What affects us affects cats
As you might well imagine, the reason why tortoiseshell cats are nearly always female is to do with the genetics and how the genes that dictate the coat colour and pattern are linked to the sex of the cat. Female mammals have 2 X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y chromosome. …
The American Ringtail is a new and unique breed of cat (this page was written around 2010 and has been updated Sept 2022). Founded in 1998 in the San Francisco Bay Area after a cat rescuer Susan Manley hand raised a kitten that turned out to be unusual. After researching the trait and consulting …
I’m referring to the domestic cat. A good source on the Researchgate website, a study entitled Immune System Development in the Dog and Cat by M. J. Day published August 2007 on the Journal of Comparative Pathology, tells me that, “immunocompetentcy occurs around 1.5-3.0 months of age”. I’m requesting the full text of this …
Although there isn’t a complete agreement on the percentage of left-handed (left-pawed) cats, one source states, ‘when it comes to using their paws to catch or manoeuvre something, cat are usually left-pawed or ambidextrous; only 20 per cent are right-pawed’ (The Cat Expert). Another source (Dr Deborah Wells and Sarah Millsopp of Queen’s University …
The cat skeleton is both strong and light having evolved for speed and agility, which is demonstrated in the cat’s wonderfully graceful movements including its jumping and climbing skills. The back is highly flexible, which is geared for speed. And the shoulder blade (scapula) is unattached to the main skeleton providing more flexibility. The …
Here are 12 facts about the digitigrade foot posture of cats. Yes, most cat owners realise that their cats walk on their toes but if you were unsure, now you know 😃. There are three categories of foot posture (item 8 below). When cats walk, they have a direct register cat gait – the …
Domestic cats (and all wild cats bar the cheetah, flat-headed cat and serval – but see last paragraph) are known for their ‘retractable’ claws. All the experts say it online but I disagree with them. To describe the claws as retractile or retractable misleads the way the tendons and muscles work. The default position …
The feline tongue is a wonderous element of their anatomy. It can achieve a lot, thanks in part to the backward facing papillae made of keratin attached to the upper surface. These spines do a lot. Here is a list of 13 benefits to the cat when using their tongue. RELATED: 2 different types …
