"Having a litter of kittens will settle down a female cat"

Some cat owners think that their female unsterilised cat should have a litter of kittens before they sterilise them because it helps them to settle down and live a more contented life. 

They appear to believe that a female cat should have kittens because it's instinctive to them to have kittens and if you deny them that pleasure it is upsetting to them. 

Until they have kittens they can't settle down and be their normal selves. That is the argument as I understand it but it is entirely false and dangerous thought for the obvious reason that there are already too many unwanted cats in the world and to bring more into the world because of a misconception is irresponsible and ultimately cruel because what happens to the kittens? Can you find a good home for them? Will they be happy? Will they have good lives? Will they be homed with a person who is sensitive to their needs and so on?

It is a myth that having a litter will settle down a female cat. It's a myth that the cat will feel more fulfilled after having kittens.

It might be useful to touch on how female humans feel after having kids. That might provide us with a little insight. Mothers are often harassed and overstretched and pressured on having a young family. They certainly don't feel more settled down.

The veterinarians state that a spayed cat will be more playful, people-orientated and they won't miss what they never had.

Briefly, on an associated topic, there are other reasons why cat owners sometimes want their female cats to have a litter of kittens. It might be because it provides them with enjoyment. They'd like to witness the birth of kittens. They might enjoy raising them and find the whole process rewarding.

They might love the appearance of their female cat and they want to produce offspring to maintain the bloodline. Or they might do it for financial reasons to sell the kittens for whatever they can get for them to make a few pennies on the side. 

If the cat is a purebred then they can sell them for a reasonable sum of money but the amount would be dependent upon whether there was a registered lineage with a cat association.

That said you will find some cat owners advertising on Facebook purebred cats for sale at discount prices. Don't buy these cats and kittens at the prices asked. You are probably not going to buy a genuine purebred cat and I would expect it to be unregistered.

And lastly, some cat owners may have a deep emotional bond with their female cat and want to have the experience of raising a kittens to create a stronger connection with the cat and their offspring.

All these reasons may be good ones from the person's perspective but in the grand scheme of things, I think it would be fair to say that it would not be the best decision to make in terms of general animal welfare for the reason stated above.

Picture proves that cats like warmth and height

The old Volkswagen Beetle pulls up after a long journey. The ambient temperature is slightly chilly. A stray cat is huddled nearby watching as the driver gets out and walks to their apartment across the road. The cat seizes her opportunity to both feel safer and be warmer. The engine vent allows the hot air surrounding the engine to gentle emerge from the engine compartment and the rear light fitment which illuminates the car's registration number provides a neat if slightly cramped platform for the cat to hop onto.

And here is the finished result: a warmer and safer cat until the drive returns to use their car again.

You must know this by now. The basic tenet of cat caregiving is to provide security for your cat and after that comes warmth, food and high places! Those high places are so important because the cat feels safer there and embedded in their DNA is this desire; this instinctive desire inherited from their wild cat ancestor, to climb. To climb a tree and if there is no tree to climb a manufactured cat tree in the safety of their family's home.

For a stray cat this luxury is missing. But the substitute will be a light fitment on a Volkswagen beetle next to an engine air vent to keep her warm.

I was going to say that all drivers should check inside the engine compartment of the car during the winter to make sure that there are no kittens or adult cats there but I have to be realistic and practical and say that it is impractical to do that every time. However, many stray cats are injured after they sought warmth within the engine compartment of a vehicle that's just parked up and therefore the area around the engine is warm.

RELATED: Cat uninjured and safe after 2 hours 30 minutes of motorway driving in engine compartment.

On the topic of cars, you will find the odd neighbour complaining about their neighbour's cat who likes to jump on top of the hood (bonnet in the UK) of their car. They might claim that the cat scratches the paintwork. I would argue that that is very rare because cats are good at jumping onto objects precisely. They don't need to use their claws. And the reason, once again, why a cat is jumping up onto the hood of a vehicle is because it is warm there and it is a high place! The same rules apply.

