The Things I Go Through

Hi Everyone. Maverick here with another exciting edition of “Cat Tales.” You’re probably wondering why I am dressed up like a flag. This is my friend, Spaghetti Betty’s work. She is making us costumes for July 4th, and she snapped this pic while doing a fitting. I think you know by now I don’t
like getting dressed up let alone having my pic taken in a costume for the whole world to see. But she is my new friend, and as you can see she talked me into it. She won’t tell me what her costume is, it’s a surprise, but you can tell she is quite the seamstress.

Guess what? My mom thinks Ivan has been fired. If you read my last column, you’ll remember how frustrated my mom was with her health insurance company. They had a robot thing named Ivan, who answered the phone but never wanted to connect my mom to a customer service rep. If you didn’t read my last column, look it up in my Maverick archives under features at EUPNews.com, then you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

The other day my mom had to call the insurance company again. Ivan didn’t answer. This time it was a female robot thing that answered and when she asked my mom how she could help her, my mom told her she wanted to speak to a customer rep. The female robot thing said, “Certainly, let me connect you.” My mom’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe it. You should have seen my mom, she was excited but in disbelief. Sure enough, she was connected to a representative immediately. Was Ivan fired? We don’t know, but if he isn’t there the next time she calls, we can only assume
he must have gotten the axe.

In other news, my last column was taken down from Facebook. Facebook said it had something to do with spam. I believe those people at Facebook have been eating too much-potted meat. They must have me confused with Spam in a can. Another possibility may be that Ivan is now working at Facebook and is holding a grudge from being fired from the insurance company after my mom complained. I don’t know what’s wrong with those people at Facebook, but it will be interesting to see if this edition of my column gets to stay up. Remember though, you can always go to EUPNews.com and read all the great articles there, just in case Facebook has nothing better to do than take me down again. It’s hard to believe that they’re threatened by a cat.

I have some cat trivia to share with you. You’ll find the answers at the end of all the questions, but no peeking.

1. Which of the following is not a poisonous plant or plant part for cats?
   A. African Violet
   B. Daffodil bulbs
   C. Lily of the Valley
   D. Rhubarb leaves
   
2. Experts have a few ideas about why eating vegetation is an instinctive
   behavior in cats. Which of the following is a hypothesis for why cats eat
   plants?
   A. Eating plants aids the process of digestion
   B. Eating plants helps provide cats with trace nutrients missing fromtheir diets
   C. Plants can act as an emetic to help bring up swallowed hair and other nonfood items
   D. All of the above
   
3. True or False: Cats drink by curling their tongue into a spoon-shaped
   scoop.
   
4. Cats may like milk, but just as people should avoid certain things they
   enjoy, they are better off without it (especially cow’s milk). What’s more,
   most grown cats are lactose intolerant. Which of the following is a symptom
   cats may experience after drinking milk?
   A. Dehydration and loss of fluids
   B. Displaced appetite for meat-based diets
   C. Nutritionally deficient diseases
   D. All of the above
   
   ANSWERS
   1.(A) According to the ASPCA’s page for Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, African violets are non-toxic for cats, dogs, and horses.
   2. (D) Whatever the reason, eating vegetation is an instinctive behavior in cats; you can’t stop it. So the best thing to do is point the behavior in a direction you can both live with. Keep your plants out of reach, shield them using chicken wire or plant markers, or plant a cat garden
   or catnip for your cat to munch.
   3. (True) Using their curled tongues, cats flick each scoop of drink to the back of their mouth and swallow after every four or five laps. The rough center surface of their tongue acts like a sponge to retain water.
   4. (D) Because cats don’t know to stop drinking something that tastes good, they can have continuous diarrhea, which leads to a loss of fluids and nutrients and can endanger their health. Once kittens are weaned, they no longer need milk in their diets. The best way to quench your cat’s thirst is with a handy source of fresh, cool water.
   
   Just a reminder, never take another person’s word for what may or may not be healthy for your pet. Remember to always talk with your veterinarian.
   
   Here is a great children’s book to read this summer. “Cat on The Bus,” by Kim Aram. This book is about a homeless cat who finds shelter on a bus where she meets a cat-loving Asian grandfather. Remember that libraries are a great place to spend time with your children and grandchildren.

Fascinating Cat Facts

● A 9,500-year-old gravesite discovered in Cyprus revealed a human buried with a pet cat. This predates Egyptian art featuring cats by more than 4,000 years.
● A feline’s body has more than 500 muscles and over 200 bones. There are approximately 23 bones just in the tail.
● Why do cats “make biscuits”? They first learn comforting kneading behavior as kittens, when ready to bed down, or when they’re emitting scent from their paw pads onto you as a sign that you’re a favorite human.
● More than 20 domestic breeds can sport solid black coats, including the Bombay, Norwegian forest cat, British shorthair, and American shorthair.
● For 20 years, Stubbs—a stately orange Manx—was “mayor” of the unincorporated community of Talkeetna, Alaska, until he died in 2017.

Now holding the mayoral gavel betwixt their paws are Aurora and Denali, who help promote tourism.
● Cats have tiny glands in their paws that give off a strong scent that can provide valuable information when meeting an unfamiliar cat.

These fascinating cat facts are brought to you by “Daily Paws.” I hope everyone has enjoyed this edition of “Cat Tales.” Feel free to like me on Facebook, as long as those Facebook people let me stay there, and you can always comment at the end of each article. I would love to hear from you.

Today’s quote: “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” – Terry Pratchett

Love Maverick

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Maverick

My name is Maverick, and I am 11 years old, and this is my first column. My mom adopted me when she found me outside her home, underneath her car. Someone had shot me. When the doctor wanted to end my life, she told him if there was a chance that I would make it, then do everything possible for me. She wanted me to know there were good people in this world and know that I am loved. It took five months to nurse me back to health. I had congestive heart failure, too. At the end of the five months, I finally met my two brothers for the first time. Boy, did I love them and my new home. I am so glad my mom didn’t listen to that doctor. If you have any questions or want to comment, you can reach me at maverick@eupnews.com. I would love to hear from all furry and non-furry pets and their moms and dads.

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