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Different Toys for Different Cats

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Different Toys for Different Cats

When the mouse is away, cats play. And cats have the tendency to both play hard and play soft. Toys are to cats the same as toys are to dogs. It helps fight the boredom experienced by these pets as well as gives our feline friends the opportunity to practice and use their natural inclination to chase and hunt for prey. It also gives the cat owner that great chance to play with their pets, an experience that will aid in bonding their relationship.

But what toys are best for cats? The following are tips and helpful advice to get that perfect toy for the cat owners perfect pets.

Play safe

The good thing about cats is that they can play ball inside the house and the owners will never know it. Still, there may be things inside the house that cats could find attractive yet might actually endanger their health and safety. Houses must be cat-friendly. As much as possible, take away any string, yarn, needles, rubber bands or other objects that could easily be swallowed by cats. These things could be lethal to cats. Do not let them play with these articles no matter how cute they may appear to be.

Play soft

Choose soft toys that can easily be machine-washed. It is best that the toys chosen to be played with by cats are also the toys marked as safe to be played with by children below three years old. Toys such as these usually contain fillings that are not hazardous. Also, avoid giving cats toys that are hard and rigid, these types do not appeal to them that much. 

Know your cat, know their toy

It is best that one also familiarize themselves with your cat. Doing so helps in ones selection of the kind of plaything that best serves the size of ones cat – the kind of activity the cat likes and its unique preferences. Know the environment in which the cat likes to spend its time the most. 

Choose active toys

Toys that are great to play with for cats are usually the round plastic ones (such as rings from shower curtains, plastic balls, golf balls, balls used in ping-pong) as these give cats the opportunity to chase and paw around. They could also carry these in their mouths, make sure though that these are big enough they cannot be swallowed but not so large that they cannot carry them in their mouths. 

Choose active play

Balls can be placed inside bath tubs filled with water. Watch as cats frolic and play on and around the toy. It is just as enjoyable to the cat as it is fun for the cat owner. Another added feature that could be placed on balls are bells. One not only sees how cats play, one could also listen and take pleasure in the playful sound . Another simple yet effective plaything for cats is a paper bag.  Use paper bags that do not have handles. These bags are good for pouncing around. Cats hide in them too. As much as possible, avoid the plastic ones as cats have the tendency to chew these and they may eat the plastic. This is not good. 

Toys with tails

Cats like playing with soft toy animals – specially the ones that have tails. They either bite them, paw them or chase these little stuffed toys around.  It is best if these toys are as big or as small as the cats playing them. 

Toys with catnip

Catnip is sometimes used as stuffing for toys that are soft. Putting catnip in such playthings make the toys more enjoyable to carry, kick and throw around. More importantly, it is safe for cats to chew on, roll around in, or eat. It is okay for owners to place catnip on carpeted floors, or (to make clean-up easy) on towels. There are now catnip oils that can be placed on carpets, and they usually stay there. Cats detect these too. Although small cats, specifically kittens who are younger than six months have shown a certain kind of immunity to catnip.

All in all, it is best that cat owners define what kind of toy should be played by their cats. It is advisable that different kinds of toys be given on certain days, and that displaying all toys simultaneously may not be a good idea. Cats can easily tire of seeing the same fluffy toy animal again and again. Variety always works best. However if cats show a certain liking to a specific toy, let them play with it, or sleep with it – whichever they like.

Want to find out about dolphin facts and whale facts? Get tips from the Animals Facts website.

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Girard-Perregaux Releases Cats Eye Haute Joaillerie Watch Model

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

Girard-Perregaux Releases Cats Eye Haute Joaillerie Watch Model

Ladies who are looking for some exceptional watch models that are created particularly for them can have a much more desirable choice to choose from with the release of the Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye watch. This watch model is created specifically for ladies in a majestic high jewelry variation. The watch is a real masterpiece of watch-making and gem-setting – it is totally paved with baguette diamonds.

The Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Haute Joaillerie timepiece shines with the beauty of 394 baguette diamonds, with a total weight of 52 carats. The watch required more than 1,200 hours of meticulous work performed by excelent professionals working in more than ten workshops.

The Girard-Perregaux watch shows off a polished oval case, measuring 35.25 X 30.25mm. It is made from 18K white gold and set with 87 baguette diamonds, weighing 7.5 carats. The crown of the timepiece is reliably secured by the case, presenting 5 baguette diamonds, weighing 0.1 carat, originally shaped as a star.

