Can cats smile?

Of course they do. Just ask any cat lover.

Cat acne

Who forgets about one's acne-marred years? Not I. Which is why I find it kind of amusing that cats too, suffer from a certain spottiness.

Not that I think Moneypenny is overly concerned with the odd outbreak. She is blessed with enough beauty to overcome something as minor as a few chin pimples. In truth, I didn't even know she suffered until a vet pointed it out. When she did, I was surprised, and set about finding how to cure it.

In the end, she just stopped getting them, exactly the same as me.

Cat Claws

Did you know that kittens are born with claws extended, and only after they mature a little do they develop the muscles to sheath them?

Oh, you did?

I didn't.

More cat claw information.

Catnap

Accepted wisdom is that cats sleep approximately fifteen hours a day. No wonder I have an affinity for them. Lazy day fantasies aside, I notice my girls indulge in three different kinds of sleep.

The first is a really deep sleep, when they're obviously out to it. In the curled up position, they often cover their eyes, and when woken, are clearly coming to consciousness. Just like us, they can be seen twitching and moving, as if dreaming...or at least there's something going on in there.

The second is what I call light snoozing, kind of like napping would be for us. Their body position is less protective, and can often be fully stretched out. Eyes closed, relaxed, slow breathing, they have the lot. But it takes less to wake them, and they're not as startled if I do wake them accidentally.

The third is almost not sleeping at all, more like a dozy wakefulness. Although they can be in almost any position for this, they're often in the cat-loaf mode, with all the legs tucked neatly away. If need be, they can spring to action quickly, if, for example, they smell food. It's almost like they're meditating. Who knows, perhaps they are.

Are yours the same?

Here are some more catnap facts.

Edit: And for good measure, a cat in deep sleep.

Cats and Vitamin D

An old saw has it that "cats lick the sunshine from their coats." Apparently that isn't so, and they mostly receive their Vitamin D from their food. The vets here tell us that cats are poor at converting light to vitamin D, unlike their human owners.

Facts over folklore.

Cat ears

When I was taught to draw a cat (at age 5) there were four components to remember. The body, the head, the tail and the ears. Sure it's only a silhouette, but nonetheless recognizeably a cat, mostly because of those triangles at the top.

It's obvious they're great for hearing mice rustling in the hay. Like so much about cats, their hearing and processing is utterly tuned to keep them alive and in food. Talk about a perfectly designed killing machine!

I love watching an alert cat rotate those things around so they catch the minutest (mouse-ee-est?) wee noise. You just know they are interpreting what each sound means, whether it's a threat or lunch. Luckily for me, my two are indoor cats, and there are precious few mice around for them to kill and show me.

In any case, when they're in the mood, they both love having their ears scruffed and rubbed, just like some people.

Whiskers

Years of observing cats makes one aware of their subtle ways. The whiskers don't tell you much about what you're cat is thinking, but they're interesting nonetheless. I have noticed that a happy or confident cat will push the whisker pads forward, which positions the whiskers more perpendicular to the body.

If scared (or asleep, or eating) they're faired against the cheeks for that streamlined look. Funny how they're integral to the cat "look", and so easy to overlook. This link will tell you all about the whiskers.

I guess everyone's aware that the major use of the whiskers is to determine if a space is too small for their body width. Pity it doesn't tell them if they'll have to reverse out. (Smile.) Imagine if we had that system on our cars telling us that the parking spot is a fraction too small.

Hey, that's not a bad idea! Car-skers!