What affects us affects cats
Years ago, I proposed that the feline Henry’s pocket, a small extra fold of cartilage and skin within the ear flaps (pinnae) of domestic cats, was to enhance the ability to hear high pitched sounds. I was corrected by a welcome visitor who proposed that this mysterious item of feline anatomy (which still troubles …
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 …
I am going to rely on my own observations to answer the question. I’m sure that almost all other cat owners have observed the same thing: when a domestic cat dreams their whiskers twitch, their ears might move, they might make the odd noise and their body sometimes twitches, including their legs. It appears …
Yes, domestic and feral cats may shiver when cold and particularly when hypothermic (see below). However, I have never seen it and I think that it is quite rare. Perhaps this is because cats are well insulated and are tolerant of the cold up to a certain temperature. I think it’s more common in …
At first it mystified me as to why veterinarians describe a current domestic cat obesity epidemic. You never see obese Near Eastern African wildcats. These are the wildcat ancestors of the domestic cat. They are very similar in their behavior and the same in terms of anatomy. They are slender, fit cats. Something has …
There was a craze on the Internet recently about cats eating ice cream and filming their reaction (brain freeze). The world is divided into two groups on this activity. There are those who find it amusing and there are those who regard it as animal abuse. I am in the latter group. It is …
