Cat flats: designing human apartments for feline friends
Perched on a ledge in a Taipei apartment, Ge Ge -- aka Elder Brother -- looks satisfied as he surveys his new territory.
His owner recently overhauled their 484 square foot (45 sqm) home in the Taiwanese capital to make Ge Ge and his sibling, Mei Mei -- or Little Sister -- feel more comfortable.
What do you give the cat who has everything — including millions in cash, property in various locales and his own personal human attendant? Lots of love, of course.
Woman Leaves $13M Fortune to Pet Cat ABC News
Italian black cat becomes a fat cat after inheriting 10 million euros The Telegraph
Italian cat becomes hairy heir MSN
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What do you give the cat who has everything — including millions in cash, property in various locales and his own personal human attendant? Lots of love, of course.
Tommaso, a 4-year-old former stray cat from Rome, is now living large after his well-to-do owner (and savior) bequeathed to him a fortune worth approximately $13 million.
CowCat saves sleeping Alberta family from fire ... by biting one of them
CLAIRMONT, Alta. — An Alberta family has their cowcat to thank for helping get out of their burning home.
The family was sleeping when flames broke out in their trailer in Clairmont, north of Grande Prairie, early Thursday morning.
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — One man was arrested after the disturbing discovery of a cat tied up and set on fire near Crawfordsville Municipal Airport.
Noah A. Riley, 19, of Crawfordsville, faces two preliminary charges of animal cruelty, according to a news release from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. Riley met with authorities after he saw photos of the cat circulating on social media that showed the animal's singed fur and burned skin, the release states.
Man who dressed up as a dog arrested for 'having sex with a cat'
American man arrested after he was accused of abusing cat 'multiple times', says police.
A man who enjoyed dressing up as a dog called called Bubblegum Husky has been arrested for having regular sex with a cat. Ryan Havens Tannenholz, 28, ofBoise, Idaho, abused the cat several times between January 2012 and January 2013, police said. Tannenholz has been charged with six counts of crimes against nature and one count of cruelty to an animal, according to US reports.
Who, What, Why: How dangerous can domestic cats be?
A pet cat with a "history of violence" attacked a baby before trapping a family and dog in a room. How much of a threat are house-trained felines to the human population?
Lux, a 10kg (22lbs) black-and-white Himalayan, scratched a seven-month-old baby in the face, according to police in Portland, Oregon, USA. When the child's father Lee Palmer struck the four-year-old animal on the rear in retaliation, it began charging at the family, forcing them to take refuge in their bedroom. "He's very, very, very, very hostile," Palmer told an operator in a panicked 911 call, during which Lux could be heard screeching in the background. Palmer added that his pet had a "history of violence".
"It's extremely rare for a domestic cat to behave like this", says John Bradshaw, founder of the Anthrozoology Institute at Bristol University and author of Cat Sense. With more than 80 million pet cats in the US, the exceptional nature of the case suggests that Lux "has a screw loose", he adds. If a kitten doesn't encounter a human in a friendly context between the ages of three to eight weeks, it is more liable to go feral. A cornered feral cat "will bite, it will scratch, but it's not a fight to the death - it won't come back to finish you off", Bradshaw says. "Cats are never aggressive for no reason," says Sarah Ellis, an expert in cat behaviour at the University of Lincoln. "It is our duty to protect cats from feeling fearful of us by ensuring they have the appropriate early socialisation."
It's birds and small rodents which have most to fear from cats' hunting instincts. Some breeds are more aggressive than others. Bengal cats - a cross-breed of domestic cats and Asian leopard cats - have a reputation for attacking cats in neighbouring houses, says Bradshaw. By contrast, he says, Persians and Siamese cats have typically forgotten how to be good hunters. Usually a cat will scratch or bite a human who is being too persistent in stroking it. The cat will lash out because it thinks it is being held down. Instead, Bradshaw suggests paying attention to a cat's body language is usually the best way to avoid ending up on the wrong side of its claws.
What, and how much, should I eat
Cat dietary needs aren’t complicated but they need some planning.
First, cats are a special kind of meat-eater called an obligate carnivore. As cats evolved, their ancestors ate a meat-only diet. As a result, their bodies adapted in various ways.
Mostly, cats have difficulty processing and breaking down certain kinds of food. For example, whereas humans and dogs can make vitamin A from beta-carotene, cats can’t. Cats also need lots of taurine and arginine, which you get in meat but almost nowhere else.
As such, cats need meat or they die. Cats will eat rice and leftover veggies for fun or if they’re starving, but they need meat to survive.
Cat biscuits are easy, but there are concerns using these exclusively. Many cats don’t like biscuits and digestibility can also be a factor. Also, cats who don’t lap water very well can become dehydrated.
Wet food is messier because it has lots of water. This is great for kitties because they need the liquid. Also, cats tend to prefer wet food because it tastes great and comes in many flavours.
I think it’s best for cats to have both. Even if biscuits could do the job, I don’t want to live on boring dehydrated pellets all my life, and I can’t imagine a cat liking it either. Wet food is delicious and cats deserve to have a good life.
Adult cats typically need two meals a day, while kittens and elderly cats need three. The amount is tricky. All cat foods have different nutritional values. You can read the label but do remember that these are average guidelines. Active cats need to eat more than lazy cats. Personal metabolism is also a factor.
