The word domesticated means to tame, live in close association with human beings as a pet or work animal and usually creating a dependency so that the animal loses its ability to live in the wild. Technically house cats are domesticated animals. Scientists now believe that about 12,000 years ago, based on the findings drawn from an analysis of nearly 1,000 cats around the world, that the ancestors of today’s tabbies, Siamese and Persians wandered into Near Eastern settlements during the dawn of agriculture. However these felines were looking for food, not human companionship.

As it just so happens, they found both, as there were many rodents feeding on stored grain all throughout the area. Cats stayed here feeding on the rodents for 12 millennia, wandering off every now and then to visit their wild cousins. Basically, it is believed that cats domesticated themselves to survive and thrive on the rodents. Getting along with humans was crucial as they would have nowhere else to feed if the humans chased them off, so they domesticated themselves to benefit themselves and in turn the humans didn’t complain as the cats kept the rodent population to a minimum, thus benefiting them from not losing their grain.

Cats are carnivores that have sharp, slicing teeth that are designed for catching, holding, and tearing up their prey and biting through bones when necessary. Just like humans, both cats and dogs are born without teeth. Cats get their first teeth, known as milk teeth, after they are several days old. These teeth change into adult teeth several months later. Unlike some other animals, a cat’s teeth do not continue to grow throughout their lives.

The Dental Formula Of Cats

The composition of the teeth can be described in a dental formula. This formula consists of two lines underneath each other, for the upper and lower jaw. The formula then describes half of a jaw, since the left side of the jaw is identical to the right side. (Assuming that all teeth are still present).

The dental formula that can be used to describe a cat’s teeth uses abbreviations. These abbreviations are as follows: C = canine, P = premolar, M = molar. These abbreviations in small letters mean milk teeth and capital letters mean adult teeth. The dental formula of cats is as follows:

Milk teeth

Adult teeth

A Cat’s Teeth By Age

The teeth of a kitten erupt when it is just 11 to 15 days old. When the kittens are 37 to 60 days old their milk teeth are considered complete. These milk teeth are later replaced with permanent adult teeth when the kitten reaches the age of 13 to 24 weeks.

The replacing of milk teeth into adult teeth happens in a certain order. This order is as follows:

I -13 to 16 weeks
C-20 to 24 weeks
P-20 to 24 weeks
M-18 to 24 weeks

During a cat’s teething process it is possible to give a fairly accurate estimation of the age in case you ever need to do so for a foundling.

Dental Checkups

Just like humans, cats can develop tooth problems. It is for this reason that you should schedule regular dental checkups with your veterinarian to ensure that your feline friend’s mouth is healthy and working to its best ability.

Although cats can technically eat bread, it is not ideal to feed it to them on a regular basis. In fact, cats have difficulty digesting such high carbohydrate foods such as bread, corn, and/or wheat and it can lead to a number of digestive problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, etc. Not only that but while bread may not necessarily be harmful to your cat if only given in moderation as a treat, a cat does not really have any use for bread, so why risk it?

As a general rule of thumb any certain food should never make up more than 5% of your cat’s diet. Carbohydrates are also a huge trigger for obesity in cats as felines cannot properly digest the high levels of carbs found in certain foods like breads, dry cat kibble, etc. Many dry commercial cat foods contain high levels of carbohydrates because they are made with things like corn, soy and grains because it’s cheaper to produce.

One last and very important thing to take note of is that cats should never eat bread before it is baked. Think about yeast dough. What does it do? Before it is baked, bread dough needs to rise. Unfortunately this is exactly what it would do if it were in your cat’s stomach. As it swells inside, the dough can actually stretch kitty’s abdomen and cause severe pain and discomfort. In addition, when the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it produces alcohol which can actually lead to alcohol poisoning, an even more lethal situation to cats.

Cats are much like humans when it comes to sleep. Just like us, they see images of past events in their minds when they start to doze off. In fact, the hippocampus (a part of the brain involved in memory) is basically wired the same way in all vertebrates and mammals. Just like people, felines and other pets go through multiple stages of sleep, from periods of slow wave sleep to REM where most dreams occur.

Dreams that happen during Non-REM phases consist of quick snapshots of things that were usually done that day, while during the deeper sleep state of REM (rapid eye movement) dreams typically last much longer and tap into a variety of past experiences. These past experiences could be something that happened just days ago, or in some cases even years ago.

