A SPECIAL NOTE FROM TERZO:
Click on the purple button at The
Animal Rescue Site
and give food to an animal living in a shelter or
sanctuary --at no cost to you.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/tpc/ERA_081109_ARS
You'll also see tabs on the site to support
Literacy and other programs.
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Here's a clever, adorable video supporting the
spaying and neutering of cats: |
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FUN CAT SITES: The Caboodle Ranch Kitty Bytes has a free newsletter |
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The Six Life Stages of Cats: |
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NEW: Popular plants that are toxic to cats - CLICK HERE |
The Egyptian word for cat is meow.
17 Health Benefits of Owning a Cat: FutureMedica is a blog focused on the future of healthcare and biotechnology. Posts focus on the very latest news and information related to this growing field. http://mritechnicianschools.net/blog/
A new article by pet expert Amy Shojai explains the
differences between the eyes of cats and dogs. Read it at:
http://www.pawnation.com/2011/07/28/seeing-eye-to-eye-comparing-cat-and-dog-vision/
How smart are cats? An engineer at the Univ. of Michigan is using the feline brain as a model to develop a computer that will be able to recognize objects, make complex decisions, and perform several tasks at the same time. Read more at: www.bit.ly/braincat.
In other new research, Roman Stocker, an engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specializes in fluid dynamics, studied how his cat drank water, setting up a video camera to record the action. He and the other authors of a paper on this subject in the journal Science found that domestic cats average about four laps per second, with each lap bringing in about 0.1 milliliters of liquid. In contrast, tigers, lions and jaguars lap at less than half the rate. In each scenario, the lapping action strikes a balance between the inertia that makes the liquid rise into the cat's mouth ... and the gravity that makes the liquid fall. What is remarkable is that cats seem to know about this balance, and lap with a frequency that maximizes this volume ingested, said MIT's Pedro Reis, another co-author of the paper. The paper describes how different the lapping action is in cats and dogs.
Dr. Elizabeth Devitt, DVM, writing about cat color in www.catchannel.com, describes the black and white cat as born to be an ambassador. There is always a black and white cat in residence at 20 Downing Street, residence of the British Prime Minister. Her article also discusses personality traits associated with other cat colors.
From Associated Press Writer Hamza Hendawi:
Archaeologists have unearthed a 2,000-year-old temple that may have
been dedicated to the ancient Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet, the
Supreme Council of Antiquities said Tuesday. The ruins of the
Ptolemaic-era temple were discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in
the heart of the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, founded by
Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C.
The city was the seat of the Greek-speaking Ptolemaic Dynasty, which
ruled over Egypt for 300 years until the suicide of Queen Cleopatra.
The statement said the temple was thought to belong to Queen
Berenice, wife of
King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C.
Mohammed Abdel-Maqsood, the Egyptian archaeologist who led the
excavation team, said the discovery may be the first trace of the
long-sought location of Alexandria's royal quarter.
The large number of statues depicting Bastet found in the ruins, he
said, suggested that this may be the first Ptolemaic-era temple
dedicated to the cat goddess to be discovered in Alexandria.
This would indicate that the worship of the ancient Egyptian
cat-goddess continued during the later, Greek-influenced, Ptolemaic
period, he said. Statues of other ancient Egyptian deities were also
found in the ruins, he added.
The “nine lives” attributed to cats is probably due to their having nine primary whiskers.
The oldest cat ever recorded in the Guinness Book of Records is Creme Puff, a cat in Texas, who was 38 years old when she died in 2005.
Farm cats form closed societies. Littermates remain together for the first year, and then leave home. Females sometimes remain if the mother is gone. Males always leave.
Tucked away in the trees that border the rear of Parliament Hill in Ottawa is a small community of stray cats. Called the Cat Sanctuary, it's been home to strays since the late 1970s. Volunteers ensure that the shelters used by the cats are maintained and that the animals are fed every day.
CAT HEROES
A kitten just six months old saved a family from disaster when she woke her owner from a deep sleep to alert her to a gas leak. Great Falls, Montana, has honored the cat, who saved the life of Trudy Guy after a gas pipe outside the bathroom broke above the shut-off valve.
A friend who lives in a seniors' residence told me that one of the women there collapsed and was unable to reach the pull cord to summon help. She watched in amazement as her cat grabbed it with his paw! When an aide arrived, she found the woman unconscious, the cat by her side.
