The Scientific name for cats is Felis Carnivorous. Scientists believe that the earliest cat was probably an animal called Miacis which lived about 55 Million years ago. Fossils indicate that the Miacis looked somewhat like a weasel.

The grace and beauty of the cat has always inspired artists . About 4,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians were the first to tame cats. They called their cats "miaw" and adorned them with jewels and gold earrings. They worshipped the cat as  Goddess Bast who represented the life-giving heat of the sun. They carved wooden figures, furniture and jewellery in the shape of cats. If someone killed a cat, the punishment was usually death. When a pet cat died, its Egyptian master shaved off his eyebrows as a sign of mourning. The Egyptians mummified their dead cats and buried them along with mummified mice and saucers of milk in special cemeteries.

In the 13th century, the first witchcraft trials were held, and the cat suffered. The pagan religions held that witches turned into cats. Cats were blamed for everything from souring the beer to spreading disease. It was commonly believed that their teeth contained venom and that their breath caused disease and infection. Any cat that was seen in the company of an old woman was assumed to be a witch's associate. Hundreds of unfortunate cats were burned alive by people who believed they did the work of the devil.

 By the 17th century, the cat once again gained favor by virtually saving Europe from the ravages of the great plague by controlling the rat population.

Today there are over 60 million cats in America, alone. More than 70,000 cats and dogs are born each day due to uncontrolled breeding. Many cats have never experienced the luxury of a warm lap and lead hard, cruel and short, tortured lives as strays. Of cats placed in shelters, 75% are euthanized because there is no room or funds to care for them. Many suffer due to animal abuse and laboratory experiments. While we cannot guess at the fate of the cat a thousand years from now, perhaps we can aid in shaping their future world.

DID YOU KNOW ??

A cat's hearing capability is five times greater than that of a human. However, at about 5 years of age, this capability lessens somewhat.

 A cat can rotate its ears 180 degrees and can locate the source of a sound ten times faster than the most capable watchdog.

A cat can not see directly under its nose. This is why it sometimes can not quickly find treats thrown on the floor.

A cat can sprint at 30 miles per hour and jump 7 times as high as its tail. When cats jump their footpads absorb the shock of landing.

Declawing a cat is the equivalent of cutting a human's fingers off at the knuckle. DON'T DO IT!  Each of a cat's claws is attached to a bone in the toe. By flexing its toe (just as we bend our fingers), a cat can retract the claw into the foot. When a cat points its toe, the claw is extended.

Cats are known to sleep from 16-18 hours a day. While cats are sleeping they remain alert to the slightest stimuli.

The length of a cat's pregnancy is from 58-65 days. Most cats give birth to between one and nine kittens. The largest litter ever produced was 19 kittens, 15 of which survived.

Cats have more bones than humans. Humans have 206 bones whereas the cat has 230. About 10% of a cats bones are in its tail. The tail is used to maintain balance.

The cat does not have a true collarbone and can therefore squeeze its body through most spaces that its head fits through. Whiskers act as radar and help the cat gauge the space it is contemplating to walk through.

Cats are extremely sensitive to vibrations and there are many reports of cats acting strangely prior to earthquakes. Apparently, cats are able to detect the first tremors 10 or 15 minutes before humans can.

Cats lick their fur, not only to keep clean, but to smooth it out so that it will be a better insulator in cold weather. By licking the fur and making it wet, the cat can cool itself off in hot weather.

Cats are good climbers, but they are no great shakes at getting down. Their claws are curved the wrong way for going backwards and their legs can't spread like a squirrel's.

Cats have excellent night vision. One reason is that their eyes are very large for their size. Also, the cat's retina - the light-sensitive part of the eye - has many cells that are active in dim light. The tapetum reflects more light within the eye. Contrary to popular belief, however, cats cannot see in total darkness.

Tests done on Cats

Tests done by the Behavioral Department of the Museum of Natural History conclude that while a dog's memory lasts about 5 minutes, a cat's recall can last as long as 16 hours.

According to tests performed by Donald Adams, D.V.M., the cat possesses a surprisingly high level of intelligence and can remember problem solving strategies and use insight to "think" their way out of situations. Their curiosity stems from their intelligence and they will work endlessly and desperately to obtain the results they want.

Scientific tests have shown that cats can find their way home even after being driven several miles and dropped in a strange place. Scientists believe that cats have a built-in homing mechanism that is tied to a sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field.

Behaviour - what your cat is trying to say

Young cats purr when nursing to tell the mother that they are content. A mother cat purrs when she approaches her litter to tell them, "It's me, not and enemy." Older kittens purr when they try to get adult cats to play. Sick cats purr at the approach of another cat to say, "Leave me be, I'm not a threat to you."