Rather than complaining about a cat doing this people should ask more profound questions about why there is a stray cat on the streets who needs to do this. Why the neighbour's cat is stuck outside wanting to do this. Anyway, it's pretty rare for a cat to jump up onto a car hood although it does happen.

Cats watching cat television seated like humans

You tell me if these photos are photo-edited or real because I am unsure. Nowadays the photo-editors have become so proficient at manipulating images that it is all but impossible to tell if an image is manufactured. And with AI coming in quickly it is harder. Some of the AI images are amazingly realistic which is worrying as it is easy for people with dangerous agendas to spread disinformation using social media and create trouble. Anyway, that is another matter. Let's concentrate on cats for a minute.

'Cat television' is the window to the outside not human television as you probably know. For indoor cats looking out the window is very important. It gives them hours of enjoyment. So put the cat tree next to the best window you have and let your cat spend hours snoozing and watching the world go by.

The best windows are those that look out onto the backyard if there is a bit or a lot of wildlife in the backyard. It'll get them chattering as they practice their killing bite. You know how cats chatter when they see a bird outside but they can't get at it because they are indoors all the time? It is called a vacuum activity because it happens in a vacuum meaning it is not real; a bit like air guitar.

If you want my verdict on the photos, which are from the Cheeseburger website incidentally, I'd say that they are fake. Cats just don't sit like this. Some might do it in exceptional circumstances but it would be extremely rare.

The pictures remind me of a Maine Coon eerily sitting on top of a chest of drawers in the same way. Here is the picture which has fascinated the internet for a while. We are still working out if it is real. Once again, I'd say that it is not.

Real of fake? Certainly, bizarre and eerie. Image in the public domain.

Bad idea: DELIFUR Christmas costumes - Funny Pet Cowboy Outfit Clothing for Dog Cat

I feel that I need to address this recurring problem which is to put domestic cats into outfits so that they look like little humans. You can buy them on Amazon. The picture below shows you an example. The title describes it.

I don't want to be a killjoy because I understand that it can be fun to put domestic cats into mini-human outfits. However, I don't think that it is a good idea because, ultimately, it disrespects the domestic cat. And I think it probably undermines the human-to-cat relationship which should be one of human recognising the fact that they live with a domesticated wildcat at heart.

It's all very well to treat a domestic cat as a human in terms of animal rights. This elevates their rights to that of a human which helps to protect them and which helps to foster respect for them. But to treat them as little humans including babies leads humans down the path of interacting with their cat in a less than optimal way.

It can alter the caregiver's expectations. Treat a domestic cat as a little human and you want them to behave like little humans, perhaps like a toddler. So, you start cuddling your cat a little bit to aggressively because you love them. Your cat might not like it. They might bite you or scratch. They might wriggle free which might hurt your feelings.

If you expect your cat to be a cat and if you understand domestic cat behaviour which is always based upon their wildcat ancestor's behaviour then there is much less chance of being scratched. In fact, the possibility of being scratched can be eliminated almost entirely. There will be a better relationship. One of mutual respect.

Putting your cat in a cowboy outfit to amuse yourself would irritate PETA, the animal rights charity. And I'm with them on this. Their mantra is not to abuse or exploit. I think putting your cat in these clothes is a form of exploitation. Exploitation to amuse yourself. These clothes are all about human activity and enjoyment at the expense of the cat.

Some cats might not mind it too much but most cats will find it a little distressing at least and perhaps completely unacceptable at worst. Without wishing to preach, I think we should be doing things for our cat to make them happy rather than imposing things upon our cat to make us happy. One is giving and the other is taking.

Cats don't strip their self-regulating biome from their skin. Humans shouldn't either.

When domestic cats clean themselves, they use their tongue and saliva. That's about it except that they do it fastidiously and often. Humans, normally shower once a day. That means using lots of water and soap which removes the self-regulating biome on the skin. The nature.com website says this about the human skin biome:

"Our skin is home to millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses that compose the skin microbiota. Similar to those in our gut, skin microorganisms have essential roles in the protection against invading pathogens, the education of our immune system and the breakdown of natural products."

