Cat Breeds Persian

Are you looking to get a new cat soon? Great! You may want to consider a
purebred cat. There are many breeds that can be found in this country, each with its own
characteristic appearance and temperament and history. Think carefully about what you
would characteristics you would like to see in your new companion. Perhaps you would
care to consider:

The Persian

    A very ancient breed of cat, the Persian was first mentioned in hieroglyphs
beginning at approximately 1684 B.C. The Persians' beginnings have long been lost to
time. The Persian was so named for their ostensible country of origin, the great ancient
empire of Persia which was located in around the modern country of Iran. The first
known Persian cats to arrive in Europe were brought by an Italian traveler, Pietro della
Valle, in the 1600s. Persians became very popular throughout Europe. At the first modern
cat show, held in 1871 in London at the Crystal Palace, Persians were a featured breed.
The show at the Crystal Palace, and the others that followed, served only to increase the
popularity of this already very popular breed. Queen Victoria herself adored blue
Persians.
        Persians are a wildly popular breed. They are, in fact, the most popular breed of
cat on the planet. Their long flowing coats and sweet faces immediately endear them to
so many people. Their personalities are gentle and affectionate. They are strong creatures
of habit and are most comfortable in secure environments with regular routines, but with
gentle support, they can adapt to a more lively environment if need be. Persians are soft
spoken cats with pleasant and melodious voices that many people enjoy. Their expressive
eyes charm people of all ages. Persians are built long and low with sturdy short legs.
They are not big jumpers but do enjoy lounging in their favorite strategic locations. They
can often be found beautifully draped on a sunny windowsill posing for sheer pleasure of
it. Friendly cats, Persians will seek attention, but not demand it. Persians have long been
a fixture in artwork. Their great beauty has earned them frequent roles in commercial
advertising and in movies.

    Persians need to be kept indoors, away from dirt and burrs that could knot up
those beautiful coats. Daily combing is a must to prevent snarled fur and hairballs. Those
huge beautiful eyes do tend to do a bit of tearing. Washing a Persians' face daily will take
care of tearing. A well bred Persian can be hearty and healthy. When properly cared for,
Persians can live to be 15 years old.

      The Persian is an extraordinarily beautiful breed and comes in an amazing variety
of colors and patterns. The registry divides their colors into seven categories: solid color
division, silver and gold division, shaded and smoke division, tabby division, particolor
division, bicolor division and Himalayan division. Each color and pattern exquisitely
beautiful.

    The Persian cat is an ancient breed whose winning ways continue to charm people
to this day. They appear in a rainbow of colors and patterns, one of which is sure to catch
your eye. Give the Persian cat a closer look. The Persian has long been a gentle, loving,
loyal companion to many people over the years. This cat may be exactly what you are
looking for in a new companion.

Naming Your Cat

With all apologies to T.S. Eliot, the naming of cats is not all that delicate a matter.
But some thought should certainly be given to it. Giving the cat a foolish or ugly name on
the spur of the moment because it sounds funny is no way to start a relationship. It
encourages a careless and disrespectful attitude toward the cat not only in yourself, but in
other people as well. A bad name encourages a bad attitude toward the cat. Fortunately,
coming up with a good name can be fun and there are endless possibilities for ideas.
                    One very popular way for finding a good name is to look up the names of stars,
galaxies or constellations. You don't have to stick with just the major ones. Look up
some of the minor constellations and stars as well. You could find just the perfect name
in a constellation you had previously never heard of. You too may find you have a
Dorado or Indus on your hands. Another popular means of naming cats is using human
names. Matilda, Annie, Pete and Bobby are all quite popular. Some people name their
cats after movie stars or characters in a favorite film or book. I'm certain that at this very
moment, there are a large number of Frodos purring contentedly on their favorite
windowsill right now.

    Another good way to name a cat is by using something in their appearance to
name them. Many calico colored cats have been simply named Calico. Spotted cats of
any color frequently have the name of Patch. One cat was named Shadow because her
black and tan tiger stripes seemed to melt into the late afternoon shadows the first time
her new owner saw her. A gray kitten was quite suitably named Ash.

