The Himalayan Cat Breed

The Himalayan stands to be one of the most popular cat breeds, with many familiar with how it looks and not by its name.

The 1993 released Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and its 1996 released sequel Homeward Bound: Lost In San Francisco, featured a Himalayan as the two movies’ core characters, with Sassy the Himalayan cat, voiced by actress Sally Field.

Together with two dogs, Sassy and the three embark on a journey going home to where there masters are, after being separated from them.

Essentially a medium-length haired cat bearing the distinct color patterns of a Siamese, the breed is often born from crossing a Persian with a Siamese, resulting to what is also known as the Colourpoint Persian.

Though bearing certain Persian characteristics and physical traits, the Himalayan is not classified as a Persian, but is considered to be part of the Exotic Shorthair classification of Persian Breed Group standards.

As a breed, Himalayans are known to be very intelligent and mild mannered, at times more affectionate and sweet than most cats are known to be. Their penchant for human companionship have made them popular among pet cat circles, with their distinct looks making them mainstay attendees to different cat shows in different parts of the world.

As domestic cats, the rudiments of taking care of Himalayans are essentially no different from other breeds, save perhaps the necessity of regularly brushing them. The breed is also known to be affected with Polycystic kidney disease, a condition that is borne from their genetic ties with Persians, and veterinary experts suggest that having them nutered or spayed early helps prevent the onset of the condition.

With their affectionate attributes matched with their distinct Siamese cum Persian looks, Himalayans are truly lovable cats to have, the ideal cat of choice for those in search for sweet cats who warm up to their masters.

 Himalayan Cat Breed Video

 

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The Reason behind Extreme “Meow-ing” of some Cats

Pet cats have their own way of communicating to their masters. Unlike dogs, they are more subtle in the way they express something. Head nudges, straight-forward stares, body brushes and even mere quick tail flicks can be their own form of communication.

As much as dogs bark excessively when they need to be attended to, in the same way, a cat’s “meow-ing” capability is the more obvious one when they have to demand a little more attention. It is very clear that they want something or perhaps they need food or just saying “hi”. According to Dr. Ilana Reisner, DVM, PhD, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at Reisner Veterinary Behavior & Consulting Services in Media, Pa., if it's clear that the object of a cat's meow is a human, she likely wants something.

Obviously, there are cats that are distinctively quiet but most cats are downright “noisy” when they “meow” to the top of their lungs. Most often than not, excessive “meow-ing” of cats tend to be annoying. Original breeds of cats have the tendency to be chatty and noisy. This is really based on their genetic make-up, however many experiences and exposure to environment has led most cats to “meow” a bit more than others. What is the reason behind extreme “meow-ing” of cats?

The behavior of masters, tend to lead cats to become noisy. Whether we agree or not, there is a subliminal effect on cats with the way we treat them. For example, when they “meow” for the reason of asking food, we immediately give them something to eat. However, when they still want some more food, they “meow” again, and we give them some more. This goes on and on until the cat gets used to “meowing” as if demanding to be satisfied. This becomes a form of manipulation and control. Food reinforces the “meow-ing”, so the cat does it again and again.

Learning and training plays a pivotal role in bringing up the ways of the cat. Although they are genetically designed to “purr” and “meow”, excessive vocalization is usually reinforced by the nurturing process.

According to Dr. Reisner,"Vocal cats are usually vocal as juveniles and then through their lives, but learning plays an important role.”

There’s an important note to keep in mind with this new learning. For cat-lovers and owners, most excessive “meow-ing” is often brought about by an attention-seeking behavior, but if it persists, you may want to consider visiting a veterinarian for some indications of pain, sickness and other medical concerns.

 

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Getting to Know a Cat’s Killer Instincts

They may be cute and cuddly, just friendly, docile and super tame, but beyond the beautiful façade
and grace lay a cunning and well-trained killing creature. Common house cats, simply called, domestic
cats may be trained and even play fetch but you are actually closer to a natural born killer than you can
imagine. This does not negate the fact that there are pretty good cats who can remain loyal pets to their
masters even completing their homes but could this cuddly species be a threat to your home?

To some people who have in some point in their lives owned a cat, they just know how cats get
unpredictable and mysterious. These cats can easily pounce on smaller preys like squirrels, chickens
and doves, their eyes always mindful and alert, keeping watch for any movements. Although they can
co-exist with some other domestic pets in the house, most often than not, they could not stand the
presence of hamsters, guinea pigs and mice. Even if a kitten grows up together with a hamster or a
gerbil, both animals should not be left unattended. Over stimulation of play coul lead the cat to attack
even its friend.

They are born this way. Something like, a Lady Gaga kind-of-thing. You can’t deny the fact. From the
smallest domestic and huggable kitty cat to the biggest "king of the jungle," felines are gifted in all their
bodily tools and techniques needed to chase prey in the wild or domestically speaking, bite and destroy
some things in the living room. These felines are gifted with speed, athleticism and the killer instincts.