It is a useful part of human anatomy, and it serves a purpose. For a high percentage of people there is no need to wash the entire body with soap and water daily. 

We might learn from domestic cats. Image: MikeB

Humans do it to feel better and to prevent body odour which is social unacceptable but there is no health benefit and a possible health problem.

Professor Sally Bloomfield, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said:

“And the reason we bath, and shower is that we want to get rid of those odours and we want to feel comfortable. That's fine — but as far as preventing disease, it's really not important.”

But she also said that the microorganism on our skin helps to control oil levels on the skin.

Interestingly cats don't develop body odour even though they don't wash with soap and water. Cats smell great as all those who have kissed and cuddled their cats can attest.

If human society got rid of the currently socially unacceptable body odour from people who don't wash for ages, we wouldn't do it I'd suggest.

It is a social norm. If a person doesn't do hard physical work and dirty work, there is no need to shower daily. There will probably be health benefits.

When domestic cats are bathed in water it strips away their identity as other cats identify cats by their body scent. It causes a temporary problem until body scent is restored.

Humans might learn from their cat not to over wash. The feeling of being showered can be recreated artificially by simply washing your hair. 

That programs the brain to believe that you are washed all over.

Is there one thing that your cat companion especially likes?

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 between me and him. But it might be other things as well. For example, he loves to be with me outside.

On almost every occasion that he is outside, he is alone. My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat in typical British style but I did try and keep him confined to the back garden with an expensive cat confinement fence, without success. He escaped. I gave up.

But he likes to be outside with me. He will go out and wait on the patio for me to join him. And whenever I go into the garden, even if he is asleep (and it is his night-time because he's been out all night) he still wants to come with me into the back garden. He particularly likes to be at my level. For this reason, I get down low sometimes on all fours or lie down on the ground. He becomes excited when I do this. It is clear to me that he loves it.

So, between me and my cat, I know that my cat loves two things particularly above all other things and that is pressure at the back of his head and for me to be on the ground at his level, outside. I try and deliver these things to him to keep him happy.

There may be an added benefit. If we know what our cat really likes we might be able to use it as a reward for good behavior in informal, reward-based (positive reinforcement) training sessions.

Does your cat have favourite things that they love and do you do your best to ensure that he or she gets them?

Dogs can see and are fooled by optical illusions but cats can't see them

This video seems to tell me that dogs see and are therefore fooled by optical illusions i.e. they see them as real whereas cats do not recognise optical illusions and therefore, they ignore them. We see both reactions in this video.

Dog nonplussed by this optical illusion.

Right now, I do not know for sure how to interpret from these differences. I have never seen a test like this before between cats and dogs and how they react to an optical illusion.

Note: This is an embedded video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source or the video is turned into a link which stops it working here. I have no control over this.

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The difference between cat and dog may be the difference between three dogs and one cat i.e. the difference may be on an individual animal basis rather than a species basis although that is unlikely.

Cat cannot see the optical illusion.

A crude deduction might be that dogs are more visually sensitive and aware and cats. But that does not make sense to me. Thinking about it, what may be happening is that dogs believe more in the human environment and are more trusting of it compared to the more independent-minded domestic cat.

Domestic dogs have been domesticated for about 20,000 years or so whereas the cat has been domesticated for about half that time. Perhaps the dog is more in tune with the human environment than the cat even after these thousands of years. And as mentioned they are more trusting. Optical illusions work because the observer trusts that it is real.

They say that the wild cat is just below the surface of the domestic cat. And it is plausible to argue that a wild cat is less likely to appreciate an optical illusion compared to a domestic dog because they are mentally distanced from the human environment. I am, of course, speculating and these ideas have simply flowed from my mind as I am writing this.

I would appreciate input from any visitors to try and explain the difference between cat and dog behaviour under the circumstances.

