Previously, parents forbade their offspring to harm domestic and stray animals. Now most of them do not pay attention to such a “trifle”. Just think, a child throws stones at a flock of pigeons, tries to kick a stray puppy, or drags his own cat by the tail. What's the big deal? This is a child.
Lots of things like that. Firstly, the lack of upbringing should not be justified by the fact that this is a child. Secondly, such children are taught not compassion and love for animals, but violence. And thirdly, the answer to the question of why you shouldn’t pull a cat’s tail says that it is dangerous for the animal.
How does a cat's spine work?
These animals have a special vertebral structure. And this can be understood by looking at how the pet curls up into a ball. There are 7 cervical vertebrae. They are connected elastically, which allows the cat to turn its head almost 180 degrees. Almost none of the vertebrates can do this.
The thoracic region consists of 13 vertebrae. 7 vertebrae are responsible for the lumbar region. This section is very flexible, so the cat can easily curl up into a ball, turn over when flying in the air, and gracefully arch its back at incredible angles.
The sacral section consists of 3 large vertebrae. They are strong and immovable. Thanks to their rigid fastening, the purr jumps well.
As we can see, a cat's spine consists of 30 vertebrae. And that's not counting the tail section.
Mistake #2. Nipping “bad” habits in the bud
Remember that for animals, as for people, the rule works: you cannot get rid of a bad habit, you can only replace it with a useful one. Only in the case of a cat, its habits are often based on instincts that cannot be removed from the equation.
It is important to respect your cat's needs and allow her to do what she needs. The owner’s task is to change the direction of the habit in a direction where it will no longer have a negative impact
For example, if your cat sharpens her claws on furniture, give her a scratching post and teach her to use it. In fact, the action will be the same, but not a single sofa will be harmed.
Read more: “Scratchy paws. How to stop a cat from spoiling things?
Functions of the tail
We find out why you should not pull a cat's tail and why it is dangerous. Before we look at this issue, let's learn about the functions of a cat's tail.
This is not just an unnecessary attribute in the animal’s exterior. One of the main functions of this part of the cat's body is to help coordinate movement and orientation in space.
Someone will be surprised: what about tailless breeds, such as the Kuril Bobtail? Cats that lack a tail due to the breed standard have much poorer spatial orientation. They are less dexterous and agile than their tailed relatives.
The second function of the tail is the transmission of emotions. With its help, the cat expresses its attitude to the world.
So, if a pet begins to nervously twitch its tail, this indicates its dissatisfaction. The state of excitement of the nervous system is also indicated by striking the floor with the tail.
A calm cat, rejoicing at its owner, runs towards him, holding its tail in a vertical position. They also say about him “the tail of the pipe.”
Before an attack, the animal begins to beat its tail, jerking it from side to side.
When frightened, the cat arches and bends its tail. In this case, this part of the body becomes fluffy and resembles a “brush”.
Are the attacks sudden?
If we do not consider cases when a cat bites a child because he unknowingly causes her pain, such a situation can be prevented or at least smoothed out. To do this, you don’t even need to spend a long time figuring out why the cat bites when you pet him. It’s enough to simply monitor how the purr’s behavior changes. Animals demonstrate everything very clearly; they do not know how to hide emotions under masks.
Turn your attention to the cat and see how it changes when you run your hand over its back or tummy. When the animal receives pleasure, it stretches and luxuriates under your hands, purrs, becomes relaxed, as if flowing.
Otherwise, all the muscles of the body are grouped, as if in a moment of danger. The ears are flattened, the pupils dilate, the skin twitches in the areas of stroking, and tail flapping is observed. Further caresses in this case are inappropriate; you urgently need to leave the purr alone.
Is tail pulling dangerous?
For the animal, this is first and foremost. The cat’s tail, as we found out above, consists of a fairly large number of vertebrae and is the coordinator of the musculoskeletal system.
What happens if you handle your pet's tail carelessly? First, pulling a cat's tail causes him pain. Cats don't like having their tail touched. Notice how the pet reacts nervously as soon as the owner touches this part of the body. He pulls back, begins to get nervous, or even tries to get away from the owner.
A cat's tail is the most sensitive part of the body. It contains a lot of nerve endings. Therefore, it is not surprising that, having felt a tug on its tail, the animal leaves and hides its tail. Or he simply fights back, rushing at the offender with claws extended.
Why do you need a haircut?
Grooming cats, unlike grooming six dogs, is more of a hygienic and preventive nature than aesthetic, and here's why.
- Cats with long hair tolerate heat less well and there is a danger of overheating.
- Cats with long hair are more likely to develop mats.
- The functioning of the digestive tract may be disrupted due to the large amount of hair in the stomach.
Owners of pets with long and semi-long hair cite the formation of tangles as the most common problem. The animal is not able to get rid of dense lumps on its own. Felt-like lumps form close to the skin. Cutting mats takes several hours and is a traumatic process for both the animal and the owner. It is difficult to carry out such a procedure with scissors; you will need a special tool - a tangle cutter. The question of the beauty of a haircut in such a situation does not even arise.
