Tag Archives: hunting

21

Sgt Stripes and the Great Vole Hunt

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Sgt Stripes here. I love being an indoor kitty. I have humans to take care of me and lots of windows to look out. I have plenty of toys and can pretty much get tummy rubs on demand. I even have an electric tummy warmer. (Mom calls it a bed warmer.) But there’s one thing that has taken a little getting used to: the food.

Back when I lived outside, I had to hunt for food. We live in a pretty open area. Mom has two acres and there’s forty acres on the lot next door. I didn’t have much trouble getting what I needed. (Don’t tell Mom, but I got a few treats from the neighbors too.) I was attracted to Mom and my human brother because they put kibble out regularly. It was a nice contrast to my diet of field mice and voles.

When I came inside, they tried to feed me kibble and wet food. I love the kibble, but the wet food tasted really weird. I didn’t like it. I kept trying to tell them that I really wanted a vole, but they never seemed to understand. I asked Mr Google to find me some vole-flavored food, but I didn’t have any luck. All I could find was ways to get rid of voles. I don’t want to poison them. If I poison them, I can’t eat them.

Right now, I’m eating mainly kibble. Occasionally, I’ll have some chicken and tuna stew and some treats, It’s not that I don’t like my kibble, but it gets a little boring. I’d really like something fresh. My human brother gave me goose one time. That was pretty tasty, but I really don’t like human food (except ice cream).

I talked to Snoops about it. She lived outside for a while before she ended up at the shelter. She understood what I meant. She says that’s the main reason she occasionally eats the mice she catches. It’s a flavor that none of the canned foods can match. We don’t really understand why there are vegetables in some cat food, but no mice or voles.

I tried eating a couple of the mice I found upstairs. (It’s one of the advantages of living in an old farmhouse. It’s easy for mice to get in.) They were pretty tasty, but they really didn’t taste like the ones I had outside. Snoops says it’s because of what they eat. Apparently the humans aren’t really good about keeping all the food in the pantry locked in airtight containers. It has come to their attention that mice love sweets. On occasion, they’ve eaten large (for a mouse) quantities of chocolate chips and baking chocolate.

I guess I prefer grass-fed mice and voles. There have been a few mice since I came inside, but no voles. I saw that one of the pet stores around here has voles. I tried to talk Mom into buying a couple, but she wouldn’t do it. She won’t buy any of the fun animals: no mice, no voles, no gerbils, no hamsters. So I’m kind of stuck.

I think Mom feels bad because I don’t like wet food. I think she’s tried every flavor they make. I don’t want to make her feel bad; it’s not her fault that cat food doesn’t come in the really good flavors. Maybe I could write a letter to the cat-food companies and suggest they try something different.

In the meantime, I’m going keep living the good life and eating kibble.

 

12

Happy Take Your Tiger to Lunch Day!

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International Tiger Day: All The Tiger Subspecies—Extinct Or Endangered

Just kidding. But it is International Tiger Day. It was first celebrated in 2010 when the humans realized that there were only about 3,000 of these magnificent creatures still living in the wild. International Tiger Day was created to make more humans aware of this dire state of affairs and try to stop the potential extinction. The humans in charge are also trying to protect and expand tiger habitats around the world.

Tiger Fact Sheet | Blog | Nature | PBS

Here are some interesting facts about tigers:

Tigers are the largest wild cats in world. Males weigh up to 680 pounds and females can grow to 370 pounds. They are generally six to ten feet long. That is a lot of kitty!

Tigers are carnivores. They only eat meat. Favorites are wild boar and deer. They also eat monkeys, buffalo, sloth bears, and leopards. They have been known to consume crocodiles, cattle, and goats. Our guess is that they can eat whatever they want.

Can jaguars swim better than tigers? - Quora

Tigers hunt alone. They often hunt at night, quietly stalking their prey until they get close enough to pounce. They generally bite the neck or back of the head.

Tigers like water. They are good swimmers, and often cool off in pools or streams. They also will follow prey into the water. They are capable of crossing small lakes and rivers.

Tiger Roar Wallpapers - Top Free Tiger Roar Backgrounds - WallpaperAccess

Tigers can be loud. They growl, roar, chuff, and moan. (But they can’t purr.) They generally growl as a warning to other tigers, and use chuffs and moans to communicate with each other. Roaring is used as a battle cry or long-range communication. They have been heard almost two miles away!

Tigers are fast. Tigers can run up to 40 miles per hour (65 km/h). The only faster cats are the cheetahs.

Tiger stripes – unique and beautiful - Mixreading

Tigers have been around for a long time. They have found fossilized remains of tigers in China believed to be 2 million years old.

