Sunday, October 27, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
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.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Some ideas for cat furniture.
Just thought I share this with ye. Here you can see some great cat furniture ideas. The video with the boxes is very nice too.
http://inthralld.com/2013/08/19-creative-spaces-designed-for-your-cat/
http://inthralld.com/2013/08/19-creative-spaces-designed-for-your-cat/
Saturday, June 29, 2013
One year adoption anniversary.
The
5th of June was the 1st adoption anniversary of Tina and
Charlie.
They
have us well trained by now. One of us gets up around 3.30 am to open the
window so they can get out. Then, often, one or two hours later one of them is
back for food so one of us gets up to feed them.
These
two are spoiled rotten but they deserve it. They are two great cats and we love
them to bits. Let’s hope we will share many more anniversaries together.
Click on the photos to see a larger version.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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.
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