Thou shalt have no other pets
before Me.
Thou shalt never ignore Me.
I shall ignore Thou when I feel like
it.
Thou shalt be grateful,
that I even give Thou the time of day.
Remember My food dish, and keep it full.
Thou shalt spend most Thy money,
on toys and gifts for Me.
Thou shalt always have Thy lap ready
for Me to curl up in.
Thou shalt shower Me with love,
and attention upon demand.
Above all, Thou shalt do anything and
everything it takes,
to keep me happy.
Cats have five toes on each front paw,
but only four toes on each back paw.
Cats are sometimes born with extra toes.
This is called poly dactyl.
These toes will not harm the cat,
but you should keep his claws trimmed
just like any toe.
Cats have true fur, which means,
they have both an undercoat and an
outer coat.
Newborn kittens have closed ear canals,
that don't begin to open for nine days.
When the eyes open, they are always
blue at first.
They change color over a period of months
to the final eye color.
Most cats have no eyelashes.
Cats have a full inner eyelid, or nictitating
membrane.
This inner eyelid serves to help protect
the eyes,
from dryness and damage. When the cat
is ill, the inner eyelid will frequently close partially,
making it visible to the observer.
A cat cannot see directly under its
nose.
This is why the cat cannot seem to
find tidbits on the floor.
You can tell a cat's mood by looking
into its eyes.
A frightened or excited cat, will have
large, round pupils.
An angry cat will have narrow pupils.
The pupil size, is related as much
to the cat's emotions,
as to the degree of light.
It is a common belief, that cats are
color blind.
However, recent studies have shown,
that cats can see blue, green and red.
A large majority of white cats with
blue eyes, are deaf.
White cats with only one blue eye,
are deaf only in the ear closest to
the blue eye.
White cats with orange eyes do not
have this disability.
Cats with white fur and skin on their
ears,
are very prone to sunburn.
Frequent sunburns can lead to skin
cancer.
Many white cats, need surgery,
to remove all or part of a cancerous
ear.
Preventive measures include sunscreen,
or better, keeping the cat indoors.
A cat can jump seven times as high as
it is tall.
The cat's foot pads,
absorb the shocks of the landing,
when the cat jumps.
Cats lack a true collarbone.
Because of this lack,
cats can generally squeeze their bodies,
through any space they can get their
heads through.
You may have seen a cat testing the
size of an opening,
by careful measurement with the head.
If left to her own devices,
a female cat may have three to seven
kittens,
every four months. This is why population
control,
using neutering and spaying, is so
important.
A cat is pregnant for about 58-65 days.
Mother cats, teach their kittens,
to use the litter box.
The way you treat kittens,
in the early stages of it's life,
will render it's personality traits
later in life.
Contrary to popular belief,
the cat is a social animal.
A pet cat will respond and answer to
speech,
and seems to enjoy human companionship.
When well treated,
a cat can live twenty or more years,
but the average life span of a domestic
cat is 14 years.
Neutering a cat,
extends its life span by two or three
years.
Cats, especially older cats, do get
cancer.
Many times this disease can be treated
successfully.
Cats can't taste sweets.
Cats must have fat in their diet,
because they can't produce it on their
own.
Some common houseplants poisonous to
cats, include:
English Ivy, iris, mistletoe, philodendron,
and yew.
Tylenol and chocolate,
are both poisonous to cats.
Many cats can't properly digest cow's
milk.
Milk, and milk products, give them
diarrhea.
The average cat food meal,
is the equivalent to about five mice.
Cats can get tapeworms from eating fleas.
These worms live inside the cat forever,
or until they are removed with medication.
The tapeworms, reproduce,
by shedding a link from the end of
their long bodies.
This link crawls out the cat's anus,
and sheds hundreds of eggs.
These eggs are ingested by flea larvae,
and the cycles continues.
Humans may get these tapeworms too,
but only if they eat infected fleas.
Cats with tapeworms,
should be dewormed by a veterinarian.
Cats can get tapeworms from eating mice.
If your cat catches a mouse,
it is best to take the prize away from
it.
Though rare, cats can contract canine
heart worms.
The gene in cats,
that causes the orange coat color,
is sexed linked,
and is on the X sex chromosome.
This gene may display orange or black.
Thus, a female cat with two X chromosomes,
may have orange and black colors in
its coat.
A male, with only one X chromosome,
can have only orange or black, not
both.
If a male cat is both orange and black,
it is (besides being extremely rare),
sterile.
To have both the orange and the black
coat colors,
the male cat must have all
or part, of both female X chromosomes.
This unusual sex chromosome combination,
will render the male cat sterile.
