The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Domestic Cat The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Domestic Cat
Showing posts with label Domestic Cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Domestic Cat. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Your First Thought….What a Cute Kitten!: This is Not a Kitten, This is an Adult Sand Cat


Don’t be fooled by the off the scale cuteness. This is not a kitten. This is an adult Sand Cat – or Felis margarita, a little known species of desert cat. In the wild it lives in areas that are too hot and dry for any other cat- the deserts of Africa and Asia, including the Sahara. It is the only desert species of cat known to us. As such, this cat is one tough cookie.

It also lives in the Arabian desert and those of Iran and Pakistan, yet despite being so widespread it was not described by a European until 1858.

To an extent the sand cat could be mistaken for a domestic cat but there are differences, noticeably the very broad head. Additionally the ears are much wider apart than they are in the domestic cat – a feature which means that the sand cat can flatten them horizontally when hunting. They are a little larger, growing up to ten centimeters longer in length than the domestic cat, with a span of up to sixty centimeters.

Likewise with their height – they usually grow to about six centimeters taller than the domestic cat. Their sandy yellow fur sets them further apart, as do the pale bars which can be found on their legs and backs. Perhaps what adds to their attractiveness is the white chin and underside and the pale red stripes which run over the cheeks from the eyes.

One difference from the cats that we know which is difficult to see in these pictures is the fur that the cats have between their toes. You might think that the last thing a desert living cat might need is more fur but this helps to insulate them against the piping hot sand over which they must stalk their prey. They also have fur on their footpads which makes it very difficult to hunt as the fur misshapes their tracks.

The hollow structure that encloses part of their middle and inner ear, their auditory bullae, are also larger than those of the domestic cat. This helps to enhance their hearing and with it they can pick up vibrations in the sand. Finally their mucosa (the membrane around their eyelids) is a conspicuous black which gives them a certain eyeliner look.

So desolate is their natural habitat that sometimes the sand cat can go for months without a drink of water. Instead, they survive off the water in their food, which is mostly rodents but they will also eat birds, lizards and insects. They will not live in sand dunes themselves but prefer flat or rolling terrain's, retreating to their burrows when it becomes too hot even for them.

As they mostly eat rodents, they do a lot of digging. Skulking close to the ground they use their extremely sensitive hearing to detect the sound of burrowing underneath them. When they hear something which corresponds to a meal they dig down to catch their prey.

Despite the fact they are not terribly social and only really get together for mating they do not defend territory. They have even been observed taking turns sharing burrows. One cat will leave and hunt while another stays behind and rests. When the first returns, the other will leave.

As well as their obvious enemy, us, the sand cat is not at the top of its own particular food chain. It is predated by wolves and even occasionally by snakes and large birds of prey. Yet they are fearless creatures, and are obliviously unafraid of humans when they come in to contact with us.

Hunting the sand cat is prohibited only in half the countries in its range, though it is hoped that this law will soon extend throughout its territories. It has even recently been reintroduced in to the wild in Israel where it had been previously extirpated. It remains one of the least known but beautiful cat species on the planet.

For more information on Sand Cats, visit: Sand Cat - Facts, Info & Photos












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Friday, January 23, 2015

Can a Cat Get Pregnant While Still Nursing Kittens?


Q: Can a cat get pregnant while still nursing kittens?

A: Yes. Lactation (production of milk) does not suppress the heat cycle, and cats that are actively nursing kittens can go into heat as soon as two weeks after giving birth.

Some aspects of a cat’s reproductive capabilities are truly remarkable. Did you know that even being pregnant doesn’t necessarily suppress the heat cycle in cats! In fact, 10 percent of female cats go into heat between the third and sixth week of pregnancy.

Although these cycles are rarely fertile, it actually is possible for a cat to be carrying fetuses of different ages, resulting from separate matings in different heat cycles! The scientific term for this is "superfetation."

Also, a female cat in heat can mate with several males, and it is possible for kittens in a litter to have different fathers. The technical term for this is "superfecundation." Cats long have been recognized for their fertility. Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of fertility, is depicted as a cat in artwork, and the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as a symbol of fertility.

When it comes to making babies, cats are one of the most prolific domestic pets out there.

(Source: Veterinary Expert, Arnold Plotnick, DVM)
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Sunday, October 12, 2014

Venus the Two-Faced Cat a Mystery: Famous Feline May Have Different DNA on Each Side of Her Body


The three-year-old tortoiseshell has her own Facebook page and a YouTube video that's been viewed over a million times, and appeared on the Today Show.