There is another unpleasant outcome associated with tangles and the hot period of the year. Many owners take their pets outside the city in the summer.
When mats form, the cat tries to lick the fur itself and begins to bite the mats. At the same time, it can damage the skin. The resulting wounds can be used by flies to lay their eggs. The result for the cat will be very sad.
There are model cat haircuts, which are carried out mainly before exhibition events. With this procedure, some imperfections in coat growth are “polished” to give a flawless appearance.
Some cat owners turn to beauty salons for smaller cats even for a hygienic haircut. However, not all cats can calmly tolerate the sound and vibration of a special machine, especially the touch of a stranger.
What clippers and trimmers are needed to care for a cat's claws and what is their price?
Some members of the feline family also panic during transportation, and in such cases, the use of sedatives is not a necessity, but an obligation.
Let's protect your cat from injury
The base of a cat's tail is the most sensitive place on this part of the body. Don't touch it unnecessarily.
What measures should you take to avoid harming your pet’s health?
- Handle the animal with care. Do not grab his tail, do not step on this “shoot” intentionally.
- Animals that go outside often get tail injuries. Always keep a close eye on your door for a cat's tail. Suddenly the pet was about to go for a walk at that very moment.
- Children need to be explained why they should not pull the cat's tail. Do not allow cruel games when a child drags an animal by the tail and the cat screams in pain. In general, children should not be allowed to abuse pets.
- If there is a very small child in the house, you should not leave him alone with the mustachioed purr. In the event that the cat decides to stand up for itself, the child will receive a clawed paw in the eye. And it’s good if there are no extraordinary consequences.
Nonverbal Communication
This is another answer why a cat bites a petting hand. When you first touch your pet, he may like these caresses. However, at some point the monotonous movements begin to irritate. The animal cannot tell you “Enough”, “Don’t press so hard”, but its dissatisfaction begins to grow. Therefore, she uses the channels available to her. If the owner is unable to understand that the purr is experiencing discomfort, then the culmination will be a bite. The best solution would be to stop after a few minutes of petting. If the animal is determined for further contact, it will definitely demand continuation. Otherwise, he will calmly go about smoothing his fur coat.
Reason to contact the veterinarian
Tail injuries are one of the most common reasons for which people bring their cats to veterinary clinics. The cause of injury may be careless handling of the animal, an attempt to sharply grab its tail, or the owner could unintentionally step on this part of the body.
What are the signs of injury?
- The cat is lethargic, trying to hide in a secluded place, its tail hanging like a whip.
- The pet is unable to control its tail. The eyes are cloudy, the pet itself is inactive, refuses food and water.
- Visible tumors at the base of the tail. All kinds of bumps and growths.
- A break in the tail, a visible break in it.
- The tail is swollen, the swelling is visible to the naked eye. When touched, the tail is hot to the touch and very hard.
- If the owner notices that his cat has pronounced gait disturbances, the hind limbs do not obey the animal, then this is a serious reason to immediately contact “Doctor Aibolit.”
- A previously clean pet is unable to control urination and fecal waste.
If these deviations are detected, a visit to the veterinarian should not be delayed. The faster the cat receives help, the less dangerous the consequences of the injury will be.
A little psychology: the system of signs and self-expression in behavior
Having lived with a cat even for a short time, you can learn to understand it - the animal gives a number of signals that allow you to determine its condition and well-being. There is a whole system of signs that help the domestic predator express itself:
- experiencing a feeling of fear, the cat bends down to the ground and presses its ears tightly to its head, showing a clear desire to hide in a secluded place; if the fear is especially strong, then the manifestations are brighter - dilated pupils, raised fur;
- aggression in its pure manifestation is more noticeable in males: they look at the enemy, prick up their ears, cower, tilting their heads slightly to the side, lean forward to prevent the opponent’s attack; females most often show aggression, protecting their offspring - they attack quickly and unexpectedly, threatening, cats hiss, opening their mouths wide and exposing their teeth;
- tactile whiskers on the face can indicate the mood of the cat: for example, if they are tense and directed forward, then the pet is interested in something, and if they are pressed to the cheeks, then the cat is either aggressive or calm and relaxed;
- when a cat hunts, it presses its front to the ground, tenses its body, being ready for a sharp jump, tilts its ears slightly forward and looks intently at its target;
- the cat also gives vocal signals: by its intonation, the owner will be able to recognize an insistent request (frequent long meow), greeting (short sound), resentment (choked and drawn-out exclamation), hunger or complaint (usually a loud guttural sound);
- one of the most pleasant cat manifestations in communication is purring - if a cat honors you with such a sound, then you definitely deserve it - she enjoys communication, is relaxed or grateful for something.
Cats are one of the most popular pets. They are elegant and amaze with their variety of appearance. There are many features in the structure and functioning of their body, including the ability to see in poor lighting and hide their claws.
Natural causes of cannibalism
cannibalism among domestic cats is more likely an accident, from which, however, we cannot be insured
It's more of a coincidence. From which, however, we are not immune. Among them, it is worth highlighting the killing of a kitten by a mother cat in her sleep.
