"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.

Do humans or free-ranging domestic cats kill the most animals in one year?

The domestic cat is criticised almost daily on the internet for being a manic, indiscriminate killer of animals. The human is hardly ever criticised for killing animals. The only people who criticise humans are vegans and animal advocates but their voice is quieter than that of the cat critic lobby.

Well, the first point to note when answering the question in the title is that all we have for cats killing animals are estimates. Or guesstimates. You can't genuinely count on the number being accurate and it is probably the worst case scenario. So here goes:

Free-ranging domestic cats kill around 21 billion animal per year worldwide. This is a midpoint between the max and min estimates.

We know how many animals humans kill as there are records. And the total livestock animals we kill per year amounts to 92.2 billion. I think we can fairly add around 1 billion non-livestock animals to that number making 93.2 billion. That's probably a big underestimate but I stick with it.

And so humans kill 4.4 times the number of animals per year compared to free-ranging domestic cats.

I think humans need to look at themselves in a mirror. It is also worth saying that the farm animals killed often lead horrible lives until they are killed. I mean they are often abused all their lives until slaughtered.

Cats, by contrast, often kill dying birds and infirm mammals. Do you ever see a dead bird lying on the ground? No, because their dead bodies have been scavenged by a variety of predators including the free-roaming cat and the feral cat.

I would doubt that the scientists put this into the equation when estimating the number of animals killed.

The human is the victor in this competition. Oh, one last point, many millions of animals are abused for the fun of it by humans worldwide. Cats don't abuse animals for fun.

Almost forgot: cats have to kill animals as they are programmed hyper-carnivores. They can't eat plants as the nutrients aren't there. Humans are omnivores. We can leave animals alone entirely and probably be healthier. 

There are many studies which say that a vegan diet is healthier than a conventional meat diet.

RELATED: Cat caregivers should try a vegan diet for just TWO MONTHS for real health benefits.

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.

Do cats understand kisses?

For HUMANS kissing is a common way to express affection or greet someone in many cultures around the world. However, in some cultures, kissing was not a regular practice before European colonization. 

In these cultures, kissing was introduced by Europeans and did not have the same significance as it does in other cultures. Kissing can be used to express a wide range of emotions, including love, gratitude, compassion, sympathy, joy, and sorrow.

Your cat understands your kiss as an act of allogrooming from another cat. - MikeB

Your cat understands your kiss as an act of allogrooming from another cat. Image: MikeB

It is an intimate exchange. It is a practice that was created by humans for humans. We don't know the origin. Anyway it is irrelevant. This is about humans.

When we kiss our cat they don't understand the action as a kiss per se. You've probably kissed your cat before during moments when there is emotional warmth between you. Your cat will have learned that the act of kissing is a sign of affection, a bit like stroking their head. 

Cats don't understand kisses per se in the way humans do as a deeply intimate action. But they understand the affection attached to it provided there is affection attached to it! And it has been done often. This teaches your cat what it means.

That's about it on cats understanding human kisses. Except for this afterthought:

Allogrooming versus kissing

Petting your cat and stroking him or her is very close to the human kiss from the cat's standpoint. They interpret is as their mother or a feline associate (friend) grooming them. When a cat grooms another cat (allogrooming) cats understand this as a physical sign of affection. It is bonding.

Allogrooming is almost a feline version of the human kiss. - MikeB

Cat allogrooming. A feline version of the human kiss?! Image in the public domain.

Allogrooming means licking another cat. The tongue is involved as it is in French kissing! You can see the association.

The cat may even understand the human kiss on their head as a allogrooming from another cat. If that was the case, once again they'd regard it as a friendly act which is very similar to a peck on the cheek from a dear friend.

There is a big overlap here between cat allogrooming and human kisses 😎. 

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?

