Sunday, August 20, 2017

6 Interesting Cat Facts

6 Interesting Cat Facts 

Over 30% of households in North America own a cat. Cats have been known to be great for companionship. If I must say they are also great for cuddling. I love their quirky personality and watching the way the play.  I guess it would be fair to say I am an Ailurophilia.  My life long dream has always been to own a cat and dog sanctuary.  Not only because I love them, but to help with the overpopulation of both fur babies.

Ailurophilia: (Greek: cat+lover)

Sadly because feral cats are mostly unspayed & unneutered In just seven years, a single pair of cats and their offspring could produce a little over 400,000 kittens.  This is why at any time could be up to 60 million feral cats in the United States alone. 


Disheartening as that is, there is a place you probably wouldn't have thought of that is helping feral cats.

Disneyland Cats:


That's right,! Disneyland owns around 200+cats! While they obviously care for their furry friends, these cats have a bigger purpose. Every night, the feral Cats are let out to roam about in hopes of keeping mice and rodents away Disney first started caring for the cats in the 1950’s after staff noticed them. These days Disney now has a catch and release program where they spay and neuter the cats. Afterwards, they are released back into the park. Nutrition is a must have even for these furry park dwellers. So Disney had secret feeding stations set up for the cats to eat and stay hydrated At times you may catch one lounging around the park grounds or cozying up to a visitor. 


Cat Flap Isac Newton:

Isaac Newton invented the cat flap(1642–1727). Newton was experimenting in a pitch-black room. His cat Spithead kept opening the door and wrecking his experiment.  Although according to Wikipedia Newton invented the cat hole for his adult cat and one for her kittens.  The kittens though ended up following the mother through the larger whole


Cat Whiskers:



Cats have between 8 to 12 whiskers on the sides of their face. They also have smaller ones above their eyes and on their lower front legs. However, they aren’t just for show – they are highly sensitive shafts with nerve endings deep in the cats face. This is why you should NEVER be tempted to trim or cut off a cat's whiskers.  Doing so could leave the cat disoriented and dizzy for weeks. This is because their whiskers send vital navigation signals about their surroundings. Whiskers help cats detect objects and sense if they can fit into tight spots.


Dometic Cats can't taste anything sweet:



 They are mostly carnivores (meat eater) so they don't have the active taste bud needed to distinguish sweets. Many
Scientists believe this could be due to a mutation in a key taste receptor important for distinguishing sweets. Although they lack the ability to taste sweets they can smell approximately 14 times greater than a human.

Cats are known to be great climbers:



They can climb fences bushes, high window cells, just about anything. However, we've all heard of the cat that had to be rescued from a tree. Why? If they're such great climbers why can't they get down? If they were to get down they would obviously have to climb down head first. This is an impossible task for a cat because though their claws are like their own grappling hook (what hikers use for climbing), every claw points inward towards the paw. This makes them excellent for climbing upward, but down not so much without toppling over and hoping to land on their feet.   Which is why most cats once up in a tree would rather stay up there and cry for their rescuer.

Lovely Purring Sounds:

A cat purrs by vibrating vocal cords deep in their throat. Some people have confused cat purrs with growling
Although we want to believe our cat is purring because they are happy. This isn't always true, strangely it's also been said that cats may also purr when they are stressed, or scared. Depending on the circumstances most owners can tell why their cat is purring.  
 While they inhale & exhale their purrs can fluctuate anywhere from 20-150 Hz . At this range, it has been proven to cut down on difficulty breathing. This is a medical benefit for them and their human family.  Numerous investigation found that sound frequencies in these ranges can improve bone density and promote healing. 




Funny Fact I'll leave you with.



Thank you for taking the time to stop by. 
All comments and suggestions welcome.



Friday, August 11, 2017

Why Do We Do What We Do?

Why Do People Get Pets? 



  Most people who know me know I am a huge animal lover.  Recently my friends' daughter asked me the above statement "Why do people get pets?  Great question I said, and quickly replied because they love animals.  Short to the point answer for a small child assuming she would be satisfied, and she was.  However, while driving home I couldn't help but think of her question.  I know just like you all know the answer isn't that complex there are many reasons people get pets.

      I myself have always loved and worked with animals, but that doesn't mean I owned any.  Because the truth is ( I didn't).  Growing up my family always had cats I loved cuddling with them. Yet I dreaded feeding time "their food smelled horrible" I  despised cleaning their litter box, how disgusting.  I saw how much owning the 5+ cats at one time cost my parents. When I saw the heartbreak that overtook my mother when one of her fur babies died, I decided to have pets was not for me.

      As I grew up I couldn't avoid my passion to work with animals and their owners.  Still, I didn't own any, having children, working, and continuing college helped with that decision. Until, I fostered my first cat, which I reluctantly accepted to do, a favor for the shelter I worked at.  Everyone said it would be a great learning experience for my children.


  

Monday, August 7, 2017

Police bust dog meat gang in China and save 35 dogs from slaughter

      Dogs escape death after police raid targets traffickers and Animals Asia steps in to find them homes.
When the Chengdu police entered the dog thieves’ den on 23 July, they found 35 dogs cowering in fear.
Many were wearing collars and some were pure-breed, strongly suggesting they had been stolen from homes. All were scared and desperately in need of help