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Melanie Hudson |
A pet for the
21st century |
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In the western world, cats are
becoming the most desired
pet. Their needs fit
perfectly with
busy lifestyles. Cats require little time and
effort, and are relatively
cheap for the friendship they offer. |
They are independent but loving, a
combination that
appeals to many people. ‘At the end of a long day
my cat is there, ready
to curl up in my
lap,’ says Sue Hall, a
real estate agent. ‘But during the day, when I’m at work,
Storm looks after herself.’ |
Cats have changed little from their
ancestors of thousands of years ago.
Unlike dogs, cats have not
been ‘over-bred’. For this reason they have fewer health problems,
and can live for up to 20 years. |
However a new
threat to cats has
appeared in recent years: Feline HIV, a cat form of AIDS. "We
now recommend that all cats are immunised against Feline HIV", says Lance Green, a vet. Unlike human HIV, cats can be protected
for up to a year against the feline form of the
disease. |
Despite over a thousand years of
companionship between cat and man, cats have never been
successfully domesticated.
Although most domestic cats are
well-fed by their
owners, they will often
hunt birds and
mice.
Cats will also give the
dead victims to their owners as
gifts. The
owner
takes the place of the
leader of the pack for the cat,
proudly presenting its
prey. |
A cat's tail also
reveals its wild
nature.
Tail wagging is a sign that a dog is happy. The opposite
is true for a cat. Cats move their tails from side to side when
they are unhappy or angry. The whole tail is moved, from the base
to the
tip. Moving the tip of the tail is different, and it will
happen when the cat is
stalking another animal. The cat’s body
hides this from the
hunted animal, but the movement
signals to
other hunting cats that
prey has been found. |
Another signal to other cats,
purring, shows not only that a cat is content, but also
is thought to be a sign of submission. Purring is first heard in
kittens as
they
suckle milk from their mother. Adult cats normally purr when
they are
petted. Cats that are very ill will purr to themselves,
and it is thought they do this
to comfort themselves. |
Cats
are so successful at reducing
stress that doctors are recommending them for human patients
recovering from
major surgery.'
A loving playful animal that requires only
a little care is
ideal,’ says Dr Peter Hopgood, a cardiac
surgeon. ‘We know that
patients recover from heart surgery more quickly if they keep a
cat.’ |
Source:
New English Digest |
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