'I can say with sincerity that I like cats... A cat is an animal which has more human feelings than almost any other.'
Emily Bronte
Thursday, 27 August 2009
'What cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food which they take for granted but for his or her entertainment value.'
Geoffrey Household 'Rogue Male'
The Secret
'Oh...
I didn't know you were there.
I have just come from a secret place
Where I have had a secret thought
The secret thought
Was beautiful.
The secret place somewhere
Where you will never find it.
Sometimes I can't even find it
Myself.
I wish I could tell you
My secret thought
It was so beautiful
Or where I thought of it
But then it wouldn't be a secret anymore
For you'd know.
From 'Honourable Cat ' by Paul Gallico
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Why Do Cats Purr ?
Cats purr for a multiple of reasons.
Kittens are born blind and deaf and start purring when only days old. Because of this the purring serves as a homing device. The kittens can feel their mother purring and it enables them to find her and encourages them to nurse.
We have always thought of purring cats as happy cats but cats also purr when they are under stress such as during a visit to a vet. When I took my cat to one a few years ago the vet could hardly hear her heart or lungs because she purred so loudly. Eventually she took her over to the tap and switched it on to try and calm her down. For reasons not known cats often stop purring whilst listening to running water. They also purr when they are in pain. Female cats can purr when giving birth, possibly in an attempt to calm themselves.
Research has shown that cats are trying to heal themselves when they purr. It may help to clear congestion, heal broken bones and other injuries and perhaps reduce pain.
A recent study by Dr Karen McComb a specialist in mammal vocal communication at Sussex University concludes that a certain type of purring has a high frequency element that makes humans want to respond to a cats needs.
Purring can also serve as a means of communication between adult cats. If a cat is approached by another cat it might purr to signal that it wants to be friends, it can also purr when it is playing.
There is still much to learn about why cats purr and research is still ongoing.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
I recently came across this bizarre story in ‘londonist.’
Mrs Laursen and her husband moved into a new flat in London with their six domestic cats.
Strange to say whenever the cats were being fed a mysterious roar would echo around the apartment flowing down the corridor in which the cats were eating.
For a year it provided a bizarre form of entertainment whenever vistors arrived at the flat.
The obvious question that sprung to mind was had a big cat escaped from a zoo or was it some kind of supernatural phenomenon?
The couple eventually moved on. They were never plagued by the sound again.
londonist
The Saturday Strangeness (Disembodied Roar Article117) dated August 8th 2009.
Available at http://londonist.com/
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Old Wives Tales About Cats
Cats Smother Babies
It’s a sad fact that already over populated pet shelters are sometimes asked to take in cats because their owners are worried about the safety of their baby if they keep it. They honestly think that the cat might smother a baby while it is sleeping peacefully in its crib. Some even suggest the cat might deliberately kill the baby out of jealousy, although I should imagine not many people hold this view.
After carrying out research I found only one vague case of this kind in the BMJ and no more. Some cats won’t go near a baby’s face because they dislike the small of human breath.
Cats might find a cot a comfortable place to sleep and the nice warm body of the baby pleasant to cuddle up against but there is no intention of harm. Recently a cat saved the life of a baby abandoned on the doorstep of a house in Germany in the middle of the night. It meowed loudly until someone woke up. If the cat had not been there the boy would have died of hypothermia. This much exaggerated rumour about smothering goes back hundreds of years. Doctors have only recently come to understand cot death. It’s possible that babies may have died suddenly in the presence of cats and in view of no other explanation the cat got the blame. So much superstitious nonsense has surrounded cats down the ages that it's not surprising some people don't trust them.
It’s never a bad idea to take precautions. If you’re worried purchase a fly shield to put over the crib to prevent the cat, or any other animal for that matter from sleeping there and keep the baby away from where the cat eats. Other objects in the crib could present a danger too; soft toys or blankets for example.