Every tiger looks unique. Tiger stripes are like human fingerprints; each tiger has a unique set. Most tigers have over 100 stripes. They act as camouflage in nature, looking like moving shadows in the grass and trees.

Turns Out, Tigers Have Spots That Look Like Eyes On Their Ears To Confuse Prey | Bored Panda

Tigers have fake eyes. They have a white patch of fur on the back of each ear so it looks like they can see behind them, even when they’re sleeping. Makes them even scarier!

There are five subspecies of tiger. They are Bengal, South China, Indochinese, Sumatran, and Amur (Siberian) tigers. The Amur tigers are the largest, growing up to 680 pounds and 10 feet long. The Sumatran tigers are the smallest, topping out at 310 pounds and 8 feet. The Caspian, Bali, and Javan subspecies have become extinct.

Stalking Tiger in Grass | A young Siberian tiger stalks his … | Flickr

Tigers are generally loners. They usually only interact for mating and occasionally to share a kill. Once in a while, they will join together to hunt a large animal.

Male tigers take up more space than females. An adult male’s territory will usually overlap several females’ territories. The strongest male gets his choice of territory.

My daughter's eyelashes, the tiger's tongue, and other grooming devices -Dr. David Hu, Georgia Institute of Technology – Biomimicry Alberta

Grooming is important to tigers. Tigers have rough tongues and use them to remove loose hairs and dirt from their fur. They also use their tongues to spread oils from their glands across their furs. Which is why their fur looks so glossy.

Tigers can be good neighbors. They peacefully coexist with leopards, Asiatic wild dogs, brown bears, and wolves throughout most of their range. They usually avoid the other animals because they are mostly nocturnal while the others are active during the day.

Big cat safety law ends 'Tiger King'-style attractions - E&E News by POLITICO

Sabre-toothed tigers weren’t tigers. Those big teeth were pretty scary, but they’re from a different family of cat.

Tigers are closed related to house cats. We share about 95% of the same DNA. For example, we are all obligate carnivores. Tigers love to play just like us (but with bigger toys). We all learn to hunt early in life. Finally, we all sleep up to 18 hours a day. Take pride in your royal heritage!

Cute Tiger Wallpaper (56+ pictures)

So raise a glass to your royal relatives!

Global Tiger Day, also known as International Tiger Day, is an annual event celebrated on July 29 to promote awareness for tiger conservation. : r/Tenere

15

Snoops: A Day in the Life

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Hello Everyone. It’s me, Snoops. Since Kommando Kitty and Sgt Stripes have been writing posts, I thought you might be interested in learning a little bit more about me. After all, I am senior cat and chief defender of hearth and home around here. I am head mouser and Kommando’s protector. Here’s what my average day looks like:

 

Early Morning

Long before it’s light, I’m up and on the job. The early hours are the prime time for mousing around here. The best place to find them is the pantry. They love the chocolate chips and nuts that Mom keeps for baking. She finally got smart and started putting those things in plastic containers, but the mice still hang around that part of the pantry. I also need to patrol the study and dining room on a daily basis.

I usually leave the mice for Mom and Human Brother (HB). They are TERRIBLE hunters. They think it’s a sign of affection, but I really am trying to keep them from starving. Kommando is also bad at hunting; she thinks mice are toys. Everyone once in a while, I’ll snack on one, but the food is pretty good here.

Morning

Eventually, I hear Mom moving around upstairs. I am not pleased that I no longer have full run of the house. I wish they would finish training Sgt Stripes. The last time he got downstairs, I had to bop him on the head to keep him in line. He runs around like he owns the place.

After what seems like forever, she finally comes downstairs. I jump on the table for morning cuddles then wait for breakfast. She found some new food, that is better than I expected. We’d been eating the old stuff for YEARS and were so bored. Then I join her at the breakfast table for more pets and cuddles before work. She’s pretty well trained. Sometimes I have to share the space with Kommando Kitty. Luckily HB is usually there and can do some of the cuddles.

Right before Mom leaves for work, we get treats. Kommando is really pushy, so she always gets hers first. That’s okay, because she only eats them part of the time. So I get double treats a lot of the time. Sometimes HB leaves after Mom, but he works really weird hours so it seems like he’s around a lot.

Days

HB usually goes upstairs after Mom leaves. So I sometimes chase Kommando around a little bit, but most of the time I settle in for a nice nap. This time of year is great because there are a lot of sun puddles. It hasn’t been really hot in Michigan, so it is very pleasant.

Eventually HB comes back downstairs. Usually to work in the kitchen. Mom says he’s a really good cook, but I’m not sure I agree. Once in a while, he makes tuna and shares with us. That’s really pawsome. But most of the time, his food is revolting. Lots of beans and non-meat stuff. If he does make chicken or fish, you usually can’t find it because of the other stuff he mixes in. I always have to supervise; I keep hoping he’s going to surprise us.

