THE SCRATCHING POST - Summer, 2003
Art Show: Catman Drew's Watercolors
Issue 16 - By Barbara Stanley home2cats@aol.com
Home2Cats, P. O. Box 752671, Memphis, TN 38175-2671
The Watcher
'Catman' Drew Strouble
www.catmandrew.com
Mews You Can Use:
Cat Vision
Vision in our feline friends has evolved to maximize hunting and survival skills. One key element in this evolution is the ability to detect movement, but not necessarily detail. Cats are nearsighted; therefore they are more adept at spotting and hunting prey that can be caught within running distance. They are seldom interested in distant objects or prey.
The retina contains two types of cells called rods and cones. The cones convert light into color and the rods are for sensing motion. Colors that would appear very rich to us are more pastel to the cat.
The rods work best in low light levels and generally outnumber the cones in a cat's eye. This gives the cat excellent night and motion vision.
Though cats can't see in total darkness, they only need one-sixth the amount of light as humans to have effective vision. The cat's large pupil absorbs more light in dim light conditions. They also have a reflective structure at the back of the eye, which reflects light back out. This is why it sometimes appears as if the cat's eyes seem to be glowing.
Cats make excellent night hunters as they use vision, whiskers, hearing, and directional ear movement to locate their prey.
The Stretch
'Catman' Drew Strouble
www.catmandrew.com
From The Cat's Clawset:
Nutrients: Taurine
Cats are carnivores and require certain nutrients that are available only from animal sources. Taurine is one of these nutrients. Taurine is a beta amino acid required by cats. Lack of taurine in the diet can lead to blindness or certain types of heart disease.
Deficiencies can also occur if your cat is fed diets that are designed for dogs. Dogs do not have a dietary requirement for taurine, since they can make it out of vitamin B and the amino acids methionine and cysteine. Cats are unable to synthesize this essential nutrient.
Commercial cat foods now contain enough taurine to provide for the health of your cat so that deficiency of this essential nutrient have become more rare.
Cat Tales Profile:
Name: Remington
Alias: Klepto Kitten, Captain Curious
When you’re in the business of rescuing cats, you often think you’ve seen it all, heard it all and that nothing can be worse than the story you just heard. Then along comes Remington’s story.
Remington was shot in the head and thrown from a moving car. Even after all the abuse this trusting fellow didn't want to be an orphaned and tried to follow the car. Thankfully, a Good Samaritan intervened and Remington found his way to Home 2 Cats.
After purring his way through recuperation Remington was ready for adoption. On the second adoption day Remington literally chose his new mom and dad. It was love at first sight for this little guy and he was not about to let them put him down and walk out of his life.
Remington, the 'kitten of the hood', quickly took over the new household. Not trying to make excuses (though we at Home 2 Cats are just a tad bit biased when it comes to Remington) but we DO feel there are good reasons that justify his behavior (bless his sweet heart)
Okay, first MINOR offense: 'Klepto Kitten' steals the wedding ring two weeks before his new parents tied the knot. Now any psychologist worth her salt would tell you that he was only trying to convey to his parents his hurt at not being included in the wedding party (can you say RING BEARER??) I mean, look at him, he’s already wearing a tuxedo!!
Okay, next MINOR OFFENSE: stealing his daddy's glasses off the dresser and hiding them downstairs. Okay, so the boy is a big practical joker. One can see the humor in this since Klepto Kitten's daddy can't see without his glasses and it took him all morning groping around the house to find them.
We agree with Remington that parents should think of their own behavior to better understand their pets. It's not Captain Curious' fault that the dining room table offers the best seat in the house to look out the window. One could hardly fault Remington - you know, "Carpe Diem" and all that.
We all know how important exercise is so it is important for a Kitten of the Hood to keep in shape. Soooooo, when the printer is placed in the path on the way to the window, OF COURSE it is only natural to practice attack skills on the paper. And those nose prints on the computer screen??? Well, maybe Dad’s annoyance is a little bit justified. A little bit, we say.
Remington, being family oriented, also believes strongly that a family that plays together stays together. Playtime is an important bonding time so 3AM should not be a problem for dedicated family members. Sometimes Remington even starts his favorite game, "Herd of Thundering Wildebeests Stampeding Across the Plains of the Serengeti," before the other players are fully awake.
Disclaimer: At Home 2 Cats we take pride in placing healthy cats and kittens and stand behind this policy. However, we assume no responsibility for behavior – you’re on your own here.
Spellbound
'Catman' Drew Strouble
www.catmandrew.com
Animal and People Recognition:
While losing a companion is one of life's greatest sorrows, never having one is to miss out on years of loving companionship.
In Memory of Animals:
Max
Beloved pet cocker of John Stephen's.
--Ruth Blann CartledgeLizzie
--Barbara & Larry StanleyRowdy
You left a big paw print on our hearts. It will never be the same without you.
--Barbara & Larry StanleyRowdy
Everyone's favorite, especially mine.
--Ellen LentzRowdy
He was very special and will always have a place in my heart.
--Steve MeyerRowdy
He was a unique and wonderful kitty.
--Tanya GrahamRowdy
One of our favorites! A really wonderful cat.
--Donald & Brenda HargroveSlinky
--Barbara & Larry StanleyXena
--Barbara & Larry Stanley
In Memory of People:
Ted Cartledge
--Ruth Blann Cartledge
In Honor of People:
Ellen Lentz
--Tina & Bill VandenburghSteve Meyer
--Tina & Bill Vandenburgh
Best Friends
'Catman' Drew Strouble
www.catmandrew.com
A Word From Home (2Cats):
Our Newsletter
I appreciate all the wonderful praises you have given our newsletter and us. 'The Scratching Post' is a joint effort by a great (and sometimes insane) group of friends. All of us have a passion for animals and rescue and we try to keep our sanity in tack with humor. We share the duties of writing and editing.
The rough draft of our newsletter begins in Memphis with Larry and myself. Through the wonderful technology of computers it then journeys to Georgia where Dody and Bob Cordes write, rewrite and edit. It's then bounced back to Memphis for layout and printing.
Don Hargrove does the online version of 'The Scratching Post' in Memphis. Even if you receive the printed version of our newsletter you should visit our website to experience Don’s personal touch of graphics, special articles and comments.
If there’s ever a suggestion for articles, don’t hesitate to send them to us. We want to provide information that helps us all in keeping our felines healthy. We also enjoy providing a little entertainment along the way.
Oasis
'Catman' Drew Strouble
www.catmandrew.com
Curious Cat World:
Cats on the Net: 'Catman' Drew's Original Art For Cat Lovers
If you love cats, you're going to love it here ...
Fabulous Feline Paintings. Cat prints. Cat art cards. Cat portraits and more by artist Drew Strouble. Unique & wonderful original artwork, right down to the last whisker!
Prowl the largest one-man cat art gallery in the world. You're sure to find that purrfect gift of Fine Art for Cat Lovers! You can even commission CatmanDrew to paint a custom portrait of your very special pet.
Enjoy! --dlh
On-Going Projects:
Home2Cats is now on Petfinder.Com:
Looking to adopt a cat or kitten? Check out our current pet list and our adoption day calendar on Home2Cats home page on petfinder.com under shelters/organizations. You may also access our home page directly by http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/TN159.html
Home2Cats, Memphis | Newsletters | Photos | Lynx
Please send email to: home2cats@aol.com
Or write to: Home 2 Cats
P. O. Box 752671
Memphis, TN 38175-2671And, as always, our sincere thanks for images from:
Microsoft Office: Design Gallery Live
*NaNcY*'s Cat Animation Gallery
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This page was last updated 12/31/10.
