14
Wednesday, September 13, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Cats make great
pets, too
If you’ve ever had a cat
you probably already know
how much joy they bring to
your life.
Yet, cats sometimes don’t
get the credit they deserve.
They are often seen as soli-
tary, aloof creatures. And
this can be far from the truth.
Cats can thrive in a family
with children and can even
learn to play games that
you’d think are associated
with dogs, such as fetch.
Many cats love to be pet-
ted, held, and cuddled. Give
them a bit of attention and
you’ll get love in return.
Cats love to play, and they
are quite acrobatic, too –
especially when you take out
a toy fishing pole or a cat
dancer toy. They will leap,
run, and pounce on the toy,
which is great fun to watch
for the whole family.
And they are extremely
loyal.
Even scientists were baf-
fled by how Holly, an indoor
four-year-old tortoiseshell
calico, became lost on a
family excursion during an
RV rally in Daytona Beach,
Florida, in November 2013
and returned home 200 miles
away and two months later,
showing up in her family’s
backyard weak and emaci-
ated. There was a strong
bond between that feline and
her humans.
Most cats are litter-box
trained. You won’t have to
walk them on cold, rainy, or
snowy days. They do prefer
a clean litter-box, so keeping
the box tidy is necessary.
If you’re the busy bee,
that’s OK; cats don’t require
constant attention. They are
happy just being near you.
So, you won’t have to dote
on them all day.
You can teach a cat to
come when called, to not
scratch the furniture, and to
retrieve toys. Just like clicker
training with dogs, you can
teach cats with a clicker.
Some folks worry that
cats do not love their pet par-
ents as much as a dog would.
Even though some cats like
their space, once they get
to know you, they will love
you unconditionally in their
own way. Many cats wait by
the door when they hear you
coming home, just like dogs
do.
Dr. Dennis Turner, a
leading expert on the feline-
human bond, explains why
he likes cats:
“I appreciate the fact that
they’re very sensitive. They
are very independent think-
ers and independent actors
and they’re very elegant and
beautiful to watch. I could
watch cats for hours.”
According to Dr. Turner,
each feline-human pair has
an individual way of com-
municating, due in part to
the wide variety of behav-
iors cats use to “talk” to their
human family.
While some kitties like
to rub up against your legs,
others will rub their head
against yours. Some cats sit
very still while staring at
you, others tilt their head in
an irresistible questioning
gesture.
Many kitties vocalize as
a way to communicate, and
some scratch the floor or
stand on hind legs to reach
for you with their front paws.
Dr. Turner’s research
shows that unlike dogs, cats
follow their pet parents’ lead
when it comes to how much
involvement they have with
each other.
Some cat pet parents
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
Cats are not necessarily aloof creatures. They can make for really fun
pets.
prefer a lot of interaction
with their pet, while oth-
ers don’t have much time to
devote or simply prefer less
interaction. Cats are very
adaptable to their humans’
need in this regard and fall
into step easily with the pace
that you set.
Cats played an impor-
tant role in humanitarian
Albert Schweitzer’s life. He
believed that cats consis-
tently improve a human’s
mood. Research carried out
And the winner is... Joni
Joni won the
“Pets Just Wanna Have Fun”
quilt that was designed,
appliquéd, and quilted by
Valerie Fercho-Tillery.
The original design and
incredible detail make this
a spectacular quilt!
100% of raffl e proceeds went to
Furry Friends Foundation.
Congratulations, Joni!
FURRY FRIEND S
501 ( c )( 3 )
FOUNDATION
www.furryfriendsfoundation.org
541-549-9941
501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization
by anthropologists suggest
that Schweitzer was right. A
recent Swiss study recruited
over 200 couples with cats
and compared how both their
cat and their partner affected
their mood.
Their results showed that,
in line with previous studies,
cats could alleviate negative
moods.
Cats are wonderful pets
and so many need homes, so
if you’re looking for a pet,
why not adopt a cat?
McCreery