Cats are extremely kind and caring towards their own and sometimes other people’s offspring, but misfortunes do happen: cases when a cat carelessly strangles kittens with her body in a dream do occur. Accidents include murder by eating placenta
After giving birth, the mother cat is extremely exhausted and exhausted. Feeling that there are life-giving substances in the placenta, cats often eat the placenta after the birth of the next kitten. It happens that a cat eats its newborn along with her. The fact is that it is not always possible to gnaw the umbilical cord without harming the kitten; as a result, the newborn may receive injuries incompatible with life. By the way, this is one of the reasons why owners need to be present during the birth of their pet and keep everything under control. From random reasons, let's move on to natural ones, in other words, why a cat can deliberately kill a kitten.
The kitten was born sick or dead
The cause of cannibalism among cats may be a natural instinct
- The kitten has congenital anomalies;
- The kitten was born sick or physically underdeveloped;
- A newborn with a cat mother has a different Rh factor of the blood, in this case the kitten is in mortal danger and without the intervention of the animal’s owners the kitten most likely will not survive;
- The cat ate a newborn who died of natural causes.
In the latter case, the cause of cannibalism was a natural instinct. Just like the placenta, it is a source of nutrients for her. Cats are not people; they do not tend to mourn the loss of their offspring. The same applies to nursing underdeveloped and weak kittens. A mother cat will not nurse such as humans would. If a cat sees that a newborn will not survive, it is more likely to kill it than to allow it to suffer and suffer, delaying the inevitable. This is the essence of natural selection. If you have witnessed a cat biting a kitten to death after giving birth, perhaps you shouldn’t be shocked; it’s just that she instinctively understands better than you who will live and grow up healthy and strong, and who was doomed from the very beginning.
Exhaustion of the cat
As we figured out, a mother cat can accurately “diagnose” her offspring, and she herself determines which babies she can feed for sure, so that the strongest representatives of the cat can survive and continue the cat family
After all, it is extremely important that hereditary defects and diseases are not passed on to future generations. But that's not the only reason
Hunger can extremely rarely cause cannibalism in cats, but such cases have been recorded. If a cat eats other people's kittens, in addition to extreme exhaustion, it may be driven by a feeling of competition or jealousy. There are practically no described cases of hunger as a cause of cannibalism towards their offspring in domestic cats. But if you do witness your cat eating her kitten, the first step is to isolate the remaining kittens in a safe, warm and dry place. Take measures to calm the mother cat, possibly even using tranquilizers. However, no later than 24 hours later, return the kittens to the cat so that the babies can eat their mother’s colostrum.
Numerous litter
the large number of litters cannot be a reason for cannibalism among domestic cats
There are no mentions of such cases among domestic cats, but for wild nature this is normal. The reason is banal: cats are trying to help their offspring survive, given a large litter and a lack of food, the cat is forced to make a selection. In terms of food, the cat leaves the strongest and most physically fit kittens, and eats the weakest ones. Thus, the survival of the fittest occurs and the aforementioned natural selection occurs. Just as in the case of domestic cats, wild kittens are often born with severe defects, stillborn or dying immediately after birth; the mother cat also eats such kittens so as not to leave them for scavenger animals.
Displace Anger
A child cannot resist an adult who is angry with him and punishes him from time to time. And here is the four-legged extreme one, whom the baby perceives as lower in rank than himself in the family hierarchy. “By offending an animal, a child can thus take out the irritation and anger that he experiences towards his parents,” warns Tatyana Mizinova. − Children often literally repeat the words and actions of adults. A child painted on the wallpaper and as punishment he was scolded and put in a corner. In the same way, a cat will receive a paw from a child, to whom the mother’s message is conveyed: “What have you done, tear off your hands!” In addition, a small child has magical thinking: he believes in a fairy tale where Little Red Riding Hood was eaten and then taken out of the wolf’s belly, so he does not see anything irreparable in the threat to tear off his hands. If mom wanted to do this with him, then why can’t she do the same with the cat’s paws?”
Is it possible to give a cat smoked, salted fish or river fish with bones?
The answer is: neither the first, nor the second, nor the third. And that's why:
Smoked food is very difficult for our four-legged pets. Once in the animal's body, it has a detrimental effect on the liver. Carcinogens formed as a result of processing such fish lead to the development of tumors and destroy the gastric mucosa.
If you want to offer your cat a piece of herring, think twice. The more salts in the product, the higher the risk of developing urolithiasis. Another danger that awaits tailed lovers of herring, salmon and pink salmon is opisthorchiasis, which we have already described above. So to the question, can cats eat salted fish? There is only one answer: no.
Bones injure the larynx and esophagus with intestines. Previously, we examined in detail the dangers of skeletal parts entering the animal's body and were convinced that in the worst case, immediate surgical intervention may be required.
Some people manage to feed their cats raw fish without realizing why this should not be done. We remind you once again: a product that has not undergone heat treatment is rich in parasites - there is a high risk of helminthic infestation.
Another argument against is the high content of histamine, which enhances allergic reactions and can provoke a significant deterioration of the condition during serious inflammatory processes. So if you know that your animal is sensitive to all natural food, it is better to switch it to special dry food so as not to risk it.