Domestic cats recognize the sound of their name says scientist (we know it already)

OPINION: Cat owners don't need a scientist to tell them that their cat recognises the sound of the name. Newsweek tells us in an article of June 30 that a Japanese scientist found that domestic cats recognise the sound of their name. The article is presented as some sort of eureka moment but it simply isn't. 

For centuries cat owners have been talking to the cat companions, calling their name to come and they dutifully came. It's pretty obvious that domestic cats understand the sound of their name even if they don't understand the word or their name per se. 

Cats do understand the sound of their names like dogs. Neither cat nor dog understand the meaning of their name and that they are sentient beings. Neither are self-aware. Pic in public domain.

It's all about the sound especially when spoken by their owner. In fact, it is probably fair to say that it is essential that their owner makes the sound because the way a person sounds in saying words is important in terms of a domestic cat's recognition of those sounds.

The study referred to is by behavioural scientist Atsuko Saito from Sophia University in Tokyo. The study is called: "Vocal recognition of owners by domestic cats" and it is published in the journal Animal Cognition. In fact, it was published in 2013 so it has been around for quite a long time. A further study titled "Domestic cats discriminate their names from other words" was published in 2019 in Scientific Reports. It looks at the responses of individual cats to their names.

Cats responded to the sound of their name by meowing or body language such as moving their heads or tails and sometimes vocalising. Once again this is not something new for cat owners. I am one of many millions of cat owners who talk to their cat all the time. In fact, the sound of a cat owner's voice is far more important to cats than simply saying their cat's name.

In a genuinely loving relationship between cat and person, cats respond very positively to the sound of their human companion's voice. This is because it is comforting and reassuring. It's almost as good as being petted from the cat's standpoint. Like many other owners I sometimes whisper sweet nothings into my cat's ear at very close range. I know he likes it because he looks at me with a slow blink asking for more.

It's when you combine something like flea combing and warm reassuring sounds that your cat gets the maximum benefit from their interactions with you.

The Japanese study also found that when strangers said their cat's name, they were less responsive but still appeared to recognise the sound. This confirms what I've just stated above. The reason why cats don't respond quite so positively to a stranger saying their name is because the sound is slightly different to that of their owner. Domestic cats are very acutely attuned to frequency of sounds. There is obviously a specific frequency and tone to a cat owner's voice which is registered very precisely in their cat's memory.

The Japanese scientist thinks, like me, that cats are unable to be self-aware or self-conscious. She said: "There is no evidence that cats have the ability to recognise themselves like us". This means that their recognition of their name is different to when humans recognise the sound of their name. Humans recognise their name by its meaning. They know that it's a word which is a reference to them. Cats can't do this because they don't understand the English language or any other language. They are not linguists and not self-aware but they are highly tuned to sounds as they are to smells and visuals especially at dusk in the dark conditions.

Lastly, commonsense states that cats respond to the sound of the name because they associate the sound with something positive and pleasant, normally food, a cuddle or perhaps play.

Developing human-cat routines over years

Although like many others I realise that routines are very important in a domestic cat's life, it was only this morning that it dawned on me that I have developed these routines to the point where my cat predicts my movements and desires. He does things before I ask him to because he understands the routines that exist between us.

Gabriel in my garden years ago. Photo: MikeB

You achieve these routines by being with your cat every day all day over a period of many years. Further, the human has to have a set routine in life as many retired people have incidentally, integrated into which are the routines and lifestyle of your cat. Eventually your cat understands what you will do next and pre-empts it. I will give two examples which apply to me but each person and their cat will have their own examples which are just as valid. It is harder for full-time office workers to develop these routines. For retired people it happens naturally. But you have to be a concerned cat guardian.

Sitting on my lap

When I watch television my cat sits on my lap. That is a very commonplace occurrence anywhere on the planet. When I turn off my television my cat jumps off my lap. The two events are linked. My cat knows that I have stopped watching television and that I will get up from my armchair and do something else such as make a cup of tea and return to the television. The important point is that my cat knows that when the television becomes silent it is time for him to get up off my lap. He does it without any encouragement.