How Can I Tell If My Cat Is Dreaming?

Also similar to humans, you can often tell if your feline friend is dreaming based on the way he or she reacts while sleeping. If you see their whiskers twitching or a paw tremor every now and then, chances are kitty is dreaming of something. Irregular breathing and an occasional yip or meow are also good indications that your cat might be having a very interesting dream.

What Do Cats Dream About?

Have you ever wondered what Mr. Whiskers was dreaming about? Researchers now believe that cats basically dream just as humans do. They might have a dream where they are simply just carrying out everyday activities. Perhaps you witness kitty sleeping on the couch and he seems like he is having a dream where he’s running. Chances are, he probably is. If your cat is sleeping and is acting like he is pouncing on prey, he probably is in his dream.

Alcohol is not good for cats and should therefore never be given to them. This includes beer, liquor, wine, whiskey, etc. Alcohol has the same affect on a cat’s liver and brain as it does on humans. However it takes far less of it to do damage to a feline as it would to a human. In fact, just a teaspoon or two of whiskey can cause a coma in a 5 pound cat and more than this could lead to fatality. The higher the proof of the alcohol, the worse the symptoms and the more serious the case.

Absorption And Alcohol Content

The speed at which alcohol is absorbed into your cat’s system depends on several different factors. These factors include age and weight and both determine just how intoxicated your cat will become. If your cat ingests alcohol on an empty stomach, the effects may have an even quicker onset and before more noticeable than if your kitty had a full stomach when it ingested the alcohol. The type of alcohol consumed may also create differences in the onset, symptoms, and outcomes of the situation.

Alcohol In Lethal Doses

For most cats and dogs, the lethal dose of ethanol (grain alcohol) is said to be around 5 and a half grams per kilogram of bodyweight. This means that if your cat weighs 10 pounds it will most likely not survive an ethanol dosage of more than 25 grams. To put things into perspective, a 12 ounce can of beer, a 4 ounce glass of wine, and/or a 1.25 ounce shot of whiskey all contain enough ethanol to kill your feline companion.

Symptoms Of Alcohol Poisoning In Cats

Most pets who have consumed alcohol whether intentionally or accidently will begin showing symptoms of alcohol poisoning anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours after ingesting alcohol. The following are common symptoms of alcohol poisoning in cats:

• Confusion
• Staggering
• Behavioral Changes
• Excitement
• Depression
• Urinating or Defecating In The House
• Loss of consciousness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Even if you only suspect that your cat may have gotten a hold of alcohol, do not ignore the above symptoms. If left untreated, your cat could die within a matter of hours. Call or visit your local veterinarian or poison control center for animals immediately. If your animal has any chance of recovering it will usually take at least 8 to 12 hours with veterinary supervision. This is no laughing matter.

Raw meats such as chicken, beef, poultry, fish, etc. should not be given to your cat as they can contain bacteria that cause food poisoning. In addition, an enzyme found in raw fish destroys thiamine, which is an essential B vitamin for your cat. A lack of thiamine can cause serious neurological damage and lead to more serious conditions such as convulsions and coma.

In addition to not feeding your cat raw chicken or other raw meats, table scraps such as fat trimmings and/or bones (this includes cooked bones) should also never be given to felines as they are dangerous in a number of ways. Fat, both cooked and uncooked can cause intestinal upset and also cause vomiting and diarrhea. Your cat can also choke to death on a bone. Even if kitty seems to be able to swallow bones without choking, there could still be major issues later on as bones are very easy to splinter on the way down, which can cause an obstruction or laceration to your cat’s digestive system.

Although cats are obligatory carnivores that thrive on meat, and have strong stomach acids used for neutralizing potentially harmful bacteria on meat, letting them consume raw meat is still a threat to their health as many meats on the market today come from factory farms where antibiotics, chemicals, hormones, E.Coli, pesticides, mercury poisoning etc. are all a potential danger. If you have made the choice to try and cut down on feeding your cat commercial dry cat food it is probably best you speak with your veterinarian and/or pet nutritionist to discuss other/healthier dietary options because it is better to be safe than sorry. The occasional cooked boneless beef or chicken is okay for kitty but should be kept in smaller portions and given in moderation. A good rule of thumb to follow is that no single item should ever make up more than 5% of your cat’s diet.

