【英文類】Cat Myths - Separate Fact From Fiction (5/5)

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Devon Rexes, Cornish Rexes & Sphyx's are hypoallergenic

In truth, a rex cat is no different from any other cat and produces allergen like all other cats. They are not hypoallergenic by any means, as claimed by some. Then why do some people seem to have no allergic reaction to rex cats? There is no simple answer to this question at this time, and more research is required to get the answers needed. One possible hypothesis is that as rex cats have less hair to shed, they simply deposit less allergen-laced hair around the home. But, whatever the reasons some allergic people seem to tolerate them. From personal studies and observations by Margaret Lawrence in the UK, she found that around 10% of people allergic to cats tolerate rex cats. Please, before you race out and look for a rex cat, remember you should always test your allergies by visiting home or catteries that only own rex cats, and test continuously over several weeks or months. As you don't want the poor little kitten to be re-homed if you find out you are allergic to him or her. Don't let your new cat become another statistic at a shelter.

Indoor cats cannot get diseases/parasites

Many viral/bacterial infections are airborne & can be carried into your house  through the air or on a person's clothing. Fleas & other parasites can also be brought in via a person's clothing.

Pregnant women shouldn't own cats

If a woman hasn't had prior exposure to Toxoplasmosis & becomes infected during pregnancy, it can harm her unborn baby. Cats are the natural host for Toxoplasmosis, however Toxoplasmosis can also be acquired from eating undercooked meat, improperly washed vegetables or gardening. I was tested for Toxoplasmosis throughout my recent pregnancy & remained negative even though I was living with 9 cats, one of whom had tested positive for Toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women should take precautions such as avoiding cleaning the litter tray, ensuring their meat is thoroughly cooked, washing vegetables properly & wearing gloves while gardening. There is no need to get rid of your cat just because you're pregnant.

Putting bells on a cat's collar will stop it catching mice & birds

This theory has been around for hundreds of years. I used to put bells on my cat's collars, in fact Eliot, who was my best hunter had three bells on her collar at one point & it did absolutely nothing to stop her catching the wildlife. In fact, there is new research to indicate that cats who have had bells put on their collars are better at catching prey. This is because they learn to move without  the bell making a sound & therefore they are stealthier.

For further information on putting bells on cat's collars, read this article. Cats Indoors.

All cats hate water

Most cats hate water but not all. Turkish Van's are known to be fond of water & enjoy swimming. My Bengal also likes to play with water, although I can't imagine him ever wanting to go swimming in it. I've known of other Bengal cats who enjoy playing with water also.

Siamese cats are mean

This myth came about in part from the movie The Lady & the Tramp where the Siamese cat is portrayed in less than a glowing light. In my opinion, temperament is a result of genetics & socialisation. If a cat is raised in a loving environment, the chances are they will grow up into well adjusted & loving pets. If the myth were true that Siamese cats are mean, I'm sure they wouldn't be one of the world's most popular breeds of cat. 

Original Website: http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-myths

【英文類】Amazing pictures of brave moggy as he chases away curious fox (News)

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Sioma the fearless feline proved he's one mean moggy after being caught on camera chasing away a curious fox.

The crafty cat showed no fear as he frightened off the fox after it slinked onto his 'territory' near his home in Kamchatka, Russia.

The incredible chase was captured by Sioma's owner and keen photographer, Sergey Krasnoshchokov.

The 45-year-old father-of-two watched the scene unfold outside his house in Kronotsky Reserve.
Sergey said Sioma had been very protective of the family and the house since they bought him as a kitten almost 12 months ago.

Unwelcome guest: Sioma the cat sets off to intercept a curious fox as it approaches his home in Russia's Kronotsky nature reserve. （Photo from Daily Mail）	Flashpoint: Sioma crouches in preparation as the fox comes bounding up to investigate. （Photo from Daily Mail）
Too close for comfort: The fox comes within a whisker of Sioma but the fearless feline stands his ground.  （Photo from Daily Mail）	Now clear off: Sioma goes on  the offensive sending the fox packing.  （Photo from Daily Mail）
And don't come back: The much larger animal beats a hasty retreat as Simona chases it across the snow. （Photo from Daily Mail）	Guard duty: The territorial puss  keeps watch outside the family home. （Photo from Daily Mail）

He said: 'He started guarding our house as a tiny fluffy kitten and has always been brave from day one.