The dial of the Cat’s Eye Haute Joaillerie timepiece, protected by a curved antireflective sapphire crystal, displays 98 baguette diamonds, equal to 6.5 carats. It is finished with refined white gold skeleton hands, an hour marker for “12″ in Breguet style and used white gold sectors for the small seconds and power reserve indicator.

The case of the watch is crafted perfectly with a one-of-a-kind tapered white gold bracelet set with its 204 baguette diamonds, weighing 38 carats.

True watch connoisseurs will highly appreciate the look to the hand-finished GP 0333R0 automatic movement seeable via a sapphire crystal window in the case back. The bridges of the movement are adored by Cotes de Geneve, while the surface of the 18K gold winding rotor is pave-set with 145 round brilliants, weighing 0.35 carat. The GP033R0, ticking at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, offers a 46-hour power reserve.

The Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Haute Joaillerie watch, an exceptional piece of hand-craftsmanship, will be available in a quite limited edition.

The watch is 30-meter water-resistant. This ladies’ watch is really a beautiful accessory for ladies to decorate their wrists and add up their charming personalities.

Girard-Perregaux Releases Cats Eye Haute Joaillerie Watch Model

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You Should Not De-Claw Your Cats

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

You Should Not De-Claw Your Cats

Cats use their claws for various purposes. The claws are important to cats, as they are an essential part of balancing. If you’ve ever noticed a cat jumping and latching on to a high object, you’ve probably noticed that he uses his claws to pull himself up. When climbing trees, cats tend to use their claws to latch onto the bark and climb towards their destination.

Cats also use their claws for stretching, walking, and running as well. The claws are also a cat’s primary source of defense against other animals and humans as well. Most cats keep their claws extremely sharp, as their claws and teeth are basically their only weapons. The claws are also essential for using the bathroom as well, as cats use them to cover up their mess with dirt.

Cats also use their claws to scratch things, which mark their territory. Their claws have glands, which contain a secretion. When they leave their mark on something, the secretion is transferred to the area they scratched. This is detectable to other cats although not to humans. Sometimes, they will also scratch something to remove the older claw which will fall off and give them a brand new claw that resides underneath.

As sad as it is, a lot of pet owners choose to put their own possessions above their cat, such as their expensive furniture or carpets. These cat owners are afraid that they cat will ruin their furniture or carpet, and therefore will choose to get their cat de-clawed. Getting a cat’s claws removed is a surgical procedure, one that can only be performed by a veterinarian. The owner will need a good reason though, as a vet won’t do the surgery just to keep one’s furniture or carpet protected.

If you’ve been thinking of getting your cat de-clawed, you should know that the process can totally change his personality. Once the cat is de-clawed, he will be in pain and confused. He may not be able to jump in the window or on the couch, and he may not be able to play like he once did. Some cats, after being de-clawed, tend to get aggressive and bite with their teeth. To make a long story short, the cat will be completely miserable – which is a tough thing to bear for those who love their cats.

Those who decide to own cats should know that a cat can scratch on occasion. If someone isn’t prepared to deal with that fact, they shouldn’t own a cat in the first place. Cats are great pets, although they do have claws and they will use them on occasion. There are plenty of other great pets out there, if you aren’t up for handling a cat. If you’re just worried about your furniture or carpet, there are ways that you can keep your cat from scratching on your belongings.

The first thing to do is to get your cat a scratching post and let him know where it is and how to use it. You can also get a rush mat as well, which will help your cat with his instincts to scratch. You may have to demonstrate how to use the mat or the post at first, although your cat should catch onto it quick. Once you have shown him the ropes, he will scratch on the post or the mat – and not your furniture or your carpet.

Although many don’t realize it, there are other ways to protect your things other than getting your cat de-clawed. Getting a cat’s claws removed is very painful and confusing to the cat, and may totally change his outlook on things. Before you decide to take the inhumane path of getting your cat de-clawed, you should look into your other available options- your cat will like these options much better.

Learn about sheep facts and elephant facts at the About Animals site.

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How About Naming Your Cats Properly?

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

How About Naming Your Cats Properly?

In this day and age, a lot of things have changed from how they used to be, which can be new and exciting for most. Pet cats hold a very special place in the hearts of their owners. Wouldn’t it be nice to give a pet cat the loveliest name one can think of?