Note, if the video no longer works let me tell you what it shows. The owner of three dogs and one cat put an optical illusion in the hallway which gave the impression that there was a big hole going through the floor. The dogs observed the hole as genuine and jumped over it and the last dog just stopped before it and looked into the false hole. The cat in contrast, sniffed the object (a rug) and then lay down on it. There was no recognition of it as a hole whatsoever. To the cat it was a rug.

Wondered what you cat does at night while you sleep?

Cats.. 🤦‍♂️😂 pic.twitter.com/JF6vcHZ8T8

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden_) December 13, 2021

Watching this I have a very strong feeling that this black cat wants his human companions to bloody well wake up and join the cat world where cats are active at night.

The poor guy desperately wants human interaction at time when humans are in cloud cuckoo land. I feel sad for the cat. It is an example of how in one clear aspect of cat and human life we are at polar opposites. Humans sleep at night. Cats run around looking for prey at night. And if they are full-time indoor cats it's double trouble because there is nothing to do. Full-time indoor cats rely on their human to entertain them most of the time. Unless it is a multi-cat home.

This is the brilliant screenshot. This cat of the night notices the security camera which is on time lapse and investigates. His owners are oblivious to his activities. Well, they were until they watched the video. Nice idea by the way.

What we see in the video is one of the great difficulties or barriers to living with the domestic cat. Although they are active during the day and night in general domestic cats prefer to hunt at night and/or at dawn and dusk. These are times when their prey animals are most active. They have inherited this from the wildcat. 

The European wildcat does most of its hunting at night. And so we have a cat here in the video who is programmed to hunt at night but there is nothing to hunt. He or she is active in other ways because there is energy to burn. And throughout the day they will snooze for hours. I think that it is fair to say that the domestic cat is in this respect out of step with humans. Their body clock is out of sync. with hours. The video shows usual cat behaviour. It happens across the planet millions of times every night.

Feline activity in the bedroom is one reason why quite a lot of cat owners lock their cats out of the bedroom at night. I think that this is unfair because the bedroom contains a lot of the scent of their human companions. Therefore it is an important part of the home because they like to be within that scent as it reassures them. They feel happier connecting with us through our body odour. So when you lock them out you remove that enjoyment from their lives. I would argue that it is an unfriendly act and not in line with good cat caregiving.

Cat caregivers simply have to get used to their cat being active in the bedroom at night. Or lying on the bed and getting in the way. It's a question of the human adapting to the presence of their cat. Domestic cats adapt to our presence and our lifestyle so it's only fair that we reciprocate.

Note: This is an embedded tweet. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Domestic cat requests his food by ringing a bell

Domestic cat requests his food by ringing a bell.  Screenshot.

This is neat. I am sure a cat would get the hang of this and start using the bell to ask for food rather than meowing! It might cause some friction in the relationship however. Can you imagine being woken at 4am with the sound of a door bell! :)  Every morning! Until you threw the bloody thing against the wall. But then again cats wake their humans in all kinds of ways - some fairly cruel! My female cat used to stick claw out from the middle toe and pick my nose with it. It invariably worked :) .

From @aikoharada1211: "Ding ding ding ding, mash the bell😼🛎🐾" #catsofinstagram pic.twitter.com/nelLFWhAI5

— Cats of Instagram (@catsofinstagram) October 3, 2021

Note: This is a video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

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Bengal kitten doesn't understand water in a glass

The title to the video is "Curious Cat Examines Glass of Water". It is slightly misleading. It seems clear to me that the Bengal kitten does not understand that this is water. He knows water but when it is in a glass, he is unsure about it. This is because he is young and learning. He prods, pokes and sniffs it to test it. It is quite cute. It does tell us too that sometimes the reason why cats prod water is to test it. 

Bengal cat checks out water in a glass as he is unsure. Screenshot.

Some people think that cats drink better from clear bowls. Cats are poor drinkers because of their wild cat inheritance which is why dry cat food is problematic. Cats get a lot of their water from prey animals. The mouse is 70% water. Dry cat food does not replicate normal prey. Cats don't compensate sufficiently by drinking more water and become dehydrated.

