The holidays have arrived. If you buy holiday gifts for your pets, and you have a cat, well, you already know they can be hard to shop for. A nice cat tree would make a good gift, surely, but there are so many to choose from! They can be expensive, too. No one wants to break the bank for a fancy cat tree only for their cat to ignore it in favor of the box it came in. How can you know you’re getting a cat tree that your cat will love? There are few guarantees in life, but a few simple tips can help you make sure the cat tree you’re buying is a castle worthy of your home’s furry royalty–as soon as they finish checking out the box.
Step One: Observe and Measure
Cat trees do a few things for cats. They satisfy their natural instincts to climb, hide, and scratch [1, 3-5]. These are all necessary behaviors for cats, and cat trees provide a safe and non-destructive outlet for them. Every cat has their individual preferences, however. Some careful observation now can save you a lot of wasted time and expense on a cat tree they won’t use later.
Climbing
Most cats love to go up high, but there are some that don’t care for it or aren’t able to do so easily. My family once had a cat that hated to be in high places and refused to use any cat furniture except a low pedestal. Older or disabled cats may struggle to climb even if they want to [1, 4]. Smaller, simpler trees or ones with ramps may suit cats such as these [1, 4]. A small cat tree may be best for a small kitten with rudimentary climbing skills, too [4].
Hiding
Does your cat spend a lot of time sequestered in enclosed spaces? Are they a shy kitty? If so, they would probably prefer a cat tree that includes a cubbyhole for them to hide in [1]. Whether your cat would prefer an enclosed place to sleep or an open platform, think about the kind of materials they like to sleep on. Most cat trees are carpeted, but some have faux-fur platforms or are just solid wood [4].
Scratching
Finally, what kind of scratcher is your cat? Do they prefer to scratch horizontal surfaces like the carpet or vertical ones like the sofa? Which materials appeal to them–fabrics, cardboard, wood? Most cat trees have scratching posts wrapped in sisal rope, a rough plant material that nearly every cat loves to dig their claws into. It’s important that your tree has surfaces your cat will want to scratch [3]. Moreover, those surfaces need to be long enough for your cat to stretch out on [4, 5]. This is more difficult to accomplish than you might think, especially for cats that like to scratch vertically. A lot of cat trees do not have a post tall enough. Look at your cat when they stretch out, measure them if you can, and then look for a cat tree that will accommodate that stretch.
Don’t forget to take the measurements of your home into account, too! Where are you going to put the cat tree? If you plan to get a large one, make sure it will fit somewhere.
Once you have an idea what your cat needs from their cat tree, it’s time to start shopping. There are some characteristics any good cat tree needs to have.
Enough perches for all the cats in your home to have their space. A good rule of thumb is twice as many perches as cats. Of course, if you have ten cats, one tree isn’t going to provide that. [1, 4]
Stability. If the tree wobbles, leans, or even falls oven when your cat uses it, they’ll learn not to use it anymore. Cats won’t go easy on their furniture, so make sure it’ll hold up to a flying leap. A good cat tree should have a wide, solid base and be heavy enough to withstand all kinds of cat antics without falling. Top-heavy cat trees are no-go unless you have a plan to affix them to the walls for support. [3-5]
Durability. If it feels like it’s made of cardboard, you won’t really be saving money with that cheaper price tag because you will have to replace it in no time. [4]
Many cat trees also include hanging toys. These are great additions, as they encourage your cat to explore a new tree and can keep them entertained for a long time after [1, 4]. They do get pulled off eventually, but you can always staple a new toy on in the same place [4].
Step Three: Introducing the Cat Tree
Some cats will take to a new cat tree immediately, probably “helping” you assemble it as well. Others will be more cautious of this new item in their territory and may need you to convince them that it’s safe to interact with. If that turns out to be the case with your cat, there are several things you can do. First, make sure the cat tree is in a place where your cat feels comfortable. Good locations for cat furniture include social centers of the home like the family room or near a window your cat likes to look out [1, 5].
If your cat seems to be wary of the tree no matter where you put it, all is not lost. For cats that like catnip, the herb can serve as a great way to entice your furry friend to check out the cat tree. Just sprinkle some catnip around the base and on the tree and let kitty go wild [3]!
For kittens or cats that don’t care for catnip, play or treats may do the trick better. Try using a wand toy to draw them up onto the cat tree, or at least get their paws onto it at first [3, 5]. Maybe leave a trail of treats up the tree. Of course, make sure to praise your cat for showing interest in it [3, 5]. If you did your homework well and got them the perfect tree, they’ll realize they love it in no time.
Fun Fact: The First Cat Tree
It used to be very unusual for people to keep cats indoors, but as that become more common, the problems of cats scratching furniture and climbing where they shouldn’t became apparent. Frank L. Crow set out to solve the woes of indoor cats and their humans alike, and in 1968 he patented the first cat tree. It consisted of a series of flat perches mounted on a floor-to-ceiling tension pole with a base. Removable carpeted covers were wrapped around the perches. It was simple, but quite customizable, and worn-out perches and carpeting were easy to replace. It had a very small footprint, too. As someone living in a one-bedroom apartment, I wish this was still on the market. [2]
Tonkinese cats, affectionately known as Tonks, are a crossbreed of two popular color-point cats. They were conceived as a breed that would be the best of both, and their fans say they are exactly that. With origins in Thailand, England, Canada, and New Jersey, these globetrotting cats like nothing more than a welcoming home and a warm lap.
History
It is often said that the Tonkinese was first recognized in The Cat Poems, or Tamra Maew, which may have first been composed as long ago as the 12th century, according to The International Maew Boran Association (TIMBA). However, TIMBA reports that the Tamra Maew does not feature a cat matching the characteristics of the Tonkinese [8]. Instead, the Tamra Maew shows the parent breeds of the Tonkinese: the Siamese and Burmese [8].
Tonkinese cats are a cross between a Siamese and a Burmese, and all of the above occurred naturally in Thailand to begin with [8]. Tonks were probably imported to Britain in the 1880s as “chocolate Siamese,” but they were not recognized as a separate breed [2, 3, 10, 11]. The first time Tonks were intentionally bred was during the 1950s and early 1960s [1-3, 6, 9, 10]. Cat fanciers Jane Barletta of New Jersey and Margaret Conroy of Ontario collaborated to establish the breed [2, 7, 10]. The Canadian Cat Association was the first to recognize the breed in 1971, using the standard written by Barletta [10].
Breed Characteristics
Appearance
Tonkinese cats have an appearance that is intermediate between the two parents breeds, although their traits vary along a spectrum from more Siamese-like to more Burmese-like. Tonks have a color-point pattern, like both parent breeds, but they can have three different variations of color-point patterning. This is because Siamese and Burmese cats have two different partial, temperature-sensitive albinism genes that both give them color-points [6]. Siamese cats have two copies of the recessive cs version of the gene which causes high-contrast color-points [6]. Burmese cats have two copies of the recessive cb version which causes low-contrast color-points, almost a solid-colored pelt [6].
Because Tonkinese cats are a cross between these two breeds, they can have three combinations: cs cs, cb cb, or cs cb [6]. If they have the cs cs genotype, their pattern will look like a Siamese cat’s, and this is called “point” in Tonks [6]. If they have cb cb, they will have the Burmese pattern which is called “solid,” although it isn’t quite a solid color [6]. The cs cb genotype produces a coloration called “mink,” which is the preferred coloration in Tonkinese [6]. It has a darker body color than a Siamese but lighter than a Burmese.
Eye color in Tonkinese is coordinated with their pattern. Point cats tend to have blue eyes like Siamese, and solids have chartreuse eyes inherited from the Burmese. Minks have striking aquamarine eyes. [2, 3, 7, 9] Coat color is even more variable. There are four traditional show colors: platinum/lilac, champagne/chocolate, natural/black, and blue [2, 3, 5, 6, 9]. However, the breed can also come in other colors and even have tabby and tortoiseshell points [1, 4, 7].
The Tonk body type is intermediate between the svelte, angular Siamese and the stocky Burmese. They are slim yet muscular, with a head that is gently wedge-shaped. [1, 4, 7] Their muzzle is short with an angle to the nose that comes from the Burmese side [1, 4]. Their fur is short, silky, and dense [1-4, 7, 9, 11]. Purrfect for petting!
Personality
The Tonkinese is a highly social and affectionate breed [1-3, 5, 7, 9, 10]. They are very playful but also love to snuggle [2, 3, 5, 7, 10]. They do not, however, like to be alone [2, 3, 5, 10]. Fortunately, Tonks tend to get along with everyone, including children and other animals, so if you have another pet to be their friend, they won’t be lonely while you’re away [2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11].
