Jennifer Copley's Blog
Posted by Jennifer Copley
For quirky gift ideas, see the Inventor Spot’s list of favourite interactive pet toys, featuring playthings for cats, dogs, ferrets, horses, birds, and even fish. Featured cat toys include:
- The cat spa
- The Tick Tock Teaser
- Non-toxic bubble blowing sets with long-lasting, chase-able bubbles
- A motorized catnip scooter bug
- Cat laser balls
- A fancy “Litterhouse”
- A battery-operated mouse that comes alive in response to a meow or bark and zips around the house
- Cat treats
- Value packs of soft mice
- A kitty condo shaped like a giant wedge of Swiss cheese
- An orthopaedic window sill perch
Consider giving a BC SPCA Pawsitive Gift this Christmas – or any time of the year. The BC SPCA helps 23,000 abused, abandoned, and neglected cats each year. For those tired of Christmas commercialism, making a donation for themselves or in a cat lover’s name will capture the true spirit of Christmas – helping those in need.
For more cat gifts and toys, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Here is a selection of feline-themed Christmas stuff to get cat lovers into the holiday spirit.
Christmas Cat Photos
About.com offers an extensive Christmas cat image gallery. There is also a series of adorable Christmas cat pictures with html codes available to add them to other Web pages.
Christmas Cat Wallpapers
FreeChristmasWallpapers.net offers a broad array of high-quality free holiday wallpapers, including several featuring Christmas cats and other animals.
Cat-Themed Christmas Merchandise
Unique, very cute cat-themed Christmas tree ornaments are available at CatsofChristmas.com, and Christmas cards with pictures of cats can be found at Yuckles.com.
Christmas Music Made by Cats
Here is a YouTube video of the Jingle Cats, an all-feline singing group, performing their rendition of Silent Night. The cheesy special effects increase the entertainment value of this offering.
Christmas Cat Stories
For adults, Shirley Rousseau Murphy offers an eclectic collection of stories in her 2005 book, Christmas Cats, that are linked only by the fact that all feature cats during the holiday season. For kids, Judith Kerr’s popular and highly-rated Mog the Cat series includes a holiday offering: Mog’s Christmas. Christmas Cats and Mog’s Christmas are available on Amazon.com.
For more Christmas stuff, see:
- Free Christmas Crafts, Graphics, Templates, and Activities
- Gifts for Cats and Cat Lovers
- Hilarious Gifts for Cat Lovers
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Posted by Jennifer Copley
Can cats be given Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen or paracetamol), aspirin, or other medications formulated for people? This question often comes up, and the answer is no.
Many human medications are extremely toxic to cats, including aspirin. A single dose can actually kill a cat. Cats should only be given medications specifically formulated for cats unless it is a qualified veterinarian administering the medication, and owners should always consult a veterinarian before administering medication themselves. For more information on this, see Aspirin and Tylenol Are Toxic to Cats.
A common reason why people seek advice on whether or not they can give aspirin to cats is that the cat suffers from arthritis. See Arthritis in Cats and Essential Fatty Acids Are Beneficial for Cats and Dogs for information on safe and effective treatments for arthritis in pets.
If you suspect that your cat has ingested aspirin or another toxic substance, see What To Do if Your Cat Has Been Poisoned. If you're seeking general information on substances toxic to cats, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
The following are some of the better Christmas freebies, such as printable graphics, craft ideas, activities, and more, including a series of projects for cat lovers.
Free Christmas Clip Art
Free Christmas Graphics, Activities, and Crafts
Christmas Crafts for Cat Lovers
- Cat pillow (cute and funny)
- Bean bag cat (adorable)
- Cat quilt (beautiful)
- 3D cat Christmas card (good project for kids aged 5 and up)
Christmas Food
For Christmas baking, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Here are some relatively recent statistics on worldwide domestic cat populations:
- Number of cats in the world: 200 million
- Number of cats in the USA: 75 million
- Number of cats in China: 46.8 million
- Number of cats in Russia: 12.5 million
- Number of cats in France: 8.7 million
- Number of cats in Britain: 7.5 million
- Number of cats in Italy: 7 million
- Number of cats in Germany: 6.5 million
- Number of cats in Poland: 5.4 million
- Number of cats in Canada: 4.5 million
- Number of cats in India: 3.9 million
- Number of cats in Spain: 2.8 million
- Number of cats in the Netherlands: 2.3 million
Ratios of Cats to People
Here are some cat-to-human ratios for a number of locations:
- World – 1:34
- Austria – 1:1
- Europe, USA – 1:4
- Canada, the Netherlands 1:7
- Britain – 1:10
- China – 1:28
- India and Taiwan – 1:500
These statistics were obtained and/or extrapolated from Cats:500 Questions Answered by Dr. David Sands, various CIA publications containing population figures, and Statistics Canada.
For more cat statistics, see Big Cats and Small Cats in the Wild and How Many Cat Breeds Are There?
Posted by Jennifer Copley
The Caring Consumer online guide provides lists of companies that test on animals and those that don’t, as well a search function to look up individual companies.
Companies included on the cruelty list conduct unnecessary tests on animals for household products, cosmetics and other personal care products. Given the large number of companies producing these products without cruelty, it is obvious that there is absolutely no need to test them on animals.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
There are 39 pure breeds officially recognized by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA):
- Abyssinian
- American Bobtail
- American Curl
- American Shorthair/American Wirehair
- Balinese/Javanese
- Birman
- Bombay
- British Shorthair
- Burmese
- Chartreux
- Colorpoint Shorthair
- Cornish Rex
- Devon Rex
- Egyptian Mau
- European Burmese
- Exotic
- Havana Brown
- Japanese Bobtail
- Korat
- LaPerm
- Maine Coon
- Manx
- Norwegian Forest Cat
- Ocicat
- Oriental (Shorthair and Longhair/Javanese)
- Persian (including Himalayan)
- Ragamuffin
- Ragdoll
- Russian Blue
- Scottish Fold
- Selkirk Rex
- Siamese
- Siberian
- Singapura
- Somali
- Sphynx
- Tonkinese
- Turkish Angora
- Turkish Van
There are also a number of cat breeds not recognized by the CFA, including:
- Aegean Cat
- American Ringtail
- Asian Semi-Longhair/Tiffanie
- Australian Mist (formerly Spotted Mist)
- Brazilian Shorthair/Pelo Curto Brasileiro
- British Semi-Longhair
- Burmilla (cross between Chinchilla Persian and Burmese)
- California Spangled Cat
- Chantilly/Tiffany Cat
- Dragon Li
- European Shorthair
- German Rex
- Munchkin (a mutation that causes short legs)
- Nebelung
- Ojos Azules
- Peterbald
- Pixie-Bob
- Russian White, Black, and Tabby
- Snowhoe (cross-breed of Siamese and American Shorthair)
- Sokoke
- Ukrainian Levkoy
These lists don’t include hybrid cats that resulted from cross-breeding between domestic and wild cats, such as the Bengal, Chausie, Cheetoh, Layanese, and others.
For more on cat breeds, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
There are a number of organizations that help owners who are suffering financial difficulties pay for needed medical care for their companion animals. Some are breed specific, or provide funding only for the treatment of certain types of diseases, whereas others will help qualified applicants pay for any type of veterinary emergency or care of chronic conditions. Some even provide funding for spaying and neutering.