Wouldn’t it be great to give a pet cat a name that would reflect its personality as seen by the one who owns it or a name which would give recognition to the cat’s breed? There are actually a lot of names to choose from in books or in the internet. But generally, how can an owner choose a name which he will find fit for his cat?

Many cat owners name their pet cats with human names. Actually, a whopping fifty percent of pet names are those of persons. This primarily is because there are owners who are enamored with a certain name and actually desire to christen someone, or something for that matter, with that favorite name.

Another basis for names is personality or appearance. In this category, examples are Midnight (should the pet be a black cat), Fluffy (obviously, if the cat is fluffy or has long, soft and bouncy coat) and Whitey (of course, if the cat is white). Pet names based on appearances or personality make up an amazing twenty percent of all pet names. However, unlike human infants where the parents can opt to wait for a few weeks to see the baby’s personality before naming the child, cats must be named more quickly.

So how does an owner actually name his pet cat? Here are some tips which cat owners can give some thought.

First off, keep in mind that the name that the owner chooses for his pet cat will not only reflect the cat’s character but also how the owner views his relationship with his pet cat. As much as it says a lot about the cat, the name given by the owner will tell much about the owner himself. It can then be seen how the name can portray an image of the characteristics of the cat. Many cat names give either a positive or negative impression of the cat. So, it is important to choose a name which will best convey the proper image of the pet.

A cat’s name is for keeps. No matter which name the owner chooses, the cat’s name should be that for the rest of his life. It is absolutely not fair to change the cat’s name every two weeks just because the owner finds another name he thinks he might prefer. If the cat already recognizes the sound of its name it should not be changed.

Although the cat won’t mind any name its owner may wish to use, it is just not fair to give the cat an embarrassing name. While the cat would not mind being named “Ooga Booga”, it would be embarrassing for the owner to actually use this name. Imagine a person calling out “Ooga Booga” at least eight times a day every time he is looking for his cat. The cat’s owner should find his pet a name which he will be proud to use. Also please remember to pick a name which will be appropriate when your cat is full-grown. A large tabby cat with a silly name like Mimi or Kitten seems ridiculous.

A name with two syllables will do best. The response of animals is better to two-syllable names. A cat owner may decide to give his pet a long name as well as a nick name. However, the longer name inevitably would be shortened, and this would probably ruin the effect the cat owner originally sought.

The cat’s breed heritage may provide great ideas for names. For instance, if the cat owner owns a Siamese cat, why not name it Siam? If the cat is a Russian Blue, it would be nice to give it a Russian-sounding or Russian inspired name such as Sofia or Chekov.

Speaking of inspiration, there are a lot of things out there from which you can gain inspiration. As was said earlier, the name the owner gives his cat will speak just as much about himself. So why not pick a name for the cat which is derived from the owner’s likes, hobbies and favorites? If the owner were passionate about world history, maybe the names Isis, Genghis, Voltaire or Osiris would sound very classy. If the owner were an avid fan of the Greek mythology the names Zeus, Athena, Hercules or Jason would be sure to make a good first impression on other people.

On the more contemporary side, names of characters from favorite movies, cartoon series, TV programs or bands will do just as well. Huey, Louie and Duey would sound cute as well as Bonnie and Clyde. A more posh touch would be naming your cat after signature designers. Tommy, Donna, Karan, Calvin and Gianni would not sound so bad for cats–just as long as they are well groomed as their names imply. Naming cats is not the easiest task there is, honestly. But it can be a lot of fun if these considerations and suggestions are always kept in mind.

Then no doubt, that perfect name will come easily. Wouldn’t it be great for an owner to call his pet cat a name which is close to his heart and a name he will be proud to call out no matter what time of the day? Find out more by reading our other articles on this topic and other subjects we have written related to it.

Ken Charnely is webmaster at two of Internet’s popular article directories. For more articles on this topic and for free content for your website please visit ArticleTeller.com and ContentWOW.com

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Inside Cats And Outside Cats

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Inside Cats And Outside Cats

Cats can be either outdoor or indoor pets. Pet owners themselves must decide whether or not they want their cats to be outdoor or indoor animals. Many countries actually ban people from allowing cats to be outdoor animals, especially if the cats are declawed and defenseless in the wild. In the United States, however, the decision is up to the pet owner. There are several things to consider when making a decision. Below, a few pros and cons of these topics are discussed.

