We Heart Cats

The Greek goddess Hecate was a favorite of witches. She once adopted the shape of a cat when threatened by Typhon and developed an affinity for cats. It follows that those who practiced witchcraft also liked cats. The Irish legend that cats guarded pots of gold may stem from this story of Hecate, as it was believed treasures were buried at crossroads as an offering to Hecate. Celtic myth also tells that the King of the Cats was Hecate’s companion and consort. With the arrival of Christianity, the cat became associated with the devil.

Ireland’s Cat-Kings were faerie beings. Cults of the Cat-Kings held their rituals in caves, traditionally though to be entrances to the underworld. The folk hero Finn mac Cumhail was promised to be released from captivity by Cormac mac Art if a male and female of every animal were brought to Tara, including cats from the cave of Cruachain.

In Ireland, a person who looked at a cat that had just washed its face was doomed to die.

“God bless all except the cat� was a greeting recited by visitors when entering a house.

A cat could not enter a family’s new house for one year or it would bring bad luck.

FACTS

Ireland, like much of Europe, has been free of rabies for over 100 years. European Union pet passports can be obtained which may allow a cat to travel directly into Ireland if coming from a member country. However, if coming from a country outside the EU, cats are required to undergo a six-month quarantine.

There are no wild cats indigenous to Ireland. However, occasionally the species of wild cat that lives in Britain and Scotland is occasionally captured in Ireland. It is believed that those captured were most likely released by people who attempted to keep them as pets. Feral cats do abound, as they do everywhere, but these are descendents of domestic cats that were released into the wild.

St. Patrick’s Day cats, Ireland’s cats, cat legends

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Shamrock Kitty! Color the picture any way you want. To save Shamrock Kitty to your computer, place the mouse anywhere on the picture and right-click on it. Choose “Save Picture As” and pick a folder for your picture to be saved to. You can then either print the picture to color with crayons or markers, or open it in your computer’s paint program and color it on your computer.

I would love to see your pictures when you are finished with them! E-mail a copy of your picture to Aprilfreelance@aol.com and type “Shamrock Kitty” in the subject of the e-mail. Your colored pictures just might end up on Kiddie Cats!

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Here are the CFA certified cat shows for this weekend. If there is one your area, be sure to pack up the family and head to it. These shows are a fun outing for everyone, and a chance for you and the kids to learn all about domestic cats.

USA

SAN JOSE, CA: San Francisco Revelers. Santa Clara Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road.

BOISE, ID: Idaho Cat Fanciers. Expo Idaho, 5610 Glenwood.

SCHAUMBERG ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL: Cat’n On The Fox. Arlington International Racecourse, 2200 W Euclid Avenue.

WILMINGTON, NC: Coastal Paws Cat Club. Cape Fear Community College Schwartz Center, 610 N Front Street.

TULSA, OK: Oil Capital Cat Club. Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center.

MONROEVILLE, PA: Western Pennsylvania Cat Fanciers. Pittsburgh Expo Mart, 105 Mall Boulevard.

INTERNATIONAL

TOKYO, JAPAN: Japan Norwegian Forest Cat Breed Club. Hamamatsucho-Kan, 1-7-8 Kaigan, Minato-ku.

For exact dates and times, directions, or more information, the contact for each show can be found on the CFA website.

Image Source: sxc.hu. “A cat called Magali”. Photo by cmourao78.

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I was searching the Internet for stories about cats that might spark the writing fire. I know when I have been out-written, though. This story you just have to read for yourself from the original author.

The Boat Ramp, the Mouse, and the Cat by Hardy Jackson is both a disturbing and hilarious bit of fact finding and commentary. It seems that wealthy land owners are attempting to halt construction of a boat ramp by claiming an endangered mouse population, but that mouse population is non-existant due to feral cats being introduced years ago by a developer who didn’t want his construction halted for the mouse. The cats are still there; the last survey found no trace of the endangered mouse. As a native Alabamian, I can assure you that, even without being intimately familiar with the facts of this case myself, it is just outrageous enough to be absolutely true.