- Pittsburgh Dogs
- FelineDiabetes.com
- United Animal Nations
- National Humane Society Veterinary Care Help
- PetLoversOnline.com Financial Assistance (UK)
Each organization has specific rules regarding who qualifies for assistance. For example, some nonprofits were created to help senior and disabled owners pay for veterinary care for their pets, whereas others will help anyone in financial need. Check the individual guidelines on each organization’s website to make sure that you qualify. Most of the organizations are in the U.S., but there are a few in Canada and the UK as well.
If there are no charitable organizations in your area that can help, see How to Raise Money to Pay Large Vet Bills for fundraising ideas.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Here are more ridiculous laws that have been enacted at some point in various states, most of which involve cats and dogs.
Indiana
In French Lick Springs, all black cats must wear bells on Friday the 13th and in Indianapolis, you can’t throw anything at your neighbour, not even a snowball, but you can throw rocks at cats.
Minnesota
Various places in Minnesota have enacted a broad array of stupid animal laws, including:
- Legally requiring police to exterminate feral cats.
- Prohibiting people from entering Wisconsin with chickens on their heads or crossing state lines with ducks on their heads (apparently wearing poultry as a hat was a common practice at one time).
- Banning cats from chasing dogs up telephone poles (Minnesota obviously has some mean cats).
- Prohibiting cats from sleeping in bakeries.
New Jersey
A number of cities in New Jersey have also enacted silly laws, including:
- Cats are legally required to inform birds of their whereabouts by wearing 3 bells.
- You can’t buy ice cream after 6 pm without a note from your doctor.
- Men may not knit during fishing season.
- Giving whiskey and cigarettes to zoo animals is prohibited.
North Carolina
In Barber, cats and dogs are not allowed to fight. Of course, throughout the state you can also be sent to jail for singing out of key.
Oklahoma
Owning more than one cat is prohibited, which begs the question, what do they think two or more cats would get up to if allowed to cohabitate? Also, Yukon has banned horses from city hall, Tulsa has prohibited alligators altogether, and Clinton for some reason found it necessary to prohibit molesting and fondling vehicles.
West Virginia
In Alderson, you may not walk your lions, tigers, or leopards in public. However, men may have sex with animals that weigh less than 40 pounds, and to qualify for political office, candidates must have fought at least one duel.
More Funny Animal Stuff
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Recently, a law was enacted in Saudi Arabia that bans men from owning cats or dogs because they might use them to pick up women. However, the USA has plenty of silly animal laws as well.
California
- Giving away kittens or puppies.
- Driving a very large sheep herd through Hollywood.
- Mountain lions mating within 1,500 feet of a school, tavern, or religious establishment.
- Cats and dogs engaging in sexual activities without permits.
In San Francisco, you may walk your pet lion down Market Street provided he’s on a leash, but if you and your lion wish to engage in acts of mass destruction, you should be aware that the fine for detonating a nuclear device is $500.
Florida appears to have had serious issues with aggression in the past. In Destin, you can be fined $100 if your cat is aggressive, and it is illegal to set off torpedoes, rockets, and other explosives in city parks, while Daytona has a law against beating or molesting trash cans.
Illinois
- Giving lighted cigars to cats, dogs, and other pets.
- Having sex with dogs.
- Getting dogs drunk.
- Making faces at dogs.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Clermont County, Ohio, is home to the annual Haute Dog Howl-oween Parade, a Halloween event which raises money for a variety of charitable organizations that help both animals and people. Participants in the parade can win a year’s supply of dog food, free physical exams for pets, and pet-care products.
For information on helping animals in need, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
According to BBC News, a Dutch zookeeper’s cat adopted two baby red pandas that had been rejected by their mother.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Leo, a Jack-Russel cross in Australia, is being hailed as a hero for risking his life to protect four kittens. Leo’s family ran from the burning house along with their other dog, but Leo refused to go until he was sure the kittens were safe.
Leo has now been nicknamed Smokey. See The Belfast Telegraph for a video of Leo and the kittens.
For more stories about heroic and altruistic animals, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
This will be my last Halloween post for the year, but I just had to share a couple of great costume idea sites before returning this blog to its regularly scheduled cat-related programming.
Kids’ Turn Central provides a list of unique Halloween costumes with brief instructions. Costumes include bookworm, cheese sandwich, shower, and plenty of other creative ideas. There are also concept costumes such as ceiling fan, which involves dressing up like a sports fan and carrying a sign that says “Go Ceiling!” The site also has lists of classic Halloween costumes, animal and insect costumes, people and character costumes, and family and couple costume ideas.
Another Halloween costume idea page on the FamilyFun site provides a list of costumes ranging from retro robot to sunflower to bug attack. The site helpfully arranges costume ideas by category – costumes for older children or adults, costumes for very young children, multi-part family costumes, unique costumes, and costumes that can be thrown together at the last minute. For those with a talent for crafts, lists of required supplies, pictures, and detailed instructions are provided for making the costumes from scratch.
- For more costume ideas, see Easy, Inexpensive Halloween Costumes.
- To read about the history of Halloween, see Halloween and the Black Cat.
- For links to free pumpkin carving templates, see More Great Pumpkin Crafts.
- For free Halloween graphics, see Free Halloween Clip Art, Fonts, Animated Graphics, and More.
- For free pumpkin carving templates and photo galleries, see Pumpkin Crafts.
- For Halloween recipes, see the Halloween Food Page.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Dressing a cat in a costume isn’t recommended unless you have a very laid back cat that isn't likely to find the experience frightening or humiliating. If you’re fortunate enough to have a tolerant cat and want to dress him up, there are a number of places that sell costumes specially made for felines.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Looking for images of cats, jack-o-lanterns, and other Halloween icons? Kaboose offers an index of links to free Halloween clipart, backgrounds, wallpaper, and animations, as well as Halloween crafts, recipes, and costume ideas.
SkullBlossom provides some free Halloween clipart that's nicer than the usual fare. There are lots of spooky black cats, as well as haunted houses, skull trees, flying witches, and more.
