Cat In a Box

Cat In a Box

Try putting an empty box in your living room. You’ll notice that your cute feline pet would become noticeably curious and interested about the box. After some time, your kitty will finally jump in the box and would seem contented and stuck in deep thought. Have you ever wondered why this happens? Why are our kitties so in love with boxes? Ladies and gents, you are reading just the right thing to answer those questionsIt’s not just boxes really, our feline companions would tend to squeeze themselves in wherever they can. “If I

It’s not just boxes really, our feline companions would tend to squeeze themselves in wherever they can. “If I fits, I sits” as the kitty saying goes. This makes them feel safer and more secure instead of being out in the open where there may be possible danger.

This traces back to when they were young where they used to snuggle with the mommy kitty and litter siblings giving them a warm and soothing feeling. It is the feeling of security that boxes or enclosed areas offers to cats that reminds them of the security and sanctuary that the mother kitty provided them when they were young.

In fact, this even holds true for spaces enclosed with lines. Have you seen the videos of cats stepping in to a space on the floor with red tape shaped in a square like the picture below?

Even this kind of enclosure gives our dear kitties the sense of security. Although the box may not have any walls, it is a representation of a box which although, is not as good as the real thing, but it is a representation that offers the kitty the feelings if there was a box in that certain area.

We all know that our feline friends have territorial tendencies; this also plays a part on this natural phenomenon. It somehow ensures them that this is their space. They have claimed it and no one else can take it away from them.

In a scientific perspective, the physical contact with a box’s interior has been believed to release a natural substance more commonly called as “endorphins”, which induces a relaxing and secure feeling. The same kind of feeling we get from a comforting hug. This also reduces stress.

Do you remember when your beloved feline companion was still a cute, tiny kitten? Do you remember where the mommy kitty gave birth to this tiny kitten? If you do, then you know that cats give birth in discrete places. This is a mommy kitty’s instinct to protect and secure the kittens. In this manner, they are also kept close together in one area where they are brought to this world with the warm feeling of the litter being together. This also contributes to why our cats are so interested in boxes or tight spaces. You might even find your kitty in one of your vases.

No matter what the breed of kitty you have, you will find that this is a common behavior among most of them. But isn’t it rather cute to see your kitty having fun with a box? Just make sure that they are safe for instances where they climb and snug into a vase or something breakable. Though our kitties love the feeling of boxes and such, nothing beats the warm care and, if your kitty is feeling like it, hugs from you. So if you’re feeling like giving your kitty something to play with today, try looking for a box.

 

Meow for now… Kristian

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To Neuter or Not to Neuter?

To Neuter or Not to Neuter?

To neuter or not to neuter? That is the question for today cat lovers. One of the decisions that we go through as a cat owner is whether to have our kitties neutered. A lot of us may have second thoughts about this especially since it would mean our precious pet would need to go through a surgery. But worry not; you came to the right place to help you make a decision on whether or not to neuter your kitty.

Why Neuter?

We all have our reasons in considering neutering our feline friends. We may find too many kitties too much to handle, or perhaps there are a lot of stray tom cats around your neighborhood. Though different reasons, what these point towards are whether it is safe for our best friends? Or what are the effects of this on my cat?

Pawsitive Effects of Neutering

See what I did there? You read that right! Let us first look into the “pawsitive” effects of neutering your kitty. Below are the significant positive changes that a feline goes through after neutering:

  • A home kitty. After neutering kitties, especially with the male kitties, they are less inclined to roam around the neighborhood in search of females “on heat” as their sexual urges are also removed from the equation.
  • A calm kitty. Once they have been neutered, our feline companions tend to be more affectionate and less aggressive compared to when not neutered.
  • A cancer-free kitty. That’s right; there are also certain kinds of cancer that threatens our beloved pets. But with neutering, it reduces the risk of your kitty having certain kinds of cancer especially in the reproductive system.
  • A healthy kitty. Neutering reduces and controls the risk of your companion getting certain diseases especially the ones related to the reproductive organs such as prostatic disease and hormonal diseases.
  • A chaste kitty. We all know that with neutering, our kitty would no longer be able to create a litter. This also removes the risk of your kitty looking for a mate.
  • A submissive kitty. This often helps control dominating behaviors of kitties as they are less aggressive towards other cats or animals in general.
  • “Pawpulation” control. Less kitties equals less parenting.

The Opawsing effects

I did it again! The “opawsing” or negative effects of neutering our cats are as follows:

  • The last of its kind. Neutering means that our beloved kitty can no longer bare an offspring, thus, no kitten to further bring their genes or breed further.
  • Surgery. Who isn’t scared of having a vet do an operation on our beloved pet? Though it is a routine procedure, it cannot be denied that with any kind of surgery, it comes with risks.
  • Lowered metabolism. It’s a misunderstanding that people consider neutering to be the reason for their feline pet to become obese. Definitely not. With certain organs and hormones being removed from their system, our kitties would have lower metabolism. It’s up to the parent (us, cat owners), to properly manage our kitties diet.
  • Money. Neutering is a surgery, and just like any surgery, it can be costly, however, there are low –costs spay or neuter programs and clinics depending on your region or country.
  • A kitten forever. With the necessary hormones essential for maturity being taken out of the equation, our kitties tend to retain immature and kitten like behavior. But with the right kind of supervision and parenting, any kitty can be our best friend.

When to Neuter?

Now that we’ve discussed the “pawsible” effects of neutering, we should also know when to have our kitties neutered. There are three options available for this topic. Early or pediatric spay/neuter is done at six to eight weeks of age. Standard spay and neuter at five to six months. Finally, waiting until after the first heat which is somewhere between eight to twelve months of age.

