Smudge

Hi everyone!

My name is Smudge and I am 1 year old.

Smudge

Smudge

I have a nice bunch of humans looking after me (well, O.K – spoiling me!) and I have a best friend next door called Izzy. We have loads of fun chasing each other but we do have to watch out for the cat who lives the other side of me. He is a mean dude called Pudding (glad he had a silly name – serves him right!)

My favourite pastime at the moment is catching frogs. I find it great fun, but my humans don’t seem so keen. What is wrong with them???

Going to put on a few pics so you can see what a looker I am.

Luv and miaws,

Smudge

Ten Tips for Cat safety

Here’s a serious one reader.

…a short list of dangers you can take steps to avoid (to protect your cat, or in fact any young child or pet) in and around the home. A lot of these items are a little obvious no no’s when you have a pet around, but it seems to me there’s no harm in reminding ourselves from time to time, wouldn’t you agree?

Ed.

Curious cats have been known to eat anything!

1. Be aware of the plants you have in your house and in your garden, if your cat is permitted outside (the American CFA advocates cats being kept indoors at all times). The ingestion of azalea, oleander, easter lily, or yew plant material by a cat could be fatal.

2. When cleaning your house, never allow your cat access to the area where cleaning agents are used or stored. Cleaning agents have a variety of properties; from those that could just irritate the gastrointestinal tract to those that have a corrosive action and can chemically burn the sensitive mucous membranes of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach.

3. When using rat or mouse baits, ant or other insect traps, or snail and slug baits, place the products in areas that are inaccessible to your cats. Most baits contain sweet smelling inert ingredients, which can be very attractive to your cat.

4. Never give your cat any medications unless under the directions of veterinarian. Many medications that are used safely in humans can be deadly when used inappropriately. One extra strength acetominophen tablet (500mg) can kill a fully grown domestic cat.

5. Keep all prescription and over the counter drugs out of reach of your cats. Pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, and diet pills are common examples of human medication that could be potentially lethal even in small dosages. Only one half of a 200mg naproxen tablet could cause stomach ulcers in cats.

6. Never leave chocolates unattended. Approximately one half ounce of baking chocolate per pound body weight or less can cause clinical signs of toxicity.

7. Many common household items have been shown to be lethal in certain species, including felines. Miscellaneous items that are highly toxic even in low quantities include pennies (high concentration of zinc), mothballs (contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene – one or two balls can be life threatening in most species), potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish detergents (contain cationic detergents which could cause corrosive lesions), batteries (contain acids or alkali which can also cause corrosive lesions), homemade play dough (contains high quantity of salt), winter heat source agents like hand or foot warmers (contain high levels of iron), cigarettes, coffee grounds, and alcoholic drinks.

8. All automotive products such as oil, petrol, and antifreeze should be stored in areas away from cat access. As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) can be deadly in a seven pound cat.

9. Before buying or using flea products on your cat or in your household, contact your veterinarian to discuss what types of flea products she/he would recommend for your pet. Read ALL information before using a product on your cat or in your home. Always follow label instructions. When a product is labeled “for use in dogs only” this means that the product should NEVER be applied to cats. When using a house spray, make sure to remove all cats from the area for the time period specified on the container.

10. When treating your lawn or garden with fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides, always keep your cats away from the area until the area dries completely. Discuss usage of products with the manufacturer of the products to be used. Always store such products in an area that will ensure no cat exposure.

Original article by Jill A. Richardson, DVM – https://www.cfa.org
[Veterinary Poison Information Specialist ASPCA/National Animal Poison Control Center]

Casper the bus riding cat

Casper the cat has been catching the same bus every day for four years.

Casper boards the 10.55am service in Plymouth, southwest England, for its entire 17 kilometer journey, before returning home about an hour later.

The 12-year-old pet has become such a regular traveler on the Number 3 bus that all the bus drivers on the route have been told to make sure he does not miss his stop.

