Hello again, everyone. My name is Maverick, and this is another edition of my blog, “Cat Tales.” As I write this, it is almost Autumn. Maybe, by the time this gets put in, it will officially be fall. My mom and I love this time of year. We call it sweater weather. You would never know it, though, but where my mom and I are living right now, it’s in the 90s, and neither of us likes those temperatures.
We’ve been busy; a lot is going on. My mom is doing better since her last surgery, but now has to have an EGD in October. I asked her what that was, and she told me they put a scope down her throat to see what’s going on, and on November 6th, she has another surgery scheduled, and hopefully that will be the last one for this year.
I recently had my check-up, and I lost almost another pound, and they found blood in my urine again. My doctor feels that the blood is caused by stress. It’s hard on me when my mom isn’t here, and she is constantly driving to appointments in other towns or she’s having procedures and surgeries, so they may be right, because when she isn’t here, I miss her a lot. It’s hard being alone. Plus, I need to be fed during the day and night, because I can’t eat like a normal cat; only a little bit at a time. Ever since I was shot, I haven’t been able to eat normally. I am on wet and dry cat food, but it’s the wet that I mostly eat, and she can’t leave that out all day, because it would spoil. I can’t afford to lose any more weight. They kept my thyroid pills at the same amount, but when I go back again, in December, the doctor said she would probably have to increase my meds. That’s where things stand with me.
My mom had a luncheon at church last week. Once a month, the Keenager’s group meets and has lunch at the church. It’s for old people. They like to say they’re teenagers only with a K. The meat is furnished, and everyone brings something. She says it’s really nice to be with others, plus my mom loves to talk, so it’s a perfect couple of hours for her to get out and enjoy the company of others. I wish I could go. She hasn’t been able to get to every one of them because of her surgeries, but this was her second one since May.
I have a book for kids to recommend. It’s called “Cat Nap,” by Brian Lies. For adults, I recommend “The Space Cat,” by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford. Reading is really important for kids and adults. My mom says when she reads, it’s like an escape from all her problems. So please check out all the books at your local library.
I have some fun facts about cats for you. These come from Pet MD.
Only 20% of Orange Cats Are Female
Female cats have two X chromosomes (XX), while a male cat has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). Color in cats is mostly related to their sex because the gene causing color is on the X chromosome.
Because a male cat has only one X gene, if that X chromosome has the orange gene, he will be orange. This means that if an orange female cat has a litter of kittens, all the males will be orange—regardless of their dad’s color. But a female cat will only be orange if both of those X chromosomes carry the orange color, meaning both parents must be orange to create an orange female kitten.
We don’t actually know what percentage of cats are orange, but there are estimates that it’s somewhere between 2–5% of all cats. So if your kitty is an orange female, she belongs to an elite club!
Cats Have Fewer Taste Buds Than Dogs Or People
Cats have about 473 taste buds, which is far fewer than people (we have 9,000) or dogs (who have 1,700). Cats can taste savory, salty, bitter, and sour flavors, but they don’t taste sweets.
But don’t be too sad that your kitty can’t taste ice cream—as obligate carnivores, they’re happy to stick to eating meat.
Cats Don’t Get Cavities
This doesn’t mean that cats don’t get dental disease—in fact, up to 90% of cats more than 4 years old have dental problems. However, they don’t get the types of cavities that people do, in part because of the pointed shape of cat teeth (compared to the flat teeth in humans).
Instead, cats get feline resorptive lesions, in which the dentin wears away, leaving them with a painful mouth. Cats also get gingivitis, stomatitis, and periodontal disease.
Dental disease is not just painful; it can shorten the life of your cat. Keep up with regular tooth brushing at home with a cat-friendly toothpaste and schedule dental cleanings as recommended by your vet.
That’s all for this edition of “Cat Tales.” I hope everyone enjoys the cooler weather and the beautiful autumn leaves. I will leave you with this quote:
“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” – Albert Schweitzer
Love Maverick
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