Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

One problem I’ve never had to deal with in my house is picky eaters. The most likely reason for this is competition. There was only one time that I had a single pet in the house, and that was Clutch, a cat that had come to me fresh from the mean streets of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, UK, and a street cat is never going to pass up a meal!

Although it’s not always the case, most cats and dogs that are fussy eaters, or leave their food to come back to later, are only children. As soon as there is another mouth that might steal your food, you learn to eat what you are given when you are given it! The other reason many pets become picky is that they are in the process of training their humans.

Although it’s perfectly fine, and not at all dangerous, for a cat or dog to miss the occasional meal (as long as they’re not unwell or doing it on a regular basis), many owners will get quite worried if their pet refuses to eat their food. So what do they do? They race to the kitchen to find something more tempting, like some fresh chicken or fish, or some leftover rice pudding…you get where I’m going with this.

Animals aren’t silly, and once they realize that turning their nose up at their regular food will get them something even better, it’s only a matter of time before their cat or dog food is being replaced with a rotating smorgasbord of Michelin star-worthy meals. Fortunately, I have never fallen victim to this particular form of manipulation, and my cats remain unaware that things like cooked chicken pieces are anything but an ‘after-dinner digestif’.

However, they have managed to work out one way to manipulate their way into the occasional second breakfast or dinner.

Cats and Hobbits

Unless you’ve been living in a (Hobbit) hole, you’ll have heard of Lord of the Rings, and even those of you who haven’t watched the films (multiple times, in the extended versions, and with cast commentary) as I have, might have heard the quote from the mischievous Pippin:

Not to mention ‘elevenses, luncheon, and afternoon tea.’

We’ve established that my cats don’t shy away from a feed, and in fact, they can be downright greedy. But, they are also quite cunning.

Twice a day, all five cats gather together to meow and nag to make sure that Husband and I don’t forget to feed them. We never have, but obviously, they don’t want to leave anything to chance. If one of us has beaten the other home, or left for work early, we can usually tell if the cats have been fed by the enthusiasm of the group’s demands. On most days, one or two will come begging for some more later, but we are not going to be fooled by the food-loving Cyril into feeding them again.

Every now and then, maybe once or twice a month, I swear that the cats come together and agree to go for a second meal. They will come to either Husband or me, whichever one hasn’t already fed them, demanding, with all five voices, to be fed. It’s not until the food is down that a voice comes from downstairs, saying “I’ve already fed them!”

The Conspiracy Theory

You might be thinking that I’m reading too much into the behavior of a group of greedy cats, but here’s why I believe that this is a coordinated attack:

In order for their plea for ‘second breakfast’ (or elevenses, supper, etc) to work,

1. all five cats need to be in on it – if only a few (usually Cyril or Zelda) come begging, we can assume that they have all been fed, and that they are just hoping for second helpings.
2. they need to target the person who didn’t already feed them – for obvious reasons.
3. they can’t do it too often – if they were all begging for more food every day, we would never be fooled. It is because they only do this very occasionally that they manage to pull it off.

It might seem far-fetched to think that my cats are capable of such high-level espionage, but unless you can prove otherwise, I will continue to believe it!

Do your cats manipulate you? Tell me about it in the comments below.

The post But What About Second Breakfast? When My Cats Think They’re Hobbits by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

This Week’s Winner

Silliest

Cutest

Most Dignified

Name:	Oliver
Breed:	Maine Coon
Fun Fact:	He’s having a diarrhoea a whole day until slimy & watery poo but he still stood tall & look down upon us, the peasant of the household, who only live to serve this young archduke.
Socials:	@TirthamOliver

Most Expressive

Best Action Shot

Sleepiest

Enter Your Cat

Submit your kitty for a chance to be featured! Click here

The post Catster Photo Contest: Cats of the Week Winners (November 14, 2024) by Catster Editorial Team appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Welcome to the Wednesday Cats of Catster! Every week, we share a story from one of our cat-loving Catsters. This week is about Crystal and her soul cat, Ivy.

Hi Catsters!

If you’ve read my introduction, you’ll know a bit about how I adopted Ivy and how unsure I was that I was ready to take on such a big responsibility.

Today, I’m going to be taking you through how I prepared for Ivy’s arrival.

Having never owned a pet on my own, saying that I was nervous is an understatement.

First Things First: The Cat Carrier

After Ivy had to be taken away from her original family (storytime on that to come!), she was staying with a lady who had her own rescue shelter.

