as that. So Google dictates the Internet. They manage it and what they want they get. If they want an expanding Internet they can manage that through their search engine as described. This is not a criticism

I've been watching some cat and kitten rescues on YouTube. I thought I would catch up with what's going on in that marketplace. Immediately I smelled trouble; the two videos I saw made me doubt their veracity. They both appear to be staged.  It is as of the film maker planned the whole thing like a mini-movie. Particularly the one on this page. It shows a kitten with a piece of cast-iron drainpipe around her body. This is a heavy piece of iron. The video maker walks up to the kitten who is struggling in what appears to be a part of a farm near some abandoned machinery.  The filmmaker very, very slowly removes the cast-iron drainpipe from the kitten. It is done in the most elaborate and theatrical way. The moment is teased out over several minutes. It is quite ridiculous and it is shameful. The person uses one hand while the other holds the bloody camcorder! Shit. It is so crappy. There is no way this kitten would end up with a piece of cast-iron drainpipe around her body unl

The picture is from Wikipedia Commons. The mother is Sugar. She gave birth behind the TV as it was warm. Her kittens were named: Channel 3, Channel 5, Cable 8, Circuit Overload! Newborn kittens do not squabble over their mother's nipples because each one is labelled distinctly by subtle differences in smell. As Desmond Morris says, each nipple is labelled as if they were school lockers. I think it's a wonderful analogy. It highlights both the sophistication of the domestic cat and the wonderful sense of smell with which they are born. If you remove the distinguishing fragrance of a mothering cat's nipples, the kittens become disorientated and confused and start squabbling. Nature found a beautiful way to allow the domestic cat family to live in harmony from the get go. I love the thought of that.