April – Cat Of The Week – April 9th 2018

Everyone meet our Cat of the Week for April 9th, 2018! I promise it is just an odd coincidence that her name is April!

April was adopted in June of 2017, but she was born on Easter Sunday.  She’s just about a year old now. April’s mom was a stray cat and a family friend let her her humans know that she was born and looking for a home!

As soon as her humans saw a picture of her they knew they had to go and get her when she was big enough to be away from her mom. Who could resist that face?

At a little over 8 weeks (as soon as she was ready to be adopted) April was taken in by her humans with two other resident cats.

April has a character like a sweet old lady. She is super sweet and extremely caring. She is also one of the gentlest cats in the world! She absolutely loves affection and can’t go too long without some human pets and scratches!

She loves playing with straws and anything that makes a noise like crinkled paper. Like most cats, she is also a huge fan of the laser pointer. April gets plenty of play time with all sorts of toys, but also loves relaxing!

Sometimes her human family thinks she is a panther or cougar because she loves lounging  so much.  April also has a cool habit where hops on peoples backs to ride around on them like we humans ride a horse.

April’s favorite place to sleep is under a bed sheet or on top of the cat tree where she can look down on the world and picture it as her oyster!

We at StuffCatsWant want to thank April’s family for submitting her as Cats of the Week! To submit your cat for Cat of the Week please send at least 5 photos and a description of at least 400 words to Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

StuffCatsWant.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Annie – Cat Of The Week – April 2nd 2018

This week’s featured cat of the week is Annie! Annie comes submitted to us from Reddit user GeorgiaPhillips and we thank her for her submission! Annie is a farm cat that loves to drive the tractor! Well, sit on the tractor and sleep, but one day….

Georgia found Annie Cat and her brother about 3 years ago, a friend of a friend knew of a house overrun with animals. The house also had many children so they were looking to give a few away, animals not children mind you!

While Georgia wasn’t even looking for a cat at the time she couldn’t resist and rushed over and came away with the two biggest floofs from the bunch!

At the time they were skinny with matted fur but she knew that with a bit of love they could be in great condition. The previous owners were unsure of the cats breeding and ages but that didn’t matter to Georgia, she just wanted to get them home as quickly as possible!

When Annie came home she was nervous of all humans and would only come out of her hiding places to be fed.  Unfortunately the first thing she needed to do was cut all her matted fur off so she could actually assess what condition her body was in under a all the floof! She was not impressed.

After months of quiet work building Annie’s trust she couldn’t be more confident. She demands food as soon as Georgia arrives at work, sometimes she will even meet her at her car just to make sure she knows that she’s impatiently waiting!

Annie she still doesn’t enjoy her haircuts in the summer to stop plants getting stuck in her beautiful belly hair! But other than that she has settled right into being the resident farm cat!

Her favorite jobs are to check up on the horses, to find new sleeping spots, and to act as farm supervisor watching the team as we work and looking over the foals when we take them to the fields!

She loves to follow Georgia around racing from place to place as if she can’t be seen!  Most of all she loves cuddles and climbing inside people’s coats, especially if they are still wearing them!! Seems to me Annie might lover herself a heated cat bed!

She has the most adorable chirp for when she wants attention, it melts your heart every time you hear it! She loves to have a conversation meowing at her friends and family and the horses, and her purr is extremely loud! But most of all Georgia loves that she and her brother are both happy now!

We at StuffCatsWant again thank reddit user GeorgiaPhillips for submitting Annie as Cats of the Week! To submit your cat for Cat of the Week please send at least 5 photos and a description of at least 400 words to Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

StuffCatsWant.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

17 Practical Tips To Make Your Cat Sleep When You Do. Tonight.

It’s 3:07 AM and you wake up to your cat batting around a toy just outside your door. It is 2:17 and you wake up to your cat walking all over your bed meowing.

Sound familiar? Cats love to operate on their own schedule, they are independent after all. It can be a little frustrating at times as a cat owner though. Especially when you start to lose sleep.

Ever wonder “Is there any way to make my cat sleep when I do, or at least not disturb my sleep?” The resounding answer is “Yes!” These 17 tips will ensure that you and your cat will both get a sound night of sleep. Tonight.

One last note before the tips. If night time activity is a recent change then get your cat to the Vet ASAP to rule out medical conditions.

JaneA Kelley, author of cat advice blog Paws and Effect, says “This is particularly true with elder cats who begin meowing all night when they haven’t done so before. Diseases like hyperthyroidism can be marked by nighttime vocalization. But even younger cats could have medical issues that lead to midnight meowing.”

Now let’s move onto the tips!

#1 Put Your Cat’s Instincts To Work So She Falls Asleep Naturally

Cats have a natural order of operations on a day to day basis. We all know that they sleep…A lot. But there’s more to it than that. Cats, left to their natural habitat, function in a step by step process of hunting, killing, eating, grooming and then sleeping.

Given this is biologically programmed in we humans should take advantage of it! While structured play sessions and appropriate feeding are important be sure to use them at the appropriate time of day.

About an hour before bed schedule your structured play session with your feline friend. Spend at least 15 minutes (30 is better) playing with your cat with any form of toy.