Ivy had to be vaccinated and spayed before I could pick her up – something that I wholeheartedly agree with.

I was asked if I had a cat carrier and, strangely enough, this was the last thing I had thought of. I’ve thought about cat food, bowls, beds, scratchers, litter boxes, but not the actual thing I would use to get her to my house. (This can tell you a lot about how I am as a person, haha!)

The lady expressed that the cat carrier is of utmost importance – it shouldn’t be one of those basic, plastic cat carriers that are found around every corner. It needed to be sturdy, ideally have a metal gate/door, and be able to lock securely. It would also be ideal if it couldn’t be opened from the top. All of this to make sure she wouldn’t escape during the 2-hour trip to my house.

This led me on a journey and a half of trying to locate a carrier that would tick all of these boxes, in a way that I could afford. I couldn’t believe the prices of these carriers in our local pet shops. I eventually ended up buying a second-hand, barely used cat carrier from a very sweet old lady. I thoroughly washed and sun-dried the carrier and got approval from Ivy’s temporary foster mom.

Cat carrier: check.

Next Up: The Bowls

Now this was way before I knew about cat whisker fatigue and their dislike for having their water right next to their food, so no judgment, please!

I settled for two basic metal bowls. Easy to clean and not needing as frequent replacing as plastic bowls.

Food and water bowls: check.

The Cat Bed

So, I knew that cats had a reputation for not necessarily sleeping in their beds the same way dogs do. Everywhere in the house is fair game – including the sink!

But when I saw the cutest plaid, round, pink cat bed, it was a no-brainer. I thought about all of the cat snoozes she could take, curled up in her cute little bed. (Yeah, right. That was not the case at all.)

But nonetheless: cat bed, check.

The Litter Box and Litter

I had been doing a lot of research in the days leading up to her arrival, and honestly, it wasn’t enough.

I knew the litter box’s size was really important, but I didn’t really know how big/small she was. I settled on a very basic, standard litter box and non-clumping, highly absorbent, biodegradable cat litter.

Litter box and litter: check.

Last Up: Toys & Accessories

I, once again, foolishly believed that she would love all of the toys widely available at every pet store. Little squeaky mice, light-up balls, and even a self-moving mouse.

I would later find out that no, she actually hates all of those.

Out of all of the toys I got for her, the only real winner was the wand toy! (Even though that interest didn’t last long.)

I also got her a collar and a nametag with her name and our number on, just in case.

I also got her a cat tree made by yet another very sweet lady, who I found on one of our Facebook groups. Granted, it wasn’t the prettiest or the sturdiest, but it would have to do for the first couple of weeks. Oh, and we also kept every single box we had from purchasing our first kitchen appliances, as one does.

And that checked off the last on my list: toys & accessories.

This was the long and short of how I prepped for Ivy’s arrival! I was a little misinformed at the time, and my judgment may have been clouded by my excitement. But the basics got us through the first few weeks!

Since then, we’ve upgraded big time.

Ivy now has:

• A Hepper NomNom Bowl
• A water fountain
• Not one, but two cat trees
• Close to one million ping-pong balls
• Two cat scratchers
• A de-shedding brush
• We also ended up mounting floated shelves in our apartment for her to galavant on

And this list keeps growing, every single week. Because honestly, she deserves it!

How did you prepare for your cat’s arrival? Are there some things you wish you knew beforehand? What are some things you’ve changed or acquired extra since then?

The post Preparing for a Kitten’s Arrival: How I Prepped for Ivy by Crystal Uys appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.

Unlike their owners, most cats aren’t fascinated by television, which is probably good because the feline obesity problem would be much worse. Some indoor cats don’t get enough exercise, and if they are glued to the tube instead of chasing catnip mice and racing through their homes, they’ll gain weight. Olga isn’t too interested in watching TV, but sometimes she gets irritated by sound effects and soundtracks.

Young Olga’s Courage

As a kitten, Olga seemed fearless. She wasn’t easily frightened until the 4^th of July, and she ordinarily ignored the stereo and television. If I was too focused on a film, she attacked my feet or climbed to the top of the chair to smack me in the head. Like many young cats, Olga only had two speeds: high gear and park (asleep).

Her First Response to TV

When I moved to a new house with more space, she was almost a year old. I set up a stereo with a powerful subwoofer, and the first movie I watched sent Olga running for cover. The volume was too loud, and the MGM lion’s roar made her hop in the air and run under the bed in the other room. She only reacted to the roar once and determined the sound was not coming from a giant, wild cat.

