🚀 go-pugleaf

Why do cats love long thin things, especially flexible ones?
They're imprinted with a strong attraction for tails of prey such
as mice.  This most particularly applies when the "tail" is moving
away from them along the ground:  I've never known a cat so torpid 
that it isn't at least interested in that sight.  Their eyes are
especially adapted to see moving things much better than stationary
ones.

In fact, cats also have an astonishing instinctive ability to sink
their teeth (on the first try, within a fraction of a second) into
a particular tiny spot on a mouse's neck that allows their tooth
to penetrate between vertebrae and sever the spinal cord!  (I read
this in a very authoritative book on cat behavior; I could probably
come up with the reference if anyone cares ... it also describes the
progression of learning that goes on as a newborn kitten learns to
play, in stages.  Fascinating.)

- Anne Wiebe (wiebe@ut-ngp.UT.EDUC)
  University of Texas at Austin
	

> In fact, cats also have an astonishing instinctive ability to sink
> their teeth (on the first try, within a fraction of a second) into
> a particular tiny spot on a mouse's neck that allows their tooth
> to penetrate between vertebrae and sever the spinal cord!  

	My cat, in his encounter with the one and only mouse he has ever
seen in his sheltered life, dispatched it very neatly exactly as described
above. I was amazed. Of course, with cockroaches, he just goes SPLAT, and
then licks his paws......

-- 
jcpatilla

Mountain View is paid a diplomatic visit by giant Lunar reptiles
that want our hot tubs but can't find any so they leave. 

> Is there an instinctive reason why cats love long thin things?  I'm talking
> about string, belts, shoelaces, pens and pencils, etc.  They seem to love
> playing with these types of things more than anything else.  Does anyone
> have any idea?

	Our outdoor cats just LOVE snakes and worms, but as playthings rather
than food.  I suspect, though, that if we didn't feed 'em, the cats would do
more than just play with the critters...
	I would guess that cats have certain primative insticts as to the
nature of smaller animals which would be food for them.  For example, consider
some indoor cats we have which were raised indoors from birth: They have never
been outdoors other than for a few minutes at a time when they would "sneak out"
the door.  The mother of these cats never taught them to hunt, nor brought them
outdoor "food".  Nevertheless, these cats will stare out the window at birds,
"chitter" wioth excitement, and just KNOW that they want these birds.  Since no
one taught the cats that birds are "desireable", it must be the result of a
predatory instinct.
	I would therefore surmise that play behavior with long thin objects
awakens a predatory instinct for worms, snakes, etc.

==>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York        <==
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> > In fact, cats also have an astonishing instinctive ability to sink
> > their teeth (on the first try, within a fraction of a second) into
> > a particular tiny spot on a mouse's neck that allows their tooth
> > to penetrate between vertebrae and sever the spinal cord!  
> 
> 	My cat, in his encounter with the one and only mouse he has ever
> seen in his sheltered life, dispatched it very neatly exactly as described
> above. I was amazed. Of course, with cockroaches, he just goes SPLAT, and
> then licks his paws......
> 
> -- 
> jcpatilla
> 
> Mountain View is paid a diplomatic visit by giant Lunar reptiles
> that want our hot tubs but can't find any so they leave. 

When I lived in New Jersey we had a case of large cockroaches every 
once in a while wandering into our apt.  My all white cat (gandalf) would
stalk them and then play with them until it was dead(and no more fun!!).



					Yours in UNIX

					Dennis J. Doherty
					
					{decvax|btlunix}!bcsaic!djd


"I could rule the world if I could only get the parts"
                                           
 			the Waitresses.  
                                         

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In article <773@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes:
>outdoor "food".  Nevertheless, these cats will stare out the window at birds,
>"chitter" wioth excitement, and just KNOW that they want these birds.  Since
>no one taught the cats that birds are "desireable", it must be the result of a
>predatory instinct.
>	I would therefore surmise that play behavior with long thin objects
>awakens a predatory instinct for worms, snakes, etc.

I agree heartily.  One of my two indoor cats, Sam, went absolutely nuts
one night when I had the educational channel tuned in to watch an Audobon
society special on endangered birds.  He got so upset that I finally
moved one of the dining room chairs in front of the TV, where he sat with
his face 6 inches away from the screen for a full half-hour, pawing at birds
on the screen at every opportunity.

He didn't mess with the Sandhill cranes, though  ;-)
-- 

The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3313 (Cornet 291)
alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj
			...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!rcj

 Does this thing really have a line eater??

This is in reply to a article I read on Monday February 3 to the cat
owner concerned about her male cat spraying.  Getting him neutered is
really the only way to deal with that.  Either that or putting him out
which, if he isn't neutered, is no favor to anyone.  It is a myth that
neutering your pets causes them to become lazy, fat, docile, etc ect.
It does make them more comfortable (horney for them can be very painful
if not fulfilled) and happier (to have something other than sex on their
minds).  But most important, it means there may be a few less kittens,
(puppies or what ever) that either are euthanased, left on the streets
to starve, get abused, runover or diseased, or, rarely, get adopted.
Please get your animals neutered, male and female.  You'll be doing them
a great favor!!!