Radio Telefís Éireann

The members of the RTÉ Authority are appointed by the Cabinet upon the recommendation of the Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources. If faced with conflicting evidence, the safe choice is to keep a cat indoors. RTÉ operates as a statutory corporation.Its board is known as the RTÉ Authority. FELV (feline leukemia), FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), or rabies may be present in the area. RTÉ Network (branded as "RTÉNL") is operated through a wholly owned subsidiary company, RTÉ Network Transmission Limited,and provides transmission services for all of RTÉ's own channels and also for competing stations such as TV3 Ireland and Today FM. Coyotes kill large numbers of housecats in the Southwestern United States, even in urban zones. RTÉ Music's slogan is RTÉ - Supporting the Arts. Additional concerns include potential dangers from larger predators and infectious diseases.

These groups perform regularly in the National Concert Hall and The Helix in Dublin. Pet owners can contact veterinarians, ecological organizations, and universities for opinions about whether local conditions are suitable for outdoor cats. RTÉ Performing Groups supports two full-time orchestras - the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra - as well as the RTÉ Vanbergh String Quartet, RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, and RTÉ Cór na nÓg. Environmental concerns may be minimal in most of England where cats are an established species and few to none of the local prey species are endangered. Its commercial telecoms business provides both SMS and IVR telecoms services to all of RTÉ's broadcast services and channels. Serious concerns also exist in places such as Florida where housecats are not native, where several small sized endangered species live near human populations, and where the climate allows cats to breed throughout the year. In addition RTÉ Publishing operates a teletext service on both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two, called RTÉ Aertel, which has news, sport, and programme support information. The most severe impact occurs with island ecologies.

Live streams of all of RTÉ's national radio networks are available online. The amount of ecological damage done by indoor/outdoor cats depends on local conditions. It operates all of RTÉ's many websites - branded as rte.ie,and providing online news, sport, and entertainment services. Owners who can no longer keep their cats would do best to give them to friends, rescue organizations, or shelters. RTÉ Publishing has four main constituent parts: Print Publishing, E-Publishing (both WEB & Teletext), Commercial Telecoms & Digital Consumer Technology Incubation.The division publishes the RTÉ Guide and sells DVDs and VHS videos of RTÉ Television programmes, and audio tapes and compact discs of RTÉ radio programmes. Nearly all studies agree that abandoned animals lead hard lives. Each genre operates broadly under a Commissioning Editor, except for RTÉ News and Current Affairs which are separately structured and controlled. Part of this stems from humane concern for the cats themselves and part arises from concerns about cat predation on endangered species.

Since 2003, RTÉ has branded its television programmes under a number of a number of different genres. The environmental impact of feral cat programs and of indoor/outdoor cats is a subject of debate. A DAB version of at least Radio 1 will begin along the east coast of Ireland on 1 January 2006. Many hope to see an end to urban feral cat colonies through these efforts. The main difference between this and the main FM feed is the inclusion of several RTÉ Radio na Gaeltachta programmes. In time, if an entire colony is successfully spayed and neutered, no additional kittens are born and the feral colony disappears. A slightly adapted version of Radio One is broadcast on longwave, Sky Digital and Hotbird as RTÉ Europe. Volunteers continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives, and not only is their lifespan greatly increased, but behavior and nuisance problems, due to competition for food, are also greatly reduced.

Formerly RTE operated RTÉ Radio Cork (previously Cork 89FM), a local radio service in Cork, but this closed down in the early 2000s. Before release back into their feral colonies, the attending veterinarian nips the tip off one ear to mark the feral as spayed/neutered and inoculated, as these cats will more than likely find themselves trapped again. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, an exclusively Irish language service, first began broadcasting in 1972. However, there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, spay or neuter them, immunize the cats against rabies and feline leukemia, and treat them with long-lasting flea products. RTÉ 2FM is a popular music and chat channel, while RTÉ Lyric FM serves the interests of classical music and the arts. In addition, they have little defense or understanding of the dangers from dogs, coyotes, and even automobiles. Broadcasting on Radio 1 provides comprehensive coverage of news, current affairs, music, drama and variety features, agriculture, education, religion and sport, mostly in English but also some Irish. Although cats are adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few find adequate nutrition on their own in cities.

Now, RTÉ has a nation-wide communications network with an increasing emphasis on regional news-gathering and input. Urban areas are not native environments to the cat; most domestic cats were artificially selected from cats in desert climates and were distributed throughout the world by humans, but some feral cat colonies are found in large cities, for example, around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum in Rome. Radio Éireann and Telefís Éireann were both renamed Radio Telefís Éireann in 1966. The average lifespan of these feral cats is much shorter than a domestic housecat, which can live an average of sixteen years or more. Radio Athlone became known as "Radio Éireann" in 1938. Many lost or abandoned pet cats join these colonies out of desperation. 2RN, 6CK and Athlone became known as "Radio Athlone" or "Raidio Áth Luain". Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called feral colonies with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability.