Some animal experts recommend leaving a TV or stereo on when you leave to comfort your pets. Since I’ve never filmed Olga when she’s alone in the house, I’m not sure a nature program or 24-hour feed of the world’s largest aviary would help her separation anxiety.

Adult Ambivalence

She doesn’t bat an ear when she hears bird calls or nature sounds on the television, which is strange since she looks confused and irritated when she hears Pink Floyd’s Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pick. It’s also odd that Olga doesn’t react to the sound of fireworks on television. She freezes in fear when she hears them going off in my neighborhood, but explosions and gunfire don’t phase her when they’re not real.

Deep Bass Annoyance

Sometimes, the sound effects from movies grab her attention but rarely make her run away. She doesn’t like the sound of the self-destruct siren at the end of Aliens or the screaming at the beginning of the original House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price. However, the only sound that makes her move closer to the speaker and question her sanity is a low, rumbling bass.

David Lynch’s films often include a prolonged rumble to build suspense or lead up to a shocking scene, and Olga isn’t fond of his sound effects. I have to turn down the volume to prevent her from clawing up the subwoofer. As for the images on the television, nothing seems to interest Olga, whether there are songbirds chirping or rodents squeaking. Leaving the TV on may help some cats when their owners leave, but Olga prefers humans to flatscreens.

The post How Cats Respond to the Television: Olga’s Occasional Reactions by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

Living with five dogs and five cats does involve a fair amount of cleaning, and Husband and I take particular pride in the fact that people are often surprised when they find out just how many pets we have. That comes down to a combination of housework, a lack of human children, and maintaining a (relatively) stress-free household (when it comes to the animals, at least!).

Apart from the obvious pet hair overload, a big factor that will influence the sort of olfactory impression your home makes is pheromone levels. More specifically, cat pee. One of the most common complaints from multicat households is inappropriate urination, due to territorial spraying and marking or cats peeing outside the litter box as a result of stress-induced cystitis. As a general rule, cats that live together will try to avoid physical attacks, favoring more subtle methods of chemical warfare. Cats also don’t like to let on when they feel threatened or stressed, so the pressures of this sort of conflict get channeled through the bladder wall.

What does this have to do with home improvements? Well, not to brag (and I know I’m tempting fate by writing this), but in a modest-sized house with five unrelated cats, we have never had a case of cystitis or territorial urination. And I think that it’s largely due to some of the little home improvements we’ve made over the years. Admittedly, they’re not all minor things, like the cat enclosure, for example, but they are mostly inexpensive and easily implemented changes and additions that virtually anyone can make.

Height & Hiding Places

One thing that will stress out your indoor cat the most is feeling like they can’t get away, from each other, from people, or, in our case, from dogs. We have lots of different shelves, cupboards, and scratching posts that our cats can use to get up out of the way, and we allow them on our kitchen countertops as well – except when we’re cooking, of course.

We have beds tucked in various places, including my wardrobe, on window sills, and in the catio, so there are always plenty of quiet spots for making biscuits or having a quick snooze. The cats are lucky that Husband is quite handy (being the owner of a handyman business!) and has built a brilliant outdoor enclosure for them, with artificial grass, shelves, and a sneaky entrance into the house, located behind the sofa. It’s fun to watch the Chihuahuas, Ned and Fred, trying to figure out where the cats have magically appeared from!

Places for Claws and Head Rubs

If you live with cats, expect that your carpet and furniture will suffer some damage, as it is unrealistic to think otherwise. Some feel that the preservation of their soft furnishings is enough to justify the mutilation of their pets, but declawing is not something that any cat should have to endure. By providing alternative scratching surfaces of different types, textures, heights, and locations, you can at least hope to minimize this damage.

These wall-mounted posts are a favorite of mine; they’re inexpensive and unobtrusive, and our cats absolutely love them. We have several of them placed around the house so that the cats have plenty of different places to scratch, and they are all showing signs of plenty of use.

Another pitfall of having multiple cats is the greasy marks that tend to accumulate on wall edges and door frames, where our cats love to rub their heads. They do this because it feels nice and allows them to leave a little pheromone calling card behind. Again, this isn’t something we can stop, but by installing a few of these little door frame brushes, we have been able to provide a more appealing option that the cats absolutely love to use.

