Should Cats Be Declawed?

San Francisco is considering a ban against declawing cats, and they have a valid point. Without their claws, cats can be virtually defenseless—especially if left abandoned by their owners.

San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare Chair Sally Stephens says that it’s a barbaric practice used for cosmetic reasons only, so people won’t have to worry about shredded furniture. She also says that the procedure includes cutting off the last bone in a cat’s paw, which can cause long-term pain and even behavioral changes—even if anesthetic is used in the surgery.

De-clawing is already banned in West Hollywood and several European countries, though exceptions can be made if the cat’s health is in danger.

Some changes that a cat may experience following de-clawing can include:

  • Refusal to use the litter box due to “phantom pain” from the surgery, which is exacerbated by the litter itself
  • Chronic depression
  • An increase of biting and aggression to defend itself and feel powerful
  • Arthritis

There are also a number of alternatives to de-clawing. One, nail clipping, is very simple to do, and can even be done by a groomer if the owner is uncomfortable doing it himself. We keep scratching posts for our cats, and though they don’t work 100% of the time, they continue to use them more and more often, and I’m hopeful that one day they’ll use the posts all the time and get tired of the carpet.

There are even inventions made specifically by veterinarians to help curb scratching and prevent de-clawing. One, Soft Paws, is a vinyl nail capping that glues right over the claws of cats that comes in a variety of colors or clear. They last for weeks and grow out as the cat’s nails grow. Feliway, a commercial product that copies the scent of a cat’s facial glands, can help sometimes help curb scratching as well.

I know that our vet recommended we declaw one wild cat we had rescued many years ago who attacked our other pets—including a ferret, which it killed—and though we took him up on his advice, our cat was never the same afterwards. Though it was nice to have him calmed down a bit, his spirit never really returned, and he developed a bad habit of peeing (not spraying) all over the apartment. We’ve always regretted the decision, and would never do it to another cat.

What do you think? Should cats be declawed? Should the procedure be completely outlawed—or left to each owner as an individual case-by-case decision? 

Why was Hello Kitty invented?

 

Source: the 3786 cups of water via Flickr

We've covered a lot of interesting facets of Japanese culture. However, I noticed that one of the most influential cultural good from Japan has yet to be featured – the incredibly cute Hello Kitty!

 

Where it all began ...

Hello Kitty was created by a company called Sanrio in 1974. The cute kitten character itself was the brainchild of in-house designer Ikuko  Shimizu. Why was Hello Kitty invented in the first place? Apparently they were looking for a adorable character to adorn one of their merchandises. You know, so that it gives them an edge over other competitors. Well, since then, this petite little character has become a worldwide favorite, both amongst little children as well as grownups.

Here are some fun facts about Hello Kitty:

  • She may have been well-loved from the start but she did not have a flamboyant pose at first. Hardcore fans will remember that her first pose was a sitting pose.
  • All fictional characters have a background story to them. Do you know the one about this pretty one? Apparently, Hello Kitty lives in England with her family. Her family name is White and she's got a Mom, a Dad and twin sister too!
  • Hello Kitty's real name is Kitty White. How about that! I found the name and location slightly strange but it seems like it might have been an indirect reflection of the local trends i.e. the increasing popularity of Western culture.
  • According to some sources, her name was derived from Through The Looking Glass.
  • Turns out there is also a Bear that lives with her family. I still don't get the logic behind that but I suppose no one complains about getting a teddy toy with the Hello Kitty set.
  • This little celebrity's blood type is A. Remember, blood group categories is to Japanese culture what astrology is to Western culture.
  • Hello Kitty has a boyfriend! What? His name is Dear Daniel and apparently he is AWOL most of the time. Seems like he loves traveling. I suppose now Mom and Dad don't have to worry about the birds and the bees talk for a while.
  • In case you are wondering about his name, turns out it was inspired by a character in a movie called Melody (1971).

 

Sources:

Best Stuff

Hello Kitty World

Hello Kitty Universe

Toxoplasmosis and Why Pregnant Women Should Avoid the Litter Box

A big thing that pregnant women are told to stay away from and warned about is the cat's litter box. Isn't the sound of that great!? Doctor's orders to have someone else do the the dirty job for once! Once that is said not many people ask why it's not good for pregnant women to be exposed.

Pregnant women who have cats that need to be cleaned up after take the risk of being exposed to an infection called Toxoplasmosis that can cause problems to a pregnant woman as serious as abortion. This infection is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite is known to be carried by cats and is passed on to humans through their feces. As scary as this sounds, the CDC states in their warning that “you are more likely to get it from undercooked meat or gardening.”

