The root of “breed”

Since there is much discussion about breeds of cats and other animals, let’s pause here for a quick history of the word breed. It comes from...

Tails talk

A cat’s tail is a great communicator, as every cat owner knows. When excited, the cat’s tail flicks quickly from side to side. If it is still...

Jumping, pouncing, etc.

jumping ability, for the cat can jump six times her own length. (And that’s from a still position, not a running leap.) This comes from the...

Sprinters, not long-distance runners

cheetah . Talk of the cheetah’s amazing speed has to be accompanied by a disclaimer: very fast, but only for short distances. Every cat, ...

Gut juices

saliva as the first digestive fluid to start working on the food, but cat saliva contains hardly any ptyalin, the enzyme that breaks down sta...

“Hair up!” in Latin

Let’s learn some hair-related Latin terms: piloerection (“hair standing up”) and arrector pili (“raiser of hair”). Piloerection occurs in hu...

Do cats freckle?

calico develop freckles as they age, with the spots appearing on their eyelids, mouth, nose and paw pads—in short, on all the exposed areas...