If you've got an outdoor cat, chances are that you've seen it eat grass now and then. When they throw up the grass (which they cannot digest, by the way; the puking is normal), it can help them clean out the rest of the gunk (particularly hair) that they build up. But if you see your cat eating dirt, your cat may have a problem.
When I had outdoor cats, they regularly brought me little “gifts” of lizards, birds and even some small snakes. This cat in Texas, however, decided that instead of taking on a snake way too big to handle, it might deem the serpent friendly enough to establish companionship with the creature!
Yesterday we took our poor cat to the vet because she wasn’t eating. We thought it might be allergies, as it’s happened twice before and I was always able to get her to eat with some wet food, a little forced water and some Benedryl. The vet said while those were good strategies, it turns out that our girl probably has feline leukemia.
It’s a story that reminds us why it’s so important to get cats spayed and neutered. A pregnant cat that was living in a house with two other pregnant cats ended up caring for and feeding all 14 of their combined babies when the other two mothers showed no interest in feeding their newborns. The owner surrendered the cat and all kittens to a shelter, where volunteers found the mama exhausted and malnourished from taking care of so many babies.
People love to call cats jerks (or worse). Sure, they knock over your stuff, jump on you while you’re asleep and “fluff” your skin until it’s gored, but are they really any worse than any other species? Last week we talked about how cats really prefer to be around people and may even choose companionship over getting food or cat toys, so they can’t be all that bad, right?
It’s hard to believe it (especially if you’ve got a cat who loves to push your glasses off the table and otherwise make your life miserable), but scientists are saying that cats prefer human company to eating. By studying 50 cats, they noticed that the cats preferred snuggling with humans than being given food. The cats also preferred spending time with humans to playing with toys, making us more fun to cats, too.
Have you ever had a friend tell you, “I wish I could borrow your cat!” after you talk about what a great mouser Mr. Whiskers is? Now businesses in Washington, DC can do just that while they gain not only a furry ambassador, but a complete pest control worker. The cats aren’t the cuddly type, so they can’t get homes otherwise, making the program a literal life-saver for them.
You often hear horror stories about cats dragging in mice, birds, squirrels and even snakes into their owners' homes. Some scientists say they are left as gifts, while others think that cats want to feed their owners who appear to be incapable of hunting for themselves! When your cat sneezes a snake out, however, that may be additional cause for concern.
Cats are some of the easiest pets to own (or should we say that they own us?). Sure, they can destroy things once in a while and randomly puke in your slippers for no reason, but for the most part they enjoy sleeping, eating and purring on your head.
If you love cats as much as I do, this news will break your heart. In North Port, Florida, a man named Andrew Gerberich neglected his cats so badly that they resorted to cannibalism after they were not fed. He had a total of 26 cats on his property as well as 9 dead cats, some of which had been eaten by the others in an attempt to survive. Gerberich is being held on a bond for $915,000 for aggravated animal cruelty.
