The answer seems obvious enough. A purring cat is a contented cat. This surely must be true. But it is not. Repeated observation has revealed that cats in great pain, injured, in labor and even dying often purr loud and long. These can hardly be called contented cats. It is true, of course, that contented cats do also purr, but contentment is by no means the sole condition for purring. A more precise explanation, which fits all cases, is that purring signals a friendly social mood, and it can be given as a signal to, say, a vet from an injured cat indicating the need for friendship, or as a signal to an owner, saying thank you for friendship given.
Purring first occurs when kittens are only a week old and its primary use is when they are being suckled by their mother. It acts then as a signal to her that all is well and that the milk supply is successfully reaching its destination. She can lie there, listening to the grateful purrs, and know without looking up that nothing has gone amiss. She in turn purrs to her kittens as they feed, telling them that she too is in a relaxed, co-operative mood. The use of purring among adult cats (and between adult cats and humans) is almost certainly secondary and is derived from this primal parent-offspring context.
An important distinction between small cats, like our domestic species, and the big cats, like lions and tigers, is that the latter cannot purr properly. The tiger will greet you with a friendly 'one-way purr'...a sort of juddering splutter...but it cannot produce the two-way purr of the domestic cat, which makes its whirring noise not only with each outward breath (like a tiger) but also with each inward breath. The exhalation/inhalation rythm of feline purring can be performed with the mouth firmly shut and may be continued for hours on end. In this respect small cats are one up on their giant relatives, but big cats have another feature which compensates for it. They can roar, which is something small cats can never do.
By: Lamar Deane
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Lamar Deane offers free tips and information How to Choose The Right Pet For You
If Your Cat Have Bad Breath, Fix It
Cat owners know for a fact that bad cat breath can be downright awful. It isn't that much different from bad human breath, as both are caused by bacteria found in the mouth that breaks protein down and releases the sulfur compounds out into the air. Sulfur smells really bad on its own, which is why breath containing it smells bad as well. The bacterium that causes bad breath with cats is normally associated with a buildup of tartar around the teeth. Tartar is yellow in color, known as a coating of bacteria, food, and minerals.
To cure your cat from bad breath, you'll need to remove the buildup of tartar. There are several cat foods out there that are designed to reduce the buildup of tartar, many containing enzymes that will literally dissolve it. You can also give your cat treats as well, as many of them will help eliminate and prevent tartar. If the buildup of tartar is bad, you may need to have your cat's teeth professionally cleaned. Once the tartar has been removed, the bad breath will go away.
You may be able to clean the tartar off your cat's teeth at home. There are several toothpastes available for pets, available in several different flavors. You'll need to get a mechanical toothbrush, as the motion is very important for removing tartar buildup. Toothpastes that contain enzymes will dissolve tartar, helping to cure bad breath. If you start early with brushing your cat's teeth, you can virtually eliminate any type of tartar buildup that will ultimately lead to bad breath.
Some bacteria that lead to tartar can be found in your cat's diet. When you feed him, you should always make sure that the food he consumes doesn't contain a lot of bacteria. If you shop healthy and feed him only healthy foods, it can help his bad breath a great deal. When you give your pet a treat, make sure that the treat is designed to help with tartar. After your cat has finished eating, you can brush his teeth or rinse his mouth out. This way, you'll get the bacteria out of his mouth before it has time to build up on his teeth.
Sometimes, cats may have a bad odor in their mouth that doesn't come from tartar or bad breath in general. In these rare cases, it can be either liver or kidney disease. If you notice bad breath and it isn't tartar, you should take your cat to the vet. Even though it may be something to do with tartar, it's better to be safe than sorry. Your veterinarian can pinpoint the problem, let you know what the cause is - and how you should go about fixing it.
By: Jay Schindler
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
To read about tiger facts and cat facts, visit the Animals Facts site.
To cure your cat from bad breath, you'll need to remove the buildup of tartar. There are several cat foods out there that are designed to reduce the buildup of tartar, many containing enzymes that will literally dissolve it. You can also give your cat treats as well, as many of them will help eliminate and prevent tartar. If the buildup of tartar is bad, you may need to have your cat's teeth professionally cleaned. Once the tartar has been removed, the bad breath will go away.
You may be able to clean the tartar off your cat's teeth at home. There are several toothpastes available for pets, available in several different flavors. You'll need to get a mechanical toothbrush, as the motion is very important for removing tartar buildup. Toothpastes that contain enzymes will dissolve tartar, helping to cure bad breath. If you start early with brushing your cat's teeth, you can virtually eliminate any type of tartar buildup that will ultimately lead to bad breath.
Some bacteria that lead to tartar can be found in your cat's diet. When you feed him, you should always make sure that the food he consumes doesn't contain a lot of bacteria. If you shop healthy and feed him only healthy foods, it can help his bad breath a great deal. When you give your pet a treat, make sure that the treat is designed to help with tartar. After your cat has finished eating, you can brush his teeth or rinse his mouth out. This way, you'll get the bacteria out of his mouth before it has time to build up on his teeth.