'He has a strong and difficult character but we knew this from the moment we got him.
'I don't think he was looking for a fight but he loves guarding and keeping watch and he takes his duties very seriously.

'The fox certainly had a fright though. At first I think he was just looking for a chance to play but when things got serious he soon got frightened and ran off.' 

Original Website: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077637/Hes-scaredy-cat-Amazing-pictures-brave-moggy-chases-away-curious-fox.html

：Bravo, Sioma is a brave cat, but I dare not to do so~  

【英文類】Me-OUT! Famed hotel cat evicted from lobby (News)

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For nearly 80 years, a cat has roamed free in the lobby of New York City’s famed Algonquin hotel, but now, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has made finding the friendly feline into a bit of a scavenger hunt.

The Algonquin has confined Matilda III, the latest in a line of lobby cats dating back to 1932, primarily to the arrival area and behind the reception desk thanks to a pre-emptive move to prevent crossing the DOH.

Restaurants have been getting tagged with hefty fine and reduced health ratings for minor violations, so the Algonquin made the move to avoid running afoul of the New York City Health Code. In a statement to TODAY.com, a rep for the DOH said: "According to the New York City Health Code, live animals are not allowed in food service establishments (except for edible fish, shellfish, or crustacean) unless a patron needs a service dog."

“We certainly respect the Department of Health and their mission to protect the public,’’ Algonquin general manager Gary Budge told TODAY.com. “They make it clear that animals are not to be in food-service areas, so rather than be in a situation that could’ve been a conflict, we have restricted (Matilda) to the arrival area, the reception desk, and her favorite haunt, which has always been the coat room.’’

Next year will mark the 80th anniversary of cats roaming the Algonquin's lobby. In 1932, then-owner Frank Case welcomed a stray searching for food and shelter and a tradition was born. Guests have been asking about the absence of Matilda III, who gets regular mail and makes headlines any time her collar has been stolen. She even has a section on the hotel’s website titled “The Algonquin Cat.’’
“People miss seeing Matilda moving around the lobby,’’ Budge said. “They miss that part of the connection they’ve previously enjoyed. But this is the right thing to do. As we know, everything changes.’’

In nearly 80 years, Budge said neither Matilda nor her predecessors have ever attacked a guest or been abused by visitors. Hotel staff are often asked by guests to point out Matilda’s various hiding spots.

The Algonquin received 20 violation points in a preliminary inspection on Nov. 10, worth a B Grade if they are not fixed by the time of the DOH’s follow-up visit, according to a report in The New York Post, which originally reported the story.

None of those violations involved the cat. The Algonquin will undergo a four-month, $15 million renovation starting in January.

While Matilda may be harder for guests to spot, she is always within sight of an Algonquin employee to make sure that the DOH doesn’t come calling with fines and ratings downgrades.

“She is closer to a watchable eye from the team that works here, and they happen to like that,’’ Budge said.

Original Website: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45416507/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/t/me-out-famed-hotel-cat-evicted-lobby#.T29eHTHXAsI

: I think Matilda III is purr-fect pick for Algonquin’s ‘Directfurr of Guest Relations’!!!

【英文類】Cat Myths - Separate Fact From Fiction (4/5)

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Calico males are worth a lot of money

While it is true that calico males are rare, they are not valuable in financial terms.

All orange cats are male

No, it is possible to have an orange female. Unlike the orange male,  who only needs one copy of the O gene to produce an orange coat, the female requires the O to be on both chromosomes. If she has only one O, the resulting coat colour will be calico.

If you no longer want your pet cat, it is OK to release it into the wild because cats can fend for themselves.

It's a shame I am even having to reply to this myth, but sadly there are still some people who tire of their pet cat & leave the cat outdoors, justifying their behaviour by telling themselves that cats can fend for themselves. This is NOT the case. Pet cats who find themselves turfed out will most likely die of either starvation, injuries caused by fights with other animals, disease or be hit by a car. If you no longer want your cat then do the right thing & either find it a new home or take it to a shelter.

All male cats spray

Not all male cats spray. Entire male cats are much more likely to spray than desexed ones, which is another good reason to desex your cats. Female cats (especially entire ones) can also spray, although it's less common for an entire female to spray than an entire male.

You can't turn an indoor/outdoor cat into an indoor only cat

Yes you can, and my cats are a great example of this. They were all indoor/outdoor but reverted to indoor only (with access to an outdoor enclosure) with very little difficulty. It is easy to do as long as you ensure the cat(s) have enough mental stimulation.