Casper’s owner Susan Finden said she was stunned when she first learned about the cat’s daily jaunt. “Casper has always disappeared for hours at a time but I never understood where he was going” she told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper…

Ms Finden chose Casper as a pet from a rescue centre in 2002… “I called him Casper because he had a habit of vanishing like a ghost, but then some of the drivers told me he had been catching the bus.”

Ms Finden, 65, went on to say… “the cat probably got the idea by watching other passengers at a bus stop outside my home. He sits patiently in the queue and is as good as gold. Casper is quite quick for his age so he when the bus arrives he just hops on before the doors close”

A First Bus spokesman said: “The drivers all check he’s on the bus and that he gets back safely … We wouldn’t sell a cat a Rover ticket… but in cat years he’s an OAP so he’d get a free bus pass anyway.”

Link to a video of Casper riding the bus.

Sadly, Casper passed away in March 2010. Here is a link to our remembrance of this wonderful cat. God keep you Casper.

Cat classifications

Here are some of the cat classifications I’ve found whilst looking at the different breeds and ‘house cats’. There are probably many others. Please comment with any new classification you may have heard of and I’ll add it in

“American Keuda”
An emerging breed of cat. The Keuda is under active development, however it has already become semi-standardized. If it were recognized by a major cat registry, it would probably be classified as a “Provisional” breed, but the desired characters are not entirely developed and/or stable).

“Bi-colour”
The bi-colour cat has white fur mixed with fur of other colors, an example would be black or cream. They come in different patterns. These range from color on the crown of the head and the tail only, or a solid color with a small mark of another color.

“Domestic longhaired”
The domestic longhaired cat (domestic longhair)is a term used to describe a cat with medium or long hair that is not a pedigreed member of a recognized breed. Domesticated longhairs appear in all standard cat colours including cream, tortie, smoke etc.

“Domestic shorthaired”
The domestic shorthaired cat (domestic shorthair),is a term used to describe a shorthaired cat that does not have a pedigree or belong to a recognized cat breed. The domesticated shorthair should not be counted as an American shorthair. Domesticated shorthaired cats are found in a wide range of colours. They also show a wide range of physical behaviors and, as a result, domesticated shorthairs in different countries look different in body shape and size.

“Dwarf”
This is a domesticated cat breed which has mutated to dwarfism due to a genetics.The Munchkin is the founding breed of the chondrodysplastic cat.

“Farm”
Farm cats are also called barn cats, these cats are kept primarily for catching smaller vermin found on farms and ranches. otherwise the vermin would eat and/or contaminate the farmer’s crops. They are often semi-wild, and caution should be used around them.

“Feral”
This cat is unowned and untamed, it is not domesticated. Feral cats may be born in the wild and never socialized. They should not be confused with the wildcat which are not descended from domestic cats.

“Maltese”
This is a name that is often given to any cat, whose fur is either completely, or primarily, gray or blue,and not pedigree. Many with such colouration inhabit the island of Malta, which may have given rise to the name.

“Moggy”
This is a British term for a domestic cat, it is also used to call a mongrel or mixed-breed cat. Because of this mixed ancestry and free-breeding, a moggy can either be very healthy, or, sickly.

“Odd-eyed”
This is a cat with one blue eye and one green eye or yellow or brown eye. It is a cat form of complete heterochromia. This is a condition that occurs in some other animals also. The condition most often affects white colored cats.

“Polydactyl”
A cat with a congenital physical deformity,it may have more than the usual number of toes on one or all of its paws. this is due to a genetic mutation. In animals including humans, polydactyly is the anatomical abnormality of having more than the usual number of toes or fingers.

“Smoke”
Is the name given to the cat colour in which the bottom eighth of each hair is white or creamy-white, with the rest of the hair being a solid colour. Smokes will look solid coloured until they move, then the white undercoat becomes visible. It is mostly found in pedigreed cats.

“Squitten”
This is a word derived from the words squirrel and kitten, it is a term used to describe a cat with unusually short forelegs or unusually long hindlegs that resembles a squirrel. Sometimes the term kangaroo cat is used; this derives from a 1953 specimen known as the Stalingrad Kangaroo Cat.

