This is Lola a British Shorthair

Lola loves you!, a photo by fofurasfelinas on Flickr.

This is also a really nice photograph (as usual) by the best cat photographer in Brazil! True.

Lola looks as if she is not bred to extreme as she has a nice normal face and body conformation. She has her claws! Sounds odd for me to say that but declawing is quite popular in North America. I would think that it does not happen in South America.

Lola is a tabby British Shorthair. I see banding on the limbs and chest, a sign of the tabby genes.

Camomile Tea For Cats

In the public domain.

Dr. John Heinerman recommends camomile tea for cats. It is also spelled "chamomile". The doctor recommends its use to reduce anxiety. It is drunk as a tea by your cat or dog. He does not specify dosages etc. but common sense will dictate that. The question is whether your cat will drink it! It has to be cooled and cats are sensitive to smell so that may put her off. Liquid medicine can be syringed into the of the mouth. Care is required.

Ordinary tea is said by non-qualified but experienced people to provide relief to gummed up eyes in kittens. Some people simply use a tea bag. Or a clean non-abrasive cotton cloth is dipped into the lukewarm tea and used to wipe the eyes. This is pure tea - no milk or sugar! Tea does seem to have some healing properties. Note: gummed up eyes in kittens can be due to infected eyes that need veterinary care (possibly antibiotics). The infection can be caused by the feline herpes virus - neonatal infectious conjunctivitis.

Dr. John Heinerman also recommends peppermint tea for sick cats that are suffering from dehydration (see book below). Peppermint tea will help to rehydrate your cat and help with digestive tract problems as well. He recommends that the tea be inserted into the cat's rectum using a small rubber syringe or enema bag! I have never heard of this nor would I expect many people to take up his advice. I would certainly see professional advice first.

What is a purebred cat?

Purebred Burmese cat
Photo by Ma1974

A purebred cat is a cat of a recognized breed. These are cats that have parents of the same breed and so on for several generations. When the parentage is recorded by a cat association the cat is also a pedigree cat. The two go together in practice. Although you can have purebred cats that are unrecognized by cat associations such as the Bahraini Dilmun. This cat is arguably a purebred cat.

Purebred cats are all about ensuring that the lineage or parentage is pure. This means avoiding cats that are genetically not of the same breed.

The trouble is that when you do this to the letter you are likely to end up with genetically homozygous individuals. Or individual cats that are inbred. This is why the laws of marriage (for humans) in the UK prevents marriage to close relations. This rule is in place for health reasons as inbreeding results in health issues such as congenital defects, infertility and suppressed immune systems. The Burmese cat has a number of genetic illnesses.

Wild cats in captivity are frequently not purebred despite giving an impression to the contrary. The Bengal tiger in captivity will often be a "generic tiger" or cross breed but not of pure genes. Other wild cats, the small wildcats in captivity, will have little chance of survival because their population size is so low that they are inbred resulting in an unsustainable population.

Breeders of purebred cat sometimes have to outcross to other breeds and moggies to improve the genetic diversity. There is a constant battle between health and appearance. Appearance usually wins.

Why do cats like boxes?

Cats use boxes for play and security. You see cats sleep in boxes or small spaces. It probably provides a sense of security much like a wildcat finding a nest in dense undergrowth or in a cave or a disused burrow. All of these places provide protection behind and above the cat. The first reason why cats like boxes is for a sense of security when sleeping or resting.

What about play? We see lots of cats playing in boxes. The famous Japanese cat that loves boxes comes to mind. His name is Maru.



In this video Maru dives into an open ended box or tube. This is a modified form of attack of small prey in a burrow.

I don't see anything definitive on this topic in books on cat behavior. It is really a YouTube thing or video thing. A newish area of cat behavior for us to discuss.

There is no doubt that it is fun for some cats to play in boxes. This is an individual cat preference. Not all cats like it. In fact, I think you will find that most cats don't have an urge to play in and with boxes. Maru made it fashionable!

It must stem from a cat's liking to poke and prod into small spaces for prey. For example a cat catching a mouse. Cats in boxes will prod outside the box sometimes or prod into the box. Both are unknown areas or areas that the cat can't see. I think it is therefore related to hunting prey and simply a derivation of that natural wild cat instinct in the human home as a domesticated cat converted to play. A lot or all of cat play is based on hunting instincts. The classic example is chasing a cat tease (a feather at the end of a stick).

Maru is a normal eared Scottish Fold and a tabby and white cat. His coat is classic tabby. Maru has a great human companion.

Black Cat Pictures

Here are some black cat pictures. Black cats are the least popular cat in terms of coat type. I am referring to an article in Press Publications² entitled: "Black cats less likely to be adopted at shelters". The black cat is still associated with superstition (see cat superstitions and Black Cats ). Depending on your preferences black cats are either good luck or bad luck or something in between. In the USA it is considered unlucky to cross the path of a black cat. The article says that many shelters (in the USA) ban the release of black cats for adoption during Halloween (coming up in 2011) in case they are adopted for the wrong reasons (as you know black cats are linked to witchcraft). It seems that people choose cats partly on its color, which is unsurprising as a cat's appearance is a major, if not the most important, factor in choosing a cat purebred or not.



Some rescue centers euthanise black cats on their arrival at the center because the chance of rehoming is very slim. They are considered unattractive by many people. Clearly some people have different ideas in searching for "black cats pictures". And they may be pleased to hear that there is some evidence that suggests that black cats are more healthy. The gene that causes melanism (the black pigment is called melanin) may be able to help protect cats from infection from virus and bacteria¹. See also black cat coats and cat genetics.

Three pictures on this page of a black cat are mine, which is self indulgent. The handsome boy above and two below is my three legged cat, Charlie. I also love my other cat a black and white girl. Black cats only bring the luck that you bring to the relationship.



Here is another picture of my black cat:



The next two black cat pictures are from MAR on Flickr. MAR is a talented Japanese photographer who photographs street life and lots of feral cats in Tokyo. So these two black cat photographs are of feral cats.






MAR's pictures are protected by copyright - please respect it. Here is a link to his Flickr photostream. Also you might like to see Stray cat picture with photographs by MAR.

Sources:

1. March, 2003 issue of NewScientist
2. http://www.presspublications.com/from-the-press/
1136-black-cats-less-likely-to-be-adopted-at-shelters



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