Be sure to end the play session with a physical toy so your cat can pounce and actually ‘kill’ something. This means if you use a laser pointer to start be sure to close your session with a wand toy or something else physical.

After your play session give your cat their normal meal for the evening and then head off toward bed. Most cats will finish eating, groom themselves and then drift off to sleep at this point.

For more detail check out this article with an interview from Jackson Galaxy on the topic.

#2 Love Animal Planet? Cats Do Too! It’ll Entertain Them For Hours!

The more your cat is awake during the day the less likely he or she is to keep you up at night. Cats do after all want to get in their 16 hours of sleep a day. Given this, TV & video can be an excellent entertainment option for some cats.

While not all cats will absolutely love TV, there are a good chunk of them that will sit and watch it. This is especially true for cats that have a high prey drive and like to hunt for toys around the house.

The quick movements of animals and objects across the TV screen mimics what your cat experiences while hunting so it is a very engaging medium.

There are a laundry list of YouTube videos available that worked wonders on Beast and Lexi. Here are 3 of my favorites: YouTube Video 1 (2 hours), YouTube Video 2 (2 hours), YouTube Video 3 (1 hour).

Simply pop them on the TV with the YouTube App and let your kitty watch. Below is a short sample just to give you an idea!

Supervise your cat during the first few experiences. Some cats may attempt to attack the screen and this can be bad for both your cat and of course your screen.

Cats can become frustrated if they are unable to pounce on something after watching for an extended period.

Be sure to have actual toys nearby for your kitty to play with and be sure to jump in and engage when necessary!

References: VetStreet

#3 Introduce Your Cat To Video Games To Tire Her Out

If you’ve got a smart phone or tablet then you can put it to use to entertain your cat, and not with YouTube videos. There are more than a handful of mobile applications out there made to entertain your feline friend.

They range from a mouse running around the screen to a peaceful koi pond all the way to letting your cat paint a masterpiece and then print out the results.

• Apps are available for both Apple and Android (this is a good list of the best) and they do a great job of drawing your cat’s attention. A few additional tips:
  • Make sure your tablet or mobile phone is on the floor when your cat plays.
  • Trim your cat’s nails in advance.
  • Add a screen protector just in case.
• If you’re in the market for a cat related video game for yourself check out Cat Quest. It is has tons of fun cat puns in the dialogue and has a lot of meowing that kept my cats up and engaged.

#4 Maintain the Mystery Of Her Toys So She Keeps Playing

Anyone out there that’s owned a cat knows that they are inherently curious. After all, the good old phrase “Curiosity killed the cat.” had to originate from somewhere right?

Don’t worry, I have no intention of injuring your cat. But! We can put your cat’s instincts to work again to keep her awake during the daytime hours.

While cats enjoy a life without big surprises they tend to love small surprises. This means that new toys are far more interesting than old toys.

Having a rotation of toys of available for your cats is imperative for keeping them entertained. Be sure to put toys that aren’t in use away in a cupboard or shelf where your cat can’t see them.  This way when you bring them out they seem brand new!

Another item that might help is a quick spritz of Catnip Spray on an older toy.  You can find Catnip spray at any pet store these days or you can pick it up from Amazon for a couple of bucks.

Last but not least, if you happen to order items and have the shipped to your house (who doesn’t these days?) then be sure to keep the boxes around so your cat can explore them. If you’ve got multiple boxes you can re-arrange them in different ways to keep your cat interested and thus awake.

#5 Spay or Neuter Your Feline Friend To Minimize Yowling

According to the most recent research a large portion of American house cats are already spayed or neutered. Cats that aren’t yet fixed though often exhibit a host of frustrating behavioral problems including yowling all through the night looking for a mate.

If your cat is not yet spayed or neutered then you should consider getting this done ASAP. Not only are there a variety of health benefits (longer life, less likelihood to develop cancer, etc.), but it generally helps calm cats down.

To be 100% clear, spaying or neutering is not a guaranteed fix for every behavioral problem in the book, but it often has positive benefits from a behavioral standpoint and is a good choice for the overall cat population.

If spaying or neutering your cat is difficult to consider due to costs then look into free or heavily discounted services through the ASPCA at this link.

#6 Adopt a Fluffy Friend For Your Cat To Tire Her Out

If your cat currently flies solo and you’ve never explored having another cat in the house then you may want to consider it. My household started with one cat and she often slept all day. Since I volunteer at the local shelter I decided to foster a cat to give her some company and they hit it off well.

I now commonly find their toys strewn about the house when I get home. Not only does an additional cat bring your feline friend a companion to pass the time with, it encourages them to exercise and play together which when done right will ensure they sleep at night!

Note that some cats are absolutely not open to having another feline in their territory. If you already know your cat is a solo cat then this is obviously not a good choice.

If you’re not sure about your cat you might want to try fostering from a local shelter to:

• Do a good deed for a kitty in need
• Understanding how well your resident cat will adjust

Most foster programs will let you foster anywhere from a week to a few months. They also love it if you have a ‘failed foster’ and end up adopting the cat directly. Check out PetFinder to help you locate local shelters and rescues!

