Smart Cat,Black Cat,Feral Cats: Learning Lessons From Pet Cats

Cats, known as felines, belong to the mammals family. Since cats embrace a big family- bob cats, lynx, tigers and the household pet, narrowing the topic becomes essential. Some people know about the large wild cats; and may have seen them in a zoo or on a safari.Others can relate to the feral or alley cat- the stray that eventually comes for food and remains with the family.Those who like their pets to have pedigree and a birth certificate may purchase a short, medium or long haired cat that needs tender care and pampering. Many people go to the Humane Society, a pet store or a Cat Shelter to find their pet cat.

No matter where you obtain your pet cat, they teach lessons quickly. Although cats are clean animals, they need some basic essentials.

• Kittens and cats need a litter or sand box for the call of nature. Those who keep their cat indoors most of the time will have to constantly change the litter box content. The sand box individuals walk or drive to the beach and replenish their box as needed. This sand box method proves economical. After the cat outgrows a sand box, it can create its own latrine in the yard and close it up after it has completed its business.
• Urine is another matter. Sometimes cats and kittens urinate on the furniture and even on its owner! A good supply of household products such as air freshner and upholstery cleaners will help. Some people mix their favourite essential oil with baking soda and sprinkle the mixture on the carpet before vacuuming it. Placing newspaper on the floor initially may help; but immaculate housekeepers may frown at such an idea. Indoor cats leave their trademark; and someone, usually its owner or a designated person is assigned to the cleanup task.
• Cats have sharp claws; and those with sensitive skin need to avoid their scratches. Of course scratching humans is not the only problem. They scratch furniture too. One solution is a scratching post; another is trimming their toenails. Many cat owners do not know how to perform the latter job or simply avoid it.Cat pet services will do the task for you; or you can ask a willing friend/neighbour who owns a cat .Advertisements on television show gadgets to make such an essential job easier.
• Grooming a cat will save time later. Cats take pride in cleaning themselves, spending perhaps eight hours on this task. However, they need their hair brushed; and brushing the cat regularly will save time on cleaning the house/apartment  as they do shed hair. How much hair a cat loses depends on whether the feline belongs to the short, medium or long haired group.Be gentle with the brush,especially around sensitive areas; and work in the direction of the fur growth.
• Having a pet cat means spending time with the animal. Cat care involves having sufficient money for food,shelter and toys In addition to veterinary care, cats need love; and providing tender loving care- the affection they crave keeps them happy.Having a satisfied cat - a pet- ensures incomparable joy. for the owner too.

Some people love animals- especially cats ; and they communicate with them well. Of course, individuals with allergies choose pets without fur. During childhood,many parents allow animals as pet to develop a sense of responsibility and care for animals within the child. Usually,those who care for cats do not fear them; and they learn first hand information not found in books or on the internet.

Most animals-  cats  specifically- respond to their owner and their environment. Whenever a cat strayed into our yard, my father would call it, talk to it, get it to walk the porch railing and feed it. Though cats did tricks for him and ate out of his hand, the ferals snarled and hissed at me. Nobody had to tell me to keep my distance and avoid scratches. Nevertheless, my siblings and  I made sure that they were fed daily.

Although I maintained a healthy respect for cats, nothing prepared me for a macabre experience.As a college student,living in a bungalow type dormitory on beachfront property,nobody kept pets. But one night, during  my senior year, prior to my departure for home,I had an uncanny encounter with a cat. It began with a chill that crept up my legs and would have paralyzed me if I had not rolled into a prone position. Grabbing the flashlight,which was under my pillow, I played it on the open doorway.

The lock showed the locked position. Standing just inside the door was a big, muscular cat. It stared at me; and I stared back.Then it turned and walked out of the door. I got out of bed and closed the door. When I tried the door, it was locked! Immediately I knelt by my bed and prayed Psalm 91. Then I climbed back into bed.But I could not sleep.

That was a smart cat to open a locked door. Go for help!

At first, I did not obey the voice in my mind .I wanted to sleep. But my mind was a battleground. How did the cat enter my room; and why was the locked door sprawled open? Then I heard my name with urgency; and I felt like an earthquake had taken control of my bed and body.

Get up and go for help even if you have to go all the way down the hallway!

I knocked on the partition of the adjacent room and the cousins  responded promptly. When I unlocked the door, they asked me what had happened. I was speechless at first; but eventually I told them:

I saw a cat!

A cat!

After downing a tall cup of water, we went into concert prayer. The teenagers were convinced that the cat I had seen was not a cat in reality. The cat had been used as a host for an evil spirit. This was the consensus from all who heard my experience. I had encountered the supernatural! One individual told me the reason for the visitation and what would have happened if I had stayed in the room instead of obeying the voice and getting help.

• Whether it is a talking snake like the one that deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden or a smart cat that opened the locked door to my dormitory room, demon spirits can use any animal, even your pet cat.

Countless beliefs about cats exist.

• One is that cats have nine lives.
• Another one is that if a black cat crosses your path, it signifies bad luck.
• Cats have a strange disease that one can pronounce but few can spell. Doctors regard it as an allergy to cats or furry animals.

When my sister turned on the engine of her car years ago, fur began to fly. A black cat had found its way under the hood of her car; and she was unaware of its presence there. How many lives the black kitten used up that day is unknown! However, the almost mangled kitten was nursed back to health and took refuge under my china closet.

I too was unaware of its presence in my home until I began to sneeze. Even after a thorough cleaning of the house, I sneezed repeatedly. I thought it was hay fever flaring up until I discovered a black cat hiding under my china closet.Of course I chased it out of the house. I did not want the hard to spell cat disease!

But the black cat loved me and followed me like Mary's little lamb. One day I decided to try a name that kept coming to mind.

Mitzi!

Meow! she responded. Mitzi became her name.

However, her cat friend did not answer and always walked away when I called it Mary. One day i asked my father why the other cat did not like me. He picked up the cat and showed me that it was more a Tom than a Mary! No wonder the cat had walked away. In my ignorance, I had insulted the male cat by using a female name to call it.

• Children and adults should not have to guess about the sexuality of a cat. They can look and see the difference between a male and female cat or ask someone with more experience for help in identifying its sex.

Mitzi behaved like a human.When I sat at the dining table, she figured that good manners meant she could recline in a chair at the table until I had ended the meal. Whenever I ate fish, she waited patiently for her share - the fish head and other portions. Of course she had to be reminded initially that cats ate outside and not at a table.

Sometimes I heard the expression of people acting like cats and dogs with a negative implication. At first the cats and dogs fought because I bought cat food for Mitzi; and the dogs liked it! Thus, I purchased dog food too; and Mitzi liked the dog food! As a result, the cats and dogs could sample the food of their choice.

Animals - cats and dogs - like to be treated with respect. They have emotions too.

Eventually, Mitzi became a mother and took her kitten up the avocado pear tree to the roof. One morning, as I was leaving for work, she brought her kitten, placed it at my feet and walked away.That afternoon I was greeted with sad news: Mitzi had died accidentally.Mitzi Baby,the kitten, did not stay long as the father came for it; and it joined the feral cats in the neighbourhood.

Read the conclusion to this hub and view more photos in Part II.