The Wonder of Cats Page 7

  8. It removes a person’s scent that has touched her.

  9. And when they are upset, they lick as a reminder of their mother’s soothing grooming, which calms them.

  10..It provides vitamin D when sunlight produces it on the fur.

  Excessive grooming can cause hairballs in the intestines where mucous in the cat’s body clumps hair together, resulting in obstructed bowels that interfere with digestion. Many cats regurgitate hairballs by eating grass. Excessive grooming can also lead to hair loss and skin inflammations.

  The papillae on the tongue also function in a cat’s grooming.

  Shared licking and grooming is an important part of relations between adult cats.

  Die Hard The Feline Hunter

  Cats are top predators high on the food chain, tend to be loners, and are solitary hunters.

  Cats are the highest form of specialized mammalian predators on earth. They are wholly designed to hunt and eat meat and are well developed both externally and internally for the hunt.

  Cat senses are honed to detect prey and to relate to their world, including to other animals and to survive.

  Hunting is instinctual and a learned behavior, taught by the mother.

  The mother gradually teaches her kittens to hunt: first, she will bring home dead prey to eat in front of her kittens; then she will bring dead prey home to share with them; next she’ll bring home live prey and kill it herself and share it; lastly, she will bring home live prey for her young to kill and eat.

  When a kitten is brought up with other certain animals, like rabbits, the hunting instinct does not completely present itself. Although, the predatory instinct still exists to some degree in all cats – even in those raised without hunting instruction from their mothers and those raised indoors. Cats that have had non-hunting mothers often have some hunting skills but do not kill their prey.

  Cats can hunt and fend for themselves at 12 weeks of age.

  Cats cannot be taught not to hunt.

  Domesticated cats will hunt even though they are well fed.

  Cats have not been used in work roles except for mouse and rat control.

  When a cat plays, he is imitating predatory moves such as stalking, chasing, pouncing, and biting.

  Predatory killing is the most common and accepted form of feline aggression.

  Cats who play with a mouse like a moving victim to keep their interest. The cat will retain interest as long as the mouse struggles to get away. As the mouse gets tired, the hunter may throw it into the air or let it get further away before chasing it to encourage the rodent to get away and keeping the feline interested. After the victim is dead, it is abandoned or eaten.

  Cat’s whiskers help cats feel their way through the dark to the presence of prey – when they feel prey they can quickly pounce.

  Some cats bring their trophy home to a safe feeding place and consume most of it, leaving the remains for their owners to clean up. Some bring home the kill and leave it intact preferring to eat cat food provided at home.

  Many people believe that when a cat brings home prey and does not eat it, it is a gift, but that’s not true. The feline might be saving it for later when he is hungry again. Or they may be showing they can hunt for the family. Sam sez, “What? You people don’t want to eat this tender, juicy mouse? Fine, I’ll eat it.”

  Cats have two hunting strategies:

  1. The M or mobile hunting strategy that involves moving through fields, grasslands, and forests with all senses in full use with various stops to investigate the immediate area. The M-strategy is effective when hunting rabbits.

  2. The S or the sit-and-wait strategy that involves finding an area where prey frequents and sitting and waiting until prey appears. This occurs when the cat finds a mouse hole or a run where rodents scurry or below a bird’s nest. The cat waits undetected until a mouse appears or a bird lands then he pounces.

  In recently disturbed areas where rodents are not familiar with escape routes; the cat may choose either the M- or S-type of hunting strategy and take advantage of the prey’s confusion with the new area.

  Cats only hear rodent sounds when prey is a short distance away. Therefore, cats tend to move about their hunting grounds to pick up the sound rather than staying in one spot.

  Cats can hear and determine how far away their prey is. Cats achieve this by being able to independently move their ears by at least 180 degrees.

  Cats hunt with patience by staying still and hiding, usually crouching, for long periods until prey is close enough to pounce on. An experienced cat hunter may wait 3 – 4 hours motionless, except for their twitching tail, to pounce on a mouse that comes out of its hole. They usually notice movement in their prey over smell.

  Cats hunt birds by hiding in tall grass or gardens, stalking and crouching until they pounce.

  Felines find corridors where mice and other small mammals run then they wait until one comes along. Sam sez, “Then it’s goodbye, mouse.”

  Both sight and hearing are made for hunting with the ears able to pick up ultrasound like the high-frequency squeaks of mice that are inaudible to people. Rustling sounds cause an automatic reaction from cats that comes from a built-in sensitivity to faint stirrings of leaves and grass made by possible prey.

  Hunting for cats is a quiet, efficient action relying on stealth and speed to catch their prey.