A high power station was established in Athlone in 1932 to co-incide with the staging of the Eucharistic Congress. Not only males will fight; females will also fight over territory or to defend their kittens and even neutered cats will defend their small territories vigorously. 6CK was established in Cork in 1927, however 6CK was mostly a relay of 2RN. Sexually active males may be engaged in many fights over their lives and often have decidedly weathered faces with obvious scars and cuts to the ears and nose. Regular Irish radio broadcasting began on January 1, 1926. Attacks usually comprise powerful slaps to the face and body with the forepaws as well as bites, but serious damage is rarely done, and usually the loser runs away with little more than a few scratches to the face. The first voice broadcast of 2RN, the original radio callsign for Radio 1, took place on November 14, 1925 when Seamus Clandillon, the 2RN station director said, "Seo Raidió 2RN, Baile Átha Cliath ag tástáil", meaning "This is Radio 2RN, Dublin testing". Fighting cats make themselves look larger by raising their fur and arching their backs.

See also: List of RTÉ television programming. Outside of these neutral areas, territory holders usually vigorously chase away strangers, at first by staring, hissing, and growling, and if that does not work by short but noisy and violent attacks. RTÉ introduced on-screen logos (or 'bugs') for RTÉ One and RTÉ Two in 2004. While each cat holds a distinct territory (sexually active males having the largest territories, and neutered cats having the smallest), there are "neutral" areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflict or aggression. RTÉ carried the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games opening and closing ceremonies live for the first time in the history of the games together with extensive radio and television coverage of the events. Some breeds like bengal, ocicat and manx are very social, but these breeds are exceptions. In the 1990s, more competition came from satellite television, especially from Sky based in the UK. Despite its reputation as a solitary animal, the domestic cat is social enough to form colonies, but does not attack in groups as do lions.

RTÉ's approach was pragmatic, as it introduced cable television in the 1970s, initially known as RTÉ Relays, and subsequently as Cablelink, although it later sold its stake in the company, which is now known as NTL Ireland. They may even present such victims, dead or maimed, to a beloved owner, perhaps expecting their owner to praise or reward them, or possibly even complete the kill and eat the mouse. From the outset, RTÉ had faced competition from British TV channels such as those of the BBC and UTV, broadcasting from Northern Ireland, whose signal spilt over into the Republic. Many pet cats successfully hunt and kill rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and large insects by instinct, but might not eat their prey. RTÉ's TV channels are not available to Sky subscribers in Great Britain, although between 1997 and 2002, Tara Television carried a mix of RTÉ One and Two programmes before disputes with RTÉ over payment led to its closure.[3] Owing to rights issues, it would be difficult and costly for RTÉ to broadcast its channels in the whole of the UK, but it continues to express an interest in providing a similar channel to Tara. Hunting in the barns and the fields, they kill and eat rodents that would otherwise spoil large parts of the grain crop. The channels are also available via satellite on Sky Digital, although these are encrypted and anyone wishing to view the channels needs to obtain a Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland subscription (they are part of the Variety Mix under the new pricing system, or the Family Pack in the pre-2005 system). In rural areas, farms often have dozens of semi-feral cats.

RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and TG4 are also available in Northern Ireland via terrestrial overspill or on cable (coverage and inclusion on cable systems varies). Indoor confinement of pets and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs for feral cats can help in this situation; some people also use cat deterrents to discourage cats from entering their property. Most of the broadcasts are in English, including programming imported from the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. Unaltered animals can engage in persistent nighttime calling (caterwauling) and defecation or "marking" on private property. Presently, both RTÉ One and RTÉ Two provide round-the-clock broadcasts seven days a week, providing comprehensive coverage of news, current affairs, sport, music, drama and entertainment. In urban areas, some people find feral and free roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Although Irish language programmes, such as Nuacht (the news) and Léargas (insight) have been an integral part of the schedule, in 1996 a new Irish-language TV service, Teilifís na Gaeilge, since renamed TG4, began broadcasting for the first time. Recent studies have indicated the humans who are exposed to cats or dogs within the first year of their lives develop few animal allergies, while most adults who are allergic to animals did not have a cat or a dog as a pet in childhood.