      Sometimes it is something the did that suggested their name. One kitten had a
habit of scaring himself silly. When he and his siblings first learned to climb trees, he
became over excited and rushed up higher than he was brave enough to climb down from.
The poor little gay clung to a branch crying at the top of his lungs while the adult cats
rushed around trying figure out a way to get him down. It only required a stool to retrieve
the little guy, but he was sure he was stuck halfway to the moon. Another time he
managed to get his head stuck between the slats on an old corn crib. He was safely
rescued after considerable effort. Due to this undeniable talent for scaring himself, he was
named Spook.
     
      Sometimes it is the cats' personality that suggests a name. A bold little explorer
who was the first kitten in his litter to explore the world outside their nest was named
Boone. A handsome brown kitten was so very fastidious in everything he did (one never
puts ones' paws in the food dish, that's dirty!) that he was eventually named Thomas.
     
      Naming a cat can be a pleasant and entertaining task. It's often the very first thing
a person does when he or she picks out a new companion. Take a little time to select just
the right name for your new friend. A good name will set your new relationship off on
just the right foot.

cat

Cat Behavior More Oddities

In my previous article on cat behavior, we discussed some interesting and unusual
behavior displayed by the family of cats that live on my farm. That was only the
beginning. These cats seem to delight in unexpected behavior. I thought I would share a
few more gems with you.

    There are three female cats on my farm. They consist of matriarch, Patch, and two
of her daughters. There have been other female cats on the farm, but I have been able to
find new homes for all of them. Cats, being solitary hunters, are not expected to show any
kind of social hierarchy. My three female cats do have a definite hierarchy. The top cat is,
of course, Patch. It's the two daughters that have been interesting. The older daughter,
Calico, is from Patch's first litter she had on the farm. She is a sturdy, healthy calico that
has not had any real problems. The second daughter is Little Girl. Little girl is a couple of
years younger than Calico. She is the smallest cat on the farm. A black cat with flashy
white markings, little girl is active and elegant.

    Since her birth, Calico has been Patch's favorite daughter. Calico and patch hung
out together much of the time. Patch even allowed Calico to help her with her kittens.
When Patch wanted to go do something, Calico was right there to baby sit. Even when
Patch was there, Calico was often right there with her. She could often be seen washing a
kitten or even just providing a nice warm place for the little guy to sleep. When Little
Girl arrived things continued quite awhile in the same way. Little Girl grew up and had
her first litter of kittens. Calico, as occasionally happens with calico cats has turned out to
be sterile. She has never had any kittens. Because of that, when little Girl had her kittens,
Calico lost her favorite daughter status. With Little Girl's kittens, Patch became the
doting grandmother. She was always helping Little Girl with her kittens. The two of then
could often be see lying together, bathing the kittens or watching them play. Calico was
banished. She wasn't allowed anywhere near those kittens or any other litter since.

    Calico didn't just lose kitten privileges. She wasn't even allowed to hang out with
Patch anymore the way she used to. Poor Calico, she was very upset. She knew exactly
who to blame for her predicament. Little Girl. Calico and Little Girl fought several times.
Unfortunately for Calico, Patch would sometimes jump in on Little Girl's side and run
her off. Calico was banished to hanging out with her brothers. It's been a couple of years
since then. Little Girl is still favorite daughter. Calico's position has eased somewhat.
Last summer, Little Girl allowed Calico to help her with her kittens once in awhile. Patch
has allowed Calico to hang out with her again from time to time. Who knows? One day
Calico may just be able to work herself back into her mother's good graces. Little Girl
seems to think so. She watches Calico very carefully. If she thinks things are going too
well for Calico, Little Girl will start a fight with her. Oh well, Life goes on.

