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The Catnip Buzz (for your Cat)!

admin — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:49:11 +0000

Awww, Man, Doggie Slobber

From: d21c.com

Cats sleep a lot, have you noticed it? It's a natural part of being a cat, I'm convinced, because it's a seemingly universal trait. And really, cats kind of move at their own pace, don't they? However, should you give your sedate kitty a deep whiff of catnip, the party will come alive. Suddenly this sedate, dormant feline will 'wake up' and frolic and be as frisky as a kitten again.

Then…

Two to fifteen minutes pass by and your cat comes back down from the moon and returns to the same sedate cat you've come to love – the effects of the catnip totally gone.

So yes, the catnip can have an effect, but why do cats react to it that way?

Did you know that not all cats react to catnip? It's true. About one third to half of all domestic cats are totally unaffected. In fact, the classic catnip 'fever' is inherited – a kitten with one parent who reacts and one that doesn't has a 50 percent chance (one out of two) of reacting themselves. Cats that have both parents that react have a 75 percent chance (three out of four) to react to it themselves. Also, kittens younger than four months usually do not react to catnip – but do that really need it anyway And catnip has a lessened effect on older cats.

So what is the magic ingredient of catnip that drives the kitties wild? It's a oil called napetalactone. However, researchers still don't know why it causes cats to go nuts.

Did you know that even big cats – lions, leopards, cheetahs, pumas can also catch the catnip buzz. Interestingly enough, tigers seem to be immuned.

The catnip buzz seems to come more from topical exposure rather than from ingesting it. If you watch, most cats with catnip will sniff at it, rub up against it. Those that eat it can experience the opposite effect, which is act as a sedative instead as a stimulant.

So can this catnip high be dangerous for you feline friend? Catnip is chemically related to cannibis and effects typically last no more than 15 minutes. In fact, after about 15 minutes, most cats loose interest altogether. Interestingly, most cats will not react again for a minimum of an hour. Also, studies have shown that cats do no become dependant on the substance.

Not all cats react the same way to catnip. Typically, the response is increase friskiness and playfulness, but there are some cats that actually become more aggressive with its use.

So, in summary, catnip seems to be a safe, recreational drug for your kitty-cat.

Cat Health
Cat Health

Tags: Articles, Cat - Yellow, Cat Behavior, Cat Health, Kitten Pictures - Friendship, Kitten Pictures - with Animals

Cat/Kitten Microchips for Identification

admin — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 13:16:41 +0000

Cat/Kitten Microchips for Identification

(Photo from: fogcitycat.com)

Too many stray cats end up in shelters, separated from their owners that truly want them. It's a heartbreaking processing to have to euthanize so many cats.

Fortunately, Microchip Identification technology is gaining popularity and provides a way for each cat (or animal) who has been implanted with a tiny rice grain-sized microchip to be identified and returned to their rightful owner(s).

The chip is about the size of a rice grain and is encapsulated in a covering of bio-glass and is injected under the skin, typically between the shoulder blades – no anesthesia is required. Each chip has a unique number - currently the standard is a 9 digit number, but the standard is quickly moving to a 15 digit standard.

To read the chip, you must use a special scanner which when it passes over the chip, causes the chip to emit its number by a low-frequency radio wave - very similar to the RFID technology used for tracking packages.

Two companies dominate the market for producing the Microchips – Schering-Plough Animal Health, marketer of the HomeAgain- microchip identification system and AVID. With the lack of a true standard, shelters are having to arm themselves with both types of scanners.

The HomeAgain chips can only be implanted by veterinarians while the AVID chips can be implanted by veterinarians, shelter personnel or individuals. So the battle is on for who is going to dominate the market.

The AVID microchip. About the size of a grain of rice.

Cat Identification
Cat Identification

Tags: Articles, Cat Identification, Cat Shelters, Cat Tips, Kitten Pictures - Friendship

Kitten Shelter

admin — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:21:53 +0000

Today, I want to highlight a Kitten Rescue Shelter called "Kitten Rescue" (kittenrescue.org) , based out of the Los Angeles area.

(There is a cute picture from their site that I've posted — to see it, click on this post at the top)

Their mission and purpose is devoted to rescuing cats and kittens from the streets and shelter euthanasia.

Since the inception of Kitten Rescue in 1997, they have rescued and placed over 5500 cats into loving homes. In 2003, Kitten Rescue pulled more animals from the Los Angeles shelters than any other rescue group. They are Los Angeles's largest rescue group and one of the most respected rescue groups in the country.

Per usual, these types of rescue operations are run in the red — it's a mission of love, certainly not dollars. They expect to pay about $120,000 next year in medical care for animals next year. They obviously are very grateful for any support — and of course, any contributions are 100% tax deductible.

This is a photo from their site.

From their site, "Kitten Rescue" is also a proponent of "Microchipping", which is where a small microchip is placed underneath the skin of your pet for the purpose of identification if somehow he/she got lost.

Vote For Romeo

"Romeo is one of ten cats from across America that will be participating in the Meow Mix House, a reality show for cats put on by the Meow Mix company. Each day from June 13th to June 23rd, visitors to the Meow Mix House website will be able to meet the cats, watch them in action and vote for their favorite one. The cat that gets the least amount of votes each day will be voted off the show."

Cat Shelter
Cat Shelter

Tags: Cat Adoption, Cat Shelters, Kitten Pictures - Friendship, Kitten Pictures - Misc