By: stuart goodson
The history of the relationship between cats and man dates back to over 9,500 years. Cats have become part of the history of many nations and civilizations as well as being a popular subject of legends.
The reason for the interaction of cats with humans has not been concluded but a gravesite discovered in 1983 is Cyprus dating to 7500 BC contains the remains of a human and a young cat. The cat is believed to be domesticated since cats are not native to Cyprus. But the earliest proven records of attempts to domesticate cats date back to 4000 BC in ancient Egypt where they were used to keep vermin away from grain stores to prevent food poisoning. It is important to note that Ancient Egyptians considered cats to be sacred in the context of having the goddess Bast embodied as a cat.
Aside from the Egyptians, Vikings also used cats are vermin catchers and companions. Cats were also regarded as sacred animals due to the strong association of the goddess of love, fertility and war with them.
By the middle ages, cats were then thought to be a witch familiar similar to the cat in Macbeth's famous opening scene. During festivities, cats were either burnt alive or thrown off tall buildings.
A medieval King of Wales then passed a rule that made it illegal to cause harm to a cat when other cultures considered them evil. The mass killing of cats in the middle ages was actually cited to be one of the reasons for the spread of the bubonic plague due to the increased population of rats since the cats that hunted them significantly decreased in population.
By 1607, European folklore tells that a cat will suffocate an infant by sucking the breath out of the infant. There was a widespread acceptance of the tale explaining that the cat is jealous of the attention the infant gets or that the smell of milk from the infants mouth lures the cat in. However, studies have shown that unless a cat is raised on milk, it will actually prefer water.
The Japanese Maneki Neko, known in English as the cat of good fortune is actually from a legend. It tells that a cat waved at a Japanese landlord that was intrigued and then went towards it. Lightning then struck where the man had previously been standing which made the landlord attribute his good fortune to the cats action. The figure is commonly seen in businesses to draw money in.
In more modern times, there are still beliefs that black cats can bring bad luck while some believe it brings good luck. But the most common withstanding lore is that a cat has nine lives due to its righting ability even after falling from a great height that would otherwise kill any other animal.
Whatever belief withstands, cats have become part of human life and will no doubt continue to be part of it.
Article Source: http://www.petsadvice.info
The Author Is a Animal lover and wants to share his passion and also share how you can improve your realatioship with your cat go here Training My Cat
Nothing's Unhappier than a Fat Cat
By: MIKE SELVON
Do you have a fat cat? Dog and cat obesity is the number one pet health problem that vets see today. Our pets are as susceptible to obesity as humans are. Of course, you love your cat and want the best for it. You make sure to treat it well and provide for its needs.
You may be treating your cat a little too well. If your cat is obese, it is at risk for diseases such as diabetes, Hepatic Lipidosis (fat seeping into the liver cells), and arthritis.
Just like humans, if a cat (or any other mammal for that matter) takes in more calories than its body can burn, the cat will gain weight. Forty percent of all cats in the United States today have a diagnosis of sedentary obesity and that percentage is growing.
In the wild, a cat expends a lot of energy to hunt down and catch its prey. Cat's bodies are designed to store nutrients when hunting is slim. A domestic cat that lives indoors doesn't have to hunt. Food is right there waiting for felines any time they want it - the perfect environment for a fat cat.
Many people refuse to see the fact that too much food is the cause of their fat cat and its weight problem. You may not be feeding your cat many treats, but you may be feeding them too much at one time, too often, or not enough meals in a day.
A cat that gets food once a day tends to gorge in case there won't be a next meal. Veterinarians suggest that you serve your cat two to four meals a day - and think in ounces, not cups. 0.6 to 1.0 ounces per serving is plenty.
Cats were never made to digest carbohydrates. Humans and dogs have special enzymes in their saliva to break down carbohydrates in the mouth. Researchers have found that cats have considerably less of these enzymes than we do. Dry pet food can have high amounts of carbohydrates (usually in the form of flour or sugar).
Dry cat food diets are not always the best for your cat's metabolism. The carbohydrates are immediately converted to fat and the result is a fat cat. Cats need a meat-based diet with high levels of protein. Research shows that diets high in fat and protein are best for carnivores such as cats - combined with plenty of exercise.
