Catscapades

One of the cutest features of a cat might be her whiskers. A cat’s whiskers add such charm to those sweet kitty faces, but what is their purpose? Why do cats have whiskers?

I always thought/heard/read that whiskers kept a cat from getting caught in a too-small space. Whiskers are a cat’s guide to where they can and can’t—should and shouldn’t–try to squeeze into. Isn’t that what you thought? But if this is true, then how is it that cats manage to squirm into very small vases and jars and boxes like a blob of Jell-O? Have you seen the cats that ooze themselves under a closed door—yes, through a space of mere inches? If the cat were to rely on her whiskers to determine the possibility of scrunching their head and whole body through that space, they’d never try it. So is that bit of whisker information we’ve heard for years a myth?

I suppose whiskers do help cats navigate in the dark. A cat’s whiskers are very sensitive and serve as sensors to the world and atmosphere around them. Whiskers also help with balance. A cat’s whiskers are radar sensors. They’re sensitive enough to detect subtle changes in air currents and vibrations—helping to keep a cat safe, while also alerting them to danger or nearby prey. Yes, whiskers do help to keep a cat out of trouble—aiding in their navigation.

So why do cats sometimes crawl and ooze into small spaces? Why don’t their whiskers warn them not to do that? I guess sometimes their sense of curiosity outweighs the intelligence in their whiskers. Here’s an interesting article about the cat’s whiskers. It even tells us how many whiskers a cat has and how each whisker is connected to the brain. Fascinating stuff. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-do-cats-have-whiskers

Oh my, what an interesting trip I took recently through the world of feline relationships—I mean genetics. I think I’ve told you that in Olivia’s DNA report the wild cat she’s most closely related to is the cheetah. Well, I guess that’s true of almost all domestic cats. That makes domestic cats also related to the cougar/mountain lion.

Lions, tigers, and leopards are panthers. Who knew? I guess anyone who did their research. What are the differences between felines and panthers? Now it gets dicey and confusing. Evidently all cats are felines. Yeah, that confused me too, since I also read that felines purr and panthers roar.

So all cats are felines, but the lion, tiger, jaguar, etc. are pantherinae. The domestic cat as well as the cougar and cheetah fit under the term felidae. But don’t take my word for it, here’s a site you might enjoy. Then go announce to your cats who their ancestors really are. Fascinating stuff.

https://www.quora.com/Is-a-mountain-lion-closer-related-to-an-African-lion-than-a-tiger-is

https://bigcatswildcats.com/big-cats/big-cats-biological-classification/

Cats are unique in so many ways—in the way they act and react and think and even in the way they’re built. Cats are extremely flexible, which makes them one of the most successful hunters in the animal kingdom. They can spring into the air from a standing or sitting position up to 9 times their height, flip over in midair and land on their feet, twist into the most unusual positions, and squeeze into tiny spaces. Have you seen videos of cats that can squeeze under a closed door—oh my.

And they’re fast. A racehorse can run about 40 mph, but for only twenty seconds. A cat, when running, can spring forward with each step 3 times its body length and run as fast as 30 mph. Their relative, the cheetah, runs 70 mph at full speed.

What makes cats so flexible? It’s the way they’re put together. For example, their shoulder blades are attached by muscle only. And they have extremely fast reactions. I recall trying to leash train one of our cats. We put a harness on him and he immediately leaped, flipped, and the harness was lying on the ground beside him, the fasteners still connected. We put it on him again—only a little tighter and he did the same maneuver—flipping himself out of it. It was amazing to see. In fact quite unbelievable. Did he turn himself inside out in order to get out of that thing? It seemed like it.

This evening as you play with your cat and watch her play, observe how she moves. Cats are a marvel in so many ways and the way they’re put together is just one incredible example of that.

Today is National Kitten Day. I’m sure I don’t have to suggest ways that you can celebrate. You know the drill—adopt, rescue, volunteer, donate, and/or simply honor and celebrate a kitten you know and love. Now that’s an easy assignment and one that you will enjoy as much as the kitten or kittens in your life, but hurry because kittens grow up in a blink of an eye.

Although when you have raised a cat from a kitten, do you ever truly lose that kitten you fell in love with? I don’t think so. Even a grown cat will at least occasionally show her kittenish side in the way she snuggles in the early morning or by a look of innocent mischief in her eyes or an activity she pursues with one of her favorite toys.

I see Olivia’s inner kitten emerge in a glance or a frolic and it always brings a smile to my face. So after you’ve rescued, volunteered, donated, and/or spent time playing with a kitten you know, celebrate the inner kitten in your grown cats. Just wriggle a wand toy or a dangle a feather and watch that kitten come out to play.

What have you and your cats done for fun, lately? Have you or your fluffy-pants-kittycome up with any new and interesting activities to do together? As I mentioned Monday, I’ve been having to take more breaks than usual to help a wrenched back heal. Olivia was confused at first to see me sit down at odd times of the day or get up in the night to ice my back or put heat on it. She’d sit across the room and just stare at me when I needed her healing touch the most.

Finally she decided to take advantage of the opportunity for a cozy lap and extra petting and she is milking it for all she can. I am, too. I love having her company as I try to behave myself and rest. She’s even letting me pet her plush tummy at times. And I’m sure that her presence and closeness is healing.

Olivia is her own cat and she likes to keep us guessing. One thing she is not is a good eater. I weigh her often to make sure she’s keeping her weight and she is, but she’s not typically a fan of canned cat food—or cooked chicken. (Yes, I’ve even tried cooking for her.) But she’s not consistent. Sometimes she runs from me when she sees me coming with a plate of canned food. Or she’ll sneak up on it and sniff it, then walk away. One morning this week I fixed her a plate and went looking for her. “Olivia—Sassy-Pants, where are you? Mommy has your yummy breakfast.”

I didn’t hear a mew or a purr. I couldn’t find her in all the usual places until I walked into the living room and there was her pert self sitting up tall and eager at her usual eating spot waiting for me to serve her feast. Yup, she ate every bite.

Cats can be creatures of habit and unpredictable all at the same time. Do you agree? And those little fur beings make us all kinds of happy.

Here’s an interesting site that highlights the most read cat articles. Included are articles on why cats sleep on top of us, what cats do when we aren’t looking, how/why cats break the laws of physics, how cats used humans to conquer the world—yeah, interesting stuff. In fact this last story takes us back 9000 years. https://refind.com/hashtags/cats

We’ve all heard and read some of the benefits of having cats. I find it validating to read that being around cats can lower stress. It’s actually been documented that our heart rate goes down when we interact with a cat.

They say laughter is great medicine. In our household we laugh a lot at Olivia’s antics. So I’d say that’s another positive for loving a cat.

A cat in the home provides us with company and purpose. Loneliness and lack of purpose are two killers—at least it can cause depression and a horrible lack of joy. Yes, cats can bring us joy. But there’s even more reason to have a cat in the home. According to a recent study, babies that grow up with pets in the home are less likely to develop food allergies. Who knew? Here’s the article I came across with that information.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/health/pets-food-allergy-risk-wellness/index.html

Here’s another article giving some great reasons for having a cat as well as how to have fun with your cat, how to control your cat allergy, how to cope with the loss of a cat. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/joys-of-owning-a-cat.htm