Mimi and Tygr sitting in the tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G

To fight like cats and dogs

This phrase makes use of the legendary animosity between cats and dogs. No holds barred kind of battle

White Cats

It is a superstitious belief in many cultures that white cats are lucky and a sign of good luck. Let us know a little bit in more detail about the following white cat breeds.

"Love is like a large white cat
Sitting on its paws.
You may pet it all you like;
It lives by its own laws.
It comes and goes as it decides
No matter what you say.
It seems the more you want it near,
The more it goes away.
And then when you are quite content
To sit out in the sun
Alone with just your thoughts and dreams,
Not needing anyone,
Out it comes, as if in fear
That somehow you'll forget,
And jumps up purring in your lap,
Demanding to be pet."



There are many popular cat names you can use to call your fluffy white cat breed. You can try calling your cat Cloud, Cotton, Casper. You can even try Snowy, Snowball, Snow White. How about, Vanilla, Vodka or Talcum? Moonlight, Milky and Mystique sound good too. You can come up with any traditional, elegant, sophisticated or funny cat names to call your white cat.

Moving House with THE Cat

Trust me - I have experienced this drama multiple times :-)

Cats are creatures of habit and thrive in a consistent and familiar atmosphere. Moving house can be very stressful for cats once they are taken out of their comfort zone.

When to move the cat

If you are moving a shorter distance to your new home and are making several journeys back and forth leave your cat until the last trip to bring it over to your new house. Your cat may be disturbed by the activity of furniture being moved out, but at least it is in familiar surroundings. Confine it to one room if possible with a familiar piece of furniture or it's own personal bed if it has one.

The new house - Settling in

On your cat's arrival at the new home try to make sure that the removalists have left and all furniture and packing box transportation is finished.

Make sure all doors and windows are securely closed. Remember to block chimneys too. Let him out of his carrier when it is quiet, not when there is still lots of activity associated with moving and unpacking going on. Make sure there are familiar things around him. Your furniture will have smells he will associate with home. Let him explore by himself and don't force him to do anything.

Some cats take to moving without much drama while others are very stressed and may hide under a bed for days. If your cat refuses to come out of a room or is hiding under a bed supply him with a litter tray and food and water in that room. Put a favourite blanket, toy or piece of furniture in the room to reassure him.
Sometimes your cat won't want to eat. Don't worry, he will eat when he is ready. Always have food and water available in familiar bowls. If your cat usually sleeps with you encourage him to do this in your new house. He will feel secure at night cuddled up with you in a bed he knows and with people he loves.

Remember - be patient:-)

CAT-ch PHRASES

A bag of cats - A bad-tempered person, such as: "She's a real bag of cats this afternoon!"

A cat in gloves catches no mice - Sometimes you can't accomplish a goal by being careful and polite.
An idiom attributed to Ben Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanac

All cats are gray in the dark - All persons are undistinguished until they have made a name.
English proverb

As much chance as a wax cat in hell - There is no chance at all

As nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs - Someone with frayed nerves; jumpy
The allusion, of course, is to the fact that cats don't like having their tails tromped upon. Where the phrase originated is unknown

Cat around - To live an aimless, immoral life

Ginger cats - IS COAT COLOUR LINKED TO TEMPERAMENT?

Ginger cats are said to be spirited and fiery (and sometimes mean-spirited or sly) - very apt considering their fiery colour and there is the epithet "ginger tom" to describe the supposedly typical alley cat

Why do cats roll over and expose their stomachs?

body language shows how much he cares for you and how comfortable he is around you. Totally exposing the stomach reveals how secure he feels, because the stomach area is the must vulerable body part of the cat. He can be asking for a caress, inviting you to play with him, or may want the stomach area stroked. If he sleeps on his back this way, his trust in you is in the stratosphere.

Why are cats so curious?

By nature, the cat is an explorer and is constantly on the hunt - not always for food, but also to satisfy his quest for the unknown.

Why do cats sulk?