Like their Siamese forebears, Tonks are smart and curious, which can lead them into trouble, especially if they get bored [2, 3, 7, 11]. They are known for their knack for opening doors [11]. Keep these active cats occupied with puzzle toys, plenty of interactive playtime, and maybe even teaching them tricks [2, 5, 9, 11]. They also have some of the talkativeness of Siamese, so be ready for lots of lively conversations [2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11]!
Tonk Life
Perhaps the hardest thing about caring for a Tonkinese is making sure you catproof the house before you get one [3, 10]. You should do that for any cat, but as Tonks are both active and particularly inquisitive, just moving things to a high shelf may not be enough.
Tonks require very little grooming. Their coat is of a quality that they can pretty much take care of it themselves. However, their pelt can benefit from a weekly brushing to remove loose hair. [1-5, 9, 11] Your clothes and furniture will benefit, as well.
Tonkinese are a generally healthy breed, but there are some health problems that crop up from time to time. Tonks are prone to gingivitis, so it is a good idea to start brushing their teeth as kittens so it doesn’t become a necessary but horrible battle later in life [2, 5, 9]. This breed can also be sensitive to anesthesia [9]. Irritable Bowel Disease is more common in Tonks as well [2, 5]. If you have concerns about your cat’s health, always consult your veterinarian.
Remember, even purebred cats end up in shelters and rescues, so adopt, don’t shop, for your new best friend! If you are in the U.S., this Facebook group is specifically for people looking to rescue a Tonkinese.
Fun Facts
The Tonkinese was named after either the Tonkin region or the Bay of Tonkin in Vietnam. It has nothing to do with the cat, but the choice of name may have been related to the Vietnam War. [2, 9, 10]
The largest litter of kittens ever born was to a Tonkinese cat–19 kittens! The average for a queen is 5. [2]
According to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World website, the 2nd most popular Patronus is a Tonkinese Cat. This may indicate that the witch or wizard is “a curious and loving person.” [12]
Works Cited
Alderton, D. (1992). Cats: The visual guide to more than 250 types of cats from around the world. Dorling Kindersley: London.
Black cats are a quintessential symbol of Halloween. Unfortunately, their association with Spooky Season is tied to their reputation for bringing bad luck. How many of us have heard that it is an ill omen for a black cat to cross your path? Of course, it is just a matter of genetics that makes one cat black and another ginger or white. Why did black cats get such a bad rap? The history of this myth goes back hundreds if not thousands of years.
Faeries and Familiars
It is hard to pin down a precise origin of the black cat legend. Folklore from numerous places and times likely contributed. In Celtic myth, a fairy called the Cat Sith or King of Cats appears as a black cat with a white chest [9]. Like many fairies, he may bless you if shown respect, but you had better not cross him.
In Scotland, a tale is told about a man who saw a funeral procession of cat carrying the body of a black cat with a white chest while yowling “The King of Cats is dead!” Well, this was quite the spectacle, so the man went home and told his family what he had seen. When he finished his story, the man’s own tuxedo cat leapt to his feet and shouted, “Then that makes me the King of Cats!” The new Cat Sith flew up the chimney, and his humans never saw him again. [9]
The Irish tell a darker version of this story. A man lived in a cottage in a village in Ireland. All his neighbors were careful to keep the fae folk happy. To this end, they left out milk for the Cat Sith once a week. But not this man, oh no. He thought it was a bunch of hogwash. His neighbors insisted that the Cat Sith kept their crops safe and prevented unwanted spirits from interfering with the land, but he would have none of it. In fact, he decided to prove them wrong. [9]
One night, he set out a cut of poisoned milk. Later, he heard a knock at the door, but when he opened, there was no late caller. There was a black cat with a white chest dying on his doorstep. The man just went down to the pub to ask whose cat it was. Well, after a few pints, he started telling everyone the whole story. Suddenly, the black-and-white cat that lived in the pub stood up and announced, “Then that makes me the King of Cats!” The new Cat Sith then ran at the cat-king-killer and attacked him. The Cat Sith drove the man out of town, and he was never seen nor heard from again. [9]
According to legend, the Cat Sith would steal the souls of the recently deceased by walking over their graves. As such, cats–especially black cats–used to be chased out of graveyards in case they were the Cat Sith trying to steal someone’s soul. [9]
Witchcraft and the Medieval Era
Medieval Europe was fertile ground for negative folklore about black cats. In 1233, Pope Gregory IX declared that black cats are an incarnation of the devil [12]. Christians across the continent took the message to heart, rounding up black cats and burning them alive at village festivals as “punishment” [12]. Western Christianity continued to view cats as emissaries of Satan for hundreds of years. So many black cats were killed during the Medieval era that domestic cats were nearly extinct in parts of Europe by the 1300s [12]. It’s thought that the loss of so many cats may actually have contributed to the spread of bubonic plague [4]. No cats means lots and lots of rats. Tragically, the people of Medieval Europe had no idea what good luck the cats were to have around.
Over time, it wasn’t as common to believe that black cats were literally the devil, but rather that they did the work of the devil through witchcraft. One version of the superstition held that black cats were more likely to be the familiars of witches [3, 6, 12]. A familiar is an animal which aids in the performance of magic or carries out magical tasks. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that cats, especially those with black pelts, helped witches to carry out evil spells, spy on their victims, and communicate with the devil [4, 11]. Some people even thought that black cats could become a witch themselves if they served as a witch’s familiar for seven years [12].
The other incarnation of this belief was that black cats were witches in disguise [3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12]. According to one Welsh folktale, a popular inn owned by two sisters had trouble with a thief stealing the valuables of travelers [8]. The lodgers couldn’t explain how the thefts occurred because their rooms were still locked in the morning, yet their money was gone [8]. Word of this mystery reached a retired army officer named Huw Llwyd, and he went to stay at the inn himself to solve it [8]. At night, he kept his sword in bed and pretended to sleep, until he saw two cats slink down the partition between his room and the next [8].
The cats played with Huw’s clothes until one of them found the pocket where he kept his purse. The cat stuck their paw in, but Huw sprang forward and sliced the paw off. Both cats screamed and disappeared into the night. The next morning, one of the innkeepers was absent. Huw inquired after her, but her sister said she was indisposed. Huw refused to leave until he bid her goodbye. Of course, he found that the “indisposed” sister was missing her right hand, as he had expected. Huw ran the witches out of town. [8]
Another gruesome legend, this one from Lincolnshire, England, tells of a father and son who came upon a black cat. Suspecting it of being a witch, they pelted it with stones. The next day, they saw the witch in her human form. She had bandages on her face. She died soon thereafter. [3]
Bad Luck and Bad Omens
In North America, it is still a common maxim that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck. Scholars think that Norman and Germanic peoples originated this saying [4]. They believed that spotting a black cat was an omen of death [4]. The Norse goddess Hel, who was associated with death, included black cats among her symbols [3]. Later European folklore evolved to say that a black cat crossing your path by moonlight meant an outbreak of disease and death was coming [6].
In 16th century Italy, a black cat laying on someone’s sickbed was thought to herald their death [11]. In parts of Wales, an old proverb cautions “Na chadw byth yn nghyleh dy dŷ/Na cheiliog gwyn na chath ddu,” or “Never keep about thy house/A white rooster or black cat” [8]. And of course, vestiges of belief in witchcraft alone have sometimes given black cats a reputation for being evil or bad luck in the Western world [3].
Cats are an integral part of folklore all over the world. Books and movies have spotlighted the notion that black cats are bad luck, but many cultures still believe just the opposite. Even within a country, opinions may differ. In Wales, although one proverb cautions against ever keeping a black cat, another traditional saying promises that having a black cat in the house brings good luck and drives away fevers [8].
A black cat, I’ve heard it said,
Can charm all ill away,
And keep the house wherein she dwells
From fever’s deadly sway.
Welsh folk-lore by Elias Owen (1896)
Japan holds cats in high regard in general. The Japanese say that black cats specifically bring a certain kind of luck. Owning a black cat will bring suitors to a woman’s door [4]. Simply encountering a black cat may bring luck in love [11]. Lucky Maneki Neko or “beckoning cat” statues are sometimes black. Black Maneko Neko are believed to ward off evil and illness.
Additionally, some sailors believe that black cats are extra lucky to have onboard a ship [6, 11]. Fishermen’s wives sometimes kept black cats to ensure their husbands returned home safely [6]. In Scotland, a black cat appearing at your door or on your porch is said to bring prosperity [11]. And in a variety of places, dreaming of a black cat or finding a single white hair in one’s pelt is good luck [11]. So it really depends who you ask whether black cats bring bad luck or good. Unfortunately, it is the black cats themselves who may be the recipients of their reputed curse.
Are Black Cats in Danger at Halloween?
