A Michael Broad Blog
The infographic explains the salient differences between the digestive tracts of cats and humans which informs us about dietary requirements. Some more: The digestive tract of a domestic cat (Felis catus) differs significantly from that of humans (Homo sapiens) due to their distinct dietary adaptations. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their digestive system is …
As might be expected this is all about evolution and survival. The fundamental reason why the domestic cat’s iris constricts the pupil to a slit as opposed to an oval – as occurs for the tiger – is that it makes survival easier as a small, crepuscular, ambush predator. The infographic explains this more …
Although nearly always described as ‘retractile’ claws, the claws of the domestic cat are technically ‘protractile’ for the reasons stated and illustrated in the infographic below. Here is an extended treatise of the above infographic. The claws of domestic cats (Felis catus) are retractile, though the term “protractile” is technically more accurate. Here’s how …
People who are unsure about domestic cats sometimes say that they are aloof and standoffish. This alleged aloofness can be seen, they’d say, when they don’t turn their heads towards you when you speak to them. This is not aloofness in the human meaning of the word. It is the behaviour of a different …
I confirmed some of the information in the infographic by discussing it with AI (ChatGPT). Here is a transcript of that conversation. I started by reading Dr Desmond Morris’s book Catlore on this topic, hence the question in the dialogue. Question: Can domestic cats taste sweetness? Response: No, domestic cats cannot taste sweetness. Cats, …
The Times newspaper of December 28th, 2024, has an article on the unreliable data concerning so called ‘blue zones’ across the world where there are concentrations of centenarian people; people who are at and over 100-years-old. The article is based on a research study by Dr Saul Justin Newman of University College London which …
There are two points to make about this infographic. Firstly, I am a fan of infographics as they counteract the proliferation of articles on specific topics that contain far too much waffle. You have to plough through the irrelevant stuff to find the specific information that you are searching for. In a busy, competitive …
The purpose of this infographic is to ensure that all cat caregivers are fully au fait with the importance of claws to the domestic cat. Sometimes I think millions of cat owners (hardly caregivers) in the United States forget these nine aspects of feline behavior which are integral to their existence when they declaw …
