Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Why Do Cats Spend So Much Time Grooming?

Well the most obvious answer is to keep clean but it goes deeper than that. When they lick their fur it smooths it and makes it a better insulator. If their coat is ruffled it doesn't protect as well in the winter time but there is much more to it still. Coldness isn't the only problem overheating is too! When they lick themselves the saliva evaporates cooling the cat off. Lions and other great cats do this as well. Cats do not perspire like us because they do not have sweat glands so licking themselves is the only way to cool off on a hot day where ever they may be. A nifty thing also associated with the sun and cats. Have you ever noticed how they like to bathe in the Sun and lick themselves? When they are doing that they are actually tasting the Vitamin D from the Sun and that is how they get the Vitamin D that they need. If your cat is a nervous cat or agitated they groom more frequently this is called Displacement Grooming. Cats are also VERY Smell orientated like we are very site orientated. You ever noticed right after you pet it it starts licking that spot? You know why? It's because your scent has covered it's own and it doesn't like to smell like anyone other than itself. It is trying to Rebalance its scent! 

Auto grooming is a set of actions done by your cat. The following sequence is usually how it goes.

1. Lick the lips
2. Lick side of one paw till wet
3. Rub cheek and face with said paw therefore cleaning that side of face
4. Continue with other side
5. Lick front legs and shoulders
6. Lick Flanks
7. Lick Genitals
8. Lick hind legs
9.Lick Tail From Base to Tip

If you interrupt your kitty in his/her grooming cycle they will pick it back up in the spot they left off. I observed Jolie once doing this!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Is It Cruel To Get Your Cat Declawed?

The question whether or not its ok for a cat to be declawed is a question a lot of people ask. The answer is simply NO! When you declaw a cat your are taking away it's ability to defend itself in the wild and also hunt if they ever run out of your house unexpectedly. To a cat declawing them in human terms would be like cutting off your fingers. There are all kinds of products on the market to help keep cats from clawing you furniture and carpet. First give your cat something besides those things to scratch like a scratching post. There are also nail caps for your cats claws and come in all sizes and colors and last for awhile on the nails. Think of it like getting your nails done all pretty. Also when you declaw you mess with their grooming routine. They need their claws to scratch themselves and dislodge hairs that are troublesome to them. 

So Please Do Not Get You Cat Declawed!

Use other methods to keep your cats from scratching your furniture and carpet. There are A LOT of Products out there that can help you. I might try and talk about different products you can use for these matters with your cats.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Cat Introduction: James


This here is James. Kat's Japanese Bobtail. His color is odd for him to be solid black but he is a sweet heart and LOVES to talk! I'm doing research into the Japanese Bobtail Breed and hope to soon have a Review on the breed coming up. Lucifer has such a kind heart and a lovable attitude. Although he doesn't travel very well. He is not shy of the camera and loves to do posing shots. Like the one shown here. He loves to lay over your books when your not reading them making it look like he is. He is such a funny little boy and I'm so glad to call him my little fur grandchild!

Here is Lucifer doing some Heavy Reading!



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Breed Review: The American Shorthair



Kat my Daughter-in-law's favorite kitty is her cat Angelina Jolie, or Jolie for short, and she is an American Shorthair Cat. I want to share something s about this great Breed of Cat here in my Breed Review.

The American Shorthair Cat comes in many colors although the silver version is the most common. Jolie happens to be a Silver one. They have a distinctive "Bulls Eye" Pattern and it is the distinctive hallmark of their Breed. Breeders describe their build of body as substantial. The American Shorthair is well established among Breeders.  To qualify for Cat Shows a American Shorthair must meet these criteria. They should be strongly built, well balanced and give the impression of power, endurance and agility. A look of a "Working Cat". The American Shorthairs neck, back, hips, and shoulders are wide and the legs are short and powerful as well. They should have a Round Head and Ears and the Eyes should also be Round. The Nose is Short but not pushed in like the Persians. Grooming is a breeze since they are a short haired cat. They do need to be brushed every now and then though. Be sure to clip their claws because they have a tendency to grow fast at least little Jolie's does. She has to have them clipped once a month they grow so fast. Also keep their ears clean. Health Wise they are a hearty cat. Jolie is in good health. Her momma takes her for her shots every year but other than that she is doing great! She is a very special loving kitty just like her breed! Love you my Little Jolie!!!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Cat Introduction: Angelina Jolie (A.K.A Jolie)