Rumor has it that Halloween is not a good time to be a black cat. Expert opinion on the matter is mixed, however. For a long time, some animal shelters have refused to adopt out black cats during October/near Halloween [1, 2, 5, 10]. There are two reasons for this. One is that they fear the animals will be ritualistically killed or tortured for a sick Halloween “prank” [1, 2, 5, 10]. The other is that people might adopt a black cat in a flurry of seasonal spirit, then abandon their kitty when Spooky Season is over [1, 10].
Without a doubt, there are people who hurt animals just because they can. Whether black cats are at high risk around Halloween, it’s hard to say for certain. Part of that fear is clearly rooted in misunderstanding. Halloween is celebrated by neo-pagans as Samhain, an old Gaelic festival of the dead. Combined with the vestiges of the Satanic Panic, we’re left with the belief that witches and Satanists sacrifice black cats at Halloween in arcane rituals [1, 2, 5]. Real witches and Satanists aren’t about that sort of thing. It wouldn’t be surprising for a neo-pagan to engage in ritual magic on Samhain, but they won’t be killing any black cats in the process.
What about those who engage in the sadly ordinary forms of animal cruelty? Are black cats “an easy target for Halloween pranksters who commit violent acts against unsuspecting kitties,” as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals tells us [10]? They certainly can be. But so are cats of other colors, and puppies, and gerbils, and whatever other innocent animals they might get their hands on. It doesn’t have to be Halloween for people like that to engage in such unconscionable behavior, either. It happens all the time. Fortunately, a lot of animal shelters have measures in place to prevent people from adopting an animal just so they can torture it. It still happens sometimes, but not as often as it might. Animal shelters don’t make you fill out all that paperwork for the fun of it.
According to Francis Battista, cofounder of Best Friends Animal Society, “There is no evidence that black cats are at special risk of abuse if adopted around Halloween” [1]. What about the second problem, though? Do people actually adopt black cats as nothing more than Halloween decorations? There doesn’t seem to be any data on this. It would be a hard thing to study, after all. Who would want to admit to that? These days, more shelters are accepting whatever small risk there might be of this and relinquishing their bans on October black cat adoptions so that more black cats can find loving homes [1].
Are Black Cats Less Likely to Be Adopted?
The more opportunities black cats have to be adopted, the better, because there is some data to suggest that black cats may have a harder time finding homes. Lepper et al studied cat and dog adoptions at the Sacramento County Department of Animal Care and Regulation for 20 months [7]. They analyzed six factors they thought might contribute to adoption rates: breed, coat color, age, sex (including intact or sterilized), hair length, and reason for impoundment [7]. Among their findings, the data indicated that coat color in cats made a difference in how often they were adopted. The researchers set tabby cats as the baseline [7]. Black cats were only adopted 59% as often as tabbies!
Happy Halloween! – Image by LorysCats from Pixabay
This supports the common maxim that black cats are less likely to be adopted than other colors. However, brown cats were in the same boat, adopted 56% as often as tabbies [7]. And black-and-white cats, which I’ve always heard are less adoptable, too, were not adopted at a statistically different rate than tabbies [7]. White, color-point, and gray cats were adopted more often, if you were curious [7]. Additionally, a 2013 study at Colorado State University concluded that it takes 4-6 days longer for black cats to be adopted than cats of any other color [12].
The observations of shelter workers count for something in their own right. They tend to report that black and black-and-white cats stay in the shelter longer and are euthanized more often. However, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claims that it’s all a myth [10]. They say that the only reason there are more black cats in shelters is because there are more black cats in the population [10]. Black coat color comes from a dominant gene, making it a very common color in domestic cats.
Still, shelter staff have their own say on the matter. “There definitely is a preference for other colors in my opinion. We have adopted out more than 10,000 cats and time and time again, black cats are always overlooked,” explains Samantha Shelton, president of Furkids no-kill shelter in Georgia, USA [10]. Whatever the truth about their adoption rate, black cats need loving homes just like all other kitties. Some shelters have special adoption days for black cats and dogs, sometimes on Black Friday or perhaps August 17, National Black Cat Appreciation Day in the US! So adopt, don’t shop, and give a black cat a forever haunt.
Lepper, M., Kass, P. H., and Hart, L. A. (2002). Prediction of adoption versus euthanasia among dogs and cats in a California animal shelter. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 5(1), 29-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15327604JAWS0501_3
The Adventure of Milo and Otis movie poster – Image from IMDb
Once upon a time, there was a ginger tabby kitten. He was born under our front porch, the summer before I started kindergarten. He looked just like the kitten in one of my favorite movies, so I named him Milo. And just like the cat in the movie, “Milo was trouble from the very beginning” [9]. Milo was one of the kittens we kept. All three of his littermates were girls, so there was no Otis, but he and his sister Cara were equally inseparable for their entire lives.
I grew up with those cats. The Adventures of Milo and Otis took on new meaning as I spent 15+ years with a Milo of my own, just as ginger and mischievous as the Milo in the film. The two or three VHS tapes and two DVDs people gave us of the movie over the years never let us forget it. “Look, there’s an orange cat named Milo in it, just like yours!” Sometimes you have to wonder about people.
When I thought about doing some articles on cats in movies, books, etc., Milo and Otis sprang immediately to mind. I don’t even remember the first time I saw it. It sort of seems like it was always there. I suspect this movie played a big part in my desire for a cat as a young child. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Of course, no beloved childhood memory goes unruined–The Adventures of Milo and Otis has faced some controversy. This simple and extremely cute movie has a surprisingly complicated story.
Summary
Koneko Monogatari movie poster – Image from Yahoo Movies
First, let’s make sure everybody’s on the same page. The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a children’s movie about a ginger tabby tomcat named Milo and a tan-and-black pug named Otis. Milo is fun-loving and danger-prone while Otis is serious and responsible, but the two are best friends. The story begins on the farm where both were born. They have all sorts of adventures, even hatching a chicken egg together, but things take a turn when Milo decides to play hide and seek at the dock.
He hides in a box floating in the water, and the box comes unmoored and floats downriver. Otis takes off in pursuit, and so begins the real adventure as the two friends try to find each other and return home. Along the way, they meet animals both friendly and dangerous, grow up, find love, and finally return home together with new families in tow.
The Making Of Milo and Otis
Milo and Otis didn’t start out as Milo and Otis, but as Chatran and Poosky. The Adventures of Milo and Otis was first a Japanese film called Koneko Monogatari, or “A Kitten’s Story” [5, 8, 13]. The director, Masanori Hata, is an author and zoologist [3, 7]. He owns a private island where he had collected over 300 animals of a wide variety of species [3]. He called it Mutsugoro’s Animal Kingdom, and he wanted to show it all off in a film about his animals [3].
It was no small undertaking. Koneko Monogatari was filmed over the course of four years [3, 6, 8, 13, 14]. Hata wrote and directed the movie himself [3, 5, 6, 13]. It was made sort of documentary-style [3, 7, 13, 14]. To some extent, the animals were filmed just doing their thing. But there are scenes that could only have been staged. After the film was edited together to form a story, music, narration, and poetry recitation were added [13, 14]. Koneko Monogatari was released to Japanese audiences in 1986 [3, 5, 12, 13].
Journey to America
Koneko Monogatari did very well in Japan, and Hollywood took notice. Columbia Pictures took on the project of adapting the film for a North American audience [8, 9, 13, 14]. They didn’t simply translate it into English, however. Screenwriter Mark Saltzman, known for his work on Sesame Street, wrote a new script that is less whimsical and devoid of poetry interludes [5, 7, 9, 13]. Fifteen minutes of footage were cut [6, 10, 11, 13]. Much of the rest was reordered to make the story more appealing for Westerners [6]. The result is a sort of rambling coming-of-age tale.
Obviously, the characters were given new, English-language names, and Milo and Otis were born. Otis also received an expanded role in the Columbia Pictures adaptation [13]. Add a new narrator and a new soundtrack, and there you have it: The Adventures of Milo and Otis. It was released in the United States in 1989 [5, 8, 9, 12, 13].
“Walk Outside,” the theme song from The Adventures of Milo and Otis
Reception
Koneko Monogatari was the number one film at the box office in Japan in 1986 [8, 13]. It was the third highest-grossing film ever in Japan at the time [13]. A video game tie-in was released on the Famicon at the same time as the movie [13], but I don’t think it was as enthusiastically embraced. Koneko Monogatari‘s star would continue to rise, however. In 1987, it won Most Popular Film at the Japanese Academy Awards and received a nomination for Best Music Score [5, 13]. And of course, the money continued to pour in [5, 13].
The Adventures of Milo and Otis wasn’t quite as overwhelmingly successful, but the film still did very well. It received a Young Artist Awards nomination for Best Family Motion Picture – Adventure or Cartoon in 1990 [5, 13]. Critical reception was generally positive. According to The Washington Post’s Rita Kempley in 1990, “It’s totally awwwwww-some” [7]. The $13.3 million The Adventures of Milo and Otis grossed in the United States suggests that audiences agreed [5, 13].
