What you must know
| Tylenol and chocolate are both poisonous to cats |
| The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wild Cat which still exists today |
| In ancient Egypt, killing a cat was a crime punishable by death |
| In ancient Egypt, mummies were made of cats, and embalmed mice were placed with them in their tombs. In one ancient city, over 300,000 cat mummies were found |
| In the Middle Ages, during the Festival of Saint John, cats were burned alive in town squares |
| The first cat show was in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London |
| Today there are about 100 distinct breeds of the domestic cat |
| Genetic mutation created the domestic cat which is tame from birth |
| Like birds, cats have a homing ability that uses its biological clock, the angle of the sun, and the Earth's magnetic field. A cat taken far from its home can return to it. But if a cat's owners move far from its home, the cat can't find them |
| Hunting is not instinctive for cats. Kittens born to non-hunting mothers may never learn to hunt |
| Cats bury their feces to cover their trails from predators |
| Mother cats teach their kittens to use the litter box |
| Among other tasks, cats can be taught to use a toilet, come, sit, beg, eat with their paws, heel, jump through a hoop, play a piano, play dead, roll over, open a door, hide food in boxes, shake, and fetch |
| Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day. When cats are asleep, they are still alert to incoming stimuli. If you poke the tail of a sleeping cat, it will respond accordingly |
| In Great Britain, black cats are thought to bring good luck |
| Besides smelling with their nose, cats can smell with an additional organ called the Jacobson's organ, located in the upper surface of the mouth |
| Cats can't taste sweets |
| The chlorine in fresh tap water irritates sensitive parts of the cat's nose. Let tap water sit for 24 hours before giving it to a cat |
| The average cat food meal is the equivalent to about five mice |
| The catgut formerly used as strings in tennis rackets and musical instruments does not come from cats. Catgut actually comes from sheep, hogs, and horses |
| A large majority of white cats with blue eyes are deaf. White cats with only one blue eye are deaf only in the ear closest to the blue eye. White cats with orange eyes do not have this disability |
| Neutering a cat extends its life span by two or three years |
| Pregnant women are advised not to come in contact with cat feces, because it can contain an organism which can affect the unborn child and even cause miscarriage |
| Ten human years translate to about 60 cat years. A one year old cat is similar in age to an 18 year old human |
CAT POISONS
The following table lists plants that are poisonous to cats. Some you will not have heard of and some will surprise you. Don't worry too much as your cat is unlikely to eat any of these items voluntarily. They know what is bad for them. Just be aware how different a cats stomach and digestive system is to ours and please, always consult your veterinarian if you believe your pet has been poisoned
| A | Alfalfa, Almond pits, Aloe Vera, Amaryllis, Apple seeds, Apricot pits, Arrowhead vine, Asparagus fern, Azaleastrong |
| B | Balsam pear, Beech, Begonias, Bird of paradise, Bittersweet, Black locust, Boston ivy, Box, Buttercups |
| C | Caladium, Castor bean, Cherry pits, seeds & leaves, Chrysanthemum, Coleus, Columbine, Creeping charlie, Creeping fig, Crown-of-thorns, Cyclamen, Castor bean, Cherry pits, seeds & leaves, Chrysanthemum, Coleus, Columbine, Creeping Charlie, Creeping fig, Crown-of-thorns, Cyclamen |
| D | Daffodil, Daphne, Deadly nightshade, Delphinium, Dieffenbachia, Drunk cane |
| E | Easter Lily, Elephant's ear, Emerald duke |
| F | Foxglove |
| H | Heart ivy, Heart leaf, Holly, Honeysuckle berries, Horse chestnut, Hydrangea |
| I | Iris, Ivies (all) |
| J | Jack-in-the-pulpit, Japanese Yew, Jasmine, Jerusalem cherrylarkspur, Japanese Yew, Jasmine, Jerusalem cherry larkspur |
| K | |
| L | Lilies (all), Lily-of-the-valley, Lupine |
| M | Majesty, Marble queen, Marijuana, Mescal bean, Mistletoe berries, Mock orange, Monkshood, Morning glory, Mushrooms |
| N | Needlepoint ivy, Nephthytis |
| O | Oleander |
| P | Parlor ivy, Peach pits & leaves, Periwinkle, Philodendron, Poinsettia, Poison hemlock, potato, green parts & eyes, Pothos, Pot mum, Precatory bean, Privet |
| Q | |
| R | Red princess, Rhododendron, Rhubarb, Ripple ivy, Rosary pea |
| S | Saddle leaf, Skunk cabbage, Spider mum, Split leaf, Spraneri fern |
| T | Tobacco |
| U | Umbrella plant |
| V | |
| W | Weeping fig, Wisteria |
| X | |
| Y | Yews (all) |
| Z |
Telephone: 01702-217555
Email :
christine.child1@googlemail.com or
Write or call (during open hours) at:
The Cat Hotel, Mucking Hall Road, Barling, Essex SS3 0NH