Compared to dogs who are born and raised to do different tasks like herding cattle or guarding a home,
cats are born and raised to hunt, chase and kill. If you can even design something like a killing machine,
you would probably consider the cat’s agility and killer instincts. Their speed cannot be under rated.
They have the gold medals in a high-speed pursuit. Because of their survival in the wild, they have
adapted the natural abilities to stalk and do surprise attacks, something that most dogs were not raised
to do.

Many cat owners have understood the predatory nature of their domestic pets, accepted and in turn
showered these domestic pets with love, attention and care. However, it does not change the fact of
their real make-up.

An article from redOrbit showed a University of Georgia research that tested 60 or more cats. They were
allowed to roam around outdoors with the exposure of common prey.

“The results were certainly surprising, if not startling,” said Kerrie Anne Loyd, University of Georgia
student and lead author of the KittyCam study, speaking to the Detroit Free Press. In Athens-Clarke
County, (Ga.) we found that about 30% of the sampled cats were successful in capturing and killing prey,
and that those cats averaged about one kill for every 17 hours outdoors or 2.1 kills per week. It was also
surprising to learn that cats only brought 23% of their kills back to a residence. We found that house cats
will kill a wide variety of animals, including: lizards, voles, chipmunks, birds, frogs, and small snakes.”

Cat's Killer Instincts Video

 

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Cats and long-term memories

Cats and their capacity for remembering is not exactly considered to be a “base kitty trait”, one that is overshadowed by the cat’s other known attributes.

From being able to see in the dark, their incredible agility and their superior balance, the cat’s capacity to remember and recall is heralded to be something else, but is not exactly a trait that’s associated with furry felines.

That distinction has been awarded to another mammal, the elephant.

However, cats and long-term memories do have a relationship, but it is one that is based on what a cat does, not exactly on what a cat sees.

The 1985 Stephen King classic Cat’s Eye, starring a very young Drew Barrymore, delved into the area of a cat’s memory retention abilities, telling the story of a stray cat who would get into short story plots rooted on the suspense and horror genre. With three short stories told from the point of view of a cat, the movie was quite unique, something which can only expected from a master storyteller like Stephen King.

But if the story’s premise were to be matched with the studies and experiments of Kier Pearson and David McVea of the Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Canada, it would have plot holes.

As the results of the researchers’ study would reveal, cats are more inclined to remember things through movement and not through the things that they see, making the movie’s overall context out of place or misinterpreted.

In the study, a two-part series of tests were imposed on cats, with the two touching up on a cat’s ability to “remember” walkpaths. Essentially testing a cat’s capacity to remember by sight and capacity to remember through movement, the overall results note that a cat is more inclined to store information based on the things they do, with their visual-related memories not as sharp.

Noted to keep short term memories based on movement for longer durations, the study has proven to become valuable to cat owners everywhere, opening a window in better understanding how cats can remember things.

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Can’t Get Enough of this Angry Cat, Colonel Meow

You may happen to hear about an angry dog, but what about an angry cat? Everyone might be able to
relate to a ‘smelly cat’ or a ‘purring cat’ or perhaps a ‘cuddly cat’, but this one is different, it’s an angry
cat, and oh boy, not just an ‘angry cat’ but already dubbed not just angry, but the angriest cat in the
world!

Well, at first glance you would be entirely mislead to the idea of an angry and grumpy furry cat, but hold
on, this is just a moniker of a cute and lovable cat, Colonel Meow who has become famous for its fiery
and angry-look on Facebook with nearly 40,000 likes and still counting!

According to Yahoo News, “The cat's name is Colonel Meow and his owner is Anne Marie Avey, a 28-
year-old cat lover in Seattle who adopted Colonel from Petco last year after he was rescued from the
side of the road by the Himalayan and Persian Society.”

The frown on Colonel Meow’s face and the stare he makes at his owner is what makes him so lovable
and huggable. This is the irony in the most-used sense!

Avey told ABCNews.com today as seen in Yahoo News, "I just wake up every morning and I can barely
think and I look over at him and he makes me laugh out loud.” "He's just staring at me," she said. "It's
one of those moments where every time I look at him I get a chuckle and I thought that should be
shared with everybody.

This prompted Avey to create a Colonel Meow Facebook Page. Although just for the fun of it, she

never imagined that Colonel Meow will stir up some following. The funny thing is that the FB page

has features and captions written on it, much referring to Colonel Meow’s own words, addressing his

followers as “minions”. Captions that were written by Avey were so amusing and witty like, “Behold,

Minions!”; “You had better made some food for me…or else I will destroy you, Minion!”

The waggish way and the touch of irony had made Colonel Meow popular with about 170,000 views in

Youtube alone for two weeks.

