Street Cat

We all love the pure breeds, they look pretty and are bred for the purpose of looking magnificent. Just like Hiruchi. I know I can also be a sucker for pure breeds too.

But once in awhile I see a cat on the street that has so much character, that I fall right in love with it.

Last weekend I was walking around town and I found this amazing cat that was so friendly! It wasn't asking for food or anything of the sort. It was just being very friendly and it even allowed my amazing photographer (you can get more of his photos here) to take some stunning photos of this cat.

If you happen to get some photos of random cats on the street please share them with me!

Kitty Kat Galore is Curious Pt1

A few weeks ago I was left alone at home. Of course I was busy at "work" on my computer. The front door was left open because I like the cool night's breeze. The whole house was silent as I like my peace and quiet.

Suddenly I saw this movement from the corner of my eye! A cat had come into my room! it had climbed the stairs and come right into my room. Not that I am afraid of cats but I had the shock of my life and I screamed. The cat shot away, probably because I had shocked it too.

I went to look for the cat and I recognized it as my neighbour's cat. I told the cat off, although I doubt it made much difference to the cat, and I sent it out of my house.

Don't get me wrong I love cats but my own cat was never this naughty to go into someone else's house and scare the living daylights out of a person. I know my neighbour's cat does this because there have been other complaints from other people in the area as well.

I have complied a short 28 second video for the first part of the story that I have to tell you. Because it does not end there!

I will post up the second part of this story in a later post.

More than just a purr

I came across this really cool cat fact and I thought I would share it with you, from one cat lover to another.

Cats are not the only animals that purr!

It is found that even hyenas, raccoons and guinea pigs purr.

The funny thing is that cats that purr cannot roar like their larger relatives, and vice versa. Cats that have evolved to roar move around a lot more than the domestic cat therefore have developed their roar to protect their pride and territory. 

Our domestic cats on the other hand move around less, do not have to compete for survival and mark their territory through scent.

A study from the University of Sussex found that a cat's purr peaks in the 220- to 520-hertz frequency range embedded in the lower frequencies of the usual purr similar to that of a babies' cry with a frequency range at 300 to 600 hertz. This frequency, so like a babies', causes us to feel the need to nurture our cat like an offspring.

Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, a bioacoustics researcher, believes that cats not only purr to communicate but also discovered that the animals’ purrs all fit into the range for anabolic bone growth. The cat's purring frequencies between 24-140 vibrations per minute are therapeutic for bone growth, pain relief and wound healing.

Studies from the University of Minnesota Stroke Center show that cats are able to relieve stress and lower blood pressure better than other pets. A 10-year study found that cat owners were 40% less likely to have heart attacks than non-cat owners. Do you think that purring had a role to play in that?

Cats In the Cradle

Cats in the Cradle is a song by Harry Chapin recorded in 1973. Quite a few people think that this song is by Cat Stevens just because his name is Cat. Well, it's not. The song was written by Harry Chapin's wife, Sandra Gaston, a few years before Harry decided to sing it. According to Sandra Gaston, Harry only recorded it after their son Josh was born.

The song is a really sad song but really hits home when you listen to the lyrics.

I know this song does't have much to do with cats besides the title of the song, but I wanted to share the song with you because I think it is a very beautiful song (and since the title has the word "cat" in it, it can't harm anyone). Personally I find it is good to listen to this song once in awhile to remind you what is important in life.

Enjoy! :)

Travelling Cat

Thinking of taking a long vacation? Or perhaps relocating and moving in with a new partner? While you are planning you hit a block road – what about my cat?

Each cat is different and has their own personality, (which makes us love them even more!) so it really depends on how you and your cat are used to interacting. However most cats are not comfortable with the idea of moving to a new environment, so keep your cats in your plans when you move.

Here are some tips that will help with the process of moving with your cats.

1. Buy a cat carrier that is big enough for your cat to turn around and stretch.
2. Find out if there are any vaccinations that your cat will need that your destination requires. Talk to you veterinarian and obtain all your cat’s legal certificates.
3. Make sure the legal certificates are attached to the cat carrier for enforcers to check.
4. Put a collar on your cat with your contactable number. Make sure your numbers can be seen clearly.
5. Two to three weeks before leaving, get the cat acquainted with the cat carrier by placing the cat’s food and water inside the carrier.
6. The night before travelling, keep your cat in a containable room with the cat carrier (like a bathroom or kitchen). Give your cat less food and water. Cats have a six sense and when they are going to move and sometimes will try to run away.
   
7. The day you are travelling add a towel or cat litter to the cat carrier.
8. Make sure all your items are packed before you retrieve your cat in the carrier.
9. Place the cat with its back facing the cat carrier and gently with your hand against its nose, urge the cat into the carrier. Try to do get your cat in the carrier in the first attempt. The more times you try the harder it will be to get your cat into the carrier.
10. Place your cat carrier inside the car with you, not in the trunk.
11. Some cats will make loads of noise when you are on the road. I know it’s hard but you just have to ignore your cat’s howls. Place a towel on top of the carrier to help calm your cat’s nerves. Playing some calming music might help your cat as well.
12. When you arrive at your destination, place the cat carrier in an enclosed room before opening the door of the carrier.
13. Keep your cat inside the enclosed room for 14 days for your cat to adjust to the new surroundings. It may try to run away and will get lost if you let it out.

Hope this post helps make travelling with your cat easier for you. Enjoy your trip with your cat!

Kat Sounds

In the last post I wrote about the Superheadz Holga K202 Cat Camera that makes cat noises while you take cute photos of your pet.

Perhaps you can't wait for the camera to arrive. Or you just want to keep your cute feline busy for the moment without always taking photos of it. Just as well there is an app for everything in life, there is an app that makes realistic cat noises.

I have done the research for you and on the Android market (because the Andriod market is 51.7% share of US smartphone platforms beating the iOS with 41.6%) has two free apps that produce realistically good cat sounds.

Both the apps have exactly the same name but are developed by different people making each app completely different from each other.

In Cat Sounding App 1: Cat Sounds by Dexati

The app looks really nice with all the cute cat photos. There are 30 different sounds of cats that would keep your friendly feline entertained.

However this app has loads of advertisements that pop up filling up your whole screen. It's even worse when you are trying to get out of the app and more advertisements pop up. While I understand advertisements are necessary, the fact that it appears every time I want to leave the app is a bit of a nuisance. This app does offer an advertisement free app for $0.99 USD, as shown in the screen capture of my phone.

In Cat Sounding App 2: Cat Sounds by Eduard Ereza

While this app lacks the cute cat photos, there are 45 different cat sounds that can be produced and all can be heard with crystal clarity. The sounds recorded are pretty awesome.

This app does have the normal advertising but its the small bar at the bottom that occurs randomly and doesn't bother you that much.

So if you are looking for just cat noises, I would suggest app 2. If you are able to handle the constant advertisements because you would like to see some cute cat photos as well, then app 1 would be your choice.

Hope this review helps to keep your cat entertained! :)