Cats have AB blood groups, just like
people.
A form of AIDS, exists in cats.
The color of the points
in Siamese cats, is heat related.
Cool areas are darker.
Siamese kittens are born white,
because of the heat,
inside the mother's uterus, before
birth.
This heat, keeps the kittens' hair
from darkening on the points.
People who are allergic to cats,
are actually allergic to cat saliva,
or to cat dander.
If the resident cat is bathed regularly,
the allergic people tolerate it better.
Studies now show, that the allergen
in cats,
is related to their scent glands.
Cats have scent glands on their faces,
and at the base of their tails.
Entire male cats generate the most
scent.
If this secretion from the scent glands
is the allergen,
allergic people should tolerate spayed
female cats the best.
Cats do not think that they are little
people.
They think that we are big cats.
This influences their behavior, in
many ways.
Cats are subject to gum disease and
to dental caries.
They should have their teeth cleaned
by the vet,
or the cat dentist, once a year.
Many people, fear catching a protozoan
disease,
Toxoplasmosis, from cats.
This disease can cause illness in the
human,
but more seriously,
can cause birth defects, in the unborn.
Toxoplasmosis, is a common disease,
sometimes spread through the feces
of cats.
It is caused most often,
from eating raw or rare beef.
Pregnant women, and people with a depressed
immune system, should not touch the
cat litter box.
Other than that,
there is no reason that these people
have to avoid cats.
The ancestor of all domestic cats,
is the African Wild Cat, which still
exists today.
In ancient Egypt,
killing a cat, was a crime,
punishable by death.
In ancient Egypt,
mummies were made of cats,
and embalmed mice, were placed with
them,
in their tombs. In one ancient city,
over 300,000 cat mummies, were found.
In the Middle Ages,
during the Festival of Saint John,
cats were burned alive, in town squares.
The first cat show,
was in 1871,
at the Crystal Palace, in London.
Today, there are about 100 distinct
breeds,
of the domestic cat.
Like birds, cats have a homing ability,
that uses its biological clock,
the angle of the sun,
and the Earth's magnetic field.
A cat, taken far from its home,
can return to it, yet,
if a cat's owners move far from its
home
the cat can't find them.
Cats bury their feces,
to cover their trails, from predators.
Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day.
When cats are asleep,
they are still alert to incoming stimuli.
If you poke the tail of a sleeping
cat,
it will respond accordingly.
Besides smelling with their nose,
cats can smell with an additional organ,
called the Jacobson's organ,
located in the upper surface of the
mouth.
The chlorine in fresh tap water,
irritates sensitive parts of the cat's
nose.
Let tap water sit for 24 hours,
before giving it to a cat.
Abraham Lincoln, loved cats.
He had four of them,
while he lived in the White House.
Napoleon, was terrified of cats!
A cat, has four rows of whiskers,
on each side.
The word cat...
in various languages:
French - chat;
German - katze;
Italian - gatto;
Spanish/Portugese - gato;
Yiddish - kats;
Maltese - qattus;
Swedish/Norwegian - katt;
Dutch - kat;
Icelandic - kottur;
Greek - gata;
Hindu - katas;
Japanese - neko;
Polish - kot.
Statistics indicate,
that animal lovers, in recent years,
have shown a preference for cats, over
dogs!
Cats can be taught to walk on a leash,
but a lot of time, and patience,
is required to teach them.
The younger the cat is,
the easier it will be for them to learn
things.
Purring not always means happiness.
Purring could mean a cat is in terrible
pain,
such as during childbirth.
Kittens will purr to their mother,
to let her know, they are getting
enough
milk, while nursing.
Purring is a process of inhaling and
exhaling,
usually performed while the mouth is
closed,
but don't worry,
if your cat is purring,
while your gently petting them,
and holding them close to you...
that is a happy cat!
The catnip plant, contains an oil called,
nepetalactone,
which does for cats,
what marijuana does to some people.
Not all cats react to it.
Those that do,
appear to enter a trance like state.
A positive reaction,
takes the form of the cat sniffing
the catnip,
then licking, biting, chewing it,
rubbing & rolling on it repeatedly,
purring, meowing & even leaping
in the air.
A black and white cat,
crossing your path,
means good luck.
A black cat,
crossing your path,
will cause you bad luck,
before your journey is over.
A cat cleaning its face in front of
the door,
is a sign of company.
A cat draws lightning.
A cat eating grass,
is a sign of bad luck.
A cat eats grass ,
for medicine.
A cat following you home,
indicates good luck.
A cat has nine lives.
A cat is the only animal,
that will come out in the lightning.
It is said,
a cat will suck the breath of a sleeping
person,
and cause their death.