Cats are independent & the ideal pet for somebody with a busy lifestyle

This is entirely dependant on the individual cat. Some cats are more independent than others but generally ALL cats need some companionship.  If you lead a busy lifestyle & spend long hours working it is advisable you have two cats, so they can keep each other company while you are out.

Cats smother babies

While extremely rare  it can happen. I have heard of two cases, one resulting in a fatality, the other resulting in a near miss. [1] However, there are several cases of parents accidentally smothering babies in their sleep. Care should always be taken to ensure a cat does not have access to a sleeping baby. 

References: 

[1] British Medical Journal

Original Website: http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-myths

【英文類】Friendship from Birth – Kitty & Baby (News)

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Maus the kitty met Dominic for the first time after he was born. From that day on, he knew the little baby would become his best friend for life. This is how their friendship began.

Best buddies~
(Photo／Beth Nazario)

Best friends forever~
(Photo／Beth Nazario)

My playmate~
(Photo／Beth Nazario)

Always accompany me～
(Photo／Beth Nazario)

Dominic’s mom Beth N. documented this adorable bond between Maus and the baby on her flickr. Maus watched his human buddy grow and learn to crawl and walk and is always there to keep him company. This series of below photos may just send you into a diabetic coma.

Newly born (Photo／Beth Nazario)	1 month old (Photo／Beth Nazario)
3 months old (Photo／Beth Nazario)	4 months old (Photo／Beth Nazario)
5 months old (Photo／Beth Nazario)	6 months old ( Photo／Beth Nazario)
7 months old (Photo／Beth Nazario)	9 months old (Photo／Beth Nazario)
11 months old ( Photo／Beth Nazario)	2 years old (Photo／Beth Nazario)
3 years old (Photo／Beth Nazario)	Deep Kiss~ ( Photo／Beth Nazario)

Original Website: http://lovemeow.com/2011/07/friendship-from-birth-kitty-baby/

【英文類】'Cat' scan a life-saver (News)

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As far as cat scans go, it was pretty low-tech. But, it was accurate.Janet Batten was perplexed when her 13-pound orange and white tabby took a sudden and persistent interest in her head.

The Toms Brook resident and her husband Charles had gotten Noah, the 8 1⁄2-year-old cat, from a neighbor when he was just a kitten.  

(Photo from nvdaily.com)

"Noah stays out in my little hobby shop," said Batten, 73.
The feline likes to sit on her desk when she uses the computer, she said.
"He was constantly smelling my head on the right side, in the front, and in my eye and in my nose," Batten said. "Sometimes he would really push to get into my head.
"He would do that and then he would sit back and he would give me a look that I had never seen before. After a while, I began to ask him, 'Is there something wrong up there?' He would just make this sound that I had never heard before. I began to get very suspicious."
Batten started having trouble with her eye, and visited her primary care doctor and then an opthamologist, and nothing was found.
Last August, about six months after Noah's strange behavior began, Batten suffered a mini-stroke and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. A CT scan revealed she had a brain aneurysm.
"So, I now have platinum wire in my head," Batten said. "Noah doesn't bother [me] anymore. He was trying to tell me that something's wrong up there."

(Photo from nvdaily.com)

Noah's diagnostic skills were recognized Feb. 25 when he was awarded the Animal Hero Award at the Virginia Veterinary Conference at the Hotel Roanoke.
He was nominated by Dr. Bruce Coston.
Coston said Batten shared the story with him when she brought Noah in for vaccines at his practice, Seven Bends Veterinary Hospital.
When he was on the board of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, Coston suggested giving out animal awards after having seen a similar citation in South Carolina.
"Most of the time, these are dogs," he said. "Because Noah the cat had been alerting his mom that something was wrong...she was aggressive in seeking treatment."

Besides some extra treats, Noah's only reward is knowing he helped his owner.
Batten offered some advice to other animal lovers.
"I would hope that other pet owners pay attention when their animals are trying to tell them something," she said.

Original Website: http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2012/03/cat-scan-a-life-saver.php

【英文類】Cat Myths - Separate Fact From Fiction (3/5)

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Declawing won't hurt my cat.

