PAWS TO CONSIDER
Cats and dogs, their origin and habits.

Dec
16

If you would still like to read this blog it is now at:

www.pawstopet.com

Hope to see you there!

Nov
23

 01_04_52_thumb.jpgIt is said the the nature of a cat allows it’s owners to live
 longer, healthier lives. Even if there is not really any scientific
 data for this, there seems to be some grounds for this thinking.

 The cat keeper likes to hold her pet , stroke the soft fur,
 scratch the delicate little ears, and the cat loves to stretch
 itself along the human’s legs, rub it’s head against her hand
 and curl up on it’s owner’s lap.

All this friendly contact enables a human to deal with stress,
grow calm, and relax.

Another reason is the fact that the cat is, although repeatedly
and erroneously said not to be, candid and direct in its
relations with humans.  What the cat wants, it expresses
and you can rely on it.

I find that cats by their very nature, are great companions for
the elderly, as they are comforting and seem to give a sense
of companionship to those that are lonely.
The cat can be cared for by the elderly much easier than a dog,
and they radiate peacefulness and contentment to all of those
who need to feel needed.

I have acquired many cats through the process of uncaring
humans, who have left very young kittens on my doorstep,
without a thought as to what would happen to them , or
even worse, they did not care.

How anyone can be so cruel is beyond me .

To look into those wondrous eyes and hold the little body
close and give it the sense of security that we all need, has
been one of the driving forces in my life with cats.

 

Nov
22

cat-with-stuff-toy.jpgI have found the following ” cat jokes” that I thought my
readers would find amusing.

What do you get when you cross a chick with an alley cat?
A peeping tom!

What is a cat’s way of keeping law law and order?
Claw Enforcement!

What does a cat do when it gets mad?
It has a hissy fit!

What happened when the cat went to the flea circus?
He stole the whole show!

Where does a cat go when it loses it’s tail?
The retail store!

What do you use to comb a cat?
A catacomb!

Why is it so hard for a leopard to hide?
Because he’s always spotted!

Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods.
Cats have never forgotten this!

Cats are smarter than dogs, you can’t get eight cats
to pull a sled through the snow!

As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat!

Dogs come when they are called: cats take a message
and get back to you later!
 

Nov
20

german-shepherd-pups.jpg There are  few things more relaxing than getting home
 from  a hard day’s work and being welcomed by your
 dog.
 A dog as a companion, is the ultimate in pet affection,
 they are ecstatic to see you, and will reward you with a
wagging tail and that look that says” can we go for a
walk?”.

In order to achieve a relationship  with your dog that is problem-
free, you must have some idea of what makes a dog tick.

By being a fair and positive leader to your dog, you can define
codes of behavior that your dog understands and responds to
in the way that you want and expect.
This allows you to shape your dog into a well- mannered  adult
that you can be proud of , and that all your friends will admire,
love and want to own.
Your dog deserves no less.

There are many aspects to dog ownership, and many topics
that can be covered, to help new dog owners find their
perfect companion.

Before getting a dog, it is by far best to consider all
aspects of dog ownership, from the size and age of
a potential pet, to the training and care, that a new
dog will require.

Dogs are great stress-relievers, as they are more in
tune with your emotions than humans are.

Who else will happily listen to your troubles
day in and day out, and celebrate or cry with
you when no one else is there to share special
moments with you.

take care of your pet.


 

  

Nov
13
Nov
12

atavar.jpg The cat is a loner, but she likes to keep in touch with other
 cats and humans in case she might want company, at some time.
 However, the desire must come from her.

The cat spends a lot of her days, sleeping or resting, she likes
to go her own way, and often does not want to be bothered.
When she is in this mood, to try and pick her up or fondle
her will only get you scratched or bitten.
When she is in the mood for companionship, she will be
tireless in rubbing herself against your legs, jump into
your lap, butt you with her head or, most annoyingly,
sit in the middle of the newspaper, you are reading!

If you decide to offer the cat, a nice warm basket for her
own use, she will decide where she wants to sit. It may
be on your favorite chair, or an a rug that is in the sun,
or many times on your bed, this being her very favorite
place.

If the cat is kept indoors, you will want to offer her a
scratching post, where her claws can be sharpened, this
is a necessity, otherwise your carpets and furniture
will suffer.

A litter box for inside cats is also a necessity. It should be
in a quiet place , because the cat by its very nature, wishes
to be unobserved.
Of course the litter box must be kept utterly clean, the cat
is a very clean animal and will soon let you know when the
litter box needs cleaning!

I have even found a “protest” in my laundry basket!

There are of course other things that are part of the proper
maintenance of a cat, and I will endeavor to explain these
things to you in further posts.

Strange Facts:

Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West, Florida, is
home to more than sixty cats, all descendants of
the author’s original cats.

look after your pet.

Oct
31

birman.jpg In the middle of the eighteenth century, hygiene became a main concern
 and therefore the cats popularity grew, as people like Louis Pasteur
 emphasized the need for cleanliness, that microbes caused illness and
 disease, so people prized the cat even more as the symbol of spotless
 cleanliness.