Cats show expression with their ears. If a cat's ears are pointed forward they convey friendly interest and attentiveness. Ears pricked up and turned slightly backward are a warning that attack is imminent. Ears bent back and drawn down sideways show fear and readiness to take flight.

World Records

The heaviest cat on record was an Australian cat named Himmy who weighed 45 lbs, 10 oz's. Himmy held the title of "Official World Heavyweight Champion in the Guinness' Book of World Records in 1986. Most adult cats weigh from 6 to 12 pounds. The lightest adult cat weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces.

One of the champion ratters of all time was a five-month-old kitten named Peter, who lived in a railroad station in England. In one four-week period in 1938, Peter killed 400 rats, even though he was scarcely larger than a rat himself!

DANGERS TO CATS:

Chemicals can be absorbed through a cat's paws. Floor waxes and cleaning solutions pose a particular danger.

The majority of aerosol sprays contain poison and should never be sprayed near a cat's food. Call 1-800 548-2423 (Animal Poison Control)

Coins can choke a cat and should never be left around. Pennies minted after 1982 pose an added danger as they contain zinc which is toxic.

Plastic dry cleaner bags can cause suffocation.

FEEDING KITTY

- Cats prefer to dine in a quiet spot, at the same time and in the same place each day, and from clean bowls free from the residue of detergents and the previous meal.

- Cats do not like their whiskers disturbed while dining, and many will refuse to eat from a bowl whose sides touch their whiskers.

- Cats can not taste sweets.

- Chocolate is toxic. As little as a 16 oz. bar can kill a cat. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.

- Most adult cats are lactose intolerant and drinking milk will give them diarrhea. Otherwise, milk is a nutritious snack.  Cream is even better than milk --most cats can handle the butterfat just fine and it's good for them. A small serving of cream will satisfy the cat more than a saucer of milk and contains less lactose.

- Do not purchase canned cat food that appears to be very red. The red coloring is due to the addition of sodium nitrate, a carcinogen. Pet food manufacturers are not required to list this chemical on their labels.

- Taurine is needed to prevent blindness. Make sure it is listed among the ingredients of the cat foods you choose.

- Cats should not be given raw or undercooked meat, or raw eggs. E-coli, salmonella and toxoplasmosis are not just people diseases.

- Although this varies from cat to cat, the average hunting 10-lb cat would consume about 10 mice per day. This amounts to about one cup of dry food or 10 ounces of canned food. A cat over 10 lbs would require a bit more.

PHOTOGRAPHING KITTY                                                                 

1. Get down to the level of your cat or place your cat on a high piece of furniture.

2. Avoid direct eye contact or aggressive moves...especially if your cat is shy or timid.

3. Capture the cat's personality by throwing him a catnip stuffed toy. Don't hesitate to click while he is in mid-air. Cats in     action make for some of the best photos.

4. For a regal photo, place the cat on a decorator pillow and get down to his level.

5. Always move in close. The cat should take up at least half of the picture.

6. Make sure that there is plenty of light directed at the cat's face.

7. A neutral background is best when photographing a black cat. A dark background will make the entire photo too dark. A white background will provide too much contrast thereby increasing the blackness and lack of details.

8. If you are using a flash don't snap a black cat against a wall. If the cat is too close to the wall the shadow behind him will blend into his body

GROOMING KITTY

WHAT ARE FLEAS ???

Fleas are the equivalent of miniature vampires and can be deadly. They were responsible for the bubonic plague. Fleas infected with the disease passed it on to rodents who, in turn, passed it on to humans. Here are some flea facts:

Flea eggs may survive more than ten years under optimum conditions. Carpets are the ideal environment for eggs and pupae to survive long periods of time.

There are four distinct stages in the life of a flea: the egg, the larva, the pupa (or more commonly called "cocoon"), and the adult.

Two out of three fleas are female. A female flea can consume 15 times her body weight in blood daily.

Four female fleas feeding four times a day for 100 days will bite your cat 1,600 times.

There are thousands of species of fleas.

Fleas dined on dinosaur blood 180 million years ago.

SOMEONE SAY CATNIP ?

Catnip is known botanically as Nepeta  Cataria. The plant is in the mint family and grows in temperate climates around the world. Not all catnip is the same. Because the plant is affected by its growing conditions, many different types of catnip are available and each type has a different taste.

In the 17th and 18th centuries catnip tea was believed to have medicinal powers and was often prescribed by doctors in Europe and the Unites States for various ailments.

It is believed that the cat's response to catnip is in the feline genes. With the exception of the tiger, the big cats have the same reaction to catnip as pet cats do.

The effects of catnip last for about 6 minutes, with the first few minutes being most intense. Cats of reproductive age are more sensitive to catnip than cats that are very young or very old. Generally, males have more of a reaction to catnip than females do. Cats under 6 months old show no interest in catnip.