cat character
Did Puss in Boots reinforce negative or positive views about the domestic cat?
Puss in Boots is a delightful fairy tale with a clever cat at its center. Here’s a deeper dive into the story and an answer to the question in the title. Disclosure: this entire article except for these few words at the beginning was written by Google Gemini an AI bot in response to …
Don’t criticise the needy, clingy cat
A lot has been said about needy, clingy cats and all of it is critical. It seems that cat caregivers don’t want their cat to be needy but (1) we should welcome it and (2) we create the conditions under which a cat might become needy. Welcome or predicable We should welcome the fact …
Do socialised feral cats retain some of their wild character throughout their life?
We hear a lot about socialising feral cats; turning them into domestic cats. I did it myself. I can write about this with the advantage of personal experience. It’s quite an important topic because there are many stray and feral cats that can and should be brought into the home as pets. My story …
Be saintly and adopt a rescue cat you don’t like the look of
Almost all selections of rescue cats at shelters are based – at least initially – on appearance. The question in the subconscious mind of the adopter is, “do I like the appearance?” If it is yes, the next box is ticked: is the behavior right? That box is successfully ticked if the cat approaches …
The domestic cat is self-contained
‘Self-contained’ for the human animal and non-human animal means quiet and independent; not depending on or influenced by others. To a great extent the domestic cat is self-contained. I think it is a better description that being ‘independent’. Self-contained refers to an attitude or mentality. It describes how the mind thinks. It means an …
Domestic cats are often unfairly described as “aloof”
It annoys me that domestic cats are often unfairly described as aloof. The definition of the word “aloof” is: not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant. Conspicuously uninvolved. Do those words describe your cat companion? I can hear people shouting NO. ‘Aloof’ certainly does not describe my cat and the word has never described …
Sand cat tameness and lack of fear of humans
On the internet, people ask if sand cats can be tamed and therefore be a pet. I can see why because this small wild cat species is attractive and not dissimilar to a domestic cat in appearance. There are two points to cover. Firstly, sand cats should not be forced into being an exotic …