Cats suck the breath out of babies’ mouths
I think anyone with common sense won’t believe this one. This hundreds of years old tale probably goes back to when people believed cats to be witches' familiars. Maybe they believed the cats became possessed by evil spirits. Cats are supposedly drawn by the scent of milk on a baby’s breath. When cats are older a good majority are not that interested in milk anyway. All they are after is something warm to cuddle up to.
Accidents can happen and you can’t prevent them all, but if you think you should stop providing your cat with a home because it puts a new baby in danger, think about how many infants have been killed by dogs, by travelling in cars, or through parental neglect.
It’s a sad fact that already over populated pet shelters are sometimes asked to take in cats because their owners are worried about the safety of their baby if they keep it. They honestly think that the cat might smother a baby while it is sleeping peacefully in its crib. Some even suggest the cat might deliberately kill the baby out of jealousy, although I should imagine not many people hold this view.
After carrying out research I found only one vague case of this kind in the BMJ and no more. Some cats won’t go near a baby’s face because they dislike the small of human breath.
Cats might find a cot a comfortable place to sleep and the nice warm body of the baby pleasant to cuddle up against but there is no intention of harm. Recently a cat saved the life of a baby abandoned on the doorstep of a house in Germany in the middle of the night. It meowed loudly until someone woke up. If the cat had not been there the boy would have died of hypothermia. This much exaggerated rumour about smothering goes back hundreds of years. Doctors have only recently come to understand cot death. It’s possible that babies may have died suddenly in the presence of cats and in view of no other explanation the cat got the blame. So much superstitious nonsense has surrounded cats down the ages that it's not surprising some people don't trust them.
It’s never a bad idea to take precautions. If you’re worried purchase a fly shield to put over the crib to prevent the cat, or any other animal for that matter from sleeping there and keep the baby away from where the cat eats. Other objects in the crib could present a danger too; soft toys or blankets for example.
Cats suck the breath out of babies’ mouths
I think anyone with common sense won’t believe this one. This hundreds of years old tale probably goes back to when people believed cats to be witches' familiars. Maybe they believed the cats became possessed by evil spirits. Cats are supposedly drawn by the scent of milk on a baby’s breath. When cats are older a good majority are not that interested in milk anyway. All they are after is something warm to cuddle up to.
Accidents can happen and you can’t prevent them all, but if you think you should stop providing your cat with a home because it puts a new baby in danger, think about how many infants have been killed by dogs, by travelling in cars, or through parental neglect.
Monday, 27 July 2009
How A Cats Purr Can Manipulate Us
How A Cat's Purr Can Manipulate Us
I think most feline owners would agree that cats are good at getting their own way. After all we often put their comfort before our own. We’ll allow them to sleep in the most ridiculous places around the home, even though they get in our way, we avoid making the bed until they have finished sleeping on it, we get up and give them breakfast before we’ve even had a cup of tea and we’ll allow them to sit comfortably on our lap when we’ve really much better things to do.
According to a new study carried out by Dr Karen McComb, who is a specialist in mammal vocal communication at the University of Sussex, cats are even better at manipulating humans than we first thought by using something called solicitous purring.
Dr McComb carried out her research after noticing this type of purring in her own cat, and questioning why it was so hard to ignore. She talked to other cat owners whose cats exhibited similar behaviour. After carrying out tests on humans who listened to various purring types, the solicitous purr was found to be more exasperating and less pleasing, even people who had had no experience of cats voiced the same opinion.
What this means is that certain cats mask their pleas for attention with a pleasant purr instead of a loud miaow. This attention seeking purr has a high-frequency element that activates a sense of necessity in the human brain. This high frequency element makes the human feel driven to respond to the cat’s needs. When a cat miaows loudly we find it irritating, sometimes enough to want to throw the cat out of the room. This purr on the other hand, although a trifle annoying is not annoying enough to make us want to drive the cat away and instead we feel the urge to respond.
Not all cats have this purr. Research carried out on 10 cats found it only in those living in single person households. If the cat has a one to one relationship with its owner it learns to radically accentuate the peak.