The Popularity of Cats:
There are more than half a billion house cats in the world.
The cat population in the United States is more than 75 million.
More people in North America own cats than own dogs. The percentage in the U.S. is 20% more cats than dogs.
Cats overtook dogs more than a decade ago. Stray and feral cats are estimated to double the number of cats owned as pets. Because cats breed primarily in the spring and summer, shorter, warmer winters might be contributing to the increase in cat population. There are active programs in many areas who practise TNR, where they trap stray cats, neuter them, and then return them to the colony. This keeps the stray population from increasing geometrically every few months.
NEW: You're twice as likely to be bitten by a spider than a cat.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
A recent New York Times article reports that now a majority (51%) of women live alone. Many of them count their cats as their primary companions.
Puss’N’Boots, developed by the packers of Starkist Tuna, was the first cat food advertised widely. By the 1960s, cats had become similar to dogs in status, and other companies developed cat food, kitty litter, and other specialized products for them.
The Sylvia Hotel, in Vancouver, B.C., has always had a resident cat. The former cat was called Mr. Got to Go, and the current one is Mrs. Gotta Stay (www.sylviahotel.com)
At one time Ray Bradbury (88-year-old sci-fi author) owned 22 cats.
Cats are often depicted in Chinese culture. A cat with his left paw up indicates "Welcome," and one holding up his left paw means "Money is Coming." That's why you'll often see figurines of cats in Chinese restaurants, stores, and other places of business.
There is a special saint for cats: St. Gertrude of Nevilles is the patron saint of cats and of people who love them, as well as of gardeners.
Pope Benedict has been a cat-lover since childhood. The Koran also recognizes cats as pets.
One story says a cat saved Prophet Mohammed from being bitten by a deadly snake. In another, when Mohammed’s cat Muezza fell asleep on his sleeve, the Prophet cut off his sleeve rather than disturb his cat. Mohammed favored white angora cats.
King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Marie Antoinette, also favored white angora cats.
An article in Cat Fancy mentions all the cats who lived in the White House. They include kittens Abraham Lincoln rescued, the first Siamese to be brought into the U.S., by Rutherford Hayes, four Angora kittens who lived with William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt's Tom Quartz and Slippers (who had six toes), Calvin Coolidge's Blacky and Tiger, John Kennedy's Tom Kitten, and Shan Shein, a Siamese who lived in Gerald Ford's White House. Jimmy Carter also had a Siamese, Misty Malarky Ying Yang, and Ronald Reagan had cats, Cleo and Sara, at the "western White House," their ranch in California. Socks was a black and white cat who provoked Bill Clinton's allergies, and George W. Bush's India was often called Willie or Kitty.
Other famous cat owners include Winston Churchill, Sir Isaac Newton, and, of course, Ernest Hemingway.
The Algonquin Hotel in New York City, is famous for it's Roundtable, where actor John Barrymore named a stray cat who hung out there Hamlet, for the character he was played onstage that season. All subsequent male cats at the Algonquin have been called Hamlet, with the only two females called Matilda. The first Hamlet was adopted by hotel management in the early 1930s. The current Matilda has just replaced a 13-year-old Ragdoll, who retired after 11 years at the hotel. She can be reached at her e-mail address, AlgonquinCat@AlgonquinHotel.com.
The phrase the
cat's pajamas has nothing to do with cats.
In the late 1700s a tailor made pajamas for the British elite
made from rare silk, newly imported from the far east. The tailor's
name was E.B. Katz, hence the cat's pajamas.
To calculate your cat's age: www.npwm.com/petagecalculator.htm
Cat Intelligence:
Julia Albright, MA, DBM, animal behavior resident at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, says: "Cats demonstrate an adaptable behavioral ecology, which is a sign of intelligence beyond instinct or conditioning."
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine: reseachers discovered that the physical structure of the human brain and the cat brain are very similar, with the same lobes in the cerebral cortex, the "seat" of intelligence.
Cats have a larger amygdala in proportion to the size of their brain. That's the part of the brain which serves as the emotional center. It allows the cat to react both to what's happening right now, as well as to bring up past memories. This ability makes them more emotionally attached to humans.