You see, in Alabama we take our feral cats for granted far too often. If you have ever been in the southern US, you have no doubt been introduced to our pest population. From wood roaches big enough to make a German Shepherd cower under the front stoop to the swarming love bugs that emerge twice a year to coat autobody paint jobs, you cannot escape Alabama’s varmints. Without our feral cat population, the only species brave enough wage the war year-round against the various and sundry creepy crawlies, the region would be uninhabitable.

I still remember a great aunt that had a house full of cats. She must have had 30 or 40 of them crouched in every window and doorway and on every wooden porch rail and utility meter. I can also point out dozens of men I knew in my childhood, and still do, that fit Mr. Jackson’s description of the cat hunters. What may seem absurd to the rest of the world is just a part of rural life in the South.

To get a clear picture of our heritage, you have to combine the ridiculous with the commonplace, wrap it in equal parts humor, alcohol, and ammo, throw in a pinch of overblown machismo, and then bake it in the sweltering humidity that blocks certain neurological functions. What you get is stories like The Boat Ramp, the Mouse, and the Cat.

While younger, more modern Alabamians may groan at one more such tale, Mr. Jackson proves that we have yet to venture too far from our stereotypical Southern roots. However the situation plays out, I have no doubt the feral cats will be snickering right along with me.

Hi kids! Hidden in the puzzle below are ten words that are types of wild cats. Using the word list, find each cat and circle the letters in the puzzle that spell the word.

After you find all ten words, have an adult help you look up information about any of the wild cats you do not know. For example, did you know that in Tsavo, they have lions without manes?

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The beautiful snow leopard is one of nature’s most elusive and rarely photographed cats. The mountains of central Asia are the home of this endangered animal, which partly contributes to the rarity of information when compared to other big cats such as lions and cheetahs. The harsh environment, mountainous terrain, and instinctively elusive behavior of the snow leopard make it a fascinatingly secretive species.

Film footage of the snow leopard was extremely limited until a team managed to track and film a family during the making of Planet Earth, a monumental ground-breaking series from Discovery Channel. The snow leopard has the longest tail of any cat, allowing it to jump as far as 50 feet and land with precision in its steep rocky home. Unlike other big cats, the snow leopard does not roar. And with an individual home range reaching 600 square miles, is it any wonder footage has been so hard to come by?

This Sunday, Animal Planet will broadcast Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, The Snow Leopard’s Lair at 7 p.m. eastern. Filmed high in the mountains of Pakistan, this special will offer a very rare and priviledged look into the life of the endangered snow leopard. To learn more about this amazing cat before you watch the show, be sure to visit the website for the Snow Leopard Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting the cat and its homeland. Then tune in Sunday for Animal Planet’s The Snow Leopar’d Lair.

Photo credit: Photo by Dennis Conner. Courtesy of Snow Leopard Trust.
Photo location: Woodland Park Zoo; Seattle, WA USA

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Keep your cat safe during your holiday festivities. While the family pets love to be a part of celebrations, remember that not everything is safe for your cats.

1. No chocolate! Chocolate is toxic and sometimes fatal for animals. Most pet stores carry animal-safe chocolates you can purchase if you don’t want Whiskers to feel left out.
2. Keep Easter Lilies out of reach! The Easter lily is poisonous to cats, so make sure if you bring the plant into your home, your cat cannot get to it.
3. Protect your Easter eggs! Hide eggs away from your cat. While they probably will not try to eat it, they might decide eggs make a great toy. You don’t want to spend an hour searching for that elusive last egg only to find kitty has rolled it under the porch.

Easter isn’t all about the bunny! If you love cats, these adorable Easter cats are perfect for you or to give as gifts, and all are under $20.00.

Easter cats, Easter products with cats, Easter cat safety tips

Cats make can make an amazing array of vocalizations. These sounds range from quiet little clicks and squeaks to the full-blown caterwaul loud enough to wake the neighbors at 2 a.m. If you are a first time cat owner and not familiar with the caterwaul, don’t worry. You will be eventually.

