Domestic Cats That Were Once Feral Cats

Feral Cats are Wild Cats which is why there are always questions on taking a Feral Cat and turning it into a Domestic Cat.

Some ecologists say that the domestication of feral cat harms environment or ecosystem, as excessive population of feral cats result in large hunting of small birds and animals in both rural and urban areas.

Feral cats have a considerable effect on the environment, as these cats have put several native animals and species to danger and even death.

Even, people now consider feral cats as the most vicious creatures on small islands. Other species that are vanished on small islands include burrowing bettong and spectacled hare-wallaby. These animals were found once abundant on small islands.

Environmental Issues:

Researchers state that feral cats in the USA, every year, kill large population of animal and bird species, and hundreds of those in Florida. Thus, these cat breeds have great impact on environment as well as wildlife animal species.

This may result in disruption of food chain and limitation of local wildlife populations. In fact, feral cats in countries such as New Zealand and Australia have killed native birds and animals and have damaged the natural flora completely.

In Australia, feral cats have killed several wallabies, thus there is a considerable drop in the population of wallabies over the years. Many ecologists found that feral cats were to blame mostly for the dropping population of rock wallabies in a remote area of tropical Queensland.

Even though feral cats mainly depend on rabbits for their food source, they do little to lower the population, as the population of rabbits is as same as the amount of feral cats in Australia.

Not only the feral cats have a substantial effect on food chain, but they also affect the other local creatures by depleting their sources of food. These include the wedge-tailed eagle, hawks, the eastern quoll, reptiles such as the Lace Monitor and Goanna and the dingoes.

Feral cats eat nearly all those foods that are vital for other local species. Because of such huge population, not only these cats eat all other native species, but also provide nothing for other local species. In most regions, hawks and eagles have had to alter their routine diet to survive due to these cats.

Even, the native cats are in danger. Feral cats more often affect domestic cats such as Quoll. For instance, if feral cats come near female quolls, they become infertile. Here, people cannot help them out, but as there are several feral cats around, the best way to avoid is preventing domestic cats to outside exposure. A recent report study states that several female quolls have already become infertile and their populations are declining day-by-day.

Overview:

Feral cats also carry certain incurable diseases, which are fatal and harmful to other species, especially for the local marsupials. Toxoplasmosis is the name of one such disease, which causes paralysis, blindness, respiratory disorders, and loss of infantile because of stillbirth and impulsive abortion.

Feral cats are also the carriers of Rabies, a disease affecting not only animals and species, but also the human beings. It is more excruciating and devastating to the whole ecosystem.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Dania
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Martin Marks

Domestic Cats and Feral Cats – The History of Cats

Pets Articles | May 24, 2008

The first appearance of the domesticated cat according to original reports goes back as far as 8,000 years ago. According to findings, during that era, bones of mice, humans and cats were buried mutually on the isle of Cyprus. Apparently, people then brought together with them the mice, which were unwanted, and the cats to Cyprus.

Domestication Of Cats:

Agriculture was not only the main occupation of the Egyptians, but also of the southwestern Asian primitives and folks of Africa, where cats appeared afterwards. Since harvesting crops was possible only once or twice every year, it became difficult to store the food-eating grains. The entry of mice, rats and other pests only added to the difficulty.

Soon people observed that the cat population ate the rodents that destroy the food grains.
People invited cats into their daily lives very courteously after observing cats hunting rodents. Farmers used fish-heads, milk and bread and additional food scraps to attract and sway cats to hover around their homes. As a result, cats merely discovered an environmental place for themselves, a stable source of love, affection and food from human beings.

People remember cats for their illustrious position in history. Cats and Egyptians shared a unique relationship. Egyptians possessed different varieties of animals like pigs, sheep, cattle, fowls and monkeys in ancient times. Cats, however unreservedly roamed the area according to its will.

Protection of Cats:

Egypt established laws to protect and safeguard cats, since people had a very high regard about them. A sacred order of cat reverence developed due to its high status that lasted for about 2,000 years. People in Egypt used to revere Bastet the cat goddess. Bastet had the head of a cat and the body of a female. Bastet was related with motherliness, elegance, beauty and fertility. In olden Egypt, people used to call a cat as a “Mau” resembling “meow” a common cat word.

There was a severe punishment for people who harmed or killed cats during the sovereignty of the Pharaohs. If a house was ablaze, it was imperative for the humans to think first about the cats. If the death of a cat was due to natural factors, then it was mandatory for the entire family to go into detailed mourning with beating of chests and recitation of slogans as an indication of pain.

