Granted cats do not show their affection as openly as dogs, but they show their affection in other ways which are more subtle. Many cats will just hang out in the same room as their human companions. If you have a cat, observe where you are and where the cat is. As you move from room to room, watch and see if your cat follows you. He may not come trotting after you, although he will eventually move as if the idea had been his all along. In fact, you may be surprised at how much your "aloof" cat is in your company.

Much of the myth of aloofness comes from the adolescent cat. Kittens are very affectionate because they still rely on their mothers. In fact, their mothers have to drive them away so they can be independant. A human makes a great substitute for a cat mother, we provide food, shelter, a clean litterbox, a climbing frame (your body), and nearly endless affection. As the kitten reaches adolescence, he wants more independence from his mother figure. Just like a human teenager who says: "Gimme the car keys and stay out of my life!" The adolescent cat says: "Gimme the food and the litter box and stay out of my life." It's been my observation that this stage lasts from around one year to three years depending on the cat. After three years of age, the cat returns to more affection-seeking behavior. Three years old for a cat is approximately in the mid-twenties for humans (the time when most human children figure out that their parents are smarter than they used to be).

He wasn't being traitorous. Cats can get overstimulated if they are petted for too long, just like if someone rubbed your back until it drove you crazy. Cats also can feel restrained by a very light touch. So an overstimulated cat who feels restrained by your petting has only one option left to him, he bites.

Why does he purr when he bites? Cats will purr when feeling any strong emotion, including pain. Since some cats can only take a few minutes of petting while others can be petted for eternity, the general rule is to watch the tail. A limp relaxed tail shows that the cat is relaxed and contented. As the cat becomes more and more agitated, the tail becomes more animated. First the tip moves, then the entire tail is swishing back and forth. If the cat's tail is moving, stop touching the cat. He will probably jump off your lap instead of biting you.

Another kind of biting is "love biting" which are gentle nips to the nose or other areas. Since cat affection is based on grooming behavior, these nips come naturally to the cats as they nip themselves to remove dead hairs from their coats. Since petting mimics a mutual grooming session, cats will nip you in the same way as they nip themselves or other cats while grooming.

My cat always seems to sleep, cats are lazy.

Cats sleep approximately sixteen hours a day. Most predators sleep long periods because their basic nutritional needs are satisfied much faster than herbivores which eat mostly indigestable fiber. For example, horses sleep only for two hours a day, but they will spend the other twenty-two eating. Horse owners will often provide special feed bags which must be nibbled through because the need to graze is so strong that to deny it will cause behavior problems in their horses. This ratio applies to animals all over the world; the more time needed to eat, the less time spent sleeping.

Another problem for cat owners is that cats will often sleep while the owner is at work, only to arise when the owner gets home. The cat, completely rested, is ready to play. And the owner is exhausted. I recommend a cat fishing pole. You only have to move one arm, and the cat enjoys chasing the toy around. Or a teaser wand to induce the cat to jump up.

Since cats come in heat only twice a year, I don't have to have my female cat fixed.

Cats are basically mating machines. They break all of nature's rules when it comes to mating, including mating and impregnation while already pregnant. A unspayed female will start to have more frequent heats and longer heats until the cat is constantly in heat. She will call at three a.m. all the time. And she will leave little urine deposits to announce her state to suitors. Plus, if she escapes a mating may happen in minutes depending on how desparate she is.

An unspayed queen who is not allowed to mate will develop physical problems due to her constant heats. She can develop uterine cancer or breast cancer.

A female cat should have at least one litter so she can calm down. And I want my kids to see the miracle of birth.

These myths have generated more kittens than any others. Age will calm most females nicely. Motherhood will make no difference in the post-weaning behavior of a cat.

I'm going to be harsh here. The miracle of birth is not the reason to bring more kittens into the world. What is more likely to happen is that your cat will give birth in your closet while your kids are at school. If you insist on your cat having a litter to show your kids the miracle of birth, you may want to think about explaining this things.

