15 cat myths and exposing them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The life hacker collected common misconceptions about cats and asked the vet to comment on them.

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1. Cats always land on their feet

This myth is not good for cats. Experimenters, young and not so, begin to put experiments on the animal, checking whether it really always lands on its feet. And this can lead to serious injuries, since the cat simply does not have time to group and roll over.

Cats don't always land on their feet, especially when the jump is unplanned. Just know this and don't experiment.

2. Cats do without damage after falling from a height

There are many stories of how someone's cat fell out of the window, but did not receive a single scratch and came to the door of the apartment himself. As a result, cats are endowed with the super ability to fall from a height and do without injury. This also sometimes happens to people, but at the same time such legends are not made up about them.

The animal can be shocked and move around despite the damage. Even if the injuries are not visible, this does not mean that they are not. The cat needs to be shown to the doctor.

The most common injuries that cats receive when falling are bone fractures, sprains, chest contusions, respiratory problems, and internal injuries. They have received the general name "high-altitude syndrome".

Therefore, do not open wide windows and balcony doors and fasten the mosquito nets in the frames, as they very easily fly out with the animal jumping on them. The ventilation mode is also unsafe.

Sofya Zotova Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Practicing Veterinary Surgeon

The cat may try to get out and get stuck so that its front part is on the street, and its back is in the apartment. If the animal sags in this way for a long time, it risks getting a compression fracture of the spine and remaining disabled.

3. All tricolor cats are females

This is true only for the tortoiseshell color, when black, white and bright red fragments are found on the animal's skin. So if you have a cat that has 50 shades of gray, that's fine.

But even with males of tortoiseshell colors, it is not so simple. They meet sometimes. This means that the cat has a rare set of chromosomes - XXY. But such animals cannot have offspring: they are sterile by nature.

4. Before spaying, the cat must give birth once

This myth is sometimes introduced by unscrupulous veterinarians, because an animal that has already given birth is easier to sterilize: the organs become larger.

For the cat itself, this is not necessary. Pregnancy and childbirth wear out the body and pose a risk to life and health, and can exacerbate chronic diseases. But early neutering reduces the risk of developing breast cancer, and young animals are easier to tolerate the operation.

Some cat owners also use the argument that they want to make them feel the joy of motherhood.

Pets, even if they are "just like people", are guided by instincts. So the animal will lose little if the childfree remains.

5. A cat cannot be trained to command

Training is based on the development and consolidation of conditioned reflexes. If you have patience and goodies, it is quite possible to teach your cat to follow commands.

6. Cats see in the dark

These animals are really better than humans at seeing at dusk. The cat's eye is more sensitive to light and is able to distinguish objects in conditions where human vision is already powerless.

In the eye, as we remember from biology, there are cones and rods, and the latter are also responsible for vision at dusk. In a cat, they are arranged in such a way that they turn into microlenses that effectively capture even weak light. Behind the retina in cats is a special reflective layer that enhances the perception of light. But they still need at least a weak light source. In total darkness, an animal will be as blind as a person.

7. Cats can eat the same as their owners

Some foods should not be given to cats. For example, chocolate. The theobromine it contains is toxic to cats. The researchers believe that occasionally giving your pet a tiny piece of chocolate bar is okay, but it's better to replace it with a special treat.

Do not give red fish. It contains the enzyme thiaminase, which leads to vitamin B1 deficiency. And this is fraught with paralysis and can be fatal.

Sofya Zotova Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Practicing Veterinary Surgeon

Also, do not add nuts, onions, garlic, grapes, currants, products sweetened with xylitol, raw dough to the animal's menu. And of course, no alcohol.

8. Cats are allowed / not allowed dairy products

In this matter, everything is very ambiguous. In many adult animals, the body cannot process lactose, which leads to diarrhea. But the less lactose in a dairy product, the less likely it is to cause intestinal upset. So, cow's milk will be digested worse than goat's milk. And fermented milk products with a low lactose content can be completely recommended by a veterinarian as part of a therapeutic diet. Therefore, listen to the doctor and watch your pet's stool to understand that something is wrong with his menu.

There is another myth within this myth: milk supposedly leads to worms. Researchers have not yet identified the connection.

9. A domestic cat does not need to be vaccinated

It seems to many that a cat that does not leave the apartment will not get sick. But these animals can become infected by airborne droplets, from insects caught by them, or pick up an infection that you brought into the house from the street.

10. The cat will occupy itself

Some, choosing between a cat and a dog, reason like this: the dog needs to be walked, and the cat is an independent creature that needs to be fed. She will invent entertainment for herself.

The animal will certainly find something to do, but you may not like it. For a cat to be healthy, it must receive physical and emotional stress. This means that she should have toys and you should spend time with her.

Cats perceive us humans as other cats and are considered members of the pride. They get upset and offended when they are not given time, because they think that the pride rejects them.

Sofya Zotova Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Practicing Veterinary Surgeon

11. A cat eats grass for diseases

There is a belief that a sick cat knows very well that it will be cured. She allegedly chooses the right grass on the lawn, eats it and recovers.

In fact, a cat may just love greenery. And she certainly didn’t gnaw your Tradescantia for recovery. If the animal suddenly becomes drawn to a vegetarian diet, just in case, consult your veterinarian and plant in the pot a special herb for cats, which is sold in pet stores.

12. Garlic will rid the cat of worms

In the seventh point, garlic already figured as toxic to the cat, and by the twelfth, nothing had changed. Special medicines have been created to help solve the problem without harming the animal.

13. Sterilized cats gain weight

Animals, like humans, gain weight if they eat more calories than they expend. Excess fat in a cat is associated with improper, excessively abundant nutrition or lack of movement.

A cat's chubby tummy is very cute, but it is better not to overfeed it, otherwise health problems will arise.

14. Cats lick their wounds

The cat's tongue is covered with small processes, with the help of which the animal combes out everything unnecessary from the wool. Because of them, licking damages the wound even more, as if you were trying to comb the cut with a comb.

If the cat licks the wound, it is best to distract it, otherwise the damage will take longer to heal. When you leave the house, wear a special collar for her.

Sofya Zotova Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Practicing Veterinary Surgeon

15. Removing claws is a safe procedure

This is a complex operation in which the phalanges of the fingers with claws are removed from the cat. Intervention is recognized as inhuman, crippling and prohibited in Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Norway and many other countries. Paws after amputation can hurt and often become infected. The cat is easily injured, as it is forced to step on the pad of the paw, and not on the fingers.

If the animal falls into the wild, it will not be able to defend itself from the enemy or run away from it by climbing a tree.

Sofya Zotova Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Practicing Veterinary Surgeon

Behind the innocuous name "Soft Paws" is an operation that will forever worsen your pet's life. The upholstery of the sofa is hardly worth the mockery of the animal.