Sometimes, cats may have a bad odor in their mouth that doesn't come from tartar or bad breath in general. In these rare cases, it can be either liver or kidney disease. If you notice bad breath and it isn't tartar, you should take your cat to the vet. Even though it may be something to do with tartar, it's better to be safe than sorry. Your veterinarian can pinpoint the problem, let you know what the cause is - and how you should go about fixing it.
By: Jay Schindler
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
To read about tiger facts and cat facts, visit the Animals Facts site.
Porcelain Cat Figurines
Porcelain cat figurines range from those that are very popular today and valued such as Lladro and Lomonosov and Lenox to those that were valued in the past such as Lefton. Some of the most valued of porcelain cat figurines are those that were used as carnival presents long ago in the 1950s and 60s. These vintage porcelain cat figurines can be found on auction sites.
The Jim Shore collection of porcelain cat figurines is one that a lot of people are collecting. These are more whimsical than other cat figures that try to depict the cat as it really look. The Jim Shore collection paints the in various shades and makes them very artistic.
One of the older makers of porcelain cat figurines, Lefton, made many other figures out of porcelain china. They were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s but then gradually lost favor with the public and went out of business. Today, Lefton is a collectible. You can tell if you have Lefton porcelain cat figurines if you look at the bottom and there is a red or green tag.
Lladro is one of the most pricey of all of the porcelain cat figurines today. Expect to pay several hundred dollars for porcelain cat figurines from this company. Next comes Lenox. For years, Lenox has been making exquisite china. Lenox makes porcelain cat figurines that are very prized among collectors.
You can also look for regular porcelain cat figurines from other companies that are not as well known as the others and expect to pay a lot less money. Cat figurines, unlike cat statues, are often smaller than 6 inches in height and are kept in a curio cabinet if the owner is smart. This will prevent them from getting dusty or damaged.
The Franklin Mint came out with a collection of cat figurines a few years ago that is not retired. A few of the cat figurines were made from porcelain and are very well prized among collectors. If you know someone who collects cat figures or is just starting this collection, you can look for the Franklin Mint cat figurine collection on some of the online auction sites.
Cat figurines come in all sorts of materials in addition to porcelain. The porcelain cat figurines are very well prized among collectors because of the fine attention the artist can make to detail. Some of them look very much like the real cats. The porcelain cat collection by Lomonosov is ideal for collectors because the cat figures are not very expensive as they are under $50 and they look like actual cats. The crystal cats, however, do not resemble actual cats. Those who want a figure that actually looks like a real cat will prefer the porcelain cat figurines that are available, especially those by Lomonosov.
Make sure, when buying these figurines, that they are wholly intact and are not chipped or broken in any way. Porcelain cat figurines that are chipped or have been repaired are usually without any value.
By: Paul J Easton
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
www.CatfigurinesOnline.com/ has largest amount of collections of Cat Figurines plus links to many other site which other the biggest range and lowest prices.
The Jim Shore collection of porcelain cat figurines is one that a lot of people are collecting. These are more whimsical than other cat figures that try to depict the cat as it really look. The Jim Shore collection paints the in various shades and makes them very artistic.
One of the older makers of porcelain cat figurines, Lefton, made many other figures out of porcelain china. They were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s but then gradually lost favor with the public and went out of business. Today, Lefton is a collectible. You can tell if you have Lefton porcelain cat figurines if you look at the bottom and there is a red or green tag.
Lladro is one of the most pricey of all of the porcelain cat figurines today. Expect to pay several hundred dollars for porcelain cat figurines from this company. Next comes Lenox. For years, Lenox has been making exquisite china. Lenox makes porcelain cat figurines that are very prized among collectors.
You can also look for regular porcelain cat figurines from other companies that are not as well known as the others and expect to pay a lot less money. Cat figurines, unlike cat statues, are often smaller than 6 inches in height and are kept in a curio cabinet if the owner is smart. This will prevent them from getting dusty or damaged.
The Franklin Mint came out with a collection of cat figurines a few years ago that is not retired. A few of the cat figurines were made from porcelain and are very well prized among collectors. If you know someone who collects cat figures or is just starting this collection, you can look for the Franklin Mint cat figurine collection on some of the online auction sites.
Cat figurines come in all sorts of materials in addition to porcelain. The porcelain cat figurines are very well prized among collectors because of the fine attention the artist can make to detail. Some of them look very much like the real cats. The porcelain cat collection by Lomonosov is ideal for collectors because the cat figures are not very expensive as they are under $50 and they look like actual cats. The crystal cats, however, do not resemble actual cats. Those who want a figure that actually looks like a real cat will prefer the porcelain cat figurines that are available, especially those by Lomonosov.
Make sure, when buying these figurines, that they are wholly intact and are not chipped or broken in any way. Porcelain cat figurines that are chipped or have been repaired are usually without any value.
By: Paul J Easton
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
www.CatfigurinesOnline.com/ has largest amount of collections of Cat Figurines plus links to many other site which other the biggest range and lowest prices.