According to Avey"I am completely amazed! I’ve naively didn't know you could get so much attention

based on Facebook. I just did it for friends and family to see what we were up to everyday and get a feel

for Colonel. I thought it was a big deal when we were up to 166 likes and half of them were people I

didn't know."

Colonel Meow on Facebook-Video

 

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Panthers

Panthers remain to be among the most popular of big cats, with their dark sheens typically associated with the dark mysterious sides of cats.

With Bagheera from the Jungle Book being one of the most recognized panther characters in the world, Bagheera’s popularity has added fuel to the world’s fascination with panthers, with the Disney produced movie of the story doing its part in making them more and more interesting and popular to children.

However, significant confusion over panthers remain to be, with many not entirely sure over what the panther really is – is it actually a species or just a reference name?

Here’s a quick take in helping resolve such confusions.

The Black Panther – Panthers, generally speaking, are not exactly a species, but is rather a name that is typically utilized in defining a “big cat” with black fur.

Jaguars and leopards with dark furs are therefore included in the panther title, with both being big cats and coming with dark hued furs.

Considered to be among the most “elusive of big cats”, panthers are collectively and unofficially classified as endangered species, based on the fact that both Panthers and Jaguars are known to experience declines in their population numbers.

In the Jungle Book movie, Bagheera is described in IMDB as a panther. Given that panthers are native in Africa, the Americas and in Asia, Bagheera’s presence in the movie fits well with its overall plot, staying true to its base location or environment.

With the movie telling the tale of how jungle animals tried their best to convince a human child who had grown up in the jungle to go back to human settlements, the Jungle Book continues to be a story which is loved by many even until today.

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The Sphinx

The sphinx or sphynx remains to be one of the most distinct domestic cat breed, identifiable though the breed’s lack of a full coat of fur. Though often described as “hairless”, the sphinx actually does have hair, though not as “thick” as one would consider hair on cats to be.

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore managed to showcase the unique breed as a CGI-live action feature, with the 2010 hit revisiting the original Cats and Dogs premise of secret agent cats and dogs locked in a secret war.

In the “Cats and Dogs” world, humans are not aware of an ongoing dispute among the two most common domestic pets. With each faction having a stand towards “tolerating” the human existence, the showcase feature is one which has been well loved by children and adults alike.

In Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, a sphinx cat played the role of antagonist, with the voice talents of Bette Midler giving life to the character.

“Hairless”, the unique breed also has unique care and maintenance requirements, particulars which are not often necessary with regular cat breeds.

Regular bathing would be one requirement, with sphinx cats requiring baths on a regular basis. With normal cats, certain body oils are readily absorbed by their fur. Since sphinx cats don’t have a full coat of fur, weekly baths are required to do away with the build up of oils on their skin surfaces.

Ear was also tends to be a problem with sphinx cats, also caused by the breed’s lack of a full fur of coat. Also, given the fact that they don’t have a full fur coat, sphinx cats should not be over exposed to direct sunlight for long extended durations.

Though they don’t have a full coat of fur, sphinx cats are still cats, and as such they still come with the inherent traits – the good and bad – which cats are known to have.

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Cats and long distance traveling

Cats and long distance traveling has always been considered as a simple affair, generally involving cats and pet carriers.

The 1974 critically acclaimed Harry and Tonto, though not exactly all about the rudiments and dynamics involved in traveling with cats, retold the tale of a retired New York teacher going on a cross country adventure with his pet, Tonto.

Re-exploring the world once more, the adventure-comedy-drama starred Academy Award Winning Art Carney, and pretty much showed the life of a retiree who embarked on a “pilgrimage” of sorts in visiting family, old friends, and making new friends along the way.

To the tune of how the movie defined the relative ease cats can travel with their companions, traveling with cats isn’t as tough as most would think, with certain considerations over a given cat’s health and “travel accommodations”.

What’s Needed for Cats and Long Distance Travels

First of all, a trip to the vet is necessary for any cat traveling to take place. This first step is quite self explanatory, and would prove to be beneficial for cats which are sickly. Cat owners could also raise certain particulars about their cats, and can gain veterinary interventions for cats who are prone to be skittish when under stress.

Second, a well spaced and well vented cat carrier (or pet carrier that isn’t too overly large for cats) has to be on hand. Optional pet accessories such as a cat harness or body leash could also be brought, though not all cats are okay with the idea of being “tied” with their masters.

The third step would require some fact-checking in the part of the cat owner, mostly in looking into travel accommodations which welcome pets.

Not all buses, airlines, hotels, resorts and other travel-inclined services and amenities are open to pets, thus the importance of gaining first hand information regarding travel options with cats.

This, however, doesn’t mean that there is a shortage of cat traveling accommodations, but is a step which every pet owner should consider in avoiding problems during actual travels.

Once the cat is deemed to be fit for travel, the comfy cat carrier is chosen and travel plans have been laid out, you can then begin your journey with your cat.

 Cats and long distance traveling Video

 

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