#7 Provide a Separate Bed For Your Cat So She Isn’t Sleeping On You

A large percentage of cat owners, 62% according to recent research, let their cat sleep in their bed with them. There are a host of benefits to allowing your cat to sleep with you, in particular stress relief. You also  get the enjoyment of listening to them purr and knead as they get read for bed.

That being said, cats are not well known for sleeping for long periods of time. They tend to sleep in short naps throughout the entire day.

While most of us cat owners enjoy having our cats sleep with us (me included), I’ve found significant benefit in having my cats sleep nearby instead of directly on my bed with me.

I own a small cat bed and it sits on my nightstand and I encourage Beast to sleep in it with treats or by simply picking her up and placing her in it.

Not only does this keep her nice and warm and comfy, but it stops her from walking all over me to find a spot for herself. She also is a tiny furnace and she makes me hot beyond belief when she lays on top of me so this is an absolute necessity for me!

#8 Get an Automatic Feeder for Morning or Night  Feedings

If your cat wakes you up with a ton of noise looking for food early in the morning or the middle of the night then consider an automatic cat feeder.  There automatic feeders for both dry and wet food.

You can simply program your feeder to pour out a certain amount of food or pop open a prepared dish of food at a specific time of day.

Not only will this make your kitty happy when he or she wakes up hungry in the morning, but it’ll also save you from having to wake up and prepare cat food!

This means you can kill two birds with one stone at night when you’re getting ready to feed your kitty dinner after that play session we talked about above!

#9 Consider Your Lighting So Your Older Cat Isn’t Confused

As cats age their eyesight can start to decline. No surprise, this is true across every animal in the world, including us humans.  Older cats though may start to experience problems in the dark especially.

While cat whiskers are amazing things (and help your cat navigate in the dark) it is possible that your cat simply doesn’t understand why she can’t see as well as she used to a night time.

Sometimes this lack of understanding can cause your feline friend to speak out and let you know she’s lost and confused. This means meowing. In the middle of the night.

If you’re starting to experience this with an older cat then you might want to explore providing a nightlight in a strategic place to ensure your cat can see where she needs to go.

#10 Teach Your Cat Ornithology (Bird Watching) So She Zonks Out at Night

It is nothing new that cats love to look out the window, but the window can get boring if there’s not much out there that’s moving.

Spice things up and install a bird feeder and a window bed.  This gets your kitty a front row seat to the action of all of the birds coming back and forth to feed.

I use a very small bird feeder that is 100% clear and attaches to the window with suction cups. This feeder is by no means a necessity, but it provides an completely unobstructed view.

This means your cat stays locked in for a longer period of time. I’ve also noticed that the cat proximity does nothing to deter the sparrows or cardinals from ravaging my bird feeder.

You might even get extra lucky and attract a squirrel if you put the feeder low enough down or provide the type of feeder that a squirrel can get into.

My cat Lexi not only chatters extensively at the birds whenever they are there. She constantly gets into full butt wiggle mode and pounces on her own inside to show the birds who is the boss.

#11 Give Your Cat a Relaxation Boost Before Bed

Feeding your cat a little bit of catnip can help them relax before bed time.  We often hear that catnip will cause your cat to become full of energy and bounce of the walls.

The inhalation of catnip is what causes your cat to become a bit crazed or loaded with energy. On the other hand when cats eat catnip most of them experience a calming effect just like that of a sedative.

You may also try placing a Feliway Calming Cat Diffuser in the room your cat sleeps in. Feliway has a calming effect on cats by diffusing a synthetic pheromone into the air that makes your cat feel like she is in a safe place.

While the more traditional use is to help a cat adjust to a new house or to decrease behavior like spraying it can also have benefits to encourage a more generally relaxed demeanor.

#12 Relocate the Cat Bathroom To Minimize Midnight Noise

I’m not sure about your cat, but my cats make an absolutely crazy amount of noise when they are finished using the litter box. It seriously sounds like they are trying to dig their way all the way to China through the bottom of the litter box.

And you know what? No surprise! This used to constantly wake me up until I relocated the litter box.

Keep your cat’s litter box as far away from your bedroom as possible. If you can put it inside a mostly enclosed space like a closet or a mud room this is even better.

Anything you can do to minimize the noise made from your cat kicking litter or banging the flap will provide a more peaceful night of sleep

#13 Hire a Robot Servant (Vacuum) And Have It Work While You’re Away

We’ve all seen the iconic photo or video of the cat riding around on top of the Roomba, and yes, it is hilarious. The simple fact though is most cats are not only intrigued by robot vacuum cleaners, they are not terribly thrilled by them.

This means as a robot vacuum is doing its job tidying up the house it is likely keeping your kitty awake and alert, but with no real threat at hand.

Two birds, one stone! Especially if you have wood floors like I do and there’s often litter all over despite your best efforts.

There are a few things you’ll of course want to consider here before kicking off this idea:

• Run your robot vacuum at least a few times while you are around to determine how your cat will react. If he or she is clearly freaked out then this isn’t a great idea.
• Check around the house before leaving for the day. I’ve had my vacuum roll right through a pile of cat puke and then drag it through the house, not so fun to clean up later. Ugh. Yuck.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen the video then check it out below…

#14 Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked – Keep Your Cat Awake Until Bed

Another easy way to ensure your cat sleeps at night is to simply wake him or her up whenever they try to take an extended nap during the day.