Dog-Free Zones

We are incredibly lucky that, by and large, there is little friction between the cats and dogs, but Kodah, our Malinois x Shepherd, does like to chase them from time to time. It’s important that the cats have somewhere that they know they won’t be disturbed by any canine intrusions, which is why my office doubles as the ‘cat room’ (or perhaps it is the cat room that doubles as my office).

We’ve put in a baby gate, another really cheap item (especially if you can pick one up from FB Marketplace!) that allows the cats to have a space that is completely dog-free, with the freedom to come and go as they please.

As Kodah still likes to use his crate as his chillout zone, we occasionally lock him in to give the cats some shepherd-free time in the whole house, too.

Pheromones and Cleaning

Another important (and affordable) part of keeping our house smelling great is using the right cleaning products. Because we allow the cats on the countertops, we always keep a powerful antibacterial cleaner under the sink, one that is strong enough to keep things clean but is also safe for use around pets. The other two items we try never to run out of are Febreze pet odor eliminator and an enzymatic cleaner like Hepper’s Bio-Enzyme Stain & Odor Remover. One of the biggest mistakes pet owners make is using a regular detergent to clean up pet mess, which usually just masks the smell. If you’re dealing with any sort of pet odor, particularly around litter boxes, or if you have a Chihuahua that is proving to be quite challenging to toilet train, you need to use an enzymatic cleaner that will actually break down the particles. This will keep your pet from feeling inclined to use the same spot and help avoid the build-up of animal smells over time.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like an infomercial!

Having a house full of pets can be wonderful, but it can be challenging, as well. If you share your home with cats, take some time to see your house through their eyes. Are there places to hide and jump onto? Do they have lots of places to scratch their claws, or are they expected to find one single cat tree? Do they have somewhere they can get away from people, kids, dogs, or other cats?

And if you’re worried that your home is not smelling its best, I recommend investing in a few bottles of an enzymatic cleaner to give the place a thorough de-stinking. Your nose, and your guests, will thank me.

The post Dr. Karyn’s Feline Tried and Tested Home Improvements by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

This Week’s Winner

Name:	Wilson
Breed:	Mix/Norwegian Forest cat
Fun Fact:	Wilson is 2 years old and part Norwegian forest cat, he is named after the film castaway He is very dignified and his favourite spot is on top of the wardrobe (as per the photo)

Silliest

Cutest

Most Dignified

Most Expressive

Best Action Shot

Sleepiest

Enter Your Cat

Submit your kitty for a chance to be featured! Click here

The post Catster Photo Contest: Cats of the Week Winners (November 8, 2024) by Catster Editorial Team appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Welcome to the Wednesday Cats of Catster! Every month, we ask our cat-loving Catsters to weigh in on a new topic. This week, we asked them: What’s Your Favorite Thing About Your Cat? What Are Your Cat’s Favorite Things? Here’s what they had to say:

Crystal & Ivy

Just like we humans have our favorite things, our kitties do, too! Here are a few of Ivy’s all-time favorites.

As we all know, cats LOVE sleeping. And as they age, they spend even more time sleeping.

With this being said, Ivy is big on her sleep! She absolutely loves sleeping late in the mornings. Most days, I’m up and at ‘em by 08:00 am. Ivy only rolls out of bed around 11:00 am! During this time, she is not to be disturbed. As in, at all.

She also has two favorite spots on the bed – either on my face or between my legs. She’s definitely made me change how I sleep, but even if I’m uncomfortable, I love that she still sleeps with me. I thought this would be something she’d grow out of, but thankfully not! She also enjoys cuddling but, in typical cat fashion, only on her terms.

Another of Ivy’s absolute favorites is a treat called ‘Biskitty.’ My fiance started a morning ritual that involves Ivy jumping on her cat tree and then receiving a couple of bum pats – and, of course, a couple of Biskitty treats!

Even on days when my fiance is away for work, she expects her bum pats and treats. She would get up from bed (eventually), run over to the cat tree, and meow – all whilst giving me the ‘death stare.’ Also, if I forget to put the treat container away, there’s a 100% chance that she will attempt to open it by knocking it over (she has succeeded a few times, resulting in the treat container now being kept out of cat-reach). Pretty sure she’d put one of her nine lives on the line for just a crumb of Biskitty!

She’s never really had much interest in traditional cat toys available at pet shops. After spending a rather questionable amount of money on tons of different toys, we discovered the fan favorite: ping pong balls!