If the only issue were the life expectancy of a cat, then keeping cats indoors would win hands down. It is proven that an indoor cat has an average life expectancy of about fourteen years, while outdoor cats have an average life expectancy of about four years. There are a number of factors that affect this. For instance, an outdoor cat is more susceptible to picking up life-threatening illnesses. Outdoor cats are predisposed to abscesses, from bite wounds from fights, which if untreated, can lead to infections and complications. In addition, an outdoor cat could pick up feline AIDS, rabies, and feline leukemia. These diseases are transmitted from cat to cat, and some can result in death.

Outdoor cats are in danger of being run down by cars, attacked by predators and abused by humans, as well as, being subjected to inclement weather. All of these conditions can shorten a cat’s life. Also, outdoor cats add to the cat population problem that results in so many cats being put down each year.

An indoor cat is like a part of the family. It is kept warm and safe in the house and receives medical attention that helps to treat ailments and increase life spans. Cats are independent creatures that can tolerate being alone for long periods, while family members are busy with their daily lives. They are not available to predators and are safe from diseases transmitted from cat to cat. Also, since they do not roam on streets, they are free from possible death by being run over.

The believers of the theory that cats belong outdoors believe cats belong in their natural environment. They also feel cats confined indoors are not given the opportunity to chase prey, exercise or have freedom to roam their environment. The indoor cat believers feel cats can get enough exercise through interactive play with their owners, and do not need to chase prey as they kill for fun, not food. These people also believe a cat’s natural environment is in the house, since the cat has been domesticated for thousands of years now.

It is believed by many that an indoor cat becomes bored and depressed. But, by showing your cat attention and providing stimulating toys, hiding treats, or providing a companion pet, you can keep your cat occupied. The fact is, by keeping your cat indoors, not only can it increase your cat’s life, protect its health and keep it safe, but it can also become a happy member of your family.

Cat Articles and Tips at http://Cats-Today.com. Learn how to operate a Successful Adsense Website Network at http://eWebCreator.com. Matthew Hick has been designing profitable Niche Adsense Websites for over 5 years

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Interesting Answers to Your Questions about Cats

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Interesting Answers to Your Questions about Cats

The 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.

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.

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From Mummies to T-shirts: the History of Cats

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

From Mummies to T-shirts: the History of Cats

Some 5000 years ago (recent studies say about 100.000 years ago, but who’s counting) a smart – and hungry – African Wildcat somewhere in (what was then) Upper Egypt made a clever observation. “These strange and mysterious bipeds seem to be very fond of grain”, he thought. “Biped collects lots of grain and keeps it in big baskets. Big baskets of grain attract lots of yummy mice! Biped doesn’t seem to like mice in his grain! I think I’ll adopt one of these strange bipeds and live in his house and EAT HIS MICE FOR HIM!”

And thus a mutually beneficial relationship between smart African cats and strange Egyptian bipeds began! And history was made.

Life in Egypt was good and the African cats enjoyed their newly discovered coexistence with human beings; the Egyptians liked cats, the pharaoh LOVED cats and there was plenty of food around, but still… So after having lived the good life in Egypt for about a thousand years or so, cats – being curious animals! – started wondering: “What is outside this country. Are we missing out on something?!”

One cat thought: “I would like to sit outside a temple with one paw raised, beckoning people to enter that holy place. That would be neat! My skills and talents would totally fit that job description”. The cat told this to a Mediterranean merchant, who was in Egypt on a business trip, and the merchant said: “I know of such a place. I’ll take you there”. And the merchant brought the cat to Japan, where the cat found a nice-looking five stories pagoda temple with a beautiful garden.

The cat positioned himself outside the temple and raised his paw in a friendly manor to beckon passers-by to enter the temple, for that was now his job! The Japanese people had never seen anything like it, but they liked what they saw and they said: “This little animal has an air of holy mystery about him, this animal will bring us luck! We shall call this animal Maneki Neko and we shall make lots of little porcelain Maneki Neko figurines that we shall sell to tourist and make lots of money! …in about 4000 years.”

A couple of elderly cats were so tired of the never-ending African heat and drought and told another visiting trader (in town to buy small pyramid replicas for his novelty shop in London), that they would like to go to a cooler and wetter climate. The trader, of course, brought them back to England. The English being… well, ENGLISH, said: “I say! What positively lovely little creatures. We shall take them in, feed them and breed them and have magnificent CAT SHOWS!” The whole cat show thing came much later of course (in 1871 to be precise), but, believe me, the idea was born the second the very first Englishman (or it might… it PROBABLY was an EnglishWOMAN) laid eyes on those cats.