This is most important to enforce once you’re home from work or school. The more you keep your cat awake between then and bed time the less likely she will be to wake you up throughout the night.

This is one of the easiest methods to execute on, if of course you are actually at home during the day. All it takes is giving your kitty some butt scratches or chin scratches to convince her to wake up.

I’m also lucky in that if I pick either of my cats up they wake up immediately and want to get down and walk around. Figure out a gentle way to wake your kitties up that keeps them up…

#15 Turn Your Cat Into the Next World Traveler

If you’re not already familiar with the idea of Adventure Cats then you should definitely check out this amazing website that details all of the comings and goings of cats that go out into the wild with their humans!

This includes every variety of cat. From those that ride along in backpack carriers with their humans while they hike all the way to those that have been leash and harness trained and love to go hiking with their humans.

You can get your cat started on becoming an adventure cat by picking up a leash and harness yourself and taking your cat for short walks around the house or outdoors.  I live in downtown Chicago so I don’t love walking my cats on the sidewalk.

Instead I use a Bubble Backpack to get them to an open space or a park first! Giving your cat the chance to experience new places and smells is an experience that will keep her locked in for an extended period of time.

Not only does this ensure she stays awake, but it also ensures that she’s fully ready to fall asleep for a good long time once you get her home!

Learn the basics of turning your cat into an adventure cat here.

#16 Entertain Your Cat (And Yourself) From Afar

Although it is often noted that cats are nocturnal, they aren’t. They are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk.

This means they sleep a lot during the day. Keeping your cat awake during the day is a great way to ensure your cat will spend most of the night sleeping.

Unfortunately a good chunk of us are away during the day at work or school. This means your cat is likely zonked out in the comfiest spot in the house (or in the spots they aren’t allowed on while you are home!) all day long.

So what can you do short of trying to sneak home to wake your fur ball up?

Welcome to the world of remote controlled feeders and toys!

There are a laundry list of products on the market, we’re going to focus on those that can wake your kitty cat up.  Two great ways to do this are with:

1. Remote controlled video, audio & laser pointers:
   • Log into the app on your phone and not only do you get sound and video (and can speak to your cats), but you can flip on the built in laser pointer and drag it across the floor!
   • This is perfect for an extended day away at work. Log into the phone app for 5 minutes during lunch or between meetings and get your kitty running around a bit. The most well known company in the space is PetCube.
2. Remote controlled treat dispensers:
   1. This contraption will allow you to deploy treats from the click of your phone. Since most cats come running to the sound of the treat bag your cat will quickly recognize the sound of the treat dispenser deploying a snack and come running.
   2. There are obvious concerns with using this method exclusively, feeding your cat tons of treats will fatten him or her up!

#17 When All Else Fails…Close The Door for Privacy

A hefty chunk of cat owners absolutely love sleeping with their cats, myself included. But if you’ve tried a wide variety of methods to achieve a full night of sleep and you haven’t seen success then you might try this as a last resort.

Try putting your cat in another room or simply closing your bedroom door while you sleep.

When I put mine in the second bedroom they didn’t bat an eyelash and went right to sleep without a single meow of complaint. On the other hand if I leave them outside the bedroom and close the door they bonk and paw at it the whole night.

I’ve deployed the SSSCat Cat Deterrent to deter this behavior and had some success, but it was simply easier to put them in the other room when I need a night to myself.

I’ve spoken with numerous other owners that have cats that don’t mind being locked out of the bedroom at night one bit.

You may have to experiment with where to keep your cats for the night, but if they are driving you nuts in the room then definitely try some alternatives. You shouldn’t feel bad about it as many cats will quickly adjust and go to sleep without any problem what so ever.

Wrapping It Up

These days sleep is proving ever more important for good general health. Ensuring you get a sound night of sleep is very important, especially if you want to have a great day when you get out of bed.

The most important thing you can do to ensure you and your cat both get a good night of sleep is to make sure your cat is good and tired out around bed time. This means keeping your cat focused and engaged during the day, even if you’re not around, and then providing good quality play time before dinner and bed!

One last item worth calling out. If your cat is meowing or causing a ruckus all night long and none of these methods help then there may be a medical issue at hand. You should consider taking your cat to the vet to ensure there isn’t a health related concern causing your cat to stay up all night.

What method have you found to ensure you and your cat(s) all get a good night of sleep? Tell us about your favorite method, or better yet what you’ve experienced across a bunch of cats! Feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email at Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

10 Interest Cat Whisker Facts

While I’ve had cats for years and I’ve always known their whiskers come in handy I never knew too much about them until I decided to research this article! I had no idea all of the different reasons our feline friends have whiskers, and that they had them in so many places.

Cat whiskers are pretty darn versatile, probably far more versatile then you’d think! Unlike the ‘whiskers’ we find on our human compatriots that are mostly used for looks, the whiskers on our feline friends have a multitude of uses! They are used for navigation, feeling, emotions and much, much more! So let’s take a look at 10 interesting cat whisker facts to get you up to speed on all the wonderful things your cat whiskers do for your feline friend!