  When stalking, the cat, with senses functioning highly, spots the prey. He then moves slowly and deliberately and silently toward the prey, sometimes with short bursts of speed and then stops, starts and stops. Cats tend to stalk in this manner when hunting birds. The feline keeps low to the ground with the shoulders and remaining body crouched. When he gets close enough, he sets himself up for the final assault, known as the “lie and wait ambush.” With pupils dilated, ears up, whiskers pointed forward, widely spread back paws moving quietly, and rear end wiggling to prepare the muscles and to “fool” their motion sensitive eyes to see still prey more accurately, the cat strikes. With fore claws grasping the victim, the cat bites at the nape of the neck penetrating to dislocate the spine. If the bite is off the mark, doesn’t penetrate, or if the prey is too large, the cat may release the prey and pounce again or shake the animal to disorient it and bite the neck again.

  With larger and/or well-armed prey, like rats, the hunting feline may attack with their claws until the victim is weak and the nape bite can be delivered. Also, the prey may be held down by one paw as the cat strikes with the nape bite.

  In hunting, the front four claws are used mostly. With the fifth, or dew-claw, on the front paws, being used to immobilize moving prey or when dealing with larger prey by striking it to wear it down.

  When reaching high speeds quickly, the cat’s muscles tire fast because of the large amount of energy needed to go that fast. So hunting happens in quick, short attacks. If the puss is unsuccessful in capturing his prey quickly, he gives up rather than running the prey down over a long period.

  If a bird flies too low, the feline can leap up and, with claws extended, catch the bird in mid-flight.

  While cats do hunt birds, they prefer rodent prey.

  Most cats are not very successful hunters as most birds fly away before being caught, and it takes about 10 – 20 attempts to catch mice and other small animals before one is captured and killed. Sam sez, “Persistence rules!”

  If a cat loses track of her rodent prey, she may move in the direction of the prey hopefully causing it to bolt and reveal itself.

  Cats do smell their prey but do not follow their noses when hunting, like a dog.

  Generally, cats are opportunistic scavengers and hunters.

  Cats mostly hunt at night, dawn, or dusk.

  Cats hunt for sport, for fun, not only to eat. Hunting can take a lot of energy. Sam sez, “So keep your rodent killer well fed.”

  After a study of cats and their prey by Robert May in the village of Felmersham, U.K., it is estimated that cats kill an average of 15.6 victims per cat per yea
r (Note: these are victims the cats brought home). The prey included 535 mammals, 297 birds, and 258 unidentifiable furry remains for a total of 1090 victims by 70 free-ranging pet cats over one year. It is estimated that in the U.K. the seven million plus pet cat population kills over 95 million mammals and birds per year.

  With the Brown Classic Tabby and White cats, the darker tabby markings help conceal the cat when hunting.

  Domesticated cats show athleticism and hunting skills similar to their wild ancestors.

  The Young, The Old & The Furry

  Young Kitten

  Mating and the resulting mothering are instinctual.

  From conception to birth is usually 63 days.

  Depending on the number of kittens and physical condition of the mother, the birthing takes about two hours.

  The average female cat has 1 – 8 young per litter (usually 3 – 4) and can give birth 2 – 3 times a year. She can produce more than one hundred kittens in a lifetime.

  When kittens are born and still blind, they rely on smell to find their mother’s nipple, usually feeding on the same nipple that is imprinted with a certain scent. When they can see, the kittens explore and try other nipples.

  The kitten’s heat receptor in the nose leather also aids in early life when sight and hearing have yet to develop.

  The mother’s smell is due to oils and fat in her fur, and her milk gives the young feline a feeling of relaxation and contentment.

  When a mother is nursing her young, she eats lots of food to keep her strength up. Sam sez, “So keep the munchies coming.”

  A kitten’s sense of touch develops first followed by taste and smell three days into life. Hearing comes a few days later. Then the kitten’s eyes open at about ten days old.

  Kittens are born blind, and when they can see (at 8–20 days), they have to learn and adapt to this new sense and ocular stimuli. Kittens usually master this new sensation at twelve weeks of age.

  Most kittens’ eyes are blue at first but change color as they grow.

  Kittens begin to walk at about 20 days.

  Cats are born with certain instincts like how to suckle and how to warn off danger by hissing or spitting. Cats also know how to produce natural cat sounds, and they have a curious and wandering instinct.

  If a kitten strays too far from his mother, the mother will usually carry the young wanderer back in her mouth.

  After three weeks of age, kittens may start feeding on their own and usually are weaned from their mother at two months.

  Kittens reared together tend to spend much time together, becoming close companions. Natural habits for kittens include getting warmth by resting by their siblings.

  Contact with other cats during infancy is of great importance to the young feline. A cat with early social contact with other cats is more likely to reproduce than kittens lacking that early social interaction.

