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Tiger

Cat of the Month ~ June 2011

The tiger is the largest of the four Big Cats in the genus Panthera.
Panthera Tigris is native to much of eastern and southern Asia though its range has been diminishing steadily for many years.

large Sumatran tiger

An adult Sumatran Tiger stalks prey in the forest
Photograph: No Credit for this Image

The largest (Siberian) tigers measure up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) in total length and weigh up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds). The most numerous tiger subspecies is the Bengal tiger. Tigers have a lifespan of ten to fifteen years in the wild, but can live longer than twenty years in captivity. They are a highly adaptable cat, and range from the Siberian coniferous forests (taiga) to the open grasslands of India and the Indonesian tropical mangrove swamps.

Tigers are territorial and generally solitary animals, requiring large areas of deep dense vegetation (in which to hide and stalk, by means of its camouflaged colouring), proximity to drinking water, and of course an abundance of prey. Tigers are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers (especially in the heat of the day). Together with the jaguar, the tiger is a strong swimmer and is able to carry large prey animals through water as it swims (no doubt using its sharp teeth (which grow up to 5 inches in length) and extremely strong jaws to grip the prey carcass. Incidentally, the word “tiger” is taken from the Greek word ‘Tigris’, which is possibly derived from a Persian source meaning “arrow”, a reference to the animal’s speed (not its sharp teeth).

Sadly, the tiger is an extremely endangered species, primarily due to human intervention (in deforestation and fragmentation in their habitat and also because of human hunting) but also due to the dangers of everyday existence. For example, only fifty percent of Tiger cubs survive to independence from their mother, which occurs at around two years of age. Also only 40 percent of these survivors live to establish a territory and begin to produce young. The risk of mortality continues to be high even for territorial adults, especially for males, which must defend their territories from other males.

Consequently (with the human threat coupled with the everyday dangers of life) three of the nine subspecies of modern tiger have now gone extinct, and the remaining six are classified as endangered, some critically so.

a tiger runs in the snow

Tiger ~ clawing the powder snow as it runs
Photograph: Creative Commons

Tigers are among the most recognisable, and are in fact the most popular, of the world’s animals. They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern texts and videos. Tigers appear on many flags and as mascots for sporting teams. Tigers are the national animal of several Asian nations, including India.

Tigers typically have rusty-reddish to brown coats, a whitish underbelly to rear area and a white ruff that surrounds the lower jaw, neck and chin. Of course the tiger is well known for its stripes. These can vary in colour from brown or grey to pure black. The form and density of stripes differs between all the subspecies (as well as the ground coloration of the fur). The pattern of stripes is unique to each animal, these unique markings can be used by researchers to identify individuals (both in the wild and captivity).. Unusually, the stripe pattern is also found on the skin of the tiger (shown when the fur is removed). It is believed but not proven that most tigers have over one hundred stripes around the body.
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African Leopard

Cat of the Month ~ May 2011

A female African Leopard up a tree

Wild female Leopard
Photograph: Patrick Meier

The story of how this particular female Leopard came to be up a tree is recounted by Patrick, the photographer:

“This photo was taken in a place called Xakanaxa, in the Moremi Game Reserve, Northern Botswana. We followed this female leopard for about 20 minutes. She went up and down some tall trees, getting closer and closer to a herd of impala. Eventually, when she started to stalk, she vanished from our sight in a single leap.”

The African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) is a leopard subspecies occurring across most of Sub-Saharan Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified leopards as Near Threatened in 2009, stating that they may soon qualify for the Vulnerable status due to habitat loss and fragmentation. They are becoming increasingly rare outside protected areas and the population is decreasing gradually. The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, Leopards are solitary creatures and predominately nocturnal.

Leopards are known for their ability in climbing (and said to be the strongest climber of the large cats). By climbing, the Leopard can use this vantage point to gain a better view of possible prey in an area. These cats have been observed dragging their kills up trees and hanging them there.
They are powerful runners, reaching speeds of up to 36 mph in the chase. They are also capable swimmers (although not as strong as some other big cats, such as the tiger). They are very agile, and can leap over 6 metres (20 ft) along the ground, and jump up to 3 metres (10 ft) vertically.

