Why Do They DO That?

I will admit to everyone who asks that I am NOT a cat lover.  I like them.  I think they’re cool.  But I don’t WANT one, even though I have one.  There is something about waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of retching that really gets to me.  Or, if I don’t wake up to that, it’s stepping on a half eaten mouse (or a vomited half eaten mouse) that really makes me loathe being a cat owner.  I like dogs.  They’re easier to read.  They don’t throw up body parts or leave live birds in your basement for you to find when you go downstairs with an armful of laundry. 

THAT having been said, we get a lot of cats on Lost & Pound.  Now, I like playing with cats and I will admit that.  I like meeting all the different cats that come on to the show.  I even consider taking some of them home – but just consider it – it never actually happens!  I like their personalities and their cute looks.  So, with that in mind, I thought I’d devote a Lost & Pound Blog to cat ownership.  More specifically, to why they do some of the things they do. 

A friend gave me a book called Why Do Cats Sulk by Arline Bleecker.  It’s a really cool book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand their cat.  Here are a few excerpts from the book…. 

Why don’t cats drink a lot of water?  Apparently cats’ ancestors were desert animals (and apparently this is why they bury their poop in the sand)…Well, their kidneys have adapted to this and can eliminate the toxins in a small amount of liquid (which is why it smells so bad and is so concentrated).  

Why do cats get stuck in trees?  Actually, they don’t.   I quote an unknown source who once said they’d never seen a skeleton of a cat in a tree (and that quote is also in the book!)… The book says that their claws are designed to climb up but not to climb down.  However, they do eventually figure out how to shimmy back down.  It may take a while but they do figure it out. 

Do cats have a memory?  They do when you open the can of cat food!  Actually, it says that a cat’s memory can be up to 200 times more retentive than a dog’s (which is why dogs are big, dumb goofballs!)… 

Why does a cat quiver her jaw when she sees a bird?  Ok – I know this one!  My cat will do that and actually chatter her voice when she sees one. It’s weird!  The book says they don’t know – but I think its cat talk for “oh boy, oh boy!!!” 

Do cats see in color?  Yep!  They see in shades of blue and green but they can tell the difference in certain colors as well. 

Why do all tabbies have an “M” on their foreheads?  Cool question!  It’s a genetic feature passed on…. There are myths as to why this is, but it’s a genetic thing.

What is the purpose of that “pad” midway up the rear of a cat’s leg?  Actually, it’s an anti-skid pad for crash landings – it keeps them from crashing into the wall as they’re racing around a corner… 

Who was the oldest cat?  Puss – a cat who lived in England – She died one day after her 36^th birthday. 

How big was the biggest cat?  The average cat weighs 12 pounds.  The heaviest cat was Himmy, an Australian cat who weighed in at 45 pounds.  Before that, it was Spice – a cat from Ridgefield, CT, who weighed in at 43 pounds. 

What is the greatest number of mice killed by a cat?  I thought we’d end with this one.  Think about this as you get up in the middle of the night, in the dark, to use the bathroom.  Think of this one – Towser was a cat used for rodent control in Scotland.  In her 21 years, she killed 28, 899 mice – that’s about 4 mice a day for every day of her life. 

So go get a copy of this book – It’s really full of very interesting facts about the feline!  It made me respect the little buggers a bit more, actually.  But in all honesty, I’m still a dog person – Give me big, slobbery, dumb, goofy dogs any time.  Ok, so maybe a cat or two, too.  I don’t think I’ve ever gone without a cat, actually….Jeeze……