| any times have you heard that the typical cat is a | | | | effect on you as well. In other words, the benefits |
| predator? More times than you can imagine. But | | | | of purring can be transferred. Many nursing homes |
| when you are trying to come up with the definition | | | | for the elderly are keeping cats as pets for their |
| of a typical cat surely it is better to study the overall | | | | residents with beneficial effects being noted. |
| habits of a cat and come up with the best summary. | | | | Cats can sleep for up to sixteen hours a day as well |
| For starters, what does a cat do during a typical | | | | as taking catnaps of ten or fifteen minutes at a time |
| day? Here is my list of the things that acts do: | | | | during periods of activity. Many cats also love catnip |
| •They purr. | | | | plant and will munch at it and roll around in it and, to |
| •They sleep. | | | | all appearances, appear to be addicted to it. Any |
| •They chase moving objects. | | | | change in behavior should be carefully observed and |
| •They eat. | | | | may require a visit to the vet if you become |
| •They sleep some more. | | | | concerned. |
| I think the most common activities are sleeping and | | | | Your cat might seem to be an unusually good climber. |
| purring. From kittens to senior cats, purring is the | | | | This is typical of al cats. It is here that the similarity |
| earliest most easily distinguishable hallmark of all cats. | | | | to a predator role is seen most clearly. From a high |
| All Cats Purr | | | | vantage point, the cat can observe the movement |
| Whilst purring is common to all cats, it is not always | | | | and presence of possible prey. They do this from a |
| indicative of its being happy. Sometimes, cats purr | | | | position of safety as they have excellent all round |
| when they are distressed or sick. Some scientists | | | | vision and can stay out of the way of danger. I think |
| believe that cats use purring as a mechanism to calm | | | | the best way to think of a cat is not so much as a |
| itself down in much the same way humans do during | | | | predator, but an independent animal keeping up its |
| meditation. When they purr they produce similar | | | | hunting skills so they will always be prepared for the |
| brainwaves to the human ‘alpha | | | | possibility that they may be abandoned by their |
| wave’ patterns, which induce a feeling of | | | | owners. They maintain their independence and their |
| inner calm. There have been recent suggestions that | | | | predator behavior is nothing more than this. |
| having a purring act on your lap will have a calming | | | | |