They’re All Over The Place!

You probably assume your cat only has whiskers on the sides of their nose, but you’d be assuming wrong! Whiskers are also known as “vibrissae” or in more common terms tactile hairs. Your cat’s whiskers are two to three times thicker than regular cat hair and they are actually found in a bunch of places outside just their muzzle.

Whiskers are found above your cat’s eyes (look closely for them), all along the jawline and even behind their front legs. Your cat uses these whiskers for all sorts of reasons, but the most common is helping them navigate based on feelings that come in through the whisker tips.

I Can See In the Dark!

Whiskers are a heck of a lot more sensitive than a typical cat hair, they are directly wired into the nervous system of our feline friends. The whisker tips come fully loaded with little sensory organs called proprioceptors. These proprioceptors are extremely sensitive and can even feel slight changes in the air flow around your cat. Because of this sensitivity whiskers help your furry friend determine an object’s distance, direction and even surface texture. Pretty useful when it is dark and you might not be able to see anything!

Don’t Mess With My Whiskers!

Whiskers will fall out from time to time and that is completely natural. Just like cat hair and human hair, they’ll simply fall off and then they’ll grow back over time. No need to worry if you find one on the floor or one pops off while you’re scratching your cat’s chin.  Unlike cat hair though, you’ll definitely want to avoid any trimming or grooming of your cat’s whiskers!

If you do mess with her whisker’s you could be leaving her hampered from a sensory standpoint which is especially dangerous for a cat that goes outdoors. On top of that, pulling on them or messing with them can actually be painful given how deeply rooted into the nerves they are.

I Need A Break…

Just like any other organ, eyes, ears, etc., whiskers can be overloaded from constant pressure or usage. If you find that your cat likes to knock food all over the place out of the bowl before eating then your cat might be suffering from what is called ‘whisker fatigue.’  This is generally caused by your cats’ whiskers being constantly pressured from the edges of the bowl. You might need to try using a different bowl.

Going For the Kill!

The whiskers I referenced that we find on the back of the front legs are primarily geared toward helping your cat during the hunt. Particularly they come into play after your cat has pounced and might be wrestling with prey. They basically serve as an indicator of where the prey is and how it might be moving so your cat can more safely kill its prey.

Why might they need this? Well, your cat doesn’t have the best eyesight in the world for objects nearby. Have you ever noticed how they have a hard time finding a treat in your hand right under their nose? And even if they could see close up their prey is often under them out of eyesight. This is the reason for these whiskers.

Is My Cat Happy or Sad?

If you’re familiar with cat behavior you know their hair gives off a bunch of signs that will help you understand how they are feeling.  Whiskers play into this as well if you’re a careful observer. If your kitty’s whiskers are pulled in close to the cheeks you might want to avoid your cat for the moment because they could be in a lousy mood. Relaxed whiskers, those pointing out to the sides as you’d generally see them, mean a relaxed and happy cat. Time for some chin scratches!

Does Size Matter?

Whisker length is typically associated with the size of your cat. Your cat will often use her whiskers to determine if she can fit through a space or not and whiskers help her do that quickly. The bigger the cat the more likely the whiskers are big too! As for the cat with the largest whiskers in the world? Well, that’s Fullmoon’s Miss American Pie from Finland. The last recording of those whiskers was in 2005 and she set the Guinness World Record measuring in at 7.5 inches long! That’s one big set of whiskers!

Where’d The Word Come From?

The word “whisker” dates back to the early 17^th century and it was from the Middle English word “wisker” meaning something used to whisks or sweep. No surprise I suppose since if you took a bunch of your cat’s whiskers and grouped them together you’d probably be able to create a pretty nice little broom out of them!

Your Cat Isn’t a Witch (I’m Sure You Already Knew That)

The whiskers on the sides of your cat’s muzzle have their own specific name, mystacial whiskers! Be careful, it isn’t mystical, it is mystacial! There are typically somewhere in the order of a dozen of these on each side of the feline face, but you might find a few less or a few more.

It is no surprise you are probably most aware of these whiskers, they are by far the longest on your cat’s face. One other cool tidbit on these mystacial whiskers, your cat can actually control them because they are connected to muscles in the face! Imagine if you could control your mustache guys?

Like Leaves In Autumn

Whiskers can change color over time, just like the rest of your cat’s hair. If you start to find grey or white whisker’s among the rest of the group then there’s nothing to worry about! It becomes most obvious if you’ve got a cat that has a black or dark colored coat. This slow change is totally natural and will likely continue as your kitty gets older.

Wrapping it Up on Cat Whisker Facts

Your cat’s whiskers are pretty darn cool body parts on the overall.  Who knew they had so many uses and they factored so heavily into the survival of our feline friends for so long?!

If nothing else, I’m far more impressed with my cat’s whiskers than I am with my own facial hair, mine seems sorely lacking usability and versatility after finding all of this out.

If you have any experiences you’d like to share about your cat and his or her whiskers then please let me know by leaving a comment below or write me directly at Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

Charlie – Cat Of The Week – February 12th 2018

This week’s featured cat comes from San Luis Obispo, CA from the reddit user thescruffysquid (Shawn)! We thank him for submitting Charlie as cat of the week.