- Free Halloween Clip Art, Fonts, Animated Graphics, and More - a large collection of freebies
- Pumpkin Crafts - free templates, photos, and craft ideas
- Halloween and the Black Cat - a history of Halloween, and how the black cat came to be associated with it
- Spooky Halloween Recipes - lots of great food ideas for Halloween parties
The cats blog will continue to be Halloween-obsessed for the month of October, as Halloween is my favourite holiday. It's not a great time for cats though. In addition to the possible threat of mistreatment for ritualistic purposes (this is rarer than commonly believed, but still a slight risk), cats may run away after being frightened by fire crackers and swarms of trick-or-treaters. Injuries as a result of thrown fire crackers are also a possibility, so keep your kitties indoors for the month of October, and a few days after, as people may still be tossing fire crackers around.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Check out these fun Halloween party recipes for kids and adults, including full meals, appetizers, snacks and treats, drinks, and more:
- Fabulous Foods – features unique Halloween recipes such as an Anatomically Correct Strawberries and Cream Heart, Kitty Litter Cake, Mummified Mashed Potatoes, Eyeball Martinis, Halloween Hamburgers, and Yummy Mummy Cupcakes (scroll to bottom of page for full recipe list)
- Kraft Canada – Halloween recipes for foods that are in most cases attractive or cute rather than disgusting – offerings include Pumpkin and Monster Cakes, Coffin Sandwiches, Eyeball Cupcakes, and a Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Potato Ghosts – nice photos and cooking videos
- Cooks Recipes – this large collection includes appetizers, entrées, side dishes, snacks, beverages, and a broad array of baked treats such as Pumpkin Cookies, Brownie Pizza, and Pumpkin Patch Party Cakes
- Canadian Living – fancier recipes such as White Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Tart, Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing and Eyeball Croutons, Chocolate Orange Spiderweb Pie, and Artichoke and Green Olive Dip, as well as simpler offerings such as Crispy Marshmallow Ghosts, Demon Eyeball Bites (appetizers), Purple People Eaters (gummy worm shooters), and Curly Hotdog Snakes
- Halloween Kitchen – here you’ll find recipes for Spicy Witches Brew Tea, Gingerbread Corpses, Vampire Punch, Candied Apples, Jack-O-Lantern Pizza, Marshmallow Ghosts, and more flavourful ways to prepare good old-fashioned roasted pumpkin seeds
- Halloween Recipes database – this growing collection of recipes includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners, appetizers, desserts, and drinks
- Halloween Recipes 101 – great collection that includes many different recipes using apples and pumpkins, as well as a selection of creepy cakes and cookies, scary popcorn, home-made candy, old-fashioned apple cider, meals, and side dishes such as Sweet and Sour Spider Eggs
- Family Fun – recipes include Monstrous Munchies; Creepy Cakes; Petrifying Party Foods such as Bat Chips, Monster Mash, and Putrid Punch; and other “Ghoulish Grub” including Pumpkin Soup, Roasted Ghosts, and Worms on a Bun
- Britta’s Halloween Recipes – a unique collection ranging from the pretty to the disgusting in appearance, though overall quite high-end; recipes include Spiderweb Brie en Crouté, Brittle Meringue Bones, Bizarre Brain Paté, and Freshly Flayed Flesh on Ectoplasm Crusts
- Halloween.net – instructions for making classic Halloween favourites such as candy and caramel apples, as well as various cookies, cupcakes, pastries, entrées, side dishes, and drinks
Many pumpkin-related Halloween recipes call for pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have this premixed, you can make one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice by mixing:
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon of allspice or cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
- Free Halloween Clipart, Fonts, Animated Graphics, and More
More Seasonal Recipes
For more seasonal recipes, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
For unique pumpkin crafts that are great for kids, this website offers free pumpkin carving templates, including a cat, a panther, a haunted house, a ghost, and a lighted pumpkin tower. There are also pumpkin painting and decorating ideas that include flying saucers, bats, and witches.
- Pumpkin Crafts - a large collection of free templates, photos, and craft ideas
- Halloween and the Black Cat - a history of Halloween, and how the black cat came to be associated with it
- Animals in Costume, Halloween History, and More - links to pictures of animals in costume and other Halloween resources
Posted by Jennifer Copley
The first project, making a black cat from two pumpkins, is relatively easy. This would be a good Halloween art project for young children (though an adult should do the cutting). While simple, this project does require paint pens and other art supplies. Fun foam is suggested for making the cat’s scarf, but it would be easy to substitute a variety of other materials and dress the cat any way the kids want to. See the Michaels website for a photo of the finished project and a free design template.
The second is a project series that might prove highly addictive because it offers unlimited possibilities for making a broad array of elaborate pumpkin and gourd creatures. These pumpkin crafts are more sophisticated – projects for conscientious older children and adults. In addition to pumpkin cats, there are pumpkin owls, racoons, snakes, spiders, alligators, and porcupines. There are no templates offered, but the website does provide photos of completed pumpkin animals to guide in the design, and a page listing tools and offering carving tips for those who want to make their pumpkins true works of art.
- Free Halloween Clip Art, Fonts, Animated Graphics, and More - a large collection of freebies
- Pumpkin Crafts - free templates and pumpkin photo galleries
- Halloween and the Black Cat - a history of Halloween, and how the black cat came to be associated with it
- The Halloween Food Page - great Halloween recipes
Posted by Jennifer Copley
To get pet owners into a Halloween mood, here are hilarious pictures of cats in elaborate Halloween costumes. The site also provides a gallery of costumed dogs and great pictures of other pets dressed up for the holiday, including various lizards, ferrets, ponies, hamsters, guinea pigs, parrots, and rabbits. If you're contemplating dressing your pet up for Halloween, see Costumes for Cats for cat costume safety tips, as well as stores that sell costumes designed for cats.
For Halloween history, see Halloween and the Black Cat, which details the historical origins and customs of the spooky celebration. For links to more Halloween cat stuff, see Halloween.com’s Cat Page, which offers Halloween cat crafts, a cat-shaped honey cookie recipe, cat clip art, and more.
For more Halloween stuff, see:
- Free Halloween Clip Art, Fonts, Animated Graphics, and More - an enormous collection of Halloween resources
- Pumpkin Crafts - free pumpkin carving patterns and photos
- Halloween and the Black Cat - Halloween history
- Spooky Halloween Recipes - Halloween recipes
For more quirky cat stuff, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Lots of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas treats can be harmful to pets. While most cats won’t go for foods that can harm them, there are always exceptions to the rule, and dogs are often quite indiscriminate in their dietary choices. Foods to keep away from your furry friends include:
- Alcoholic beverages (particularly beer)
- Apple seeds
- Chocolate (all forms, including cocoa)
- Citrus oil
- Garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, chives (Allium Species)
- Grapes and raisins
- Human medications and vitamins
- Leaves and stems of tomato, rhubarb, and potato plants
- Macadamia nuts
- Meat with bones in it (can cause choking)
- Mushrooms (may cause kidney damage)
- Mustard seeds
- Products sweetened with Xylitol (gum, etc.)
- Salt (in higher quantities than that found in pet foods)
- Yeast dough (uncooked bread)
Many people give their pets baby food, particularly if the animal is recovering from an illness. If feeding a pet baby food, check the label to ensure that it contains none of the ingredients listed above.
- Cope, R.B., BVSc, PhD, ASPCA: "Allium Species Poisoning in Cats and Dogs"
- PetEducation.com, Dr.s Foster & Smith: "Citrus Oil Toxicity in Dogs and Cats"
- The Humane Society of the United States: "Foods Potentially Poisonous to Pets"
- WebVet: "Toxic and Dangerous Foods for Pets"
- Wesley Chapel Veterinary Services: "What Foods Are Harmful to Your Dog?"
For more information on toxic substances, see Plants That Are Poisonous to Cats and What to Do if Your Cat Has Been Poisoned.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
According to registration statistics from the Cat Fanciers’ Association, the top 10 most popular breeds in 2007 were:
- Siamese
- Maine Coon
- Bengal
- Abyssinian
- Persian
- British Shorthair
- Ragdoll
- Egyptian Mau
- Himalayan
- Norwegian Forest Cat
Posted by Jennifer Copley
At 44 pounds, Prince Chunk, a white shorthaired cat, missed making the record books by just 2 pounds. Unable to financially support the enormous 10-year-old cat, his owner abandoned him. Taken into foster care, Prince Chunk became a celebrity due to his impressive girth, and the Camden County Animal Shelter that oversaw his foster placement received 400 adoption inquiries.
Prince Chunk spent some time with foster mother Deborah Wright, who also cares for another cat that tips the scales at nearly 40 pounds. Wright, despite being allergic to felines, often fosters cats for the Camden County Animal Shelter.
Given a clean bill of health by a veterinarian, Prince Chunk was put on a low-carbohydrate diet and spent some time as a spokescat, helping to raise the profile of the animal rescue organization and help find homes for some of the more slender cats and dogs on offer. He has since been adopted out to a good home.
To read the full story, see ZooToo’s Pet News. To view pets available for adoption, visit the Camden County Animal Shelter’s website.