Sometimes HB cleans. That’s not much fun. He’s really loud and moves stuff all over. I have to watch my tail. And his feet. He has almost stepped on me. On the bright side, he usually finds missing toys. I don’t really like to supervise cleaning. I usually look for a place to hide. If he doesn’t vacuum, I can nap or play with Kommando. She’s a good sister – not great – but good.

Days are usually a combination of snacking, napping, bird/wildlife watching, playing with or without Kommando, and supervising the human.

Evenings

Mom gets home around dinner time. Since HB cooks, we wait at the table with her. We help her read email and respond to messages. I don’t know how she’d get anything done without us. Between the three of us (Mom, Kommando, and me), we take up the whole side of the table.

We usually hang around while they eat. I’m not sure why. Like I said, most of the food is barely edible. But I don’t want to take a chance on missing something. Every once in a while, there’s a baked fish in the middle of all of the beans and greens. And chicken shows up fairly often. Besides, they’d be lonely without us.

After dinner, we all hang out in the living room. I usually sit with HB, and Kommando sits with Mom. The humans read or do computer stuff. Sometimes they watch TV. I don’t really like TV, but it does leave their hands free for petting. I usually nap for a while.

Nights

After they go upstairs, I’ll nap for a while longer. Then it’s snack time again. Then more napping before it’s time to wake up for another day.

17

All Hail the Tabby Cat

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Sgt Stripes here. Did you know that April 30 is National Tabby Day in the US? Isn’t that pawsome? A whole day to celebrate me and my tabbies buddies. I’m trying to get Mom to buy me a pet vole or gerbil for my special day, but she doesn’t think that’s a good idea. Hopefully, I’ll at least get a lot of treats.

I’ve learned some fun facts about tabbies, and I want to share them with you.

A Little History

The humans think that we tabbies originated with an ancient Egyptian breed called a Mau, which was developed by domesticating the African wildcat. The modern descendant is the Egyptian Mau, which has a tabby pattern.

(Daxter)

The Name Comes from a Baghdad Silk

In the 14th century, we were compared to silk from the “attabiy” district in Baghdad. The Middle French word for it was “atabis”, which people shortened to “tabis”. That eventually became the English word tabby. So people have been admiring us for hundreds of years.

(Thunder)

Tabby is a Pattern, not a Breed

Humans are referring to our beautiful coats when they call us tabbies. We come from many breeds and can be pure-bred or a mixture.

“M” on Our Forehead

We have an “M” on our foreheads because of our genetics. It’s a part of every tabby’s coat pattern.

Some people think the “M” came from Mary, the mother of Jesus. When Mary gave birth to Jesus in the stable, a tabby cat laid next to the baby, keeping him warm and soothing him with purrs. Mary was so grateful that she gave the cat her initial.

Other people believe that the “M” was given by the prophet Mohammed who loved cats. He once cut off the sleeve of a garment so he would not disturb his cat Muezza when he went to prayer.

We Come in a Variety of Colors

A lot of tabbies are basic black with the stripes, but we also come in brown, orange, and gray. The majority (75-80%) of orange tabbies are male. We are all beautiful.

And a Variety of Patterns

There are four main types of tabby: classic tabbies with bold, swirling patterns, mackerel tabbies with narrow stripes, spotted tabbies with large or small spots, and ticked tabbies with tabby markings on the face and agouti hairs (hairs with more than one color) on the body. There are also patched tabbies with tabby pattern on the legs and head. Finally, there are calibies and torbies: calicos and tortoisehells with patches of tabby markings. I like to think of myself as a tuxedo tabby since I have my beautiful white tummy.

We are Camo Kitties

Our patterns assist in camouflage when we are outside hunting. Particularly if we’re hiding in tall grass. Tigers and leopards are both tabby-patterned.

We are Excellent Hunters

We love the thrill of chasing down prey. We are adventurous and love to stalk.

We are Affectionate and Intelligent 

We love cuddles and attention. We also know how to get what we want because we’re so smart.

We are Social Creatures

We are friendly sorts and usually get along well with children. Generally speaking, we love people and like to be part of the family.

We are Very Expressive

Tabby cats are good at expressing our emotions. Our humans know when we are happy or sad. Generally speaking, we are friendly, affectionate, and playful. We are also known to be independent, outgoing, and adventurous.