But England wasn’t the only European country where the Egyptian cats set paw. Around 2000 B.C. the cats of Egypt started a very successful worldwide marketing campaign, promoting their exceptional mouse and rat hunting skills. And it paid off! Soon cats were being invited to every European country, the Middle East and Asia, where they lived well and in harmony with the human bipeds for many, many years. But then something happened:

ENTER THE DARK AGES! …in the history of cats. Right after the end of the middle ages – beginning around 1550 and lasting about a century – the Christian church decided that cats were the source of all evil. Cats had always been associated with gods; in Egypt it was Bast, goddess of life and family and in the northern part of Europe it was Freya, who was always surrounded by cats. But these were not Christian gods, so cats now became “animala non grata”. This was probably when the saying “curiosity killed the cat” entered the English vocabulary; “They wanted to see the world, and look where it got them!” Yes, curiosity did kill a lot of cats during these terrible times. Cats were hunted down, burned, drowned and hanged. And people who had the audacity to so much as look kindly at a cat, were deemed witches. And they were killed as well. This was NOT a good time to be a “crazy cat lady” in Europe!

During this time cats were also being blamed for spreading the plaque, when in fact it was the disease-carrying rats that managed to kill off almost half the European human population by spreading plagues and other epidemics. And as the humans had so efficiently killed off most of their cats, there were practically none left to kill the rats! That’ll teach them to treat cats so disrespectfully!!!

But eventually things got better. The Europeans came to their long lost senses and realized that cats were actually good to have around! Less rats, no more plague and soon the former so beautiful and harmonic cat-human relationship made its come-back. And when the first European settlers came to America in 1600-something, they brought cats with them to THE NEW WORLD. Good thinking! Their cats kept their homes, farmhouses, henhouses, outhouses and doghouses rat and mice free. Well, maybe not doghouses!

Yes, the human bipeds truly rediscovered the value of cats. They took cats into their homes again and this time into their hearts as well. The cat became more than a useful little mousetrap, it became a PET.

And so cats – being cats – now started to claim their INDOOR territory; the couch, the best arm chair, the dining table, the bed, the lingerie drawer… in short: THE WHOLE HOUSE. And finally things were as they should be between cat and man.

5000 years ago the Egyptians worshipped cats and showed their admiration and respect by mummifying them after death and depicting them on vases, amulets, rings and inside tombs! Today we pay homage to cats by putting pictures of cats on coffee mugs, napkins, sofa pillows, mousepads, clocks, refrigerator magnets and t-shirts! And in a thousand years from now, I’m sure there will be an enormous image of a cat on our first spaceship to Mars.

Martine Carlsen was 6 years ago adopted by two silver-gray Abyssinian cats, Sonny and Cher, and if you ask them, this article would or could never have been written without their help and inside knowledge. Martine Carlsen works as a web designer and spends most of her spare time working on her website, Cats on t-shirts.

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Dogs and Cats, Training Eternal Enemies to Co-exist

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Dogs and Cats, Training Eternal Enemies to Co-exist

Dogs and Cats. Eternal enemies, right? Through proper dog obedience training you can teach your animals to live together.

The first mistake that most pet owners make when introducing their pet dogs and cats is to allow them to make their own introductions. This is a mistake! As I stated above, these two species are eternal enemies. You can’t just set one down near the other and expect great results. (Ok, I know that can happen and does happen, but my job here is to teach you about dog training. My version of training calls for prevention with dogs and cats rather than creating a problem and then being forced to fix it. As Mom used to say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) There is a good deal of prevention that should be used before allowing your dogs and cats to co-exist.

Whether you are introducing a new cat to a home with a dog or vice versa I want you to start out the same way. Start out by using your trusty dog crate. Put your dog in the crate and allow the cat to be in the same room. There are several possible outcomes to this action :

1. Your dog shows complete indifference. This is ideal. If your dog behaves like this you will have a quick transition.

2. Your dog shows fear. This is not ideal but it will make the transition easier than some other outcomes.

3. Your dog shows nervousness and anxiety. He whines, he paces in the crate, paws at the door of the crate, etc. This behavior tells you that he wants out. There is something about that cat that is exciting and he wants to know what it is.