One look at this cat and you can understand why: One half is solid black with a green eye—the other half has typical orange tabby stripes and a blue eye.

How does a cat end up looking like that? Leslie Lyons, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who studies the genetics of domestic cats said she's never seen a cat exactly like Venus.

"She is extremely, extremely rare," Lyons said. "But you can explain it and you can understand it."

Is Venus a Chimera?

Many reports about Venus refer to the cat as a "chimera." In mythology, a chimera is a mishmash monster made up of parts of different animals. A feline chimera is a cat whose cells contain two types of DNA, caused when two embryos fuse together.

Among cats, "chimeras are really not all that rare," Lyons said. In fact, most male tortoiseshell cats are chimeras. The distinctively mottled orange and black coat is a sign that the cat has an extra X chromosome.

But female cats, said Lyons, already have two X chromosomes so they can sport that coat without the extra X. That means Venus is not necessarily a chimera.

To find out would require generic testing, said Lyons. With samples of skin from each side of the cat, "we can do a DNA fingerprint—just like on CSI—and the DNA from one side of the body should be different than the other."

If Venus isn't actually a chimera, then what would explain her amazing face?

"Absolute luck," Lyons said. One theory: perhaps the black coloration was randomly activated in all the cells on one side of her face, while the orange coloration was activated on the other, and the two patches met at the midline of her body as she developed.

Cat fanciers who are transfixed by Venus's split face may be missing the real story: her single blue eye. Cat eyes are typically green or yellow, not blue.  A blue-eyed cat is typically a Siamese or else a cat with "a lot of white on them," she explained.

Venus appears to have only a white patch on her chest, which to Lyons is not enough to explain the blue eye.

"She is a bit of a mystery."

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Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Humane Society of Calvert County is sponsoring a new program called F.A.C.T. - Offering FREE Spay/Neuter Services for Cats in the Tri-County Area!


The Humane Society of Calvert County is sponsoring a new program called F.A.C.T. We are offering FREE Spay/Neuter services for cats in the tri-county area. ALL cats are included (house cats, barn cats and feral). Locally-participating veterinarian offices will provide the spay/neuter services.

If anyone needs assistance for their kitties please contact The Humane Society of Calvert County. This is good for Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties.

Please contact: Sally 410-257-5866 or Rose 443-875-4731


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Friday, June 17, 2011

Do You Know The Difference Between A Feral And Domesticated Cat?


Do you know the difference between a  feral and domestic cat? You probably have seen a feral cat, and just thought it was a stray cat.

Feral Cats:
Life-span: 2-3 years

Feral cats are descended from domestic cats, but are born and live without human contact. These are the ones you see running through your backyard. Sometimes you can hear them fighting and making a crying sound like a baby.

Feral cats are homeless cats, some consider them as wild animals.  They are often confused with pets who were abandoned or have become lost.

The moms usually give birth in quiet, unseen spots where the kittens will not be visible for several weeks.  They will hide during the day and come out at night. Since there is no human contact, they will be totally wild. When the kittens begin to romp and play, they are usually noticed by humans, but are not easily captured.

They are usually terrified of humans, and a feral kitten may hiss and "spit" at humans.
The feral kitten is capable of giving you a nasty scratch or bite and will probably try to escape if given the chance. To the kitten you may be seen as a predator; the kitten may think it is fighting for its life.

Feral diet: small mammals (rabbits, mice), birds and carrion.

Domesticated Cat:


Life-span: 15 years

A domestic cat, or house cat is a small furry domesticated carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship.

A stray cat is one that has possibly become separated from it's owner. It may have become lost, dumped, or even abandoned when the owner moved or died. These are cats that are used to people, and tend to be somewhat  approachable.

Sometimes stray cats will have on collars with tags indicating that the are a pet.

Domestic Cat Diet:

Dry foods are  very helpful with matters of oral hygiene. Dry food, unlike moist, requires chewing and gnawing of kibble to be swallowed.

Typically, moist food is higher in fat and calories, and therefore more palatable. Many cats that are ill or debilitated will eat moist food because of its taste and ease of digestion.

Failure to control the breeding of pet cats by spaying and neutering and the abandonment of former household pets has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, with a population of up to 60 million of these animals in the United States alone.




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