Summary

Affection Level High
Friendliness High
Kid-Friendly High
Pet-Friendly High
Exercise Needs Medium
Playfulness Medium
Energy Level Medium
Intelligence Medium
Tendency to Vocalize Medium
Amount of Shedding Medium

“Official” Tabbies

Finally, if you’re human is looking for a show cat, the Cat Fanciers’ Association says the following breeds are “allowed” the tabby pattern:

  • Abyssinian (ticked)
  • American bobtail
  • American curl
  • American shorthair (the classic pattern)
  • American wirehair
  • Birman (tabby points)
  • Colorpoint shorthair (tabby points called “lynx points”)
  • Egyptian Mau (the original spotted tabby)
  • Exotic (shorthaired Persians)
  • Javanese (lynx points)
  • LaPerm (has its roots in a “barn cat”)
  • Maine coon (probably the most popular pedigreed tabby cat)
  • Manx
  • Norwegian forest cat
  • Ocicat
  • Oriental (with 112 tabby combinations)
  • Persian
  • Ragdoll (lynx points)
  • Rex (Devon, Selkirk, and Cornish)
  • Scottish fold
  • Siberian (another “natural” breed of tabby cats)
  • Singapura (ticked)
  • Somali (longhair ticked)
  • Turkish Angora (14 allowable tabby patterns/colors)
  • Turkish van (six tabby patterns/colors)

I don’t really know anything about show cats; I wandered up onto the porch and got adopted.

Hope you enjoyed learning about the wonderful world of tabbies. And the pictures of me, my cousin Thunder, and my new friend Daxter.

17

Our Pawsome Paws

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Problems With Your Cat's Paws: Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention

Every once in a while, we like to try to educate our human readers. Today we are sharing some fun facts about our paws. We use them for walking, running, jumping, self-defense, and hunting. We have five toes on the front paws and four on the the back paws. (The extra toe in front functions as a sort of gripper or “thumb.”) They’re the most sensitive part of our bodies, but also the strongest.

Our paws may not be able to open tuna cans, but they are truly amazing. Check out all the things we can do with our furry little feet:

So Your Cat Thinks He's a Tiger - Catwatch Newsletter

Feel Sensations from the Ground

We have a huge number of nerve receptors in our paws. (Tickle them at your own peril!) These nerve receptors help us with our incredible balance. They also help us feel the ground for vibrations and gravity. Excellent aids for tracking prey. We use our paws to test temperature and the safety of a surface.

What Movement and Gait Tell You About Your Cat | Fear Free Happy Homes

Walk on our Toes

We are never caught flat-footed because we always walk on our toes. (That’s called digitigrade.) It keeps us extra-quiet when we move and lets us move faster when we choose. Very useful when pouncing and hunting.

Why Does My Cat Wave Its Paw at Me and Other Funny Cat Habits Explained • IttyKitty.com

Dominant Front Paw

Know how you humans are usually left-handed or right-handed? Same for us. Almost all cats are either left-pawed or right-pawed. (Some studies show that males are right-pawed, while females are left-pawed.)

Fur Laughs: 7 Cats Who Tried To Make A Jump But Didn't Even Come Close [VIDEOS] - CatTime

Built-In Shock Absorbers

Our paws are what let us land safely from high jumps. They also help us walk on rocks, weeds, and other rough stuff. They help us walk quietly so we can sneak up on prey (and humans). We don’t like to use them too roughly though, because of all of those nerve endings.

Hot Weather Precautions — Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon

Built-In Climate Control

We prefer to stay cool. But if we get out in the heat or are stressed, we can sweat through our paws. If you notice a trail of sweaty paw prints, please help us cool/calm down.

Why Do Cats Scratch? | CLAWGUARD

Communication Tools

We have scent glands between our paw pads that are activated when we scratch things. That way, we can let other kitties (and lesser creatures) know that we have been there. We also have scent glands on the pads of our rear paws that help spread the word.

Paw Reading Is Japan's Newest Cat Trend - PetGuide

Pawlm Reading (see more at https://kakato.com/blogs/learn-read-cats-paw-one-minute/)

Some humans believe that our paws tell a lot about our personalities. The markings and shape of the paw tell about our character. The dewclaw is the lifeline, the first digital pad on the right is luck, the second pad is intelligence, the third pad is love, and the fourth is appetite.

10 Facts About Tuxedo Cats – Waffles the Cat

Matching Pads and Fur

Our pads usually parallel our fur coats. For example, tuxies usually have black spots on their paw pads and light-colored cats usually have light-colored paw pads.

the Importance of climbing for indoor cats by cat behaviourist Anita Kelsey

Paws are Super Flexible

Our paws bend and turn on our “wrists.” Our front paws can turn inward to help us sink our claws into whatever we are climbing. (Unfortunately, it doesn’t work in reverse if we climb too high to jump down.) This flexibility also helps make us so well-balanced.

New Documentary Condemns Declawing of Cats; Who Is Right?

Humans can help us maintain our paws by checking them out once a week. Gunk can get trapped between our toes (especially if we’re long-haired), and cause irritation. We can also be allergic to things we walk through. Pads that are swollen, soft, bleeding, ulcerated, or scaly are all potential problems.