Animal Abuse Allegations
Since the release of Koneko Monogatari, rumors of animal abuse have haunted the film. Australian animal rights groups raised the alarm and called for a boycott [8, 13]. Animal Liberation Queensland alleged that more than 20 kittens died during production [8, 12, 13]. Japanese activists also voiced concerns [14]. A 1986 article from The Economist read, “It’s hard to see how [Chatran] survived. Indeed, according to Japan’s biggest animal-rights group, he did not. Or, to be accurate, a third of the Chatrans used did not” [14].
Activists also alleged that a producer deliberately broke a kitten’s paw so that it would limp for a particular shot [8, 12, 13]. Then there were complaints about what could clearly be seen in the movie itself, such as Chatran/Milo plummeting from a 100-foot (30.5-meter) cliff and trying to climb back up, Poosky/Otis fighting a bear, and Milo being attacked by seagulls. Interestingly, most of the footage that was cut from the North American version consisted of controversial scenes and shots such as these, including the scene in which the kitten’s paw was allegedly broken [5, 10, 11, 14]. Whether this was more about avoiding the wrath of American and Canadian animal activists or making the movie more palatable for Western kiddos is hard to say.
The American Humane Association investigated the rumors of animal abuse through contacts in Europe and Japan [3, 8]. In their own words, “everything has led to a dead end” [3]. In their report, they did note that five Japanese humane societies “allowed their names to be used in connection with the picture” [3]. However, the fact that American Humane themselves did not sign off on the production and were not present during filming is kind of a big deal. In fact, it has often been cited as further evidence that animal abuse may have occurred.
You know the “no animals were harmed” statement you see at the end of a lot of movies? That’s the stamp of approval of American Humane’s film program [1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 14]. The program has been in place since 1940 and is extremely rigorous in ensuring the welfare of all animals in film at every stage of the process [4]. Only United States, Screen Actors Guild productions are required to work with American Humane [2]. Other filmmakers, including international ones, can choose to do so, but they are under no such obligation [2]. Many do, however, for the weight that the American Humane name carries.
So it’s not that surprising that neither Koneko Monogatari nor The Adventures of Milo and Otis contains the “no animals were harmed” statement in the end credits. Instead, they run this odd bit: “The animals used were filmed under strict supervision with the utmost care for their safety and well-being” [8, 9, 12, 14]. Admittedly, that’s not quite as reassuring.
Paw Rating
So, all that being said, where do I stand on Milo and Otis? It really depends. If the rumors of animal abuse are true, then obviously it gets 0 out of 5 paws. Or, like, -1000 out of 5 paws. But there is really no solid evidence that the allegations are true, or that they aren’t. It’s a thorny situation, to say the least. And now that’s it’s been over thirty years, we’ll probably never know the truth.
If I regard The Adventures of Milo and Otis apart from the abuse allegations, I feel like it still has the same charm it did when I was five years old. There’s not a strong plot. It doesn’t try to teach big life lessons–except that seagulls are jerks, which is a good one to live by. But it’s full of cute animals and has always just made me happy to watch. This is definitely intended to be a kids’ movie; however, a word of warning about that. When the kittens and puppies are born, the birthing process is shown in great detail. That never disturbed me as a child. Actually, I think knowing that baby cats come out of cats made it easier for me to later comprehend that baby humans come out of humans. But all children are different, so just bear that in mind.
As much as I love Milo and Otis, and as important as it was in my childhood, I don’t think I can fairly give it the full compliment of paws. It probably won’t be catalogued among the greatest movies of the 20th century, but that’s not why. Even if the rumors were all false, I can’t help thinking that some animal endangerment was part of this production.
I remember several other all-animal movies from around that time, but that hasn’t been a lasting trend. I’m sure there’s multiple reasons for that, but one of them must be that you can’t make a movie that way without some stress and risk to the animals. And I think Masanori Hata et al. subjected their cast to even more risks than strictly necessary. Maybe I just haven’t seen Napoleon or Homeward Bound in a while, but I don’t remember those animals looking genuinely distressed onscreen. However, I did notice a couple times Milo or Otis was clearly not happy. I’m going to give it 3 out of 5 paws. Adorable movie, but it would have been cuter if they hadn’t tried so hard to make the animals act.
Bound and leap, then bound, and perhaps, also leap.
The American Midwest is dotted with large earthworks left behind by ancient peoples known as the Hopewell culture. Among their impressive projects were burial mounds where they entombed their dead. Inside one of these, archaeologists found something surprising: a bobcat, buried among humans and in a similar manner [1, 3, 4]. According to Perri et al, who published the findings in 2015, “To our knowledge, this is the only decorated wild cat burial in the archaeological record” [4]. Although there is debate about what the relationship might have been between the bobcat and the Hopewell who buried it, there can be no doubt that this was one special cat.
Who Were the Hopewell?
The Hopewell culture flourished between approximately 100 B.C. and 400 A.D., during what is known as the Middle Woodland Period [2]. The name comes from Mordecai Hopewell, the landowner on whose property the first mounds were excavated [2]. No on knows what these people called themselves, so the name of the first archaeological site was applied to the entire culture.
Hopewell peoples lived in small, scattered villages [2, 3]. They were hunter-gatherers and traders [2, 3]. They also practiced some agriculture, growing crops such as sunflower and squash [2]. Their trade networks spread far and wide, from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico [2]. The Hopewell often incorporated materials from such far-away places in their distinctive art [2]. Animal motifs are common in their artwork as well [2, 3].
It was the mounds, however, that first drew archaeologists to this fascinating culture. People from multiple villages would come together to construct ceremonial sites by shaping the earth into walls [2]. Geometric enclosures were common, but sometimes they were irregular [2]. The Hopewell also built conical or loaf-shaped funerary mounds inside earthwork enclosures at mortuary sites [2, 3].
A Case of Mistaken Identity
One of these mortuary sites, the Elizabeth site, sits overlooking the Illinois River in western Illinois, about 50 miles (80 km) north of St. Louis, Missouri [3, 4]. It contains 14 mounds [3]. In the 1980s, a highway project threatened to destroy the site, so archeologists raced to excavate it [3]. Inside the largest mound, they uncovered the bodies of 22 people buried in a ring around a central tomb which contained the remains of an infant [3]. Within the ring, an animal was also interred [3]. Seashell beads and carved bear-tooth pendants lay near its neck, suggesting it was buried with a collar [1, 3, 4]. The Hopewell peoples are known to have kept dogs and buried them in their villages, so the archaeologists labeled the small skeleton “puppy burial” and stuck it in storage at the Illinois State Museum at Springfield [3].
Bone and shell collar buried with the bobkitten – Photo by Kenneth Farnsworth, courtesy of Science
In 2011, Angela Perri was a doctoral student from the University of Durham in the UK doing research at the Illinois State Museum. She was interested in ancient dog burials, but when she opened the “puppy burial” box from the Elizabeth site, one look at the skull told her the remains were not canine. She knew she was looking at a cat. [3]
Perri’s curiosity was piqued, so she analyzed the bones and discovered that the animal was a bobkitten, 4-7 months old [1, 3, 4]. Perri and her colleagues were flabbergasted [3]. There is no other known instance of a bobcat buried in a Hopewell mortuary mound [3]. In fact, this is the only wild cat buried individually and with ceremony, the way a human or beloved pet would be, in the archeological record as we know it [1, 3, 4].
Interpreting a Site Like No Other
The fact that the bobkitten burial is unique makes it especially difficult to interpret. Perri and two other researchers studied this internment as well as eight other possible animal burials in Hopewell mounds in Illinois [4]. They concluded that the seven dogs were not deliberate burials [4]. A single roseate spoonbill was decapitated and buried beside two human bodies [4]. Only the bobcat was buried by itself, with the same sort of care taken with human bodies [4]. The skeleton bore no cut marks or other indications the animal was sacrificed [3]. Perri et al concluded that this is evidence that prehistoric Native Americans had a complex relationship with felids and may have tamed them [1, 3, 4].
The young age of the bobkitten suggests that villagers may have taken it from the wild, perhaps as an orphan, and raised it [1, 3]. Perri believes the shell-and-bone collar signifies that the bobkitten was a cherished pet [3]. If this bobcat was a tame pet, then the discovery is significant for the science and history of domestication [1, 3].
However, other archaeologists aren’t convinced. Melinda Zeder of the Smithsonian Institution points out that if Hopewell villagers regarded the bobcat as a pet, they probably would have buried it in the village as they did their pet dogs [3]. She believes the feline had spiritual significance for the Hopewell as a connection to the wild [3]. Even if this particular bobkitten was tamed and kept as a pet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Hopewell tamed bobcats as a practice. For now, the find remains significant, but to an uncertain degree.