It was necessary to wrap the cat's body in linen, and inspection was compulsory to ascertain that the cat's death was natural. Tombs of cats also had mouse mummies to ensure enough food for their next journey. Soon cats sailed to countries like India, Japan, China, Italy and Greece.

Other Historical Facts:

People used to torture and sacrifice cats in sacred rituals during the medieval ages. People regarded and scorned cats as Satan's members. Individuals considered black cats as a bad omen.

Due to the persecution of cats the number of rodents increased, plague arose and devastated life. It was then that cats received appreciation and they once again gained popularity by the eighteenth century. 

Cats became extremely popular in the nineteenth century and cat exhibitions of various pedigrees began towards the ending of nineteenth century.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Domestic Cats and Feral Cats have been around a while. Learn about the History of Feral Cats, or Wild Cats, and when Domestic Cats came to be.


Dania
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From Mummies to T-shirts: the History of Cats

The facts and figures in this article may not be 100% accurate - I wasn't around to witness the history of the cat from the very beginning about 5000 years ago, so I've had to rely on various sources and my own imagination in equal parts. Furthermore, it's not supposed to be totally accurate - just a humorous and hopefully entertaining look at the history of our most beloved pet: THE CAT!

Some 5000 years ago (recent studies say about 100.000 years ago, but who's counting) a smart - and hungry - African Wildcat somewhere in (what was then) Upper Egypt made a clever observation. "These strange and mysterious bipeds seem to be very fond of grain", he thought. "Biped collects lots of grain and keeps it in big baskets. Big baskets of grain attract lots of yummy mice! Biped doesn't seem to like mice in his grain! I think I'll adopt one of these strange bipeds and live in his house and EAT HIS MICE FOR HIM!"

And thus a mutually beneficial relationship between smart African cats and strange Egyptian bipeds began! And history was made.

Life in Egypt was good and the African cats enjoyed their newly discovered coexistence with human
beings; the Egyptians liked cats, the pharaoh LOVED cats and there was plenty of food around, but still... So after having lived the good life in Egypt for about a thousand years or so, cats - being curious animals! - started wondering: "What is outside this country. Are we missing out on something?!"

One cat thought: "I would like to sit outside a temple with one paw raised, beckoning people to enter that holy place. That would be neat! My skills and talents would totally fit that job description". The cat told this to a Mediterranean merchant, who was in Egypt on a business trip, and the merchant said: "I know of such a place. I'll take you there". And the merchant brought the cat to Japan, where the cat found a nice-looking five stories pagoda temple with a beautiful garden.

The cat positioned himself outside the temple and raised his paw in a friendly manor to beckon passers-by to enter the temple, for that was now his job! The Japanese people had never seen anything like it, but they liked what they saw and they said: "This little animal has an air of holy mystery about him, this animal will bring us luck! We shall call this animal Maneki Neko and we shall make lots of little porcelain Maneki Neko figurines that we shall sell to tourist and make lots of money! ...in about 4000 years."

A couple of elderly cats were so tired of the never-ending African heat and drought and told another visiting trader (in town to buy small pyramid replicas for his novelty shop in London), that they would like to go to a cooler and wetter climate. The trader, of course, brought them back to England.

The English being... well, ENGLISH, said: "I say! What positively lovely little creatures. We shall take them in, feed them and breed them and have magnificent CAT SHOWS!" The whole cat show thing came much later of course (in 1871 to be precise), but, believe me, the idea was born the second the very first Englishman (or it might... it PROBABLY was an EnglishWOMAN) laid eyes on those cats.

But England wasn't the only European country where the Egyptian cats set paw. Around 2000 B.C. the cats of Egypt started a very successful worldwide marketing campaign, promoting their exceptional mouse and rat hunting skills. And it paid off! Soon cats were being invited to every European country, the Middle East and Asia, where they lived well and in harmony with the human bipeds for many, many years. But then something happened:

ENTER THE DARK AGES! ...in the history of cats. Right after the end of the middle ages - beginning around 1550 and lasting about a century - the Christian church decided that cats were the source of all evil. Cats had always been associated with gods; in Egypt it was Bast, goddess of life and family and in the northern part of Europe it was Freya, who was always surrounded by cats. But these were not Christian gods, so cats now became "animala non grata". This was probably when the saying "curiosity killed the cat" entered the English vocabulary; "They wanted to see the world, and look where it got them!" Yes, curiosity did kill a lot of cats during these terrible times. Cats were hunted down, burned, drowned and hanged. And people who had the audacity to so much as look kindly at a cat, were deemed witches. And they were killed as well. This was NOT a good time to be a "crazy cat lady" in Europe!

