h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think cats spend closer to 65-70% of there time sleeping, though it's all down to the individual cat really. The thing is, being nocturnal, cats prefere to be lazy during the day, showing affection mainly at meal times.

Cats methods of gaining there so-called owners attentions can be quite cute really and also entertaining. Stepping on keyboards, brushing there tails in your tv dinner, meowing in your ear and giving you those cute little looks as well at that universal language of clawing untill you give in. Of course this is less entertaining at four in the morning when the ball of fur hops on the bed, looks you straight in the face and gives a demanding "meow!" before proceeding to claw at your pillow.

As for giving cats a bath, are you mad? Cats are, by nature, very proud and extremely clean animals, in fact they are cleaner than most people, the only reason they smell is because they lick themselves with the same mouth that they eat cat food with *shudder* and drool all over there coat with antiseptic spit. If you're gonna wash a cat, water is the last thing to turn to, try dry fur shampoo, towel dry after messaging into there fur, which might serve to keep them from ripping your eyelids out, and let them prance off smelling like posies.

I have actually bathed a cat - and survived unscathed! Not only that but it was a big, strong and occasionally ferocious cat. (The vet recommended bathing both our cats in a medical solution of some sort because of a skin disease.)

Of our two cats, Nemo was the bigger and more aggressive, he would chase off dogs who invaded his space, but he was a real pussy-cat [sorry] with the family. He was amazingly compliant and allowed himself to be lowered into a bucket of warm water. He did try to climb out but gave up when restrained. He allowed me and the kids to start drying him with some old towels but ran off to complete the job himself.

Thus encouraged, I approached the (usually) more docile cat. To cut a long story short I am glad I had my gardening gloves on and we eventually administered the skin lotion by means of a flower sprayer.

My theory is that Nemo was unusually self-confident (for a cat) and that he did not believe that he would come to any harm from his family. Many incidents during his life bear this out, not least the Alsatian (German Shepherd) who had to be tied to the gate when his owner was visiting - for his own protection, not the cat's!



John Luke

In my humble opinion cats are not entirely lazy but accomplish everything they need to do(eat, destroy your belongings in any possible way, and exercise) at 4 in the morning so that they have the entire day to nap and curl up and purr on whatever you happen to be working on/reading. Also, Is it normal for a cat to purr while it gnaws at you? Seemingly malicious attacks are common place during the petting of my cat, oasis...

Some cats do chew and purr... one of mine does, its a maternal thing so i have read. i once tried to wash my cat when i was 6 and it struggled fer a moment then went entirely limp... yay! i thought hes relaxed.. then i felt a warm suspicious trickle down my leg ew!!
i have never shown water to a cat since! cept fer me ickle willow cos she jus loves water but then she is technically insane lol

>^..^< p.s. love the article :o)

I have 2 cats, one 8 yrs and the other 7 mnths. The younger cat loves playing with water - wether it be in the shower or while I'm watering the garden!! I wonder if it's coz she's never known any better!? I had to give her a bath once because she attempted to climb up the chimney - I don't know wether she wanted to escape or have a change of fashion!!
My other cat is more of a Queen, she has to have her own room upstairs and rarely comes to visit us downstairs except for feeding time...

They really are intellgent creatures, aren't they? Mine have me wrapped around their fingers- or paws- 24/7. While the dog needs walks, food and comforting when the cats bite it, felines seem to dominate my every waking hour. But then, I'm an insane cat lover who thinks all the slavery is worth it when they purr, so don't mind me

My cat used to drink the toilet water, as if we never gave her any clean stuff! The nicest thing about cats is that they are all very individual, and while a good owner can usually make a good guess at what their cat wants (according to the particular sound of the "mew"/"wow") they can still be fooled! Our cat was sitting on the floor with the family in the living room when she walked over to my mum (happily sat watching tv) and started "wowing", pathetically at 1st but getting louder when she thought my mum wasn't listening. This behaviour normally means "I'm bored, feeling peckish, give me something nice like tuna or I will continue annoying you." Eventually my brother gets up to feed her but the cat stays her ground still shouting. 10mins later, mum is fed up and so gets up to feed her, fully expecting her to follow out of the room. But no! The cheeky cat immediately jumped up onto mums chair and curled up perfectly happy, despite there being a chair of exactly the same make (and therefore we shall assume comfort) right next to her!!! A fine example of how obstinate cats can be. I love them!

i think its their querkiness that does it for me too, i cant imagine life without cats

Kat

I think cats have accents. I've had one cat before and now a second and they've both got fairly normal meaows. I'm concidered posh by common people and common by posh people in Dublin, so I guess I'm in the middle somewhere O.O My friend that lives in a more common area (accentwise) has a cat with the harshest meaaaaaaaaaow I'd ever heard, and my other friend from the posh end of town has the only cat I've ever heard to say mow..... it's so surreal it's scary O.O