The Elizabeth site bobkitten was on display this year in the Illinois State Museum at Springfield’s temporary exhibit Walk on the Wild Side: The Story of Illinois Cats. See a virtual version of the exhibit here.
Works Cited
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2015, July 3). Ancient bobcat had human burial. Science, 349(6243), 10. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.349.6243.8
Perri, A. R., Martin, T. J., and Farnsworth, K. B. (2015). A bobcat burial and other reported intentional animal burials from Illinois Hopewell mounds. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 40(3), 282-301. https://doi.org/10.1179/2327427115Y.0000000007 [Abstract]
A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice – Image from HowStuffWorks
There’s a good chance you have heard a story about a pet that was reunited with their owner thanks to their microchip. Everyone loves a heartwarming tale of a family made whole again. But the stories don’t tell you everything about microchipping. Whether your pet is already microchipped or you are trying to make that decision, you probably have questions. It isn’t as straightforward as a collar and tags. Fortunately, it isn’t rocket science, either, so get ready to demystify the microchip.
What Is a Microchip?
Pet microchips are teeny tiny electronic devices implanted just beneath the skin of an animal. Although we may think of them as something for cats and dogs, microchips can also be placed in other animals such as laboratory rodents, cattle, and horses (1). The devices are only about the size of a grain of rice. They don’t contain a battery or other power source (1, 2). Rather, they are RFID chips that contain a unique identification number (2). When a scanner is passed over the chip, the chip is briefly activated and sends back the ID number (1-3). Because there is no battery and no moving parts, the microchip never corrodes, loses power, or wears out (1, 2). It should last a pet’s entire life.
What a Microchip Is Not
There are a few common misconceptions about what microchips are/can do. First, a microchip is not a tracking device (1-3). It does not contain GPS technology or anything else that can keep tabs on your pet’s location (1-3, 6). Second, your pet’s microchip is not an external data storage device (1, 2). The only information the chip can store is its ID number (1-3). It does not track your personal information or your pet’s medical information (1, 2). When someone scans the chip, all they see is that number. If the microchip is registered in a database, they will be able to request your contact information. More on that later.
How Is a Microchip Placed?
A cat gets their microchip placed in the loose skin between their shoulder blades (2, 3). The chip is injected with a syringe a bit larger than the ones used for vaccinations (1). No anesthetic is required, and the procedure can be performed at a routine veterinary appointment (1-3). To your cat, it feels much like any other shot (1, 3). However, if your cat happens to be undergoing a surgical procedure anyway, i.e. sterilization, then the microchipping can be done at the same time (1).
If you adopt a cat from a shelter or purchase one from a breeder, there is a possibility they may already have a microchip (1, 3, 5). Although it won’t hurt a cat to be microchipped twice, there’s no need (1). Any animal shelter should already have checked for a microchip, so just ask. If you adopted a cat a while ago and don’t remember, you can call the shelter to check or have your vet scan your cat for one. They will typically do that free of charge (4, 5).
Why Are Microchips Important?
The way a microchip works is that the identification numbers are stored in databases maintained by the manufacturers and other organizations. Pet owners input their contact information–and more, if they choose–to the database in connection with their pet’s unique chip number. Then, if the pet becomes lost, and someone finds them and take them to a shelter, vet clinic, or animal control center, staff can scan for the microchip. Staff then look up the ID number and retrieve the owner’s contact information from the database. If that information is up-to-date, kitty and family can be reunited!
Before microchips, collars and tags were around for a long time, so why the high-tech upgrade? Actually, it is best practice to use both (1, 2). A collar and tags quickly show people that an outdoor or lost cat has an owner (1). A rabies tag should be included to assure all who meet your cat that it is safe to be around and in compliance with the law, if applicable (1). Plus, a tag with your contact info can greatly expedite your lost cat’s return to you–or prevent your outdoor cat from going to the shelter in the first place (1). However, cats should always wear a breakaway collar, which can obviously come off. Tags can become worn and unreadable, and cat thieves can just take the whole thing off and throw it away. But a microchip is a permanent means of identification (1, 2).
Lord et al found that lost cats without microchips were returned to their owners only 1.8% of the time (1, 6). For cats with microchips, however, the rate of successful reunions was twenty times higher (1, 4, 6)! When cats with microchips couldn’t be reconnected with their owners, it was usually because the information in the database was missing or out-of-date (1). So do not skip the section below!
How to Use Your Cat’s Microchip
Registration and Updating
A microchip is little more than a hunk of metal until you register it. Before you begin, you will need to have your cat’s microchip number and the chip’s manufacturer on hand. If you don’t have that information anywhere, ask the clinic that implanted the chip. If your pet came pre-chipped, find a veterinarian, animal control, shelter, or pet store that can scan the chip and tell you. Then you will need to go online to register the chip with a database. The obvious choice would be the database maintained by the microchip’s manufacturer. There is usually an initial cost and sometimes a periodic fee associated with these databases, however. If the cost is prohibitive, there are a handful of reputable free databases you can use instead, such as Found Animals.
If you are in the United States, it is important that you use a database which is linked to the American Animal Hospital Association’s Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool (4). There are international registries associated with the Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool as well. Go here for the full list of registries that participate. A lot of places use the AAHA’s tool to check a microchip number in many databases at once (4).
Once you are on your chosen database’s website, you will need to register a new microchip using your cat’s microchip number and probably another identifier, such as an email address or phone number. Then it’s time to input your contact information. Some services give the option to include more, such as a photo of your pet, their medical information, a description, etc. The service I use for Joon’s microchip can generate a digital Lost Pet poster if you report your pet to them as lost and send out an email alert to other members of the database in your area. If all you want to do is put in your contact info, most services will also let you opt out of the other bells and whistles.
You will need to return to the website and log back in to update your information any time it changes, like if you move or get a new phone number (4, 5). You may also be able to do this over the phone with the registry, but your veterinarian cannot do it for you.
Microchip Extras
If your cat is microchipped, you have the option to incorporate various microchip-compatible devices into your cat’s life. There are feeders which sync with your cat’s microchip and only allow that particular cat to put their head in (6). These can be good for monitoring food intake or multipet homes where making sure no one gets into each others’ food is a priority (6). There are also cat doors that only open for the cat with the synced microchip, keeping out any unwanted guests (6). I don’t know how those work in multicat households, but I’m sure someone has thought of that. So microchips come in handy even if your kitty never gets lost even for a minute.
Most people have seen a dog with stubby legs before. Dachshunds, Corgis, Bulldogs, etc. are all familiar sights. But did you know that there are short-legged cats, too? Meet the Munchkin. No one told them they’re too short to ride. These furry racecars are very new to the cat fancy, but they made a big splash from the very beginning. It wasn’t exclusively in a positive way. What’s the big deal with these little cats? Let’s start at the beginning.
Journey to Munchkinland
No one knows exactly when the first short-legged cat was born. They may have been around for the entire history of domestic cats. The first time they were described, however, was 1944, in England (2, 6, 7, 9, 10). Veterinarian Dr. H. E. Williams-Jones recorded four generations of short-legged cats (2, 7, 10). Interestingly, this feline family had short forelegs but normal-length hind legs (2, 9, 10). Like many other pedigrees, these so-called Kangaroo Cats went extinct during World War II (2, 5, 7, 10).
Australian she-cat with short forelegs, late 1800s/early 1900s. Possibly 1st documented short-legged cat. – Image from Messy Beast
Short-legged cats were spotted in various locations throughout the twentieth century, however (2, 5-7, 10). Sometimes they would have four short legs, sometimes just the front legs (2). These cats were just a curiosity, mostly among stray and feral populations, until the right cats met the right people. Sandra Hochenedel was a music teacher living in Rayville, Louisiana (5, 7, 8). In 1983, she rescued two pregnant stray cats that had been cornered by a dog (5, 8). She noticed that both queens were rather unusual–they had very short legs.
Hochenedel named the gray queen Blueberry and the black queen Blackberry (2, 5). She gave away Blueberry and kept Blackberry, who gave birth to a litter of both wildtype and short-legged kittens (2, 5, 7, 9). Hochenedel gave one of the kittens, a short-legged tom named Toulouse, to her friend Kay LaFrance in Monroe, Louisiana (2, 5, 10). Blackberry had a few more litters before disappearing (2, 5).
LaFrance kept her cats intact and free-roaming, and Toulouse soon began to sire a sizable population of short-legged cats in Monroe (5). Seeing the little cats proliferate and survive on their own, Hochenedel and LaFrance wondered if they had a new breed on their hands. They named the cats Munchkins after the diminutive people in The Wizard of Oz (1, 5, 8). They wrote a breed standard, established a breeding program, and recruited other breeders (5). The Munchkin was publicly unveiled in 1991 at the INCATS TICA cat show in Madison Square Garden (5). The response was mixed, and TICA refused a request to recognize the breed the same year (5). However, in 1994 TICA changed their mind and accepted the Munchkin into their New Breed Development program (5, 6, 10). TICA accepted Munchkins for Championship status in 2003 (1, 5, 6, 10).
