| Longevity - It is said, give a cat three years for | | | | with the survival sense to be wary of man. Yet |
| every human year and you have an idea of how old | | | | every cat owner knows how truly attached a cat |
| he is compared to us. Not so. A cat at one year old | | | | can become and how genuinely grateful they are for |
| is capable of reproduction and fully able to take care | | | | the affection and care given them. |
| of himself. A three year old human is helpless. Such | | | | Cats & Music Start playing an instrument, even |
| mathematical formulas for understanding the 'real' age | | | | something gentle, such as folk music on a guitar, and |
| of an animal don't work because their internal, and | | | | a dog is likely to leave the room. A cat, on the other |
| external developments vary and do not correspond | | | | hand is likely to come near, lay by you, roll around, |
| to human development. | | | | purr and seem to enjoy the sounds immensely. My |
| But did you know that the life span of cats seems to | | | | previous cat used to be my biggest fan, particularly |
| be increasing, from around twelve years or so | | | | of my fairly elaborate finger picking. |
| several decades ago to eighteen or more and it | | | | My current cat loves to hear the guitar but the |
| seems now not uncommon for cats to live into their | | | | obvious deep pleasure he gets from that doesn't |
| twenties? Not only advances in cat medicine but | | | | even compare to when I pick up the Celtic Harp and |
| apparently in genetic changes as well are contributing | | | | play on its strings. I can only describe his state as |
| to longer life and some cats live to be much older | | | | ecstatic, as if each tiny individual sound washes him |
| indeed. Several cats in Southern California have been | | | | with almost unendurable pleasure. Many composers |
| reported to live as long as thirty and thirty four | | | | throughout history relate the same story. |
| years. | | | | The famous harpist, Mlle Dubuy, noticed that her cat |
| Independent & Loners - Cats are thought to be | | | | purred pleasantly when she played a piece on her |
| solitary creatures by many, but anyone who has | | | | harp well but cried when she played less so. She used |
| visited a farm where there are cats will find they | | | | this phenomena to improve her skill. Recognizing how |
| congregate in colonies, sometimes nearing twenty in | | | | much she owed her success as a harpist to her |
| number and seem even to hunt together. There is | | | | discerning cat she left him her substantial inheritance |
| little fighting because there is always one dominant | | | | and endowed loyal friends likewise to ensure her cat |
| cat which the others all accept, the rest being equal. | | | | was well cared for. |
| At least until a new cat arrives and dominance must | | | | There is a video on YouTube of a cat playing the |
| be re-established. | | | | piano. She is quite intentionally sounding the notes, |
| If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, as do I, you no | | | | utterly absorbed in the phenomena. When his |
| doubt find him asking to be let out, even though he | | | | mistress plays Bach on another piano the cat stops |
| has his cat doors. Mine does daily, usually at night. I | | | | and listens with obvious appreciation. It is quite as if |
| go to the door, open it and he eagerly runs into he | | | | this cat, and in fact, all cats, truly do appreciate |
| mudroom, awaiting the opening of the next door, | | | | beautiful music and the one in this particular YouTube |
| though both are equipped with cat doors. If I actually | | | | video, aspires to musicianship. |
| go out into the back patio with him he seems | | | | Movement - We all know how agile and flexible cats |
| delighted, rolling around on the stones, watching me. I | | | | are - owing to a variety of factors. Unlike man, in |
| suspect he would love a hunting companion. | | | | whom the vertebrae of the spinal column are held |
| (Preferably, I expect, one a bit quieter and more | | | | together by ligaments, in cat they are bound by |
| stealthy than myself.) | | | | muscle, giving the cat great range of movement. |
| Cats can't be trained - Training is entirely possible and | | | | Because of the construction of his shoulder joint he |
| we have probably all seen on television performance | | | | can turn his foreleg in almost any direction. |
| cats trained to walk a rope, roll a ball and even swim | | | | But have you noticed, probably without thinking |
| underwater. We attribute this to some sort of | | | | about it, that there is something funny, something |
| showmanship business and think our own cats are | | | | odd in the way a cat runs? |
| not trainable. Depending on the breed and the | | | | Unlike almost all other mammals who advance by |
| particular cat, they are probably all trainable to some | | | | moving the front leg of one side of the body and |
| degree and they are certainly able to train us! | | | | the back of the opposite, the cat moves front and |
| Particia Moyes, in her book How To Talk To Your | | | | back legs of the same side. So it's, front, left, let's |
| Cat, relates how one of her cats and she have a | | | | say, slight pause, back left, right front, pause, right |
| game, the object of which is to remove from some | | | | back. The only other mammals said to do this are the |
| precarious perch - the top of a chair, say, an object, | | | | camel and the giraffe - and they both have funny |
| without disturbing anything around and without | | | | gaits too. |
| knocking the item to the floor. The one cat does this | | | | Food, water and health - Cats can live just fine on |
| with care and great attention, and success. Her other | | | | dry food. This is a dubious statement many |
| cat, she tells us, takes the game simply to mean, 'get | | | | authorities state as being downright false. Cats need |
