Cat Chit Chat

A form of feline behaviour which all cat owners are aware of and which the experts have spoken of is bringing prey animals back into their caregiver's home where they either eat the mouse if it's dead or they 'play' with it until it dies and then perhaps eat it. Cat bringing prey home. Image in public domain. Normal explanation The normal theory for this form of cat behaviour is that domestic cats are bring their prey back to their natal den within their natal range because they have the mental state of a kitten and they are kept in that state by their human care givers who provide for them completely. They are bringing prey back to their mother in the den as she teaches them how to hunt (and see below - role reveral). That is my preferred theory.  New theory A new theory has been proposed by Celia Haddon in conjunction with Dr. Daniel Mills FRCVS in their book Being Your Cat: What's Really Going on in Your Feline's Mind . They say that domestic cats bring their

NEWS AND OPINION - USA AND AUSTRALIA: Like me, Nike, find the killing of 2 million kangaroos every year objectionable and they are doing something about it. They've announced that at the end of 2023 they will no longer be using kangaroo leather in any of their products. Note: this is a cross-post as it is very important in animal welfare . Perhaps the best-known product in which they use kangaroo leather (K-leather) is football boots. The uppers are often made of kangaroo leather because it is flexible, durable and more functional. As I understand it, many professional footballers have kangaroo leather football boots. The problem is the source of the leather. We are looking at about the shooting of 2 million kangaroos by shooters employed by harvesters and professional marksmen sometimes at night for their meat and leather. I have a deep sense of unease about this. I think a lot of the shooters don't just do it for the meat and leather i.e. the commercial interest, but because

A study (lead scientist: Jun Ji) detected the presence of cachavirus in Chinese pet cats, with a low infection rate of approximately 1.17% in diarrheic cats (cats with diarrhea). The virus was found to co-infect with FPV (Feline parvovirus) in one sample, and there was no statistically significant association between the presence of the virus and diarrheic signs. Tabby and white street cat in China. Image in public domain. The study suggests that larger investigations and animal inoculation experiments are needed to determine whether cachavirus may be pathogenic (a pathogen such as a bacterium or a virus causing disease). The phylogenetic trees based on NS1 and VP1 indicate that the cachaviruses from dogs and cats belong to the same branch, suggesting a recent common origin. However, the cachavirus strains detected in Chinese cats were quite different from the fechavirus and more closely related to the virus previously found in dogs in the United States.  The study only obtained a par

The people who dislike cats say that cat owners and other people get toxoplasma gondii infections from cats through cat faeces as the feces can contain oocysts for a short period. And there's lots of discussion on the Internet about this and whether a pregnant woman should have a domestic cat companion. Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease. But the experts, and I would include myself in that, say that the major way people contract toxoplasma gondii infections is through their handling of and their eating of certain foods. I'm referring to undercooked or uncooked foods and handling raw foods and then using their hands to eat cooked foods. This creates cross contamination. And in this vein, I've picked up a study on the Internet about Toxoplasma gondii infections in humans in China dated 2011. The study is interesting because in certain parts of China they have very specific eating habits. Sometimes these eating habits exacerbate the likelihood of contracting toxoplasmosis. T

Screenshot marked up. Well, this is on the Reddit.com website. The cat's owner asks whether his cat should be doing this. NO, is the answer but no one could say what is happening. I have never seen this before.  Sensibly, he took his cat to the vet who diagnosed a body twitch but it is enormous and rhythmical in time with a heartbeat it looks like to me. But I am wrong it seems. It is a rhythmical muscle spasm. There you go. But don't be surprised if you find out the cat died. Should my cat’s body be doing this? by u/TheStockRavager in catcare It is likely that the video will be removed from Reddit in which case it will stop working here.

The dominant white gene in cats is associated with an increased risk of deafness. This is because the gene affects the development of the cells in the inner ear that are responsible for hearing. All-white semi-feral cat. Image in public domain. The dominant white gene can cause the cells in the inner ear to fail to develop normally, leading to a condition called congenital sensorineural deafness. This type of deafness is caused by damage to the hair cells in the inner ear, which are responsible for converting sound waves into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. RELATED:  What percentage of white cats are deaf? Cats that have one or two copies of the dominant white gene are at an increased risk of developing congenital deafness. This is particularly common in cats with white fur and blue eyes, as the gene that causes blue eyes is closely linked to the dominant white gene. RELATED:  Deafness in cats – causes, diagnosis and management plus dog info. too It is important to note

Feline leukemia (FeLV) is a viral infection that affects cats. The virus responsible for FeLV is called the feline leukemia virus. Cats can become infected with FeLV through close contact with an infected cat, such as grooming, sharing food or water dishes, or through bite wounds. FeLV cat. Image in public domain. FeLV attacks the cat's immune system and can lead to various health problems, including anemia, cancers, and other infections. FeLV is most commonly found in cats that spend time outdoors, cats that live in multi-cat households, and kittens born to infected mothers. Chart by MikeB. Not all cats that come into contact with FeLV will become infected. The virus is relatively fragile and can be easily destroyed by most household disinfectants. It is important to vaccinate cats against FeLV and to test cats for the virus before introducing them to a household with other cats. Additionally, keeping cats indoors and limiting their exposure to potentially infected cats can reduce

