Mau Mew

Big Puddin is a barn cat and he is very affectionate. It made me think if some or a lot of cats might prefer the life of a barn cat with the added freedoms and a lifestyle that is near the original when the wildcat was first domesticated. I feel that a barn cat's life is a good one. They are cared for by a person but live a more natural life and they have other animals to befriend. You'll see lots of interspecies friendships on farms particularly with horses. I've seen a huge range of cat-to-another animal friendships. Puddin is an affectionate barn cat. Is it partly because he lives in a barn? Screenshot. RELATED:  Barn Cat Pictures . To run the video, you may have to click on the play button twice! Sorry, High tech blog. For some domestic cats the modern human environment might be too sterile. Cats are inherently programmed to enjoy nature and the outdoors. They adapt to indoor life and many people want domestic cats keep inside permanently to protect the cats and the wil

NEWS AND COMMENT: It seems strange to me that this is apparently the first time that a specially designed custom-fitting oxygen mask has been used by firefighters in the UK on a cat. Or perhaps it is the first time it's been used in London, UK. The report is unclear on that. However you look at it, it appears that the UK is well behind America. I have read many reports on American news media of custom-designed pet oxygen masks used by firefighters although I suspect they are not used across the country. Pet oxygen mask use for the first time in London house fire by firefighters. Photo: PA. In this instance, the oxygen masks were donated by not-for-profit organisation Smokey Paws. They can be used on cats, dogs as well as smaller animals such as snakes and mice. The masks will be carried on fire engines in Hammersmith, Richmond, Paddington and Battersea as part of a pilot scheme. If it is a success the pet oxygen masks will be rolled out to fire stations across London. The introduct

This is a popular video on Twitter which reminds us that not all domestic cats are equal in their athleticism or is it something else? They appear not to be equal in terms of their athleticism but perhaps they are not the same in terms of their personalities or intelligence. 2 types of cat. Screenshot. Each is an individual. Some cats are incredibly athletic while others are a little more clumsy but nonetheless very endearing. We don't mind if our cat is not athletic, we love him or her just the same. By and large domestic cats are very competent athletes.  The difference in this video may partly be due to the differences in intelligence between the two cats. Or perhaps it is more likely that there is a difference in confidence.  The first cat is less confident than the second. The first cat needs to climb up onto that crossbar and then haul himself over whereas the second cat is confident enough to target that tiny space and place their forepaws precisely on that crossbar and then

Me and my cat at dawn in the garden on a deck chair enjoying the sun and smells of summer. Selfie by MikeB. Yes, I know I look a mess. It is up to us to create a relationship with our cat within which they can express their deep friendship with us. We dictate the terms of the relationship. For example, find out what they particularly like doing and enjoy and give it to them. My cat likes me to hold my hand at the back of his head. I do it all the time for him. He feels better and we are closer. My cat likes me to place my hand at the back of his head. I do it for him and it strengthens our bond. Image: MikeB. On the Boston.com website there is a discussion about the states of the USA and whether they are cat or dog states. And it leads to a difference in the relationship that people have with their dogs and cats. One commenter, Christopher, said "Cats are just roommates" but that dogs give their owners "unconditional love". I do not recognise this description of the

It does not work to trap and euthanise coyotes to protect indoor-outdoor domestic cats because of the vacuum effect. It is the same effect which makes it inefficient to try and eradicate feral cats by killing them. Biologist Rebecca Barboza, said that trapping and killing coyotes often has the opposite effect of the desired objective because it increases coyote population in the area from which the targeted coyotes have been removed. A pair of urban coyotes in Palos Verdes. Photo by Michael Hakimi. What is called "lethal control of coyote populations" is ineffective or not very effective because of the increasing coyote numbers which follows. The experts say that neighbouring coyote packs recognise that a space has been opened and they fill it. What dictates coyote populations is the supply of food i.e. the food source and whether it is adequate and good plus competitors and available space. I guess that there may be a temporary and immediate reduction in the death of domesti