    It isn't only the girls showing some interesting behavior. This past year two
brown kittens were born. Thomas, a handsome cinnamon brown with lots of flashy white,
was born in the spring. Pudge is solid brown without any white at all and was late
summer. What is interesting about these two is that they are both fascinated by horses.
We have three horses and every day you can find Thomas or Pudge (or both) strategically
positioned to watch them. When I call the horses out of their pasture, often I find Thomas
trotting in along with them. If I throw hay into their mangers I have to check before I
throw. Quite often Thomas or Pudge will be sitting in the manger, ready for a close up
study of the horse. When the horses are grazing, Thomas will creep along, nose to the
ground until he's almost nose to nose with the horse. He will stay there for a few
moments until the horse gently swings his nose at the kitten to push him out of the way.
Pudge has recently developed a fascination with horse's tails. He will come right in
behind the horse's heels and start playing with the tail. Fortunately for him, the horses
have refrained from launching him into orbit.

    Cats are funny and entertaining creatures aren't they. You just never seem to
know what they are going to do next.

Cat Breeds Maine Coon Cat

Are you looking to get a new cat soon? Great! You may want to consider a
purebred cat. There are many breeds that can be found in this country, each with its own
characteristic appearance and temperament and history. Think carefully about what you
would characteristics you would like to see in your new companion. Perhaps you would
care to consider:

Maine Coon Cat

    The ancestry of these big, hearty cats from New England is unknown. Most likely
they came across from Europe with the early settlers as working cats on the ships. Some
of these long haired ship cats apparently decided to disembark in the new world and
made their home there along with the new colonists. Winter in New England can be
extremely tough. Only the strongest survived those early winters, human or cat. Once
they settled in to their new homes, these long haired cats began to thrive. The Shaggies,
as they were called then, became a familiar part of colonial life throughout New England.

      The Maine Coon Cat is a big, strong, intelligent cat. They are also very loving and
devoted family members and remain very playful into old age. Maine Coon Cats do not
seem to make snap decisions about people. They remain somewhat reserved when they
first meet new people or move into a new home. Once they have made their decision,
they become affectionate and devoted companions. Maine Coon Cats also have an
unusual fascination with water. They are known to dabble in their water dishes or play in
showers before the water has all run out. Once in a while, a cat will actually go
swimming.                          
      Maine Coon Cats are gentle giants in the cat world. Males can top out at 20lbs
while females can reach 12 lbs. The size difference between the sexes is unusually large.
The females are no pushovers despite their lack of size. They feel they are every bit as
strong as the males and aren't afraid to prove it. These ladies can be quite feisty. Maine
Coon Cats have broad chests with well muscled bodies and medium length legs. This
breed does not reach full maturity until they are four years old. This cat has an easy going
and affectionate temperament. The smallest part of this cat is its voice. Maine Coon Cats
speak with a high squeaky voice that seems entirely incongruous coming from such a
massive cat. These cats chirp, cheep, chortle, and trill as well as meow. It's quite an eye
opener to hear a Maine Coon Cat speak.
     
       These cats have thick semi long coats which are all-weather and water resistant
as well. Fortunately, the Main Coon Cats coat does not tangle easily. The texture is
surprisingly silky. The most common coat color pattern is tabby though they can come in
a wide variety of colors and patterns.
     
    The Main Coon Cat is a breed whose cheerful ways continue to charm people
every day. Give the Main Coon Cat a closer look. The breed is hardy and affectionate. 
This cats' laid back temperament would make an outstanding family pet.  This cat may be
exactly what you are looking for in a new companion.

How Kittens Learn to Hunt

Cats have been famous for hunting mice and rats for as long as cats and people
have been together. As strange as it may seem to some people, cats are not born knowing
how to hunt. It is a skill they learn from watching their mothers. If the mother cat is a
good hunter, then her kittens will learn to be good hunters. Interestingly, kittens seem to
learn the best from their mothers. They do not seem to learn as well or as quickly from
watching other adult cats.

    At about five or six weeks of age, a mother cat will begin teaching her kittens
how to hunt. At first she brings dead mice to the kittens. She will eat some of the mice in
front of the kittens. In this way she is showing them that mice are their prey and that they
are good to eat. As time goes on the kittens begin to play with the dead mice their mother
brings them. Before long the kittens are flinging the dead mice around and pouncing on
them. It's a good idea to stand clear of them when they're at this stage. You might get
smacked by a flying mouse if you don't!