However, if there isn’t a problem, leave our feet alone!

The cat's meow | The Humane Society of the United States

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

19

Thunder Katt: Fun with Your Human

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We’d like to welcome our cousin Thunder back for this week’s post.

Hello everyone! It’s Thunder, and today I’m going to be giving you ideas on what you and your human companion can do for fun and bonding during the heatwave months of summer!

As some of you may recall, I am a Michigan kitty. In the winter, spring, and fall, this is excellent, because it’s typically cool enough to cuddle and nap all day, and there’s always something on Cat TV! Unfortunately, from about mid-May to mid-September, we have summer. As I discovered, summer is hot, humid, sticky, and gross. This leads to my humans whining that it’s too hot to cuddle (obviously they’re wrong, but have you ever tried correcting a human?) and even to Cat TV being put on pause due to rain storms. It’s an overall sucky season! Thankfully, there are still things to be done to ensure both you and your human are entertained. 

Play hide and seek

This is inspired by my sister, Angel. It works similar to the human kitten version of the game. Basically, while your human is distracted, decide where you’re going to hide (some favorite spots for us include behind the stove, under the sofa, and behind the laundry facilities). Then, when your human is in another room, stealthily position yourself in your spot. It’ll take a couple of minutes before your human realizes it’s game time, so you may be able to get a nap in. Once your human misses you, the fun begins! Watch in amusement as they search for you. Make sure you ignore their calls of “here, kitty!”, and only come out if a litter break is needed or if rare treats are offered. When they find you, simply choose a new spot and start over!

Hunting practice 

Tired of your human losing the best mice you found? Take the off mousing season to practice hunting with them! Our favorite targets are stink bugs, spiders, flies, and moths. The first couple of targets you’ll have to demonstrate how to catch the prey, but after the first 10 or so, give your human a chance (just be sure to be ready to swoop in and make the kill. Humans need a lot of support). Also, make sure they’re not afraid of the target you chose for them. We decided to let Mom go after a huge moth, but apparently she’s terrified of them, so it led to her sitting on the sofa crying while Dad chased and captured it. We thought it was funny. They did not. 

Start a collection together 

You can piggyback off your hunting practice, or you can choose a totally inanimate object to collect together. Some personal choices for us include stink bugs and flies (that’s a pure Thunder K. Katt choice!), pacifiers (human kitten just spits them out, and they’re fun to bat around), hair ties, lip balm tubes, and bath poufs (Onyx is obsessed with them. We just let her be). If your human is actually organized and keeps things tidy, try helping them collect pens, rubber bands, paper, and shopping receipts. Should your human attempt to clean up your collection, simply take it back out and drop it in a more pertinent spot for them (such as their pillow). They’ll catch on eventually, and hopefully start adding pieces of their own. If you need an easy starter, try toy mousies or balls. They’ll think it’s cute and be more likely to participate. 

Do food and beverage tastings 

Apparently humans have a thing called “wine tastings”, and in addition to the wine, there’s often cheese, olives, and nuts. Because wine, olives and nuts are not cat friendly (and we all know cheese is delicious- no sample needed on that), I would advise a slightly different approach. Find a cat friendly food that you normally would avoid, and give it a couple nibbles. I’ve tried lettuce, Angel has tried oatmeal, Onyx tried a quinoa chip, and all of us have tried butternut squash. In return, try offering your human some catnip or silver vine, or even some wet food gravy. Make sure you clean your palate between tastings by using their water glass. And always request extra ice, it helps you stay cool in the heat. 

Lounge

I’ve found that humans tend to lounge under a fan or in front of the air conditioner when they get hot. What a purrfect opportunity to lounge next to them, tummy side up, and allow them to enjoy your company! They won’t complain about you making them hot, you’ll get tummy rubs and attention, and the fan will also cool you off. Please note that some humans are not good at just laying there, so you may have to demonstrate a few times prior to any big successes. 

Invite your human to watch Cat TV 

This is contingent on storms and rain not ruining the cat TV channels (Michigan has been horrible about that this year). The best way to do this is to find the largest window in your house. Choose your spot first (feel free to nudge things around as needed), and create a spot for your human. Once you find a good show, start meowing loudly and often, until a human comes by. At that point, grab them with your paw and pull them towards you and the show. Hopefully you can enjoy a nice bird or squirrel show together. 

Do computer work together 

When your human is on the computer, be it shopping, work, or video watching, join in on the fun! You can plop in front of their screen, sit on the keyboard, play with their mouse, or help organize their desk area. Some kitties prefer to walk back and forth, which is a good option if you need attention and they have a deadline to meet. Some more technology-savvy kitties may be able to operate functions on the computer for their human- I can open new pages, adjust text size, and unmute the volume. If your human gets irritated, I would choose to sit on their wrist while they type or navigate the mouse. Out of the way, but still with your human (this trick was taught by Onyx).

