If
you touch a cat's whiskers, the cat will automatically squint the eye
on that side. It is nature's way of protecting the eye from injury from
twigs or brush.
If
a cat becomes so overweight that its sides stick out farther than its
whiskers, it will lose its sense of perception and stability.
Like claws, hair is composed of keratin. Each hair follicle can grow a single hair. A kitten is born with all the hair follicle it will ever possess. Most cats have 4 basic types of hairs:
- guard
- awn
- down hair
- vibrissae
The average adult cat has around 1,000 down hairs for every 300 awn hairs and 20 guard hairs, although the ratio can differ by age and breed. Newborn kittens lack primary guard hairs, which is why their coats are short and soft. Cat hair cling to clothes because it is electrostatic, the guard hairs have small bards and because the awn hairs have cracked cuticles.
Guard Hairs
The guard hairs make up most of the outer topcoat of the cat. The are slender, taper toward the tip, and are longer and thicker than the down or awn hairs. Guard hairs protect the undercoat and act as a 'waterproof jacket'. The cuticles on guard hairs have microscopic barbs that are very rough.
Awn Hairs
The awn hairs make up the middle coat of the cat. These are intermediate size hairs with rough, broken or cracked cuticles. They provide insulation and protect the down hairs underneath.
Down Hairs
The down hairs are the hairs closest to the skin and form the cat's undercoat. They are the shortest, finest and softest hairs. Like feather comforter, the down hairs keep the cat warm because they have microscopic crimps or waves that trap air, making them such good insulators.
Vibrissae Hairs
Vibrissae hairs are thick, specialized hairs that are very sensitive to touch. The most apparent vibrissae hairs on the cat are its 24 whiskers, arranged in 4 rows on each side of the muzzle. Whiskers are more than twice as thick as ordinary hairs and their roots are set 3 times deeper in a cat's tissue. Vibrissae are also found on the upper lips, cheeks, above the eyes, wrists and forelegs.
Whiskers provide sensory information about the slightest air movement. The whiskers act as valuable tool for a nocturnal hunter. Cats use their whiskers in the dark to identify things they can't see or to navigate through underbrush.
The vibrissae hairs on their forelegs play it's function as a fall measurement. When cats fall from high places, the vibrissae hairs will vibrate and that gives cats a sensory measurement about how far they are from the ground.
Kusky is a mixed ASH. He has very think guard hairs, awn hairs and down hairs. Especially down hairs, it's so thick that always make him wanting to stay directly under the air-conditioner. Compare to Kusky, Kurimu prefers to stay under the blanket when the air-conditioner is on. Kusky shed a lot. Although he is a short hair breed, I have to comb him every 2 days to avoid too much shedding in the house.
Human has very tight fitting skin, they will need tummy tuck if the skin is getting loose. Unlike human, cats have loose fitting skin that allows them to defend tehmselves by wiggling around in the grip of a predator. This gives vet convenience to give injection under the skin.
The scruff is the loose skin at the back of the neck. Cat mother use it to grip her kittens to carry them from one place to another. Besides kittens, adult cats when are gripped by the skin on the back of their neck will become very quiet and passive. The behavior of 'scruffing' could be useful to subdue an injured or uncooperative cat. When carrying an adult cat by gripping the back of their neck, one shall also support their rump or chest . This is due to adult cat is much heavier and by just gripping their back, this may hurt them and causing pain.
Cats do not sweat through their skin but through their paw pads and nose. They lose water by panting rather than sweating. That explains why I have to clean my TV cabinet, coffee table, kitchen table-top and other furniture's surface, especially the one made of glass and in black, because I see mark of cats' paw everyday.
Feline dentition is designed for tearing and biting, not chewing. In the wild the cat tears a piece fromth carcass and swallows it whole. Teeth come in four types. Incisors are small front teeth, closely spaced, ideal for ripping and scraping flesh off bone. The canines are the pointed fangs or eyeteeth made or holding prey down, killing, and ripping. Because cats do not chew in the classic sense, the premolars and molars slice food into chunks small enough to swallow. The premolar and first molar function to cut meat like a pair of scissors. The cat's teeth are symmetrical on each side of the jaw, but they differ in number from the top jaw to the lower jaw.
Upper jaw consist of:
- six incisors
- two canines
- six premolars
- two molars
Kittens are born without teeth. A set of milk teeth begins to appear within 1 month of their age.By 6 weeks of age, 26 deciduous teeth are present. Out of the 26:
- 12 are incisors
- 4 are canines
- 10 are premolars
When kittens are between 4 - 8 months of age, they will lose their baby teeth and it will be replaced by permanent adult teeth come in. By 7-8 months old a kitten has 30 permanent teeth.