Sitting on my lap in bed

The same sort of rules apply when he sits on my lap while I am in bed. He knows that after I have worked on my computer on the website and I put my laptop computer down it is his turn to come up to my lap and ask for some combing which I'm delighted to give him. This happens every day and once I have stopped combing him I communicate with them for a while and let him sit on my lap for five more minutes. After this time he knows that it is time for him to get off my lap and jump off the bed. He does this without me asking him. I don't have to indicate to him that I'm going to get up by moving my body. He jumps off and walks off the bed before I do anything. He knows through his internal clock and by routine and habits that it is time for him to leave the bed.

These are two examples of routines in which a domestic cat has become fully integrated into the routines of his human companion. It is a great form of communication between two entirely different species of animal. There are other forms such as the sounds we make and the sound that our cat makes to us such as a meow which is a demand for food normally. And there's cat and human body language as well which is a part of the communication process between two different species. But routines play a vital role.

9 possible signs your cat has Covid-19

First things first: in the USA, according to the Humane Society there have been 49 confirmed cases of Covid-nineteen in cats and 35 confirmed cases in dogs. As there are around an estimated 94 million domestic cat companions in the US, you can see that this is not a problem that people should get wound up about. At the moment it seems that the chances of your cat contracting Covid-19 are extremely, almost infinitesimally small.

A high temperature is the first sign that your cat or dog might have Covid. Image: PoC.

The best way to protect your cat, I would have thought, is to protect yourself by following the well-publicised procedures. And in the USA a high percentage of cat owners keep their cats inside full-time which must protect them from this disease. That said, Newsweek have written about the nine signs that your cat has Covid so I will reproduce them here just for the sake of completeness. I think it's nice to know these just in case you and your cat are unlucky.

It's probably worth saying that one of the signs of Covid in people is a lack of taste and smell which are two symptoms that we can't know that I cat suffers from because the only way of finding out is to ask your cat! Perhaps we should assume that those symptoms are also present (which may affect their appetite) to which you can add the following:

1. A fever. A fever is when the body temperature exceeds the normal temperature for an adult cat which is between 100-103° Fahrenheit with an average of 101.5 degrees F. How do you tell that your cat has a fever? Well of course you can measure the temperature and I have a page on that was you can see by clicking here. But what are the outward signs? A veterinary website tells us that they are: loss of appetite, depression, lack of energy, decrease drinking, decreased grooming, rapid breathing and shivering;
2. Coughing. The should be persistent coughing which will be different to the sort of sound a cat makes when the vomiting up a hair ball which is not coughing at all;
3. Difficulty in breathing with shallow breath;
4. Lethargy. Lethargy is a classic symptom of a cat feeling ill and it should be noticeable to most cat owners who are reasonably emotionally close to their cat;
5. Sneezing;
6. Runny nose;
7. Eye discharge;
8. Vomiting;
9. Diarrhoea.

There has been quite a lot of talk about cats and dogs getting Covid which I think is out of an abundance of caution because there is precious little evidence that pets transmit the disease to people living in the same household.

It's a shame that they get it at all because this is a human-created global problem. It is through human carelessness that this has happened although the World Health Organisation is still trying to find out where it started without the cooperation of the Chinese! That I think tells us a story.

If the above signs are present then the usual procedures concerning people should apply to a cat or dog. This means isolating the animal but before that you have to get confirmation from a veterinarian that your dog or cat does indeed have Covid. Nothing stupid should happen. No one should panic or do anything which would harm the companion animal in any way.

P.S. in Siamese and other pointed cats if they have a temperature it may affect the color of their non-pointed coat. It might be lighter.

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.

Stealing Kittens from a Shelter. What Next?

This must be a first. Thee young men stealing two kittens from an animal shelter. It seems despicable.  When you think that animal shelters often struggle to keep going and are dependent upon the adoption fees which are relatively modest it is the worst kind of petty crime to steal from an animal shelter.  