    After awhile, the mother starts bringing mice that are still half alive and releases
them for the kittens to practice. Very soon the kittens are leaping on and flinging these
mice around as confidently as they did the previous dead ones their mother brought them.
Then, mother start bringing live, healthy mice and releases them for the kittens to practice
on. The first time the mother cat releases a live mouse, and it tries to run off, there's
immediate bedlam among the kittens. Wildly excited, the kittens flying around trying to
leap onto the running mouse zigging and zagging between them. If the mouse escapes the
kittens, the mother will usually swat it back into play.  By this time the kittens are so over
excited they're leaping at anything that moves. The mouse, a blade of grass, a blowing
leaf or even each other, are all fair game to the kittens. Not surprisingly, the mouse often
escapes during these early lessons.

                       As the lessons progress the kittens become more discriminating in their targets
and develop their skills in catching the quick and agile mice. These lessons don't always
go smoothly. One kitten got the surprise of her life when a large mouse she was chasing
suddenly sat up in front of her and began scolding her at the top of its' lungs. The mouse
was apparently so fed up with the whole business that it actually jumped at the kitten.
The startled kitten fell over backward and the mouse raced off to safety. Live and learn.

    Eventually, the mother cat will decide that the kittens are ready for their first real
hunt. She will take them out to a good location that she knows will have plenty of mice
for the kittens to practice on. She does not demonstrate her hunting technique to the
kittens. Instead, lets them develop their own unique styles on these hunting forays. Each
kitten discovers the techniques that work best for them. By the end of their lessons the
kittens have become fine mousers in their own right.

Deworming Multiple Cats

Ah yes, everyone's favorite pet chore. One day you clean your cats' box and
discover little white chunks of what appear to be cooked spaghetti lodged in the feces,
that is, until one starts to move. You know then that it's time to deworm your cats. If your
veterinarian says that your cat doesn't have anything particularly tough or nasty then he
or she may recommend a regular schedule using commercial dewormers that can be
found readily in any pet store. Your veterinarian even may have a good general purpose
dewormer on hand for your use. Fortunately, there is a wide range of deworming
medicines available on the market. Most are liquid or pill form.
   

    If you have only one cat, your task is relatively simple. Choose a dewormer that
your cat will find acceptable if not palatable. Many liquid dewormers claim to be very
tasty to cats. Unfortunately, many cats would vigorously disagree with that assessment.
In such a case, if you have access to a pill form of dewormer that your cat is willing to
swallow, you're in luck. If your cat won't swallow pills without major mayhem breaking
out and turns his nose up at every liquid dewormer you try, then you have a problem. If
you have more than one cat, it can become even more of an issue. If your cats will
happily take whatever you offer, then the only thing you have to worry about is keeping
the greedy guts from getting more than they should.  But, If each of them has a different
idea as to what is acceptable (or not) for deworming medicine, then you have a major
headache.

    Rather than cater to each cats whims and maintain a veterinary pharmacy worth of
dewormers in your house or routinely running your finicky feline into the veterinarian
every to he needs deworming, you might try a different route. You will need a liquid
deworming medicine and a syringe. Syringes are readily available in the livestock
medication section of farm supply stores. You only need the section with the barrel and
plunger. No needles are needed or should even be used. Syringes in farm supply stores
usually offer the two sections separately. Select one of smaller size. Your cat won't need
large amounts of medicine at any one time.
                                                  

    Measure out the proper amount of dewormer for your cat into a measuring cup. A
measuring cup usually comes in the package with a liquid dewormer. Take one of your
syringes and place the open end (where the needle would normally attach) into the
measuring cup and draw the medicine up into the barrel by pulling upward on the
plunger. Try to get it all at one time. You could do this task by increments but trying to
manage a squirming cat while refilling a syringe really is more difficult than it is worth.
Now restrain your cat gently and situate yourself so that you can hold the cat and use the
syringe easily. It could require some experimentation to work out a suitable position for
the both of you. . If you keep one hand underneath the cats head and cradle his chin it
will make this part of the task go more smoothly. Slide the end of the syringe a little bit
into your cat's mouth and slowly depress the plunger This will empty the medicine into
your cat's mouth slowly enough that he can readily swallow it without choking. Repeat
for each cat.
  