Bass Coast Shire Council have announced a ban on cats going outside and if cat owners violate it, they will be fined heavily - well not that heavily 😎. The council wants to protect Phillip Island penguins. Do domestic cats kill penguins? Well, apparently, yes, but so do other predators such as feral cats, feral dogs, domestic dogs, ferrets and stoats. How big an impact on penguin protection will this law have? Bass Coast Shire Council is in Victoria's south-east. The local ordinance orders that domestic cats must be contained within their home 24-7. Council in Victoria, Australia bans outdoor cats The press say that it is part of a 'desperate attempt' to protect the famous penguins of Phillip Island. If you let your cat out and you are caught you will be fined AU$180. The news has been welcomed by the community. Although I sense that Australians have been indoctrinated into believing that outdoor cats are more of a problem than they truly are. They've been pummelled wi

SHORT NOTE: There is one thing that my cat especially likes. He loves me to rest my hand on the back of his head and neck. And he likes me to gently press that area and massage it. I know that he likes this because he does a silent meow (of sorts) when I do it. And he looks at me and I can tell in his expression that he loves the feeling.  I have tried to figure out why he particularly likes this. It is probably something to do with the first few weeks of his life when he was being raised by his feral mother. I sense that he feels comfort and security when I pet him like this. My cat loves me to hold my hand at the back of his head and neck. Picture: MikeB I think that it is fair to say that caregivers should try and find the one thing (if there is only one thing) that their cat particularly enjoys and to deliver that to them as often as possible. Like humans, I believe that cats have favourite things. In this instance I am referring to my cat's favourite form of interaction betwee

Idaho Humane Society's Facebook post usefully reminds people that they can help charities like their animal shelter by purchasing products online via AmazonSmile. I was aware of it but I had not become involved with it which is careless because you simply purchase on Amazon in the usual way and can select a charity to which Amazon will donate. They say that they have donated $355 million to charities under the scheme so far. AmazonSmile is a separate portal from their main website but it offers the same products and prices as their normal website. There is one difference: when you purchase on AmazonSmile, the retailer's foundation contributes 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charity of your choice. It doesn't cost anything for the charities to receive money this way and 100% of the donation goes to the charity. If you are a regular Amazon user as I am it's a great way to give to charities without any effort. I regret to say that up until now I have not use

It has been calculated in the UK that if you keep your home warm just for your pet cat you could be wasting £240 per year. The same applies to a dog. The point is this: if you keep the heating on in your home while you are at work to keep your cat warm it is going to cost you a lot of money over a year which is something to be factored in at this time of a cost of living crisis and rising inflation in many countries. Don't heat your house while you are out to keep your cat warm. Image: Pixabay. Dr. David Glew, an expert in energy efficiency and policy at Leeds Beckett University said that "It is not a great idea to heat your whole house for a dog [or cat] while you are out as it could cost you hundreds of pounds a year. To put it into perspective, putting in loft insulation will only save you around £40 a year, a new boiler will save you £50 a year, and cavity wall insulation will save £80 a year for an average house." I think you can safely translate those numbers to dol

Pueblo, Colorado, USA: the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region was called upon to rescue a domesticated cat stuck in what is called a swamp cooler. This is the first time I have read such a story. A swamp cooler is a device which cools a home by using the latent heat of evaporation.  When water evaporates it takes warmth from the air and in doing so it cools the surrounding area. A fan blows the cool air into the room. Or the cool air may be blown into the room by a natural breeze. This must have been a pretty big swamp cooler, probably outside the house. Although it is not clear. Pueblo Animal Law Enforcement responded to a call from a woman who said that there was a "deceased cat stuck in a swamp cooler". The temperature at the time was 101°F. She was unable to cool her home because her swamp cooler was malfunctioning. Because of the cat 😎. It is pleasing to find out that the cat was not dead but very much alive and taken up residence inside her swamp cooler device. W

This is a highly unpleasant story so if you think you might be upset about it then please do not read on. However, I will not go in any detail. I think it needs to be reported on. I am indebted to a short report from The Times newspaper dated July 2, 2022. They state that in Spain a man has been accused of killing hundreds of animals by draining them of their blood to sell to veterinarians across Europe. Quite horrendous. The man has been arrested in Madrid. The police allege that the man - who has yet to be named and has been released on bail - killed as many as 500 animals. Most of them are dogs and cats. The killing has taken place since 2006. The suspect allegedly made more than €1 million (£860,000 or $1,042,910.00) from selling animal blood the police said. I don't know, as it is unreported, but it seems to me that this criminal was collecting the blood of cats and dogs to sell to veterinarians working in Europe because with proper donor selection and appropriate compatibilit