Leopards are versatile, opportunistic hunters, and have a very broad diet. They feed on a greater diversity of prey than other members of the Panthera species, and will eat anything from dung beetles to male giant elands, up to 900 kilos in weight. Their diet consists mostly of ungulates (hooved animals) and monkeys, but they also eat rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds, and fish. In Africa, mid-sized antelopes provide a majority of their prey, especially impala and Thomson’s gazelles.

They have been heard producing a number of vocalizations, including grunts, roars, growls, meows, and “sawing” sounds. To hear some of these recorded sounds you may want to try this link.

Sources : Personal account by Patrick Meier, Wikipedia.org and other Big Cat websites.

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Castle Castro Cats

Just got back from my summer holiday and (as usual) I took a few photos of some of the scenery and wildlife we happened upon…. and not surprisingly, some moggies were amongst the collection.

Photo of Castle Castro

Castle Castro
Old Skiathos town was founded here in 1538!

Castro or Castle Castro is the medieval town of Skiathos in Greece, which was built on a gigantic rock several hundred feet above sea level. Castro is situated in the northern part of this Greek island, and took us around an hour by boat to reach from the new capital of the island.

Castle Castro Cat
taking shade in the heat of the day.

Amongst the ruins stand some middle ages houses and at least three churches (I counted). High on the clifftop are stunning panoramic views of the Aegean sea which can be seen in the photographs above. A single cannon from those ‘days of pirates’ is still intact amongst the remains of the ruined town. Amazingly Castro was the old capital of this island from 1538 until 1829.
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Castro Cat at the ouzo table.

Set out on a table outside the highest church were a couple of little bottles of ouzo and some glasses. These, together with a tray of boiled sweets, were kindly provided by the church warden.

Word got round that this was free to drink and we didn’t want to disappoint did we!… Anyway a few minutes later several local moggies appeared which looked to be quite well fed and friendly.

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..and a couple more Skiathos moggies for good measure…

Sadly not all the cats and dogs we saw on the island were as well looked after as the Castro cats. I’ve provided a link below to the local cat (and dog) sanctuary on the island. This husband and wife team (Peter and Sharon Hewing) look after the islands unwanted strays and outcast domesticated animals all year round, but the end of the holiday season is a particularly difficult time!

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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.

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Japanese Bobtail

The Japanese Bobtail has an unusual ‘bobbed’ tail more closely resembling the tail of a rabbit than that of an ordinary feline. The short tail is a cat body type genetic mutation caused by the expression of a recessive gene (or so it says here :yes:). Thus, so long as both parents are bobtails, all kittens born to a litter will have bobtails as well. Unlike the Manx and other cat breeds, where genetic disorders are common to tailless or stumpy-tails, no such problem exists with the Japanese Bobtail.

The Japanese Bobtail is a small domestic cat native to Japan and Southeast Asia, though it is now found throughout the world. The breed has been known in Japan for centuries, and there are many stories, as well as pieces of ancient art, featuring it.

Japanese Bobtail

Japanese Bobtail – Thought to be originally from China!

Japanese bobtails may have almost any color, but “Mi-ke” (三毛, mike?, literally “three fur”, and composed of red, black, and white coloring) or bi-colors are especially favoured by the Japanese. Much like any other breed, the colors may be arranged in any number of patterns, with van and calico being common among purebred cats, though other colorations are also accepted.
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History
The earliest written evidence of cats in Japan indicates that they arrived from China or Korea at least 1,000 years ago. In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to help deal with rodents threatening the silk-worms. Buying or selling cats was illegal, and from then on, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. Japanese Bobtails thus became the “street cats” of Japan.

The Japanese Bobtail is mentioned in Kaempfer’s Japan. First published in London in 1701/02, it is the first book written by a Westerner about the flora, fauna, and landscape of Japan. Engelbert Kaempfer, a German doctor, wrote: “there is only one breed of cat that is kept. It has large patches of yellow, black and white fur; its short tail looks like it has been bent and broken. It has no mind to hunt for rats and mice but just wants to be carried and stroked by women.”