    Naturally, your cat will not be particularly pleased with this method. He may
object rather strenuously. With repetition, however, you will become much smoother
with the task. You don't need to rush during this task. Take your time to discover what
will work best for you and your cats. Your cats will become more accustomed to it
despite themselves. This method will ensure that each cat, even your most finicky, gets
the proper amount of medicine he needs.  And that, of course, is the whole reason for the
entire exercise.

Cat Mythology Cats as Deity

Cats as deities are most closely associated with ancient Egypt. The ancient
Egyptians had several feline gods and goddesses. Lions were said to guard the great god
Ra during his nightly journey through the underworld. The Egyptians had a fascination
with lions. They created their sphinx with the body of a lion and the head of Pharaoh.
Three lion goddesses existed in ancient Egypt. Sekhmet was a fierce and powerful
goddess. She was a war goddess who was sent by her father Ra to earth to destroy his
enemies. She is usually depicted as a woman with the head of a lion. Another lion headed
goddess was Tefnut whose name means moisture. She represented a primeval force of
nature. The third lion goddess was Mafdet who was the goddess of protection.
          Among her fierce sisters, gentle Bast may seem a bit out of place. Often shown as
a graceful cat wearing bracelets a broad collar and earrings, Bast was the protectress of
domestic cats and those who cared for them. Her principle gifts to the world were joy and
pleasure. She was a much beloved household deity. Her principle temple was at Bubastis
and was said to be one of the most beautiful and popular in all of Egypt. She had a
secondary seat in Memphis as well. There is some evidence to believe that the ancient
Egyptians believed that Bast and Sekhmet were actually two faces of the same divine
force. Sekhmet representing the violent aspect of the divine, and Bast, the gentler
qualities.

    Egyptian children were often consecrated to Bastand placed under her protection.
Bast was considered a divine mother and was sometimes depicted with kittens. When a
woman in ancient Egypt wanted to have children, she would often wear a bracelet or a
necklace depicting the goddess Bast with kittens. The number of kittens shown with the
goddess represented the number of children desired by the woman.  Ancient Egyptians
seemed to consider cats to be the height of beauty. The styles of makeup they used,
especially around the eyes, tended to give them a feline look.

      Cats were so highly regarded by the ancient Egyptians that the penalty for killing
one was death. When a family cat died of accident or old age, its' human family would
go into mourning. They would shave their eyebrows off to show their grief. Cats were
often mummified.  One royal cat was buried in a marble coffin. The hieroglyphs on her
coffin referred to her as "Lady Cat".

    Bast was said to be the wife of the god Ptah. Ptah was the creator god of the
universe. Ptah and Bast were said to have had a son, the fierce lion god Maahes. Maahes
originated as a Nubian god. During the New Kingdom, his worship moved northward
where he was incorporated into the Egyptian pantheon as the son of Bast and Ptah. On
becoming a divine mother, Bast became associated with the protectress of Lower Egypt,
Wadjet. They became linked as Wadjet-Bast. A similar association was created in the
Upper Kingdom By the combination of Sekhmet and the Upper Kingdom protectress
Nekhbet.

    The constantly changing nature of Egyptian religion can be rather confusing.
They had an inclusive attitude towards other gods and religions. The ancient Egyptians
freely adapted and adopted these others into their own cosmology. This attitude makes it
difficult for modern readers to understand. Most of us have been raised in religions
whose nature is highly exclusive. With an exclusive religion, outside influences are
rejected or even actively repelled. The Egyptians, as demonstrated by the story of Bast
and Maahes, had a very different way at looking at religion.

Cat Behavior

Cats are known as solitary animals. They don't hunt communally or share the
spoils of a hunt. Sometimes cats with adjoining territories will get together for a pleasant
evening grooming session, but on the whole they are not the most social creatures with
others of their kind. This general wisdom does not always seem to hold up.
     My barn cats are a single family descended from a lone female who wandered
onto our place one day and decided to stay. She and her children and grandchildren police
the local rodent population. Their behavior doesn't always match the solitary hunter of
common wisdom.

