March 2011
Phone: 260-463-4901 • Fax 888-439-6528 • The Hometown Treasure
Page 38
SPOTLIGHT ON NATURE — continued from previous page
of bones and organs in cats, explaining why cats may
purr when hurt.
Cats twitch the tips of their tails when hunting or
angry, while larger twitching indicates displeasure. A tail
held high is usually a sign of happiness. A half-raised
shows less pleasure, and unhappiness is indicated with
a tail held low. A scared or surprised cat may puff up
its tail and the hair along its back and turn its body
sideways to a threat in order to increase its apparent
size. Yes, believe it or not cats with no tails, such as the
Manx (breed), who possess only a small stub of a tail
move the stub around as though they possessed a full
tail, though it is not nearly as communicative as that
of a fully tailed cat.
Touching noses is a friendly greeting for cats, while
a lowered head is a sign of submission. Happy cats are
known to paw their owners, or that on which they sit,
with a kneading motion. Cats often use this action
alongside purring to show contentment and affection
for their owners. It is instinctive to cats, and cats use
it when they are young to stimulate the mother cat’s
nipple to release milk during nursing. As a result, cats
that are hand-raised by humans may lack this reflex.
Also, pawing is a way for cats to mark their territory.
The scent glands on the underside of their paws release
small amounts of scent onto the person or object being
pawed, marking it as “theirs” in the same way they would
urinate to mark their territory. For the most part I have
discovered that being raised arou nd cats most of my
life that when a cat has been neutered (for males) or
spayed (for females) they do not mark their territory
in the way of urination. I am not saying they will not
but that has been my observation.
Cats are known for their cleanliness. Cats groom
themselves by licking their fur. The cat’s saliva is a
powerful cleaning agent, but it can provoke allergic
reactions in humans. Cats also enjoy grooming humans
or other cats. Cats may occasionally regurgitate hair
balls of fur that have collected in their stomachs as a
result of their grooming. Longhair cats are more prone
to this than shorthair. Certain cat foods can prevent
hairballs. Also, remedies can include the elimination
of the hair with regular grooming of the coat with a
comb or stiff brush. Cats expend nearly as much fluid
grooming as they do urinating.
Indoor cats may be provided a litter box containing
sand or similar commercial material. This arrangement
serves the same purpose as a toilet for humans. It
should be cleaned daily and changed often depending
on the number of cats in a household and the type
of litter. Some cats may be toilet trained, eliminating
the litterbox and its attending expense and odor. But
most cat owners including us prefer them to use the
litter box. I would not want my cat to share the toilet,
doesn’t sound very sanitary and could cause a lot of
extra bacteria growing, yuk. We were very fortunate
our KiKi was litter trained.
Cats will enjoy heat and sun exposure, often
sleeping in a sunny area during the heat of the day.
People will start to feel uncomfortable when their skin’s
temperature gets higher than about 112° Fahrenheit,
but cats don’t start to show signs of discomfort until
their skin reaches about 126° Fahrenheit. Cats can easily
withstand the heat and cold of a temperate climate, but
not for long periods. Cats have little resistance against
fog, rain, and snow and struggle to maintain their 102°
Fahrenheit body temperature when wet. Most cats
dislike immersion in water, with one major exception.
The Turkish Van breed which has an unusual fondness
for water. If a cat is continually exposed to water from
a very young age, many times it will develop a fondness
for it; but this rarely if ever occurs naturally. I believe
our cat was raised around water and may even have
been born in a bathtub. When I first brought her home
and when we first moved into our house the first place
she went for was the, you guessed it, the ... bathtub. She
also enjoys her baths, we have to let the water trickle
just right in order for her to get into the tub.
I will say our KiKi is one of a kind cat and we enjoy
her lively personality. I will also add and you may
disagree with me, but I personally believe a domestic
cat is easier to take-care of than a dog.
Enjoy this nice weather we have been experiencing
here lately. Also, a very “sweet” reminder to you that
our Maple Syrup Days festival is just around the corner
at Maple Wood Nature Center, March 19 and 20. A
fun time for everyone to “tap” into something worth
“sapping” up about.
Red Cross Volunteers — continued from page 19
Perhaps the most important of all reasons to
volunteer is to experience the sense of achievement
and personal fulfillment that volunteering can bring.
Whether you are a student, a working professional,
stay-at-home mom or a retiree, volunteering is an
excellent way to broaden your social network and gain
work experience, while at the same time experiencing
the health & wellness rewards.
Plan to attend the Volunteer Callout on Tuesday,
March 15 from 5-7pm at the LaGrange First Church of
God. For more information you can call 260-463-3552
or email Jo Schrader, LaGrange Red Cross Service
Manager, at [email protected].