Hello, all! Thursday is blog day, and today we’re taking a closer look at cats. I, Sasha, have spent quite a bit of time with Imani and her four-legged friends, Scratch and Patch, in Kenya. Scratch, Imani’s cat, often goes out walking alone. This behavior is very unlike Patch’s, Imani’s dog, who prefers to stay close to her. And so, I simply had to ask Scratch why she was so independent; why she spends so much time alone instead of being by Imani’s side all the time. This is what she told me! She began by saying that Patch’s constant tail-wagging and barking at shadows was extremely annoying, and that she often needs a timeout! As much as she loves Patch, constant noise and frantic movements make her a little edgy, mostly because of her heightened senses that are used for detecting both threat and prey. Cats love to hunt. Domestic cats have some similar traits to wild cats, and most of them prefer to hunt alone unlike a pack of wolves. Their hunting method includes stalking, hiding, and pouncing - all of which might not be as successful endeavors as if there was more than one cat hunting. While lions work together, you’ll very seldom see them approach prey in a group. Indeed, one lioness will attack while others keep watch from a distance, in-case the prey attempts to flee in any direction. In the case of domestic cats, they do not have a wild pride to feed, so most of them ultimately hunt alone and for themselves only. However, seeing you as family they may bring you something they’ve hunted (although people don’t always see dead mice or birds as appropriate gifts)! Oi vey! Cats have no need to express themselves excitably. Unlike dogs who will jump-up, bark, and wag their tails like crazy, cats express their emotions through a seemingly deeper form of affection using their eyes, nose-touching, licking and small movements from the flick of their tail. It can be said that the reason for this almost ‘lazy’ display of affection is because they have no desire to compete with one another – they are ‘content’. If a cat has everything it needs - comfort and food and stimulation - there’s no need to waste energy on getting excited or begging profusely for anything. This can be seen as their way of preserving their inner resources. Although Scratch told me all this, and was very proud of her ‘Royal Egyptian ancestry’, she also made it clear to me that - even though these traits are still deep within her - because she is not in a pride or group with other cats, like lions are in the wild, she still relies on her human family – Imani and her family – for affection, mental stimulation, and good health. This is something all domestic pets have in common. And so at the end of the day, just because Kitty goes out often alone, does not bark and wag her tail like a dog, and seems aloof sometimes, their human family is very important to them. Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s blog and learned a little something new about curious and cute kitties! If you have a cat, we’d love to see some pictures and hear any funny story you have to tell about them. Leave us a note in the comments on Rose’s Facebook page and we’ll respond. Until next time, stay magical keep shining Sasha ~ Where is Scratch?
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