Today I wanted to introduce Kat's little girl Miss Angelina Jolie, Jolie for short, she is a silver American Shorthair. Her eyes are a emerald green and is a sweet and loving little kitty. She loves feet and will playfully nibble at them. She also loves to give people kisses on their hands by licking them.

From what Kat tells me Jolie is a rescue kitty! Jolie had been stuck in the duct work of her house and she could not find her but two days later she came out hungry and Kat picked her up and got her fixed and shots and got her ear and face cheek healed and she is Kat's little shadow and little girl. She is the best little fur baby and I love playing with her when I go over to their house. I will be writing on this wonderful breed, The American Shorthair.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012


Today is Independence Day and who knows more about Independence than your Cat! From Me and all the cats I have ever had and my Fur Grand-babies HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Tomorrow I'm going to be writing about Kat's Cat Jolie so tune in tomorrow to find out more about this little girl! 

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Sickness In Family

Hello all I have had some sickness in my family these past two weeks and starting Monday I should be back writing articles for your enjoyment. Please be patient with me. I have some articles already written just need to type them and post them. Please pray for my family to get better!


Thank You All for Supporting My Blog!


Susan

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Why Do Cats Chatter Their Teeth When They See A Bird Outside?


Why do cats chatter their teeth then they see birds outside the window? 

This is something I had always wondered about because Joile my Daughter-in-law’s Cat does this when we are over there visiting. So I did a little research into it this is what I found out!

Basically the cat is mimicking the killing blow it would make when pouncing and performing it onto its prey whether it’s a bird, mouse or other prey animals. I find this totally fascinating! It’s like they are talking to it saying come here birdie! When Jolie performs the chattering she also slashes her tail about and wiggles the very tip! Normally Jolie gets so agitated by not being able to catch the bird Kat my Daughter-in-law has to get her attention onto something else. She normally takes one of Jolie’s little birdie toys and plays with her with it.

It is so interesting how intrinsic the hunter instinct is wired into our kitties. To me they will always by my little warriors! I just love cats!

First Aid Kit For Your Kitties


Sorry I’ve been away for the past week my Daughter-in-law Kat has been sick. She is feeling better now though. Today I’m going to talk about putting together a First Aid Kit for your Kitty’s! This is Very Important cause you never know when your beloved kitty might get hurt! Here are some things to have in your First Aid Kit!

First Aid Kit Items
Bandages
Gauze and Gauze Pads
Tweezers
Thermometer (Recital)
Paper Tape
White Tape
Styptic Powder (stops bleeding)
Antibiotic Ointment
Bottle of Water
Old Blanket, Sheet, or Towel
Antiseptic Wipes
Instant Cold Compress/ Plastic bag for Ice
Hydrogen peroxide 3% to clean wounds
Cotton Balls
Alcohol Pads
Cat Nail Clippers

This is what I have used in the past and what My Daughter-in-law has made for her two fur babies! Being prepared is key with any situation that may arise! Take Care Everyone!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Panthera Onca The Jaguar (A Poem)


Panthera Onca with eyes so golden,
You were worshiped as the sun god,
Now you are hunted numbering fewer than 10,000,
You roam the jungle your last home,

Like so many others that have come before,
Has your time on this plain come to an end?
Only humanity and time will tell,

Panthera Onca fur of molten gold or of the darkest black,
Your time grows short and that’s a fact,
Mysterious and Ancient the key to the future can be seen in your eyes,
Tell me the secrets of the time before time when the world was young,

God and Goddess in your own right,
Worshiped not out of fear or fright,
Now you fade into the darkness leaving us without light,
To forever stumble through the night.