A lot of pet foods claim to be "perfectly balanced". The only way your cat is going to get its true, proper diet is if it was living in the wild. Popular brands of canned food use many fillers, such as grain, to make the food more visually appealing to the owners.
Yes, that's right; the food is produced to be appealing to you and not the cat. Grain is a replacement for real meat that your cat needs more than the carbohydrates grains provide.
Pre-packaged treats are another problem that create a fat cat. A treat once in a while is fine. However, owners make a habit of doling out treats far too much when they think the cat is restless or want to reward it for being cute. Never give your cat a treat to stop it from meowing, as this will only encourage your cat to vocalize more.
In effect, you're telling your cat "Good kitty! Keep talking and I'll give you another one of these treats!" If you must give your cat a treat, try giving it a small piece of cooked fish or chicken, something that is high in protein and better for the cat.
Of course, exercise is important to avoid a fat cat. If you can't change what your cat eats, you can at least try to help your cat burn extra calories. Unfortunately, you can't go for walks with your cat like you would a dog. Some cats might take to leash training, but it's rare.
A typical domestic cat's day consists of sleeping, eating, sleeping, and then waking up to sleep some more. If you have a fat cat, those habits will only increase as its weight slows it down. You need to provide your cat with toys and interesting things to do.
A cat needs to chase things, play hide and seek, stalk, and do something other than take naps in its favorite sunny window! If you can, get a second cat. The two cats will keep each other busy during the day while you're away at work.
Before starting any diet plan for your fat cat, bring the cat to a veterinarian. Your vet will give your cat a thorough physical exam and discuss with you exactly what options you have at hand to help your cat lose weight.
Article Source: http://www.petsadvice.info
Mike Selvon owns a number of niche portal. Please visit our cats portal for more great tips on treating a fat cat, and leave a comment at our cats blog.
Do you have a fat cat? Dog and cat obesity is the number one pet health problem that vets see today. Our pets are as susceptible to obesity as humans are. Of course, you love your cat and want the best for it. You make sure to treat it well and provide for its needs.
You may be treating your cat a little too well. If your cat is obese, it is at risk for diseases such as diabetes, Hepatic Lipidosis (fat seeping into the liver cells), and arthritis.
Just like humans, if a cat (or any other mammal for that matter) takes in more calories than its body can burn, the cat will gain weight. Forty percent of all cats in the United States today have a diagnosis of sedentary obesity and that percentage is growing.
In the wild, a cat expends a lot of energy to hunt down and catch its prey. Cat's bodies are designed to store nutrients when hunting is slim. A domestic cat that lives indoors doesn't have to hunt. Food is right there waiting for felines any time they want it - the perfect environment for a fat cat.
Many people refuse to see the fact that too much food is the cause of their fat cat and its weight problem. You may not be feeding your cat many treats, but you may be feeding them too much at one time, too often, or not enough meals in a day.
A cat that gets food once a day tends to gorge in case there won't be a next meal. Veterinarians suggest that you serve your cat two to four meals a day - and think in ounces, not cups. 0.6 to 1.0 ounces per serving is plenty.
Cats were never made to digest carbohydrates. Humans and dogs have special enzymes in their saliva to break down carbohydrates in the mouth. Researchers have found that cats have considerably less of these enzymes than we do. Dry pet food can have high amounts of carbohydrates (usually in the form of flour or sugar).
Dry cat food diets are not always the best for your cat's metabolism. The carbohydrates are immediately converted to fat and the result is a fat cat. Cats need a meat-based diet with high levels of protein. Research shows that diets high in fat and protein are best for carnivores such as cats - combined with plenty of exercise.
A lot of pet foods claim to be "perfectly balanced". The only way your cat is going to get its true, proper diet is if it was living in the wild. Popular brands of canned food use many fillers, such as grain, to make the food more visually appealing to the owners.
Yes, that's right; the food is produced to be appealing to you and not the cat. Grain is a replacement for real meat that your cat needs more than the carbohydrates grains provide.
Pre-packaged treats are another problem that create a fat cat. A treat once in a while is fine. However, owners make a habit of doling out treats far too much when they think the cat is restless or want to reward it for being cute. Never give your cat a treat to stop it from meowing, as this will only encourage your cat to vocalize more.
In effect, you're telling your cat "Good kitty! Keep talking and I'll give you another one of these treats!" If you must give your cat a treat, try giving it a small piece of cooked fish or chicken, something that is high in protein and better for the cat.
