Tag: feline

Cat Questions Answered! Why Does….

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles.

If you’ve got yourself a cat, chances are you’ve probably asked yourself a dozen times, “Why does my cat ____?” They can certainly be mysteries to us sometimes! Some of this seemingly quirky behavior is just due to their unique personality. Other behaviors are often universal to all cats though. If you’re looking for some answers to better understand your kitty, we’ve found an amazing resource for all things feline related! PawsomeKitty.com has just about everything you could need to know about cat care and behavior. We highly suggest you check them out! In the interim though, here are some top behaviors explained!

Why does my cat ____?

…suddenly become playfully aggressive? Does your cat ever latch unto your arm or leg while biting with it’s ears back and a crazy look in it’s eyes after a play session? This is a sign your kitty is over-stimulated. Some cats get overstimulated quickly. Recognize when playful nibbles and paw batting starts to escalate and then give your kitty some time to calm down.
…my cat scent me? Does your kitty like to rub their paws on you, or their chins? These are all signs that your cat is scenting you with the scent glands located in these regions. When your cat does this, they are often marking their territory. It may sound domineering (and maybe it is…) but they do this often because you are their “chosen human”. This means they can more easily seek you out from other humans for food or snuggles.
…meow loudly at night? We all love our kitty’s voice, but not when we’re trying to get some much needed shut eye. Humans and cats make great companions, but they naturally keep different hours. While cats my lay around most of the day, they frequently will become more active at night when you are trying to sleep. Meowing can often mean there is a need you have failed to meet. Since your feline will be more active at night, try to make sure they have food, water, and a clean kitty box to help minimize demands!

Photo by Vinicius de Moraes on Unsplash

Diet Changes for Your Cat – What You Need to Add!

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Health and Safety.

Before cats became civilized and domesticated, their primary diet consisted of raw meat. Of course, you aren’t going to let your cat out to grab a bite to eat for dinner every night, so you’ll feed him/her a commercial cat food. But what kinds are the right ones that provide a balanced and nutritious diet that your fur ball will thrive on?

Well, if you understand the 5 ways to improve their diet, you can keep your kitty happy and healthy for life.

Veggies are Good

You may think that as a carnivore, a cat only needs meat to survive. The truth is that even when they were wild they always took in some veggies by eating grass or the digested vegetation in their prey’s stomach. So, giving your kittycat a few veggies is a nice little treat. Familiarize them into your cat’s diet by mixing them into their regular cat food, or if they will have them, giving bits and pieces as treats. Some veggie suggestions are broccoli, green beans, squash, and carrots, but always make sure that meat makes up the bulk of your cat’s diet. However, a few veggies added every once in a while is a good thing.

Always Serve Cooked Meat

Yes, cats ate raw meat in the wild, and they also got parasites like worms too. Meat treats are terrific for your cat, but be safe and make sure they are well cooked.

Eggs Make Great Snacks

Eggs are a wonderful source of protein and B vitamins, and it doesn’t matter if they are sunny side up, over easy or hard boiled. Just make sure they are cooked, and you’ll be good to go.

Add Omega 3’s to Their Diet

Essential fatty acids, like Omega 3’s, are just as good for cats as they are for humans. Cold water fish are loaded with them, they are heart healthy and your cat’s fur will be silkier and shiny. Better still, research shows that they slow the spread of cancer, and if your cat has arthritis, they’ll reduce the inflammation.

… And Probiotics

If your cat has digestive problems, probiotics are the best thing you can do for them. Probiotic supplements are known for creating more effective and efficient digestion while strengthening a cat’s immune system too.

Follow the suggestions as illustrated, and you’ll see for yourself that a healthy diet means a healthy cat.

Thanks Feline Living for the great tips and infographic!

Cat Facts – Silly and Interesting Things You May Not Know‏

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles.

You’ll never look your cat the same way again! For loving owners of cats, dogs, or any other species of pet, we just can’t get enough of the little things that make them different. One of the greatest joys of owning a pet (aside from the fantastic companionship!) is getting to study the little critters on an upfront and personal level. It seems no matter how long we have a cat there are still things we learn that are pretty cool! Here are a few that maybe you didn’t know either!

Cat Facts

Most people know that a boy cat is also called a Tom. Have you ever wondered what a girl cat is called? Molly!
What about a group of cats? While some people prefer a “clowder”, it’s a little easier for us to understand calling them a “glaring”. Either words are acceptable though!
Did you know that just like humans a cat will favor the right or left paw? Unlike humans though, cats favor different paws based entirely on gender! A girl cat is “right-pawed” and a boy cat is “left-pawed

Things you might not know about the life and history of the cat!

Cat’s, like several other critters, can’t see right under their noses. If you’ve ever dropped a treat on the floor to see your cat sniff around for it when it’s right in front of their face, your watching this little fact in action!
A cat is much more heat tolerant than humans. Perhaps due to their evolution out of the jungles and African savannah, a cat can be relatively comfortable at temperatures reaching as high as 126 degrees! Even higher if they have plenty of water! Please note – do not test your cat’s heat tolerance!
Cats can’t taste sweet things! This is probably a good thing since most sugars are bad for pets…
The average lifespan of a cat has been increasing over the last few years, just like humans! According to Wikipedia, in the 1980’s the average lifespan of a cat was seven years. This increased in the 1990’s to nine years and as of 2014 was as long as twelve to fifteen years, average!
The longest living cat on record lived to be 38!
Kitty noses are famous for being moist but did you know that they are the cat version of a fingerprint? Each cat’s nose print is unique to them!
Cats are the most common pet in both America and Europe with men and women being equally likely to have one!

Be sure to break these little tidbits of information out to your fellow pet lovers and pet nanny! Know a few interesting facts of your own? Be sure to share them with us!

photo credit: Mi gato via photopin (license)