The maneki-neko (“beckoning cat”), a Japanese Bobtail seated with one paw raised, is considered a good-luck charm. A maneki-neko statue is often found in the front of stores or homes. In 1968 the late Elizabeth Freret imported the first three Japanese Bobtails to the United States from Japan. Japanese Bobtails were accepted for Championship status in CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) in 1976.

Legend
There is a legend in Japan about why the Japanese Bobtail lost its tail. It states that a cat was warming itself too close to a fire, and set its tail on fire. It then ran through the town, burning many buildings to the ground. As punishment, the Emperor decreed that all cats should have their tails cut off.

Bobtails could have also surged after the legend of the bakeneko, or nekomata, a cat that when its tail grew too much, became a double-tail, and the cat would get powers like talking, walking on its back legs, and shapeshifting. The nekomata could cause massive disturbances and even resurrect dead people. Japanese people may have started cutting their cat’s tails to avoid them to become bakeneko.

Breed Standard

Head: The head should form an equilateral triangle. (Not including ears)
Ears: Large, upright, set wide apart but at right angles to the head and looking as if alert.
Muzzle: Fairly broad and round neither pointed nor blunt.
Eyes: Large, oval rather than round. They should not bulge out beyond the cheekbone or the forehead.
Body: Medium in size, males larger than females. Long torso, lean and elegant, showing well developed muscular strength. Also balance is very very important.
Neck: Not too long and not too short, in proportion to the length of the body.
Legs: Long, slender, and high. The hind legs longer than the forelegs.
Paws: Oval. Toes: five in front and four behind.
Coat (Shorthair): Medium length, soft and silk.
Coat (Longhair): Length medium-long to long, texture soft and silky gradually lengthening toward the rump.
Tail: The tail must be clearly visible and is made up of one or more curves.

The Japanese Bobtail is a recognised breed by all major registering bodies: CFA, TICA, FIFe; Shorthair only with the exception of GCCF (UK).

Japanese Bobtails usually have litters of three to four kittens with newborns that are unusually large compared to other breeds. They are active earlier, and walk earlier. Affectionate and generally sweet-tempered, they enjoy supervising household chores and baby-sitting. They are active, intelligent, talkative cats with a well-defined sense of family life. Their soft voices are capable of nearly a whole scale of tones; some people say they sing. Since they adore human companionship they almost always speak when spoken to, and sometimes carry on “conversations” with their owners. Because of their human-oriented personality they are easy to teach tricks and enjoy learning things like walking on a harness and lead, and playing fetch.

A similar breed of cat is in development in the United States as breeders attempt to perfect the “American Bobtail Cat” that would have a tail half the length of other breeds, though there has not been definitive progress in getting a new breed recognized yet.

Eye Discolouration (Ocular heterochromia)

While rare, Japanese Bobtails, especially predominantly white specimens, are more likely than other breeds to express heterochromia, or differing iris colors. One eye will be blue while the other is yellow (though in Japan, blue is referred to as silver while yellow is referred to as gold). This trait is popular and kittens displaying this “odd-eye” feature are usually more expensive.

Information From Wikipedia.

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Javanese

This ancient, rare breed was originally found in Japan and throughout most of southeast Asia. It is not a native breed in Java nor Indonesia. Genetically they are part of the long-haired Oriental genus. The term “Javanese cat” was coined by a Helen Smith of ‘MerryMews’ Cattery in the 1950’s. The name is derived from the tradition of using the names of the countries and islands of south-east Asia for Oriental cat breeds.

Javanese have a long, silky coat, that comes in a variety of colors. These cats are ranked among the most intelligent and affectionate breeds of cat. It is said they require companionship and stimulation to remain healthy.

A Javanese showing her unique tail

Photograph: unknown

These long, lanky cats have very sleek and powerful legs that make them very adept at running and leaping. They are generally very playful pets but they do however have a tendency to become overweight if they do not receive adequate exercise. Javanese are also quite vocal, and most will “talk” for no particular reason.

Javanese Cat

Javanese – Are elegant and intelligent cats

Photograph: unknown

Javanese have a unique tail which is made up of extremely furry strands. The Javanese has a distinctive oriental look that is given by high cheekbones and slightly almond-shaped eyes. This exquisite cat comes in a rainbow of colors and coat patterns in both long-haired and short-haired varieties.

