"One Cat Is Worth A Thousand Pictures"

Cat Tips

Cats have an unwritten language all their own. While cats will always remain somewhat of a mystery, I have learned a lot just from observing my two cats, Cali & Punky, and how they go about getting their point across. 

If your cat greets you at the door when you come home and even gives a few little meows, this is equivalent to saying "Welcome home, I sure did miss you." If you respond to your cats welcome favorably and give it a hello back, you can count on this kind of greeting indefinitely. But if you ignore your cat, your cat will quickly stop running to greet you. 

Cats get to know their owners voice and expressions rather well. When your cat cries to you repeatedly, most likely your cat is trying to tell you something. Maybe the water dish is empty or the litter pan is dirty or he/she just wants to sit at an open window. In any case listen to your cat and try talking back to it, you might be surprised to find some line of communication happening. 

You can teach your cat what it is allowed to do and what is prohibited, as long as you start training it at an early age (kitten). Try not to punish your cat by hitting it or smacking it, otherwise it might not let you pet it anymore since he/she will associate your hand with hitting. If your cat is being bad, try spraying it with a spray bottle of water. 

Cats are very independent and like to make their own decisions. If your cat keeps getting up on the counters and you don't want it to and other deterrents have been unsuccessful, try laying a strip of masking tape, sticky side up, on the counter. Cats paws are sensitive, and the cat won't like getting stuck to the tape and will jump down. And the cat will think that he/she made the decision to get down. 

Cat Facts

	Cats cannot see very well in total darkness although they do see much better than humans in semi-darkness.
	Never trim your cats whiskers. They are the cats "feelers" or "sensors" as to whether or not they will fit through an opening.  They use them to help 'see' in the dark.
	Don't feed table scrap (maybe on occasion as a special treat only) or dog food to your cat. They lack an essential nutrient called taurine. Cats need taurine to keep their hearts healthy and their eyesight sharp.
	FYI: Certain plants are poisonous to cats such as: Daffodils, Holly, Lily of the Valley, Mistletoe, Philodendron, Poinsettia and Rhubarb.
	Cats can sleep as much as 18 hours a day during their various naps, making them the sleepiest of all mammals.
	Cats have a total of 290 bones, 527 muscles and they have 5 more vertebrae than humans.  Their normal body temperature is 101.5º F.
	Cats have 30 muscles in their ears alone and their ears can pivot 180º.  Cats have some of the sharpest hearing in the animal kingdom.  If you often find your cat waiting for you at the door when you come home, it's because he or she can hear and recognize your footsteps from hundreds of feet away.
	Cats can see up to 120 feet away and their peripheral vision is about 285º.
	Did you know Daniel Boone had a pet cat named Bluegrass?
	Feline Leukemia is the leading cause of cat deaths. Have your cat checked by a vet regularly.
	The largest recorded number of kittens born in a lifetime to a single female cat is 420.
Be a responsible pet owner and have your pet spayed or neutered!

RIP Cali & Punky
d. March 2004

No Heaven, will not Heaven ever be,
Unless my cats are there to welcome me.

 
Click here to see Cali & Punky's Memorial Gallery
  

 
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The cat animations are courtesy of & © Camilla Eriksson at