| the thing regardless' and will also retrieve the item | | | | meat. They have not the biological capability of taking |
| but in the clumsiest fashion, knocking it to the floor. | | | | various elements from a variety of non-meat foods |
| Ms. Moyes speaks of two other game she and her | | | | and constructing the needed proteins, which man and |
| cats have; fetch and carry and hide and seek. In the | | | | dogs can do. And much of the content of dry food, |
| first, the person throws a ball of tinfoil (or | | | | i.e. Carbohydrates, not only are not natural foods for |
| what-have-you) and the cat returns it, dropping it at | | | | cats, they are said to be wholly unnecessary and can |
| the person's feet. The second she says her cat | | | | be harmful. Meat in some form, usually canned food, |
| invented. She (the cat) will bring the ball of tinfoil, | | | | is a necessity for cats, not only for the proteins but |
| drop it, then leave the room. Ms. Moyes will hide it, | | | | as well for the water. |
| then call her cat who will begin excitedly exploring all | | | | Cats do not have, as every cat owner has probably |
| the hiding places, find it, drop it and leave the room | | | | verified, a strong drive to drink. Their normal prey is |
| again. Keep in mind that Ms. Moyes creates and | | | | their primary source of water. Deprived of that and |
| maintains an unusual and unusually close and | | | | not given sufficient wet food a cat can easily, and all |
| respectful attitude towards her cats. Very likely, and | | | | too often does develop kidney disease from |
| many pet owners, indeed, parents, have discovered | | | | dehydration. |
| that, the more you anticipate your pet (or child) to | | | | Regardless of whether your cat eats wet or dry |
| be capable, the more capable your pet or child | | | | food or both, fresh water should always be available |
| becomes. | | | | to her. Many cat owners have observed that cats |
| My own cat offers a less dramatic, but useful | | | | are more likely to drink if their water bowl is not |
| example. A stray taken in at about 8 months he at | | | | located next to their food bowl, which makes sense, |
| first caused some alarm with his tendency to 'do his | | | | as in nature, animals go in search of water |
| nails' on the furniture. I would bang my foot on the | | | | independently of their search for food. Also, being |
| floor and tell him no and he'd stop. Now I just tell him, | | | | clean animals, it may not 'feel' as hygienic to have |
| in no uncertain terms, to stop and he does. He only | | | | food and food smells next to their water source. |
| does this when he wants something and I'm not | | | | It is also advised to avoid plastic dishes for both food |
| paying attention. | | | | and water. Plastic tends to getting scratched and in |
| In fact, this is one way a cat has to get your | | | | those nicks and scratches harmful bacteria can grow. |
| attention and let you know he needs something - he | | | | Also, some cats are allergic to plastic and develop |
| does what he knows he is not supposed to do. My | | | | skin conditions on their chins when fed and watered |
| cat knows he's not allowed on the kitchen table, for | | | | from plastic bowls. |
| example, but if his food bowl stays empty too long, | | | | Still water may run deep - but it still doesn't suit a |
| onto the table he leaps and I know right away he | | | | cat. Almost every cat owner has noticed that their |
| wants feeding. | | | | cats love to put their tongues under the tap or even |
| There is an ancient Egyptian papyrus of the | | | | raise their mouths to falling rain. My cat used to put |
| twentieth dynasty showing a dog walking on his hind | | | | his head under a drip in the bathtub and let the water |
| legs, carrying a staff, herding goats. In the same | | | | run to his tongue until we had it fixed - the tub, that |
| picture there is a cat, walking on his hind legs, | | | | is. Many cats will drink from any form of water other |
| carrying a staff, herding ducks. The picture depicts | | | | than still water. |
| the dog and cat on their hind legs carrying staffs, no | | | | Some people, including some vets think there is some |
| doubt, to indicate that they are in control. Were they | | | | molecular difference in moving water. Some think it is |
| shown on their fours, one, they could not be shown | | | | the sight of the movement of the water, or the |
| carrying a staff and two, they would seem to be on | | | | sound. Whatever the reason, (and considering what a |
| the same level as the goats and ducks, not in charge | | | | big subject this is if posts on the internet are any |
| of them. My guess is that one time, before the dark | | | | measure it is a bit surprising that the motivations for |
| days of cat extermination, cats were trained and | | | | this are not better known), cats prefer moving |
| used and I expect they themselves were very | | | | water. |
| responsive to this arrangement. | | | | This fact has spawned an entire industry of cat |
| Aloof - When one considers the terrible history the | | | | fountains, almost all plastic, though there are several |
| family of cats has endured at the hands of man, | | | | sources for ceramic cat fountains and cat bowls. |
| repeatedly throughout Europe and even in America, it | | | | Whether it is one of the plastic fountains or a |
| is no wonder the cat keeps himself aloof. Associated | | | | ceramic cat fountain or cat bowl, all need the same |
| with witches, Satan and evil, as a race, cats have | | | | care, which is simply to keep it filled and give it a |
| been betrayed, condemned, tortured and | | | | thorough cleaning regularly. Some sources for pet |
| exterminated, many times, by the thousands and | | | | fountains are listed at the end of this article and if |
| tens of thousands. Those which survived the | | | | you go to and type in ceramic cat fountains you can |
| pogroms passed on their genes to progeny, along | | | | find others. |