For information on helping cats, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Both animals and people have been the subjects of Ig-Noble Prizes. Some notable awards include:
- Robert Lopez - removed ear mites from cats and placed them into his own ear, detailing the study results in his report “Of Mites and Men”
- Gregg Miller - invented Neuticles – artificial replacement testicles for cats and dogs, available in various sizes
- Chris Niswander - created PawSense software, which lets you know if a cat is walking on your keyboard
- Sato, Suzuki, and Kogure – developed Bow-Lingual, a device that translates dog language into human language, and later Meow-Lingual to translate cat speak
- Eduardo Segura - invented a washing machine for dogs and cats
- Agostino, Plano, and Golombek - discovered that Viagra helps hamsters recover from jet lag
- Ivan Schwab – researched why woodpeckers don't get headaches
- Rind and Simmons - monitored a locust’s brain cell while it watched portions of Star Wars
- Troy Hurtubise - developed and tested a grizzly-bear-proof suit
- Peter Fong – studied clams on prozac
- Barheim and Sandvik - reported on the "Effect of Ale, Garlic, and Soured Cream on the Appetite of Leeches"
- Watanabe, Sakamoto, and Wakita - taught pigeons how to tell a Picasso painting from a Monet
- Harvey et al. – conducted “An Analysis of the Forces Required to Drag Sheep over Various Surfaces"
- Edward Cussler - investigated whether people can swim faster in syrup or water
- Air Force Wright Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio – sought to develop the "gay bomb" – a chemical weapon designed to make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to each other
- Howard Stapleton – developed a device that repels teenagers
- Gauri Nanda – created an alarm clock that runs away so that it can’t be turned off
- Mainstone and Parnell - an experiment that began in 1927 - monitoring a glob of tar as it slowly drips through a funnel
Posted by Jennifer Copley
How Stuff Works provides a wide variety of big cat videos, including lions hunting a wildebeest, tigers exploring their territory, cheetah cubs learning to hunt, a jaguar attack at Denver Zoo, leopards playing, a Florida panther preservation program, a leopard fighting a hyena, and more.
Chat Big Cats and Other Animals Too is a forum where those who love big cats can share their photos, videos, audio tracks, and stories. The site hosts a broad array of images and videos featuring big cats and other animals, including footage of a pig nursing tiger cubs, a baby bobcat playing with a domestic housecat, and a monkey teasing young tigers.
For more information on big cats, see Helping Endangered Wildcats, Wild Cats of Canada, and India’s Endangered Tigers.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Injecting subcutaneous (Sub-Q) fluids can be scary at first, although it becomes relatively easy with time and experience. Many people feel intimidated or frustrated when they first have to do the procedure. I’ve provided some basic instructions and links to additional resources in Sub-Q Fluid Therapy for Cats with CRI or CRF. Online demonstration videos of the procedure are available at:
There is also a Feline Chronic Renal Failure Support Group through which cat owners who have had extensive experience dealing with CRF offer educational, technical, and emotional support to newcomers.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Four years ago, Maire Egan took in a single stray kitten, which she named Snowball. Since then, she has cared for and rehomed more than 900 cats, and her Kitten Cottage has been established as a registered charity.
Many people have started successful animal shelters and sanctuaries, though they require a lot of work, both in the planning stages and once up and running. If you think that this is something you’d like to do, see Starting an Animal Shelter for information on requirements, planning, and fundraising.
If you don’t have the time or resources to establish your own animal shelter but you’d like to help, local SPCAs have foster care programs through which you can provide temporary care for an animal that could not manage in a shelter environment. This includes animals that are very young, injured, ill, unsocialized, or extremely stressed out. When shelters run out of space, they may also foster out healthy, well-adjusted adult animals.
The shelter provides medical care for foster animals, while the foster “parent” usually provides the food and litter. The duration of foster care placements is variable. In some cases, people choose to adopt the pets they have fostered.
If you plan to foster a cat or kitten, see Cat Proofing a House for information on how to make your home safe for the new arrival, and Supplies and Equipment for a New Kitty for a list of what you’ll need to purchase in advance.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
The study, which was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, indicates that owning a cat is a good idea for children who have not yet developed a cat allergy, as it may provide protection. However, if the child already has allergies, they can’t be cured by keeping a cat, and living with cats doesn’t provide protection against other allergies. Cat allergies are linked to asthma, and children who live with cats from the time they are born are also less likely to develop asthma. Children living on farms are more asthma-resistant as well.
If you have a cat and an allergy sufferer living in the same household, there are a number of ways to reduce allergens. There is also anecdotal evidence that certain cat breeds are less likely to provoke allergic reactions in susceptible people.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
This classic YouTube compilation called “Hilarious Cats” is set to classical music.. Another five-star offering is this video, which features hilarious real-life cat bloopers. It also shows a few cat victories, including karate match between a cat and a dog where the cat appears to be coming out on top, and even more impressively, a cat chasing away a black bear.
I’ve seen cats running off much larger animals many times. Perhaps the larger animal assumes that if the cat is gutsy enough to give chase, he might be able to back it up somehow so it’s best to run away. I wonder what the cat would have done had he actually caught the bear. For more fun cat stuff, see Dancing with Cats, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat- and Pet-Related Holidays.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
There are many plants that are toxic to cats if eaten. The most deadly common houseplants are lilies, but a number of other plants can also have adverse effects. Some toxic plant effects are relatively minor. For example, chrysanthemums and poinsettias can cause skin or mouth rash.
Plants that induce more serious reactions such as pain, vomiting, tremors, and problems with the heart, kidneys, and respiratory system in severe cases include azaleas and umbrella plants. Morning glory, nutmeg, peyote, periwinkle, and marijuana will induce hallucinations in cats. China berry, moonweed, and water hemlock can cause convulsions. Outdoor plants, trees, and shrubs that can have toxic effects include daffodils, delphiniums, marigolds, fox gloves, wisteria (seeds), larkspur, holly, yew, and horse chestnut.
Most outdoor plants will just cause stomach upsets, but there are a few, such as ivy, that can be fatal if larger quantities are ingested. Given the option, most cats are far more inclined to snack on grass than other plants, and they are usually not interested in eating the poisonous ones (though accidental ingestion may occur if there are a lot of poisonous seeds lying around). Growing some cat grass indoors can help prevent munching on houseplants.
For links to full lists of toxic plants, see Franny Syufy’s “How Does My Cat Garden Grow.” For a partial list that provides information on symptoms, see The Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook. If you suspect that your cat has eaten a toxic plant, see What to Do if Your Cat Has Been Poisoned.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Onions contain an ingredient called allyl propyl disulfide, which can lead to anemia in cats and dogs because it causes their red blood cells to rupture. Garlic also contains allyl propyl disulfide, though not as much of it.
Anemia symptoms include depression, high respiratory rate, rapid heartbeat, weakness, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fever. Anemia can destroy kidney tissue, causing kidney failure. Many owners give sick cats baby food to encourage them to eat. When doing this, it’s important to check the label as many baby foods contain onions or onion salt. Benzocaine topical preparations and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also cause anemia. Dogs or cats that have ingested these substances or onions should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.
- For more information on onions and pets, see Just Say No to Onions and Why are onions dangerous for dogs and cats?
- For more information on feline nutrition, see Dry Food, Wet Food, and Raw Diets for Cats and Cat Nutrition and Home-Made Food.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
There are a number of reasons why even healthy cats must take pills or other medications, such as the prevention of heartworms. Spot-on lotions are used for a variety of purposes, including tick and flea control. Also, many older cats suffer from chronic renal insufficiency and require regular subcutaneous fluid injections at home.