My Daughter-in-law gave me permission to use her poem here on Felines and You. Lots of species of Big Cats are being killed each year due to poaching of their fur and other things. The Jaguar sits close to my Daughter-in-law's heart so she wrote this poem about the coming extinction of the Jaguar if we do not save them now! My next article will be on Jaguar Rescues so stay tuned!





Thursday, June 7, 2012

Pet Insurance


Today’s Blog is going to be about Pet Insurance. I will give a run down on what it is and does for you and your pet as well as list a place you can look at for reviews on companies and providers, and I will list 8 providers here in this blog. Pet Insurance is fairly new and I myself wish I had had some when I had my kitties.

Pet Insurance protects you and your pet from major expenses due to unforeseen medical expenses like a accident or illness. Pet Insurance offers peace of mind to you, the owner, to know your pet will be taken care of in their time of need.

Although Pet Insurance does have its limitations. Several things might not be covered under a policy. Such things as preexisting conditions, or depending on what age your pet, and also some preventative maintenance may not be covered.  So it pays to read the fine print before you purchase any policy from any provider. Better to be safe than sorry I always say!

After you choose a policy that’s right for you and your pet you will pay a monthly premium just like you do for your own health insurance. With some policys you still pay the vet up front out of pocket then turn the bill into the insurance.

When you sit down to compare polices some of the things you should look at is what you want covered for your pet and sometimes the things you want on a policy can be mixed or matched. There are three types of polices. Wellness, Illness, and Accident. Wellness covers the preventative treatment for your pet like Dental. Where Illness covers things like Worms and other Medical Conditions. Accident is pretty self explanatory. So you need to look at these three policies before you choose which one is right.

A good place to start looking at Polices is Here. They give Reviews on the companies that sell Pet Insurances. I’m going to list eight companies that I’m thinking of looking into myself now.

ASPCA Pet Insurance: 866-204-6764 www.aspcapetinsurance.com
Purina Care: 877-878-7462 www.purinacare.com
Healthy Paws: 800-453-4054 www.healthpawspetinsurance.com
Pets Best Insurance: 877-738-7237 www.petsbest.com
Veterinary Pet Insurance: 888-899-4874 www.petinsurance.com
Pet Plan USA: 866-467-3875 www.gopetplan.com
Petfirst Healthcare: 855-270-7387 www.petfirsthealthcare.com
24PetWatch: 866-275-7387 www.24petwatch.com/petinsurance

I hope this article has be informative and helpful!


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Adventures of Tom the Cat ( A Story )


Today I am featuring a story by my Daughter-in-law named The Adventures of Tom the Cat today. Hope you all enjoy her story!

The Adventures of Tom the Cat

Tom was a quiet little thing of a cat. He scurried along in the shadows. Weaving in and out and always playing about. Today was not a usual day. It was his birthday and his human companions had a treat in store for him. But Tom had this burning desire, this itch he could not scratch. He wanted to go outside so badly. Today was going to be that day he thought to himself. He had always been an inside kitty but he had saw other cats outside. The humans were leaving and now he saw his chance. He ran in between their feet as the door was opened. “Come Back!” They screamed! He heard but was not going to follow. He had finally made it outside! What a wondrous day it was!

He ran up the nearest tree and there was a nest of birds. Oh wow he thought! BIRDS!!! Well the momma Jay Bird was not too thrilled about it and squawked out her displeasure. The next thing he knew she flew up from the nest and started pecking him on the head! OWWW!!! He fell from the tree but landed on his feet. The momma Jay was hot on his trail driving him into the thorn bushes. OWWW!!!! This hurts! Being outside wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.