A handful of other cat fancy organizations have accepted the Munchkin since TICA, but the other major groups still refuse to recognize it (5, 8). Some have gone out of their way to ban the Munchkin and any breed like it (5). The Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) made an addition to their rules forbidding “showing as a breed characteristic a dominant gene resulting in shortened limbs and legs and other physical defects, for example, the Munchkin” (5). It could not be more clear which breed they had in mind. The Munchkin is a breed that cat fanciers don’t seem to find much middle ground on.
Characteristics
Appearance
The defining characteristic of Munchkins is, of course, the legs. Their legs are about three inches shorter than the average cat’s (1). The upper and lower parts of their legs are about the same length (5). The hind legs are often a little longer than the front legs, and Munchkins can be slightly bow-legged (7). There is such a thing as a long-legged Munchkin, believe it or not. Long-legged cats born in Munchkin breeding programs are called non-standard Munchkins. Their short-legged peers are standard Munchkins.
My Aunt and Uncle’s random-bred “Munchkin,” Jinxy – Photo by Dorenda Adkins
The short legs are the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation. The mutation in the UGDH gene causes abnormal limb development (9). Munchkins end up born with shorter, thicker long bones in their legs (3, 5, 8, 9). The UGDH mutation is a dominant trait, which means that kittens only need to inherit it from one parent to have short legs (1, 4-10).
In the case of Munchkins, they only can inherit it from one parent. While the short legs may be a dominant trait, the same mutation is also recessive lethal (1, 4, 7, 9). This means that if a kitten inherits the mutation from both parents, it dies before birth. This is why Munchkins have small litters and all Munchkins have both long- and short-legged kittens.
To avoid any kittens inheriting the mutation from both parents, standard Munchkins are usually bred either to non-standard Munchkins or to Domestic Shorthair/Longhairs. This has made the Munchkin a very diverse breed. They can be any color or pattern with short or long fur. However, they still have to conform to a breed standard to be a Munchkin. They are not just short cats. They should have a medium-boned body with a back that slopes gently upward toward the tail. The head is a rounded wedge with high cheekbones and a flat forehead. The eyes are wideset.
Munchkins will carry their tail upright when in motion. It should taper to a rounded tip and be the same length as their body. Both shorthairs and longhairs have moderate, resilient fur, much as you would expect for cats recently descended from random-bred strays.
Personality
People often think that Munchkins are sluggish because of their stubby legs, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Munchkins are extroverted and energetic! They love to play, explore, and run like crazy, just like most cats. If a Munchkin wants to check out something that’s a teeny bit beyond their sight, they will sit up on their haunches like a rabbit to get a better look. They are perfectly capable climbers. The short legs do prevent them from jumping as high as other cats, but they can and do jump. And when a cat has a will, they will certainly find a way, so don’t assume they can’t get on top of something.
These sociable cats pretty much like to hang out with anybody. They fit well into homes with children and other pets. In busy households, though, it’s important to keep in mind that Munchkins have a tendency to hoard small objects. If your favorite watch has gone missing, and everyone says they didn’t take it, you might want to check the cat bed. Munchkins are an intelligent breed, so if thievery has become a problem, perhaps some food puzzles or other enrichment activities might help keep your kitty’s mind occupied. Then again, cats will be cats.
Munchkins sometimes sit up on their back legs like bunnies!
Caring for Your Munchkin
You might expect Munchkins to need a lot of accommodations due to their stature, but they usually don’t. Regular food and water bowls should do fine (7). There might be instances when they would appreciate pet stairs to get up somewhere high, but that really depends upon your furniture. Munchkins are low-maintenance when it comes to grooming, too. Probably the most important thing is that they have plenty of space to run and play. These cats can work up a lot of speed and take corners like it’s nothing (1, 5, 7, 8). A cluttered floor is no fun for a Munchkin.
There has been a lot of debate about whether breeding Munchkins is ethical because it perpetuates a deformity. After all, dog from breeds with similar mutations frequently suffer painful health problems. There are cases of short-legged cats that have deleterious effects as a result of their deformity as well (2, 3). With Munchkins, however, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Munchkins don’t usually have the musculoskeletal problems that short-legged dogs do because the feline spine is built differently than the canine (10). And while Munchkins have a form of dwarfism, the mutation they have doesn’t cause the conditions that other forms of dwarfism often do (4).
Munchkins do have a higher risk of lordosis than other cats (2, 7). Lordosis of the spine–not to be confused with the she-cat mating position also called lordosis–is a condition where the spine curves too far inward. It is often painful and may even put pressure on the internal organs. Conversely, Munchkins have an elevated risk of pectus excavatum as well (2, 7). Pectus excavatum occurs when the breastbone is sunken into the chest, compressing the chest cavity.
As pedigreed cats go, though, Munchkins are quite healthy. The large amount of Domestic Shorthairs and Domestic Longhairs, cat fancy language for “mutts,” in the gene pool probably has a lot to do with that. After all, most if not all Munchkins can still trace their family tree back to Blackberry and Toulouse, two random-bred cats roaming Louisiana on their stubby legs.
Fun Facts
The shortest living cat, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is a Munchkin named Lilieput. She is a tortoiseshell from Napa, California, and she stands 5.35 inches (13.34 cm) at the shoulders. (1)
Paris Hilton has two Munchkins, or “low-rider kitties” as she calls them. Their names are Shorty and Munchkin. (1)
Munchkins have been bred with other pedigreed cats to create unofficial “Munchkinized” breeds. There are are now short-legged cats with curly hair, hairlessness, curly ears, and smushed faces. One line has been bred to resemble the jaguarundi wild cat. (2)
Lyons, L. A., Fox, D. B., Chesney, K. L., Britt, L. G., et al. (2019). Localization of a feline autosomal dominant dwarfism locus: A novel model of chondrodysplasia. https://doi.org/10.1101/687210 [Retrieved from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory bioRxiv database]
Struck, A., Braun, M., Detering, K. A., Dziallas, P., et al. (2020). A structural UGDH variant associated with standard munchkin cats. BMC Genetics, 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-020-00875-x
On October 15, 2020, Peru’s Ministry of Culture announced that a new carving, called a geoglyph, had been discovered at the Nazca lines site (5). The surprise addition was a cat–a very, very old one. The Nazca lines as a whole are an archeological wonder and a mystery. Yet the cat on the hill is a unique specimen among the titanic works of human ingenuity on display.
What Are the Nazca Lines?
The Nazca lines are a series of designs carved into the ground of the Peruvian coastal plain. Each design is called a geoglyph. Although other places around the world have geoglyphs, the Nazca lines site is among the most famous, and possibly the largest. The geoglyphs are scattered over approximately 450 square km (174 square miles) of desert (7). The geoglyphs include straight lines, over 800 of them, some of which are 48 km (30 miles) long; simple shapes and designs such as triangles and spirals; and a smaller number of animal, plant, human, and fantastical figures (1, 2, 4, 7)
Aerial View of Some of the Nazca Lines
Three groups of people are believed to have made the Nazca lines: the Chavin, Paracas, and Nazca cultures (6). Archeologists think the Nazca made most of the geoglyphs around 200 B.C. to 700 A.D. (1-3, 7). The Chavin and Paracas were earlier contributors (2, 7). There is no consensus as to why they made these massive works of art, but it must have been important to them, because it wasn’t easy.
To make these geoglyphs, the ancient artists removed 12 to 15 inches of reddish, iron oxide-coated pebbles to uncover the layer of sand below (2, 6). The designs are so big, they can’t be seen in their entirety from the ground, so the project required a lot of planning and cooperation. It must have taken a long time, but their work had staying power. Because the Nazca lines were carved into one of the driest places on the planet, they have held up for 2000 years (2).
As to the possible motive for such an undertaking, there are plenty of theories. An early theory proposed that the geoglyphs served an astronomical and calendrical function (1, 2, 7). Later researchers moved toward other theories, i.e. that the geoglyphs were part of a religious rite to bring water or fertility (2). Alternatively, the designs may have been signposts and ritual sites for pilgrims (1, 2). Experts in other fields have offered different explanations. I’ve heard it said that the Nazca lines were made as landing strips for alien spacecraft. Archeologists reject such claims.
A New Discovery
Although the Nazca lines have been under study since they were found almost 100 years ago, new geoglyphs are still discovered all the time (1, 4, 6). Usually, it is due to the efforts of the site’s researchers, but happy accidents happen, too. A crew was remodeling El Mirador Natural viewpoint when something on the hillside caught the eye of the supervising archeologists (5). With careful cleaning, the figure emerged. The 37 m (120 ft) long cat appears to be either laying on its side or standing in profile (1, 3, 5, 6). It has large, round eyes and a striped tail (1, 4).