Massages

This is a very literal you scratch my back, I scratch yours situation. Approach your human wanting pets. After an appropriate amount of petting (make sure not to sit down and get comfortable), either jump on and off of them really fast, keep walking back and forth across them, or stand (don’t sit) on a pressure point and purr (you can toss in some head bonks if wanted). Keep up this pattern until they’re satisfied with their cat massage, or until you find something better to do. An added benefit for you is the likelihood of loose, itchy furs being removed during the petting process. Don’t be alarmed if your human yelps a little during their massage- it’s the tension leaving them. 

Hopefully you and your human can have an enjoyable summer together! Stay safe, stay cool, and enjoy the time with your human. Don’t let the rain get you down, and keep your furs cool and brushed. And remember, cuddle weather will be back before you know it! 

Furs and purrs,

Thunder K. Katt

ass

18

Snoops’ Guide to Happy Hunting

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Greetings! Snoops here. Kommando has decided to take the week off, so I thought that I would share some hunting tips with you. As most of you know, I am an indoor kitty so the live action will be limited to mice and bugs. However, I do have the inside scoop on the red dot, as you’ll see below.

19 Cat And Mouse Friends Examples That Will Make You Believe In Love Again | Cats, Cute animals, Funny animals

Catching Mice

We live in an old farmhouse, so the mice were here before I was. Mom can’t stand the idea of traps, so I do my best to keep the population under control.

Patience is the key to any successful mouse hunt. The humans used to laugh when I sat staring at the walls, but now they say that I’m on “Mouse Patrol.” I try to patrol the pantry when no one is around. There is nothing worse than being on the verge of flushing out a tasty treat, then having some human come in because they “forgot to grab the pasta.” Sheesh.

Lolcats - mouse - LOL at Funny Cat Memes - Funny cat pictures with words on them - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words on

I like to hunt alone. Kommando likes to participate in the chase aspect. I can let her do the initial flushing out. But if she gets too involved in the actual hunt, she turns it into a game. Then I either spend hours trying to corner the mouse or it gets away completely. What a waste – no snack and no trophy.

I’m torn on the whole eat or share issue. I used to give all of my dead mice to the humans. (They are really bad hunters.) But they throw the mice away which is a real waste. On the other hand, mice are not as tasty as kibble or my wet food. And it is always entertaining when they find my gift.

11 Bugs to Watch Out For If You Have Pets

Insects

I’m not sure what happened, but we don’t get anywhere close to as many bugs in the house as we used to. Mom works overnight, so the moths don’t come around since there aren’t any lights on. Ants are boring, and I don’t like the way they taste. Our human brother takes care of the stinging insects. (Thanks!)

Tired of insects? A perfect non-toxic insect/bug exterminator: the cat! ( insect vs cats compilation) - YouTube

That only leaves the occasional creepy-crawly or fly. Flies are tough. You have to catch them mid-air, so planning is vital. You need to decide ahead of time whether or not you want them as a snack. If so, a direct paw-to-mouth action is required. Catch-and-release is much easier. Creepy-crawlies are easier to catch, but you have to be careful because a lot of them bite or taste bad.

Overall, I think insects are a waste of time. I think humans should dispose of them. Maybe we just don’t get the right kind of bugs.

Why Do Cats Bunny Kick? | Hill's Pet

Wand Toys

Wand toys are a lot of fun if you don’t have a sister cat who always takes over the game. You should try to identify which human is least likely to play for a couple of minutes and get bored. There is nothing worse than getting all revved up to play just to have your human suddenly find something else to do.

4 Simple DIY Pet Toys for Dogs and Cats | SPOT Pet Insurance

Be sure to give the toy time to get set. Jumping too soon can take all the challenge out of the chase. And don’t play with it too long after you catch it or your human will use that as an excuse to do something else.

Try not to chew through the string. Kommando is really bad about this. We only have one wand toy and it’s not the kind that retracts because Mom refuses to buy any more of those. She’s says they’re a waste of money because they only last one session. Some cats!

The Best Of The "Restraining Cat" Meme | Funny cat pictures, Cat memes, Funny animal pictures

Red Dot

As promised, I have discovered a secret about the red dot: it’s part of a human conspiracy! Mom’s uncle was over and he was playing with us. He said that he was controlling the dot! Sure enough, he could turn it on and off. And he kept me from being able to catch it. He was entertaining himself at my expense.

My advice is to enjoy chasing the dot. But you will probably never be able to catch it because the humans don’t want you to catch it. So think of it more as a way to get rid of extra energy or a bad case of the zoomies.

