SPIDER SPEAKS:
All Cats are primarily nocturnal from the cute little house Cats to the large Cats of the wild. They are excellent stalkers allowing them to sneak around at night making humans very paranoid. Being associated with the darkness of night didn't help their image because the color black has always been associated with evil due to ancestor's fear of the night.
Often times a cat will exhibit strange actions like seeing something that is unseen or batting at nothing in the air. This coupled with their amazing ability to see well in near darkness has created the myth that cats can see spirits or ghosts, another potentially evil pastime.
CAT FACT:
Did you know . . . . . ?
A Cat can see six times better at night than a human being. This is possible because Cats have an extra layer of reflecting cells called the tapetum lucidum.
For a long time in Europe pagan religions such as witchcraft were the dominate belief. These religions were tightly associated with the animals of nature, including the cat. During the rise of the Christian religion in Europe, the church decided that witchcraft was evil and since they attributed cats to witches, cats were deemed evil by proxy. During the witch trials, cats were often tortured and killed by along with the supposed witches. Some thought that witches had the ability to change shape into a cat, others thought that both cats and witches are evil so they must be in cahoots. There were also people who think that witches sacrifice cats during their rituals. However, due to communal reinforcement, to this day many animal shelters will not allow the adoption of cats around Halloween for fear of their abuse.
Supposedly, King Charles I of England owned a black cat and the day it died he was arrested. An old sailor's legend said that meeting cats in the shipyard meant an unpleasant voyage of storms or some other bad luck. In Babylonian folklore a curled up cat on the hearth is seen as similar to evil serpent.
According to "The Terror-time Gallery of Systematic Unpleasantries", the "Bad Luck Cat" as it is often referred to, is the result of a curse from animal abuse. The tale tells of how a family took in a stray black kitten as a baby, never took care of it, horribly neglected it, and any of it's cries for attention resulted in abuse. The end result was the grown cat living in misery and eventually being the victim of murder at the hands of the children, but, even more interestingly, the tale doesn't end there. The children in their adolescence begin to see a black cat out of the corner of their eye at random followed by a horrific event often resulting in horrible consequence. Often the consequence was depicted as a very grotesque and crippling injury that made the remainder of their life miserable or a very gruesome and painful death. The modern day myth of the black cat, as I have seen omits the fact that the bad luck was more karma-based. The reality is there is no such thing as a bad luck cat.
However, not every culture thought that black cats were bad luck. The ancient Egyptians treated cats with utmost respect. They were highly regarded and respected, to kill a cat was punishable by death. The ancient Egyptians even went as far as to mummify their cats when to preserve them and ensure their entrance into the afterlife.
Bast, also known as Baast, Ubasti and Baset was the Cat goddess of an ancient Egyptian religion and was worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BC). She was the goddess of warfare in Lower Egypt; the Nile River delta region before the unification of the cultures that became Ancient Egypt. The two cultures that united had deities that shared similar roles and some times the same imagery. In Upper Egypt Sekhmet was the parallel warrior lioness deity to Bast. During the twenty-second dynasty c.945-715 BC, Bast worship had changed from being a lioness warrior deity into being a major protector deity.
In Modern day Japan the Maneki Neko is considered a symbol of good luck. In Russia, the Russian Blue breed is also supposed to be good luck. In Latvian tradition, black cats embody the spirit of Rungis, a god of harvests, which is good luck for farmers to have around. In the UK black cats are associated with good luck, and have been for ages.
Spider is constantly on the lookout for fun and exciting products and things to get into. Join Spider each week as he comments on his finds.
Humans are not the only ones who enjoy a good Halloween Treat. Like most felines Spider and Samantha love to get treats too. So much so they each have their own Slimcat Treat Ball. As a cat plays with the ball and small amount of food or treats is released. The Slimcat Treat Ball is a fun source of both play and excercise.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
CANDY
Health, Wellness, Nutrition & Exercise.
We all love treats and like to share, and our feline companions are no different. But some of the treats and goodies we receive at Halloween are very harmful to felines.
Chocolate is toxic to Cats.
Signs of chocolate toxicity include tremors, nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and in severe cases, seizures and death.
Other candies, such as lollipops and those with plastic components, pose a danger if ingested. Lollipop sticks and plastic parts can cause intestinal obstruction and potentially rupture the intestines, which is a life-threatening emergency..
Candies, gums, mints, baked goods and chocolate containing the "sugar free" sweetener xylitol are especially poisonous, causing rapid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and liver failure in dogs and possibly other species (ferrets).
If you suspect that your pet has eaten any chocolate, or candy consult your veterinarian.