A team of experts at IBM's Almaden Research Centre have developed a computer simulation of a cat's brain.
Ellen Lindell, board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist, says, "Some cats enjoy watching what others (humans and animals) are doing, and are good at observational learning."
Cats are thought to have four different temperaments. (This information from an article by Karen Lee Stevens in Catnip. The Curious/Clown Cat is an extrovert, not easily frightened, curious about strangers and new toys, and get into trouble easily. This is definitely Terzo's personality!
The Care-Less Cat tends to be indifferent toward people, stand back and observe visitors and only approach those they decide are "interesting." This type of cat isn't timid or easily frightened, just fiercely independent. He/she may have been a feral, who will defend his or her "territory" and accepts human affection only on his/her terms. This was Tiki.
The Cautious Cat is initially shy, but generally likes people. But they often hide when strangers arrive, and are easily frightened by loud noises and sudden movements. That describes Simon the Elder.
The Catatonic/Xenophobic Cat is extremely fearful, and will hide for hours when something frightens them. They're the cats who retreat as soon as they hear thunder, and may even tremble in fear if they feel threatened.
Bonnie Bergin's book, Teach Your Dog To Read, suggests that dogs can be taught to understand simple words, first by showing them photos of certain behaviors, then stick figure representations, and finally, actual words. She uses flash cards, and words like UP, KISS, BED, OUT. Nobody has yet tried this experiment with cats (but stay tuned; this may be next in Terzo's repertoire!)
The Six-Toed Cat:
Polydactyl means "multiple digits," and is the term used
for cats who have more than five toes, usually just on their front
paws. Rare outside of North America, polydactyl cats are common in
the New England states, and also in Maritime Canada, where they were
brought by Loyalists when they moved from the American Colonies.
These cats are often better hunters because they're able to use the
extra toes to capture prey. Often, the sixth toe is used almost as a
thumb. Because they were considered to be superior mousers by some
sailors and ship captains, they were likely selected for voyages to
the New World with the Puritans in 1630.
Most polydactyls are black and white, which indicates that the trait
may be genetically related to color. When I first saw Terzo, I
noticed his paws seemed larger than normal for a kitten, and as he
grew I realized he had a vestigal sixth toe at the bottom of each
front pad.
He is able to pick up plastic straws with his paws, and also catches
things tossed to him.
Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway had a six-toed Maine
Coon cat named Snowball, who lived with him at his home on Key West,
where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls. The many cats still
living on the Hemingway property are descendents of Snowball, and the
majority of these also have six toes.
Black & White Cats: Recent research has revealed that adrenalin and melatonin are genetically linked in many animals. This means that animals with some white markings tend to be more friendly, and explains the popularity of black and white cats.
The completely back cat is especially rare in the Northeast U.S., since black cats with at least one white hair were spared during the witch mania in the 18th century. Black cats are least likely to be adopted, but a Siamese female will select a black cat as a mate if no Siamese male is available. For that reason, many black cats have Siamese traits. That was the case with Simon Teakettle I, who was all black, without a single white hair.
He had many Siamese characteristics (although his mother was a feral grey tabby, so the Siamese ancestry must have been a generation removed). He was smaller than the average domestic male, with a pointed chin and green eyes. He was very smart, clever at using his paws, and much more active than most domestic cats.
A famous all-black cat, Midnight Louie, Jr., dust-jacket cover boy for the popular mystery novels by Carole Nelson Douglas, died this year. His newsletter, however, lives on.
In 1900, an advertisement for Ivory Soap featured black and white cats. They've been less popular than other colors in advertising, but Simon Teakettle had a comment on this, which was picked up for The Bedside Book of Celebrity Gossip (published by Crown in 1984). He called Garfield a loud-mouthed phoney in an orange-striped suit. Certainly a spokesPURRson in a black fur tuxedo has far more credibility!
Tabby Cats: The Cat Fanciers' Association points out that all cats are genetically "tabby," as a pattern of stripes or spots remains from primitive cats' need for camouflage. Sometimes this pattern is hidden beneath what appears to be a solid color, and if they carry this recessive gene they're called "non-Agouti," which means non-tabby. Tabbies come in all breeds and four basic patterns. Mackerel tabbies are the most common, identified by rings around their tails. Classic tabbies have "whorls" on their sides with big blotches surrounded by circles. Spotted tabbies have mostly spots, although they may have a few stripes on their legs. Ticked tabbies have different bands of color from the bottom of each hair to the tip. Most tabbies appear to have the letter M on their foreheads, and red and orange cats are almost always tabbies of some type.