I found a fall canine before when I was still having AHU (another cat of mine, who then when missing on the Halloween night last year). All these while I thought only canines will fall until one day I accidentally stepped on a roll of premolars (consist of 3 premolar teeth) which I suspect it was belong to Kurimu.
Above is showing Kusky's growing adult canines. Baby canines will still remain on the gum until adult canine is fully grown and push the old one out from the gum. If you are lucky enough, sometimes you may found a piece or two on your sofa, on your bed or any where in the house. Most of the time, cats will swollen the fall teeth with no intention.
One thing that cat owners have to observe during their pet's adult teeth are growing: if baby teeth fail to drop out while adult teeth are taking place, cat owner should send their pet to the vet, to pull out the old teeth. Failing to do so will cause dental problem to cat in the future.
I keep on inspecting all my cats teeth when they reach 4 months old. Averagely each of them has their first adult tooth emerged when they were 5 months old. Owner should check their pet's teeth regularly to detect any possible cat's dental problem at early stage.
I found this website shares good information on 'how to take care of cats teeth'. Perhaps it helps to give you some added information to keep your cats' dental health.
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/cat-dental-care
Garfield's creator - Jim Davis does not own a cat. In fact his wife is allergic to them.
These are a series of photos taken on one fine weekend afternoon in May 2013. It's not easy to see them sleeping together, it's even rare to see they were so close to each other. They are so super cute!!
Kurimu was about to sleep. Before that, he turned to ask: Why are you snapping my photos while I am asleep?
Looks like Kurimu is thinking something seriously... Hmm... what for dinner later?
Kurimu didn't feel secure enough to shut his eyes in front of the camera...
Finally, after struggling for sometimes, there he goes to be with Kusky in his dream...
Look at both of them! They were hugging each while sleeping.
I love to see Kusky putting his paw on Kutimu's tummy...
Ah! So sweet...
Haha! This one looks funny! Looks like Kusky is kicking Kurimu and they acted like street fighters!
This position is not 'mad-made'. It just happened naturally. My little dearest Kurimu, love you to the max!
Experts say, if a cat is dare to open his belly in front of you, that means you have built trust with the cat. Looks like Kurimu really trust us... a lot! :)
One sleeps like a lady, so gentle; another sleeps like pirate, like a drunk cat!
Another cute looking Kurimu!
Look at his hanging foot! In Japan, a cat with hanging arm/foot position is said to bring fortune to the owner.
Fluffy white belly...
Love to see cats do stretching. Here comes one...
... and there it goes... STRETCH!!
When I see his pink nose, pink paws, pink ears and pink gums, I always feel so proud of myself for taking good care of him. When he first joined the family on 27th April 2013, he was diagnosed with Anemia. After taking medication and proper care on his diet and putting him with some vitamins, now he has turned to become a pinkish little youngster! He looks so much healthy now!!
What a slumber look...
Haha... Kusky raised his feet too!!
That's the fluffy white belly that always seduce me to put my nose on it...
I need to take bright photos therefore I turned on more lights at home. After switching on a few more lights, Kurimu raised his arms/foot to cover his eyes from the bright glaring light. He is cute, isn't he?
In some culture and society, cats are considered as a an unlucky animal. Yet, there are also culture that sees cats will bring fortune.
There are many legends associated with cats and good luck:
1. In Yorkshire England, it is lucky to own a black cat.
2. In early 1500s a visitor to an English home would kiss the family cat to bring good luck.
3. The Celts throught black cats were reincarnated brings able to divine the future.
4. Scottish believed a strange black cat on the porch brings prosperity.
5. Charles I - King of England owned a black cat that he felt brought him luck and had it guarded day and night. The day after the cat died, he was arrested.
6. In England, it was believed that if a black cat lived in the house, the daughters would have plenty of suitors.
7. Also in England, it is considerate as good luck if a black cat is crossing your path.
8. Early Americans believe if cat washed her face, the first person she looked at would be the first to get marry.
9. Dutch place a cat in the cradle of a newlywed couple in the belief that she will grant their wish for a child.
10. French peasants thought that if you released a black cat at a junction that connects to five roads, the cat will lead you to treasure.
11. French also believed if you are able to find a white hair on a total black cat, Lady Luck will smile upon you.
Some society also believe cats bring bad luck, especially black cats:
1. American it is bad luck to have a cat cross your path.
2. Some English believed that seeing a white cat on their way to school will definitely bring them trouble in school later.
3. Frech believed it is bad luck to carry a cat across the stream.
4. Some society believe it is bad luck to see a white cat at night.
5. It is believed that cats could steal both a baby's breath or steal a dead person's soul.
6. Chinese believed cats could resurrect a dead body if a black cat happened to jump over it.
Well, no matter how many statements people commented regarding how cats could bring bad luck, a true cat lover will not border to believe any of them. Agree? :)
