Posted on 07/16/2009 1:54:51 PM PDT by dragonblustar
Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.
Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food. Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.
The team said cats have "tapped into" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
I'm sorry. It's sad to lose any pet, especially one who was with you so long.
My cat adopted me. It wasn't my cat but it decided it wanted to spend all it's time with me, the original owner gave up on it and decided to leave it with me.
I fear for the day I lose her because she really has been my best and most devoted friend over the years.
Thank you. I know and cats do choose you.
“I just lost my almost 19 year old in May.”
You have my sympathy. I lost my 19 year old about 2 years ago, but it seems like yesterday to me. When you’ve had a cat that long, you grow very attached to them. I have an approx. 9 year old all black cat, and I wish I could figure out a way to stop time so she wouldn’t grow older (same for me, now that I think of it, lol...).
Bless you. I know how you feel.
Been there.
Free Kitty, I am so sorry you lost your precious baby. I hope you will find time to watch this inspiring video clip all the way through:
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html
Wow, 24 is really getting up there. How are her kidneys? It’s pretty rare for a cat that age not to have at least somewhat impaired kidney function. If she has even slightly above normal kidney values, I’d strongly suggest you join the Feline-CRF-Support Yahoo Group. There is major, major expertise there that will definitely increase the quality and length of any renal-impaired kitty’s life.
Whiskas makes a product called Catmilk.
It comes in boxes that are similar to juice boxes.
Petsmart carries it, and sometimes Walmart.
It’s very good for kittens, and adult cats, too.
She saw the vet a year ago and they said everything was fine except a bit of teeth cleaning. They said nothing about kidneys, so I guess she's ok on that for now.
I had never heard about failing kidneys in old cats but I guess that makes alot of sense. I'll look into that support group, thanks for the info. My oldest, bestest friend is way worth it.
I think the best thing you can do for your cat OR your dog is feed them a proper diet. No table scraps is the number one rule for keeping pets healthy. It's the biggest mistake that pet owners make is to give them people food, it makes them sick right away and will kill them early in the long run. People food is way too rich for them and can really mess with their GI tract, and probably weaken their kidneys (I'm just speculating on that because you mentioned it).
Anyway, good food, fresh water, daily brushing (hairball prevention), and tons of love and attention along with 13 lives worth of luck will give a cat a good long lifetime.
I do know about lactose free milk for cats. But once a cat is weaned, it really has no need for milk other then a treat once in a while.
I'm also lactose intolerant, and when I want some milk, I'll buy some. It is more expensive, but one really great thing about it is that it will last FAR longer in the refrigerator than "regular" milk, even skim milk. It's the lactose (milk sugar) that feeds the bacteria that causes milk to turn sour. I've had a opened container of Lactaid milk in my fridge for 3 weeks, and it's still good.
Of course, I prefer to get all the nutritional value of milk by eating the cow, preferably medium rare.
Mark
Not just cats - oddly, I have heard rats make a different type of human baby crying sound - very spooky.
I lost my 19 year old kitty about a year and a half ago.
I still miss him. He was a good cat and a good companion.
Yes, if you keep feeding a kitten milk as it grows, the enzyme (lactobacillus) that digests the lactose stays active, and the cat can always drink milk.
Try a half teaspoon of cream for a treat. My Miss Hissy-Slashy (Bobbie) loves it, and the fat is good for her skin.
My two cats who drink/drank (one has passed on) milk *hate/hated* Catmilk and Catsip. We used to call it catsick.
Then again there’s always that old stand-by, the silent meow. Works every time...
I had to put the last of my 2 cats down 6 months ago. He was 11. It was strange, one day I came home from work and he was quite lethargic. I took him into the vet when he started panting (gasping for breath) and they told me he most likely had congestive heart failure.
The day before he was fine, and the next I was forced to put him to sleep. It was a bit traumatic to say the least.
It’s amazing how attached we become to our pets.
The other one died of intestinal cancer about 2 years ago. That wasn’t enjoyable either.
I still haven’t gotten a new cat yet, but I’m thinking about doing so soon.
It’s hard. My 19 year old developed a nose tumor and was fine up to two days before I put her down. All her organs were fine until then.
I’m sorry. It’s still hard to pass my kitty’s favorite places; especially the window she use to sun herself in.
Thank you.
Thank you
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