Building a cat bond from scratch
DO YOU know how to pet your cat? In case you're not sure, a team of researchers at the University of Lincoln, in the United Kingdom, has some advice: Cats prefer a nice head scritch - especially at the sweet spot between the eyes or beneath the chin. They have lots of scent glands on the lips, chin and cheeks and may view petting in that area as a form of grooming. Avoid the base of the tail and the belly, or your cat is likely to give you a claws-out thwack with his paw.
DO YOU know how to pet your cat? In case you're not sure, a team of researchers at the University of Lincoln, in the United Kingdom, has some advice: Cats prefer a nice head scritch - especially at the sweet spot between the eyes or beneath the chin. They have lots of scent glands on the lips, chin and cheeks and may view petting in that area as a form of grooming. Avoid the base of the tail and the belly, or your cat is likely to give you a claws-out thwack with his paw.
* We say it every year, but it bears repeating: Never leave your dog or cat inside a car during the day. The interior temperature rises quickly, even with the windows cracked. A 3-year-old English setter in Wausau, Wis., died of heatstroke recently after being left for more than two hours on a cloudy, 66-degree day. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the owner faces charges of animal mistreatment, a Class I felony. If you can't take your pet into the business you're visiting, leave him home. If you're traveling, take turns staying in the car with the pet when making stops.