They are non-profit. If someone steals from a big corporation it is equally bad in the eyes of the law but on a moral basis some people could argue that it might be justified because, after all, big corporations are sometimes rather immoral organisations anyway.  But from a shelter which is non-profit and doing some good work it seems extraordinary to me.

The burglary took place at SAVE in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The trio of 19-year-old men attempted but failed to steal 2 kittens from the animal shelter.

Fortunately, two of them were caught in the act while a third gave himself up which is rather strange. I am not sure what his motive was. I don't think it was out of honesty.

One of the shelter volunteers who was outside in the backyard saw one of the burglars running out of the back of the shelter with a kitten in his hand.  He caught the burglar red-handed by pinning him down and recovering the kitten. The police were called and they turned up shortly thereafter.

The other kitten was also recovered and both were unharmed.  The person gave herself up was Corey Thompson (left in photo).  The other two alleged burglars were Hamza Cheema and John Moore (right in photo).

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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.

Suburban Lions of Kenya

The lions of Nairobi National Park have taken a fancy to the leafy suburbs and gardens of Langata which borders the park. See the map below.  The park is labelled "Mugumoini".

Picture showing the close proximity of Nairobi NP to the suburbs.
Photo by urbangarden

Quite understandably they are causing anxiety amongst the local inhabitants. Pet dogs have been eaten. "It was just bones and a bit of skin". When will the first child be taken? Stephanie Dloniak has a "lion lockdown" at dusk to protect her family. The kids are comprehensively grounded from 5:30 pm onwards. You can see her point. She photographed a lion sliding under her garden fence.


View Larger Map

It is the classic clash between human and big cat. This normally occurs when humankind gradually encroaches upon big cat territory which brings the two into conflict. Invariably the cat losses the battle in the long run. The sad truth is that this sort of thing will get worse. It has to because the human population is expanding and the lion population is deceasing in Africa. The lion is assessed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List™. The people living in the suburbs of Nairobi are feeling vulnerable too.

In this instance, it is believed that the lions of Nairobi NP are moving out of the park because:

1. They have be socialised to the human. They are familiar with people.
2. Male lions may have forced one of the lionesses out of the park. This is because incoming males kill cubs and females sometimes defend their cubs or in this instance go elsewhere. Other females followed.
3. The gardens are attractive for prey - e.g. dogs.

When push comes to shove and trapping the lions and shipping them back to the park finally fails, the police will be compelled to shoot them. One less lion in a declining population. Sounds a bit dysfunctional doesn't it?

Cats and Bicycles Picture

Cats and bicycles go together! They look very together in this picture by Bob Hanson. Perhaps the harmony comes from the nice composition and perhaps the harmony comes from the fact that the kind of person who has a cat companion is more likely to have a bike.

Four cats and four bikes - Photo copyright Bob Hanson

Bob rescued the four cats and he acquired the vintage bikes. He says that the four cats are a mother (far left) and her three sons. They were abandoned by a neighbor who moved home and simply left them behind in mid-winter. That, I am afraid to say, is not particularly unusual.

I rescued my late lady cat, Binnie, in exactly the same way in London. Bob had them spayed and neutered and he says cats have always been part of his life. He sees them as companions not "pets". That's what we like to hear.  It is the only way to relate to a cat and respect the cat.

Bikes are more likely, I would argue, to be owned by independently minded, intelligent people. This is the sort of person who tends to like the domestic cat. That is why cats and bicycles go together harmoniously.

Using Wild Cat Names

I am annoyed at the use of wildcat names because we use them a lot and we abuse the cats a lot. There is a kind of symmetry in our attitude towards wildcats but it is an unhealthy symmetry.