Why Does Your Cat Bring You Gifts? - The Conscious Cat

Stuffed Toys

Stuffed toys may be the best to hunt. Especially if you can train your human to hide them for you. And the best part is if you give your “kill cry” with a realistic toy. It is a lot less work for the same reaction.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images (except me!)

27

Cat Etiquette for Humans

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If cats could talk and do human things. | Funny cat pictures, Funny animal memes, Cats

Fellow Felines: Please forward this post to your human.

It has recently come to our attention that there are some common human gaffes regarding how to interact with your cat. We know that you mean well, so we are here to help with a little advice.

cat teacher Memes - Imgflip

When your cat talks to you, learn what they are saying. It is annoying to wait while you ask about wanting to be let into the room, wanting cuddles, wanting food when it should be clear that we want you to move your stuff from our favorite cat tree.

How Do Cats Hunt? | Hunting Strategies & Techniques in Domestic Cats

If you see us chasing a mouse, don’t scream or try to help. That only startles us and gives the mouse a chance to get away. We will ask for help if we need it.

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If we are relaxing in your slipper or using it as a sled across the floor, don’t tell us you need the slipper. We know it’s your slipper and you need to learn how to share.

Help, My Cat Eats Too Fast! 7 Ways to Slow Them Down - The Catington Post

If we are eating, do not make loud noises or insist on getting something that is in a space where we eat. Even if we do not jump (which you find hilarious for some reason), it is rude. You don’t want us on the table when you eat; give us the same courtesy.

There's An Actual Scientific Study Into Cats Playing Video Games

Don’t start playing with us to stop a couple of minutes later because “your show came on”, your phone dinged, or some other lame reason. We like to play, and want to do it for a while.

Why Cats Like to Sleep in Bed With Their Humans

If we are laying on “your” blanket or “your” chair, do not just dump us on the floor. Most likely, we were asleep. It is rude to wake someone up like that. After all, we are members of the family.

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Do not insist on taking our pictures constantly. Particularly if you think we are doing something funny. Those pictures always end up on the computer, and your friends laugh and make fun of us. Sometimes we just like to chill and not have to worry about the paparazzi.

Nice job captain graceful! Have a nice trip? See ya next fall? - Cheezburger - Funny Memes | Funny Pictures

Do not laugh at us if we slip or miss a jump. We are still tons more graceful than you ever will be.

We hope that you have found these tips helpful. Please talk to your cat if you have any questions.

Cute cats Archives - iHeartCats.com

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

15

The Biennial Bears’ Bonfire – Part 4

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Romanian specialists teach orphaned bear cubs how to survive in ...

Background: Every two years Zeke, Anthony, Joe, and Benjamin got together for a week-long camping trip at the lake. One of the highlights of the trip was story-time around the bonfire. This year’s topic is “Chance Encounter With Another Species”. You can read Zeke’s story here. Anthony’s story is here. Joe’s story is here.

This is Benjamin’s story.

Image result for fox chasing rabbit (With images) | Fox, Animals ...

My son Beau and I were out gathering some last minute supplies for the winter when we saw a fox race past chasing a couple of young rabbits. It really didn’t look good for the rabbits. We didn’t have time to see who it was.

The next thing we knew, one of the rabbits was tugging on Beau’s paw. The fox had cornered her brother in some bushes, and she wanted Beau to help him get free. She must have been pretty desperate to come to a bear for help. We didn’t know her, but the forest was full of rabbits.

American Black Bear | MDC Discover Nature

Beau and I looked at each other. I was going to explain that it was probably too late, but she looked so sad that I didn’t have the heart. He was her only family. We told her to wait there, hidden from view, while we went to see what was going on.

We followed the tracks and found the fox. It was Jasper, one of our neighbors. He was still hunting, so the rabbit was alive. I guess we startled Jasper, though. He looked irritated when we approached him. He told us that he had been hunting a rabbit for dinner when we tromped up. Now he probably had lost it.

Red Fox Diet - Hunting Strategies & Behaviour | Wildlife Online

Jasper started to walk around, sniffing. He found the scent of the rabbit again. He ran into the forest. We followed him, and I asked him to stop. He had cornered the bunny, but we startled him before he could attack. Jasper turned his head to look at us.

Before Jasper had a chance to start yelling, I told him that we wanted him to give us the bunny. Jasper thought I had lost my mind. It was his dinner. Besides, bears don’t eat rabbits. Why would we want it?

Wild Baby Bunnies and What To do When You Find Them - Effective ...

I explained that the rabbit’s sister had asked us to rescue him. She didn’t want to lose her only family. Jasper looked at us and started to laugh. He’d never heard of a rabbit being that brave before.