 The first cat show was held in London in 1871, after cat clubs in
England and the USA  were founded in the latter years of the
nineteenth century.

The beginning of the breeding of cats,  (the former “witch’s
friend) and the need for continued watchfulness over the
rodent population, brought the cat’s popularity to the
forefront.blue-and-white-selkirk-rex.jpg

 This then took  ‘Bastet’ from her role as the Egyptian goddess
 to the laps of ordinary people, where she enjoys being petted
 and fondled, whether she is fat, thin, long-haired or has a wavy
 coat, she is the companion to many, but has always remained
 true to herself.

The nature of the cat is complex. It has a soft and cuddly side
but also can be sharp and vindictive, even to it’s own kind.
It will pursue its business as a hunter, even as it cultivates
a place in the hearts of its human companions.

I find that my cats are just as happy, running through the
garden, as they are sleeping in a favorite spot.

take care of your pet.

Oct
30

 balinese250.jpgEven though the Egyptians tried through strict regulations to prevent
 the cat from being smuggled out of the country, they did not succeed
 and smugglers took the cat to Ancient Rome.

 There her value as a mouse catcher was very quickly recognized, and
the cat was prized over the weasels and snakes that had been kept
for this purpose.

Now the triumphal march of the cat throughout  the whole of the
ancient world was unstoppable.
The cat was now recognized as something special, people marvelled
at her predatory prowess as well as her gentle, affectionate nature.
No other creature had the talent as a huntress as the cat in the ancient
world. 

Alas around A.D.1200 the cats decline began. Superstition flourished
and the cat, this former goddess, was now demonized.
People thought that she was too mysterious and was connected
with heathen practices.
For  about 400 years the cat was tortured, burned, hanged and stoned
together with witches and heretics by the thousands.

This pitiless hunt was avenged.bobcat.jpg

 No one was restraining the rats now, so they carried the plague
 into the the medieval cities, and so followed the transfer of diseases
 to humans, through their fleas.

Only when people found the real cause of infections, did the cat
come into favor again, after millions of people had died.

However, it took well into the eighteenth century, before her
second ascent into popularity began, that of house pet status,
a popularity that still remains very high, today.

Take care of your pet.

visit : www.catsarepurrfect.com

Oct
25

Egypt, the mighty kingdom on the Nile, had established its entire state
system on grain and bread.
The wheat stores in Egypt were warehoused in huge granaries, which were
beset by loads of hungry rats and mice. mice.jpg
 Now the hour of the cat in egypt, was at hand.

 Until then the cat had lived wild in North Africa, but now it was
 tempted by the abundant food supply.
 The people of Egypt recognised the uniqueness of this
 occurrence and made the cat into a goddess.
oriental_shorthair.jpg

 Along with the cat’s highly prized ability to keep the rodents
 in check( which were feared as destroyers of the grain, and
 carriers of disease) people also saw in the cat  a creature with
 a reserved and unfathomable nature. Therefore they believed
 that this made it  worthy of worship.

It was not much of a step, therefore, to elevate the cat of Egypt,
to the status of Egyptian goddess, whose life was sacred.

The cat was honored as the gentle, benevolent goddess
Bastet, the Lady of Life,wife of the sun god Ra , and she
was represented as a woman with the head of a cat.

She had her own temples and burial grounds; it was a special
honor to be able to bury one’s”Mau”( as the Egyptians called the cat)
in the gigantic cemetery of Bubastis, the principal site of
Bastet’s cult.

Anyone who did any harm to his cat or even killed it
was punished by death.
 

 To help your cat to live a healthy life  visit: http://catsarepurrfect.com

Take care of your cat.

Oct
23

 abyssinian.jpgAll the things people say about “ cats and people” would fill more
 than a book.
 Some people praise their cuddliness, others prize their self-sufficiency,
 whereas other people love them for their independence and aloofness.

 My cats help me to write this blog, Misty for instance, is very
 black and rather shy, while Amy is a Russian Blue, and talks to me
 all the time ( I can hardly concentrate to write!), while my oldest
cat Patches, is so fat he can hardly walk, he waddles along quite
comically, but he seems to be happy.

There is one thing certain when you are dealing with a cat: its
the cat who determines the range of your relationship.

Investigate this behavior, acquire understanding of it, and the
foundation is laid for a cats and people relationship.

Stastitics indicate that in recent years cats have overtaken
dogs in popularity with animal lovers.
The Pet Food Institute has gone on record as saying that
in 1985, 50 million pet cats lived in 25 million homes in the
US ; meaning about 32% of all households in the USA keep
cats!!

The cat goes back along way. As long as people were on
the move as nomads, the cat kept its distance.
When they settled, and the Egyptians founded their
kingdom, their stores were overun with rodents and then
the cat approached humankind.

It enetered into captivity of it’s own free will, so to speak,
enjoying the constant abundance at the table, yet keeping
it’s independence.

take care of your pet.