Of course, exercise is important to avoid a fat cat. If you can't change what your cat eats, you can at least try to help your cat burn extra calories. Unfortunately, you can't go for walks with your cat like you would a dog. Some cats might take to leash training, but it's rare.
A typical domestic cat's day consists of sleeping, eating, sleeping, and then waking up to sleep some more. If you have a fat cat, those habits will only increase as its weight slows it down. You need to provide your cat with toys and interesting things to do.
A cat needs to chase things, play hide and seek, stalk, and do something other than take naps in its favorite sunny window! If you can, get a second cat. The two cats will keep each other busy during the day while you're away at work.
Before starting any diet plan for your fat cat, bring the cat to a veterinarian. Your vet will give your cat a thorough physical exam and discuss with you exactly what options you have at hand to help your cat lose weight.
Article Source: http://www.petsadvice.info
Mike Selvon owns a number of niche portal. Please visit our cats portal for more great tips on treating a fat cat, and leave a comment at our cats blog.
Interesting Answers to Your Questions about Cats
By : MIKE SELVON
domesticated cat has spread to nearly every continent and is one of the most popular pets worldwide. However, there are many people who do not like cats and would never consider letting a cat share their home for several different reasons.
Although some people simply don't enjoy animals, many prefer dogs over cats because of few liabilities that cats have, such as shedding, clawing furniture and carpet. The following questions and answers provide some information that can make cats easier to live with, explain some of their bothersome behaviors and how to remedy them, as well as how they purr and land on their feet, and the typical lifespan of a cat.
Do cats always land on their feet?
Well, that is actually a generalization. While housecats are very adept at falling gracefully, bigger cats that are not used to climbing or falling, like lions, have a lot of trouble landing on their feet. It isn't entirely rare for a lion to have a painful descent on the rare occasion it climbs a tree. In some cases, large housecats that are less than athletic have similar issues.
Research compiled on cats that have fallen or jumped from windows have found that many of the cats who fell from a lower level or a higher level were able to land on their feet.
This phenomenon is called Highrise Syndrome and basically shows that cats that fall from six stories or higher are more likely to survive than cats falling from lower levels. Falling from higher up gives cats longer to get their feet underneath them and brace before they hit the ground.
Why does my cat shed all the time?
Cats shed their fur as a way of adjusting to their living conditions. Outdoor cats tend to put on a thick coat in the fall as winter sets in, and then shed the extra fur in the spring when it begins to get warmer. Outdoor cats shed in this manner because their brain can sense how much sunlight they are exposed to and use this to gauge how much fur they need to stay warm or cool for the season.
Indoor cats, on the other hand, have very little exposure to natural lighting and the artificial lighting inside home does not register the same to the part of their brain that controls shedding. Because the cat's brain senses an imbalance, they grow and shed hair continually, unlike an outdoor cat.
Should I have my cat declawed?
Although tens of thousand cats are declawed each year, many vets and cat owners are against this procedure because of what declawing actually entails. A cat's claws are not like ours. Our finger nails are simply dead cells while a cat's claws are very similar to the last joint on your finger.
Cats use their claws for balance and movement, so the lack of them can be painful and removing them makes walking much different for the cat. If you plan on letting your cat live in the house, there are other measures you can take to ensure they don't shred your furniture like getting them a scratching post covered in abrasive material instead of soft material that resembles carpet or upholstery.
Is there anything I can do to stop or slow down my indoor cat's shedding?
There are a few things you can do to keep cat hair off of everything you own and make your cat more comfortable as well. Since cats shed constantly in response to being kept indoors, which is not exactly their natural environment, cats that shed excessively are, in effect, slightly out of balance.
The best thing you can do to reduce unwanted shedding is to make sure that they have a healthy and balanced diet and to brush them often. A good diet will ensure that they have a healthy coat that will shed a normal amount. Keeping your cat healthy and brushing excess hair will prevent cat hair from getting all over the place.
What are the benefits to having my cat spayed or neutered?
Other than preventing them from having unwanted kittens, having your cat spayed or neutered will preventing them from developing several activities that pet owners may consider undesirable, especially in indoor cats. In addition to making it impossible for your cat to mate, it also takes away their desire to mate and all the related activities.