Note: This is a video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

The role of anal sacs in the domestic cat

Last night, at about midnight my cat came onto my bed. He smelled horribly and the smell could only have been from the fluid produced by his anal sacs. The fluid is described as foul-smelling and is similar to the secretions produced by a skunk. I would not describe it as that bad to be perfectly honest but it is strong smelling. 

Gabriel keeping cool by resting on a book. Photo: MikeB

Just before he arrived on my bed there was a loud noise outside and the sound of his cat flap closing. I noticed three foxes in the back garden. They were young foxes and their mother was I believe in attendance but I could not see her. It appears that my cat had to navigate through these foxes to get into his home and in doing so felt insecure and deposited faeces as a marker within his territory. The fluid from anal sacs is channelled into faeces when scent marking through a small duct which opens just inside the anus.

In fact, I think as he arrived on my bed, he wanted to deposit more faeces within his territory which would have meant on my bed but he didn't because he couldn't produce any more. That is the role of anal sacs in domestic cats as I see it: scent marking - a calling card. He wanted to remind the foxes that he owned this territory. Foxes scent mark too with urine and feces. In my cat's example this is a competition between him and the foxes.

Sometimes the anal glands become inflamed because of infection when the fluid inside becomes impacted. It is thicker and darker in colour and it plugs up the anal gland. It can be removed (expressed) by a veterinarian with gentle pressure. Bacteria present in faeces can travel up the ducts referred to and enter the glands. Normally the bacteria are flushed out when the secretions pass through the ducts but if the glands are impacted the fluid does not flow normally leading to an ideal medium for bacterial growth and the infection. The end result is an anal sac abscess. They are painful and hot. Left untreated it can lead to anal sac rupture. Puss is emitted and it can spread into surrounding tissues causing further damage.

A good sign that your cat is suffering from an anal gland infection is when she scoots along the ground. This is when a cat rests her anus on the ground and then drags herself along to alleviate irritation in her bottom. She will also lick or bite her bottom or tail. It is very painful for a cat.

In addition to expressing the solidified material in the anal glands, antibiotics are administered together with anti-inflammatories and pain relief.

Ultimate cat climbs Christmas tree video

Maybe this is the ultimate cat climbing a Christmas tree video. He is so accomplised but what happened after the video stopped? How much of the tree was destroyed?! I would have liked to have seen a bit more; to have seen how he got there and how he got off. 

Ginger tabby cat enjoys his bit of fun. Screenshot.

I wonder whether her was put on the tree for the cameras? It kind of looks like that because I don't think he would have got up there without destroying something below which would have stopped him proceeding unless his owner didn't mind the Christmas tree being destroyed! 

It's a cute little video though and re-emphhasises the fascination that domestic cats have with Christmas trees and which is why you can buy them which are cat-proof. They have the lower branches cut off or missing so they look a bit like umbrellas. 

They don't look very good but they reduce anxiety levels in cat owners.

On a more serious note, during the Christmas season of 2019 a man in Johnson, Tennessee was charged with killing his cat because they climbed his Christmas tree.

Happy #Caturdaypic.twitter.com/YrmEseTYkH

— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) December 19, 2020

Shutting your cat out of the bedroom at night

You want to shut your cat out of the bedroom at night or you have already done it. Quite a lot of people do this. There is no absolute right or wrong but for me it is wrong. Domestic cats are meant to be part of the family. You're meant to love them as a family member. You treat them as a family member, as a son or a child or even a husband! And you know what, you'll get used to your cat being on and off your bed at night. It might bother you for a while and then your brain learns to ignore it and you're back to normal. And your cat is happy. They really want to be there as it is the smelliest place in the home -- of you.

Montage by Michael based on images in the public domain.

To lock them out of the bedroom is a bit like preventing your wife from driving the family car. Or it's banning your husband from watching the television. Or it's withholding sex with your partner for the next three months. You are removing quite a big chunk out of the life of your cat. The bedroom is an important place for a domestic cat.