As you can see, you may have to explain to your kids about the miracle of death as well as the miracle of life. Imagine your five year old's horror as he watches the mother cat comsume a kitten along with its placenta. Or think about the anxiety that your child will experience when he realizes that some mothers can abandon their young. Imagine the mourning the child will experience after losing their family pet. And what will you tell your child about the shelter? Children can tell when an adult lies to them. Think to yourself, is it really worth it?

I have a black and orange female (calico or tortoiseshell) and I want to mate her with a black and orange male.

You're in for a long and ultimately dissappointing wait. Black and orange males comprise 1 in 10,000 black and orange cats. The color genes for cats are sex linked which means that only the X chromosome has the blueprint for any color. Black and orange females are common because females have XX chromosomes. In order for a male to have both black and orange coloration, he must have XXY chromsomes. A cat with those chromosomes will have no mating drive, act more female than male, and will be sterile. Your female will die of old age before you can even find such a male. And if by some miracle you do find one, he will refuse to mate. Even if he does mate, he will not produce any kittens. So just have her fixed and forget it.

Pregnant women shouldn't have cats because of toxoplasmosis.

While toxoplasmosis is a devasting disease to a fetus, most cases come from poorly cooked meats. The disease can be passed through cat feces 48 to 72 hours after the feces has been passed from the cats and it is communicable hand to mouth. Which means that the disease has to get into your mouth before it can harm your child. And the only time a cat can pass the disease is right after it has been exposed.

With proper precautions, you will not receive toxoplasmosis. First, determine if your cat has toxoplasmosis. Your vet can conduct a test. This will put your mind at ease, and give you something to tell annoying people who want you to give up your cat. Even if your cat has it, you can still use precautionary measures. Wear disposable gloves when changing the litterbox. Disposable gloves are available wherever home health care supplies are sold. When removing the gloves, pinch a fold of glove at the wrist and pull over the hand then slip the bare finger under the glove and pull off over the hand. Both gloves should end up inside out, and safe to handle. Throw them in the garbage and immediately wash your hands in warm water with an anti-bacterial soap. Wash from fingers down to your wrists, concentrating on the nail beds and the webs between your fingers. This procedure is done by hospital employees to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. And remember to cook all meats throughly

Cats have been known to suffocate babies.

This myth has two forms. First: the cat will smell milk on an infant's breath and suck the breath right out of an infant. A cat cannot do that. Often cats will smell your breath either as part of greeting or if you ate meat, but cats cannot suck air long enough to suffocate even a preemie newborn.

Second: a cat will sit on an infant's chest and cause the infant to suffocate. Infants are a little more hardy than that. As I found out at age eleven when I accidently stepped (not hard) on my cousin; she was fine, I was a nervous wreck. What is more likely to happen is that the infant will awaken when the cat jumps in the cradle and start crying. Cats have one of the highest hearing ranges of all mammals, they can hear the sound of cereal poured into a bowl from an upstairs. Upon hearing a screaming infant, a cat will run, hide and never again come near something that hurt his ears so badly.

These myths were generated by the prevalance and misunderstanding of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in times past.

Cats will catch more rodents if you don't feed them much.

Cats will hunt for the pleasure of it. And hunting is a calorie comsuming activity. Feeding a mouser will keep him closer to home, so he will catch the mice in your house instead of your neighbors'. A malnorished cat will not have the strength to hunt. He'll just raid your garbage can instead, much easier prey.

Sweetkittie Sweetkittie's Cat Index Sweetkittie's Crime Index Sweetkittie's General Index Please Sign My Guest Book View My Guest Book Send Me Mail

If you liked this java, I found it at The Omega Factor

cat people have visited this page.

This Spay/Neuter - Save a Life Ring site is owned by Sweetkittie. Next Skip Next Next Five Previous Skip Previous Want to join the ring? Click here for info.

This Spay/Neuter Supporters Ring site is owned by Sweetkittie. Click for the [Next Site | Previous Site | Skip Next | Next Five | Random Site | List Sites] Want to join? Click HERE for info. Save a life! Please have your cat or dog spayed or neutered!!!