This means that male cats will not mark their territory with urine spray or roam for miles trying to find a mate. Once female cats become mature, they will stay in heat nearly all the time until they become pregnant, which means that they will likely keep you awake at night by howling to attract a mate.
However, many cat owners have their pet spayed or neutered because the energy they would have spent on finding a mate is dedicated to their human companions instead and they become a much more devoted pet.
Article Source: http://www.petsadvice.info
Mike Selvon owns a number of niche portal. Please visit our cats portal for more great tips on your common cats questions answered, and leave a comment at our cats blog.
domesticated cat has spread to nearly every continent and is one of the most popular pets worldwide. However, there are many people who do not like cats and would never consider letting a cat share their home for several different reasons.
Although some people simply don't enjoy animals, many prefer dogs over cats because of few liabilities that cats have, such as shedding, clawing furniture and carpet. The following questions and answers provide some information that can make cats easier to live with, explain some of their bothersome behaviors and how to remedy them, as well as how they purr and land on their feet, and the typical lifespan of a cat.
Do cats always land on their feet?
Well, that is actually a generalization. While housecats are very adept at falling gracefully, bigger cats that are not used to climbing or falling, like lions, have a lot of trouble landing on their feet. It isn't entirely rare for a lion to have a painful descent on the rare occasion it climbs a tree. In some cases, large housecats that are less than athletic have similar issues.
Research compiled on cats that have fallen or jumped from windows have found that many of the cats who fell from a lower level or a higher level were able to land on their feet.
This phenomenon is called Highrise Syndrome and basically shows that cats that fall from six stories or higher are more likely to survive than cats falling from lower levels. Falling from higher up gives cats longer to get their feet underneath them and brace before they hit the ground.
Why does my cat shed all the time?
Cats shed their fur as a way of adjusting to their living conditions. Outdoor cats tend to put on a thick coat in the fall as winter sets in, and then shed the extra fur in the spring when it begins to get warmer. Outdoor cats shed in this manner because their brain can sense how much sunlight they are exposed to and use this to gauge how much fur they need to stay warm or cool for the season.
Indoor cats, on the other hand, have very little exposure to natural lighting and the artificial lighting inside home does not register the same to the part of their brain that controls shedding. Because the cat's brain senses an imbalance, they grow and shed hair continually, unlike an outdoor cat.
Should I have my cat declawed?
Although tens of thousand cats are declawed each year, many vets and cat owners are against this procedure because of what declawing actually entails. A cat's claws are not like ours. Our finger nails are simply dead cells while a cat's claws are very similar to the last joint on your finger.
Cats use their claws for balance and movement, so the lack of them can be painful and removing them makes walking much different for the cat. If you plan on letting your cat live in the house, there are other measures you can take to ensure they don't shred your furniture like getting them a scratching post covered in abrasive material instead of soft material that resembles carpet or upholstery.
Is there anything I can do to stop or slow down my indoor cat's shedding?
There are a few things you can do to keep cat hair off of everything you own and make your cat more comfortable as well. Since cats shed constantly in response to being kept indoors, which is not exactly their natural environment, cats that shed excessively are, in effect, slightly out of balance.
The best thing you can do to reduce unwanted shedding is to make sure that they have a healthy and balanced diet and to brush them often. A good diet will ensure that they have a healthy coat that will shed a normal amount. Keeping your cat healthy and brushing excess hair will prevent cat hair from getting all over the place.
What are the benefits to having my cat spayed or neutered?
Other than preventing them from having unwanted kittens, having your cat spayed or neutered will preventing them from developing several activities that pet owners may consider undesirable, especially in indoor cats. In addition to making it impossible for your cat to mate, it also takes away their desire to mate and all the related activities.
This means that male cats will not mark their territory with urine spray or roam for miles trying to find a mate. Once female cats become mature, they will stay in heat nearly all the time until they become pregnant, which means that they will likely keep you awake at night by howling to attract a mate.
However, many cat owners have their pet spayed or neutered because the energy they would have spent on finding a mate is dedicated to their human companions instead and they become a much more devoted pet.
Article Source: http://www.petsadvice.info
Mike Selvon owns a number of niche portal. Please visit our cats portal for more great tips on your common cats questions answered, and leave a comment at our cats blog.