“Tabby”
This is a cat with a distinctive coat that features dots,stripes or swirling patterns. Tabbies are not a breed of cat, in fact, the tabby pattern is a naturally occurring feature that may be the original colouration of the domestic cat’s ancestors. Tabby colour is found in many breeds of cat, as well as among the general ‘moggy’. The tabby usually has an “M” mark on its forehead.The word comes from French ‘tabis’ and in medieval Latin ‘attabi’. The initial origin of the word seems to be from Baghdad where a type of striped silk was made that was later used to describe cats.

“Tortoiseshell”
This beauty has a coat coloring with patches of black,red and chocolate, or cinnamon. They are sometimes called ‘torties’.The term “tortoiseshell” is typically reserved for cats with coats that have relatively few or no white markings. Those that are largely white with red and black patches are described as tortoiseshell-and-white or calico.

“Black”
It is called a felid the fur is uniformly all black.It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed. The all-black pigmentation is equal in both male and female cats. The black color is of benefit to a cat hunting at night. They can camouflage in the darkness. In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens: in other cultures they are considered to be good omens. cat-categories continued.

Of all the carnivores, cats are the most highly adapted for hunting and devouring their prey. All cats have short muzzles,rounded heads, large eyes, and sensitive whiskers. Their ears are erect and pointed. They have short jaws and long canine teeth. Cats have five toes on the front feet and four on the rear feet. The ends of the toes bear sharp, strong, curved claws. The claws are completely retractile, being withdrawn into protective sheaths when not in use.

American Keuda

The American Keuda cat has only been in development since about 2002 and therefore is not actually a fully-registered and widely-known breed. Keuda is an abbreviation for Kitten Evaluation Under Direct Assessment, this term originated from a program in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, that was attempting to breed a superior quality barn cat from semi-feral specimens; the aim of the program was to produce a cat with the hardiest qualities and strong genes.

Photo of an American Keuda Cat

American Keuda – an emerging breed

American Keuda’s are often compared to another breed, the Egyptian Mau, whom they resemble; they have similar physiques, personalities and the same curious looking belly flap unique to the species.

Physically powerful and adept runners, the Keuda is smart and alert and loves warmer weather and will even go swimming on occasions. With an average bone-sized physique, these cats are capable of running like a cheetah, owing to the unique body flaps that allow them to lengthen their legs.

Keuda’s come in a wide range of appearances, some look like Havana Browns, others more akin to a Siamese cat, there are those that resemble a concoction of different breeds, while many more closely resemble a whole list of other recognized feline species.

Most of these types of cats have shortish coats yet there are a few in the breed with longer ones; they have small muzzles, protruding wide eyes, and lustrous, satiny fur that comes in several colors, including black, white, red, blue, chocolate, cream, golden, shaded (some with tabby markings), bi-colours and tortoiseshells.

They are renowned as being a ‘working cat’ and are suited for life in rural areas and are really a classic farm pet; making ideal family companions, they are flexible, bright-natured and softly vocal.

Ten Lynx Kitttens born in Colorado

Reported in the National Geographic news today, 29th June 2009, the discovery of ten Lynx kittens, including the young cat in the picture below, marks the first time newborn lynx have been documented in Colorado since 2006. This is very good and encouraging news for the biologists overseeing the restoration of this mountain feline in the region.

The tuft-eared cats with big, padded feet are native to Colorado, but were slowly eradicated up until the early 1970s by logging, trapping, poisoning, and development. They are listed as threatened on the U.S. endangered species list.

lynx kittens photograph

A tuft-eared Lynx kitten born in April 2009
Photograph: courtesy Colorado Division of Wildlife/AP

Biologists had found no kittens in 2007 and 2008, possibly partly because of a drop in the number of snowshoe hares, the cats’ main food sources.

This year seven male and three female kittens have been found in five dens.

More than 200 lynx from Alaska and Canada have been released in Colorado since 1999. Biologists don’t know how many lynx are currently in the state.