The Cat Blog on TheCatSite.com

A recent discussion about hamsters on our cat forums led to members talking about their pet rats, happily living with the household felines. While researching the topic, I came across some ultra cute videos of cats and rats together… Well, worth watching though this post has to come with a * Cuteness Warning * attached!

Mutual grooming is a familiar with cats, but how about a cat grooming a fellow rodent?

And here’s one of a sweet kitten playing with a pet rat – they seem to be equal in size too:

There are more of these videos, an abundance of them even. Just please keep in mind that introducing cats to any other pet (be it another cat, a rat, a dog, or any other animal) is something that should not be taken lightly. Take the time to learn about the process before you try anything on your own!

It’s been a while since we’ve featured one of the gorgeous TCS cats on this blog. Well, no time like the present, so allow me to introduce to a hot green-eyed calico by the name of Christy:

Christy is one lucky girl, adopted from the Animals for Life shelter in Ohio by our forum member Callista . Callista tells us that Christy was very nervous at first, and wouldn’t eat anything other than cat treats. Fortunately, this striking cream and blue calico has settled in her new home and enjoys a balanced diet these days.

You can read more about Christy on her Cat Page. And if you are a registered TCS member, you can leave Callista comments or add Christy as a friend to your cat.

I just couldn’t believe this column by baby expert Dr. Brazelton. I had to double check the date, to make sure such things were still being written in 2009.

Dr. Brazelton had been asked by a Grandma-to-be about the three cats that her expecting daughter has. After giving her the scary Toxoplasmosis lecture (forgetting to mention that there are no documented cases where any pregnant woman has ever contracted the disease from a cat), the good doctor then takes on the role of a cat expert and adds:

You are right to be concerned about your daughter’s cats and her new baby for other reasons.

Cats attach themselves to human caregivers, and felines have been known to be jealous of babies as if the new arrivals were siblings! Some cats will seek out the infants’ mouths and noses and lie on them to smother them.

It would be better for the baby if your daughter would rid herself of the cats. If not, the cats must be kept away from the child for the infant’s protection.

I couldn’t believe that in the year 2009, an educated man would still be spreading that old wives tale about cats suffocating babies! Not only that, he goes as far as attributing fairly complex motivations to felines, and actually claims that they will seek out the airways with an aim to suffocate the baby because of “sibling rivalry”.

Sigh. Where do you begin with such a stupid claim?

Oh, and if all of this were not enough, the good doctor adds a final cause for the daughter “rid herself of the cats”:

Finally, if there is a history of allergies or asthma in the family, or if the child develops signs of either of these, your daughter may once again need to consider finding a new home for her cats.

Note he is not even talking about a diagnosis. Any symptom of any type of allergy or asthma are reason enough for this Doc… I guess he needs to do some reading on the health benefits of cats, and pay more attention to recent studies.

My heart goes out to the poor pregnant Mom. Last thing she needs right now is an anxious Grandma-to-be armed with a letter from a “baby expert” that tells her to “rid herself of the cats”.

Such a reckless and irresponsible column could actually cost many cats their lives. Check out the column here and drop an email to Doctor Brazelton, won’t you? Oh, and do comment here with your stories about cats and babies – I am sure some mothers-to-be would find those useful.

Much has been written about the effect of felines as predators, specifically of birds. For some reason, when cats hunt rodents, it seems acceptable to most people, but not when it comes to our feathered friends.

With more cats being kept indoors-only, there is less issue for concern in most urban areas. However, on some secluded habitats, such as Macquarie island in Australia, feral cats (introduced by human visitors) were deemed to be a real threat to local birds.

Here’s an interesting twist though. The mighty “ferocious” predators were removed from the island, but the birds are not doing any better. Apparently, the local “feral” rabbits are causing more damage now by feeding on local vegetation which the birds need for cover. With no cats around, the rabbits are getting out of control…

Interesting, how the felines were blamed for all the trouble, but the cute bunnies were ignored the whole time. As one of our forum members put it: “it’s easier for people to hate cats than it is rabbits.”

More on this topic, and a chance to let your voice be heard on the matter in this thread. Or add comments here – they are welcome.

Our monthly newsletter Kitty Bytes has been released today. It has all the latest news from the site and forums, including new articles, contests and just fun threads for you to join.

You can subscribe to Kitty Bytes here – it’s the best way to make sure those TCS updates are getting right into your inbox.

Oh, and here’s a link to the latest copy:

Kitty Bytes for January 2009

I know, I need to open 2009 with an apology – and a belated one at that! I’m afraid I have slacked off over the past month. Time to get back to blogging here, and let you in on all the latest on TheCatSite.com and in the world of cats.

We’ll start with positive post this year, that will make you even happier for being cat owners.

For one thing, we have a new article on the site – the first one for this year:  The Health Benefits of Cats. Check it out to find out just how useful cats can be for both your mental and physical well-being. This is one of those articles you may want to bookmark and send on to people who are still unsure about becoming cat owners

Secondly, I’d like to start with an honorary mention of Fluffy, “a big orange and white fluff ball” who saved the lives of five family members (that includes a dog and two cats), by insisting on waking them up at 5AM, when no fire alarm would do the trick. Read the full story here. Fluffy joins a long line of life-saving felines, including one that a century ago saved the lives of my own late Grandma, her parents and her little brother, under similar circumstances.