Though the CDC has found cat feces to only pose a small risk of causing Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women it is still best to avoid the litter box all together if and when you are pregnant. Women who are pregnant can take some simple steps to ensure their safety in addition to having someone else take over the cat box cleaning responsibilities.

Since the parasite is passed from the feces, to hands, to humans make sure that who ever is cleaning the litter box wears gloves and washes up after they are done. The litter box should be cleaned out at least once every day or more depending on how many cats use the same litter box. Women who do not have anyone to pass the responsibility onto for the time being need to take the same precautions of gloving up and scrubbing up after the job is done. Preferably use disposable gloves that you can toss when you are finished scooping after kitty.

For some pregnant women nesting can include taking in a stray to dote over and baby until the real thing happens but this is a very bad idea, even if you are looking to adopt from a shelter. When you are pregnant it is best to keep your cats in door cats if possible and to not bring in any that are new. Since undercooked meat causes a big potential for Toxoplasma gondii, you don't know what the cat has gotten into while out and about. With that said, also be sure to keep an eye on kitty while indoors if you have any meat sitting out.

If you think that you have been exposed or are worried about the parasite, make an appointment with your doctor to talk about your risk factors. Chances are that if you have already been exposed to the parasite before getting pregnant, you may have built up an immunity to the Toxoplasma gondii and you are going to be just fine. A simple blood test at the doctor's office can clear everything up for you and give you a better idea of what you are dealing with.

June is Adopt a Cat Month

A cat lover my whole life, I can’t imagine living without my feline friends. At one point in my life, I did have to give two beloved cats to family members when I brought my baby home from the hospital on oxygen, and it was a tough choice. But now that she’s a preschooler, we’ve got two huggable fur balls rolling around the house, and she loves them just as much as we do.

If you’ve been thinking about getting a cat, or you once had one and miss the company, now is the perfect time to adopt a new pet. Shelters tend to overflow with new litters in the summertime, and these cats and kittens could certainly use a new home. To find a shelter near you, click here.

Before you adopt a cat, there are some things to keep in mind. While you veteran cat lovers probably know all of this information, you still may want to take note and share it with potential cat people you meet.

  • Keeping your cat indoors is the safest bet, as they can get all kinds of diseases from other cats—not to mention scrapes and cuts from fights.
  • Cats need fresh, clean water at all times—but don’t give your adult cats milk, as they don’t need it and it can make them sick.
  • Your cat needs an ID whether he’s an inside cat or an outside cat. Most cats are clever enough to sneak out at least once in their lives, so an ID will help in finding your friend if it comes to that.
  • Like dogs, cats need to eat at least once a day. Some may require more; check with your vet or the shelter you adopt from to see what your specific cat needs.
  • Declawing cats is not always the best route. This can leave them defenseless if they ever end up in a precarious situation.
  • Cats are great at using their litter boxes. Multiple cats need multiple boxes, and you will want to keep the litter clean by scooping out leavings daily and changing the litter completely as needed—usually one to three times weekly.
  • For your cat’s safety, never leave him in a room with an open window, and always check household plants before buying them to see if they are poisonous. Cats will chew on poisonous plants!

And remember, while kittens sure are cute, older cats need love too!

Cat Intelligence Called into Question

Do cats have a learning disability that dogs don't have? One researcher won't put it in so many words, but her research into the friendly felines has demonstrated that "cats do not understand cause and effect connections between objects".  Her experiment was not high-tech at all- she basically baited a string with tasty treats (fish and a biscuit), and placed them out of reach  to see "if the cats could work out that pulling on the string would pull the treat closer."

She used three strings: "a single baited string, two parallel strings where only one was baited, and two crossed strings where only one was baited."

Don't let your cats read the next part because it might traumatize their delicate psyches. Cats, who are infamous for their string-pulling abilities, performed worse than the dogs on the test. The single-string was no problem for the beloved felines, but not a single cat could figure out the nuances of the parallel strings.

If you're a cat lover and have cats for pets, you're probably more than a little ticked off with the results of this "experiment". Don't blame me, blame Britta Osthaus, who is the Psychology lecturer who performed the experiments. To mitigate the damage, she said, "I am not trying to say cats are stupid, just they are different." I don't know about you, but I'm not so sure that I necessarily agree with that. The article failed to mention whether the researcher herself was a cat or dog owner. Perhaps she was a little biased in her study?