We waited to see whether Jasper would release the rabbit. I wasn’t sure that the poor thing hadn’t died from fright. It had its body pressed against the ground. Jasper looked at the rabbit and decided to let him go. He couldn’t kill something after a story like that. He’d have leftovers for dinner.

Scared little wild rabbit | timeuser | Flickr

The little rabbit was frozen in terror. Beau went over and petted him. There wasn’t any response, so Beau picked him up and we took him back to his sister.

She was exhilarated when she saw us. She had been sure that we had just gone home. The little male rabbit finally relaxed when he saw her.

cuddling rabbits | Two wild rabbits on Haigh Hall golf cours ...

We asked if they needed help getting home. The girl rabbit said that their home had been destroyed; that’s why they were in the area. We decided to take them home with us to relax after all the excitement. They fell asleep almost immediately.

They decided to build their new burrow near our den, since we were the first friends they made in the area.

Waking From Hibernation, the Hard Work of Spring Begins - The New ...

 

13

The Biennial Bears` Bonfire – Part 3

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The Black Bears of the Smokies - Mountain Realty Group

Background: Every two years Zeke, Anthony, Joe, and Benjamin got together for a week-long camping trip at the lake. One of the highlights of the trip was story-time around the bonfire. This year’s topic is “Chance Encounter With Another Species”. It is Anthony’s turn to speak. You can read Zeke’s story here. Anthony’s story is here.

Now it was Joe’s turn to tell his story.

My story is a little different because it’s about a human.

How About No Bear Meme - Imgflip

As you know, they have what they call “hunting season.” They think that as long as it’s the season, they can do whatever they want in our woods. Mainly they seem to tromp around and make a lot of noise. So I hear a couple of them walking around, trying to find whatever it was they were looking for.

Curious Bear by Joe Motohashi | Bear, Bear pictures, Bear photos

They ended up separating to see if they had better luck. I heard a shot, so I assumed they had been successful.

Then I heard one of the humans start yelling. I don’t really understand human very well, so I went closer to see what had happened. One of the humans was bleeding and the other one was leaning over him. My best guess is that the first human got shot somehow.

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I thought I should help, so I went closer to offer. I guess it wasn’t a very good idea. The uninjured human tried to shoot me. Luckily, he was a terrible shot. So he started to run.

I couldn’t believe it. He left his friend behind so he could get away. I  guess he doesn’t know black bears are friendly around here.

I looked down at his buddy. He didn’t look so good. I mean humans are kinda funny looking without any fur, but this one looked particularly bad.

10 Philosophical Bears Thinking Deep Bear Thoughts

I didn’t know what to do. On the one paw, he had been out in my woods trying to kill someone. On the other paw, it seemed cruel to leave him there bleeding.

I  decided to drag him over to Dr. Fox. It wasn’t very far, but when the human saw me coming toward him, he fainted. It was a little insulting. After all, he was the one with the gun.

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Dr. Fox looked at the human and asked where I found him. I told him the whole story and asked whether he could help the human.

The doctor said that he would clean up the human and pack some herbs into the wound. It had worked on some others patients, but he hadn’t tried it on something so big. It was going to take a lot of herbs. I  said that I would go out and find them while he cleaned up the patient.

Bears Munching on Ants Indirectly Help Plants | Smart News ...

When I got back, it looked like the human was dead. Dr. Fox said not to worry; he had given his patient something to make him sleepy. I had to admit that he did look a lot better cleaned up and sleeping.

I gave Dr. Fox the herbs. He packed the wound with most of them, then made a paste to hold the herbs in place. The doctor asked how I was going to get him home.

Winter Dens - North American Bear CenterNorth American Bear Center

I hadn’t thought about that. I thought he’d be able to go home after Dr. Fox had fixed him. I certainly didn’t want him in my den; he would scare the children. And I had no idea where he lived. Besides, someone would probably try to shoot me again.

I told Dr. Fox that I needed to go home and talk to Ginny (my wife). She said that he could stay overnight, but that was it. We carried him home and made him a nice bed.The kids looked in on him, but weren’t impressed, so they went back to playing.

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We found a phone in his pocket and found a number for “Home.” I couldn’t call them. Most humans don’t understand bear talk. Ginny said we should text them. She sent, “Git me.”

We waited for a response. “Where are you?” Hmm. That was a good question. How would the humans find him? “Lake Vista beach”

Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska image - Free stock ...

“I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

We took him over to the lake in the morning and waited with him. A car finally got there, so we waited in the woods. A woman got out of the car and looked at our human. She started crying and called someone. An ambulance arrived a little later. They said they had no idea who would have packed the wound with herbs, but it saved the man’s life.

29 Animals Waving Goodbye For The Winter (With images) | Cute ...

Nexr week: Benjamin’s story

All pictures courtesy of Google Images