Helping Your Cat Age Gracefully
A cat’s whiskers (vibrissae) are an often-misunderstood part of the feline anatomy. The whiskers have long been considered essential to a cat’s sense of balance. However, the whiskers are actually sensory organs that play no part in a cat’s balance and coordination on narrow surfaces. A cat’s sense of balance stems from the inner ear. If a cat is losing balance, the vestibular apparatus sends a warning message to the brain. The cat then rights […]
Under ideal circumstances, a cat owner will rarely encounter poop. Cats are secretive about their elimination habits. Most felines quietly and efficiently eliminate in their litter boxes and bury the evidence. Unfortunately, some cats track poop around the home for a variety of different reasons. Your cat may be dragging poop out of its litter box unwittingly because it’s immobile. If waste clings to its fur, it will lack the flexibility to clean it off. […]
If you have ever been licked by a cat, you are truly honored. This is arguably the ultimate sign of affection that a cat can offer a human. The sensation will feel strange, though. Cats have rough tongues, with a texture akin to sandpaper. Thankfully, this is a sign of a healthy feline. Cat tongues are coated with backward-facing barbs known as papillae. These barbs are tough as they are made from keratin. The papillae […]
Cats are sun worshippers. Indoor cats will station themselves at a window, basking in any rays that may enter. Outdoors cats will often spend hours sunbathing and napping, showing reluctance to come inside. Cats are descended from desert-dwelling animals, so living in the sunshine is their natural state. In addition, ambient warmth makes sleeping more comfortable for felines. A cat’s body temperature drops while it dozes, and lying in the sun tempers this. Cats spend […]
Cats meow to communicate with humans. They’re also highly intelligent animals. Felines have learned that they cannot communicate with us in the way they do with other cats, so they have developed a range of pleasing sounds to appeal to our caring, nurturing nature. This is why a cat’s meow is so often compared to a human baby’s cry. Cats have learned to mimic a baby’s cry to some degree. By doing so, they appeal […]
Cats are often erroneously considered nocturnal due to their night vision. If you have ever watched a cat in the dark, you will notice its graceful movement. In addition, a cat’s eyes tend to glow like tiny torchlights. This glowing effect, known as eyeshine, is a natural occurrence. When a cat widens its pupils to adjust to dim illumination, light enters the retina. It then bounces off an additional layer behind the retina, called the […]