The Mesmerizing Eyes Of A Cat

October 4th, 2008 at 08:11am Under Cat Owner+ Myths/Folklore

By Sharon Cowherd

A cat’s mesmerizing eyes create the feeling that you can look
deep into their soul. Have you sat and looked deep into your
cat’s eyes? Wondering what they are thinking or if they are
trying to tell you something? I know that I have sat gazing
into my cat’s eyes looking for something magical to happen;
searching for answers to questions like “Can you understand what
I am saying?” or “Are you trying to tell me something?” Their
eyes are so mysterious looking that I just feel like I am
falling deep within their being as I look into their eyes.

Cat’s eyes can give you signs of their current mood by the size
of their pupil. When the cat’s eyes are open and the pupil
becomes large, the cat can be very excited or frightened. I
have seen my cats’ pupils become very large when they suddenly
get frightened by something. The large pupils in this instance
are also usually accompanied with the hair on their back
sticking straight up and their tails bushed out. I will
immediately try to calm them down when I find them in this
state. When the pupils become narrowed, looking like slits in
the cat’s eyes, it could be an indication that the cat is angry
or the sun is in the cat’s eyes. I have watched, on many
occasions, Tiggy go from being in a peaceful mood to being very
angry and seeing it in her eyes. The nice calm look of her
pupil as it is large turning into a very narrow slit just as she
becomes irritated. Her irritation is usually the direct
response from one of Cooper’s momentary agitations. He really
loves to get her going, and when I watch him I can see his
excitement has his pupils get larger.

The pupils also change in size by the amount of sunlight that
enters the eye. When the sun is bright and shining directly
into the cat’s eyes, their pupils will become narrow. The
brighter the sunlight, the narrower their pupils will become;
appearing to be the size of pinpricks. The opposite happens
when there is little or no sunlight. Their pupils become large
and sometimes almost spherical to allow as much of the available
light to enter.

Both pupils will simultaneously be the same size at all times.
When one becomes a different size it is an indication of an eye
condition that can range from mild to serious. It would be good
to seek medical attention to be sure that it is not serious.
When the cat’s eye color changes it could also be an indication
of a disease and should be consulted by a veterinarian.

Another interesting part of the cat’s eyes is the color. Most
cats have eye colors that range from gold to greenish-yellow. I
find it fascinating to look at the colors in my cats’ eyes. I
also find it odd that of the four cats that I have owned, the
ones related to each other, have had totally different eye color
from each other. Tiggy has yellowish colored eyes and Cuddles
had green to yellowish colored eyes. They were sisters, yet
their eye colors were different. Kittens are born with blue
eyes that will change when they are between 4 to 8 weeks old.
Blue eyes are also found in cats with pointed coats such as the
Siamese.

Since the cat’s eye is so interesting and mysterious looking,
have you wondered what they see while looking through their
eyes? I think that it would be interesting if we were able to
look through the eyes of a cat and see exactly what they see.
It would give me a different viewpoint on what I look at
everyday. Did you know that your cat is not color blind? They
can see colors, just not the same colors that we see. Cats can
see green and blue but not red.

I still find the cat’s eyes to be mysterious and amazing. I
can sit for hours looking deep into the souls of my cats through
their eyes. The next time you are near your cat, look deep into
their eyes and see if you find something mysterious lurking
there.

About the Author: Sharon Cowherd maintains Caring for Your Cat,
a blog about her experiences and knowledge of caring for her
cats. You can read more about Sharon and her cats at
www.caringforyourcat.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: www.isnare.com/?aid=215900&ca=Pets

By Fred Add comment

Choosing A Cat Bed

September 28th, 2008 at 08:11am Under Cat Owner+ Furniture

By Liz Canham

You have a bed of your own, so why shouldn’t your cat? It’s
true to say that if you buy a bed or even several beds for your
cat, he will probably still use your three piece suite, your own
bed or indeed anywhere he wants, but you’ll feel better able to
move him on if he has his own special place to sleep.

There are all sorts of cat beds, ranging from the very basic to
the positively opulent. You can try to fit one in with your
décor but frankly, unless your wallpaper has colourful mice or
paw prints all over it, you are probably on a loser there! The
best you can hope for really is a colour that doesn’t actually
clash with that of the room that the bed will be kept in.
However, you should really be more concerned about how the bed
will be for your cat.

Some of these cat beds are similar to dog beds but smaller,
i.e. an oval foam filled cotton cover with a fairly rigid base
and sides with a lowered part of the side for the cat to walk in
(as if they couldn’t jump over the sides anyway). These can be
good as there is usually room for a bit of fleece or blanket
inside, which is not only cozy for the cat, but keeps the cover
of the bed a bit cleaner that it might otherwise be.

Another foam filled type of cat bed is similar to that
described above but a little more like a traditional dog kennel
in shape being completely covered over with a door shape for
entry. Cats have a nesting instinct so some like this
arrangement. Equally, if there are other animals or small
children in the house, your cat may feel more secure with his
own little “house” to retire to for peace and quiet. These beds
can actually be heated but unless your cat is very old, this
really shouldn’t be necessary.

Most cats moult on and off throughout the year, so some sort of
mat or blanket to put on their favourite chair can be useful.
You can whip it off and hide it if visitors come and the
furniture shouldn’t be too hairy.

If your cat is a real heat junky, you can buy a sheepskin
hammock type arrangement, which you can hang on a radiator.
However, this won’t be suitable for an old cat as agility is the
key when getting in and out of these things.

Cats often like bean bags. This are an inner lining filled
with small polystyrene balls with an outer cover that can be
removed for washing. Placed in a corner or other warm spot,
your cat will soon get to like this arrangement.

Unless you introduce your chosen cat bed into the house when
your cat is very small, your cat will probably pay it no
attention at all for some time. If he ignores it completely,
try picking him up and putting him on the bed while you stroke
him for a while. If this approach fails, try inducing him with
catnip toys or treats. Make sure that the bed isn’t in a
thoroughfare and is somewhere away from draughts, maybe raised a
short way off the floor.

If you have more than one cat, make sure that each one has its
own bed. If they choose to swap around between themselves, then
that’s their business, but never expect them to share a bed,
although they may want to, particularly sibling kittens.

If you want to make the cat bed multi-functional, buy one of
those beds cum activity centres with a scratching post but be
sure that you have plenty of room for it!

About the Author: Liz Canham is the proud owner (or maybe
servant) of three cats and is webmistress of
www.cat-lover.lizebiz.com/blog/ - The Cat Lover Blog.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: www.isnare.com/?aid=216386&ca=Pets

By Fred Add comment