    The original female, Patch, used to like to take her kittens for daytrips around the
area. I've watched her bring her little brood back from wherever they've been in the
evenings. One evening I watched her stop and sit down near the edge of a small, lightly
used road running next to our farm. Two of her kittens stopped next to her. As she turned
her head one way and then the other, carefully looking for traffic, the kittens mimicked
her actions. The only one who didn't was the little orange tiger who became distracted by
a butterfly. Patch retrieved her wandering kitten and brought the whole family home.
Walks are still a part of kitten lessons.

      I recently watched Patch, her daughter and three of their kittens taking a walk
around the boundaries of our farm. Patch and her daughter led the way. The two younger
kittens were in the middle. The oldest kitten, not quite a year old brought up the rear.
When one of the younger kittens stopped too long, he tried to move them along. If he
couldn't then one of the mother cats would come back and get the little guy moving. I've
wondered what this little jaunt was about. Possibly Patch was showing the newest
members of her family where their territorial boundaries were?

    Some of the most interesting behavior I've seen regards family member who were
injured. One of Patches' sons is a big burley black and white adult tom. A very handsome
and friendly boy, he unfortunately has a talent for trouble. One day he came limping
heavily into the yard wailing at the top of his lungs. His mother and sisters raced up to
him as fast as they could. While he continued to cry, Patch began washing his face and
ears while his sisters lay down over top of him. They stayed that way for some time while
I called the vet. I'm happy to report that he recovered just fine with only a hitch in his
giddyup to remember his adventure by.

       Another of Patches sons, a brown and white tom just under a year old, got into a
fight with his eldest brother. During the fight his foot was injured and began to swell. I
found him limping along on three legs the following morning. I brought him onto our
porch where I could keep a close eye on him and he could recover without further
injuring his foot. While he was recuperating, various members of the family perched
outside the porch windows, keeping him company.

    These are just a few examples I've seen among my cats. Maybe they are unusual.
I've certainly never seen cats act this way before. Or maybe, just maybe, cats aren't such
social isolates as everyone's always thought!

Basic Nutrition For Cats

    Cats are what are known as obligate carnivores. An obligate carnivore is one that
must east meat. You cannot just turn her out to graze in a pasture. The digestive tract of
cats has been shortened and optimized proteins from meat. They simply don't have the
dental or digestive apparatus to process plant materials. It's therefore surprising, given
their physical inability to process plants, that you will still find cats nibbling on plants
from time to time. There are many theories for why cats would nibble plants. They may
be trying to balance an upset digestion or add missing vitamins and minerals. Perhaps
they simply like the taste. Maybe it's a combination of factors. The jury is still out on this
matter.

    Fortunately these days, we don't have to go out and hunt for food to feed our cats.
There are a large number of very good, nutritionally balanced foods available in pet
stores to satisfy any cats' tastes. Try to feed good quality food. It really does make a
difference in the health and appearance of your pet. Pick one that your cat likes and stick
with it. Cats don't actually need a lot of variety. Changing their food constantly tends to
just make them picky eaters. 

      Nutritional requirements for your pet will vary by age and size. What she needs as
a kitten will be very different than what she will need as an adult. Be sure to follow the
instructions on the bag to avoid feeding too much or too little. The average adult cat will
need about one cup of food a day. Cats appreciate consistency in their feeding schedules. 
Try to feed them at the same time each day. Also, try to keep their bowls out of high
traffic areas. It's hard to eat your dinner when people are stepping on you!

    Try not to feed your cat people food. Some things, such as chocolate and raw
liver, are actually toxic to cats. Others cause digestive upset.  Remove the bones from any
cooked meat you might want to give to your cat. Poultry and pork bones in particular are
given to splintering and can injure your cat.
      When you need to switch from one type of food to the other, do so in a gradual
process. Shifting gradually from one to the other over the course of a week will help
prevent digestive upsets. You may need to switch foods because your store may stop
carrying the brand you like or perhaps your kitten has grown old enough to graduate to
adult food. Do the changeover slowly and your cat will thank you for it.