A white cat coming to your house,
will bring you good luck,
providing it remains.
A white cat,
met late at night,
will bring you good luck.
After a cat washes its face,
if it turns to the East,
someone is coming from the Eeast,
to call on you.
An accident will occur,
before you get to your destination,
if a black cat runs across your path.
An old railroad man once said,
"It is very difficult,
to get a man, to take out a train,
if a black cat runs in front of him,
on his way to work."
Any kind of cat that cross your path,
will cause bad luck,
but you can avert this,
by walking backwards,
all the way to your destination,
without speaking.
As soon as you see a black cat,
that's starting to cross the road in
front of you,
turn your back;
and if the cat is no longer in sight,
when you look round again,
you will not have bad luck.
Bad luck can be expected,
if a cat follows you home.
Bad luck can be warded off,
if a cat walks in front of you,
by taking nine steps backwards,
over the cat's path.
Bad luck will come to the house in which
a cat sneezes.
Bring a cat home blindfolded,
and immediately throw it into the middle
of the bed,
and it will never leave.
Carry a bone from the left side of a
black cat,
and you will have good luck.
Count nine to avoid bad luck,
if a black cat crosses your path.
Dreaming of a white cat,
means good luck.
Driving away a cat,
that has come voluntarily to your house,
will cause you bad luck.
Drown a kitten or cat,
and its ghost will come back and haunt
you.
Every cat has a worm in its tail,
and if you don't cut the tail off,
the cat will have fits.
If a big yellow cat crosses your path,
immediately turn around,
and walk backwards,
all the way to where you were going,
to avert bad luck.
If a black cat crosses your path
walk backwards ten steps,
and you will not have bad luck.
If a black cat crosses the road,
turn right around and walk backward,
until you get over the place,
where the cat passed.
If a black cat crosses your path,
spit and rub your foot through it;
then walk backwards five steps,
and bad luck will not come to you.
If a black cat runs across your path,
and then retraces its steps in front
of you,
it is bringing good luck to you.
If a black cat runs in front of you,
go home and sit for a half hour,
before continuing your walk.
If a black cat runs less than four feet
in front of you,
you will not be unlucky.
If a black cat starts to cross your
path,
and halfway turns back,
you will have bad luck;
but if the cat continues across your
path,
you may look for good luck.
If a black cat,
while running down the road before
you,
in the same direction as you are walking,
turns to the right, bad luck may be
expected.
If a cat eats catnip, it has a bellyache.
If a cat is dreaming,
pull a whisker out of its lip,
sleep on it that night,
and you will dream what the cat was
dreaming.
If a mother cat,
moves her kittens away,
from near the bank of a stream,
it is a sure sign of high water.
If a cat scratches you,
you will be disappointed that day.
If a cat sits in a doorway,
and licks its face, a guest is coming.
If a ladder is leaning against a building,
and a black cat walks under it,
the next person to climb that ladder,
will have bad luck.
If a stray cat comes to your house,
you may look for good luck.
If a white cat comes to your house,
it is an indication of good luck.
If a white cat crosses your path,
you will have good luck.
If while going down the street
a black cat is met,
you will have bad luck,
unless you return home,
and start your journey again.
If you must drown kittens,
always throw them into the water with
your left hand,
or you will have bad luck.
If you must kill a cat,
never drown it,
for it will cause you bad luck.
If you spit on your two front fingers,
when a black cat passes in front of
you,
it will not have bad luck.
If you tie paper around all four paws
of a cat,
it will dance itself to death.
If your cat is killed,
and you get another one,
give it the same name,
and you will have good luck.
If a black cat crosses your path,
pick it up and throw it over your left
shoulder,
to keep from having bad luck.
If you kick a cat,
you will develop rheumatism in that
leg.
If you drown a cat,
you yourself will fall victim to a
drowning.
It is bad luck to see a white cat at
night.
It brings bad luck to step on a cat's
tail.
It is a sign of seven years of bad luck,
to have a black cat run across your
path.
It is a sign of trouble, to see a white
cat.
It is a sign of unhappiness,
to have a black cat run in front of
you.
It is lucky to have a black cat come
to your house,
and the blacker the better.
It is said that you have a friendly
disposition,
if a cat approaches you in a friendly
manner.
It is very lucky,
to have a cat of three colors,
come to your house.
It is very lucky,
to have a gray cat pass in front of
you.
It is very unlucky,
to shoot a cat,
as you must kill it by some other means.
If you take a cat away in a sack,
and drop it,
it will always come back on the ninth
day.
Keep for luck,
a black cat that comes to your house.
Kill a black cat,
and the devil will come to you,
before another black cat is seen.
