General Cat Articles

Why Do Kittens Have Blue Eyes?

Why do kittens have blue eyes?

Why do kittens have blue eyes?

Kittens are born with blue eyes because the melanin, which gives colour to the iris, is not present at birth. Once the eyelids open and the eyes are exposed to light, melanin production increases, causing their eye colour to darken. The final eye colour may not be determined until 6 to 18 months after birth. This is similar to skin darkening from sun exposure. Skin darkens in the sun due to the production of melanin, a pigment that provides protection from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. When skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes increase the production of melanin to protect the skin, resulting in a tanned appearance.

A kitten’s eyes are closed at birth because they are developing and need time to grow and mature, which helps protect the eyes from environmental light. The eyelids remain closed until 7 – 10 days after birth. Once the eyes open, they are a pale blue in colour. Some kittens will maintain their blue eyes for life, while the eye colour of other kittens will gradually change from blue to yellow, copper or green.

Read more

Are Cats Nocturnal?

Are cats nocturnal?

Are cats nocturnal? Cats are crepuscular (active at twilight and dawn) and not nocturnal (active at night). This offers our cat’s desert-dwelling wild ancestors an evolutionary advantage. By sleeping during the day when temperatures are at their highest, the feline conserves energy.  A crepuscular cycle also matches that of their preferred prey, small rodents and … Read more

Can Kittens Be Identical Twins?

Can kittens be identical twins

Can two cats be identical twins?

Identical or monozygotic twins are possible in kittens, but rare. Almost all kittens in a litter are not identical, even if they have the same physical appearance.

What are identical twins?

Identical (monozygotic) twins occur when a fertilised egg splits in two during early development resulting in two kittens who share the same DNA. This differs from non-identical (dizygotic twins) who have their own unique DNA. The worldwide incidence of identical twin births in humans is 3 – 4 per 1,000 births. We don’t tend to refer to kittens as twins, triplets, etc, in animals who give birth to multiple offspring, instead, they’re known as littermates.

Read more

Dying Cat: Our Veterinarian Explains Signs a Cat Is Dying

,
Dying cat

  At a glance Each cat’s experience of dying is unique, and symptoms can vary depending on the underlying condition. Dying occurs in two phases, pre-active dying, which can last months or weeks and active dying (imminent death), which lasts 1-5 days. Active dying signs: Physical signs: noisy or laboured breathing, decreased or absent appetite, … Read more

What Is A Tomcat?

A tomcat is a sexually mature entire (un-neutered) male cat. The name tomcat is derived from an eighteenth-century work of fiction titled The Life and Adventures of a Cat authored by Willoughby Mynors. The main character was Tom the Cat, a promiscuous male cat. Before the publication of The Life and Adventures of a Cat, males were known as rams, boars or gibs.

Read more

How High Can A Domestic Cat Jump?

,
How high can a cat jump?

Key facts

  • How high can a cat jump? An adult cat can jump approximately five to six times its height (30 cm), so the
    average cat can jump 150 – 180 cm
  • How far can a cat jump? The longest recorded cat jump belongs to Waffle the Warrior Cat who jumped 213.36 cm
  • A cat’s ability to jump comes down to its hind legs which propel the cat up in the air as well as the tail which they use for balance.

Read more