During this time cats were also being blamed for spreading the plaque, when in fact it was the disease-carrying rats that managed to kill off almost half the European human population by spreading plagues and other epidemics. And as the humans had so efficiently killed off most of their cats, there were practically none left to kill the rats! That'll teach them to treat cats so disrespectfully!!!

But eventually things got better. The Europeans came to their long lost senses and realized that cats were actually good to have around! Less rats, no more plague and soon the former so beautiful and harmonic cat-human relationship made its come-back. And when the first European settlers came to America in 1600-something, they brought cats with them to THE NEW WORLD. Good thinking! Their cats kept their homes, farmhouses, henhouses, outhouses and doghouses rat and mice free. Well, maybe not doghouses!

Yes, the human bipeds truly rediscovered the value of cats. They took cats into their homes again and this time into their hearts as well. The cat became more than a useful little mousetrap, it became a PET.

And so cats - being cats - now started to claim their INDOOR territory; the couch, the best arm chair, the dining table, the bed, the lingerie drawer... in short: THE WHOLE HOUSE. And finally things were as they should be between cat and man.

5000 years ago the Egyptians worshipped cats and showed their admiration and respect by mummifying them after death and depicting them on vases, amulets, rings and inside tombs! Today we pay homage to cats by putting pictures of cats on coffee mugs, napkins, sofa pillows, mousepads, clocks, refrigerator magnets and t-shirts! And in a thousand years from now, I'm sure there will be an enormous image of a cat on our first spaceship to Mars.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Martine Carlsen was 6 years ago adopted by two silver-gray Abyssinian cats, Sonny and Cher, and if you ask them, this article would or could never have been written without their help and inside knowledge. Martine Carlsen works as a web designer and spends most of her spare time working on her website, Cats on t-shirts.


Dania
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http://www.rockysdoggieblogstore.com/
http://www.ezhomemadedoggietreatz.com/

Human Foods That are Toxic To Cats

 

Human Foods That are Toxic To Cats

Pets Articles | June 7, 2010

Many human foods are harmful to cats.  That is why it is not wise to give your cats food from the table.  To keep your cat safe do not give people food as a treat.  Buy treats made just for cats.  Did you know onions and raw potatoes can be harmful to cats.  Learn what other food your cat should never eat.

We all use to be guilty of it. Admit it. We have given our cat table scraps from our plate. You love your cat. Showing that you love him/her is usually by giving into what they want.
When your cat is begging for a piece of turkey or any other goodie on your plate you do what all animal lovers do you give in and let your cat have what they want.

The only problem with doing that is you may be giving your cat food that could be harmful to cats.
First, it is best to train your cat not to be at the table when you or anyone else is eating. It is just good manners. You do not want to have company and have your cat begging at the table.

The main reason for not feeding your cat table scraps is much more important, and here is why.
For example: you are having a turkey dinner. Is their gravy on your turkey and do you feed a piece of that turkey to your cat.

You could be harming your cat.

Many types of gravy have onion-flavored broth and onions like garlic and other root vegetables are among the list of foods that cats should never eat.

Potatoes that are raw as well as green tomatoes also can be harmful to your cat. So when peeling potatoes if any fall on the floor make sure your cat does not get a hold of it.

Tomatoes that are green are harmful especially the stems and leaves. They contain toxins that are dangerous for cats. Unlike ripe tomatoes, those have no danger to your cat.

Chocolate

I think by now we know that chocolate is just plain bad for animals. It is deadly for dogs and cats. Keep it away from all pets.

Milk

We have all seen movies and read books where people put out a saucer of milk for cats. That is wrong and should not be done.

I am not saying that milk is toxic or dangerous to cats. It just does not have a purpose for cats that
have a healthy diet.

It can have side effects for them that are extremely uncomfortable.

In addition, many cats are lactose-intolerant and milk can make them have diarrhea and an upset stomach.

There are products on the market designed for cats that are better for them then milk. One such product is called Catsip. It is available in many supermarkets and has better nutritional value for your cat. Therefore, if you have a cat that just loves milk try this instead.

Last two foods that may cause harm to your cat are grapes and raisins.

They seem to have an adverse effect on many cats, so the ASPCA has recommended that you keep these two foods away from your cat.

Therefore, when your cat comes begging give him/her a treat that was made for cats. There is any number of healthy treats available now that you can safely give that will make your cat happy and you will not have to worry about toxic side effects.