Charlie and Shawn live in San Luis Obispo, CA. Growing up, Shawn always had cats so after a few years of living on his own he decided that it was time to adopt a fur ball for himself. One day, Shawn randomly decided he would check the local shelters website and his my future furball’s picture on the home page. There was something about the little half mustache that drew him in and he knew if he adopted her he would name her Charlize(after Charlie Chaplin).

Charlize was listed as a six month old, short haired female. When he got to the shelter and asked to meet her he was told that she’s the most loving kitten they had and hoped she would go home ASAP! The second he got into the cat section of the shelter he saw a little black and white paw sticking out of a cage as if it were waiting for him.

Charlie’s favorite things to do are play with his pet mice or shoe laces (check out these toys for recommendations), sleep in the window (some cats love window beds), and play in his water fountain (be sure your kitty stays hydrated too). Not only is Charlie the opposite of what the shelter said, but he also loves to play in water! Who would have thought? The second the shower door opens he tries to jump in the shower to roll around in the water.

If you ever want to see your cat go crazy, tie a shoelace to one of their favorite toys and you are in for a real treat! Charlie loves to talk when his human is trying to sleep, but once Charlie started getting play time right before bed with a mouse attached to a shoe lace he sleeps all night……most of the time. You can find Charlie on his Instagram @imcharliethekitteh though he’s been slacking on his posts lately!

Cat of the Week – January 22nd, 2018 – Maya

This week’s cat of the week comes to us from Instagram user DannyLyon! Check out the beautiful Persian Maya!  Maya is a two-year-old Persian that was rescued from Homeward Trails in April of 2017. Their previous kitty, a 7-year-old Maine Coon, passed away from liver cancer in February 2017 which left them heartbroken. So when the family saw a friend post on Facebook that Homeward Trails had just completed a rescue effort in Kuwait (where numerous cats and dogs roam the streets) they got interested!

Maya is one of the cats who was rescued from Kuwait last Spring. She was spayed shortly after arriving in the states and had an infection in her spay incision; thus, she had to wear a blue surgical shirt for a bit. While the family tried as hard as possible to limit her activity, it proved to be quite difficult as Maya loves to play because she’s very active and relatively young.

Since adopting Maya, she has settled in nicely with our family of four in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Maya is extremely social and wants to share the latest news and give you the lowdown on her day (read: she is extremely chatty!). She is also very playful; her favorite pastimes are playing with catnip mice, swatting at and chasing the kid’s Lego pieces and hunting bugs. Perhaps she’d like Hexbugs as a substitute! If you need ideas on keeping your own cat entertained check out these toys!

Maya enjoys keeping everyone company throughout the day whether on the sofa, in bed, on the desk (mom works from home) and at the dinner table – yes, she really does join the family at dinnertime and sits at the 5th chair at the table. When she is really well behaved, she will get a tiny treat of fresh fish or grilled chicken.

Maya loves wildlife and perches herself in the bump-out garden style window in the kitchen to watch birds in the front yard and enjoys her view from her cat tree to keep watch on our backyard. While Maya has it made with her window setup, check out the these window beds if you’re looking to get your cat squared away!

When it snowed for the first time in D.C. this winter, Maya would not stop meowing to go outside. She is an indoor kitty, however, it was clear she wanted to check out the snow. Her winter coat has come in and Maya was escorted by the family and walked outside through the carport and went exploring. She cautiously walked through the 1” of new-fallen snow and it was then that this photo of her was taken – white fur on white snow.

Maya loves to be held like a baby; she will wrap her front paws around your arm as you pet her chest. We’re pretty sure she is determined to convert all non-cat lovers to cat lovers for life. Needless to say, Maya has won over many hearts already. Maya has brought much joy and laughter to our family and we are forever grateful to be her owners.

To submit your cat for Cat of the Week please send at least 5 photos and a description of at least 400 words to Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

10 Interesting Cat Paw Facts

Have you ever spent much time thinking about your cat’s paws?  And no, thinking they are very cute when they zonk out with them face up doesn’t count! While cat paws are of course there for all of the usual stuff, walking, jumping, pouncing etc., there are actually a bunch of other interesting tidbits you would probably like to know!

Not only are your cats paws useful from a generic sense of getting around, but they are really geared toward ensuring your cat can do things like mark her territory, chase down her prey and of course complete tasks that are much more complex than swatting your when you try to pet her tummy.

So let’s take a look at a few interesting cat paw facts!

Is Your Cat Left or Right Pawed?

You know how we humans have a dominant hand and a dominant foot, well your feline friends do as well! While there isn’t any definitive percentage of cats that use their right over their left paw, the research does show that that they do indeed have paw preferences.

What’s interesting is that this is even more prominent when our feline friends are doing something they consider difficult, like trying to work treats out of a food puzzle. This should remind you of yourself because difficult tasks that require finesse, for example writing, are typically conducted using only one hand. There aren’t many of humans that are ambidextrous!

While I’ve never read any details on whether or not gender correlates with handedness in humans, there is some research produced by the Queens University in Ireland that at least indicates some level of correlation between gender and right or left paw dominance. They shows that male cats tend to be right pawed and their feline counterparts tend to lean on their left paw more often.

