Cat Care section intro and Fun Facts

Being the owner of a cat can be one of the most memorable and rewarding things in a person’s life. Although some of us are more independent than others, all domestic cats need some care. Whether you own kittens or have adopted a shelter cat, your search has brought you to me, Mr. Jenks. I'm an 11 year old orange Tabby who was surrendered to a local humane society before my first birthday. Thankfully I was adopted by my forever family over ten years ago. 

We like to think of ourselves as much more than cute, furry lap ornaments. Even our owners need some car of their own, and we are happy to be there. Whether you are ill or just upset, your cats’ presence and love can be the perfect medicine. 

As owners it might shock you to find out that cats are not necessarily eager to please you. We only learn tricks on rare occasions, although I’ve heard of cats that jump through hoops! My owners find it amusing that I have mastered opening ground level cabinets in my never-ending pursuit of food. Don’t mistake our apathy for unintelligence, it’s just that tricks are for kids… and playtime is for cats! 

Here are some fun facts that you may not know about cats:

 

·        There are over 81 million domestic cats in the United States!

·        The Turkish Van, a domestic breed of cat, likes to swim.

·        We have to climb backwards down a tree for our claws to grip

·        Our thumbs are called dew claws. We use them as hooks to hold down our prey.

·        Papillae are the things on our tongue that make it feel like sand paper. Mainly used as our comb they also come in handy when scraping flesh and blood from bones.    

·        Aelurus is the Egyptian cat god. In ancient Egypt the killing of a cat was punished by death. 

·        Because of our thick fur, we can only sweat from our paws. 

·       Siamese and Burmese litters can have up to 15 kittens!!

·        Our whiskers make a unique pattern that gives us our feline ‘fingerprint’.