• HOW TO SLEEP WITH YOUR CAT ON THE BED
• CAT ON THE BED

It is a room where the smell of a cat's caregiver is the strongest. The bed clothes smell of you and your husband or wife if you have one. The smell is very reassuring to your cat. Cats identify people by their body odour. It's perhaps the most important room in the house for a cat. Jackson Galaxy the famous cat behaviourist calls bedrooms 'scent soakers'. They are soaked in the scent of humans.

To lock your cat out of such a room is very unfriendly. It is unkindly and it is not the behaviour of a good cat caregiver. I'm going to be a purist here. I believe that when you adopt a cat you adopt him or her for their lifetime. You've heard that one before haven't you? It's obvious though. And when you adopt a cat there is an unwritten contract which states that you accept and respect your cat. You accept their behaviour. You don't qualify the relationship or place conditions on it.

This means that you accept them coming into your bedroom. That's respecting your cat. If you really, really hate the thought of your cat coming into your bedroom because she disturbs your sleep then you should find a compromise. Perhaps you might put your cat's bed in the corner of the room and gently encourage her to sleep there at night. That might work. It will allow her to be surrounded by the smell of her human companion and it would keep the peace, hopefully.

You will find that all the true and great cat owners allow their cat to sleep on their bed at night and whenever they like. This is because they want to please their cat. And they want to be near their cat. It's really great having your cat in bed at night particularly if you live alone. Even if you don't live alone it is perfectly fine. You should get used to it and learn to enjoy it. That's what respecting the cat means and it is part of cat ownership or let's rephrase that guardianship.

Forget all those stories about diseases being transmitted from cat to person and the bed is a place where those diseases can attack you! It's pretty well all scaremongering. The experts even say that toddlers should sleep with cats because it boosts their immune system. If you place a toddler in a sterile environment their body does not develop immunity to anything. Another reason why sleeping with your cat is good for you. And yes, your cat might be active at two or three or four in the morning. That's the way it is with domestic cats. They prefer to be active at those times and when you adopted your cat you knew that didn't you?

Domestic cat sleeps on the floor belly up in busy restaurant!

This cute and confident female tabby cat named Thongdang is seen sleeping comfortably on her back on the wooden floor in a restaurant in Chachoengsao, central Thailand. Such confidence is unusual. With strangers around you'd have thought she'd be more concerned and cautious but no. She's got used to the atmosphere of the place and her experience tells her that it is safe. Of course that feeling might change is someone inadvertently steps on her.

 

Coronavirus facemasks have taken away our smile

This is not directly about cats or any other animal except the human-animal! But Giles Coren made a nice point in his amusing column in The Times newspaper today. Actually it was his cat Mo Tenzing who had the idea. With the coronavirus pandemic going on and on and on and with the prospect of wearing masks more and more and more we are going to lose our smile. And the smile is a very important aspect of human body language. It signals friendliness. We use it instinctively all the time to instigate friendly interactions with other people. I wonder whether this might be contributing to the additional stress encountered by many citizens of many countries? Is Britain going to become less friendly and more hostile because of face coverings? Another negative spin off from this damnable virus. Another is face mask pollution.

Giles Coren. Photo in public domain. Is that a smile Giles?

Giles Coren could not get the human-to-cat slow-blink, friendly greeting to work. His cat, Mo Tenzing, simply wouldn't respond to it by reciprocating his love blink. I get that because it doesn't always work.

The key really is to develop a routine, friendly interaction with your cat and that can be done with sounds and body language. It does not have to be a slow-blink as recommended by many cat behaviourists and which has been proved to work by scientists in a study. You can elicit the same reaction from your cat by making a friendly sound which he recognises as being friendly and when accompanied by friendly body language. 

Your cat will get into a rhythm when you make this sound (whatever it is as long as it sounds warm and friendly) he will slow-blink towards you. I can pretty well guarantee that. But don't expect it to happen every time because domestic cats are not robots and you can't just push a button and expect them to do something.

Why do cats lick you?