  Young male kittens are competitive at an early age before becoming toms.

  The survival of the kittens depends upon the mother’s emotional bond to them and her capability to respond to their physical needs.

  As kittens, it is the only time in their lives that they need to express their emotional state, such as hunger, being cold, or other distresses to another of their species (i.e.: their mother).

  New-born kittens sleep 90% of their time, but by the age of 3-4 weeks tend to sleep as much as adult cats: about 60% of their time.

  Handling

  Lots of handling and homing after weaning 6 to 8 weeks is most likely to produce tractable, playful, and friendly cats even though they will still be territorial and unsociable to other neighborhood cats.

  A cat not handled enough by humans in the early stages of life (up to eight weeks), it is believed, can lead to nervousness in the adult feline.

  Kittens brought up in solitude can be more spiteful and aggressive than other cats.

  Learning To Hunt

  Mother cats that hunt raise kittens that can hunt. With kittens at about a month old, the mother cat will bring home prey to her young to smell and taste. She shows them the swift nape bite to sever the spinal cord while avoiding the rodent’s mouth and teeth. Half-dead prey is brought back to the nest for the kittens to handle and kill. After a few misplaced bites and getting bitten by the rodent, the kitten learns to bite safely and effectively.

  Kittens raised by mothers who do not hunt will only be able to stalk and pounce –as these are instinctual--but not the learned killing bite. Cats not shown how to hunt by their mothers usually do not learn how to hunt.

  Additionally, if the mother brings home dead mice for the kittens to eat, the kitten will learn that mice are food and may leave birds and other animals alone when they hunt on their own.

  Mother cats also gurgle (a high-pitched call) when bringing prey to their young ones, but, if the prey is large and dangerous, she may gurgle louder sounding like a scream.

  Kittens love to play games that involve hunting skills, such as stalking, pouncing, and catching.

  Pet kittens socialized with animals that could be prey, like rats and rabbits, usually do not hurt and kill those same animals as adults.

  The Cat at Play

  Kittens start to play at three weeks of age.

  Cats and kittens who do not play are usually lousy hunters and social misfits.

  Kittens start playing at first by jumping each other, grappling, and rolling over each other. A few weeks later, they will chase, clutch with their front paws, kick their hind legs, and try hunting maneuvers, such as hiding, crouching, stalking, running, and pouncing on their “prey,” mostly another kitten.

  Kittens’ play starts to decline at five months of age, because, some experts say, in the wild their mothers would have put them out on their own.

  At six to eight weeks, kittens get into mock fights with swatting, chasing, holding, kicking, wrestling, and neck-biting all in the name of fun.

  Cats do continue playing long into adulthood.

  Older and younger cats will play and participate in mock fights with other cats.

  Even the most sedate cat will play every now and then.

  Threats to the Kitten

  Kittens learn to adapt to their surroundings. There are different reactions to various situations in each kitten.

  Kittens, during their first weeks of life, will run to their mother if startled or frightened.

  The kitten grows up learning what is threatening and what is not without stopping the first startling reaction.

  Repeated exposure, maternal nurturing, and exploration into new territory help the kitten to learn to deal with novelty and threatening situations.

  Kittens raised by an inexperienced or incompetent mother will be less competent and less adaptive. This can also occur when kittens are sheltered from early challenges.

  So cats with more challenges and stimuli as kittens will be more competent, but there is no 100% competent cat, as all will have negative experiences when growing up.

  Litter

  The young kitten is unable to expel her waste without stimulation of the abdomen and bottom region by her mother’s licking. This is the urogenital reflex so the kitten can only relieve itself when the mother is present to immediately clean up. This keeps the nest clean and prevents attracting predators.

  Although most kittens can dispel waste on their own by three weeks of age, the urogenital reflex may last as long as five weeks.

  As kittens start to wander from the nest, the mother will cause the reflex to occur outside the nest to train the young ones to eliminate away from the nest.

  Kittens learn to dig and bury their waste by observing their mother.

  At about six weeks, the kitten is toilet trained.

  Older Kitten

  Cats reach puberty usually from 6 – 8 months of age.

  Both male and female kittens grow quickly at puberty.

  Females tend to reach their full height and weight by the time they reach their first sexual cycle.

 
; For kittens, it can take several years for them to develop their full coat and coloring.

  It is believed that young ones with dark markings are more likely to grow the best coats as adults.

  Kittens tend to survive into adulthood by the care and attention put on them by their mothers, leading to cats being able to colonize new lands quickly. Sam sez, “Yeah, we get around.”

  Leaving Mom

  Proper weaning time for kittens is 6 -7 weeks of age with their mothers weaning their young at 8 weeks.