A Michael Broad Blog
Before I discuss bufotoxin, a particularly virulent poison otherwise known as ‘bufotalin’ carried by the humble toad (genus Bufo), I would like to quote a very brief extract from Dr. Desmond Morris’s book Catlore about substances poisonous to cats. A lot of poisons are inside the home because “we have thoughtlessly introduced [them] into …
In general, cat owners don’t like the fact that their domestic cat companions hunt. Clearly, I’m referring to cats allowed outside. A lot of cat owners also want their cats to go outside so that they are mentally stimulated and can express their natural desires. But they don’t like the fact that they kill …
If you search the Internet for an answer to the question in the title, be prepared to be misled. I will explain what I mean. People expect to find a specific percentage, a definitive answer to the question. You won’t find one. I am convinced of it. I have spent a good 30 minutes …
Alex Sliwa is the go-to man on the hunting activities of this highly successful, small wild cat species. We are told that pretty well everything we know about this cat species comes from Alex Sliwa and his detailed observations. I’m picking out some of the salient points as I see them. We know, that …
We are so used to seeing our domestic cats in our homes, fitting in with the human lifestyle, it might be useful to remind ourselves what a male domestic cat would do if given complete freedom. If they lived without compromise. And I do believe that domestic cats compromise because they are shoehorned into …
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 …
Here are 18 facts about the hunting technique and behaviour of the ocelot. I start with some background information to set the scene and the facts are presented in bullet fashion. The ocelot, throughout a large part of its territory (home range), shares its territory with the jaguar, puma, margay, jaguarundi and oncilla. The …
Technically yes, all domestic cats are hunters but it is quite clear that many domestic cats really don’t have an urge to hunt as one might expect although they might be curious about the presence of a mouse in the home. I, myself, have lived with a female cat who only caught one mouse …