If you’re curious about which paw your cat tends to favor it is pretty easy to find out.  There are all sorts of ways you can do this, but the easiest is to place treats in hard to reach places where your cat can’t simply walk right up and eat them. You could place them in between flower pots or anything that is heavy/immobile and unlikely to tip over to see how your cat reacts.

Note that for any accurate reading you’re going to need to conduct this test a lot of times. Only doing it once or twice won’t tell you anything specific!

Cats are Very Sneaky!

Have you ever tried to sneak up on someone very quietly and depended on walking on your tip toes to make sure they don’t hear you coming?  Cats actually walk on their tip toes almost exclusively! They are what scientists call digitigrade. This basically means they spend almost all their time up on their tip toes!

For us humans walking on tip toes is kind of a hassle and we don’t really need to do it unless we’re sneaking around. But for cats they’ve evolved to walk on their tip toes to enhance their chances of survival. Just like we humans, walking on tip toes makes cats harder to detect and it also makes it harder for their prey to detect them.

Does Your Cat Hate When You Touch Her Paws?

I don’t know about your cat, but both my cats are pretty quick to yank their paws away from me the second I try to touch or squeeze them in any way.  At first I wondered why that would be, it’s just a paw after all! My dogs growing up never had any trouble with this.

But there is of course a reason for this, and it isn’t just because they don’t like being touched. Most cats object to having their paws touched because the pads on the bottom of their paws are extremely sensitive. Very similar to cat whiskers, they are directly tied into the nervous system of your cat and they’ve got a boatload of receptors in them. This means cats prefer to touch their paws themselves and that’s about it!

These receptors make the paw pads on your cat an aid in of course getting around, but also in hunting by helping them maintain balance on uneven or difficult surfaces. It may also be surprising, but some signs point to their paw pads being sensitive enough to help them feel vibrations in the ground which might alert them to the location of their prey or a potential predator sneaking up on them.

Sensitivity Has Its Drawbacks

While all of the above details might sound pretty cool, there are some things worth considering on the negative side too.  Paw pads are strong enough to help keep paws safe in many circumstances, but they can be easily injured by extreme temperature or too much pressure.

Different textures can also feel uncomfortable to your cat which will result in them avoiding areas that have that type of texture. This is a great reasons that things like double sided tape work at keeping cats off counters or cat mats work to keep cats out of gardens without directly harming them.

Flexibility is Always Underrated

I suppose it is no surprise for me to tell you that your cat’s paws are incredibly flexible. If you’ve ever watched your cat climb up to a high place you’ve definitely seen this in action, their paws flex and turn around edged or rounded surfaces to help them grip.

Their front paws have specifically evolved to turn inward in order so that it is easy for their claws to sink into surfaces they are climbing. Keep in mind that having sharp claws is part of the deal for climbing well, if your cat is scratching up a storm take a look at this article to help redirect your cat to a desired scratching surface.

Now back to the flexibility. This flexibility in the front paws makes it easy to climb up, but not so easy to climb down! If you’ve ever seen a cat come down a tree you probably noticed that cat backing down the tree. That’s because their claws can’t dig in effectively facing downward

Cats Use Paws for Grooming

Your cat has quite a toolset available for grooming, but the most obvious you’re probably aware of is her tongue. She uses it to handle a lot of her daily grooming duties. But, paws help her along in the process, especially in areas that her tongue can’t get to.

You’ll see your cat use her paws to groom her ears, under her chins and all over her neck and face. Beast in particular rubs her paw over her face then licks it then does this again and again. Mothers usually start to teach their kittens this process before they are weaned so your cat might not be the best at this type of cleaning if they were hand raised by humans.

Cats Use Paws to Communicate

While cat scratching is of course a normal behavior and something you can’t really stop, there’s far more reason for it than simply sharpening nails.  Cats actually scratch objects to mark their territories.

There are small scent glands in the paws and while your cat scratches they release pheromones on those surfaces. These pheromones tell other cats all about who was there and let them know this is someone’s territory. You may find scratching associated with spraying if you have a cat that sprays, this is not uncommon as it is another way for the cat to mark their territory.

Paws Sweat

Unlike humans cats don’t sweat through their skin anywhere on their body. That would of course result in a very lousy hair day for your feline friend! Cats actually sweat from their paw pads. Although this is a heck of a lot smaller surface area than we humans have, it does aid in keeping your feline friend from getting too hot on a summer day. If you’re curious about the right temperature for your feline friend check this article out!

Also note that beyond simply being hot, cats that are scared will also get sweaty paws. If your cat hates the vet or hates the groomer then you might notice little wet paw prints on the table when you take them on a dreaded trip.

There’s a Rainbow of Cat Paw Colors

You might be surprised to find out that your cat’s paw pads actually tend to match the color of your cat’s fur! There are some 90 different color patterns alone in domestic short haired cats and if you looked at each of those cat’s paws you’d find that they’ll largely match the fur of the respective cat

To the right here is a picture of Lexi’s paw pads, Lexi is black with a little shock of white fur. You’ll find things quite similar across the rest of cats as well! This is because the pigmentation in your cat that colors her fur is the same pigmentation that colors her paw pads! Pretty cool huh?

