by Nomi Berger
 
Our feline fur-iends are famous for staring!
 
They are the most curious of observers, whether it’s staring at you, at the wall, outside a window (for up to five hours a day) or seemingly at nothing at all. Have you ever paw-ndered the reasons for these legendary and oh-so-photogenic stares? If so, consider the following:
 
Whatever the breed, cats have huge eyes when compared to the size of the rest of their bodies. They also blink about twice a minute while we, as humans, blink between 15 to 20 times a minute.
 
Compared to humans, cats are nearsighted. The average human visual acuity is 20/20. What does this mean? It means that when our visual acuity is tested, the detail we’re able to see is from 100 to 200 feet away. Feline visual acuity, however, ranges from between 20/100 and 20/200, indicating that cats can only see clearly from 20 feet away. What’s clear to us at a distance of 100 feet, therefore, appears blurry to cats.
 
But whatever they lack in visual acuity, they compensate for -- thanks to other advantages. The more numerous rods in their retinas allow them to see in one-sixth the amount of light that we require. They also have a wider field of vision at 200 degrees whereas our field of vision is 180 degrees. Blessed with the ability to detect the tiniest insect or speck of dust at close range, this, paired with their superior peripheral vision, lets them fixate on things we wouldn’t even notice.
 
Since domesticated cats have adapted to people’s habits and use our “signals” to gather information, they don’t merely notice a person’s gaze they actually follow it. Not to mention staring at YOU!
 
Examples:
 
Affection: If your cat is staring at you through squinted eyes and giving you a slow blink while her body’s relaxed, she’s demonstrating the feline version of love and trust. Commonly referred to as cat “eye kisses,” they’re that much more meaningful when you respond to her “advances” by slow blinking back at her.
 
Hunger: If your cat is hungry, she may stare at you in an effort to get the message across. If it’s either close to mealtime or if she’s actually standing near her food bowl, she’ll make direct eye contact with you – often accented with a “meow” -- until her obvious request for food has been met.
 
Hunting: Given that cats are innately predators, they will focus on their prey by staring at them intently. Have you ever observed your own kitty staring at a bird outside the window and seeing her flinch with every movement the bird makes? This means she’s hyper-focused on staring that bird down.
 
Other cats: If yours is a multi-cat household, you’ve no doubt observed them staring at each other, i.e. staring each other down. Because all cats are territorial, this behavior can be one of dominance, aggression over beds or access to litter boxes or something far more pleasant such as initiating playing and wrestling.

by Nomi Berger
 
As creatures of habit who crave their creature comforts, cats don’t always make the best road trip companions. But by mapping out kitty’s trip together with your own, you can curtail her bad “backseat driver” behavior, and turn a potentially negative experience into a purr-fectly paws-itive one.
 
Consider the following suggestions to smooth the way for everyone – human and feline:
 
Remain calm. Because cats sense our stress, don’t raise your voice or display any overt signs of your own pre-trip tension.
 
Should your trip be longer than a day, make reservations ahead of time solely at pet-friendly motels or hotels.
 
Carry your most up-to-date vet paperwork, showing, at the very least, that your cat is current on her rabies shots.
 
Never medicate an overly anxious cat without first consulting your vet. Many OTC calming agents are dangerous for cats, and if you do use a medication prescribed by your vet, always try it out at home first to test for any reactions and/or side effects.
 
If your cat tends to get car sick, avoid feeding her between two and three hours prior to your departure.
 
Train your cat to wear a harness so that she can remain safely harnessed inside the car. Her harness should bear a name tag with all pertinent ID (microchipping is, of course, the best ID), and a leash should be clipped to it whenever you remove kitty from her carrier or from the car itself.
 
Have your cat travel comfortably by keeping her in a large carrier or dog crate, allowing her room enough to stretch and move around during the drive. Set the crate or carrier in a well-ventilated part of the car, out of excessive drafts and away from direct sunlight.
 
Drape a sheet over the crate or carrier, leaving one side open, to help her feel more snug, safe and secure.
 
Place a familiar blanket, several cushions, or a worn T-shirt with your scent on it inside the crate or carrier. Rotate various cat toys along the way (this works particularly well with a young kitten) to keep her stimulated and occupied.
 
Line the bottom with pee pads as a precaution and put a small, disposable litter pan (aluminum baking pans work well) inside the carrier or crate, and ensure you have a generous supply of both to last the entire trip. Stock up on sanitized wipes and strong plastic bags to handle any and all “litter box” accidents.
 
If your cat has an appetite, feed her the same food that she eats at home and keep her water bowl only partly filled to avoid spilling.
 
Never let your cat out of the car at “rest stops” unless she’s well trained to walk on a harness and leash. And above all, never leave kitty unattended -- on either hot or cold days.
 
As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Hopefully then, armed with these few tips, you and your cat can share a road trip to remember – fondly.