Killing a cat, will bring you bad luck.
Letting a cat look into a mirror,
will cause you trouble.
Meet a black cat late at night,
and bad luck will befall you.
Never kill a cat, because if you do,
you will surely have seven long years
of bad luck.
Never let a cat come to your house,
as it is very bad luck.
Never let a cat see itself in a mirror,
or it will run away.
Raw meat eaten by a cat will give it
worms which cause fits.
Remove a two inch piece from the tip
of a black cat's tail,
and dry it, then keep this bit of tail
in your left shoe, for luck.
Rub the four paws of a cat with grease,
and it will not leave home.
Rub the paws of a stray cat with grease,
and it will remain with you.
Run a straw through a pipe stem and
then pass the straw through a cat's mouth and the cat will die.
Sailors will have bad luck, if the fur
of a cat blows the wrong way, but this misfortune can be counteracted,
by greasing the cat's paws.
Shoot a cat and your luck will be gone
forever.
Sleep with a cat, and you will have bad
luck.
Someone will come, if a cat cleans its
face in the house.
Spit on your shoes to prevent bad luck,
when a black cat crosses your path.
Spit when a black cat runs in front
of you,
and you will not have bad luck.
Steal a cat, and take it home, and you
will have good luck.
Take off your hat, and spit into it to
avoid bad luck,
if a cat runs in front of you.
The direction in which a cat's tail
is pointing while it washes its face,
will be the quarter from which you
may look for the arrival of guests.
The first cat that was ever born
was when there was lightning.
The girl who finds a strange cat,
in her bedroom at night, will be lucky.
The person who finds a strange black
cat in the house, will have luck.
The usual method of averting bad luck,
when a black cat crosses one's path in the city,
is to make a detour by walking around the block.
There will be sickness in your family,
if a white cat passes in front of you.
There will be visitors from the direction
in which a cat looks while washing its face in front of the door.
To avert bad luck, whirl around three
times, and spit on the ground while making each turn,
when black cat has crossed your path.
To avoid bad luck, when a black cat
has run in front of you, take ten steps backwards and turn around on your
heel.
To keep a cat from returning, always
carry it down a stream.
To keep a cat from running away or to
make it return home if stolen, cut off and bury the end of its
tail under the front doorstep.
To kill a cat will cause you nine years
of bad luck.
To prevent a stray cat from running
away, cut some hair from its tail and wear it in your shoes.
To prevent bad luck when a black cat
runs across your path, you must return home and begin your trip all over
again.
To prevent fits in a cat, let it eat
a piece of new dough.
To retain a stray cat, let it see itself
in a mirror.
To see a black cat means good luck.
Turn around as soon as you see a black
cat crossing in front of you and continue your journey by some other way.
Turn around three times and spit, after
a black cat has crossed in front of you, and you will not have bad luck.
Turning around three times will ward
off bad luck, if a black cat crosses your path.
Unwelcome guests will soon arrive, if
a strange white cat comes to your home.
Visitors will come from the direction
toward which a cat looks while washing its face.
Ward off bad luck, when a black cat
runs in front of you, by walking backwards until the cat is out of sight.
When a black cat crosses your trail,
look up to the sky and you may find some money
before you get home that day or night.
When a black cat passes in front of
you, make a cross on the ground, walk backwards three steps, whirl around
on your heel, then continue your journey
and you will not have bad luck.
When a black cat runs straight ahead
of you, while your are walking down a road, and veers to the left,
it is the sign of bad luck.
When a cat has finished licking its
face, if it looks to the west, a caller from the west may be expected.
When a cat raises it fur at someone,
that person has a bad disposition.
When walking along the street,
if you meet a cat and it follows you,
you will secure some money.
When you see a one eyed cat,
spit on your thumb,
stamp it in the palm of your hand,
and make a wish.
The wish will come true.
While walking down the street,
if a black cat crosses in front of
you,
it is a sign of bad luck;
but if you pick up a penny before you
reach your destination, you will have good luck.
You can avert bad luck,
if a black cat has crossed your path,
by walking backwards ten steps
and whirling around three times.
You may expect company,
if a cat fixes its whiskers.
You may look for sorrow,
if a gray cat runs across your path.
You may look forward to a disappointment,
if an angry cat scratches you.
You will always be lucky,
if you know how to make friends with
strange cats.
You will find a disappointment at the
end of your journey,
if a black cat crosses your path.
You will have an accident before you
reach home,
if a black cat crosses your road.
You will have bad luck, if a black cat
crosses your path.
You will not have bad luck,
if you take twelve steps backwards,
after a black cat has passed across
your path.
