Flehmening

When your cat screws up her face and curls her lips back to show her upper and lower teeth this is known as Flehmening. She does this in order to get more information about a smell she has discovered by allowing the smell to register with “Jackobsen’s Organ”. This organ is located in the roof… Continue reading Flehmening

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Burying poo

In the wild, a subordinate cat will often bury its poo in order to hide its presence from the dominant cats in the area. An alpha cat may leave their poo uncovered because they are confident of their dominance and wish to assert ownership of their territory. Domestic cats also display this behaviour. In a… Continue reading Burying poo

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Yawning and sleeping

Bodhi and Luna sleeping photographed by Amy Hill

Yawning Cats seem to have a very well developed sense of the importance of sleeping and napping. As well as yawning because they are tired, however, your cat or kitten may also yawn in order to show his affection. It is likely that this is his way of telling you that he feels safe and… Continue reading Yawning and sleeping

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Cat vocalisation

In the wild, cats tend to become less vocal as they mature. Even vocal kittens grow into relatively quiet adult cats. The classic chirrup sound is one of the most common vocalisations. However, domesticity and close proximity with noisy humans has resulted in most cats continuing to be vocal (or even becoming chattier) as they… Continue reading Cat vocalisation

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Cleaning your cat’s teeth

Cats suffer from the same problems as we do when it comes to keeping their teeth clean and if owners do not have a strategy to deal with this then plaque will build up. Heavy plaque buildup will lead to pain for the cat, a refusal to eat, and eventually teeth loss. Teeth cleaning cat… Continue reading Cleaning your cat’s teeth

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Tail movements

The easiest way to determine the mood of your cat is to watch their tail. A contented or confident cat will walk with their tail held high and raise it when you stroke their back. If they are lying down, the tail may twitch a little but will largely remain still. A trembling tail (especially… Continue reading Tail movements

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Cat scratch fever

Cat scratch fever is a mildly infectious disease, but generally a non-threatening infection caused by the Bartonella bacteria which can be contracted following a cat scratch or bite. Kittens with fleas are most likely to carry the bacteria in their blood and saliva, but it does not actually make the kitten sick. It generally affects… Continue reading Cat scratch fever

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Scratching

Cats (in particular kittens) will frequently scratch their human companions without intending any harm particularly when playing or if given a fright. If panicked, a cat will often claw their way to freedom even if this causes (largely unintentional) damage to the person who is holding them or on whom they are sitting. No matter… Continue reading Scratching

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Prehistory of the cat

It is thought that wild cats began to live and hunt near to human settlements in Western Asia and the Middle East during the Early Neolithic period (also known as the New Stone Age) around ten to eleven thousand years ago. This was because the development of agriculture encouraged mice and other scavengers to congregate… Continue reading Prehistory of the cat

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Submissive and aggressive poses

A cat may strike a submissive pose because she is scared or nervous. This will generally include holding her tail low or between her legs and holding her head pointed downwards and possibly even prostrating herself entirely before you. Between two cats who do not know each other, or who do not get on very… Continue reading Submissive and aggressive poses

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