Rasma R, Author at Katzenworld

Are Your Pets Right or Left Pawed

Published on July 16, 2017July 16, 2017 by Rasma R17 Comments

Yes, you read that right pets are like humans right or left pawed in the case of humans right or left-handed. There were two studies done one in Turkey and one in England. In the study done in Turkey it was discovered that the majority of domestic cats are right pawed that’s 50%, 10% are ambidextrous and 40% prefer to use their left paw. Now when it comes to dogs the study in England discovered that 50% of them tend to be left pawed with a smaller number being ambidextrous.

Interestingly enough it appears that it also depends on the gender of the animal as to which paw they will tend to favor. Female cats and dogs will prefer to use their right paw while their male counterparts will prefer the left paw. Now if your pet happens to be spayed or neutered at an early age, this particular distinction goes away. You can’t just play with your pets to determine their preference because unlike with humans they will weekly express which paw they prefer so it takes some time to see a pattern. Now here I can say that our cat Sid prefers his right paw because this is the one with which he constantly bats my hand while I’m putting his dry food into his bowl. While he is lying in the window you can see that he has stretched out his dominant right paw and it sure is a big paw.

The best way to determine about your pets is to see which paw they most often shake with, which they reach out with when playing or trying to catch something and which they reach for a treat with like my Sid with his right paw reaching for his dry food. I never though about any of this because I had no idea about it until I discovered it on the Internet and decided to share these amazing facts with you.

Purrsday Poetry: There Could Never Be

Published on October 13, 2016July 10, 2016 by Rasma R11 Comments

Pets may come

and pets may go.

We always keep them in our hearts,

but there could never be –

a finer cat than you.

You are so very fine,

with your soft long fur.

You know how to purr,

when you express your love.

You can be such a handful,

when it comes to mischief

and you’ll let the world know –

you are here,

with you loud meow.

Chasing all the crows,

in our garden –

up the apple trees.

You can be so loving,

when you want to be,

always I long to see –

your loving face peering up at me.

Glad you have so much patience,

when it comes to a mama like me.

I know you don’t cherish my kisses.

but I adore you so.

There could never be,

another cat sweeter than you.

Not in my eyes nor in my heart.

You came and captured my love,

so glad Sid –

that you came into our lives.

Cat Friendly House and Garden Plants

Published on August 24, 2016July 12, 2016 by Rasma R8 Comments

Houseplants have always been a way of brightening up a room especially in the autumn and winter. However people who live with cats must be careful of the houseplants they choose. Houseplants must be cat friendly. There are quite a few houseplants that you can choose which are safe for your cat to nibble on. There are many types of cat-safe ferns that you can choose from to decorate your rooms. These types of ferns include the Boston fern, the Japanese holly or fishtail fern and the sword fern. Some people like larger growing plants such as indoor palms and in this case you can consider the parlor or lady palms. If you like to add color to your indoor decor then your cat will be safe with an African violet or a Christmas cactus. Hanging plants are also a great idea and those that are cat-safe include spider plants, Swedish ivy and wandering Jews. Can’t you just picture your darling cat attempting to bat at the hanging houseplants?

If you live in a house and your cat also enjoys your garden then you must consider what you plant to keep things safe for your furry darling. After all in good weather your cat will enjoy wandering about the garden and might just enjoy stopping by some plants for a nibble or two. Some flowering plants which are safe both indoors and out include cosmos, snapdragons, dahlia, columbine, nasturtiums and hollyhock. Other blooming plants that are safe for wandering cats include forget-me-nots, sunflowers, zinnias, impatiens and dianthus. Cat owners with gardens can also consider evergreen plants which add a nice backdrop to their garden like coleus, chickens and hens, pampas grass and bamboo. All of these won’t harm your cat even if he or she takes a bit of a taste from the plant.

Another great way to reward yourself and your cat is by growing herbs. Most herbs are safe for cats among them parsley, oregano, basil, cilantro, dill, sage, lavender, rosemary and tarragon. Safe garden vegetables include squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, carrots and beets. All kinds of fruit grown outdoors are mostly considered safe for cats just be aware that some fruit like cherries, apples and peaches have pits that contain cyanide which is harmful when ingested. Cat owners can create a cat enclosure that is full of plants which the cat can nibble on like lemongrass, wheat or cat grass and mint. A very welcome addition to any cat pleasing garden is catnip which can be grown inside and out.

Always remember that the use of fertilizers and insecticides may help your garden blossom and make your plants strong but both of these are a danger to pets. The kinds of plants that you should avoid are ferns like asparagus and plumosa as well as elephant ears, English ivy and Chinese evergreen. Always make sure you know about toxic and non-toxic plants.

For a full list of poisonous plants check out the icatcare website.

Tips & Tricks: Your Cat’s Body Language

Published on April 20, 2016April 20, 2016 by Rasma R33 Comments

Owners are all familiar with their pet’s behavior like seeing whisking tails, flattened ears and loud meowing. However in these ways pets are trying to express themselves and tell their owners a thing or two.

Ears – Cats can say a lot with their ears. Just by looking at you cat’s ears you can pretty much tell what kind of mood he or she is in. Ears forward mean the cat is relaxed and happy. Your cat is upset if you see the ears spread out side to side or flattened back. Now the time to look for the source of what is upsetting your cat is when his or her ears are really flattened back. That is one upset kitty.

Eyes

Cat ’s eyes can reflect their mood. You have your cat’s full attention when their eyes are wide open and they’re looking right at you. It clearly indicates that you have his or her full attention and they’re listening to you. Just don’t confuse this look with a hard stare when the eyes are wide but they’re not blinking. This plain and simply means don’t bother me. Slow blinking of the eyes indicates that the cat is happy but back away if your cat’s pupils become dilated. If a cat starts feeling provoked their pupils will become really big and the eyes will become glassy.

Whiskers

When a cat’s whiskers are forward and relaxed they’re simply content. If you would look at a cat that is hunting you would notice that the whiskers are wide and fanned out and the ears are forward. If you cat happens to be tense, excited and ready to attack their whiskers will be foreword and stretched out.

Tail

A cat is getting more and more upset when you see that their tail is moving from side to side and the movement is getting faster and faster. A cat that is relaxed will walk with their tail down and will come forward to greet you with the tail up but not moving. An indication that the cat is unhappy is when the tip of the tail moves. He or she feels threatened when the cat gives a quick whip or swish of their tails.

Body Posture

To know what your cat is thinking take a look at his or her body posture. If they’re going to be on the defensive they’ll arch their back, tail in the air and make themselves look as puffy as possible. This is a cat that is very upset. If on the other hand they make themselves look much smaller then they’re scared of something. In making themselves as small as possible a cat will flatten down and drop their ears.

Sounds

It’s very important to take notice of what your cat is saying or in other words be aware of the sounds he or she makes. They can be very vocal from soft or loud meows to purrs. When your cat comes to you meowing he or she is trying to tell you something and you have to guess what that is. They also have the ability to wail, growl, and chatter. There is this little friendly chirp they make as greeting. Of course spitting and hissing is a pure sign of upset. Cats will only meow to humans so now you know why you hear all that screeching when cats come upon one another. They are not having a party for sure.

Behavior

Take the time to look at your cat’s behavior. Their behavior will drastically change if something appears to be wrong. You will know that something is very wrong if your cat suddenly starts to poop outside of their box or more vocalizing or perhaps showing unprovoked aggression. One of the sure signs that your cat is really happy is when they are kneading with their front paws as if making dough.