4. Your dog shows overt aggression. He barks, claws at the door of the crate, and he knows exactly what he wants to do with that cat. This is going to be the toughest dog to train, but it can be done.

For the first few days don’t let your dogs and cats near each other. Keep the dog in the crate. This doesn’t mean you need to keep him in the crate 24/7. When you want him out of the crate just make sure that your cat is shut off in another bedroom to avoid contact. What you hope to accomplish with this action is to train your dog to be indifferent to the cat. You want your dog to view the cat as ‘background noise’. The cat is inconsequential, the cat doesn’t matter, there is nothing interesting or exciting about the cat. In other words, your dog is safely tucked away in the crate and casually observes the cat move around the house. For categories 1 and 2 this will be simple. It will take no more than a day or two for your dog to think of your cat as just another ‘thing’ in the house. Categories 3 and 4 will take more training and time.

For categories 3 and 4 you need to attach a negative association to showing cat aggression. To do this, get a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with either plain water, water mixed with lemon juice, or for very stubborn dogs, water with vinegar. At this point, your dog is still tucked away safely in the crate. The next part of training will be conducted while you are sitting near the crate, ready for action. The instant your dog shows aggression (barks at the cat, claws at the door, whines in frustration, etc.) toward the cat spray him in the face with your spray bottle. Every time he shows aggression spray him with the bottle. When he isn’t showing aggression give him soft praise, “Good boy”.

Make sure that your dog never gets a chance to show aggression toward the cat without having a bad experience. This means that you must always be ready with the spray bottle or make sure the cat isn’t near the dog. If you aren’t vigilant and your dog has the chance to show aggression with no adverse consequence, you are training him to show cat aggression.

If you are consistent with this exercise you will soon notice that your dog will show less and less aggression while in the crate, it just isn’t worth the squirt in the face for him. You are on your way to getting your dogs and cats to co-exist.

When your feel comfortable that your dog is indifferent to the cat move on to the next step. As I said, for categories 1 and 2 this is probably one or two days after beginning the crate training. For categories 3 and 4 get your dog to the point where he is indifferent and maintains that attitude for several days if not a week.

The next step is to get your dog out of the crate and get those dogs and cats together at last! You are going to move slowly, though. Put your dog training collar and leash on your dog and make sure that he is always wearing it around the house. Keep your dog near you and allow your cat to be in the room. If your dog makes any move whatsoever to chase the cat, bark at the cat, or perform any of the stereotypical behaviors that dogs and cats do, give him a very strong correction with the leash. You want this leash correction to be a very memorable one so it must be very strong. You want to form a very negative association toward cat aggression.

Be consistent with this training. If you do this properly you will notice that your dog has less and less of a desire to chase after or bark at the cat. As you notice your dog changing his behavior give him more and more freedom by allowing him to be closer to the cat and further away from you. Eventually you will phase out the use of the dog training collar and leash.

Even if your dog isn’t showing aggressive tendencies, never let him chase after the cat in the house, even playfully.

Even some of the hardest to train dogs will respond to the above method. There exist, however, certain dogs that have such strong prey drive that only drastic measures will cure them of their desire to chase and kill cats. For these dogs I employ an electric dog training collar.

Read the instruction manual on proper fitting for your electric dog training collar. With a stubborn dog that needs an electric collar the method is simple. With the collar on his neck and turned on to a high level of stimulus you are going to correct your dog every time he even looks at the cat. As your dog even sneaks a glance at your cat press the button to deliver the correction. Don’t say ‘no’, don’t react in any way, just correct him for looking at the cat. Do this as many times as it takes. Let’s examine this from your dog’s point of view. He wants to get to the cat, wants to chase, wants to kill. But the very act of looking at the cat causes him pain. You don’t tell him anything so he doesn’t associate the correction with you. He soon will learn to believe that the cat is ‘evil’ and he had better not even look at it because it the act of looking causes pain.

As with all training, you must be very consistent. Your dog must never have a successful chance to even chase or want to chase the cat. Be consistent, though, and soon your dogs and cats will be able to co-exist.

Ty Brown is a leading dog training authority with numerous radio and television appearances to his credit. Visit www.dogbehavioronline.com to view free articles and for more puppy resources and check out his dog training business.

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Songs About Cats (or are They?)

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Songs About Cats (or are They?)

