Let sleeping cats lie

The other night, I woke up to the sensation of being bitten, thinking I was dreaming and turned on the light to see a very cross Melly looking at me with pinned back ears.  Unsure of what happened, I whispered reassurances to him and he soon settled down for more cuddles – weird!

It got me thinking about the behaviour of cats and so I did the Cats Protection Understanding Feline Origins online learning course 

Unsurprisingly, I learnt that cats do not like to be disturbed whilst sleeping and I put Mellys little strop down to me maybe boshing him while I was asleep.  He has forgiven me, and all is good in the world again but I did learn some very interesting facts while reading through the online learning site.

Did you know, that domestic cats share a common ancestry with African Wildcats?

The African Wildcat actually looks like my Melly!

A lot of the sleeping habits of our domestic furry friends are similar to those of the African Wildcat and when we look at the reasons for specific wildcat behaviour, it all makes sense.

Wildcats make 40 hunting trips a day which is why they spend the rest of the time sleeping – to replenish energy levels. So our moggies are not lazy, they are simply conserving their energy – it’s genetic!

They looks for a safe place to sleep, usually up high, to stay out of the way of predators.  That’s why our cats feel safer on our beds, and chairs and washing piles!

They rotate their sleeping spots, perhaps to keep parasite levels down.  That’s why when we buy our cats beds they don’t always sleep on them!

They often scratch when they wake up to stretch their muscles and maintain their claws.  So that’s why my bed has scratch marks on it!

You see, all the funny, quirky little behaviours are simply a case of ancestry!

Apparently it is ok for Melly to wake me up - speak no evil?

Smell no evil?

 

Hybrid Cats - petrol & electric????

I get asked a lot about hybrid cats, in particular, Bengals and so I thought I would note down some food for thought for anyone considering taking on a Bengal.

Firstly, what are hybrid cat breeds? Well, basically they are domestic cats which have been bred with wild cats.  Examples of this include Bengals (Asian Leopard X), Savannahs (Serval X) and Scottish Wild Cats Xs.

Sometimes these cats are much larger than average domestic cats and may behave differently, including being more territorial and aggressive.  This can depend on the amount of genetic material coming from the non-domestic species.

Taking on a hybrid rescue cat, or indeed, buying a hybrid kitten should not be undertaken lightly and we would recommend that you take time to learn and understand the specialist care and attention your new pet will need.  For instance, a Bengal cat may not tolerate being locked indoors, they can be very noisy and generally they like to climb (anything!).  When bored, Bengals can become intolerant and aggressive and when feeling territorial they are likely to spray.  It isn’t all bad though, when trained, handled and managed properly they are funny, interesting cats but let me be clear, they are a lot of work.

At Cats Protection Camberley, we do see a few Bengal cats each year that need rehoming and we are always very careful to ensure the adopter understands how time-consuming Bengals are…. There are many Bengal specialists around the country who are inundated with cats being surrendered due to behavioural problems which is a sad reflection on the breed.  Behavioural problems can be managed with specialist help but it will require patience and perseverance.

I guess the message here is yes, they are super-cute and they really do look like little leopards  - but that’s exactly what they are - and you need to think about that before taking one on.

Contact Cats Protection Camberley and District if you have any questions

 

Is Joseph Undateable? Of course not!

I'd like you all to meet the gorgeous Joseph!

Despite being a wonderful little man, Joseph is being overlooked by adopters and I think the reason is two-fold;

1.  He is a black cat, and they are always harder to rehome
2.  He is around 10 years old and older cats are always harder to rehome

So why am I writing about Joseph?  Well because he is an adorable boy who has been through a tough time and is now looking to spend his life is a comfortable, secure and safe home, and he really deserves it!

Joseph was brought into us, just after Christmas as he had been living rough for many months.  Someone had been kindly feeding him scraps which had kept him going but it was clear to us that he needed some TLC.

Joseph has settled really well into his foster home and is proving to be a very sociable man indeed!  He is always jumping on a lap to get some fuss and attention, and sometimes he prefers to sit with someone, but not on them - well that is a cats perogative, surely!

I'm not going to start ranting about why black cats should not be overlooked (because I get sad, and cross) but I would like to just quickly talk about why you should consider older cats when you're thinking about adopting;

1. The personality of an older cat is already known - making it easier to match you with the right pusscat
2. Older cats are generally less demanding and need less supervision
3. Older cats will be calmer than a youngster
4. If you already have an older cat, introducing another older cat to the household can be less stressful than introducing a kitten
5.  Mature mogs are so grateful to have found a loving home - they will repay you with love ten-fold
6.  Cats regularly live into their late teens these days so most seniors have many years of life left in them

So if you are thinking about adopting, consider making an appointment with us to meet Joseph and if you have the time, please share this post and lets see if we can match this lovely boy with the loving owner he derserves.

To find out more check out our website or contact us on camberleycats2000@yahoo.com

Valentines Day - Kitty Style

The love of my life is my cat - yes it is true so don't snigger!  This time of year, when I am thinking about Valentines Day, MellyBoy is in my thoughts.

So with that in mind, I have hunted down some fabulous cat-related Valentines Day cards - I hope you like them!

So in Number one spot, and my favourite is this gorgeous card by katndrewcards, available from Etsy - View on Etsy

This one comes in as a close second, again from Etsy and made by PrintsofHeart -View on Etsy

How about this one, for your better half, from the cat? (Inside reads "Blah Blah Blah Feed Me") - View on Zazzle

Or, if you are a romantic, how about this from one of my favourite sites - Doodle Cats.  I love the fact there is a singular or multiple cat option - brilliant! - View on DoodleCats

Good old Moonpig has a a fab one too and who doesn't love a personalised card? - View on Moonpig

I had to include this one... if you are not the cat crazy person in your relationship (you probably wouldn't be reading this blog!!) how about this one from Not on The High Street - View on Not on the High Street

Lastly, what do you do if you want to buy a card to send from the cat to someone?  Well Not on the High Street have a solution!  View on Not on the High Street

I literally could go on for hours but my Cats Protection duties are calling so from me and my "furry life partner", MellyBoy, and I, we wish you a very Happy Valentines Day xoxoxoxo