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Outdoor cats – what they do that you don’t know

Didga the Cat (with his human, not pictured). — Didga the Cat (***supervised*** by his human, not pictured).

OK, so your cat has had his dinner, and is now pleading to you to let him outside, using his most convincing, nagging meowwwwwww. You oblige.

So….what’s your cat’s next move? Any number of potential adventures awaits him.

Unless your cat is Didga (see the picture above), I would suspect he is completely on his own, at will to come and go as he pleases. Here are just a few of the many options he has available to him, depending on his environment and the time he spends out there.

He finds and chases insects (name your preference); birds; rodents and other wildlife. Keep in mind your cat is not wild, he is domesticated and not created to run wild. However, once his hunting instincts kick in, he would tell you otherwise.
If he’s lucky enough (again, from his perspective), he will catch them, play with them, and then consume them, in part or in full. He may even bring the remains, intact or not, to your front door, as his gift to you.
Your cat may end up very sick from eating these various vermin, which may cause him and you much distress and cost you a pretty penny at the animal hospital. If he’s fortunate, he will recover.
Crossing the street is another routine, as your cat will undoubtedly want to get from Point A to Point B. It may be a quiet street, rarely occupied by vehicles. On the other hand, it may be a busy highway. It doesn’t matter to your cat. He will try to cross it. (Can you tell where this story is heading?)
Your cat likes to think that all humans are kind and really, really like him, just like you do. He is trusting. Unfortunately, the world has both kind people and those who are nasty to animals.. Will he lead a charmed life and never encounter any of the nasties out there, while outdoors? We hope and pray so, but it’s not certain.
Finally, what happens if the sunny, mild weather suddenly changes into a dark, threatening thunderstorm. Where will your cat go to seek shelter? He may run right home to you if he’s close enough, but that’s not always possible. As for me, knowing my cat might be out there cowering somewhere would really bother me to think about.

As you can see, it’s not all sun and butterflies out there. And, as you can tell, we definitely have a bias in this matter, and believe that companion cats should, whenever possible, remain indoors. However, we understand it’s entirely up to you as a responsible and cat loving human, to make that decision.

Fortunately, there are plenty of cat toys and safer diversions available for indoor cats. We invite you to go to MyThreeCats.com and check them out!

The excitement mounts for bird-crazed trio!

Cats are amazing. Did you know…

A cat’s heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110-140 beats per minute.
A cat’s normal body temperature is 101.5 degrees. This is slightly warmer than a humans.
Cats have 290 bones in their body, and 517 muscles.
A cat has five more vertebrae in her spinal column than her human does.
A cat will almost never “meow” at another cat. This sound is reserved for humans.
During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. (Spay and/or neuter your cat!)
Kittens begin dreaming at just one week old.
If your cat is 3, your cat is 21 in human years. If your cat is 8, your cat is 40 in human years. If your cat is 14, your cat is 70 in human years.
The more cats are spoken to, the more they will speak to you.
Cats are partially color blind. They have the equivalency of human red/green color blindness. (Reds appear green and greens appear red; or shades thereof.)
Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. Their night vision is amazing!
Cats can see up to 120 feet away. Their peripheral vision is about 285 degrees.
A cat’s ear pivots 180 degrees. They have 30 muscles in each ear, and use twelve or more muscles to control their ear movement.

Texas Former Shelter Cat Sheds 22 Lbs., Purr-sonality Blooming at 19 Lbs!

A former 41 pound cat dubbed Skinny has lost more than half of his weight to become the darling of a Dallas based veterinary clinic.

Skinny admits he's a much happier cat these days. — Skinny admits he’s a much happier cat these days.

It's all in a day's work. Skinny sails through his exercise routine. — It’s all in a day’s work. Skinny sails through his exercise routine.

Dr. Brittney Barton says the orange tabby she adopted in 2013 has slimmed down to 19 pounds with exercise and a special diet. Barton calls Skinny the “resident cat” at her practice, HEAL Veterinary Hospital.

Barton said last week that Skinny spends weekdays roaming the clinic. The ex-fat cat’s weekends are spent at home with Barton and her family.

Skinny was founds abandoned near Dallas in 2012 and ended up at a shelter. The vet says Skinny just had his annual checkup and is healthy.

Source: Associated Press

Does Your Cat Have a “Cattitude”?

Anyone who’s ever lived with a cat knows that felines have a certain, shall we say, attitude toward the rest of the world. We’ll call it cattitude. Do you know how to read your cat’s cattitude? Take a look at the infographic below to learn more!

You can learn a lot about your cat’s mood by watching his tail and listening to his meow. Knowing how kitty is feeling and what he needs from you can be pretty simple when you know what to look for.

In what ways does your cat speak to you? Let’s chat about it in comments!