The saber-toothed tiger, also known as the Smilodon , went extinct about 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Pleistocene epoch. There is no single definitive answer to why this species went extinct, but researchers have proposed several theories. Model of a saber-toothed tiger. Image: MikeB based on one in the public domain. One theory suggests that the extinction of the saber-toothed tiger was due to changes in climate and vegetation. The end of the Pleistocene epoch saw a shift towards a warmer, drier climate, which may have reduced the availability of the large prey species that the saber-toothed tiger relied on. As the saber-toothed tiger's prey populations declined, the species may have been unable to adapt and survive. Another theory is that the saber-toothed tiger's extinction was due to competition with other predators, such as humans and other big cats like lions and tigers. Humans may have hunted the saber-toothed tiger, while other predators may have outcompeted them

Feeding stray cats divides Israelis. Image in the public domain. There are several reasons why there are so many stray cats in Israel. Firstly, cats have a long history in Israel and the Middle East, and have been present in the region for thousands of years. In many cultures in the region, cats are considered to be good luck and are sometimes even kept as pets in homes or businesses to ward off evil spirits or pests. Secondly, the warm climate in Israel allows cats to reproduce year-round, leading to a high population growth rate. Additionally, some owners may abandon their cats, which can contribute to the number of strays on the streets. Thirdly, there is a cultural reluctance to spay or neuter cats, as some people believe it is unnatural or cruel. However, this has led to an overpopulation of cats, which can result in disease and other health problems. Lastly, many Israelis feed the stray cats out of kindness, which can contribute to their survival on the streets. However, this als

Community cats of Cyprus. Some of the estimated 1.5m on the island where there are 1.2m humans. Picture in the public domain. There are several reasons why there are so many cats on Cyprus: Historical background: Cats have been living on the island of Cyprus for thousands of years, dating back to ancient times. They were brought over by early settlers to help control rodent populations. Climate: The warm Mediterranean climate of Cyprus provides an ideal environment for cats to thrive. They are able to survive and reproduce year-round without the threat of harsh winters. Cultural significance: Cats hold a special place in Cypriot culture and are often viewed as good luck symbols. Many locals believe that feeding and caring for cats brings blessings and positive energy into their homes. Lack of spaying/neutering: Many cats on Cyprus are not spayed or neutered, which leads to an overpopulation of cats. Without proper population control, the cat population can quickly grow out of control.

It is my belief that a lot more domestic cats are being quietly and unknowingly harmed inside the family home than we imagine because a lot of cat caregivers are unaware of the full range of hazards that are dangerous to cats. I have a page in fact on a full list of cat poisons which you can see by clicking on the link below: 230 cat poisons (list)  - a very long list as you can see. Probably the most poisonous item in a home are lilies of the Lilium species as one drop or two of pollen from the stamen can kill a cat if it lands on a cat's fur and is subsequently ingested. Although some lilies are safe for cats it is wise to avoid lilies entirely if you have a cat. No risks should be taken as they are potential killers. There are many pages on PoC concerning items that are toxic to cats. Please click on the link below to see the full list of articles: Toxic to cats Hidden chemicals that are potentially toxic are fire retardants and carpet chemicals which are designed to extend c

  I am thankful for Jackson's thoughts on this. He has his own language for describing cat behavior. I am not sure that the Infographic needs to be expanded on but I will add some words.  Fridging and cocooning? Two of these behavioural traits: liking to be on top of the fridge or underneath furniture which Jackson exceeded describes as fridging and cocooning respectively, are due to anxiety even fear. They are not that uncommon.  Domestic cats have to be quite wary in some homes where the environment is not really conducive to a cat expressing their natural behaviours. So, if a cat caregiver sees this kind of behaviour, they might accurately presume that their cat is anxious. Other signs might be over grooming themselves even to the point where they barber the hair from the inside of their legs were on their belly, both easily accessible places. Treatment Jackson Galaxy, American's favourite cat behaviourist, suggests that in order to allow a domestic cat to gain their confide

The Covid pandemic story is still running. There is something outstanding and that is an answer to the question: from where did the virus originate? We still don't know because China has been uncooperative. They are being defensive. This is to be expected because one thing is clear: the virus did start in China. It is simply a question of whether it started in a wet market in Wuhan or in a bio laboratory in Wuhan. Christopher Wray, FBI Director. Image in public domin. And I've read a lot about this and some scientists think that the DNA structure of the virus indicates that it has been manipulated in the laboratory. This argument is counteracted by that of The Times' science editors: Tom Whipple and Hugh Tomlinson. They say that the virus has not been manipulated in a laboratory. Or there are no signs that it has. They also state that it has been established that a cluster of infections of people occurred around the Wuhan wet market. Those are the first signs of the virus i

Interested? Perhaps not but I think the statistic in the title is mildly interesting. Perhaps the more interesting statistic is that the weight of all humans on the planet at present is 18 times more than the weight of all land based wild mammals.  But ants weigh about four times more than wild mammals! Those pesky ants are almost weightless as individuals but there are an awful lot of them. Infographic my MikeB. Perhaps the more extraordinary statistic from a study (The global biomass of wild mammals) by Prof Ron Milo and colleagues of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is that the total biomass in tonnage of humans is almost 18 times more than all the wild mammals on the planet combined.  To that perhaps remarkable statistic we have to add the 630 million tonnes of livestock kept by humans and other mammals that would not exist without us such as urban rats. As the Infographic shows you, the biomass of all land-based wild mammals is about 22 million tonnes.