I think most feline owners would agree that cats are good at getting their own way. After all we often put their comfort before our own. We’ll allow them to sleep in the most ridiculous places around the home, even though they get in our way, we avoid making the bed until they have finished sleeping on it, we get up and give them breakfast before we’ve even had a cup of tea and we’ll allow them to sit comfortably on our lap when we’ve really much better things to do.
According to a new study carried out by Dr Karen McComb, who is a specialist in mammal vocal communication at the University of Sussex, cats are even better at manipulating humans than we first thought by using something called solicitous purring.
Dr McComb carried out her research after noticing this type of purring in her own cat, and questioning why it was so hard to ignore. She talked to other cat owners whose cats exhibited similar behaviour. After carrying out tests on humans who listened to various purring types, the solicitous purr was found to be more exasperating and less pleasing, even people who had had no experience of cats voiced the same opinion.
What this means is that certain cats mask their pleas for attention with a pleasant purr instead of a loud miaow. This attention seeking purr has a high-frequency element that activates a sense of necessity in the human brain. This high frequency element makes the human feel driven to respond to the cat’s needs. When a cat miaows loudly we find it irritating, sometimes enough to want to throw the cat out of the room. This purr on the other hand, although a trifle annoying is not annoying enough to make us want to drive the cat away and instead we feel the urge to respond.
Not all cats have this purr. Research carried out on 10 cats found it only in those living in single person households. If the cat has a one to one relationship with its owner it learns to radically accentuate the peak.
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Cat Behaviour
Sleeping
Cats are extremely good at sleeping. The average cat sleeps up to nineteen hours a day. Mostly they sleep lightly and sleep for short periods of time, hence the term ‘cat nap.' When they are very relaxed and do go into a deep sleep, their brainwave patterns are similar to ours when we dream. During this state their bodies will twitch indicating that they are dreaming, they’ll snore sometimes too, although this isn’t true of all cats. When asleep a cats hearing becomes sharper to provide warning of danger.
Interaction with other cats
Cats like humans have different personalities. For those who find it difficult to form friendships with other cats, coping with strangers who invade their territory can be difficult, often resulting in cat fights. In cities and towns cat fights are common. Cats create messages for one and other by leaving a scent to say that a certain territory is temporarily occupied. With this scent and knowing other cats in the area the cat can tell how long it has been since the leaver of the message passed by, who it was and whether or not he can safely venture forward. When cats do meet face to face, although physical fights do occur the more likely outcome is a stand off. The two cats will growl and stare one and other out until one eventually backs down.
Kneading
Many owners get annoyed when their cat jumps on their knee and starts kneading with its front paws. Sometimes it can dig in a bit with its claws. But really this behaviour is complimentary to the owner because it means that the cat is very relaxed and happy. As kittens cats will press against their mother with their paws in the same way when feeding.
Urinating or defecating in the house
If your cat starts to urinate or defecate in inappropriate areas in the house there is usually a problem. It’s an indication that your cat is not happy. It is feeling insecure within its territory. It may feel threatened and by leaving deposits around the house it is claming its territory in an attempt to warn off any perceived intruders.
A simpler reason is that maybe there is something wrong with its toilet arrangements. If its tray is very dirty it may not like to use it, or it may not like a certain type of cat litter.
Although this is an unpleasant situation remember it is not the cat's fault. It’s not doing it just to be troublesome. Investigate and try and find out why your cat is distressed.
Hunting
Cats are distinctive hunters. Big cats and feral cats still hunt. The way a cat hunts has led to them being called cruel as they appear to play with their pray. Studies have shown that the cat is taking measures necessary for its survival. Cats are proficient at catching their pray but not at killing it. They are far sighted making it difficult for them to initiate a successful death bite. Rodents will certainly bite back if they get the chance and injure the cat. Therefore it is necessary for the cat to exhaust it’s pray until it is safe to go in for the kill.
Some domestic cats hunt more than others. Some even bring dead pray home to their owners just as a mother cat will to its kittens. Others will not catch more than a fly or a crisp packet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)