January 2012

Cat Agility Competitions

Run run run, jump! Pounce!
You have no doubt heard of dog agility training. This is a popular pastime, sport, and competition among dog owners, who train their dogs to leap jumps, dash through canvas tunnels, run up and over an obstacle and so forth. But dogs aren't the only ones who can have fun with agility training!
 
Cat agility competitions are growing in popularity. Many cat shows now feature agility competitions on the side, where competitors try to best each other based on both points score and best overall time. Your cat loses points for skipping a jump, or for going through it wrong (not weaving through the weave poles, for example). 

Time Lapse Reveals: Cats Are Annoying

This roly poly sleep-hating feline basically spends the entire night pestering his sleeping owner.

 

Have you ever wondered how much your cat REALLY annoys you in your sleep? If you are a cat owner, you may simply be waking up every morning with a vague feeling of not having slept well, but without any real memory of why. 
 
One enterprising cat owner decided to solve the mystery. And what he found is frankly hilarious (because it's not me) (even though it probably IS me, actually). This short video covers his entire night in just over one minute. And it is a busy, busy night - for his cat!

Cat Body Language

Cats are very expressive, if only we will slow down and look at what they are trying to tell us.  Perhaps that is what makes cats so desirable and so passionately loved by their people.  From displaying their affection through a gentle rub of their face to a show of anger with a hiss and glare, cats are almost as expressive as their human counterparts.  Here are just a few of the many ways cats express themselves.

Introducing The New Cat

In a nutshell: take it slow.

 

Bringing a new cat into the household can be a traumatic experience for all involved. I know cats who continue to hiss at each other even years after becoming roommates. Other cats seem to get along within a few days. How can you tell which scenario will happen, and how can you make it easier for both cats?
 
How Will Your Cat Feel About Another Cat?
Some cats will never accept a newcomer. If you have a cat who becomes tense and alert when she hears another cat on television, or who has been known to hiss and growl at a cat she sees out the window, these are signs you have an "only child" on your hands. However, if your cat is casual and unconcerned when she sees other cats, this is an encouraging sign.

Can You Toilet Train a Cat?

If you are a cat owner, you are probably well aware that cats possess a high amount of intelligence.  While they don’t readily do tricks like their canine counterparts, it is obviously because they are too important for such frivolity, and not a result of lacking intelligence.  One “trick” many cat owners wish they could teach their cats is to use a toilet instead of a litter box.  Imagine how much easier life with a cat could be if only you didn’t have to clean the litter box!