Calico cats have a sex-linked gene that produces the orange color that's added to brown and white. If orange is the third color in a black and brown cat, it's called a tortoiseshell. All cats with three colors are female. The very exceptional male tortie is sterile.
Cats as Predators:
Cats have been blamed for the decline in the population of
songbirds. But a much bigger threat are pesticides, deforestation
(songbirds nest on the forest floor, and as roads are cut through
northern forests, foxes, racoons and other predators can reach these
habitats more easily), and even highrise buildings. Thousands of
birds are killed each year by flying at night, when they migrate,
into highrise buildings whose bright lighting confuses the birds.
Tiki had a special relationship with both birds and squirrels.
Our huge maple tree is home to a family of black squirrels, and Tiki
and the squirrels devised a game where he would wait for a squirrel
to descend from the tree to eat from the squirrel feeder (or enjoy
the sunflower seeds that had fallen to the ground).
Tiki would sit quietly, about six feet away, and when the squirrel
finished eating and started to run across the yard, he would give
them a head-start, then dash in pursuit. As the squirrel ran back to
the tree and climbed out of reach, Tiki would stretch full-length
against the tree trunk, then return to his position some distance
away and wait to begin the game over again.
When the babies first descended from the tree they weren't afraid of
him, so there must be some way the parents communicated that this cat
wasn't a threat.
Teaching cats not to hunt takes patience. I began by taking
him outside on a leash. Whenever he made predatory body
postures or noises, I’d scold him and pull him back. Sometimes
I’d go out and sit with him, wait for a bird or squirrel to
appear, then hold him on my lap and encourage him to sit quietly and watch.
Tiki soon decided that if he can’t chase the birds, other cats
shouldn't be allowed to, either. As a result, my backyard is a haven
for wildlife, and has been Certified by the Canadian Wildlife
Federation because it offers food, shelter, water, and pesticide-free plants.
MISTAKEN IDEAS ABOUT CATS
Cat licensing is a great idea, especially if the municipality offers a significant discount for pets who are neutered. But mandatory licensing or neutering can backfire, resulting in cats who have good homes being surrendered because the family cannot afford to pay veterinary fees. This can affect low-income families, seniors, and others who benefit from having a pet, and whose adoption of strays and feral cats have allowed these animals to live in a safe environment. Award-winning columnist and broadcaster, Steve Dale, talks about his on his website: www.stevedalepetworld.com/
Another misconception is that cats are the primary
threat to the songbird population. Alley Cat Rescue, who are key
proponents of Trap/Neuter/Return for feral cat colonies, has provided
the following article to explain this:
http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20090320/DC8684520032009-1.html
Many skeptics think that stories about cats finding their way home are myths. But cats actually have an instinctive ability to do this. Tests have shown that they use the earth’s magnetic fields to navigate.
CATS IN HISTORY: Check this article: http://tinyurl.com/38rx2wo
A cat belonging to British author Jerome K. Jerome raised a motherless spaniel puppy and a squirrel.
Famous fashion designer Balenciaga began his career early. At age six he made a coat for his cat.
Although cats have been important companions to many leaders and statesmen, there are a few who were afraid of cats. King Henry III of France, Louis XVI of France and Napoleon all suffered from ailurophobia.
Before 1850, golf balls were made of leather and stuffed with feathers. Wonder if cats living close to golf courses thought they were toys?
Charles Lindbergh had a black cat, Patsy, who often went with him on his flights. But she wasn't on the historic flight across the Atlantic.
President Teddy Roosevelt has a grey cat with six toes on each foot, named Slippers. He had an uncanny sense for breaking news, as he always appeared back at the house for state banquets and any newsworthy events.
Sir Henry Watt, who was sent to the Tower of London by King Richard III, was saved from starvation by a cat who brought him pigeons. The jailer found this no unnerving that he thought it was a miracle, and dubbed the cat The Caterer Cat. There are two paintings depicting this phenomenon.