It is never okay to let your cat drink tea. Caffeine in large enough quantities can be fatal for a cat, and since many teas contain caffeine, this is a huge no-no for kitty. In addition to tea and coffee, caffeine can also often be found in coffee beans, coffee grounds, cocoa, chocolate, colas and energy/stimulant drinks such as Monster and/or Red Bull. It is also found in some medicines and pain killers.

Symptoms Of Caffeine Poisoning

If your cat consumes coffee, tea, chocolate etc. he or she may become poisoned. The following are symptoms of caffeine poisoning and should not be ignored or taken lightly:

• Restlessness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Heart Palpitations
• Rapid Breathing
• Muscle Tremors
• Fits

A Cat’s Diet

Cats are carnivores and require meat. Talking with your vet about the cat food you provide for kitty and following his or her advice along with the directions on the label will help ensure that your cat’s diet is well balance and that your cat stays in the best of health. An occasional treat every now and then is okay, but it should always be given in moderation and should never become more than 5% of your cat’s daily calorie intake and in any case things like tea and coffee are never okay as they are toxic to cats.

What To Do If Your Cat Becomes Poisoned

If you think that your cat has gotten a hold of something toxic it is important to contact your veterinarian or pet poison control center immediately. Inducing vomiting is also another option and in most cases is what the veterinarian will do when you seek medical assistance. In any case, a medical professional should always be contacted and instances such as these should never be ignored and/or left untreated as it could mean the end for your cat.

A cat’s tail is an appendage to her body much like its paws, it is open to trauma and damage from accidents, and he or she can in fact feel it. However it should be noted that some cats are more sensitive to the feeling in their tails, the rest of this page will explain why.

Tail Me How You Feel

Felines use their tails to show a wide range of emotions. Just a simple tail wag and the way it is positioned can cue you in on how your feline companion is feeling at any given moment whether it be happy, sad or afraid. Tails are also an extension of a cat’s spine. The feline tail is made up of bones, muscles, and several nerve endings that can be very sensitive.

Tail Components

Roughly 10% of all of the bones in your cat’s body are actually in its tail. Depending on the length of its tail, it can have as many as 20 vertebrae bones lined up there. These tiny vertebrae are surrounded by muscles, nerves, and tiny blood vessels and are protected by thick skin and a layer of fur.

Nerves And Sensitivity

As briefly mentioned earlier, some cats have more sensitive nerve endings than others. You might just barely brush up against your cat’s tail in passing and she could quickly move it away in disgust, or you might accidentally step on the tip of it and she could barely flinch and/or vice versa, it all just depends on the cat. Some cats love having their tails scratched or brushed while others might go feral kitty on you just for coming in contact with it. It all just depends on the cat’s sensitivity level. Regardless of whether or not your cat is hyper sensitive or not, extra caution should always be taken to prevent permanent damage to kitty’s precious tail.

Tails And Trauma

Unfortunately cats have been known to get hurt from time to time and often their tails become the poor victim in a traumatic situation. Whether it be getting her tail stuck in a door or accidentally getting stepped on, just the simplest of accidents can lead to disaster. Kitty could potentially dislocate or break the vertebrae inside of her fluffy extension.

Signs Of A Damaged Tail

If your cat’s tail appears to be kinked or if your cat seems to be having a hard time wagging it, you should seek medical attention immediately these are signs of trauma and damage and should not be ignored. Don’t be surprised if kitty seems grumpy. She may snap or growl if you try touching her hind quarters. She is in pain after all. It is for this reason that you must show extra care and be extremely gentle with her and her tail. Vertebrate dislocations can often heal on their own, but if a severe break occurs your veterinarian may unfortunately have to amputate your cat’s tail.

Tailless Felines

Although certain breeds of cats do not have long, flowing tails, the small hump where the tail should be is still highly sensitive. The nerve endings gather in one small area rather than being spread out throughout the entire tail. These nerves are not fully protected and are also often close to the skin. It is for this reason that individuals should avoid poking cats in this area or putting pressure there. Even the tiniest bit of pressure could be painful and traumatic for kitty.