Examples are:

• Puma (shoes)
• Jaguar (cars)
• Tiger (airline)
• Tiger (Woods)
• Bobcat (industrial machinery)
• Wildcat (numerous sports teams)
• Lion (software - Apple)
• Snow leopard (Apple software)

There are countless more examples. Today (3rd December 2011), if you Google search using Google.com for "leopard" at the top is Apple software! Second is Wikipedia on the cat. Point made.

If you search for any mainstream wildcat you will find products and cats. If you use Google.com to search the news for "wildcat" you can forget about news on the cats! All you get is American sports team news.

Naming products after cats is fine as it shows that we admire the qualities of these magnificent animals. We should treat them well in the wild. We owe that to them.

We are gradually destroying the wild cat species in the wild. We are users.

Analysis of the Big Cat Video UK

It has been claimed to be "one of the best pieces of footage of a big cat in the UK". This is my brief analysis of the big cat video UK.



First it has to said that this is simply not a big cat. If it is a wild cat it would be classed as one of the small wild cats (see Wild Cat Species). It is about 2 feet long (excluding the tail) and looks like it weighs about 20+ pounds. This is gauged by comparison with the tracks (apparently 4 feet 8.5 inches wide in Britain). This cat walks like a small cat or domestic cat meaning lightly and without that slightly arrogant and slower paced walk of the bigger cats. Its shape is neither cobby (stocky) nor slender. The smaller big cats like the puma and leopard are quite slender with long limbs. This cat cannot be either. It cannot be a lynx because there is no ruff.

This cat has been described as "fearsome" and a "panther" by the tabloid press. Well it is not fearsome it seems to me. And it is not a panther as this is a term to describe melanistic (black) leopards and pumas. The smallest leopard weighs about 20 kg (44 lbs pounds - small female Cap Province -- Wild Cats of the World) and are normally about 50 kg (110 lbs the size of female person). The puma is quite a large cat with some small cat characteristics and weights at the lower end about the same as a small women. Both are larger by a factor of about 4 or 5 than this cat.

Domestic cats can weigh on average about 8 lbs but some weigh over 20 lbs. The all domestic cat, the Maine Coon can and frequently does weigh over 20 lbs. But this cat is not a Maine Coon as the fur is short on this cat and the Maine Coon is longer bodied.

It is more likely to be a large (top end) domestic cat than a wildcat. And this cat is behaving like a domestic cat wandering down a railway line. This cat is not behaving secretively as a wild cat would. It is very hard indeed to see a Scottish wild cat. It takes a lot of tracking and patience.

One viewer of the video made the comment that it could be a domestic cat/Scottish wild cat hybrid (first generation). This could be the case. They are black apparently and although the Scottish wild cat is the approximate size of a domestic cat with hybrid vigor the offspring could be larger than the parents.

I think it is also worth mentioning that this cat is not very elusive, is it? It is calmly walking down a railway line in broad daylight when it could be hold up in a den and coming out at night as black panthers are meant to do. And why is this oh so fantastic video footage, some of the best ever pretty poor, frankly. Over all the tens of years we have been told about fearsome big cats in the UK the best evidence we have is this poor camera phone video of a 20 lb domestic cat!

Analysis of the Big Cat Video UK - conclusion: Can the papers please stop exaggerating as this is irresponsible and puts fear into some people who might react badly to the cat and try and kill it? Being at the very top end of the domestic cat range it is more likely to be a very large domestic cat or a Scottish wild cat first generation hybrid and it is certainly not a black panther.

More reading:

• World Biggest Cat
• Maine Coon Cats
• Largest Domestic Cat Breed
• Puma
• Scottish Wild Cat

Our Relationship with Cats

There are many millions of people who tenderly love and care for the domestic cats with which they live. There are many millions who are concerned about the wildcats. But there are not enough. Today I was shocked by a submission to the main website (www.pictures-of-cats.org) by a person who said she (or he, not sure) loved cats but poisoned them because her neighbours were irresponsible in letting them stray. And these stray cats upset her by defecating and urinating around her home. She also said that they bring fleas and "other insects". What she was doing or what she said she was doing was quite possibly a felony in her state of New York.