Cats Love To Jump & Paws Assist In the Landing

Cat paws are ideal for helping cats get around, especially in environments where they have to jump and leap constantly. Their paw pads cushion and soften landings meaning not only is there less impact on the overall body & joints, but there’s also a heck of a lot less noise. Pretty handy when you’re trying to stalking your prey and not alert them to your presence!

If you’re curious about seeing this in action once of the best ways to do it is to play with your cat with a wand toy and convince her to jump after it. You’ll notice most cats land rather gracefully and without much noise at all, even on hard surfaces like wood floors.

Wrapping it Up on Interesting Cat Paw Facts

Your cat’s paws are pretty versatile and for the most part they are geared toward ensuring your feline friend is both as safe and as fearsome as possible.  Who knew they had so many uses and they factored so heavily into the survival of our feline friends for so long?!

If nothing else, it is great to finally understand why my fur balls don’t like me messing with their paws. If you have any experiences you’d like to share about your cat and his or her paws then please let me know by leaving a comment below or write me directly at Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

Cat of the Week – January 15th, 2018 – Sprouts

This week’s cat of the week comes to us straight from the instagram account kittyorphanage! We really appreciate their submission to our weekly cat competition and are proud to feature their kitten Sprouts!

When the KittyOrphanage team first got Sprouts she was about two months old and she was absolutely covered in fleas. You can see in this first picture Sprouts has just taken likely her first ever bath, and better yet, it was a flea bath to get rid of those pesky little buggers. Right after the bath Sprouts was wrapped up in a nice warm blanket!

As soon as Sprouts was cleaned up a little bit her personality started to shine through right away. She always gives an inquisitive look before she tries to jump and climb up your pant leg. While it is adorable, kittens climbing your pant legs feels like tiny little razors dig in, be sure to wear jeans folks!

Sprouts is the epitome of a well mannered cat and gets along wonderfully with all of the other cats at KittyOrphanage’s home. This makes even the old-timers feel young again which is great to see!

Sprouts has big ears, big eyes, and a big personality. She loves to play and will even reach out and swat at KittyOrphanage’s beard when he holds her. No surprise here as kittens are so darn curious and love to chase and explore new things.

Sprouts is a total cuddle bug as well. She’ll often cozy up right on a family member’s neck when they’re laying down. This of course leads to the human servants being stuck in that position until Sprouts wakes up. They wouldn’t want to disturb such a beautiful kitty cat during a nap!

Sprouts is smart, she knows that the area under the rug in the bathroom with heated floors is the warmest spot in the house and will wrap herself up underneath the rug. Now that is one smart kitty, she makes sure she stays extra warm with minimum effort. No jogging to stay warm for Sprouts!

While Sprouts is of course a wonderful loving little fur ball she won’t be with the family at KittyOrphanage for long. In fact she’s just been adopted out to a new family that is her forever home! While she will be greatly missed at KittyOrphanage’s home everyone knows she will flourish in her new environment.

To submit your cat for Cat of the Week please send at least 5 photos and a description of at least 400 words to Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

Cat of the Week – January 8th, 2018 – Harley

Let’s meet a gorgeous calico named Harley!  Harley comes calling from reddit user idlewildgirl and we thank her for her submission. Harley is three years old and was born in the wonderful spring month of March. idlewildgirl got her when Harley was only 8 weeks from a friend who got her as company for her older cat. Unfortunately the older cat and Harley did not get along too well and soon after Harley was was looking for a new home.

idlewildgirl saw a post Facebook about Harley and her situation on a whim decided that it was the right time in life for her to get a kitten. Harley is the typical feisty Calico cat we hear so much about! When Harley was in for her first vet checkup the vet told her mom that “you are going to have some fun with this one” and they were correct!

Harley enjoys sitting in the window perch, seems these days most cats love these things!  Harley also loves running around the house at 4am and knocking things over, what I personally love to call “the zoomies” after having read it somewhere on Quora. Although my cats do this all the time too, it can help to gt them on a structured play schedule before bed time if you’re having any trouble sleeping!

Harley also loves putting holes in all the curtains in the house! She doesn’t have time for most people, whenever new visitors appear Harley tends to disappear under a bed somewhere and her mom needs to tell friends that it is nothing personal, she’s just your typical feline that isn’t terribly welcoming of brand new people!

Harley does love her mom though, she like a little shadow. Harley won’t even leave her mom alone in the bath without her coming in to sit in the sink to be next to her. This is fun until Harley starts to flick cold water at idlewildgirl trying to turn on the tap for a drink. It is pretty obvious that she does it on purpose!

All things considered though Harley has been a true blessing. After being blindsided by a break up Harley has been there day in and day out and is the best comfort available when sadness strikes. Although she had never had a cat before and didn’t think she would do, idlewildgirl thinks that Harley came into her life at just the right time. It is now hard to imagine being without her. Curtain holes and all!

To submit your cat for Cat of the Week please send at least 4 photos and a description of at least 400 words to Craig@StuffCatsWant.com.

Cat of the Week – January 1st, 2018 – Nugget