Giving such medications can be daunting. Many cats fight hard against taking pills, and injecting subcutaneous fluids for the first time can be intimidating for someone who doesn’t have medical training. The Feline Advisory Bureau has created three helpful step-by-step guides with information and pictures to help owners administer cat medications and fluids successfully at home.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Nora the cat’s playing is rather primitive, but given her lack of musical training and opposable thumbs, she does quite well. Here you can watch a video of Nora playing duets with others (people rather than cats). Her attention span is short, but she appears to practice regularly and diligently, working alongside her owner’s students to hone her musical skills. Nora’s talent has spawned a broad array of copycat videos, including Sugar the Pianist Cat and many others.
Not all cats can be virtuosos, but many cats have other marketable skills. In the past, cat careers were limited to rat catcher and foot-warmer. Happily, in this day and age, cats can be circus performers, dance partners or even train station attendants.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
All cats should be provided with a scratch post and trainedto use it. However, some cats have a strong preference for scratching the furniture and many cats like to jump up on kitchen counters, tabletops and other surfaces that owners prefer to keep cat-free. Hitting or yelling at cats for engaging in problem behaviours is a bad idea, as it can lead to anxiety and aggression.
To keep cats off surfaces such as countertops, cover them with carpet runner or car mats (bumpy side up), or clear tape (sticky side up) for a week or two to break the habit. If you use sticky tape, be sure to buy a non-toxic brand. Sticky Paws offers of a variety of non-toxic double-sided surface tape products designed specifically to keep cats from clawing furniture, jumping on counters and climbing into plant pots.
Cats loathe sticky surfaces, and after a couple of attempts at walking on them will usually begin to avoid the area. When the habit is broken, the tape can be removed. Sticky tape or upside-down carpet runner is also useful in discouraging cats from peeing on furniture and other surfaces if there is an area outside the litter box that the cat uses regularly.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
According to estimates provided by various Humane Societies and RSPCAs, unless they suffer accidents or illnesses that afflict younger cats, cats will live between 12 and 20 years. Indoor cats are more likely to reach their late teens or even early twenties, whereas outdoor cats are more likely to die before 15 years of age.
The longest-lived cat breeds include the Siamese and the Manx, many of which survive for more than 20 years. Ocicats have been known to live 18 years. World record holders that have lived beyond 30 years have included a variety of breeds. Cat longevity can be increased by:
- Keeping cats indoors to avoid the dangers that can lead to early death
- Feeding cats high-quality food that meets their nutritional requirements
- Providing regular veterinary check-ups and vaccinations
How old is your cat in people years? Contrary to popular belief, one people year does not equal seven cat years. Click here for a conversion of people years to cat years.
For more facts and statistics, see:
- How Many Cats Are There?
- JazzPurr Cat Survey
- Survey Results: Women and Pets
- Stupid Reasons Given for Abandoning Animals
- How Many Cat Breeds Are There?
- How Many People Share Their Beds with Their Pets
- Are Cats and Dogs Colour-Blind?
- Do Cats Dream?
- Why Does My Cat Do That?
- Cat Health and Safety Myths and Facts
- Cat Behaviour Myths and Facts
- Can I Give My Cat Aspirin or Tylenol?
- Foods That Are Toxic to Cats and Dogs
- The Most Popular Cat Breeds
- Cats in Warfare
- Halloween and the Black Cat
- Cats and the Black Plague
- Cat History
- Do Cats Have Psychic Abilities?
- Cat Superstitions
- Do Cats Feel Love?
Posted by Jennifer Copley
The number of cat years in a people year can only be estimated. Tracie Hotchner, in The Cat Bible, offers a breakdown of human and cat years up to 16 human years:
- 1-month-old kitten = 6-month-old human baby
- 3-month-old kitten = 4-year-old child
- 6-month-old kitten = 10 human years old
- 8-month-old kitten = 15-year-old human
- A 1-year-old cat has reached young adulthood, the equivalent of 18 human years
After the first year, approximate equivalents are:
- 2 human years = 24 cat years
- 4 human years = 35 cat years
- 6 human years = 42 cat years
- 8 human years = 50 cat years
- 10 human years = 60 cat years
- 12 human years = 70 cat years
- 14 human years = 80 cat years
- 16 human years = 84 cat years
According to PetEducation.com, 20 human years is 98 in cat years. The oldest cat on record lived 34 years, though there are owners who have made unverified claims that their cats are even older. Breeds of cat that tend to live the longest include the Siamese and the Manx. See How Long Do Cats Live? for information on cat longevity.
For more facts and statistics, see:
- How Many Cats Are There?
- JazzPurr Cat Survey
- Survey Results: Women and Pets
- Stupid Reasons Given for Abandoning Animals
- How Many Cat Breeds Are There?
- How Many People Share Their Beds with Their Pets
- Are Cats and Dogs Colour-Blind?
- Do Cats Dream?
- Why Does My Cat Do That?
- Cat Health and Safety Myths and Facts
- Cat Behaviour Myths and Facts
- Can I Give My Cat Aspirin or Tylenol?
- Foods That Are Toxic to Cats and Dogs
- The Most Popular Cat Breeds
- Cats in Warfare
- Halloween and the Black Cat
- Cats and the Black Plague
- Cat History
- Do Cats Have Psychic Abilities?
- Cat Superstitions
- Do Cats Feel Love?
Posted by Jennifer Copley
How many wild cats are there? According to The International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada, there are 37 species of wild cat in the world and 30 of these are small cats. The majority of wild cat populations are endangered or vulnerable due to habitat destruction, persecution, the fur trade and the exotic pet trade.
For most wild cats, total numbers are not known. Cats tend to be shy and elusive, and it is difficult to get accurate information regarding populations, particularly for the small cats. ISEC offers estimates for certain wild cat populations. However, some of these estimates are 10 to 20 years old, and populations may have changed in the interim:
- Ocelot – 1 million
- Bobcat – 750,000-1 million USA
- Leopard – 700,000+
- Lion – 50,000 African lions, 500-600 Indian lions
- Tiger– 49,000-73,000 (just 400 of which are Siberian tigers)
- Lynx – 40,000 Russia, more throughout Urasia, numbers unknown in Canada; the Iberian Lynx faces extinction at under 100
- Snow Leopard – 3,500-7,000
- Cougar – 10,000 USA, Canadian and Central/South American populations unknown
- African Black-Footed Cat – less than 10,000 mature breeders
- Jaguar – 1,000 Mexico, 150-200 Costa Rica, 2,500 Brazilian Pantanal, 1,500 Belize and Guatamala
- Iriomote cat – just 100, only on Iriomote Island, Japan
- Scottish Wild Cat – less than 400
See Helping Endangered Wild Cats for information on sponsoring endangered cats.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
After learning about the upcoming National Feral Cat Day (sponsored by Alley Cat Allies) on October 16, I wondered if there were any other cat holidays. I vaguely recalled reading about a few quirky ones in the past, such as Put Your Pets in People Clothes Day (January 14), What if Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day (March 3) and Happy Mew Year for Cats Day (January 2), but couldn’t remember who sponsored them. A stroll down Google lane turned up a list of real cat- and pet-related holidays. Some additional funny cat holidays include:
- January 22 – Answer Your Cat’s Question Day (Wellcat.com)
- April 18 – Pet Owners Independence Day (Wellcat.com)
- April 28 – Hairball Awareness Day (ScienceDiet.com)
- May 19 – Hug Your Cat Day
- September 23 – Political Pets Day
- December 15 – Cat Herder’s Day (Wellcat.com)
Also featured are serious holidays, including:
- February – Pet Dental Health Month (PetDental.com)
- April – National Pet First Aid Awareness Month (PetTech.com) and Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month (ASPCA)
- First week of May – Be Kind to Animals Week (the American Humane Society)
- June – Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month (the ASPCA)
- August 19 – International Homeless Animals Day (the International Society for Animal Rights)
For a long list of unusual holidays and awareness days celebrating people, animals and a variety of inanimate objects, including Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, Penguin Awareness Day, Fruitcake Toss Day and World Hypnotism Day, visit Brownielocks & The 3 Bears Bizarre Holidays.