The person was arrogant and ignorant enough to state her views and actions on the internet on a site that gets a lot of hits. Beware doing such things as it can backfire. It does show us the level of "out of reality" lives some people live. The person's arguments were totally lacking in sound thought. And upon this ignorance, cats were, on the face of it, being cruelly killed - quite mindless and idiotic but an example of behaviour not that uncommonly seen.

I know that for many people who are not that fond of cats, feral or stray cats can be a nuisance. But the only way to deal with this is to deal with the owners. And as to the feral cats that can only mean being dealt with by trap, neuter return and plenty of investment in time and effort. There is no other way. Our relationship with cats can be quite fraught. And our relationship with cats is certainly very polarised. What I mean is that people have very widely held views, which makes a coordinated approach impossible.

Take feral cats again. There is the beginnings of a new direction in how to deal with feral cats at the governmental level in the potential city ordinance (laws) of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Beverly Hills could be the beginning of change and a proper approach to dealing with feral cats. Millions are killed each year. Some go into cat food - yes it's true. And one comment on a YouTube video about how some feral cats or unwanted domestic cats were turned into cat food, said that is was a good idea. Maybe you do too. But it cannot be right. It is not the way things were meant to have turned out when the wild cat was first domesticated. We thought that our relationship with cats would be beneficial to both cat and human. Now that "dream" has turned sour.

If feral cats are generally badly treated (and they are only surviving like you and me) then the domestic cat can have it pretty hard too. People in the USA have created a country where the domestic cat has to be kept in permanently. How odd and unnatural is that? And an unlikely and horrendous spin off from that (and I believe a contributory factor) is that 20% or about 20 million domestic cats in the USA are declawed. This is a crime in many European countries. America is a decent and good country with good and decent people, so what happened on this one? Something went badly wrong and I say it is largely to do with commerce and the veterinarians who encourage non-therapeutic declawing, a truly unethical process of great cruelty.

That said many people in the USA will say that declawing is OK and that they love cats. I just think that they don't understand and that misunderstanding comes from the people who do understand but hide behind euphemisms and denial, the veterinarians.

Our relationship with cats works brilliantly when we love our cat and let our cat be his or herself. When we accept out cat as he or she is. Is that so hard? If we can't do that it's OK. Just don't keep a cat. Is that so hard? If we wan companionship from a cat we should respect the cat. Declawing is highly disrespectful and much worse. See AVMA policy on declawing cats.

As to the wildcats, for me it is more sadness. Once again a different form of business is destroying the cat, businesses like the timber business destroying forest and the habitat of forest dwelling cats (African golden cat, Sumatran tiger and Clouded leopard to name three - there are many more). If it is not timber it is farming or some other business. Sure we have a right to make a living but it is time we did it in a way that doesn't destroy the planet. Is that so hard?

How to Create a Stray Cat

This is how to create a stray cat. Buy a nice house with a large mortgage. Buy nice new, all white furniture and put in a new kitchen. Go on holiday 3 times a year and have three kids. To complete the image and the perfect family scene buy a purebred pedigree cat, say a nice Siamese, they are one of the most popular and impressive looking cats and the white body and dark pointing (extremities) go oh so well with the white kitchen and the new cushions you just bought for the large sumptuous sofas that could barely get through the front door when they were delivered. Keep doing that sort of thing for a time.

Wait for the inevitable economic crash, the bust after the boom. Then try and hang on to the job, but to no avail. The wife works part-time but the debt that you accrued over the last ten years amount to $50,000 and the family home has been remortgaged four times and now property prices have plummeted there is negative equity. You stop paying the mortgage and the HP payments on the sofa got too much so you lost that. Next you lose the house.