After he got out of the thorn bushes on the other side he noticed he wasn’t in his yard. OH NO!!! He was lost now what was he going to do?! He heard some growling and wondered where it was coming from. He looked to his left and then to his right, but it was directly behind him! He turned around slowly and was then nose to nose with the biggest dog he had ever seen! The next thing he did was bush up his fur and then the dog just smiled at him and then barked. This scared poor Tom so bad he took off running. He didn’t even look where he was going. He ended up in a trash can that was on its side. He hid there till the dog was gone then decided to venture out.

He was lost but the dog wasn’t anywhere to be seen. WHEW!!! That was close he thought. He started walking toward a clump of bushes off to the side. It looks beautiful here. There were so many scents to take in. He heard a mewing of small kittens up ahead so he followed the crying. He came upon a momma calico with her little kittens feeding them. He spoke up, “Excuse me Mam but I seem to have lost my way.” She turned around as one of the kittens bounded toward him and attacked his leg. He kindly swatted at the little one. She said, “You are not from around here are you?” Tom just looked sheepishly at her and said, “No I’m not.” She proceeded to get up and walked over to him. “So where are you from?” Tom looked at her and said,” Today is my birthday and I left the house to see outside and I’ve lost my way. A bird chased me out of a tree in my yard and through some thorn bushes, and then a dog attacked me back there.” “I see.” She said and then looked about through the bushes then back to her little ones. “I can help you but I must leave my little ones.” “I thank you kindly Mam. I’m sure they will be good till you come back.” So they walked out of the bushes.

She started back tracking Tom’s steps using her nose to sniff out his scent. Tom followed behind her and then the dog turned the corner. She just lazily walked up to him. “James come here.” She said to the dog. “Did you see where this cat came from?” James looked at Tom then sneered at him. “Yes. He came from the thorn bushes over there.” She looked that way then said to Tom. “Let’s go around the bushes.” She suggested to Tom. So they went down the long row of bushes and then there was an opening for him to go through. He looked at her then said thank you as he went through the bushes. On the other side he saw his house. He looked around for the momma bird but she was nowhere in sight so he made his way to the porch steps. There he waited till the humans came back home.

When the humans got home they picked him up and loved all over him. Even though he has been a wayward kitty they still loved him, and he had had his fill of being outside. Outside was just not for him he thought. The humans took him into the kitchen then sat him down. “Happy Birthday!” they exclaimed then gave him a mouse toy and some jingle ball toys. Then the woman set him out some tuna fish and fresh milk! Oh what a marvelous day this had been!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Introduction


Hello and Welcome to the Blog Felines and You!

I’m a really big cat lover and love to study about cats. I’ve owned cats most of my life. I started this blog to inform people about things particular to our feline friends.  


I will tell you a little bit about myself now. I am very family oriented. I have one son his name is Jonathan and he is married to a wonderful woman named Kat. I love all animals especially cats! I have a dog named Pedro right now.

My two favorite cats I have loved in my life are Butterball and Johannes Kepler. Butterball was a Persian and Siamese mixture and Johannes was part Burmese. She did not have the temperament of a Siamese she was very gentle and loving and loved to be held. Johannes was black with green eyes and the runt of the litter. Sometimes he could be Very vocal! He was 12 or 13 when he died.

My son and his wife have two cats. I call them my fur grandchildren! Their names are James and Jolie. I will be talking about them in this blog at times. James is a solid black Japanese Bobtail and Jolie is a Marbled Tabby. James is very vocal and Jolie is just so adorable!

Now on to what this blog will strive to bring you!

I will talk about products I have used with my cats in the past and about what my Daughter-in-law has found helpful with her fur babies! I will post Trivia, descriptions of cat breeds, about charities and other organizations that help felines both big and small; I will talk about Big Cats, cat stories and all kinds of other things concerning felines!

I hope that you will come to enjoy my blog, and I’m glad you have ventured in!