The correct term for the domestic cat is Felis Silvestris Catus, but it was Felis Catus up until 2003, so you will still see that used in many places, particulalry in texts which predate that. Felis Domesticus is a misnomer. (Thanks to Anthony Nichols for this)
In Cleveland, Ohio it is illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF CATS
(Thanks to Pauline Dewberry's U.K. Mewsletter for some items on this list. Others come from Catnip, CatWatch), www.catsplay.com, www.catchannel.com, and Darlene Arden.
Domestic cats share their heritage with 10 wild species of felidae: lions, leopards, cheetahs, caracals, servals, swamp cats, golden cats, black-footed cats, sand cats, and African wildcats.
A cat can be either right-pawed or left-pawed. Watch a kitten to see which paw it favors when hitting a ball or toy, which paw he/she offers first when asking for a treat, and which paw is the first one used for washing.
Cats have 230 bones in their bodies (as opposed to humans, who have only 206 bones). A cat can jump as much as seven times its height, and sprint at 31 miles per hour.
Extra vertebrae in the spine are what give cats enhanced mobility and flexibility, allowing them to twist in mid-air (the reasons for the idea that a cat always lands on its feet). The tail also acts as a rudder.
Powerful hind leg muscles allow it to jump very high, and they can rotate their front legs back and forth at a much greater range than other mammals. Cats walk by moving their front and back legs on one side, then the other side. That is, the right hind leg moves forward, then the right foreleg; then the sequence is repeated on the left side. Only camels and giraffes move in the same way.
Darlene Arden describes the cat's walk as: Cats walk on their toes, which probably accounts for their graceful movements. In ballet there is a step called pas de chat -- the cat step. It's a little jump to the side, but in truth nearly every move your cat makes is lovely.
The cat's collar bone is "free-floating," not fixed in place. This allows the cat to squeeze through any space that will accommodate the head. Four rows of whiskers on the face are used to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through. The whiskers act as feelers or antennae, helping the cat to judge the precise width of any passage. They also sense air currents, and can be moved backward and forward since they're connected to small facial muscles.
There are about a dozen whiskers on each upper lip, with smaller ones on each cheek, above each eye, a few on the chin, and on the underside of each front paw. Whiskers on the paws help the cat determine the texture, size and shape of objects.
Whiskers also help the cat communicate. When a cat moves his whiskers forward, it indicates interest, or perhaps annoyance. Whiskers pulled close to the face show fear. Losing whiskers is normal, as they move through their normal life cycle. This is a regular occurence, but can fluctuate depending on light exposure, hormone level, nutrition, etc.
A cat sees about six times better than a human at night because of the tapetum lucidum, a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light. But he can't see directly under his nose. You can communicate with your cat by delivering what Catnip Editor Arden Moore calls "soft wink hellos." Blinking your eyes slowly at the same time will indicate to your cat that you want to chat.
The most common eye colors in cats are in the middle of the eye color spectrum (greenish-yellow to gold). The colors at the ends of the eye color spectrum (deep green or brilliant copper) are usually seen only in pedigreed cats who have been selectively bred for dramatic eye color, but they may sometimes appear in non-pedigreed cats. All white cats are often deaf; others have "odd eyes" and the ear on the side of the blue eye is always the deaf one.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. Their hearing is much better than either dogs or humans, in fact better than any other animal. A cat's ears can swivel 180 degrees, independently of each other. There are 10 major muscles per ear flap.
Cats have the most facial expressions of all carnivores, says Stefanie Schwartz, DVM. They use every part of their bodies to express their feelings, with more than two dozen different signals in addition to subtle clues humans likely don't recognize.
A cat will almost never meow at another cat. Cats use this sound for humans.
Cats purr at 26 cycles per second, which is roughly the same frequency as an idling diesel engine. (They only occasionally sound that loud). Although purring is usually a sign of contentment, it can also signal distress. Some new research about purring is HERE, courtesy of Beth Adelman, The Cat Lady who write in the New York Post.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten. Click HERE for some detailed information about feline vocalization.
Adult cats have 30 teeth: 16 upper and 14 lower. These permanent teeth replace the "baby" teeth at about six months of age.
Cats can move their jaws only up and down; they can't move them side to side like a dog or human.