You pack your bags and cart away what possessions you have left. You, the wife and the kids shut the front door for the last time. Inside the home is your Siamese cat, without food or water and locked in. You just couldn't see a way to paying for her. The cat had to go. That's how to create a stray cat in the recession.

{based on the true story of Bandy a 1 year old Siamese cat who was left in a foreclosed house and who became a stray cat with no where to stray to}



From how or create a stray cat to feral cats

Australians are Hostile to Stray Cats

Why do I get the distinct impression that Australians are hostile to stray cats? I mean Australians as a nation not individual Australians lots of whom are very much for, and care for, the stray and feral cats. And lets not forget that stray cats are quite possibly domestic companion cats that are simply outdoors. All over the internet are stories of stray cats in Australia being ill treated.

There seems to be a kind of culture that approaches that found in China with respect to the stray cat or indeed feral cat. This culture seems to have been promoted or even generated by a long term and on-going campaign by government officials who have claimed that the poor maligned stray cats and feral cats of Australia are responsible for the death of millions of native wild animals. A reality check indicates that this is not the case. Here are a few facts that come from a very reliable source, Sarah Hartwell (unless otherwise stated), who was assisted by http://www.catassist.org.au:

• there are pro and anti feral and stray cat camps. I sense that the anti camp is winning because of government backing (my view)
  
• there are no accurate figures on the numbers of stray cats and feral cats in Australia. This fuels guesswork and alarmist assessments. The figure is, apparently, between 3 and 30 million.
  
• an influential survey carried out in 1994 by Dr David Paton claimed that cats kill 3.8 billion animals and birds annually. A vast number. But this survey, which may be etched in the minds of some Australians, has been found to be lacking in objectivity (Dr. Paton disliked cats) and accuracy. It is, in short, misleading. More birds are killed by cars than cats in Australia (survey result not guesswork).
• another study of 1994 (by Reark research for Petcare Information and Advisory Service) confirmed that cats preferred hunting introduced wild species (rabbit and mouse) rather than native Australian species thus debunking the claim that precious native species are being slaughtered by cats.
  
• habitat destruction by people is probably the biggest killer of native Australian wildife (my view)
• it seems that a considerable percentage of vets are also against the feral and stray cat. Witness the case of Possum who was shot 27 times and the owner couldn't find a vet to assist until after 4 tries a kind a decent vet did assist. (see Worst Case of Cat Cruelty) -this is my view and not Sarah Hartwells.
  
• Ms Hartwell supports my view that wholesale shooting of feral cats is inhumane and it doesn't work either. (see Ground Shooting of Feral Cats and the Vacuum Effect). She also supports proper, humane and organised action using TNR techniques. The Australians seem incapable of accepting this. It isn't, it seems, in their nature as it would take a long term approach and a concerted approach.
  
• all the signs are that, generally, as an electorate, Australians are hostile to Stray cats.
  

Some selected posts on this topic:

• Feral Cats of Australia
• Australian Feral Cat Laws
• Savannah Cat Ban in Australia in Wrong
• Feral Cats

From Australians are Hostile to Stray Cats to Home Page

Stray Cats Can Get On

Stray cats can get on even when confined to a relatively small space. I should know as I have three stray cats in an apartment! Well Binnie is no longer a stray cat, she is a long term companion of mine. But Timmy the alpha boy cat and Pippa the girl all get on now. It really is a question of time. I see people asking questions about introducing a new cat to a household where there are already cats. There can be problems and certainly there can be initial problems but with patience and a little human intervention and management things gradually settle down.

At first Timmy would hiss and strike out at Binnie and indeed Pippa but right now he has come in from the cold and plonked himself on my bed as I type this and he is about 12 inches from Binnie. He just sniffed her and Binnie made a little trill and that was it. He just curled up and she got comfortable.

I think Timmy has come in because he is still a little poorly after the visit to the vet to lance, drain and treat his bite wound. See Cat Fights of Male Cats and Cat Abscess. Stray cats can get on, just give it time with a bit of temporary management.