You have very likely heard of catnip, but do you know about cat grass? According to cats.com cat grass is not just one specific plant like catnip is, but a variety of grasses. It could be wheatgrass, oat grass, rye grass, barley grass, alfalfa grass or flax grass, or even a mix of them. (Our cat grass kits contain wheat grass seeds.) You may have heard it said that cats will eat grass only if they are sick. According to Excitedcats.com this is not the case. They note that in a survey of cat owners, 71% of cat owners saw their cat eating grass, but only 11% to 27% of those cats (depending on their age) were seen throwing up. ...
Last week we posted an article about cats licking, which made us think about cats tongues, so this week we decided we'd go a little more in depth on the topic of cat's tongues! We mentioned in our earlier post that the tongue of a cat is covered with tiny, backward facing, spines called papillae. According to cats.com, these spines are made from keratin, which is the same stuff a cat's claws and fur are made from and also the same stuff our fingernails and hair is made from! No wonder it feels like sandpaper when a cat licks you! So, what good are a cat's tongue spikes? All cats have them, including lions and tigers, not just your cat...
If you've been around cats at all, you will likely have seen them licking themselves, which is their way of taking a bath! Their tongues are particularly well suited for this job. They have tiny little barbs on them to help remove dirt and loose hair from their fur. These little spines are what make their tongues feel like sandpaper when they are licking you! But, why do my cats lick me? What does it mean when a cat licks you? According to PetMD, there are several possible reasons. When I first noticed my cat licking me, I thought maybe they were trying to see if I would make a good dinner. That's not quite the answer, but PetMD does...
August 8 is International Cat day! Those of us in the U.S. are familiar with the saying that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck, and that cats have 9 lives. You've probably also heard about cats being worshipped in Egypt, and if you've ever been to an Asian restaurant or store, you're likely to have seen a waving cat statue for luck, so since it's international cat day, what other superstitions and attitudes are there around cats around the world? Well, according to National Geographic the waving lucky cat statues you see in Asian businesses actually originated in Japan. Also in Japan, according to this article on Mental Floss a cat washing it's face with it's paws means...
If you have cats, or even if you just see cats on social media, you'll probably know that cats like to think inside the box. But, why do cats like boxes? According to PetMD, one reason is security. Cats with boxes have a safe space to retreat to when the rest of the world is just too much - and couldn't we all use that! This can be especially useful for a cat that is going through a change, like a move. If you and your cat are bonded, putting something with your scent on it, like a t-shirt, in a box for your cat might help reassure them that things are ok even in an unfamiliar environment. PetMD...