    Feeding treats is something for you to decide if you want to do it. Some people
are dead set against them. Others lavish treats on their pets at every opportunity. There
are many good cat treats on the market today. Read their directions carefully. You don't
want to overindulge your cat and turn her into a furry beach ball with legs. The only other
thing that a cat requires is water. Do your best to keep a nice fresh supply of water
available for your pet. With a little thought and planning you can keep your pet healthy
and happy for a long time to come.

A Short History Of Cats

  
It's been less that 10,000 years since cats swaggered into our lives. Hardly an eye blink in
the grand sweep of life on this planet. Why were cats so late to join our team? The simple
answer is they didn't need us to survive. Cats were surviving just fine on their own. Then,
people invented agriculture. Agriculture resulted in large scale storage of grains which
attracted the usual and well know group of freeloaders, mice and rats. Grain attracted
rodents. Rodents attracted cats who consider them tasty meals. The result was that cats
set up housekeeping close to human settlements. Eventually, cats being cats, moved right
on in.

    Who were these first cats? The first clue lies in where agriculture was first
practiced. Agriculture first took root (no pun intended) in the Middle East in a great
sweep from modern day Turkey to Egypt. Within this area ranges the African wild cat,
Felis libyca. African wild cats are slightly larger that our modern house cats and are
yellow in color with muted stripes. These cats have a docile, almost laid back nature.
Interestingly, these cats still tend to live and hunt near human dwellings today. Locals
still like to catch and rear young wild cats as pets. When mature, wild cats raised by
humans tend to behave very much like our familiar housecats. A very good case can (and
has) been advanced designating Felis libyca as the principal founding population for
domestic cats. At least two other varieties of wild cat are speculated to have contributed
to the genetic make up of domestic cats. One is Felis silvestris, The European wildcat
who appears to have contributed darker markings and a peppery spirit to the African wild
cat base. Also, from Asia, comes the Pallas or Steppe cat (Felis manul) that appears to
have contributed long-haired coats to the mix.

    The early period of domestication of cats is vague with only patches of evidence.
However, by 6,000 B.C. statues found in Anatolia (modern Turkey) show women playing
with domestic cats. Cats had clearly become common and affectionate pets by that time.
The earliest written records about cats appear by approximately 4,000 B.C. in Egypt
where they were frequently kept to hunt mice and rats from stored grains. It was a good
time to be a cat in ancient Egypt. Domestic cats were thought to be the embodiment of
the goddess Bast (or Bastet). There was a necropolis at her principal temple at Bubastis
that contained mummified cats.

    Romans spread the domestic cat northward into central Europe and westward to
Britain during the expansion of their empire. Cats were quickly adopted and admired as
great hunters.  And they continued to move north and east in Europe.  The Vikings used
cats as both rodent hunters and pets. The Viking goddess of love and war, Freyja, was
associated with cats. Huge winged cats drew her chariot. It also became the custom to
give new brides a kitten in her name.

    The Middle Ages it were a very bad time to be a cat. Cats were said to be witches
familiars, in league with the devil. Because of this superstition, cats were routinely killed
during festivals. Sometimes they were even burned alive or thrown off tall buildings. The
Europeans paid heavily for their cruelty to cats. The deaths of so many cats allowed the
rodent population to rise out of control, bringing in the Black Death which killed so much
of the European population. Eventually, the cats' cleanly ways and hunting prowess
redeemed them in the eyes of the people of Europe. By the 1600s, people in France began
putting little holes near the bottom of their doors to allow their cats to enter and leave as
they please.

    In Asia cats continued to be familiar hunters and cherished pets. Cats were often
subjects for drawing and painting in China. In Japan, cats in the form of Maneki Neko,
usually portrayed as a sitting cat with one paw raised and bent, are considered good
fortune. They are often found in businesses to draw in money.

    The history of cats is a fascinating one, worthy of much more in depth study. It
fosters an appreciation for the personalities and talents of our pets.
   

It seems strange that there was ever a time when cats were not a part of our lives.

Cat Sign Of The Week

Get the feeling this new charity shop in Bury