Photo: iStock

Why do cats lick you? It's an often asked question and it is equally often answered so I will be brief, very brief. Domestic cats do not relate to us as if we are a different species of animal to them. Therefore, we conclude that they believe that we are large domestic cats, specifically a mother cat who cares for them in feeding them and providing security and warmth. On that premise, we "lick" them by stroking them with our hands. Or we groom them with our flea combs. They sense that we are licking them. In return they lick us. It is part of a mutual bonding process and it is called allogrooming. It is as straightforward as that and I hope that you find the answer useful.

Why do cats eat grass?

I am referring to the domestic cat. Although, it should be said, that wild cat species do eat vegetation as well such as the snow leopard which in particular likes to eat a certain bush! So why do domestic cats eat grass? There have been many theories for this and perhaps the most prevalent is that domestic cats want to make themselves sick, to sick up hairballs. Or, a slight alternative to this theory is that grass helps to push hairballs out of their digestive system so that they are defecated i.e. it is roughage. Another theory is that when cats are ill they want to make themselves sick so the grass is eaten to achieve this. And a further theory is that they like eating grass because it tastes nice.

The best theory is that the juice of grass contains folic acid, a vitamin which is not available to them within the flesh of animals. Folic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin, specifically vitamin B-9. It is also called folate and is important in prenatal health in people. It is especially important to pregnant cats and dogs and it plays an important role in the production of haemoglobin. It is part of the cell multiplication process and helps to synthesise DNA. 

Domestic cats can also eat grass which is in the belly of prey animals such as rabbits. So cats eat vegetation or plant matter via their prey animals in any case. It is not something which is bizarre or out of the ordinary. What is out of the ordinary is that 50% of dry cat food is plant-based! How about that for a carnivore? People say that you should never feed a domestic cat a plant-based diet but we're doing it all the time anyway seems to me.

How can cats jump so high?

Cats can jump high because their hind legs are made up of long levers and they are driven by fast-twitch fatiguing muscles. Long levers create speed. Think of those plastic devices in which you placed a tennis ball at one end which are used to throw the ball a long distance for your dog to chase. This plastic extension to your arm with a clamp at the end to hold a tennis ball extends the leverage of the arm. In extending the leverage the ball is thrown further and with less effort. Long levers increase the mechanical advantage.

Caracal jumping vertically. They are perhaps the best vertical jumper of all the cats. Photo: public domain.

As for the muscles, they mainly consist of fast-twitch fatiguing cells. These muscles propel cats to leap several times their own length in a single jump. They use up all their energy in that moment. These levers and fast twitch muscles also allow the domestic cat to reach impressive speeds of about 48 km/h or 30 mph, maximum. 

Running at speed is enhanced by the fact that the domestic cat has a floating shoulder. Unlike a human's collarbone which connects the shoulder and breastbone the domestic cat's vestigial clavicle floats and is only anchored by muscle. This allows a freedom of movement which lengthens the cat's stride and range of motion.

Cats need to be good jumpers because they like to be high up for safety. They live in a vertical world and many wild cat species like to climb trees. I guess you know all that. The leopard takes large prey items into trees which reminds us of this cat's enormous strength. The small margay lives in trees and has a double jointed ankle to allow them to hang onto branches like monkeys. Yes, the cat is a beautifully engineered predator and their muscles and levers maximise their jumping ability. Finally, the medium-sized wild cat species, the caracal can jump the highest of all cats and certainly relative to their size vertically from a standing start (see picture).

Why do domestic cats sleep so much?

This is a very common question. It has been answered many times. I have a problem with the question because I don't believe that cats do sleep "so much". They snooze a lot more than humans (if they are not geriatric humans!). But domestic cats don't genuinely sleep with dreams et cetera much longer than people. They may even enjoy deep sleep for shorter periods than humans. Certainly they are more flexible as to when they sleep and for how long than humans.

Photo: Michael

I believe that people get mixed up between sleeping and snoozing. There must be a difference. If you want to work out how long a domestic cat actually sleeps I think you will find it is about 5 to 8 hours during a 24 hour period. It might be longer and it might be shorter but it is probably shorter than for humans. And I stress I'm referring to deep, real sleep.