Perhaps the most famous Cat Song is The Siamese Cat Song recorded by Peggy Lee. The song is from the Walt Disney 1955 classic “The Lady and The Tramp”, an animated film about a classy Cocker Spaniel named Lady who falls for Tramp a scamp of a mongrel. The song however is about two arrogant cats, Si and Am, who have given Siamese cats a bad name ever since.

The Siamese Cat Song was penned by Lee along with Sonny Burke and over the years has also been recorded by Freddie and The Dreamers, Mitch Miller, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin, Haylie Duff, and Bobby McFerrin. “We are Siamese if you please, We are Siamese if you don’t please.”

Both The Turtles and Petula Clark stepped into recording studios to make very different versions of The Cat in the Window, a song that compares a cat trying to get out of a window with the singer wanting to fly away. “There’s a cat in the window, and he’s watching all the birds go passing by, he’d love to fly out the window, go where the wind goes, and so would I.”

Who can forget the Muppets recording of The Cat Came Back, a song about a kitty that just kept finding its way back no matter how far it was taken from home. “But the cat came back, she wouldn’t stay away, she was sitting on the porch the very next day.”

In 1950 folks were flooding into record stores and asking for I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat. Mel Blanc recorded the song, written by Alan Livingston, Billy May and Warren Foster, about the cartoon cat and canary duo Sylvester and Tweety. “I tawt I taw a puddy tat a creeping up on me, I did I taw a puddy tat as plain as he could be.”

The Rooftop Singers followed up their 1963 number one hit Walk Right In, with Tom Cat a ditty about ‘Ringtail Tom’ who liked to go “strutting round the town” “And when he steps out all the other cats in the neighborhood they begin to shout.” Fast forward to 1981 and the Stray Cats record a musically different song but with a very similar theme, the rockabilly Stray Cat Strut. “Stray cat strut, I’m a ladies’ cat, a feline Casanova, hey man, that’s where it’s at, get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man, get my dinner from a garbage can.”

Norma Tanega apparently owned a cat that she named ‘Dog’ and liked to take that

cat for walks, hence her 1966 hit Walking My Cat Named Dog, which does seem to be about her real life experience of strolling around town with her pet feline.

Most songs though that include the word Cat in the tile, are not truly about cats at all. A great example is the fine song, Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. No cats make an appearance in this song; instead the lyrics contain a very chilling message that every dad should pay heed too.

Bent Fabric, real name Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, had a hit in 1962 with Alley Cat, but this was an instrumental recording so it’s not a song about cats. Instrumental too was Aaron Copeland’s The Cat and the Mouse.

Cat People (Putting Out Fire) by David Bowie was recorded for the 1982 remake of the film Cat People. Great dark and menacing feel to the song but the words have no relationship to cats.

The cat in The Cat Crept In, recorded by Mud was actually a girl, as was the cat featured in The Rolling Stones’ Stray Cat Blues, this one with exceedingly sharp claws.

They Call Her the Cat, by Elton John is about, well it’s not about cats! Neither is Honky Cat, another Elton tune, that one is about a country boy moving to live life in the city.

Three Cool Cats, is a song that was first recorded by the Coasters in 1958 and covered by The Beatles in 1962 (but not released until 1995.) Of course this song is not about cats, but about three teenage boys and three teenage girls. The Beatles also recorded Little Willie John’s Leave My Kitten Alone, no surprise to find that the song is not about a kitten.

U2 recorded a song titled An Cat Dubh, which apparently means The Black Cat in Gaelic, no cat in the song though, black or otherwise.

No cats are in Year of the Cat by Al Stewart, Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent, The Lovecats by The Cure or in Cool for Cats by Squeeze. Who can say what The Cat’s In the Well by Bob Dylan is about?

There must be countless other songs that have the words Cat, or Cats, in the title but are not actually about our feline friends. No doubt there are more songs that are about cats than those listed on this page, but those songs sadly seem few and far between.

But wait . . . wasn’t there a stage musical all about cats. Cats, the musical by

Andrew Lloyd Webber, was first shown in London, England in 1981. Based upon T.

S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats the show features song after song about . . . Old Gumbie, Grizabella, Mungojerrie And Rumpelteazer, Skimbleshanks, Old Deuteronomy, Gus, Macavity, and Mr. Mistoffelees. All of these characters are, of course, . . . Cats.

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How Cats Communicate

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

How Cats Communicate

Bet you would like to know what your cat is trying to tell you?

You might not, if you haven’t been around felines a lot.