These are the important considerations that every cat owner/lover needs to think about when talking about neutering. There are many “pawsibilities” for us out there, however, there are a lot of kitties outside, looking for a home. Why breed some more? How about we start adopting those who are in need of a good home than contributing to the “pawpulation”? If you neuter your cat now, not only will this benefit you, it will also increase the chances of every kitty having a safe and good home.

 

Meow for now… Kristian

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The Cats and Cucumbers Relationship

The Cats and Cucumbers Relationship

A lot of you may have already seen videos going viral about cats reacting to cucumbers. If you haven’t, you must.

In the video, owners were showing off their cats’ reaction to this green elongated fruit. Some cats were eating, sleeping or unaware when a cucumber is placed within their reach. After they catch a glimpse of the cucumber, they leap as if their life depended on it. The poor kitty, caught off guard, was startled by the presence of cucumber from out of nowhere. Oddly enough, cats jumping and reacting to the cucumber is empathizingly hilarious.

Why do kitties do this? What beef do they have with cucumbers?

There are two widely accepted temporary reasons as to why this is so.

 

Reflex action to predation

According some testimonies, the way cats react to cucumbers can be related to how animals would respond when a predator is sneaking behind a prey’s back. The cucumber is thought to be of close representation to the form of a snake. So, when kitties turn around and don’t get full sight on what that odd threatening shape is and where it came from, their instincts would automatically tell them to act now and evade.

However, there are a few sightings and proofs of the feline family going head-to-head with snakes. Cats are known to have predatory instincts. Logically, they should not be afraid of snakes. Although it may be true to many, it is not to all. There are kitties who aren’t that exposed to the rough world that find comfort by being lazy in the house. These may be the kitties who are prone to the surprise-cucumber effect.

 

Response from the unexpected

A few days after the videos have gone viral. Telegraph launched a scientific explanation as to why some kitties respond this way to cucumbers. Animal behaviour specialist, Dr. Roger Mugford, told Telegraph “I think it is due to the novelty and unexpectedness of finding an unusual object secretly placed whilst their heads were down in the food bowl.”

What Dr. Rogers said was merely a hypothesis that needed further research. A lot of people, especially cat lovers, wonder as to why some kitties that it may be from its citrus scent, the unfriendly mixture of green colour or the pattern.

 

And now, bananas

A related scenario can also be seen in another video going viral about cats and bananas. The same thing happened when owners try to put bananas in front or behind cats – they take the leap of fright. One kitty, after leaping, tried to fight and pound the banana peel.

Cats are known to have 200million scent receptors in their nasal cavity which is a lot more than what dogs have.

According to testimonies, it because of the banana’s strong scent that irritates these poor kitties.

Although kitties belong to the same feline family, they have different taste and preferences. It is best to observe your kitties’ reactions on different things; be a good parent. Playing the same prank on your kitties is not advisable. Pranks like the cucumber or banana only raise the possibility of your cat being injured, worse, you.

 

Meow for now… Kristian

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Happy Birthday Kitty!

Happy Birthday Kitty!

Do you remember the first time you brought home your kitty? If you don’t, you better start scanning your Facebook timeline or Instagram pictures, and pinpoint the exact date of when your kitty started living with you. Why? It’s because you’re throwing him or her a birthday party, silly!

It may be odd for non-pet lovers to consider birthdays, but it’s kind of a thing, and for cats, the cutest. If you could just imagine those widened naive eyes when everyone in the party yells, “Happy Birthday!” or worse, you’re gonna have to get her back after she jumps and hides under the bed.

Throwing your kitty a birthday party is probably the most adorable thing in world. Not only are you showing your kitty how much you value him or her in your life, you’re also making time to celebrate and remember those cuddly and purry moments with your feline partner.

A birthday party for your kitty is perfect for mingling with other feline lovers. This party could also be the best time for your kitty to meet new friends.

Choosing a place

Throwing a party at a park or at the beach is probably not a good idea. As much as possible, you’d want a place where you can entertain guests without worrying the celebrant to stray away. A penthouse party is definitely a risky choice. The best place would be your own home, where everything you may need is within the premise.  What is important when choosing a place is to consider crowd controlability, guest accessibility and safety for the kitties.

Preparing the food

It is important that the food you’ll be having in this party are friendly to the kitties. Don’t forget, it’s your kitty’s birthday, so everything is about the feline celebrant.

A good idea when serving the food is to have two settings: one for humans and one for the kitties. On the human’s table, you can serve the food you want to serve your family, friends or guest. On the kitties’ small table, you can serve the best feline dishes there is in the cookbook. What is important is to keep the table close to the ground enough for the kitties to have access on it; a picnic-like setting would be a good idea for the kitties.

Decorating the room

The decoration mainly depends on what kind of party you’re throwing your kitty. It can be a tea party, a slumber party or a cocktail party. Whatever it is, you must never forget the essentials of any birthday – balloons.

The fun and games

If kids are attending the party, you may want to have games. In a cat birthday party, mostly the people are the ones playing card games or pin-the-tail on a donkey, or in this case, a dog. You can go stylish by decorating cupcakes, or techy by playing Wii or Xbox.

Picking your guestlist

In a birthday party, everyone close is supposedly invited, but you may want to be careful if one of them is allergic to kitties. You wouldn’t want constant sneezing to be the fireworks in the party.

Another way of picking your guests could be your neighbors who love or have kitties of their own. And while you’re at it, why not invite your feline social group in Facebook. It could be a great chance for you and your kitty to finally get to know them and their kitties personally.

At the end of the day, the choice to throw a party for kitty’s birthday is within your own budget and time. Having your kitty’s day as something to remember in the future is what’s more important.

Don’t forget to blow a candle for him and take that obligatory selfie while doing so!

Meow for now… Kristian

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