Declawing is  more than simply removing the cat's claws, the last bone on the cat's claw is amputated. This is an excruciatingly painful procedure & one which not all cats will fully recover from. Many declawed cats are surrendered to shelters because of behavioural problems they developed after being declawed including biting & refusal to use their litter tray.

Cats by nature walk on their toes, so after they've been declawed, walking often becomes extremely painful to them.

If you are worried about your cat scratching the furniture (or your family) you can try trimming your cat's claws or you could put Soft Paws on it.

Can I feed my cat dog food?

Feeding your cat dog food is extremely dangerous. Dog food is missing essential the essential nutrients taurine & arachidonic acid. Taurine deficiency can lead to blindness & arachidonic acid can lead to dry, scaly skin. Cats require a higher protein & fat content in their diet.

Cat fur causes allergies

The primary cause of allergic reactions to cats is caused by allergens found in the cat sebaceous glands in the cat's skin, such as the allergenic glycoprotein called Fel D1(short for "Felis domesticus"), it is also secreted via saliva in lesser quantities. When cats lick themselves, they spread this protein, which is rather sticky, and glues itself onto dust particles, the home, your clothing and their fur; whether it's long, short, straight, curly, or absent. As all cats have sebaceous glands, all cat breeds can potentially cause allergies. Allergic allergens are also found in the faeces, serum, urine, mucous, dander, and hair roots of the cat.

A cat purrs because it's happy

Well yes, cats do purr when they're happy but they will sometimes purr when they are in pain. Cats have been known to purr when they are giving birth & they will sometimes purr when they are dying. Purring is more an expression of an emotion than an expression of happiness.

Cats will not mate with their siblings/parents/offspring

Cats do not share the same taboos about incest as humans do. If left entire, closely related cats including brother & sister, parent to offspring will mate. It is advisable to desex your cats before 6 months to prevent this from happening.

All calico (tortoiseshell) cats are female

No, while the vast majority of calico cats are female, there is the occasional male. However, virtually all of these males are sterile. the calico colour is sex linked. For a cat to be calico it must have two X chromosomes ergo the cat is female. In rare instances however a male calico will be produced. This usually happens because the cat has an extra chromosome. So, instead of him being XY, he is XXY. These cats are known as Kleinfelter males.

Approximately 1-3,000 calico's are male & out of those only 1-10,000 are fertile.

Original Website: http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-myths

【英文類】Cat Facts and Cat Information

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• Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat flap.

• An ailurophile is a person who loves cats. The word ailuro is from the ancient Greek word for "cat".

• More cats are left handed than right handed. Out of every 100 cats approximately 40 are left-pawed, 20 are right-pawed, and 40 are ambidextrous.

• The ridged pattern on a cat's nosepad  is as individual as a human fingerprint.

• At their fastest, cats can run at 30mph.

• A group of kittens is called a kindle.

• A group of cats is called a clowder.

• The cat is the only domesticated animal NOT mentioned in the bible.

• Male cats used to be called "rams" or "boars", however in 1760, an anonymous author wrote a book entitled "The Life & Adventures of a Cat" in which the central character was a male called Tom the Cat. This book was hugely popular & the name tom cat quickly replaced "ram" or "boar".

• A cat's pulse is between 130 - 240 beats per minute.

• A cat's gestation is between 61 - 70 days.

• Cats have 30 vertebrae. Humans have 25.

• The normal body temperature is 102 degrees F.

• Like humans, kittens have "baby" teeth, which are replaced with their adult teeth from around 6 months of age.

• Cats perspire through their paws.

• Cats breathe at a rate of 20 - 30 breaths per minute.

• The cat's front paws have 5 toes & their back paws have 4. However, some cats have more than this number of toes. When a cat has more than 18 toes, it's called a "polydactyl". Poly comes from the Greek word "polys" which means many or more than one. Dactyl also comes from a Greek word "daktylos" or finger.

• Cat urine glows under "black light".

• Cats don't kill their prey with their claws, the claws are used to hold onto the prey, the teeth are used to kill the prey.

• The claws on the cat's back feet aren't as sharp as the claws on the front feet because they can't retract into the toe, therefore they're continually being worn down by walking.

• Cats have existed longer than humans.

• Cats walk on their toes.

• Cats can jump 5 times their height.

• The domestic cat is the only species of cat that can hold it's tail vertically while walking.

• Cats have the largest eyes in proportion to their body size of all mammals.

• Cats usually have 12 whiskers on each side of it's nose.

Original Website: http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-trivia