For more cat stuff, see:
- Popular and Unusual Pet Names
- Cat Years and People Years
- How to Make Cat Trees, Beds, and Scratch Posts
- How to Make Cat Toys
- Cat Superstitions
- Cat Names
- Gifts for Cats and Cat Lovers
- Hilarious Gifts for Cat Lovers
- Dancing with Cats
- Piano Playing Cats
- Cats Adopting Puppies
- Painted Pets
- Cat Agility Contests
- Funny Cat Videos
- Hero Cat Dials 911
- Free Doghouse Plans, Free Cat Tree Plans, and Free Cat Enclosure Plans
- Cat Circuses Make a Comeback
- Cats with Jobs
- Weird Science with Animals
- Giant Cat Finds Loving Home
- Photos of Cats, Dogs, and Other Animals In Costume
- Halloween Costumes for Cats
- Dog Refuses to Leave Kittens During House Fire
- Dutch Cat Adopts Baby Pandas
- Stupid Laws Involving Animals 1
- Stupid Laws Involving Animals 2
- Gifts for Cats
- Best Products for Cats and Dogs - Pet Lovers' Choice Awards
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Petfinder.com offers a searchable database of animals in need of homes, hosting a directory of more than 10,000 adoption organizations and animal shelters throughout North America and Mexico. In addition to helping people find pets, Petfinder provides animal information and fun articles, including a survey of the top pet names for 2007.
Of 260,000 pets, the top three cat names for 2007 were Smokey, Lucy and Angel. The top three dog names were Buddy, Max and Sadie. Other top cat names included Oreo, Midnight, Shadow, Patches, Princess, Tigger and Molly. Additional top dog names were Jack, Daisy, Lucy, Lady, Charlie, Rocky and Duke. The perception of dogs as companions rather than possessions is reflected in the shift away from names such as Spot and Rover over the years. Dogs are more likely to receive human names, while cats are more often named based on their physical appearance. Lucy is the only name that made both lists.
Petfinder has also compiled a list of the most unusual pet names for 2007, including
- Barney Google
- Bubba Big Foot
- Cinderella Cookiedough
- Ditto Dippin’ Dots
- Fat Alice
- Fizzleboom
- Miss Booty-q
- Not Pants
- Partly Cloudy
- Zhivago
To adopt a pet, make a donation, learn about volunteering in a local animal shelter, or watch cat and dog training videos, visit Petfinder.com. For more quirky cat stuff, see Dancing with Cats, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat- and Pet-Related Holidays.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Many cats chew or suck on wool or fabrics because they were weaned too early. Some cats suck or chew fabrics as a self-comforting behaviour when they are feeling anxious. Intelligent cat breeds such as the Siamese are more inclined to do this.
In the case of anxiety, it is a good idea to identify stressors in your cat’s environment and eliminate any that you can. Spending more quality time with the cat can also be helpful. Whether the behaviour is caused by anxiety, early weaning or a fiber craving, it’s a good idea to remove temptation by keeping clothing and bedding tidied away in drawers and cupboards that the cat cannot access. You can also purchase a toy in your cat’s favourite fabric and substitute it whenever you catch her munching on your favourite outfit.
For more on cat behaviour, see Treating Aggression in Cats and Why Cats Pull Out Their Fur.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Most feral cats are the offspring of abandoned or lost domestic cats. Each year, more feral cats are murdered in the United States than die from natural causes, and most of these killings are perpetrated by animal control authorities. This system is based on the fact that it was once dogs, rather than cats, that made up the bulk of the feral population. Due to their larger size and strength, dogs represented a significant threat to people. The population of stray cats now far surpasses that of dogs, but the animal control system has not kept pace with the shift in the stray population.
Alley Cat Allies (ACA) provides support, education and guidance for the implementation of humane alternatives to killing, and has assisted in the creation of a number of grassroots initiatives for the humane management of feral cat colonies that have become models for other cities to emulate. The organization advocates for Trap-Neuter-Return programs to reduce feral cat populations without resorting to killing, and works with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s No More Homeless Pets campaign to find homes for kittens and provide a safety net for homeless cats. ACA is credited with saving the lives of tens of thousands of feral cats in the United States, as well as ensuring that they receive appropriate care and management.
ACA also conducts outreach, attending conferences across North America and Central Europe as part of a broader animal protection strategy. For feral cat news, information on helping feral cats in your area, and Community Cats workshops, visit Alley Cat Allies. There are many feral cat organizations in places other than the United States, including Canada, China, the UK, Mexico and many other countries. See the ACA Resource Center for feral cat organizations in your area.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Cat circuses aren’t the only live cat-related entertainment available; agility contests are pitting felines against courses of 6-14 obstacles including tunnels, poles and cones. Fast cats run the course in about 10 seconds, while the slower kitties take several minutes. Cat agility tournaments are becoming increasingly popular, with 100 shows worldwide in the past year.
Cats are not particularly obedient, but tournament cats will run the course for fun, praise and treats. Many owners use clicker training (making a click sound when the cat completes a desired action) or lure cats along with toys on sticks. While some cats are natural competitors, others will stop in the middle of a contest to groom themselves or run the course their own way, giving the obstacles a miss, which lends an element of unpredictability to the tournaments.
Competitors do not have to be purebreds or show cats to enter. Shelter adoptees and housecats are welcome. A blind cat and a cat with three legs have also competed successfully.
If you’d like to find a nearby cat agility competition, visit International Cat Agility Tournaments (ICAT). To see photos of the agile (and in some cases not so agile) cats in action, visit USA Today.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
The first known use of cats in warfare occurred in Ancient Egypt. Aware of the Egyptian reverence for felines, Persian soldiers carried cats into battle and released them onto the battlefield. The Egyptian army surrendered rather than risk hurting the cats. Cats were again used to gain advantage during the 1500s when the German army strapped cans of poisonous gas to their backs and set them loose across enemy lines.
During WWII, the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA) came up with the ludicrous idea of attaching cats to bombs and dropping them near Nazi ships. They assumed that because cats hated water, they would find a way to drag themselves up onto the ships’ decks, somehow bringing the bombs with them. However, attempts to implement the plan met with failure when the cats became unconscious in midair.
The CIA later came up with the equally ridiculous idea of turning a cat into a walking recording device during the Cold War in the hope of overhearing communist plots. This project, called Acoustic Kitty, involved surgically implanting batteries in a cat and using its tail as an antenna. After spending five years and nearly $20 million on the project, the CIA brought Acoustic Kitty to a park and put him out to do some spying. Unfortunately, he was run over by a taxi within moments of leaving the vehicle, and the CIA operatives were left sitting in a van filled with expensive electronics and no cat, effectively bringing the project to an end.
Cats aren’t the only animals that have been used in warfare. Dolphins, horses, sea lions, whales, dogs, bats, snakes, scorpions, rats, pigs, elephants and other unfortunate animals have also been pressed into service. Thankfully, cats have recently been put to a more positive and humane use assisting landmine-detecting rats.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Paul Neve, creator of a website that hosts pictures of cats that look like Hitler, says that he got the idea from Koos Plegt, who discovered the first Kitler in Zwolle, Holland, and created a blog to display this Kitler and others to amuse his friends. Kitlers are cats with black and white markings that suggest the distinctive small rectangular moustache and hairline of the notorious dictator. Neve and Plegt collaborated to develop the Kitlers site.