Remember our pets think we know what we are doing and depend on us to keep them safe. That is the least we can do since we are so fortunate to have these wonderful animals in our life.
http://www.allthingspets.info/

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Find out what else may be harmful to your cat.  Learn how you can use natural home remdies for your cat.  Get free recipes and hundreds of natural remedies.
http://www.allthingspets.info/



Dania

9,500 Years of the Beloved Cat

Cherished as our companions, worshipped as idols, and used for pest control and good luck, cats are more than 9,500 years old. It's been estimated that there are more than 90 million domestic cats in the U.S.and upon their death, people then buried cats in tumbs, and today we honor and cremate our beloved pets and put them in pet cremaiton urns or bury them with pet memorial stones.

Cats are cherished as our companions and worshipped as idols. Used for pest control and good luck, cats are more than 9,500 years old. Today in the U.S. it has been estimated that there are more than 90 million domestic cats.

In an April 8, 2004 article in National Geographic magazine, archaeologists from France found the remains of a human and a cat buried in a 9,500-year-old grave site on Cyprus, a Mediterranean island.

People honor their beloved cats upon their passing, according to Peternity.com.com Founder Colleen Mihelich. Her company offers hand crafted, cremation pet urns, grave markers and engraved pet memorials for cat-lovers who have lost a beloved pet.

Cat domestication appears to be ancient. Many experts believe that the Egyptians tamed and bred felines to produce a distinct species by around the 20th century B.C.

Ancient Egyptians Cats were revered by ancient Egyptians more than in any culture in history. Because they were so respected, cats were often mummified and buried in tombs along with their human owners.Back then it was also considered a high crime to kill a cat, and it was punishable by death. Families that owned cats made shrue their felines were respected long after their death. The family would go through a period of grief after a pet cat died, and they even shaved their eyebrows to express grief. Cats were often mummified after they died and then entombed with fine jewelry and treasures; a custom that was often reserved for the most wealthy. Evidence also shows tombs with mummified rats and mice. All of this signals that the Egyptians believed in life after death.

Bast, the Egyptian Goddess with the body of a young woman and the head of a cat. (The Book of the Dead, 3000 B.C.)

In ancient times, the cat, or miw, which means "to see," was a sacred companion. Domesticated Egyptian cats were used for warding off rodents and even snakes. As time went by cats became more important to the Egyptians, and almost like a God. Cats were also represented in Egyptian mythology as the feline goddesses named Bastet, Sekhmet. In early times Bast, also written as 'Bastet' by the scribes, was a goddess that was shown as a woman with the head of a cat or lion.

In an April 8, 2004 article in National Geographic magazine, archaeologists from France found the remains of a human and a cat buried in a 9,500-year-old grave site on Cyprus, a Mediterranean island. Unearthed in 2001 in the Neolithic village of Shillourokambos, the mummified remains were found along with seashells, polished stones and offerings such as ochre and flint tools, axes, and other decorative artifacts. This predates the known early Egyptian art that depicted cats by more than 4,000 years.
An archaeologist named Jean-Denis Vigne at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France noted that when humans and cats are buried together it indicates a strong bond between the human and pet.

Other researchers have found hints that cats were domesticated even earlier than this, with experts who have found 10,000-year-old engravings and pottery depicting cats that actually date back as far as Neolithic period, or the late Stone Age, which also provides evidence that cats had a spiritual significance.

The world today is still fascinated with cats, and why pet memorials are growing in significance. Mihelich is always on the lookout for unique, handcrafted pieces of art to help her customers express their love, joy and memories.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A professional writer based in Los Angeles, California, Kristin Gabriel works with Peternity.com, where people honor their pets for eternity. Peternity provides custom products including pet memorial stones and grave markers, pet urns, garden statue pet memorials, pet memorial headstones, pet keepsake memorials, pet portraits, burial boxes, or custom engraved glasswork. Call 877-PET-PEACE or go to http://www.peternity.com

Dania
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http://www.rockysdoggieblogstore.com/
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Cats, Domestic Cats, and House Cats History Revealed

Cats or Domestic Cats have certain characteristics that make them Cats. Learn about these House Cats and what makes them unique.

Cats, also referred as Felis catus, house cats and domestic cats are small, cute carnivorous mammals. For cat lovers around the world, who wish to know more about these adorable pets, below is a physiology of cats. To start with, studies reveal that around 69 billion of cats are present in the U.S. homes.

They are the second most favored pets after dogs. They can be interbred and have to be registered as pedigree pets. Human beings value cats very much for their superior companionship and capabilities to hunt rodents.

Researchers suggest that association of cats with human dates back some 9500 years ago. They believed that ancient Egyptians were first to domesticate cats, as they considered cats as religious animals. However, recent study shows that, people in other continents also domesticated cats around the same time.

Cats are expert predators and can hunt more than 1000 types of species. However, cats are easily teachable to obey commands. Some cats learn without training such as they can bolt the lock and work on simple mechanisms.