Simply bouncing the ball on the floor is enough to get her full attention! We live in a double-story townhouse, with the second story being a loft. When we play together, we throw the ping pong ball up to the loft from the ground floor, resulting in a mad dash to the top from Ivy, to chase down the ping pong ball. On some nights when she’s feeling particularly wild, she would chase the ball around in the loft for what feels (and sounds) like hours! Very noisy, but very cute!

She’s a simple girl, really! Snoozing, treats, and ping pong balls are a very small price to pay for the unconditional love and laughs she gives us!

Isabel & Milly

Milly and I actually have a lot in common for two gals from different species. For example, Milly loves eating whenever she’s presented with a snack. I, too, have seldom turned down a food offering. Milly loves lying stretched out in the sun. She even knows which rooms get the best sun at specific times during the day.

Similarly, I enjoy spending time in the sun, tanning, doing yoga, or gardening. We’re both sassy, independent, not big fans of crowds, love to Netflix and chill and we’re both obsessed with each other.

Let me tell you more about Milly’s other favorite things.

Firstly, her favored nap spots. Her cat tree has this half-pipe, cylindrical spot which she has claimed as her favorite spot of all time. It’s positioned right by the front window with the most beautiful views of mountains, a golf course, large gardens with a walking path below which sees many a furry and human passerby, and a diverse collection of birds frolicking about.

A new, but strong contender for her favorite napping spot is her Hepper Nest bed conveniently positioned on my desk where I spend most of my day. She loves being by my side while I work, I even have a small duster on stand-by to sweep my desk 5-10 times a day because she prances around my setup around 5 out of the 8 hours a day I’m there.

She was really impressed when I placed the Nest on my desk. She gets to be close to me and petted while I work, and I get to actually see my screen without clouds of cat hair floating around. It’s a win-win.

My favorite thing about Milly is knowing she wants to be close to me even though she’s not the most affectionate or cuddly cat. She chooses me every day, and that’s an incredible honor.

Catch me and Milly next time to read more about her favorite things about being a cat and my favorite things about being a cat owner!

Wes & Raphy

My favorite thing about Raphy is his presence. Now, I don’t mean that in the way you might think. Raphy just LOVES being around us when we’re home, and I find it the most wonderful companionship. If I’m sitting on the floor, he’ll come and sit on the floor next to me. If I’m on the couch, he’ll curl up on the next seat. And if I’m in the bathroom…well…the less said, the better! Will he act disinterested? Sometimes. But I know deep down, just by him being there, that he loves me. Sometimes, when Raphael wakes from a lazy nap in the middle of the day and gets the urge to hang out with us, he won’t be able to find us.

Before you can slow-blink, suddenly he’ll be wailing:

“meow! “meow!”

Loosely translated, I think that means:

“Hey! Where is everyone?!”

We’ll shout back:

“Raphy, we’re in here!”

With a little “merp” of surprise, he’ll come speed-trotting in the direction of the directed directions.

As he joins me in whatever mundane task I’m whiling away the hours on at that moment in time, his presence always makes me reflect on the fact that we’re so lucky to have these silent (and sometimes not so silent), companions in our lives. Just happy to be a part of our day.

The post Favorite Things: The Wednesday Cats of Catster Weigh In by Catster Editorial Team appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.

Brushing your cat’s coat keeps it healthy, reduces shedding, redistributes the natural oil, and sometimes allows you to practice first-aid skills. Veterinarians and behavioral specialists recommend introducing grooming to cats when they’re kittens, and while I agree with their advice, Olga’s early experiences were more violent than beneficial.

Youthful Aggression

As a kitten, her oversized head and potbelly gave her a comical appearance, but underneath the cute exterior lay the soul of a psychopath. I let her examine the brush and left it on the couch for a few hours before attempting a grooming session, but my efforts were in vain. After sniffing it and hitting it a few times, she ignored it, which seemed promising since she didn’t consider it a threat.

However, when I tried to brush her, she curled into a ball and attacked my hand with her sharp teeth and claws. I made several attempts, but grooming a cat is challenging when she doesn’t allow you to touch her back, side, or belly.  She only allowed petting on her neck and head, so I gave up trying to brush her until she became an adult and calmed down.

Early Days of Grooming

She kept her coat clean as a kitten and never developed mats or tangles. After she was around a year old, I bought a softer brush that was gentler on her light coat. She didn’t attack me but kept trying to eat the brush. Then, I tried bribing her, a positive reinforcement classic, when she behaved after a grooming session.

