Monday, January 3, 2011

I HAVE AILUROPHILIA

Now don't start worrying about me.  I am not sick.  Ailurophilia is the "love of cats."  I am a dedicated cat lover. So I decided to look up interesting information about felines. 
Here is one I had never heard before:  The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human. 
A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute. 
The largest cat breed is the Ragdoll.   Males weigh twelve to twenty pounds, with females weighing ten to fifteen pounds. I think my black cat, Kala, must be one of these because she is a little chubette.
The smallest cat breed is the Singapura. Males weigh about six pounds while females weigh about four pounds.  They would be like kittens for their whole lives! How cute!!
Calico cats are almost always female.  My cat, Patches, is a calico and a female.

If your cat is near you, and her tail is quivering, this is the greatest expression of love your cat can give you. I did not know this and my Kala does this all the time when around me! Aww!!!
The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.

During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.  This is a good reason to have your cat spayed!!
Want to know how old your cat is?
This table shows your cat's age, and the equivalent in human years.

Cat's Age   =  Equivalent Human Age
6 months = 14 years
1 year = 16 years
3 years = 20 years
6 years = 30 years

8 years = 40 years
9 years = 50 years
10 years = 60 years
13 years = 70 years
16 years = 80 years
20 years = 90 years
My cat, Patches, is 18, so I figure in cat years she is 85 years old!  Wow!
Kala is 25 in cat years!  I think she is a very immature 25!
Mooshoo is 40 yrs old in cat years.  I also think she has the soul of a male pitbull!


The most popular names for female cats in the U.S. are Missy, Misty, Muffin, Patches, Fluffy, Tabitha, Tigger, Pumpkin and Samantha.  I have had a cat named Misty and now a cat named Patches.  And I thought I was so creative with the names!!
Give your cat a quality scratching post to deter her from scratching your furniture. Still scratching? Try putting lemon scent or orange scent on the area. Cats hate these smells.  I wish I had known this years ago!!  Going to buy some lemons tomorrow!
It is believed that a white cat sitting on your doorstep just before your wedding is a sign of lasting happiness. White cats are a symbol of good luck in America, while black cats are a sign of bad luck.  So all of you planning to marry--get that white cat ready!!

Cats can see in color and need only 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. Their night vision is amazing! Studies have shown that cats can distinguish between red and green; red and blue; red and gray; green and blue; green and gray; blue and gray; yellow and blue, and yellow and gray.

A group of kittens is called a "kindle."  A group of grown cats is called a "clowder."  So I now have a clowder of cats!!

Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours of each day sleeping. Now that is what I call a cat nap!
The tiniest cat on record was Tinker Toy from Illinois. A male Himalayan-Persian, he weighed 1 pound, 8 ounces fully grown and was 7.25" long and 2.75" tall!  Bet he was adorable!

Now here is something I did not know--The fumes from moth balls destroy a cat's liver cells. Use cedar in your closet instead.  Of course, I keep my cats out of the closets!
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.  I know I have heard some unusual vocals from my 3 cats!  Kala is the most vocal.
Cats respond better to women than to men!  I have always believed this as most of the cats I have had always gravitated to me more than my husband or son.

So that is the lesson for today on cats.
MEOW!!!

4 comments:

  1. Cats are marvelous people! So are you.

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  2. Great stuff. I've found that my female cats have seemed to like men better than women. I think Laptop uses all 100 of her vocalizations. She is one talkative kitty. Loki's tail vibrates like that when I'm putting food in his bowl. Now you know what he loves best, and if you look at him you can see the evidence. He's one chubby cat.

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  3. Ooh so have I! I have always loved cats. We had lots of ferral cats on the farm I was brought up on. I would love to own a cat of my own one day. When I retire maybe, or when we cease to go on long holidays! I like all the information you have provided on our feline friends! x

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  4. I'm a cat lover too. We now have four of the little devils; just kitting.

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