Neve is quick to emphasize that Hitler is a very bad person and that the site is in no way meant to glorify him, but rather to ridicule him and have a good laugh doing so. However, not everyone agrees that Kitlers are funny. The site has two pages of reader mail: “We Love Kitlers” and “We Hate Kitlers.” Those who stumble upon the site appear to either dissolve into hysterical laughter or be shocked and offended.
While Kitlers may be perceived as darkly humorous or in horribly poor taste, the site is certainly one of the more original cat-related online offerings. It has been steadily increasing in popularity and now hosts pictures of 2,338 Kitlers. To its credit, the site also posts links for and raises awareness of cat-related charities, as well as hosting pics of Kitlers that are looking for good homes.
For more quirky cat stuff, see Dancing with Cats, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat Agility Contests.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Cats hiss and spit at those they want to drive away – other animals or people. Young kittens are capable of hissing even before their eyes have opened. Thus, the behaviour is innate rather than learned. Hissing and spitting is a threatening gesture designed to trick the watcher into subconsciously associating the cat with a dangerous snake. A hissing cat flattens its ears, creating a face shape much like that of a poisonous snake. Often, the cat’s fur will stand on end and it will arch its back to make itself appear bigger and thus more capable of inflicting damage.
Cats aren’t the only creatures that use mimicry this way. There are many non-poisonous insects that have markings similar to those of poisonous species to trick potential predators into thinking that it would be far too risky to take a bite. Insects may also mimic less tasty species or faster moving species that are difficult to catch. Some butterflies and fish have markings that resemble eyes in areas other than their heads to trick predators into biting the wrong spot so that the prey can escape. For mimicry basics, see the University of Arizona’s Information Sheet.
For more on cat behaviour, see:
- Cat World: A Feline Encyclopedia by Desmond Morris
- Treating Aggression in Cats
- Why Cats Refuse Food
- Purring Helps with Healing
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Three-year-old Oscar has attended over 25 deaths since he was brought to live at Steere House as a kitten. When a patient is in his or her last hour of life, Oscar provides comfort. He doesn’t show any special interest in patients who are very ill, or even those who are dying but have several days left. Oscar knows exactly which patients will soon be moving on.
Like the nurses and doctors who work at the facility, Oscar does rounds, checking on patients. When he finds a dying patient, Oscar jumps up on the bed and purrs and nuzzles the person, offering end-of-life comfort. After a patient takes his or her last breath, Oscar rises quietly and leaves the room.
Oscar’s ability to predict death is so accurate that Steere House staff have time to notify the families of the dying so that they can be with their loved ones in the final hour. Most families appreciate Oscar’s ministrations to their dying loved ones, but occasionally a family is spooked by Oscar and asks that he be kept out of the room. In these instances, Oscar rubs aggressively against the door of the patient’s room, pacing and yowling in frustration.
Animal experts have theorized that Oscar uses his sense of smell to detect subtle changes in human metabolism to predict imminent death, but they are bewildered as to why Oscar should be motivated to comfort the dying. However, cat owners who have received comfort from their pets in times of crisis will find Oscar’s behaviour unsurprising. For stories about Oscar, visit Oscar’s fan page. To view a slide show of Oscar, see Boston.com.
To read about other helpful cats, see Cat Heroes, Prison Therapy Cats and Dogs and Cats with Jobs.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Since 1972, the tiger population in India has dropped from 1,827 to just 1,411, despite a US$80million conservation effort called Project Tiger. Tigers are regularly slaughtered in India due to the belief in China that their bones provide medicinal benefits. This has led to widespread poaching, with many tigers murdered even on wildlife reserves. One reserve lost more than half of its tigers to these poachers.
In 1994, India’s government finally succumbed to pressure and established a Wildlife Crime Bureau; however, this organization was not put into action until 2007. India’s sparse tiger population is now scattered among a handful of reserves, many of which are home to fewer than 50 tigers. In addition to the threat posed by poachers, India’s rising population has increased pressure to cut down forests, the tiger’s habitat, to make room for agriculture and mining. If current trends continue, the Indian tiger will become extinct.
For more information on efforts to save the Indian tiger, visit the Indian Tiger Welfare Society. This website also provides photos and information on tigers and other wild cats throughout the world.
To help save the Indian tiger and other endangered wildlife in India, donations can be made to the Wildlife Protection Society of India. This site also contains a list of e-mails, phone numbers and snail mail addresses for influential political leaders in India that people may contact to express their support for conservation efforts.
For more information on wild cats, see:
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Officers responding to a 911 call arrived to find owner Gary Rosheisen on the floor and his cat Tommy lying near the telephone. Alone and unable to move due to multiple health problems, Rosheisen and the officers who came to rescue him could find no other explanation – Tommy must have hit the speed-dial for 911.
Tommy’s quick action was no accident. Rosheisen had trained him to call 911, but had no idea if the cat would actually be able to perform in a crisis. But with Rosheisen trapped between his wheelchair and the bed, Tommy not only dialled 911 within moments of the fall, but also hit the speakerphone button.
Rosheisen originally adopted Tommy because he knew that pets provide health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, which is particularly important for those who suffer from strokes and other serious health issues. But Tommy has proven that he can offer more than passive health effects. Visit CBS News to view a brief video of Rosheisen and Tommy.
Can dogs do it too? The answer is yes. The Associated Press reports that when Leana Beasley fell from her wheelchair, her Rottweiler Faith not only speed-dialed 911 but also barked into the receiver to request help and then unlocked the door for the arriving police officer. Like Tommy, Faith had been trained to call 911. To read about other life-saving cats, see Cat Heroes.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Burton Silver and Heather Busch, the authors of Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics and Dancing with Cats, have come out with another book – Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics – which explores a new art movement – cat decoration. The book posits that certain owners are using their cats as canvasses, having artists decorate their pets with nontoxic dyes.
According to the authors, cats have been painted to look like clowns, fish, butterflies, pigs or even American flags, and one poor cat had a portrait of Charlie Chaplin painted on his backside. Cat-canvas art forms listed include Semiotic Anthropomorphism, Transmoggificationism, Retromingent Expressionism, Neo-Totemism and Avant Funk.
Pictures from the book were circulated online, generating controversy as to whether cat painting constitutes abuse of animals. However, Snopes.com claims that the book is purely satirical and that the pictures were probably doctored in Photoshop (Silver has refused to comment on the creation of the cat designs).
Although the pictures are a spoof, they’re also quite hilarious. JibJab offers a comprehensive set of photos from the book, including a rather unfortunate flag cat and a Siamese that has been dyed to match the tartan print of his owner’s kilt.
For more quirky cat stuff, see Dancing with Cats, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat Agility Contests.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Years ago I found an unusual book on sale at a local bookstore – Dancing with Cats by Burton Silver and Heather Busch. It was filled with pictures of people in various (often bizarre) outfits dancing with felines. Most of the dances appeared to be freestyle or interpretative. Curious to see if the book was still available, I did a search and found that the feline dance craze is still going strong.
The Dancing with Cats website, sponsored by The Museum of Non-Primate Art, offers feline dance classes, pre-dance exercises, cat dancing tips, music for cat dancing and a FAQ page with answers to such burning questions as “What if my cat won’t dance with me?” “Will catnip help my cat to dance?” And “Are some breeds better dancers than others?”