Humans are huge to a cat. When you scold him, you are intimidating him. And when you look down upon a cat to discipline him, he associates your fixed gaze with a rival. The eyes of many animals are a signal of power. In comparison to a cat's size, his eyes are enormous. In hostile situations, a dominant cat will stare at his rival, who will look away rather than increase the hostility. So when your cat turns away after disciplining, he isn't ignoring you; he's surrendering.

Cats and Luck

English schoolchildren believed seeing a white cat on the way to school was sure to bring trouble. To prevent the bad luck, they were to spit or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.
Charles I, king of England, owned a black cat that he felt brought him luck. He was so afraid of losing it that he had it guarded day and night. As it happened, the day after the cat died, he was arrested.
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition

Dreaming of a cat is sometimes regarded as a sign of bad luck in the future. On the other hand, American folklore has it that dreaming of a white cat is good luck.
In England, it was believed that if a black cat lived in the house, the young lass would have plenty of suitors.

In France, it is believed that if you find one white hair on a black cat, Lady Luck will smile upon you.
In Yorkshire, England, while it is lucky to own a black cat, it is extremely unlucky to come across one accidentally.
In the early 16th century, a visitor to an English home would always kiss the family cat to bring good luck.
In the Dark Ages, a cat was mortared, while still alive, into the foundation of a building to ensure good luck to the inhabitants.
If a black cat crosses your path while your driving, turn your hat around backwards and mark an X on your windshield to prevent bad luck.

It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. - French superstition

Fishermen's wives kept a black cat at home to prevent disaster at sea.

It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. - American superstition

To see a white cat on the road is lucky. - American supersition

Fisherman's wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea. They believed that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. These black cats were considered so valuable that they were often stolen.

It is considered bad luck to pass a black cat after 9 pm

In North America, it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path and good luck if a white cat crosses your path. In Britain and Ireland, it's the opposite.

If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it.

Cats and Witches

Norse legend tells of Freya, goddess of love and fertility, whose chariot was pulled by two black cats. Some versions of the tale claim they became swift black horses, possessed by the Devil. After serving Freya for 7 years, the cats were rewarded by being turned into witches, disguised as black cats.

Traits associated with cats include cleverness, unpredictability, healing and witchcraft, since in ancient times it was believed that witches took the form of their cats at night.

Folklore has it that if a witch becomes human, her black cat will no longer reside in her house.

It was largely in the Middle Ages that the black cat became affiliated with evil. Because cats are nocturnal and roam at night, they were believed to be supernatural servants of witches, or even witches themselves. Partly because of the cat's sleek movements and eyes that 'glow' at night, they became the embodiment of darkness, mystery, and evil, possessing frightening powers. If a black cat walked into the room of an ill person, and the person later died, it was blamed on the cat's supernatural powers. If a black cat crossed a person's path without harming them, this indicated that the person was then protected by the devil. Often times, a cat would find shelter with older women who were living in solitude. The cat became a source of comfort and companionship, and the old woman would curse anyone who mistreated it. If one of these tormentors became ill, the witch and her familiar were blamed.

A kitten born in May will be a witches cat.

Some believe black cats are witches in disguise.

Others believe black cats are witches familiars (beings that aid witches in performing their craft).

The Cat as a Soothsayer

Cats can forecast the weather: they predict the wind by clawing at carpets and curtains; rain is highly likely when a cat busily washes its ears.
In mythology, the cat was believed to have great influence on the weather. Witches who rode on storms took the form of cats. The dog, an attendant of the storm king Odin, was a symbol of wind. Cats came to symbolize down-pouring rain, and dogs to symbolize strong gusts of wind. This may be where the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" originated.
Some people believed that if a cat washes its face and paws in the parlor, company's coming.
If a cat continually looks out a window on any day, rain is on the way.
A black cat seen from behind fortells a bad omen.
A stray tortoise shell cat fortells bad omen