But a domestic cat will snooze either side of sleep for quite long periods so the combination of the two might amount to about 15 hours per day. It might even be longer if a domestic cat lives in a small apartment and has nothing to do. Domestic cats are good survivors. If they have to kill time they will kill it by snoozing and sleeping most of the day. They have nothing to do, they have no prey to catch. They have no stresses or problems in terms of surviving because they are cosseted and confined. The may have stress regarding being confined or being separated from their human caretaker but not regarding hunting.

But don't mix up sleeping and snoozing. They are quite different. The latter is a form of rest and when a domestic cat snoozes they are very alert. They can leap into action within a fraction of a second. There ears swivel to a distant sound even before we can hear it. They open their eyes quickly. They respond to all kinds of stimuli quickly when snoozing and therefore they cannot be sleeping. Let's make sure we differentiate the two because there is a misconception on the internet and it's been promulgated for years that domestic cats sleep nearly the entire 24-hour day when it simply isn't true.

The wild cats are a bit different obviously. It could be said that the lion does sleep a lot because they are pretty efficient hunters (they hunt a lot at night) and if they are efficient at hunting and eating then they have time to rest and sleep. However, I would doubt too whether lions sleep more than domestic cats who are allowed outside. Once again, they will rest for long periods if prey is abundant and they are managing survival but this is not genuine sleep.

Risk Factors for a Broken Human-Cat Bond

Risk Factors for a Broken Human-Cat Bond

This is a cross-post from the main site (to spread the word).  It's actually an important subject because it goes to the heart of what is troubling people in the world of domestic cats, namely, unwanted and abandoned cats who are relinquished to local shelters because of a breakdown in the relationship between the owner and cat.

There are what experts describe as “risk factors", which if present in a home occupied by a domestic cat and a person indicates that the relationship between the person and the cat may fail leading to the abandonment of the cat to a local shelter.

In round terms and generalising somewhat, these risk factors center around the attitude of the person before adopting a cat and during the early part of the adoption process i.e. during the first 6 months of the relationship.

Before a person adopts a cat they really should be aware of what looking after a cat entails and in addition they should be aware of what natural cat behaviour is and how to allow it in the home. Accordingly, if a person adopts a cat casually, particularly a young kitten in the first 6 months of her life then the chances of success are weakened.  You can add to that another risk factor namely whether the young cat is neutered or spayed.  If the cat isn't then once again the risk is higher for an abandonment.

You can see where this is going. This is about a person who adopts a cat rather casually. The person likes the appearance of a young kitten because, after all, they are very attractive. It is the spur of the moment adoptions without due consideration which are more likely to lead to failure because adopting a cat is not like buying a motorcar or any other inanimate object. You have to look after the cat for the life of the cat and that takes quite a lot of input and some money. When that dawns on people later in the day some of them might not like it and some don't have sufficient patience to see it through.

The same rather casual approach to cat adoption and caretaking is carried over into veterinary care. Another risk factor is whether or not the cat is taken to a vet at any time during his or her stay with their new caretaker.  If not at all then it indicates that the owner is either neglectful or without funds and this scenario points to a possible abandonment of the cat to a shelter.

Perhaps the most important risk factor or the most significant is whether the person who adopts a cat has fixed and entrenched views about how her cat should behave in the home. If those views are incorrect and centred around what the person wants and likes with a disregard for the need of a cat to express natural behaviour then once again the relationship between cat person is heading towards a breakdown, at least potentially.

You can actually change the title from "risk factors for broken human-bond" to "the sort of person who is likely to abandon their cat".  That person will adopt the cat/kitten casually without sufficient research and without sufficient funding and not be that keen about keeping a cat or unsure and uncommitted.  They may be ambivalent about it.

By contrast, a person who has thought long and hard about adopting a cat for the life of the cat and has ensured that they have sufficient funding to manage veterinary bills and all overheads while also having studied to a certain degree cat behaviour and the need to provide an enriched, calm and pleasing environment for their cat, will succeed.