CBS released a short piece titled, "Happy or Hungry? Deciphering Cat Purrs" today!
Did you know some cats can vocalize their purrs differently when they are hungry? It's supposed to sound like a baby's cry and thus mobilize humans to feed them quicker. Clever!
I'm not sure Rufus knows how to emit the high pitched purr/meow but he always answers out loud when I ask if he's hungry!
Showing posts with label in the news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in the news. Show all posts
"Cat Got Your Fish?"
There was a very interesting op-ed piece about the use of fish in animal feed in the NY Times that I've been meaning to comment on. You can read "Cat Got Your Fish?" by Paul Greenberg here.
Noteworthy quotes from the article include...
'....most American cats ate fish. And a great deal of them — more in a year than the average African human, according to Jason Clay at the World Wildlife Fund.'
'The use of wild fish in animal feed is a serious problem for the world’s food systems. '
'...the removal of wild “forage” fish threatens to starve whales, seals and other predators'
'The pet food industry now uses about 10 percent of the global supply of forage fish. ...Poultry meanwhile takes as much as 22 percent, which means that even when Coco ate chicken, indirectly he was still eating fish.'
The author makes it clear that we should allow the true predators of fish eat them in order to preserve wild populations of fish. He also states that land animals should stick with a diet of land animals. Now that he is looking for a new pet (as his cat, Coco, passed), he plans to find a vegetarian.
This was very eye-opening. I'm not about to give Rufus up but I will do my best to avoid buying food and treats comprised of any part fish. There are so many different options available to Rufus, I am sure he won't even miss it!
Noteworthy quotes from the article include...
'....most American cats ate fish. And a great deal of them — more in a year than the average African human, according to Jason Clay at the World Wildlife Fund.'
'The use of wild fish in animal feed is a serious problem for the world’s food systems. '
'...the removal of wild “forage” fish threatens to starve whales, seals and other predators'
'The pet food industry now uses about 10 percent of the global supply of forage fish. ...Poultry meanwhile takes as much as 22 percent, which means that even when Coco ate chicken, indirectly he was still eating fish.'
The author makes it clear that we should allow the true predators of fish eat them in order to preserve wild populations of fish. He also states that land animals should stick with a diet of land animals. Now that he is looking for a new pet (as his cat, Coco, passed), he plans to find a vegetarian.
This was very eye-opening. I'm not about to give Rufus up but I will do my best to avoid buying food and treats comprised of any part fish. There are so many different options available to Rufus, I am sure he won't even miss it!
The Top 10 Cat-Friendly Cities
The CATalyst Council, a coalition of the veterinary community, academia, nonprofits, industry and animal welfare organizations, has crowned the 2009 Top Ten Cat-Friendly Cities in America!
They are as follows - Tampa, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland (OR), Denver, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta & Minneapolis.
Courtesy: www.catalystcouncil.org
You can read more about it here!
They are as follows - Tampa, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland (OR), Denver, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta & Minneapolis.
Courtesy: www.catalystcouncil.orgSo what makes a city cat-friendly? It depends on several factors, including cat ownership, the amount of cat care available, the prevalence of micro-chipping, etc.
The list was created to draw attention to the popularity of cats as pets and how we need to make sure America's felines are being cared for fully and properly. This is a great way to bring awareness to America's #1 pet, the CAT! Hopefully cities across the country will work hard to land their names on this wonderful list!
The list was created to draw attention to the popularity of cats as pets and how we need to make sure America's felines are being cared for fully and properly. This is a great way to bring awareness to America's #1 pet, the CAT! Hopefully cities across the country will work hard to land their names on this wonderful list!
You can read more about it here!
"Raw Food for Pets?"
I've read in a few places that feeding cats raw food is very beneficial. The San Francisco Chronicle's "Raw Food for Pets?" article debates whether this is actually good for our furry friends. Some pet owners say raw meat is the diet that the ancestors of cats and dogs lived on but some people (vets included) think this is unsafe due to bacteria lurking in the uncooked meat.I feed Rufus a mixture of dry and wet cat food with the occasional scrap of meat or fish I'm preparing for myself. He eats it up with more enthusiasm than his usual food, taking extra care to smack his little cat lips.
