The Cat's sense of smell, not vision, is its primary resource for identifying the individuals and objects in its environment. We don't know for sure what kind of colors cats can see, but scientific tests indicate that cats can recognize at least some of the colors that we do. The cat's outer ear (pinna) is connected by 27 muscles and can rotate 180 degrees to scan the environment or to direct its attention to a particular source of sound. From birth the mother cat grooms her kittens--touch being the primal source of affection. Cats will often regress and behave like kittens when stroked--nursing, drooling, teething. Cats drink by converting their long tongues into spoons. The tip of the tongue is curled backward to create a hollow shape that acts like the bowl of a spoon. Spanking or striking your cat will get you nowhere. All you'll accomplish is angering your the cat, not to mention possibly hurting it. Punishment is nowhere near as effective with cats as is rewarding positive behavior. But sometimes bad behavior must be discouraged. Try a spray bottle. Remember that, like people, cats can also become stressed and tense. In order to reduce your cat's stress, let it play and exercise regularly.

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	To figure out your "true cat's age" in human terms, count the first full year as 15 years, the second full year as 10 yeas and all the following years as 3 years. In other words, a 5 year old dog would be: 15+10+3+3+3=34 years old. Boy, and we though we were aging quickly!

					Felis silvestris familiaris (fel'is sil'vest'is femil'yer as) n. [OE cat] 1. a small, soft-furred animal, often kept as a pet or for killing mice; refered to as CAT 2. any meat - eating mammal related to this, as the lion, tiger, leopard, etc. 3. [pl.] [slang] a engaging woman - let the cat out of the bag to let a secret be found out - cat'like adj
			Understand Your Cat's Extraordinary 5 Senses As a cat finds his way around his environment, their senses takes on a whole new meaning. All of a cat's five senses have a heightened ability when compared to those of humans. Your cat's sense of smell one of the most important ways to navigate, communicate and investigate the environment. Cats have 200 million odor-sensitive cells in their noses compared to about 5 million for humans. Your cat will be able to detect the presence of cats outside the home by scent as well as any animals you've come into contact. Your cat will use his ability to smell rather than taste to determine if the food you've offered is dangerous or something he would even want.
			A cat's sight is extraordinary, your cat can see in only one-fifth the light that you can but not in total darkness. That eerie glow you see when your cat's eyes reflect light is due to a layer of cells, called the 'tapetum lucidum', that underlie the retina of his eyes. These cells enable a cat to see form and movement in low light that humans cannot, thus enabling a cat to hunt for prey at night. This ability to see movement where there is little or none is what attracts cats to television, on the TV screen, even slow-moving objects appear jumpy to a cat. Your cat's ears function like mini-satellite dishes, rotating to pick up sounds and funneling them to the brain. Observe your cat listening to a conversation in your home or commotion outside. His ears move back and forth as he listens, and his ability to hear is exceptional. The upper range of hearing in cats is about 60 to 65 kiloherz (kilocycles per second), which enables cats to hear their kittens and the ultrasonic calls of rodents. Humans hear about 8.5 octaves while a cat hears about 10. Your cat's sense of touch encompasses his entire body just as yours does. One of your cat's more important touch apparatus is his whiskers, which appear on his cheeks, lips and above his eyes. Whiskers act as sensory devices, contributing to your cat's ability to hunt in low light. A cat with no whiskers may be unable to navigate. Your cat will benefit from being touched. Stroking or petting your cat evokes a physical and emotional response. His heart rate slows, and his body relaxes. When your cat touches you by rubbing against you, he is depositing scents on you and marking you as part of his domain – the feline way of saying, "You're mine." In spite of their reputation for being finicky when it comes to food, cats have less ability to differentiate among tastes than humans do. While you have about 9,000 taste buds, your cat has a mere 473. Your cat's taste buds are found in the mushroom-shaped papillae at the tip and sides of his tongue and in cup-shaped papillae at the back of his tongue. Your cat's appreciation of food is due more to his ability to smell rather than taste. Your cat's taste will respond not only to flavor, but also to a food's texture and temperature. Food that is not room temperature is a turnoff to most cats and may be the genetically programmed as a result of the cat's wild ancestors and natural predilection for eating recently killed prey. Litter Box Training Your Cat for Indoor Life Even young kittens seldom have problems house training. Provide your kitten with a litter box in a convenient, yet quiet location and take him or her there on a regular basis following meals and naps until he or she gets the idea. Cats that are digging in flower pots or indulging in other unwanted behaviour are best disciplined using a loud noise or a squirt from a water bottle. Physically striking a cat is never a method for training any animal. A trained cat also becomes very accustomed to living at home, and there are many positives to keeping your cat indoors, ones kept inside do not suffer injuries from fighting, poisoning or traffic accidents, they contract fewer feline diseases, and they do not fall prey to wild animals. Roaming cats are a nuisance to neighbours -- digging in gardens and marking on doorways. Outdoor cats also indiscriminately prey on songbirds and other wildlife. Knowing How to Properly Feed your Cat Kittens are usually weaned around 6 weeks of age. Start with condensed milk mixed with the same amount of water. The kitten should be fed in a shallow pan, five times daily. In 5 - 6 days, rice pabulum can be added, and a week later, good quality moist and soft cat food. Be sure kittens are fully weaned before they are separated from their mother. Older kittens and adult cats should not be fed milk. Most cats have difficulty digesting dairy products. Eight week old kittens should be fed 4 times daily; feed sixteen week olds three times daily and adults twice daily. In order to keep cats indoors at night, feed in the morning then not again until bedtime. That way they are happy, full and will sleep through the night. When selecting your cat's food, always look for the C.V.M.A. (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) veterinary approval or follow your own veterinarian's advice. It is important to minimize the amount of magnesium (a component of ash) in the diet, especially for male cats. Another consideration is the "finicky feline." These are cats that get hooked on one particular food and will almost (but not quite!) starve before eating something different. From an early age feed your cat a variety of food to avoid having him or her fixate on one brand. Playtime for Your Cats' Daily Routine Kittens need playtime as a major part of their daily routine. A playing kitten is not only having fun, but acquiring vital life skills as well. Although some people may overreact when they observe kittens wrestling or playing rough, it is important to remember that this play is an essential component of their childhood and quite normal. Seldom will kittens actually harm one another. Playing is also an important part of an adult cat's life. It is believed that cats that are able to play frequently are typically less stressed and neurotic than other felines. These cats benefit from the exercise and tend to have fewer problems with obesity than cats who do not play often. Preventive and Essential Medical Care for Your Dog Have your cat vaccinated regularly. Start vaccinations at six to eight weeks of age, with booster shots given at twelve and sixteen weeks. Thereafter a booster once a year is necessary. If your cat becomes ill phone your veterinarian. Your veterinarian is often the best person to ask about nutrition and parasite control, in addition to medical questions. Compassion towards pets and other animals is very important. Learn tips and ways of preventing animal cruelty. If you would like to learn more about this subject, there are plenty of resources available.
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