It’s time once again for the Pet Blog of the Week! We haven’t done this in awhile because there has been so much other stuff to write about. Much to the canine counterparts’ surprise, this week’s Pet Blog of the Week is a cat blog! Yikes! At least it’s a really good cat blog: William of Mass Destruction.

We think the play on words in the title of this blog is really clever! William is this beautiful, big black cat who has a brother, Russell, and a sister, Caroline. His blog chronicles his life and all his antics, as well as those of his brother and sister. William always has a funny way of explaning cat behavior, and always seems to do stuff to get a “Mom scowl!”

This is one of our favorite pictures of William:

We love the way William explains normal kitty behavior and we think all his quirks are really funny. So if you are looking for a funny cat blog, a cat blog with lots of pictures, or a cat blog that just explains us felines, then William of Mass Destruction is a great place for you.

Purrs,
Sasha, a fellow black cat, and Theodore

It is HOT, HOT, HOT here in Cleveland! The last few days have brought a nasty heat wave to Ohio and most of the time the animals have been cooped up in the house. (I don’t like them being outside when it’s 95 degrees out).

Theodore and Sasha HATE being trapped inside. They grew up with free reign of the outdoors and I refuse to make them indoor cats because they love to play outside, chase mice, try to catch birds and butterflies, and climb trees.

So what’s a poor, bored kitty to do?

Sasha prefers to lounge around on the antique furniture (thank you very much for dusting), looking for something to spy on…

And then something catches her attention…

And then something in the other direction catches her attention…

Theodore, on the other hand, when not chasing Sasha or the other cat, eating (his favorite past time), or being a general menace to the household ( a la William of Mass Destruction) prefers to attack his cat scratching post with quite a panache…

(That bluish-looking bag in the picture is a “Crinkle Bag” made just for cats. One of the best inventions ever if your cat likes to attack things and jump on things that make noise. Makes a great pet-lover gift, too. In fact, this could be the Pet Product of the Week!)

Did you know that this month is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Adopt a Shelter Cat Month?

The group has all sorts of cool activities on its website and they’re all about kitties. All month. There is a photo contest, a fun cat quiz (well it’s actually a survey but it’s still fun), a Cat Care Guide, and all kinds of other neat stuff.

Do you know someone who is interested in getting a little furball for themselves? Send them to an ASPCA shelter in their area for a rescue pet! Whatever you do, DON’T let them go to a breeder!

Seems like a simple enough question, right? Wrong. The science behind a cat’s purr has long been disputed.

Common knowledge tells us that purring is one of several methods of non-verbal communication cats use to convey their moods and needs. Most experienced “cat people” know that cats don’t purr only when they are content and happy. They also purr during traumatic experiences, i.e. when they’re injured. Purring under stress has been described as a cat’s mantra, i.e., a self-soothing, self-healing, relaxing, vibrating sound. The cat is telling himself to calm down and everything will be okay.

And that may be a part of the answer to the question, why do cats purr? It is soothing to the animal, and makes the cat (and others around her) feel good.

Thanks to Doctors Foster and Smith for this information…

A cat’s purr signals contentment, comfort and security. For many pet owners, the humming purr of a cat is the unmistakable sign that their cat is happy and healthy.In many ways this is true: behaviorists believe the original function of purring was to enable a kitten to tell his mother that “all is well down here.” This often occurs during nursing. A kitten can’t meow and nurse at the same time, but it can purr and nurse without any problem. The mother often purrs back, reassuring the kitten.This is why your cat purrs when petted, instinctively giving the signal “all is well,” a message you can both feel and hear.

But this isn’t the only message purring may signal…Although we assume that a cat’s purr is an expression of pleasure or is a means of communication, perhaps the reasons for purring can be deciphered from the more stressful moments in a cat’s life. Older cats purr when they play or approach other cats, signaling they are friendly and want to come closer. Cats also purr when they are distressed or afraid. Sick and injured cats, and those in veterinary offices often purr, thus, not all purring cats appear to be content or pleased with their current circumstances. Like expressed above, it is thought that this is the cat’s way of reassuring and calming herself.

(This catch-22 has lead researchers to investigate how cats purr, which is still under debate.)

According to an article in Scientific American, over the course of evolution, purring has probably offered some advantage to cats. Most felid species produce a “purr-like” vocalization.

Scientific American also says that scientists have demonstrated that cats produce the purr through signaling of the laryngeal and diaphragmatic muscles. Cats purr during both inhalation and exhalation with a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz. Various investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing (even in humans)!

This association between the frequencies of cats’ purrs and improved healing of bones and muscles may provide a third answer to the question, why do cats purr. Because cats have adapted to conserve energy via long periods of rest and sleep, it is possible that purring is a low energy mechanism that stimulates muscles and bones without a lot of energy! Sound vibrations, in the same frequency range as a cat purr, can actually act as a healing aid, reduce pain, and promote tissue growth.

So it seems that there are three reasons that answer the question, why do cats purr: they are content, they are making others (kittens, other cats, other animals and humans) feel comfortable using this special form of communication, and finally, purring is a potential source of self-healing and a built-in survival mechanism.

Who knew?

Did you ever hear someone say that it’s bad luck if a black cat crosses your path?

That if it stops and turns from you - a serious misfortune is about to befall upon you? That you should take 13 steps back to reverse any resulting bad luck?

I have a black cat. Pure black, not a hair of any other color on her.

I hear this superstition from one of every three people that meet her. It’s very annoying.

I saved Sasha from a neglectful home when she was 7 months old. When I asked the first (unsavory) owner why she didn’t want her, she said it’s because black cats are bad luck.

Hello - like it’s the cat’s fault that your life is failing you.

I asked why she even got her in the first place and she said it was because Sasha was such a cute kitten.

Folklore says that it’s really bad luck (often disastrous) if a black cat abandons her master’s household.

Not sure how that turned out for her first owner.

Anyways, someone said to me the other day that it’s bad luck to own a black cat and it got me wondering where all this nonsense started. So I did a little research.

Turns out that black cats, as most of us know, are often associated with witchcraft. In the 16th century, witches’ familiars (animals who embodied a supernatural spirit) were often cats - black in color so they could move freely and unseen in the night. Black cats became a Halloween symbol because it was believed that spirits returned to the world in the body of them - and everyone knows a witch’s favorite holiday is Halloween.

Another tale tells that the first King of England, Charles, had a black cat. He thought it was a lucky cat and so he had it guarded day and night. The cat died the night before Oliver Cromwell’s troops arrested the King and beheaded him.

Other black cat folklore:

* Black cats are witches in disguise.

*If a sailor’s wife keeps a black cat her husband will always return safely home from sea.

* The tail of a black cat can cure an eye stye if rubbed over the eye.

*If a black cat jumps on the bed next to a sick person, he/she will die.

*It’s lucky to own a black cat, but unlucky to happen upon one.

*A black cat seen from behind is a bad omen.

* Black cats have special powers and abilities.

I believe none of the nonsense, although the history is interesting. 

Sasha, not surprisingly completely turns upside down any black cat superstition that has preceded her. She is commonly known around our neighborhood as the cat who is helping a cancer patient heal. Okay, so maybe I do believe the last one.

Forget about witches in disguise. Sasha is actually an angel in disguise.

Your turn; I want to hear your black cat story!