THE SCRATCHING POST

FALL, 2013

Kentwood Cat Clinic 3215 Breton Rd SE Kentwood MI 49512 616-241-MEOW (6369)

Cat Clinic North 2665 Five Mile Rd NE Grand Rapids MI 49525 616-364-1211

2014 Calendar Pictures

Time is running out to have your cats picture in our 2014 clinic calendar. Please email your pictures to kcc.catpix@gmail.com Every calendar cats family will get a free copy of the calendar. Send your picture in now! Calendars will be available for sale in November.

Why do tabby cats have an M on their foreheads?

This is Emmy. Her name was supposed to be Lily but I found myself calling her Emmy after she had lived with me a few days. I also call her the Divine Miss M because of the distinctive M on her forehead. (I wonder if that was why I started calling her Emmy in the first place.) That M is part of the color pattern that we call tabby. (Tabby is not a specific breed of cat.) There are a number of interesting legends that explain that M. One legend comes from ancient Egypt. The Egyptian word for cat is "mau", possibly from the sound that cats make but the word can also be translated as "seeing" or "light". It's possible that the luminous quality of a cat's eyes in the dark explain that. The breed of today, Egyptian Mau, has that distinctive "M" on the forehead as well as many other cats said to be descended from the ancient Egyptian cats. And, as cats are fond of reminding us, they were worshipped in ancient Egypt.
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Welcome William Morris

Why dont felines like online shopping?

Welcome Spike

They prefer a cat-a-logue!

THE SCRATCHING POST Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment is a term that means to make the living space of a pet or non-domestic animal as stimulating as possible. For years the concept that animals might get bored in captivity was laughed at, and it was routine to keep zoo animals in bare cages with nothing to entertain them. Thankfully, we live in a more enlightened age. It is now recognized that mental and physical exercise is an important part of keeping all animals healthy and happy. In the case of our pet felines, environmental enrichment can be used to help keep them mentally sharp, increase their level of daily exercise, and help to transition them from being outside cats to inside cats. Remember, a cat that is involved with his/her environment is less likely to be destructive or to spend time finding other ways to get into trouble! In my mind, I divide this concept into three sections: toys, sensory stimuli and mental puzzle games. The word toy evokes all sorts of images of children playing, but it is important that everybody sets aside time for play. Toys for cats are not just limited to catnip mice. Floor to ceiling scratching and climbing posts are awesome toys for cats as they encourage climbing in a good way. Carpet and rope coverings provide interesting textures. Tunnels can be created out of cardboard and pipe pieces, while feline walkways can be set up around ceiling tops. Human-feline interactive toys, including feathers and fluffy stuff on the end of a stick, and self propelled mice, help to foster the human-feline bond. Remember, a toy sitting there on the floor is boring, but a toy that you are playing with along with your cat is loads more fun! Fetching games are enjoyed by many cats. How about throwing part of your cats kibble meal down the hall a piece at a time? You can increase your cats exercise and invoke his/her hunting skills all at the same time! Sensory stimulation includes anything that will allow your cat to use his/her eyes, ears, nose, etc. There are now CDs and DVDs available for your pet cat; images of animals, birds, fish, etc. to play on your TV, and the sounds of birdsong to play on your tape or CD player. In a pinch, you can turn on the radio

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Welcome King

and alternate classical musical with an all talk station for your cat. Bird and squirrel feeders can be set up outside windows for further visual stimulation as well. Catnip, as well as small amounts of other spices or vanilla can be rubbed periodically into cat trees and other areas that your cat regularly spends time in to provide a rich scenting experience for your pet. Puzzle games include anything that will encourage your cat to use his/her mind to solve challenges. Most pet shops and pet catalogues now feature balls that are hollow inside. They can be filled with kibble or low calorie treats so that as the cat rolls the ball around, every so often a treat will pop out of one of the holes. Feeding bowls can be moved around the house to encourage prowling and hunting to find food. Treats can be hidden in locations around the house, and you can even teach your cat to play hide and seek with you. In short, providing a fun and entertaining home-life is a wonderful way to keep your cat mentally and physically healthythe goal of all medicine.

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M on the forehead

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Rescue Agencies in the Grand Rapids Area

Kent County Humane Society 616-453-8900 Reubens Room Cat Rescue 616-791-9696 Carols Ferals 616-560-0555 Focus on Ferals 616-826-0927 Harbor Humane Society 616-392-6050 Crashs Landing 616-821-6065 Safe Haven Humane Society 616-522-1611 Safe Harbor 616-942-8147

Another story from long ago goes back to the birth of Jesus. Mary could not comfort the newborn baby Jesus. A small tabby cat leapt into the manger and cuddled the baby to keep him warm and purred him to sleep. Mary was grateful to the little cat and marked her with her own initial so that tabby cats through time would remind people how they helped the baby Jesus. An Islamic legend holds that Mohammed had a tabby cat who saved his life by killing a snake that had gotten into Mohammeds sleeve. He later found the cat asleep on his sleeve and cut the sleeve off to keep from disturbing the cat. And so, every tabby cat would be marked with an M to remind everyone that Mohammed loved cats. Another version of this legend also states that when the cat killed the snake, Mohammed stroked her back and that is why cats never fall on their backs but always on their feet. Whatever your favorite story is, Im pretty sure Emmy believes it stands for Mistress of All She Surveys.

Welcome Bruce

What is a cats favorite color? Purrrrrple!

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Next to you, your cat's best friends!

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Fun Cat Facts

The penalty for killing a cat, 4,000 years ago in Egypt, was death. A cat can be either right-pawed or left-pawed. A cat in a hurry can sprint at about thirty-one miles per hour. A cat's brain is more similar to a human's brain than that of a dog.

V ISIT US ON THE I NTERNET

WWW. CATCLINICS. COM WWW. LITTERBOXGURU. COM

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Loved and Missed

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Cats may not necessarily be thought of as social creatures but they still like to network! Check out Kentwood Cat Clinic and Cat Clinic North on Facebook.