Don't scare your cats for fun.

There seems to be a trend in posting videos of cats being scared by their humans so they can make it into a "funny" video. Sickening. These people don't understand their cats at all. Cats are not only predators but also prey animals and have enemies in the wild. To scare them where they normally would feel safe, their house, and especially when they're eating and vulnerable, is cruel.
Here is a link to a page where it is explained by a vet why scaring your cat intentionally is wrong.

Cat saves little boy from dog attack.

This story has gone viral and I'm going to show it here as well. It is so nice when a positive story about a cat in relation to humans hits the headlines. All these people who say that cats don’t really care about their human families will probably still not be convinced, but at least we have something to show them.

4 Ways to Tell Your Cat "I Love You!"

A little late for Valentine's day but you should do this every day anyway :)

Jackson Galaxy is always nice to watch and I can't tell it any better than he can.

 

 

Natural Born Killers

Cats never fully domesticated. They still have very strong hunting instincts. People with indoor cats will have to give their cats plenty of play time, preferably in a semi-dark room. (Curtains drawn with just enough light to see what you’re doing to mimic night hunting. Cats love it.)

We live in the countryside and our cats can go out to hunt. They’re allowed out at night now too, as they’re fully grown and don’t have to fear foxes or other night hunters. They can come in and out as they please.

Charlie and Tina are great hunters. They often catch shrews, mice, rats and sometimes birds. Charlie came home with a rabbit once. I was highly impressed. Every now and again I rescue a poor rodent that is still very much alive but is being tossed around by one of them.

People who don’t like cats often say that cats are cruel. They “play” with their prey for quite a while before killing it. These people project human qualities on cats. Cats don’t do cruel. What you see is not play, but pure self-preservation.

Rodents can give nasty bites, so cats wear out their prey before the kill, to prevent being bitten. Cats are solitary hunters, so any wound could jeopardise their hunting abilities and thus their survival. That’s why cats don’t fight when it isn’t absolutely necessary. Territorial disputes with other cats often consist of a stand-off with a lot of hissing and growling until one of them backs down.

Cats that are allowed outside often bring back “presents” for their humans. It is the biggest compliment a cat can give you. He sees you as family. So when you find a dead rodent or bird on the floor, try and remain calm, praise your cat and give him or her some nice food. While your cat is not looking, discretely get rid of the dead critter. Sometimes they bring in prey that they eat themselves. Your cat might then even growl at you when you come near. It’s his/her food and there’s no sharing this time.

Because of our cats and them bringing in prey, we have a lot of anti-bacterial cleaning agents in the house. Floor wash, surface cleaner, hand wash, and even our washing-up liquid is anti-bacterial. There’s always a bottle of Milton handy and we have a steam cleaner that we can use on carpets, beds and upholstery. I also have a pair of gardening gloves handy because every now and then they bring in prey that is still alive. They might think of us as family members who still need to work on their hunting skills. It’s what they do with kittens too. They bring them partly pacified prey to practise on. So far I managed to get whatever they brought in out of the house again. I’m well trained at this stage. When I hear certain noises, I know I have to investigate quickly. Once I established the fact of a live rodent in the house, I close all the doors to the rooms, except the one the rodent is in and open the front door. Then I get the gardening gloves and either try and catch it or get it to move towards the open front door. With the gardening gloves on, I prevent getting bitten.

They normally leave the rodent in the hall so it’s not that much work. You don’t want to be squeamish though. Charlie brought in a fairly big rat twice. It would make a great entry in funniest home video to see me chasing a rat while the cats are looking. They must think I’m a very bad hunter to let it get away again. After the rodent is gone, I spray the areas with antibacterial cleaner.

Sometimes it’s like living in a Tarantino movie or, referring to the title, an Oliver Stone movie. Every day I go around the house and often I have to clear away bodies of rodents Tina and Charlie didn’t eat. They won’t run out of prey that easily because there are wheat fields to the back and one side of our house and farms nearby with cattle and horse feed, so mice and rats in abundance.

Anyway, just remember that when you see cats tossing around a mouse, they’re not being cruel, they’re just being careful.

Cat heroes.

Cats are said to be independent, selfish and only use humans to get food and shelter. People who prefer dogs over cats often state that dogs have a special bond with humans and cats don’t. The picture of a dog pining on the owner’s grave comes to mind. There are also lots of stories of dogs saving their owners’ lives.

Of course, there are some incredible true stories out there with dogs as the heroes, but if you care to look, you can find similar stories about cats.

There was this cat that raised the alarm when the carbon monoxide levels in the house got too high and saved a family. Another cat saved an owner by alerting his wife when he was having a heart attack. There are cats that can predict epileptic seizures just before they happen and give their owners time to react. There is this cat that saved an owner when she was having a diabetic seizure in her sleep at night. There are cats that have protected their owners from attacks, etc. It proves that cats also have this special bond with humans, be it in a slightly different way than dogs.

Here are some links to incredible cat stories.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/cat-saves-womans-life-hours-adopted_n_1293820.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2202855/Rick-Chap-Buddy-cat-saves-owners-life-alerting-wife-help-suffers-cardiac-arrest.html

http://www.wayodd.com/cat-saves-owners-life-by-dialing-911/v/1679/

http://www.squidoo.com/catheroes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/5076338.stm

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/04/16/mb-opal-cat-saves-owner-from-fire-brandon.html

Tomcat behaviour or random?

Is it a typical tomcat thing I wonder? Charlie often plunks himself down in doorways. Tina never does that. Cato used to do it too. Cato also parked himself right behind you when you were doing something in the kitchen. Charlie does that as well. Maybe it is just a coincidence with Cato and Charlie doing the same thing.

If there’s anybody out there who’s experienced the same fondness for lying in doorways with their cats, be it male or female, I would like to hear from ye. I’m kinda curious to see if it is a tomcat thing or not.

Charlie and Tina, day 3.

Woke up early and checked on the pair. Of course they had been on the countertop that they’re not supposed to go on. If they had a middle finger…. But they were grand. Tina is taking to the wet food easier than Charlie. So I mixed it with some kibble again and he ate it. Then gave them playtime. When they were finished playing I had my breakfast and spent time doing my own stuff. Charlie and Tina don’t really play together. They don’t chase each other around. They both prefer different toys too. Every now and then Charlie will jump on Tina’s toy and the other way around, as if to say “I can do this too”. They do lie together on a chair sometimes and when one goes to investigate, the other might follow.

They’re both so different though. Charlie is easy going and a real boy. Tina is a bit nervous but also very clever and…. feckin’ hell she’s fast. The way she chases that toy, I feel sorry for little critters once she’s out and about. We’ll keep them in the house for a few weeks and then let them go outside as well. I’m already nervous thinking about it. Don’t want them to end up like poor Cato but don’t want to restrict them to an inside life either. This afternoon the missus and myself were watching a film and the cats joined us in the sitting room. Nice and relaxed. Well, for a bit anyway. We had to give them some playtime during the film as well. And every now and then they demanded some luv and attention.

Fed them some chicken fillet again at around 10pm and I also managed to get a vinegar treatment of the thin hair spots in with both of them.

Their poo has solidified more so that’s a good sign.

Charlie on one of the cat trees.

 Tina chasing a ball.