Image from Peru Ministry of Culture
Unlike most of the geoglyphs, the cat on the hill is not thought to have been carved by the Nazca people (3, 5). It dates to between 200 and 100 B.C., making it to oldest geoglyph yet discovered at the Nazca lines (1, 4, 6)! That also makes it older than the Nazca people. Rather, the cat appears to be the handiwork of the Paracas culture (1, 3). They were around right before the Nazca, and the geoglyph matches the style of cats depicted on Paracas textiles and ceramics (1, 3).
We nearly lost this unique geoglyph before it was even found. According to Peru’s Ministry of Culture, “The figure was scarcely visible and was about to disappear, because it’s situated on quite a steep slope that’s prone to the effects of natural erosion” (5). And geoglyphs are extremely delicate. The reason the Nazca lines site has viewpoints in the first place is because a single footprint can irreparably damage a geoglyph (1, 4). Visitors are only allowed to view the designs from the designated viewpoints or from the air. Fortunately, no one accidentally destroyed this incredibly cool cat before it could be found and conserved.
What Cat is That?
There were no domestic cats in South America at the time the cat on the hill was etched into the earth. Which cat were the Paracas people commemorating, then? There’s no way to know for sure. It isn’t exactly a true-to-life representation. But I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole anyway. According to the International Society for Endangered Cats, there are nine small wild cats and two big cats. That’s according to size, not taxonomy. Much to my amusement, the top comment on the ISEC page for South America was somebody asking exactly this question. They didn’t get a clear answer, though, which meant I had to keep digging.
The geoglyph cat’s proportions and tall, pointy ears don’t seem much like either of the big cats, jaguar or puma. Besides, pumas don’t really have stripe-y tails. So, on to the small cats. Range and habitat can exclude a few. Andean cats live high in the Andean mountains. The kodkod only lives in forests in Chile. Margays and northern tiger cats are found in the interior forests. Southern tiger cats are too far south, oddly enough. That leaves the ocelot, Geoffrey’s cat, jaguarundi, and pampas cat.
Jaguarundis have short, round ears, no stripes, and kind of squinty eyes. Seems improbable. The other three are all reasonable candidates. I lean toward the pampas cat. The body shape looks a lot like the geoglyph, not just the eyes, ears, and stripes. So that’s my best guess, if anyone was wondering other than me. I think the Paracas people inscribed a 37-m pampas cat into a hillside. No one knows exactly why, but if you were going to put all that work into drawing something, it might as well be a cat.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (n.d.). Lines and geoglyphs of Nazca and Palpa. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/700/
Whiskers, known in the scientific world as vibrissae, are sense organs common among mammals. Because humans completely lack these specialized hairs, it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to really understand what animals that have them experience. It is a completely different, sixth sense that enables them to learn about their environment in a way that we cannot. Research has given us mere humans insight into how whiskers function, though, and how to be considerate of our furry friends’ precious whiskers.
Whiskers on Kittens
A whisker is a long, thick hair, which grows from a hair follicle like a cat’s fur does (2, 4). However, the hair follicles that make whiskers are different from the ones that make fur in a few important ways. For one, whiskers are rooted three times deeper into the skin than regular hairs (2, 6). The follicles for whiskers also have far more blood vessels and nerves (2, 4, 6). This heightens the sensitivity of the individual whisker hairs.
Cats have whiskers on their muzzles, chins, and forelegs; above their eyes; and near their ears (2-6). The number and length of whiskers varies. Most cats have 12 whiskers on either side of their noses (2, 6). Whiskers are usually light in color, but some cats may have black or brown whiskers, or a mix of colors. The color of a cat’s whiskers may even change over their lifetime (6, 7).
How Do Whiskers Work?
Although whiskers are sometimes called tactile hairs, the whiskers themselves don’t have any sense of touch. Rather, the movement of the whiskers triggers the nerves in the hair follicle, and that information is sent to the brain (2, 4, 5). This can tell a cat about the location, size, movement, and texture of an object as well as more general environmental information (2-5).
On the end of each whisker is a tiny organ called a proprioceptor (2, 4). Proprioceptors detect vibrations in the environment (4). They enable a cat to sense the position of its own body and all the components thereof in space (2, 4).
What Are Whiskers For?
Animals use whiskers for a lot of different things. Scientists have discovered that, depending upon the species, whiskers are involved in “food acquisition, prey attack, aggression and attack behavior, facial expression in intraspecies communications, dispersion of pheromones, maintaining head position in swimming, and a wide range of environmental monitoring (e.g. current detection in water, wind direction on land)” according to A. S. Ahl (1). Even in cats alone, whiskers serve a variety of functions.
Most cats have 12 whiskers on each side of their nose – Image by birgl from Pixabay
Cats are somewhat farsighted. Whiskers compensate for the trouble cats have focusing on objects close-up (2, 6, 7). This can be particularly important for hunting. Once a cat pounces on their prey and has it in their paws, their whiskers help them “see” to tussle with it and deliver the fatal bite (2, 4, 6). Many of the animals cats prey on also have whiskers, though, which can help them to sense cats coming (5).
A cat’s whiskers tell them if they can fit into a space or not (2, 4, 6, 7). Their muzzle whiskers are as long as they are wide (4, 6), so whether the whiskers bend when a cat puts its head in a space tells it if the rest of its body will fit. Whiskers don’t just protect cats from getting stuck in tight places, though. They also protect delicate parts of their bodies from damage (2). The whiskers on the face, especially those above the eyes, alert cats to objects that pose an imminent risk to their eyes (2). Whiskers can detect trouble as small as a speck of dust.
Whiskers serve a social function, as well. Cats communicate with each other mostly through body language. We can learn to understand these messages, too. The position of a cat’s whiskers provides one clue to their emotions. If your cat is relaxed, her whiskers will be as well, sticking straight out to the sides (4, 6). If they are excited, curious, or alert, they’ll push their whiskers forward (2, 4, 6). A cat that is angry or scared will pin their whiskers back against their face (4, 6).
Whisker Do’s and Don’ts
DO be mindful of whisker fatigue. Whisker fatigue is the pain and stress cats experience when their food and/or water bowls regularly brush up against their sensitive whiskers (3, 4). Tall, narrow bowls tend to be the culprit (3, 4). Be kind to your cat’s whiskers, and use wide, shallow bowls instead (3, 4, 6). Symptoms of whisker fatigue include:
Scooping food out of the bowl and eating on the ground
Making a mess while eating/drinking
Leaving food in the bowl but acting hungry
Approaching the food/water bowl with caution; pacing nervously before eating/drinking
Refusing to eat unless the bowl is full
Mealtime aggression (3)
DON’T cut your cat’s whiskers, ever. Number one, it’s painful for them (7). Number two, it disorients and confuses them (2, 4, 6, 7). For blind cats or cats that spend time outside, that is extra dangerous. There is no health reason to trim a cat’s whiskers, and it is not worth it just for aesthetic reasons.
DO check with your vet if you feel like your cat is losing a lot of whiskers. Whiskers fall out and are replaced when they get old just like any other hair. However, losing many whiskers in a short period of time can be an indication that something is wrong. Numerous skin conditions such as acne, allergies, and infections can cause whisker loss (7). So if your cat is losing whiskers frequently or en masse, consult your veterinarian (7).
DON’T play with a cat’s whiskers. Whiskers are cute, and it’s tempting to touch them, but most cats will find anything more than a gentle stroking uncomfortable. If you find a shed whisker, however, go nuts. I have a friend that uses her cats’ shed whiskers as tiny paintbrushes.
Fun Facts
Some cats may have curly whiskers, especially if they are of a curly-coated breed.
The word “whisker” dates back to about 1600. It comes from the Middle English “wisker,” meaning anything that whisks or sweeps. (4)
Each individual whisker can be traced to a specific spot in a cat’s brain. (2)
Works Cited
Ahl, A. S. (1986). The role of vibrissae in behavior: A status review. Veterinary Research Communications, 10, 245-268. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02213989
I am on of those people that leaves my cat at home when I have to leave overnight. I have someone feed her and check in on her, and then I’ll see her when I get home. It’s not that I don’t enjoy her company, but traveling with cats is hard, and Joon doesn’t care for the wonders of modern transportation. Well, in August I have to move to another state, nine hours away by car, and of course Joon is coming with me. I’ve moved with her before, but it was just a quick trip to get there. This will be a new experience for both of us. So I thought it was an excellent opportunity for us all to learn together how to travel with cats.
An Ounce of Preparation
The best way to travel is well-prepared, and the same goes for travel with your cats. There is a lot that you can and should do before you leave to make everything go smoothly. Before anything else, however, ask yourself if you really ought to take kitty with you. If you just going on a short vacation, many cats might prefer to stay home (1, 5, 9). Extended car rides are usually very stressful for cats. If you are going to be gone for months or longer, or you are permanently relocating, then it can be worth it so that your cat doesn’t endure the greater stress of not being able to join you. If you are fortunate enough to have one of the rare few cats that loves going for a drive, then your pet can be a much more frequent travel companion (5, 9).