Generally speaking, a big issue is that it’s hard to guesstimate portions. To prevent over-feeding, measure daily requirements until you get an idea of what recommended servings look like.
The bottom line? Be sensible, and you’re probably doing fine. If not, keep a cat food diary and then go and talk to your vet to get some advice.
What Your Cat's Body Language Is Saying
6 clues to help you interpret your cat's posture
1. Tummy Display
Feline body language is more nuanced than that of dogs, says Karen Sueda, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. "Part of the problem arises when people take their knowledge of dogs and apply it to cats," says Sueda.
Have you ever wondered, for example, why your cat’s seemingly flirtatious behavior of rolling over to expose its belly may be met with overt aggression when you try to stroke it?
When your cat is content and relaxed, she may stretch out and roll over. But in other situations, when a cat feels cornered and cannot escape, this pose -- followed by fully extended claws and sharp teeth -- may be highly defensive, indicating that she is prepared to fight, says Pam Johnson-Bennett, a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant in Nashville, Tenn.
As with other feline-human interactions, it is important to learn what your cat prefers.
2. The Fluttering Blink
When a cat greets another cat or a person with slow, languid blinks, it's communicating affection.
Why? Because in the feline world, closing one’s eyes in the presence of another is the ultimate sign of trust.
By blinking slowly at your cat, you are communicating that you are aware of its presence and pose no threat. So the next time your cat blinks at you, try returning the gesture.
3. Classic Halloween Pose
One of the most accurate barometers of a cat’s mood is its tail.
When held high, it communicates confidence. Curled around another cat’s tail or human legs, it signals friendliness. And tucked below or between the legs, it signals insecurity or anxiousness.
The upright bottle-brush tail is an unequivocal sign that your cat is feeling threatened. And when combined with the arched back, upright hair along the spine, and unsheathed claws, the stance is a dead giveaway that you should back off, Sueda says.
4. The Direct Stare
Although people can use direct eye contact to show affection, most cats find it threatening. That's why in social settings, a cat usually gravitates toward the one person in the room who is trying to ignore it.
The more fearful a cat becomes, the wider its pupils expand, says Myrna Milani, DVM, an animal behaviorist at Tipping Point Animal Behavior Consulting Services in Charlestown, N.H.
When dilated, the pupils take in as much visual information as possible. This bug-eyed, saucer look signals that a cat is very frightened and wants to retreat.
In an aroused or angry cat, the pupils may become narrowed or constricted to focus more effectively on detail. But cats’ eyes also respond to ambient lighting, Sueda says, so it's important to observe the body language as a whole and not single out any one element.
Once a cat realizes that he is being watched, he may stop what he is doing and assess the situation.
5. I'm Going to Get You
Even the most mild-mannered cat may retaliate if feeling threatened or aroused by too much play or petting. "Cats are stimulus-driven predators by nature," Milani says.
So when they see something move (whether a mouse, cat toy, or human hand), they are hardwired to pursue it.
Closer and closer, they inch forward until they reach arousal threshold. Then they pounce and kill.
If the prey happens to be your hand, the wisest thing to do, Milani says, is to freeze. That stop-action will interrupt this inbred stalking pattern.
When you see these telltale warning signs: dilated pupils, low twitching tail, and flattened ears, your cat is telling you, in the only way it can, to back off.
"That is not a time to get in its face and do ‘the nice kitty’ thing," Milani says. "And don’t add to the problem by stroking it, especially if the cat is in defensive mode."
6. Audio Cues
Cats may have adapted their meows to manipulate people in order to get their needs met.
"Cats don’t do much meowing to other cats," says Sueda, calling meows "an attention-getting device" to express greetings, approval, demands for food, and more.
Learn the nuances of your cat’s vocabulary so you can detect the difference between a plea for dinner and an urgent cry for help. For instance:
Purring usually signals contentment and may also be a comfort-seeking behavior when the cat is recovering from illness or close to death.
High-pitched gurgling or chatting indicates friendliness.
Growling, hissing, or spitting are emphatic warnings to stay away -- at least until the cat has calmed down.
Caterwauling is a very loud, guttural sound that cats (especially males that have not been neutered) make when threatened by other cats. This sound is common in deaf cats.
Still, every cat is unique. "I always tell clients that nobody knows your cat better than you do," Milani says.
I am Potion, the Cowcat with 7 black spots and white tummy.
Have you heard the joke of the white cow which gives white milk? hahahahaa, yeah, so I am a white and black cow cat, what colour milk would I give?
Man falls 20 feet from apartment block attempting to rescue a cat
A man has been taken to hospital after falling 20 feet from an apartment block in Manchester.
It's thought he was trying to rescue a cat at around 5.35am on Tuesday morning.
The 22-year-old was found suffering from serious back injuries but they are not thought to be life-threatening.
He was treated on the scene and taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Bronx man falls to death trying to rescue cat from tree
A 53-year-old Bronx man fell to his death trying to rescue a cat from a tree early Monday, police sources said.
Marcial Rios-Aguilar scaled the tree at Bronx Park East and Allerton Ave. in Bronxwood at 3 a.m. using a rope, police said.
David Handschuh/New York Daily News
Firefighters Kevin McMahon. left and Bryan Downey rescued a cat from a tree Monday 12.3.12. Marcial Rios-Aguilar fell to his death early Monday trying to rescue a cat from a tree.
