Kitties get a home

The city of Houston is home to many stray cats. These cats are known as “feral” cats because they have never been around people long enough to be domesticated, or tamed.

Frances and Tony took in three feral cats that were found in a vacant lot in Houston. An animal rescue group trapped them and had them spayed and neutered.

They flew to Atlanta and will live out their lives in a heated barn on the ranch. There they have soft beds and healthy food; and they are free to roam inside and outside as they wish. There are two black and one calico cat; the calico is too wild to get close enough for a photo.

Fun Facts about Cats

There are over 500 million domestic cats in the world.

Cats and humans have been associated for nearly 10,000 years.

Cats conserve energy by sleeping for an average of 13 to14 hours a day.

Cats have flexible bodies and teeth adapted for hunting small animals such as mice and rats.

A group of cats is called a clowder, a male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen while young cats are called kittens.

Domestic cats usually weigh around 8 – 12 pounds.

The heaviest domestic cat on record is 46 lb 15.2 oz.

Cats can be lethal hunters and very sneaky, when they walk their back paws step almost exactly in the same place as the front paws did beforehand, this keeps noise to a minimum and limits visible tracks.

Cats have powerful night vision, allowing them to see at light levels six times lower than what a human needs in order to see.

Cats also have excellent hearing and a powerful sense of smell.

Domestic cats love to play, this is especially true with kittens who love to chase toys and play fight. Play fighting among kittens may be a way for them to practice and learn skills for hunting and fighting.

On average cats live for around 12 to 15 years.

Cats spend a large amount of time licking their coats to keep them clean.

Feral cats are often seen as pests and threats to native animals.

What makes a black cat special?

THEY’RE A SAILOR’S BEST FRIEND. Not only were cats welcome aboard British vessels to hunt mice, but sailors generally thought a black cat in particular would bring good luck and ensure a safe return home. A few of these kitties have been enshrined in maritime history, like Tiddles, who traveled more than 30,000 miles during his time with the Royal Navy.

A BLACK CAT’S COAT CAN “RUST.” A black cat’s color all boils down to a genetic quirk. There are three variants of the black fur gene (solid black, brown, and cinnamon), and the hue works in conjunction with the pattern. If a cat has a solid black hue, but also the dominant tabby stripe gene, heavy exposure to the sun can make the eumelanin pigment in its fur break down to reveal its once-invisible stripes (another potential cause: nutritional deficiency). What was once a black cat is now a rusty brown cat.

A BLACK CAT IS A WITCHES BEST FRIEND? Somewhere during the Middle Ages, Europeans got the idea that black cats were associated with witchcraft. The elderly, solitary women who often fed and cared for stray cats were also often (mis) identified as witches and the cats as their conspirators.