Love Your Cat(s), Because Who Can Only Own Just One!

By Karen Mckee

Hello cat owners! I thought I'd start my first article off with some fun generally known facts about cats. If you have a cat (or more) you may already know these, but here I go. Did you know that a cats whiskers act like sensors. If a cat sticks it's head into an opening, and they can feel the sides of the opening with the tips of the whiskers, they know that their bodies won't fit and therefore will get stuck! Did you also know that if you hold a cat on their back and let them go, they will land on their feet! Hubby and I tried this with our cat when she was small (over the bed), and sure enough, she landed every time on all fours!! Needless to say this was cheap entertainment for all three of us that evening. A cat's tail acts like a rudder on a boat, in that it helps maintain balance and stability on such things as railings, and tree branches. It is used like a gymnast uses their arms on the balance beam. Neat, eh?

Also, cats eyesite is better that ours at night. Since they are nocturnal by nature, they sleep all day and are awake most of the night. The reason being is if they were outside and needed to hunt for their food they can do this with their incredible night vision. I'm told that they only see in black and white (whether this is true or not I'm not sure).

Cats also have scent glands located on different areas of the face. The cheeks, eyes, and sides of the head. They rub up against objects and put their "scent" on these items so they know that they are theirs. (Ever see your cat rubbing up against the grocery bag as soon as you set it inside the door?); well, s/he is saying "this is mine." The cats "domain" is primarily the floor of your home. They prowl this area constantly, and as soon as there's something on the floor that wasn't there ten minutes ago is now "fair game" in their territory. Usually they sniff, then rub the object with their "sensors" to make it theirs, then they lay on it to protect it. This happens to me all the time. It's particularly cute when I'm trying to wrap Christmas or birthday presents for the grandchildren on my living room floor.

Here are just a few fun facts that I've learned over the years as a cat lover. I hope you find them as amusing as I do.

Karen Mckee - proud pet owner of Misty