FAMOUS CAT OF THE WEEK
Binx From “Hocus Pocus” (1993)
Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American family fantasy horror comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega. It stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as a family of witches, known as the Sanderson Sisters, who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenager named Max (Omri Katz) along with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and classmate Allison (Vinessa Shaw). Despite receiving negative reviews from critics during its theatrical release, the film gained a cult following on home video.
SPIDER'S FILM RECOMMENDATION THIS WEEK IS: "Bell, Book and Candle" With Jimmy Stewart and Kim Hunter
SPIDER RECOMMENDS:
Great Movies, Great Books, Great Interviews.......................
The Cat Who Talked To Ghosts: Written By Lilian Jackson Braun
Jackson's 10th entry in the series featuring middle-aged, curmudgeonly reporter Jim Qwilleran pits the independently wealthy citizen of the remote town of Pickax City against malevolent spirits, of either this world or another. Iris Cobb, the resident-curator of the local historical museum, tells Qwill she's hearing ghosts; after she dies of what the coroner says is a heart attack, Qwill and his Siamese cats, Yum Yum and the psychic zany Koko, move in to find out what could have scared her to death. Unearthing old and well-kept secrets in Moose County family histories.
About the Author:
Lilian Jackson Braun began writing her Cat Who... detective series when one of her own Siamese cats mysteriously fell to its death from her apartment block.
Other books in the Cat Who... series includes
The Cat Who Saw Red
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern
The Cat Who Turned On and Off
The Cat Who Played Brahms
The Cat Who Played Post Office
The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare
The Cat Who Sniffed Glue
The Cat Who Went Underground
LETTERS FROM THE BOX
Halloween is a fun time for kids and many adults, but it can be a frightening and stressful time for Cats. As a pet parent you know your feline companion best and here are some points to consider for our safety.
In some areas on October 30th we are familiar with "Door Bell Night." For those of you who do not know what that is, that is the night before halloween when door bells are rung and someone hides playing a prank. On October 31st, door bell ringing coninues with the added people arriving in costume which can be very stressful for some felines. Some animals may become unexpectedly aggressive or fearful, even normally friendly pets. Others may experience stress-related diarrhea or potentially injure themselves if not contained or placed in another room of the house. Candles and Jack-O'-Lanterns within a pet's range are a fire hazard. Wagging tails and frightened cats zooming through the house can easily tip over a candle or carved pumpkin, causing burns or a fire.
Please keep your pets indoors Halloween Season and especially on Door bell and Halloween night, especially black cats. Cats are at risk for cruel treatment by some Halloween pranksters. Many adoption agencies and humane societies will not allow the adoption of black cats around Halloween for this reason.
Play it safe and enjoy Halloween
With a little caution and some common sense, Halloween can be a fun time for kids and pets alike. If any acts of animal cruelty are seen or suspected, please call your local shelter or animal authorities. Happy and safe Halloween to everyone.
Spider & Samantha
CAT QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If man could be crossed with the Cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the Cat."
Mark Twain.
READING ROOM:
The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know
By Tracie Hotchner
Finally, a definitive book that delivers many unknown facts about every aspect of caring for and sharing your life with a cat, ranging from proper nutrition and strange behavior to medical care and multi-cat households, to grooming and geriatrics. The Cat Bible explains the mysteries of feline behavior to owners who are devoted to their cats without being able to fully understand them. It offers straightforward solutions to the problems that cause people to give up their cats, many of which are preventable, including litter box avoidance, furniture scratching, and physical ailments.
There are more than 90 million American households that count cats as family members, but they are a vastly underserved population, devoted to their kitties, yet bereft of all the public attention, programming, and print devoted to dogs. Now, bestselling author and investigative journalist Tracie Hotchner offers them The Cat Bible, with straightforward, fact-filled solutions to health and behavior problems, based on years of research into the real reasons behind these issues. In the same warm, straightforward style that attracts devoted listeners to her radio shows, Tracie tackles controversial topics such as the truth about commercial dry pet foods and their dangers, bringing readers the latest facts on every topic that affects a feline?s well-being.
PAWS TO GIVE CAUSE
What is The Animal Rescue Site?
The Animal Rescue Site is an online activism site that offers simple ways to help provide food and care to rescued animals living in shelters and sanctuaries.
In just a few seconds each day, visitors can click on the purple "With One Click To Give - it's FREE" button and, at no cost to them, help feed and care for rescued animals. Bowls of food are paid for by The Animal Rescue Site's sponsors and distributed by The Fund for Animals, shelters supported by Petfinder Foundation, Rescue Bank, North Shore Animal League America, and other worthy animal charities supported by GreaterGood.org. 100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to the Animal Rescue Sites charitable partners.