Older Cats Need Love, Too

We love kittens. There’s no questioning that a kitten is one of the top ten cutest things on the planet, and we always wish we could keep our kittens their size forever. Kittens tend to get adopted much more quickly than older cats for the same reason that human babies typically get adopted faster than adolescents—they’re cuter, they’re not yet conditioned to a certain behavior or way of life, and the parent feels that bonding with them will be much easier without so much history.

But there are many older cats in need of adoption, and they can bond with you just as well as a younger kitten. Some cats have already been conditioned to get along with children, other cats or dogs, making training that much easier. Also, while we all know that cats are easier to potty-train than dogs, there’s the added benefit of older cats knowing how to take care of their business without you stepping in, too.

In fact, there are many benefits to getting an older cat rather than a youngster:

Older cats are often more well-behaved. Sure, you may have to invest in a good scratching post, but younger kittens with much more spunk are more libel to shred your toilet tissue and curtains.

Older cats are great for childless homes. If you want a sweet, lazy companion to lay around, purr at your feet and sit in your lap while you watch House, an older cat is just for you.

Older cats can be great for homes with children, too! Some older cats are used to being around children and are more tolerant of a child’s antics. Just be sure to ask during the adoption process. Plus, children can be very rough with kittens—sometimes even causing harm while not intending to do so. An older cat is likely to be more resilient—and to walk away when things start to go wrong!

Older cats are generally calmer. They normally won’t run under your feet as much as a kitten, and require less soothing when it comes to strange situations—such as guests coming over or a car ride.

Older cats require less care. Besides already being litter trained, they usually are neutered, have all of their shots and require simple annual checkups and shots to maintain their health.

Older cats are often declawed. Though some people are against declawing, people who prefer it may wish to adopt a cat who has already had the procedure done.

 

Flying Cat

As if escaping cats’ claws isn’t hard enough for the birds of the world, they now have to be on the lookout for a cat in China that has grown a pair of wings.
An older woman named Feng, who lives in Xianyang city, Shaanxi province, is the proud owner of a furry feline who appears to have grown two hairy, long wings.

Feng said the wings started out as a couple of small bumps on the cat's shoulder blades, but they quickly grew and a month later her cat had two 'wings' that measure about four inches long.Feng says that rather than just being hair covered flaps of skin, the wings actually contain bones which she says gives her pet the appearance of an angel.
 
She said quite a few female cats that were in heat came to harass the winged tomcat and wanted to mate with him, and then the wings just started to grow.

Feng believes the wings grew after the females sexually harassed her cat. However, animal experts said the wings are simply a result of a gene mutation, adding that they don't believe the mutations, or the wings will alter the cat’s life in any way.

The story, which originally ran in a Chinese newspaper has been called into question by many western scientists, although many agree that such a thing is possible through genetic mutation.  Another possibility is 'cutaneousasthenia ', a condition which causes the skin to become highly elastic and have excessive growth,  although bones do not usually develop in the growths.

Closer investigation would be needed in order to discover the truth behind this strange tale.

Cat news, or should I say mews?

It was a purrfect week for cat lovers as a couple of felines made the headlines recently. It seems that cats are big football fans as one of the four-legged creatures made his way over to Istanbul, Turkey, to take in theUEFA Cup Final between Ukranian team Shakhtar Donetsk and German side Werder Bremen on May 20th.
 
He checked out the stadium and climbed the stairs looking for his seat, but it appeared somebody was sitting in it, so he made his way onto the pitch and then headed over to the photographers' area to have his portrait taken. The furry football fan got his money's worth as the game went into extra time withShakhtar Donetsk winning 2-1. There is no truth to the rumours that next year's final will be renamed the UE-Fur Cup.
 
In other cat news, it appears the world's smallest feline has been found in Pensacola, Florida, and is trying to hit the big time by being recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. The cat's name isBitsy and tips the scales at only 1.5 lbs. Officials from Guinness sent 28 pages of paperwork to be filled out and want to see a video that shows howBitsy was measured to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Bitsy's owner, Auriette Lindsey, says the cat is only 6.5 inches tall and just under 19 inches long from tail to nose. If the measurements are right, Bitsy will break the world record for smallest cat. The current record holder lives in Louisiana, USA, and is a bit shorter than Bitsy, but weighs in at 3 lbs., making it a heavyweight compared to Bitsy's weight. Officials from Guinness will make their final decision in a few weeks to determine which cat is truly the smallest.

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