Of course, cats meow. And the type of meow they use gives you a good idea of what they’re trying to communicate with you. This is especially true if your pet is a Siamese cat. This type of cat is very vocal. One Siamese owner had a cat that meowed loudly – and persistently – whenever it wanted to play a game of hide and seek. Every time the cat used his “special meow”, which the owner recognized, she knew that he was “hiding” and needed to be “found.” She dutifully played.

In fact, Siamese cats have a voice that’s often mistaken for a human voice. When a Siamese cat in heat, he sounds very human-like. Don’t be surprised if your cat almost seems to be saying “hello.” It’s eerie to hear in the middle of the night. Many individuals also think that the meow of a Siamese cat is similar to a human baby crying.

But all cats use their voices at one time or another. And there are a variety of ways in which the voice of a cat indicates what the feline is trying to convey through “cat chat”. The differences in pitch, intensity, frequency and even the pace and cadence of the cat’s voice all leave clues about his feelings. The quicker the meows, for example, the more anxious or even frightened your pet may be. The slower the sounds, the more confident and relaxed he is. In addition to the occasional meow, cats more than likely will talk to you through a variety of other behaviors.

A favorite method of communicating is the cat’s purr, which is unique to the feline species. You may already know that a cat purrs when he’s content. Animal behaviorists now believe that they also purr when they are in the mood to be sociable.

However, if you pay close attention to your cat, you’ll notice that he also purrs when he’s nervous, feeling a little uneasy or even if he’s in great pain. Some experts think it’s a feline form of “meditation” and that this action comforts them. If this theory is at all correct, the “purring” sound of the feline is the equivalent of our “Ohm” when we meditate.

When your cat trusts you enough, she’ll eventually roll over on her back, exposing her stomach. This, in cat behavior, is the ultimate form of submission. You should be impressed. It does not necessarily mean though that he wants his tummy rubbed. So be careful how you try this. To discover your cat’s true feelings, watch how he holds his tail. The way in which he switches his tail is also a subtle form of communication. Cats are not dogs. When a dog wags his tail, he’s a happy animal. You can tell if a cat is annoyed because its tail is flicking rapidly back and forth – the equivalent of a wag . . . or the least confused.

You probably are already aware that a “puffed up” tail indicates fear. You’ll recognize this signal as soon as you see it. Your pet’s tail will be at least twice the size it normally is. Could mean that he’s been fighting with another cat, or he’s just encountered something unexpected that startled him. A cat who is feeling “good about himself” will hold his tail high. A tail held a little lower indicates that he is feeling relaxed and relatively content. Cats possess something called a “third eyelid.” This is a layer of skin that you can sometimes see that surrounds the cat’s eyes. If you can see this, then you cat is either ill or extremely content and sleepy. The eyelid shows especially if you cat is running a fever.

You’ll be able to tell if your feline friend is ill by other behavior. She won’t be acting her normal self. If this lasts for more than several days, take your pet to the veterinarian if at all possible. Cats are very good at trying to disguise their true feelings. They may try to hide the fact that they are ill. Why? Because when their ancestors were out in the wild, many thousands of years ago, an ill cat did not live very long. So, cats try to keep a “stiff upper lip”, as it were, in order to be able to survive as long as possible.

Your cat’s third eyelid may be showing on the other hand because he’s very content and near the point of sleeping. Again, by paying some attention to his other body language, you’ll be able to read the signals.

Does your cat “head-butt” you? That’s the cat’s standard affectionate greeting. Try “head-butting” him back. Seriously. Not very hard of course. You’ll discover that he really enjoys this. You’ll also soon discover that you’ve got a bond forming with this feline.

Another form of an affectionate greeting is “the lick.” Hard to believe, isn’t it? But from the very moment he was born, his mother licked him. In his mind it’s associated with love. In fact, this is the only way his mother had to clean him. When your cat takes that sandpaper-rough tongue and licks your skin, fight the first impulse to jerk your body part away. You really don’t want to hurt his feelings, now do you?

Make no mistake about it. Cats are smart creatures. Some animal behaviorists even theorize that some cats possess the intelligence of a two-year-old human. So just be patient – and pay attention. Soon you and your cat will have your own subtle form of communication. And it’ll be most enjoyable and satisfying.

Jim Moore appreciates that you should take care and give loving attention to your cat. Jim owns and maintains http://www.apurrfectcat.com .

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