Happy Pets

A successful hunter needs to be fit, and cats keep themselves trim by strolling the perimeters of their territory on their regular inspection tours, climbing trees or other lofty vantage points from which cats can monitor any interesting goings-on and, of course, pouncing at potential prey. (The reason why many indoor cats occasionally career around the house at top speed is both to let off steam and to indulge in the type of hunting exercise that outdoor cats more regularly enjoy.)

Exploratory or deadly mission having been accomplished, it’s then time for the cats to give itself a thorough wash and brush-up before settling down to enjoy a well-earned snooze. All animals, humans included, need to keep themselves clean if they are to remain healthy, and cats are particularly scrupulous when it comes to personal hygiene. Unlike humans, cats don’t have sweat glands (apart from some in their paw pads), which means that it is difficult for cats to keep cool in hot weather. (Although they generally like to bask in a sunny spot, their preferred response to soaring temperatures is to find the coolest available spot to lie in and then to stay prone, declining to participate in any heat-generating, energetic pursuits. If heatstroke threatens, cats will either lick their fur, the saliva cooling their bodies as it evaporates, or, in extreme cases, pant.) The absence of sweat glands, however, means that their personal ablutions are less concerned with cleansing than with grooming; excising their body odour - their personal hallmark - is anathema to felines. Cats also wash as a displacement activity. If cats find itself in an agony of confusion, or feel that it has suffered a loss of dignity, they will often lick its flanks vigorously, partly to give themsleves time to recover its self-composure and partly to save face and make it appear purposeful instead of baffled.

What the cats tongue lacks in the way of taste buds, it more than makes up for with its plethora of hooked papillae that serve as an essential grooming aid. Although you may think that cats arewashing in the human sense when you see it licking their fur, it is actually combing its coat, which, depending on its breed, generally consists of three layers: the short, soft down hairs nearest the skin, then the slightly longer and thicker cats awn hairs (both types insulating the feline body against the cold) and finally the even longer and coarser guard cats hairs that make up the protective topcoat. Working from the head to the tail, as the barbed papillae move over the surface of the coat, they remove any superficial tangles, as well as cats hairs that are no longer firmly embedded within the skin - dead hairs - thereby encouraging new growth. More stubborn clumps of tangled cats fur are nibbled out with the incisor teeth, which a cat also uses to pull off its old ‘toenails’ which, unlike cats‘ front claws, it cannot strop away against a tree. Despite the impressive revolving capability of the feline neck, which allows it to take care of its back, it can’t give a feline tongue access to its nape or head, and cats therefore give these areas a good scrub by rubbing them with a pre-licked forepaw, following a precise routine. And when it comes to gaining access to the feline nether regions, cats demonstrate an innate talent for yoga with their ability to raise an obstructive hindleg to the vertical position.

Because cats spend so much time washing and bury their faeces, too, many people approvingly regard them as being fastidiously clean creatures. Although this is undeniably so, there are more reasons underlying the cats ’s fetish for hygiene than simply the desire to keep itself, as well as its surroundings, spick and span. Covering over faeces with earth does, of course, prevent the spread of disease, but perhaps a more important benefit to the cats is that this procedure reduces the likelihood of the faeces‘ smell either guiding an enemy to its whereabouts, especially the home in which it feels safe, or alerting potential prey to cats‘ presence and sending them scuttling away. Studies have provided support for this theory, it having been observed that immature and neutered cats, who are at the bottom of the feline social stratum, are more rigorous faeces- Inners than toms and queens, who have a better chance of successfully defending themselves against hostile interlopers and of catching elusive quarry.

As for any animal, sleep is vital for the cats, this down-time enabling it to recharge its batteries and giving its body the necessary peace and quiet in which to digest food and carry out tissue maintenance without the distraction of external stimuli. And the reason why cats sleep so much — typically for around 16 hours out of every 24 — is to conserve energy in preparation for their intense, night-time forays. Like ours, the cat’s sleep is divided into two distinct phases: light and deep. You can tell when a cat is sleeping lightly — having a catnap — because it will have curled up in a comfortable spot, with its tail curved around its body and its head tucked in neatly. Despite appearances, it is still in a state of alertness, ready to respond to any interesting sound (try giving a high whistle and see its ears prick up in response) and to spring into action if necessary.

A disconcerting sight to the human observer, sometimes a cat will sleep with its eyes open, with its third eyelids pulled across the surface of its eyes to seal in moisture. When its body is lying at full stretch and has become completely floppy, the cat has entered a deep sleep. And if you see a paw, ear or whisker twitch, your cat’s friend is in all likelihood enjoying an action- packed dream in which it is reliving hunting triumphs, analysis of the brainwaves of sleeping cats having shown marked similarities to those of humans during the dream state.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 at 1:00 am and is filed under Cats, Foods, Grooming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.