I gave her a treat when she sat still for more than a few seconds, and it seemed to work. Subsequent sessions were more productive; eventually, I could brush 2/3rds of her coat without getting injured or frustrated.

Present-Day Grooming

Sometimes, I think rewarding for good behavior worked too well. When I brush her fur or trim her nails, she purrs, moves around, and tries to rub her head on my neck. I know purring sounds more appealing than scratching and biting, but at least when she attacked me, she generally stayed in one place.

She’s not as food-motivated as she was when she was younger, but she gets excited and more affectionate before her feeding times.  I don’t give her treats after grooming or nail-trimming sessions, but she still expects them and continues to use manipulative love to convince me she’s malnourished.

Luckily, Olga’s thin coat doesn’t require frequent brushing, and her sound-barrier-breaking tongue handles most of the daily maintenance. She only resorts to violence after I trim her front claws and move on to the rear ones. I usually trim one and two before she screams and tries to hit me in the face. I considered buying a hockey mask and Kevlar sleeves to protect myself, but hydrogen peroxide and bandages are more affordable. Besides, she’s too relaxed sometimes, and I like seeing my miniature panther in attack mode. It takes me back to the days of her violent youth.

The post Cat Grooming Challenges: Olga’s Battle With the Brush by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

Yesterday, my neighbor sent me a photo of Clutch peering over the fence from his custom-built catio (my cats aren’t spoiled at all!). The reason he’d spotted the furry little face in the dark was that Clutch had been singing, something he does on a daily basis.

His vocal gymnastics often follow a meal, as he stretches his legs on the kitchen countertops, walking off a delicious feast, but he can often be heard yodeling in the morning, evening, or in the middle of the day as he patrols his outdoor enclosure. To this day, I haven’t been able to work out the purpose or intended audience of these performances, and I’m starting to believe that Clutch sings for himself.

Clutch’s Catalog of Sounds (Pun Intended!)

Like most cats, Clutch uses a wide variety of sounds, along with the classic ‘meow’ used to communicate with us. Apart from the occasional friendly chip or grumble of irritation, he doesn’t seem to engage in a lot of inter-feline conversation, generally preferring the company of dogs or humans. He uses one meow for a general declaration of hunger, but there is a more urgent, insistent bleating reserved for when he knows there is chicken in the fridge. The singing is something that evolved over time; he hasn’t always been a performer.

While no one would describe Clutch’s overtures as being classically musical, I have started to suspect that my use of the word ‘singing’ might not be too far off. There is one other time that Clutch belts out a banger, and that’s when I am, too.

Duet or Dissent?

I enjoy a good private performance, whether it be in the shower cubicle or kitchen, and I fancy myself to be moderately proficient at karaoke. For a long time, however, I thought that Clutch strongly disagreed. No sooner had I completed the first few bars of a song than Clutch would rush to my side, meowing plaintively. At first, I thought he was complaining, or worried that I was injured, but I’m starting to wonder if he wasn’t attempting to join in, Kenny to my Dolly, Elton to my Kiki Dee, Bradley to my Lady Gaga…

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

Is Clutch Actually Singing?

I try not to anthropomorphize too much. Although it’s great to try to empathize with our pets and try to understand the whys and wherefores of their habits and behavior, the reality is that they are motivated by different things than us. However, by applying what we know about feline communication, I don’t think that it’s too farfetched to categorize Clutch’s vocal stylings as singing, and here’s why.

From what we understand, the classic feline meow, a vocalization used only by domestic cats, evolved alongside their domestication. The sounds typically exchanged between cats are usually a combination of yowls, purrs, chirps, growls, and hisses; they don’t tend to ‘meow’ at one another. From here, we believe that the meow is designed to communicate with us, their human servants, and while we are desperately trying to decipher the meaning behind their ‘words,’ it is far more likely that they are merely echoing back to us what our words sound like to them.

So if meowing is simply a form of mimicry, could Clutch actually have learned to sing from me? Part of me likes to believe that this is the case, while another part of me hopes that I can carry a tune better than he does! In any event, singing seems to make him happy, so I am happy, too.

We hope to have his debut album out by Christmas.

The post A Star Is Born: The Vocal Stylings of Clutch by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

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The post Catster Photo Contest: Cats of the Week Winners (November 1, 2024) by Catster Editorial Team appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.