Hi everyone. I’m Maverick with this week’s edition of “Cat Tales.” I’m waiting for the eclipse. I keep looking out the window to see if anything is happening yet, but my mom says it won’t happen until Monday, April 8th. I told her that we should have a party and have sun chips, moon pies, and non-alcoholic cosmos. We could wear those funny-looking glasses too. She told me, that was something my late brother, Alex, would have said. I gave her a toothy grin. I loved my brothers so much and miss them every day.
My mom has a pawdiatrist appointment today. That means Oscar and Oliver will visit me. Remember them? They’re my invisible friends. They’re not imaginary, they are real, but I’m the only one who can see them. They visit when my mom has to leave for a while, and that way I’m not lonely. They’re a lot of fun because they’re young and ornery. I’m like their big brother so I get to teach them things like appropriate behavior. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
This week’s cat book that I recommend is, “Squash, The Cat,” by Sasha Mayer. This is a cute book that I think all little kids would like. Be sure to visit your local library because reading is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Bayliss Public Library, here in the Sault, is a great library with helpful staff who will help you find what you’re looking for.
Spring is here and that means flowers are blooming. Things to watch out for when you have a cat is what I call flower toxicity. Did you know tulips are dangerous to cats? According to Ashly Smith, DVM, the regional medical director for Small Door Veterinary, every part of the tulip plant is harmful to kitties. If a curious cat ingests tulips, it can lead to internal tissue irritation and result in issues ranging from minor discomfort to liver or kidney damage. Please read up on plant toxicity. There are many plants and flowers inside and out, that are dangerous to your furry loved ones.
Cat Facts
- Cats have up to 100 different vocalizations — dogs only have 10. – I have many thoughts about this, but I’ll stick to one. Maybe cats are long-winded and just have a lot more to say.
- Cats find it threatening when you make direct eye contact with them. – I’m not sure about this. I’m not threatened by people I know who stare at me, but maybe I would be if I met a scary stranger.
- Cats mark you as their territory when they rub their faces and bodies against you, as they have scent glands in those areas. – This is true. But it’s also how I say good morning to my mom when she wakes up.
- Cats may yawn as a way to end a confrontation with another animal. Think of it as their “talk to the hand” gesture. – I’m pondering what “talk to the hand” even means. I don’t know about other cats, but I yawn when tired and bored. If I was in a confrontation, I’m pretty sure I would just walk or run away.
- Hissing is defensive, not aggressive. It’s an expression of fear, stress, or discomfort of a threatened cat communicating to stay away. – I would agree with this. When I first met my brothers, Alex and Winston, Alex was very defensive and so mad at my mom that he told her he was going to call “CPS (Cat Protective Services.) He was such a spunky brother.
- If cats are fighting, the cat that’s hissing is the more vulnerable one. – I’d have to agree with this. That’s what I call a defense mechanism.
- If your cat approaches you with a straight, almost vibrating tail, she is extremely happy to see you. – I get a kick out of some of these facts. Where do they get this stuff?
- Meowing is a behavior that cats developed exclusively to communicate with people. – I’m not sure this is true. – I meow when I see an animal. It’s just another type of meow than when I greet my mom.
- When a cat flops over and exposes his belly, it’s not always an invitation for a belly rub. A cat does this when he’s relaxed and showing trust. – My brother Alex, loved getting his tummy rubbed. My mom had a friend that whenever she came to visit, he would lay on his back so she could rub his tummy. It was the cutest thing.
- When cats hit you with retracted claws, they’re playing not attacking. – Of course, this is true. If we weren’t playing, we wouldn’t retract our claws. That’s a no-brainer.
- When dogs wag their tails, they may be expressing happiness. But this isn’t the case for cats! When your cat wags her tail, it’s her way of warning you, that you are getting on her last nerve. – Do you notice how it says “her?” I think that’s probably true. But when my brother, Alex, wagged his tail, my mom told him he had a “tattle tale,” because it always told her he was being ornery and getting into things he knew he shouldn’t. But if a girl cat did that, I can imagine it might mean you were getting on her last nerve. From a male perspective, it seems females stress about things more.
- When your cat sticks his butt in your face, he is doing so as a gesture of friendship. – Oh boy! There is so much I could say here, but I have a case of the cat giggles, and can barely control myself. I don’t think that’s what it means at all.
- Whiskers are also good indicators of a cat’s mood. When a cat is scared, he puts his whiskers back. But when a cat is in hunting mode, he puts his whiskers forward. – Interesting.
- Your cat drapes its tail over another cat, your dog, or you as a symbol of friendship. – Absolutely. Alex, Winston, and I slept together. We loved to cuddle, and our tails overlapped each other. It’s like a human snuggle with my mom.
- Cats are very fussy about their water bowls; some prefer to ignore their bowls entirely in favor of drinking from the sink faucet. – My late brother, Winston, loved drinking from the faucet.
- Cats groom other cats and sometimes people, in a ritual called allogrooming. – Allo-what? Aloe Vera, Alimony, Alouette??? I’ve heard of all of these, but I’ve never heard of allogrooming.
- Cats like sleeping on things that smell like their owners, such as pillows and dirty laundry (ick!). – My mom never leaves dirty laundry around. She’s fussy. But I like to lay in her spot on the bed when she gets up because it’s nice and warm.
- Cats love to sleep in laundry baskets because they’re hiding places with peepholes. – I’m not sure I buy the peephole bit, but when there is nice warm laundry fresh from the dryer, that’s a whole other story.
- Cats often attack your ankles when they’re bored. – I don’t attack ankles when I’m bored. I get into things and knock them off shelves.
- If you can’t find your cat, you should look in a box or a bag, as these are some of their favorite hiding spots! – Or closets, the dryer (don’t ask)… the list could go on and on. Just ask my mom.
- Many cats like to lick their owner’s freshly washed hair. – Some dogs like to do this too. I’m not sure why this is, but it probably has something to do with the scent of the shampoo.
That’s it for this week’s “Cat Facts.” This week’s edition of “Cat Tales” is written in memory of Skamp, who passed away a week ago. May his memory live on. Rest in peace little one.
I will leave you with this week’s quote by Ernest Hemingway – “A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”
Don’t forget you can always contact me at: maverick@eupnews.com.
Until next time.
Love Maverick
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