A cat will clean itself with paw and tongue after a
dangerous experience or when it has fought with another cat. This is
believed to be an attempt by the animal to soothe its nerves by doing
something natural and instinctive. Licking the fur is not only a
means to keep clean. It also serves to regulate temperature. Keeping
the hair smooth tends to raise the cat's temperature slightly, but
the evaporating saliva can also keep the cat cool.
Trichobezoar is the scientifc name for a hairball.
Cats use more than 25 different visual signals to communicate. They have the most facial expressions of all carnivores, and use their tails more than dogs do to indicate how they feel. Dr. Stefanie Schwartz, a specialist in animal behavior, says, "If your cat winds her tail around your legs as she rubs up against you, it's a sociable gesture." Cats often greet their feline friends by intertwining their tails.
Tail signals include:
Straight up with a tiny curve at the
end: interest and curiosity
with a slight swaying motion: invitation to play
Curved with a twitching tip: annoyance
Hanging down, swishing from side to
side: agitation, anger
Fluffed and erect: anger, readiness to attack
Fluffed but held down: fear
Lowered between the hind legs: submission
Cat pregnancy lasts only nine weeks. A female cat achieves sexual maturity between six and eight months and a male between nine and 12 months. This means that early neutering is essential to prevent unwanted kittens.
It is possible for every kitten in a litter to have a different father.
Cats blood types are A, B or AB. There is no O (or universal donor), so if a cat needs a transfusion, the blood type must be matched.
Some male cats can receive a double dose of testosterone in utero. Because of the way litters are "sandwiched" in the female cat's Y-shaped uterus, if a male is between two other males, he can receive more of the masculizing hormone.
Obesity is a major problem for pet cats. A 15-pound cat is equivalent to a 225-pound 5 foot, 9 inch male and a 20-pound feline equals 300 pounds on that man. Each pound on a cat is equal to about 13 pounds on the average female and 15 pounds on a male.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
Cheetahs are the fastest land animal and can reach speeds up to 72mph.
There are several "collective" nouns used for groups of cats, including: a clowder, a cluster, or a clutter. One writer has even suggested "a glaring of cats."
T.S. Eliot's famous poem, The Naming of Cats, includes the following feline monikers: Peter, Augustus, George, Plata, Admetus, Bill Bailey, Electra, Demeter, Munkustrap, Quaxo, Coricopat, Bombalurina, and Jellyorum. Some of these appeared in the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, CATS. Bobbi saw this show three times, in New York, London, and Toronto.
THE PREDATORY INSTINCT:
Wendy Christensen,
The Cat Herder™, a cultural ailurologist, writer, and fabulous
cat artist, has sent us some great information about why cats are
such good hunters.
Chasing, stalking, and pouncing are hardwired feline instinct. The
three basic forms of feline "play" (which is essentially
mock- or practice-hunting) are reflected in the design of cat toys
for a good reason: the primary, instinctual feline hunting moves (the
small-mammal pounce, the bird leap-and-snag, and the fish flip) are
natural as breathing to a cat. Some cats have a higher prey drive
than others (based on genetics, gender, individual differences,
etc.), but if a suitable prey animal makes a particular series of
moves within a suitable distance of the cat (for example, a diagonal
run from behind, to in front of the cat), that cat is gonna pounce.
Guaranteed. He might miss. But he's gonna go for it.
The nuances of properly administering the killing bite, and the
knowledge that killed prey is food, are learned from mother cat in
early kittenhood. Kittens with non-hunting mothers (mothers who never
learned to hunt themselves) generally have a lot of trouble
perfecting their kill-and-eat-prey skills, and sometimes never
catch up -- which can be a fatal skillset deficiency.
Even cats who have never hunted, or have never been taught how to do
the job properly and efficiently, are still deeply compelled --
physically compelled -- to react to the sights, sounds, scents and --
especially -- movements of appropriate prey. Simply by virtue of
being feline, they're sublimely skilled at stalking, pouncing, and
fixing their canines on the cervical spine for the kill (of toys, if
that's what's available). They thrive on the hunt, literally and
figuratively. Even a pampered, well-fed cat who has never had to kill
to eat still needs opportunities to chase, stalk, pounce and
"kill" -- every day. It's an essential part of what makes a
cat, a cat.
AND, FINALLY:
4,000 people are injured by teapots every year, but none by teakettles!
You become responsible,
forever, for what you have tamed.
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery, in The Little Prince)
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