Javanese cats are referred to by show cat fanciers as colourpoint cats: showing odd or “rare” colors; such as red or white, or patternation; tabby and tortie. As with many show cats the Javanese has common genetic defects (and are shared with the “Balinese Cat” and the “Siamese Cat”). These include: deafness, joint issues, early-onset arthritis, hip displacement and cross-eye.

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Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Maus are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are the only naturally spotted breed of domesticated cat. The spots on an Egyptian Mau are not just on the coat; a shaved Mau has spots on its skin. The Ocicat is very similar in appearance to the Egyptian Mau, but was the product of selective breeding which led to its spots. Another similar looking breed is the Bengal cat, but this breed tends to be considerably larger.

The breed conformation is described by The Cornell Book of Cats
as a balance between the compactness of a Burmese and the slim elegance of a Siamese. Its medium-length body is muscular, with the hind legs longer than the front, giving the Mau the appearance of standing on tiptoes when upright.

The longer hind legs are another reason for the breed’s startling speed. The Mau also has a loose flap of skin on the lower abdomen, similar to the Cheetah, which allows a longer stride while running, again contributing to its great speed. A Mau running at full speed is impressive, with incredible acceleration.

Maus often possess very musical voices. They are known to chirp, chortle and emit other distinctly unusual vocalizations when stimulated. Another behavior, quite common in happy Maus, has been described as “wiggle-tail.” The cat, male or female, moves its back legs up and down, and appears to be marking territory, also known as spraying, but it is not actually releasing urine. Even veteran Mau owners are known to check after a joyous Mau does this little dance.

Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Mau, likely descendant of African wild cats!

Origins

The Egyptian Mau is often said to be descended from African wild cats, and a descendant of the cats seen in wall paintings of Ancient Egypt. This, while perhaps being partly true, does not reveal the careful breeding that has taken place to create the ‘purebred’ Egyptian Mau, which was only given championship status in some organisations in 1968.

The modern Mau is said to have originated in 1953, Italy, when exiled Russian Princess Natalie Troubetskoy met the cat of the Egyptian Ambassador to Italy. She convinced him to obtain several cats from Egypt for her, and she began to breed them. Maus were attempted to be created in Britain by cross-breeds of Abyssinians, Siamese and tabbies, however these did not resemble the true Maus.

Egyptian Maus will either have a ‘scarab beetle’ or ‘M’ marking on their foreheads – those with the latter tend to be from the United States.

Physical attributes
Egyptian Maus are thought by many to be one of the progenitor breeds of the modern domestic cat. They have anatomical, metabolic and behavioral differences from other cat breeds which could be considered as evidence of antiquity or at least uniqueness from other cat breeds. Besides those already mentioned, Maus are more temperature sensitive than most breeds – they are fond of very warm temperatures. They are more sensitive to medicines and anesthesia. Maus allegedly have an unusually long gestational period. The maximum normal period for cats is 69 days, although Siamese may take a day or two longer. For a Mau, it is said that 73 days is still considered normal. This, however, is not a generally accepted fact, and it is advised for one to assume a 63-67 days gestational period. One should track the cat’s temperature and if it drops by a few degrees without birthing, consult your veterinarian.

Egyptian Maus are the fastest breed of domestic cat, capable of running at 36 mph. The next fastest breed is the American Shorthair which has a top speed of 31 mph. For comparison, giraffes also run at 36 mph. Maus are powerful cats for their size, alert and active. Males are usually somewhat larger than females.

Purebred Egyptian Maus are a relatively rare breed. As of 2007, fewer than 200 kittens are registered with the GCCF each year.[2] As of 2006, a total of 6741 Maus are registered with the CFA. Maus come in five colors. From most to least common these colors are: silver, bronze, smoke, black and blue/pewter.

Black and pewter Maus cannot be shown, but may be used in breeding. All Maus must have green eyes, but an amber cast is acceptable in kittens and young adults up to eighteen months old.

Popular culture

In the 2004 movie Catwoman, the cat ‘Midnight’ who brought Patience Phillips back to life as Catwoman was played by three Egyptian Maus, as well as a computer-generated Mau. The movie reveals that the ancient Egyptian Mau breed has the (fictional) ability to restore life through its connection with the Egyptian goddess Bastet.