When I watch this video (and I have seen it and written about it before) I think of cat declawing. You can guess why but I’ll tell you why. The cat is vigorously kneading his owner’s face. If the claws where not trimmed and probably filed so they were smooth, her face would be …
To be clear I am referring to the small cat species of which there are 30 (plus the domestic cat) . The cat breeds are not separate species of domestic cat. They are all domestic cats and the domestic cat is techically one of the wild cat species albeit domesticated and socialised when living …
Together with the cat’s athleticism, their claws and teeth define the cat because they are essential to their predatory nature. The cat is a top predator and they live with us when domesticated. It’s remarkable in many ways that humans should so successfully live with such a devastating predator. The relationship isn’t always successful …
This is a square infographic which illustrates five barriers to domestic cat success. As I state, this is not a criticism of cat domestication. It is realisation that barriers exist. We are two very different species with a lot in common despite the barriers. All five can result in problems in the human-to-cat relationship, …
Well, I love cats’ paws. As I say in the infographic they are deadly and delightful. They are soft and gentle when at rest but deadly when the cat wants to use their claws because it happens so fast and the claws are so damned sharp as they are sharpened all the time by …
This is an infographic on a form of feline behaviour which is extensively discussed online and extensively carried out by cats! Cat scratching to ‘sharpen their claws’ is the cause of much consternation among a big section of the cat owning society leading on many occasions in North America to that barbaric veterinary operation …
Starting with the presumption that the scratch and bite are of about equal severity, to answer the question the title I think we have to look at two things: The frequency with which bacteria is transferred from cats to people through their teeth compared to through their claws and; The ‘potency’ of the bacteria …
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 …