Their vocalizations vary and they use different body languages to communicate. The common vocalizations include meowing, hissing, grunting and growling.

Size And Skeleton Of Cats:

An adult domestic cat weighs about 4.5 -6.8 kilograms. Female feline weighs anywhere between 6 - 10 pounds, about 2.7 - 4.8 kilograms. The height of the cat is about 8 to 10 inches, which means they are around 20-25 centimeters in height.

The length of cat from its nose tip to the tail base averages between 18- 20 inches (46-51 centimeters) long. The size of the cats also depends on their skeleton size. The skeleton of the cat is very prominent. Their spines (backbone) have more bones because it supports the tail.

Their vertebral columns are not rigid as in human being. However, they are extremely flexible. This peculiar feature of flexibility helps them to bend their backs, twist, and twirl their bodies, so that they can squeeze through minimum gaps.

Secondly, a cat does not possess collarbone (Clavicle). If it had a collarbone, then it may not have been able to slip away through the narrow spaces. The skeleton of the cat is symmetrical and starts from the head region to entire body. The general structure of the cat's skeleton includes of three subunits.

The first skeletal subunit includes appendicular skeleton, which contains bones of fore limbs and hind limbs. The second subunit includes axial skeleton, which contains cranium, ribs, spine, and sternum. Third skeletal subunit is the visceral skeleton, which constitutes parts of other bodily organs such as ossicles (middle ear) and paws. 

Functions Of Cat's Skeleton:

Cat's skeleton mainly carries out four functions. First, it supports and shields the body. Secondly, the bones work as levers to execute the muscular action. The skeleton also functions as the storehouse for phosphorous, calcium and other vital elements.

Lastly, cat's skeleton also serves as storage space for RBC (red blood cell), WBC (white blood cells) and fats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Dania
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Tabby Cats and Other Colors of Cats

Tabby Cats are just one type of patterns that you will see on Cats and Kittens. Learn about Tabby Cats and other Patterns of Cats and Kittens.


Patterns are a mixture of colors in a definite arrangement. The six fundamental types of coat patterns present in cats with some differences are Tabby, Tortoiseshell, Solid, Bicolor, Colorpoint and Tricolor.

1.   Tabby: This coat pattern is the most widespread found naturally and is present in four varieties: blotched (marbled), striped (mackerel), ticked (agouti) and spotted.

2.   Tortoiseshell: An unswerving blend of black and orange or thinned shades of blue and cream form this exclusive coat pattern. This coat pattern is a tricolor present almost uniquely in females with a blend of orange and black. Male cats rarely show this pattern and are likely sterile. These cats also show an inner tabby pattern called as “torbie”.

3.   Solid: This pattern is the easiest and identifiable one, as it consists of a single coat uniformly spread throughout the body. An interesting solid pattern with hair of different color is seen in young cats. The secondary colored hair vanishes as the cat grows and very soon, the cat displays a solid hairy pattern all over. It is not possible to acknowledge a cat that has a spot of some other color on its coat, as a solid. People generally refer cats with a solid pattern as “self's” or “self-colored”.  

4.   Bicolor: The word bicolor is actually a white-colored coat along with another color. The other color displays a tabby or a solid pattern. People commonly describe a cat with a white colored coat as a harlequin. “Van” is the term describing a definite variation in which the feline is white colored, with spots of color present only on the tail and head. Names are given for the patches of white present on a bicolor cat, which express their positions such as mittens (paws), locket (chest), and buttons (patches on the abdomen).

5.   Colorpoint: The paws, face and tail (points/tips) are dark in color in comparison with the rest of the body in this coat pattern. The colorpoint pattern mainly depends on temperature. The hotter body parts show a lighter color and vice versa. The dissimilarity between the main body color and the spots differ, but this coat pattern is very easily recognizable. The spots are present in varied shades and colors containing red (flame), brown (seal), lilac and blue. In some varieties, generally, the spots have a tabby pattern or a tricolor pattern containing the above-mentioned colors. “Lynx” is the term used to describe colorpoints having a tabby pattern.

6.   Tricolor: The main color components of the tricolor coat patterns are black, white, orange and red or thinned shades of blue and cream. The proportion of the color and white displays the number and position of the shades of the additional two colors. If there is some amount of white, the remaining two colors may combine to form a pattern called as a “tortoiseshell and white”. The patches of black and red become visibly distinct, as the white color increases. Calico is the term used for this type of coat pattern in cats.

About the Author

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Dania
http://www.silvetorkittyblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.rockysdoggieblogstore.com/
http://www.ezhomemadedoggietreatz.com/