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Meow business
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Here are some more signals you can watch out for.
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THE TOPIC of discussion in an earlier column was how best to decipher a cat's signals so as to have a good and understanding relationship with it. Here are some more signals...
Eyes: For a cat, prolonged eye contact is an assertive or even threatening signal. Dilated pupils accompany fear, aggressive excitement and also the mild excitement of seeing its owner, a feline friend or even food. The more fearful a cat is, the wider its pupils expand. On the other hand, an angry, confident cat has narrowed pupils.
Ears: When content or relaxed, a cat sits with its ears facing forward and slightly outward. If the ears are straight up and forward, it means your cat is listening to something interesting. If the cat grows anxious, its ears move slightly back and flatten down. A fearful cat has lowered ears. The more anxious or fearful the cat is, the flatter the ears, until they're lying straight backwards, flat to the skull. If the cat is fearful but aggressive, the ears flatten sideways.
Head: Friendly cats will head-rub or head-butt and will extend this into a full body rub. Cats also extend this behaviour to humans. The nose bump is another friendly greeting. When cats meet, they sniff each other's faces - they sniff the scent glands around the lips to determine the identity of the other cat and whether it's a family member or not.
Question corner:
I can't afford to give human baby food to a baby squirrel. What else can I give it?
Actually, milk sold in sachets is fine. Thick, boiled, undiluted milk (with cream) and a drop of curd to aid digestion is what a baby squirrel needs. Squirrels have to grow up fast to avoid becoming an easy prey, so their mother's milk is far thicker than other mammals. Only the first feed has to be diluted milk, with a dash of glucose.
After that, it has to be thick stuff or else you'll end up with an undernourished baby who may not reach adulthood. But for those who can afford it, baby food boosts weaklings.
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