I know there's a risk but I only feed him boneless fresh meat. This way, he won't choke on any bone bits or eat spoiled food. If I'm really concerned, I sear the meat a little bit. The middle stays nice and rare and since it's a solid piece of meat rather than ground meat, bacteria can't get in the center. (This is why eating steaks rare is okay but not so much with a hamburger.) Cats have hardier stomachs than us!
I think we should give them what they get in nature! I highly doubt Rufus' great granddaddy caught things and roasted them over a slow fire!
Tokyo's Cat Cafe
Here's the latest fascinating cat article! - "Cat cafe soothes Tokyo's busy cat lovers"
Courtesy: Reuters
Courtesy: ReutersJapan has a place called 'Tokyo's Cat Cafe Calico' where cat lovers can come in, have a cup of tea and play with the cafe's kitties. Patrons happily fork over the hourly fees to mingle with the four legged residents as their apartments and lifestyles prevent them from keeping a pet of their own. What a concept!
Cat Stuffed in Bong in Nebraska
Here's the latest cat article we read - "Neb. man who put cat in bong says it calmed cat"
A knucklehead stuffed his baby cat into a bong to "calm it's nerves" on more than one occasion and finally go caught.
Courtesy: Associated Press
This is just so mean. Poor thing. We hope he's okay. :(
A knucklehead stuffed his baby cat into a bong to "calm it's nerves" on more than one occasion and finally go caught.
Courtesy: Associated PressThis is just so mean. Poor thing. We hope he's okay. :(
"Sorry, Fido, It’s Just a Guy Thing"
Rufus and I have just read another fab NYT article - "Sorry, Fido, It’s Just a Guy Thing"!
We've highlighted the best parts ...
"It seems that man’s best friend is no longer a golden retriever, but a cuddly cat named Fluffy."
“Straight men with cats seem to be really secure and stable. They don’t need to be running around the park and proving their masculinity like the dog guys.”
Cheers to all the cat dudes out there! :)
We've highlighted the best parts ...
"It seems that man’s best friend is no longer a golden retriever, but a cuddly cat named Fluffy."
“Straight men with cats seem to be really secure and stable. They don’t need to be running around the park and proving their masculinity like the dog guys.”
Cheers to all the cat dudes out there! :)
"The Cat Lady Conundrum"
The New York Times published "The Cat Lady Conundrum" a little over a year ago. It is one of the craziest pieces of cat news I have ever read.
The article sheds light on a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, that can alter its host to become very tolerant (or worse, attracted to) cat pee.
Hence, the bucket loads of cats in the possession of your local 'cat lady.' Speaking of which, Rufus and I strongly dislike the term cat lady. Why?
Cause this is the first thing that pops into our minds!
The article sheds light on a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, that can alter its host to become very tolerant (or worse, attracted to) cat pee.
Hence, the bucket loads of cats in the possession of your local 'cat lady.' Speaking of which, Rufus and I strongly dislike the term cat lady. Why?
Cause this is the first thing that pops into our minds!
"Cats - the Online Stars"
Salon.com recently posted an article titled 'The Internet is Made of Kittens'. Here are a few choice nuggets from said article...
"...there are almost no movies about cats. Untrainable, skittish and unpredictable beasts that they are, cats are a bust in Hollywood."
"The internet is the best thing that ever happened to cats."
" Cats are a brilliant blank slate."
Courtesy: icanhascheezburger.com
"...there are almost no movies about cats. Untrainable, skittish and unpredictable beasts that they are, cats are a bust in Hollywood."
"The internet is the best thing that ever happened to cats."
" Cats are a brilliant blank slate."
Courtesy: icanhascheezburger.comHow true! Cats are silent and enigmatic. This allows them to assume nearly any crazy, grammatically incorrect saying a human mind can concoct. Would LOLdogs work as well? Probably not!
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