For those who are curious about what cat dancing looks like in action, there is an exhibition of photographs of people dancing with cats on the Museum of Non-Primate Art website. It appears to be an activity that can be enjoyed by those of all ages, genders and tastes in clothing.
Dancing with Cats is available on Amazon.com, and it has generated many positive reviews there, for the most part because people derived such great enjoyment from laughing at it. The authors have also written an international bestseller called Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics.
Apparently felines aren’t the only animals with artistic inclinations. Dogs, horses and elephants are also being studied for their aesthetic aptitudes. So although feline art forms currently hold the dominant position in the non-primate art world, the Museum of Non-Primate Art anticipates that they will likely decline in prominence in the future.
For more quirky cat stuff, see Painted Pets, Cat Circuses Make a Comeback and Cat Agility Contests.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
According to CNN, millions of people are allergic to cats. Children react particularly badly when allergic, often suffering respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. Allerca has managed to “silence” the genes in cats that produce the allergen protein.
In 2005, Allerca expected to sell 200,000 hypoallergenic cats each year at a cost of $3,500USD per kitten. After introducing the hypoallergenic British shorthair, in 2008 the company came out with two new breeds that will retail for an even heftier price - $11,950 for the Siamese and $28,000 for the Ashera, both patent pending.
It may seem odd to think about cats being patented, but approximately 20% of all human genes have been patented as well, mostly by private biotech companies, according to Dr Susan Wallace (2005) of the Foundation for Genomics and Population Health, or PHG Foundation.
For those who don’t have thousands of dollars to spend or prefer a more natural solution to the allergy problem, it has been claimed that certain Siberian cat breeds produce less of the protein responsible for the allergic reaction, and thus are considered somewhat hypoallergenic. Anecdotal evidence suggests that breeds such as the Sphynx and the Devon and Cornish Rex are less likely to provoke allergic reactions because although they produce the allergen protein, they don't shed as much hair. These breeds are not completely hypoallergenic, but many allergic individuals seem to tolerate them better than other cats.
For information on how to decrease the symptoms of cat allergies, see Dealing with Cat Allergies.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
In 1894, Professor Henry Welton’s Cat Circus travelled around New York, playing on roof gardens and in Vaudeville houses. According to Kino.com’s “Edison, the Invention of the Movies,” Welton’s cats were able to turn somersaults, walk through fire, ride bicycles and engage in human-style sparring matches in a small boxing ring wearing little fighting gloves. A video of the boxing cats can be viewed here.
In recent years, the cat circus tradition has been revived by a professional Russian clown named Yuri Kuklachev. The Kuklachev family operates a Cat Theatre, employing more than 120 trained cats who perform with human clowns and a dog. The cat circus has gone on tour, visiting Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and other cities, and generating rave reviews. Kuklachev’s cats walk tightropes, do pawstands, dance and perform a variety of other tricks. NBC10.com offers a slide show of the cats performing acrobatic tricks.
The secret to Kuklachev’s success is his understanding of feline psychology. He notes that "you cannot force a cat to do anything that it does not want to do." Kuklachev’s trainers observe the cats from the time they are kittens to see what they enjoy doing. They then train them to put on performances based on their individual talents and preferences.
In addition to performing in circuses, cats have competed in agility contests, saved lives and worked as therapy animals.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
After watching a video of a cat who adopted a litter of puppies that were rejected by the family dog, I had a look around to see whether this was unusual behavior. As it turns out, there are many stories of cats adopting motherless puppies, as well as numerous other cross-species adoptions.
In 2006, the Associated Press reported on a pug puppy, the runt of the litter, rejected by his own mother and subsequently adopted by the family cat Zoe. Zoe is reportedly not a fan of dogs in her day-to-day life, but for some reason made an exception for the abandoned puppy, nursing him alongside her own kittens. Reuters carried the story of a Brazilian woman who believed that her cat had given birth to puppies, as well as three kittens that did not survive. DNA tests conducted on the puppies indicated that they were dogs rather than deformed cats or a cross between puppies and kittens. Experts believe that the mother cat adopted the puppies around the time she gave birth to her own litter.
A third story tells of a Rottweiler mix puppy named Charlie whose mother rejected him when his littermates died. Luckily for Charlie, he was adopted by Satin, a black cat living at the Meriden Humane Society with a litter of her own.
On reading these stories, I grew curious as to whether dogs also adopt cats. A quick Google search of “dog adopts kittens” turned up a plethora of cuteness-overload videos depicting dog mothers caring for young kittens, which begs the question, is it compassion or simply instinct? Given that the majority of pets show concern for their owners’ wellbeing, I think it’s reasonable to assume that this concern can be extended to those of other species.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
Cats and dogs are increasingly being used as therapy animals, visiting senior’s homes, hospitals and schools with their owners to provide educational and emotional support. One of the more interesting therapy cat projects is the program at the Saxerriet state prison in Switzerland in which volunteer prisoners receive a pet cat of their own along with very strict instructions regarding its care and well-being.
Prisoners who care for cats are more responsive to psychological treatment for the problems that led to the commission of their crimes, which may decrease the likelihood of reoffending. Caring for a cat also offers prisoners the opportunity to give and receive love and affection in a socially acceptable way, which many of them were likely denied in childhood. As such, this program has the potential to enhance rehabilitative efforts.
Another animal therapy initiative, Project POOCH, pairs incarcerated youth with homeless dogs. The young people train the dogs, many of which have serious behavioral problems. This program has proven extremely beneficial, increasing the self-esteem, sense of responsibility, patience and vocational skills. It would be interesting to see if a project involving cats would generate the same results. In some ways cats are ideal for such programs, because they are not as obedient as dogs, and so those who work with them must learn to tolerate frustration when the cat does its own thing and refuses to cooperate.
These programs have been closely monitored and rather than being inclined to harm the animals, incarcerated adults and youth have treated them with love and affection. These initiatives have the potential to help prisons and youth detention facilities fulfil their ideal role as places of rehabilitation rather than simply warehouses for criminals.
For more on therapy cats, see Cat Heroes and Cat Provides Care for the Dying.
Posted by Jennifer Copley
With the shift from to an information-based economy, some cats are finding other types of gainful employment as seeing-eye or therapy cats, while others have landed more unusual positions.
Tama, a tortoiseshell cat in Japan who has been given the job of stationmaster at the Kishigawa Line’s Kishi Station in order to save on personnel costs. Tama wears a uniform cap and badge hanging from her collar, and observes passengers heading for the train. The daughter of a stray, Tama was hired as stationmaster in 2007, and since her appointment, there has been a 17% increase in the number of passengers.
Tama has since been promoted to the position of super-stationmaster for saving the railway line, which was losing money before her appointment. Tama currently holds the fifth-highest managerial position in the railway company.
Tama isn’t the only working cat, however. In 2007, the Associated Press reported that a Columbian police unit has been using cat-and-rat teams to find and remove landmines. Landmines, a serious problem in Columbia, killed or injured more than a thousand people in 2006, many of them children. Too light to trigger explosions, rats are capable of sniffing out landmines planted by leftist rebels, and can be trained to freeze in order to alert police to the landmine’s presence. But rats are so scared of predators that they have trouble staying still. This is where cats come in. When a kitten and a baby rat are raised together, their interactive play and friendship reduces the rat’s fears of predation, which makes for a calmer, more effective landmine-detecting rat. Cats in the program wear claw shields to prevent them from injuring their rat companions while playing.
Other cat jobs have included prison therapy provider and circus performer.