Some cats can predict earthquakes (actually, there is some truth in this "folklore").
When a girl living in the Ozark Mountains received a proposal of marriage and was uncertain whether to accept, she folded and placed 3 hairs from a cat's tail into a paper under her doorstep. The next morning, she would unfold the paper to see if the hairs had formed themselves into a Y or N before answering her suitor.
Sailors used cats to predict the voyages they were about to embark upon. Loudly mewing cats meant that it would be a difficult voyage. A playful cat meant that it would be a voyage with good and gusty winds.
Some people believe that cats are able to see the human aura, the energy field that surrounds each of us.
If early American cats sat with their backs to the fire, the owners knew it foretold a cold snap.
A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means bad weather is coming.
Some people believe that cats may be able to see the spectre of death.
If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain (no doubt this superstition began in some very rainy country!)
A cat sneezing once means there will be rain.
If a cat sneezes three times, the family will catch a cold

A sneezing cat is a sign of future wealth.
A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. - Italian superstition
Early Americans believed if a cat washes her face in front of several people, the first person she looks at will be the first to get married.
If there is a cat washing on the doorstep, the clergy will visit - American folklore
When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh superstition

If you find a white hair on a black cat, you will have good luck.
One Roman dream interpretation was that dreaming of being badly scratched by a cat foretold sickness and trouble.
French peasants thought that black cats could find buried treasure, if they followed a specific ritual: find an intersection where 5 roads connected, then turn the cat loose and follow him.
A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. - Scottish superstition

Tortoiseshell cats were believed to be able to see into the future and could give the gift to a lucky child in the household.
Sailors believed that if a cat licked its fur against the grain it meant a hailstorm was coming; if it sneezed, rain was on the way; and if it was frisky, the wind would soon blow.
When the pupil of a cat's eye broadens, there will be rain. - Welsh supersition
A bride will have a happy married life if a black cat sneezes near her on her wedding day.

Sacred cats kept in a sanctuary in ancient Egypt were carefully tended by priests who watched them day and night. The priests interpreted the cat's movements - twitch of a whisker, yawn, or stretch - into a prediction of an event that would happen in the future.

The Pennsylvania Dutch place a cat in an empty cradle of a newlywed couple. The cat was supposed to grant their wish for children.
In Scandinavia, the cat stood for fertility.
It was a popular belief that cats could start storms through magic stored in their tails - so sailors always made sure that they were well-fed and contented.
When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true. - American superstition
A black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. - Irish superstition

The Hindu believed the cat was the symbol for childbirth.
King Charles I of England owned a black cat, whom he valued very much. He treasured the cat so much that he had his guards watch over it 24 hours a day. As luck would have it, the day after the cat died from an illness, the king was arrested.

Some believed that black cats carried demons.

Cats and chocolate don't mix

Q. Is chocolate really poisonous to cats?

A. Face it, many cats love chocolate. And, because we love chocolate too, we have probably contributed to our pets' taste for this treat. But for cats, this 'treat' can be deadly.

Chocolate toxicity is one of the most common 'poisonings' we see in veterinary clinics, especially during the busy holiday season (and Valentine's Day). We know to keep that chocolate box especially for guests or that gift box of chocolates out of Fluffy's or Fido's reach. But it is easy to overlook holiday baking with its more deadly chocolate forms – semisweet chips and baking chocolate.

Some cats tolerate chocolate better than others. Although the toxic dosage varies from animal to animal, everyone agrees that chocolate contains a lethal ingredient, a methylxanthine called theobromine, and that baking chocolate contains 10 times more of this lethal ingredient than milk chocolate.

Theobromine acts on four areas of your cat's body:

It increases the rate and force of contractions of the heart.
It acts as a diuretic, causing your pet to lose body fluids.
It affects the gastrointestinal system, causing vomiting and diarrhea and it may cause stomach ulcers.
It acts on the nervous system, causing convulsions, seizures and sometimes, death.
If you find that your cat has ingested some chocolate, call your veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately. They will probably ask you the size of your cat, the type and quantity of chocolate your cat has eaten, and how long ago it was eaten. Try to have these answers before you call. They then may tell you to make your cat vomit. This will depend on the amount of chocolate ingested and how long ago it was eaten. If your veterinarian or emergency clinic determine that your cat needs to come into the hospital, do not delay. The effects of chocolate toxicity may not be apparent right away, but do not let that lull you into a false sense of security.