Gather Your Supplies
What do you need to pack for your cat? To some extent, that depends upon where you are going and for how long, but for any road trip there are certain bases you need to cover:
A carrier or crate for riding in the car
A litterbox
Food, water, and bowls to put them in
Veterinary records, including up-to-date rabies tag
Your cat’s medications, if applicable
A pet first-aid kit
Even for short vacations, you’ll probably also want to bring their cat bed or other cozy thing they like to sleep on and a couple beloved toys. Cats need to scratch, so if you don’t have room to pack a scratching post, I’d recommend you find somewhere for a cardboard or sisal scratching board. Wherever you’re staying probably won’t appreciate your cat leaving their mark on the furniture.
The Cat Carrier
There are lots of options for cat carriers and crates out there. You need to choose one that is large enough for your cat. This means kitty needs to be able to stand, lie down, stretch, and turn around comfortably inside (1, 2, 4, 9). As for the other features of the carrier/crate, it’s up to you and what works best for your situation. There are cat carriers with soft or hard sides. Some are specifically rated for air travel, if that’s also in your plans, and some include a widget that snaps into the seat belt for ease of securing it. Some larger models even include built-in litterboxes. The Sleepypod brand does crash testing on their carriers to maximize their car safety (6). No one carrier or crate has everything. You can do a DIY crate, however, which allows for a lot of customization.
Make sure your carrier is large enough for your cat (or kittens) – Photo by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay
If your car will accommodate a large dog crate, you can jerry-rig a travel kitty condo (3, 6, 9). A dog crate can be used for one or more cats (9). It fits a travel litterbox inside, which simplifies things (3, 6). And you can incorporate hammocks or shelves to give your cats more space and comfort (6). Just make sure you test out any multilevel additions thoroughly both at home and on test drives before the big day so that you know they will hold up.
The Litterbox
If the drive is more than a couple hours, or you have a senior cat, you will need to give kitty bathroom breaks (9). Cats tend to drink less when they’re stressed, so they may not need it, but give them plenty of opportunity anyway. If your cat is used to eliminating outdoors, it might be best to take them outside on a leash to do their business instead of trying to get them used to a litter box for the first time during the trip (4, 6). If they aren’t leash trained, but you want to do this, start leash training well in advance of your travel date. Introducing too many new things at once is never a good idea.
If you can fit a litterbox inside your cat’s carrier/crate, that is the easiest thing (4, 5, 6, 9). A standard litterbox may be too large, but there are other options. You can buy a travel litterbox. These are typically collapsible and come in carrier-friendly sizes (6). A dish pan may also work (3), or a kitten-sized litterbox. You can also repurpose a cardboard box by cutting it to the right shape and size, lining it with plastic, i.e. a garbage bag, and there you go, a custom disposable litterbox (5)! You can purchase disposable litterboxes as well.
Maybe there is just no way you are going to get a litterbox into the carrier you have. Don’t fret. It’s a little more involved, but there’s a way to work with that. Put out a litterbox for your cat whenever you stop for their bathroom breaks (1, 7). Only do this with the car stopped and all the doors and windows closed! Let your cat out of their carrier (1, 7). When they’re done, either scoop into pet waste bags and throw those out or, if you’re using a disposable litter box, you can bag and throw the whole thing away (1, 7). I recommend you set the litterbox directly in front of the carrier before letting the cat out so they know what to do and don’t instead get sensory overload and hide in some impossible crevasse of your car.
Make Your First Trip Be to the Vet
There are several important reasons to visit the vet before traveling with your cats. One is to make sure that they are healthy enough to travel (7). You would probably know if they weren’t, but it is best to be absolutely certain. If your cat has a chronic illness, you want to make sure it is stable and well-controlled before heading out, too (6). Get any necessary vaccinations up-to-date. Ask for enough medication for the duration of your travel time plus at least several days (6). The same goes for any prescription diet your cat may be on (6). Ask for a print-out of your cat’s medical records (1, 6, 9). You may need these to prove your cat’s vaccination status or to show another vet if your cat needs medical attention.
If you will be crossing state line in the United States, you are required by law to carry a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, a.k.a. health certificate, for each of your cats (1, 2, 9). This also applies to dogs, if you have those too. You need to get the health certificate from your veterinarian within ten days of your travel date (2). The health certificate means your veterinarian is signing off that your pet doesn’t have any signs of infectious disease and is current on their vaccinations (2). An exam is required for your vet to issue the certificate (2).
If you know that your cat gets motion sickness or is extremely anxious about car rides, you may want to use this opportunity to ask your veterinarian to prescribe medication for the road trip (1, 3, 6). This isn’t the best solution for all cats. Medication can have side effects, so if you can keep your cat calm without it, that’s preferable. There are calming treats and pheromone products that you can try on practice runs. For some cats, though, it’s just not enough. My parents’ cat, Rosenberg, gets so anxious about riding in the car that she starts vomiting and having diarrhea before the car gets to the end of the driveway. Sometimes medication is the only way. Make sure you have it on hand ahead of time and know the dosage, usage, and side effects to watch for.
As you are coming up on your road trip, it is in everybody’s best interest to get your cat used to their travel carrier and the car. Start by setting out their carrier and encouraging them to interact with it through treats, toys, or catnip (4, 5). You can even try feeding them near and later inside the carrier (3, 4, 9).
Once your cat is comfortable going in and out of the carrier, practice closing the door with them inside for a short time, then opening it and giving them a treat (3). Do this until your cat no longer seems upset about the closed door. Progress to taking the cat to the car and back before giving them the treat (5, 8). Eventually you can turn the car on for a few minutes with kitty inside (3, 6). Don’t drive anywhere, just turn the car off and take them back inside. Remember not to do this in a closed garage! Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen faster than you might think, especially for a small animal.
Once your cat is okay with the sound of the engine, you can start taking short trips. Start very short, like going to the end of the driveway or parking lot and back (6, 8). Slowly make longer and longer trips up until its time for the big trip (6, 8). Your cat is still probably going to be stressed when the day comes because travel involves more than just the carrier and the car. If parts of the experience seem normal, though, it won’t be nearly as scary.
Head Out on the Highway
When the day of your vacation or move arrives, don’t feed your cat to avoid motion sickness and anxious vomiting (1, 3, 4). If you are leaving late in the day, you could feed breakfast but skip any other meals. Pack everything but the cat first. Make sure you leave room for the carrier. Put a soft lining in the bottom of the cat’s carrier like a pet bed or old towel (1). If you are putting a litterbox inside the carrier, put that in before the cat, too. Do not put a water bowl in the carrier–it will only spill (1). Instead plan to offer your cat water at every stop (1-4).
The very last thing you do should be to put your cat in their carrier and load them in the car (5). Strap the carrier in with the seatbelt (1, 4, 6). If you expect your cat to be anxious, you can cover the carrier with a dark, breathable cloth (4). Cats find this calming. Make sure the air conditioning streams aren’t directly blasting the cat (4). Finally, you’re ready to travel with your cat! Expect some crying at first. Speak to your cat soothingly (6). They should settle down after a while.
Under no circumstances should you let your cat roam the vehicle while it is in motion (1, 6, 8). It’s a matter of safety, for people and pets. Your cat could get under the driver’s feet or obscure their line of sight (1, 6, 8). Whether kitty is panicking or being an angel, they might be a distraction that could cause an accident (6, 8). And should there be an accident for any reason, an unsecured cat is in much more danger of injury or death (1, 6, 8).
If You Need to Leave the Car
I would hope this goes without saying, but pets die in hot cars every year, so I’m going to say it. Never leave your pet in the car unattended. Even if it doesn’t seem especially hot or cold outside, your cat can get dangerously hyperthermic or hypothermic very quickly. Parked cars are especially apt to get hot inside. If you are traveling alone, take your cat with you when you leave the car, leave the car running, or crack the windows and only leave for a few minutes (6). Ideally, travel with at least one other person so someone can stay with the cat with the air conditioning on at all times. The temperature inside your car can increase almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit in just ten minutes. Take this seriously.
How Parked Cars Heat Up So Fast in the Sun
Where to Stay
If you will be staying in a hotel or other commercial lodgings, call and make sure that cats are allowed, even if they claim to be pet-friendly. Sometimes, what they actually mean is “dog-friendly” (4). Or their policies may have changed but their website hasn’t. In addition, some places will only have certain rooms that are pet-friendly, so you will want to double-check that you have been placed in the right kind of room (6). GoPetFriendly.com has a search tool for locating pet-friendly lodging in the United States. Happy trails!