This vocalization is used by cats to both attract a mate and to defend territory, telling others to stay away. Unfortunately, since cats are naturally nocturnal, they often yell the caterwaul in the middle of night and awaken the household. Cats who are allowed outdoors may vocalize this call more often than strictly indoor pets, but all cats use it occasionally. Inexperienced owners sometimes confuse this sound as meaning the cat is in distress or pain.

So, is there any way to stop the caterwauling that makes you sit straight up in bed and the hair on the back of your neck rise? Spaying or neutering your pet can control the use of the sound for attracting a mate. Since the Queen cat can cycle into heat, or oestrus, every two to three weeks for up to 10 days at a time, spaying can greatly reduce the frequency of caterwauling in females as well as Toms, or males.

Don’t expect spaying or neutering to completely halt the behavior, though. It is still a natural vocalization for defending territory. If your cat spies an intruder outside or smells the scent of an unwelcomed guest, the caterwaul will pierce the air. Think of this warning call as a good sign that your cat has established your home as its territory and is engaging in natural feline behavior. You want your cat to be domesticated and friendly, but you don’t want to completely remove their instinctive cattiness that makes them so enjoyable. Your cat puts up with you singing in the shower. Just think of it as a trade-off.

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Hi kids! (And adults!) Welcome to Kiddie Cats! This section of We Heart Cats is just for you. If you love kittens and cats, then you have come to the right place.

Kiddie Cats is a special section including interesting facts about felines, games and puzzles, book reviews, toys, and other fun stuff. Kiddie Cats is brand new and needs your help. Do you like to write stories? Do you draw pictures of cats? Do you have a neat toy or game with cats that you think other kids will enjoy? Did you read a book about a special cat? Then We Heart Cats wants to hear from you!

Have a parent or teacher help you send an e-mail to We Heart Cats using the contact link on the right side of the page. I’ll need your first name, age, and the names of your pet cats (if you have any). Type “Kiddie Cats” into the subject line of the e-mail, and be sure to include an e-mail address and adult’s name so We Heart Cats can write back to you.

Use the links below to start having fun with felines:

Games and Puzzles

Parents and Teachers: Please feel free to use the games and activities on Kiddie Cats for your personal use. All we ask is that saved copies of materials carry the website name, www.weheartcats.com, on the page. Please do not reprint, publish, or redistribute materials without contacting us first. You can use the contact link to send an e-mail with a brief description of the material you wish to use and your purpose. All materials included on this site, with the exception of some images where noted, are the copyright of www.weheartcats.com and the 451Press Network.

Start making your plans now to attend cats shows in your area. A show is a great place to learn about cat breeds and breeders and get advice from experienced owners on behaviors, nutrition, care and training. CFA shows feature some of the most beautiful, and sometimes unusual, pedigreed cats from around the world. The list here is of those shows coming up next weekend. For more information and exact times, please visit the CFA show schedule for contact information for each location.

USA

PHEONIX, AZ: Superstition Cat Fanciers. El Zaribah Shrine, 522 N. 40th Street.

HAYWARD, CA: Franciscan Silver and Golden Fanciers. Centennial Hall, 22292 Foothill Boulevard.

ROSWELL, GA: Atlanta Pheonix Cat Society. East Roswell Recreation Center, 900 Foust Road.

BALTIMORE, MD: Crab and Mallet Annual Cat Show. Pikesville Armory, 610 Reisterstown Road.

KANSAS CITY, MO: Mo-Kan Cat Club. KCI Expo Center, 11730 N. Ambassador Drive.

ONEIDA, NY: Fantastic Felines of Central NY. Kallet Civic Center, 159 Main Street.

DELAWARE, OH: Great Lakes Abyssinian Devotees. Delaware County Fairgrounds, 236 Pennsylvania Ave.

EUGENE, OR: McKenzie River Cat Club. Lane Events Center, 796 W. 13th Avenue.

INTERNATIONAL

TOKYO, JAPAN: Nekogatari Cat Club. Tokyo Trade Center Taito-Kan, 2-6-5 Hanakawado, Taito-ku.

PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES: Philippines Cat Lovers’ Society. One Esplanade, SM Central Business Park, Seaside Cor, Bay Boulevard.

Image source: Morguefile.com, photographer Pervcaso25.

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