The few Irish language programmes provided by RTÉ were now broadcast on Network 2, although RTÉ One now broadcasts Irish language programmes. Many chose to cope with cat allergies by taking prescription allergy medicine and bathing their cats frequently, since weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander present in the environment. All sports coverage was transferred to the newly renamed channel, along with all children's programmes. However, in some instances, humans find the rewards of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated with allergies. In the early 1980s RTÉ 2 became Network 2. Allergies to cat dander are one of the most common reasons people cite for disliking cats. The opening night featured a gala variety show from the Cork Opera House. Some owners like to train their cat to perform "tricks" commonly exhibited by dogs such as jumping.

The new television channel went on the air on November 2, 1978. finding a bug crawling on the floor for the owner to get rid of). As a consequence, the original RTE 2 schedule had many live relays of British programmes, however, there were also some original RTE2 programming. The cat may also be capable of learning to communicate with the human using non-spoken language or body language such as rubbing for affection (confirmation), facial expressions and making eye-contact with the owner if something needs to be addressed (e.g. RTÉ 2's remit was to provide alternative television. Other behaviors could include mimicking sounds of the owner or using certain sounds the cat picks up from the human; sounds representing specific needs of the cat, which the owner would recognize. In 1977 a new Fianna Fáil government came to power and as one of its many promises, the government quickly authorised a second channel to be run by RTÉ. Such behavior may include a trip to the litter box before bedtime and snuggling up close to its companion in bed or on the sofa.

All of RTÉ's studios at Nutley Lane, Donnybrook were equipped for colour broadcasts by 1976. When a cat bonds with its human owner, at times, the cat may display behaviors similar to that of the human. The next phase was colour outside broadcasts, and the first was the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest, the first of many such productions by RTÉ. Some people (known as cat lovers) go to great lengths to pamper their cats, sometimes treating them almost as if they were children. The first programme made in colour by RTÉ was a 7 Days documentary special called "John Hume's Derry". Some humans keep cats for companionship as pets. RTÉ made its first colour transmissions in 1969. Human attitudes toward cats vary widely.

The Late Late Show, which began in July 1962 and is still running as of 2006, and its original host, Gay Byrne, pioneered many of these discussions and has been credited with being a major influence in the changing social structure of Ireland. However, cats can be very affectionate towards their humans, especially if they imprint on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection. Topics which were hitherto not discussed in Ireland, such as abortion, contraception and various other controversial topics, were now openly being discussed in television studios. Thus, communicating with such an animal is problematic, and cats in particular are labelled as opaque or inscrutable, if not obtuse, as well as aloof and self-sufficient. Television opened up a completely new world to the Irish people. No such communications skills are required of the lone hunter. The show, which was a countdown to the New Year, was hosted by the Chairman of the Radio Eireann Authority, Eamonn Andrews, with appearances by Patrick O'Hagan, the Artane Boys Band and Micheál Ó Hehir. This requires a cooperative effort, which in turn requires communications skills.

Following this a live concert was broadcast from the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. A dog's odor, on the other hand, is an advantage, for a dog is a pack hunter; part of the pack stations itself upwind, and its odor drives prey towards the rest of the pack stationed downwind. Lemass. The "purpose" of this cleanliness is to help hide the cat's presence while stalking prey. There were other messages from Cardinal d'Alton and An Taoiseach, Seán F. It is no coincidence that cats are also "clean" animals, the chemistry of their saliva, expended in frequent grooming, acting as a natural deodorant. He went on to say that "Like atomic energy, it can be used for incalculable good but it can also do irreparable harm". Despite occasional cohabitation in colonies, cats are lone hunters.

The opening address by President of Ireland Eamon de Valera described the benefits and disadvantages of the new medium. The venerable simile "like herding cats" refers to the seeming intractability of the ordinary house cat to be trained in the manner of the dog. Telefís Éireann began broadcasting at 7:00pm on December 31, 1961. A cat that is good at hunting rodents is referred to as a mouser. . Unlike the dog, which also kills rodents, the cat did not eat grains, fruits, or vegetables.
. Since the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans' food stores outweighed the cost of allowing a formerly wild animal to enjoy the relative safety of a human settlement, the relationship between cat and human flourished.

General management of the organisation is in the hands of the Executive Board headed by the Director-General. Cats, however, have done so for a much shorter time than almost all other domesticated animals, and the degree of domestication of cats is somewhat disputed. RTÉ is a statutory body run by an authority appointed by the Irish Government. Like some other domesticated animals, cats live in a mutualistic arrangement with humans. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961. one blue eye and one amber eye. It both produces programmes and broadcasts on television, radio and the Internet. Apart from the Turkish Angora, there are also many non-pedigree white cats that have odd eyes, i.e.

Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ; Irish for "Radio [and] Television [of] Ireland") is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland. It was not until recently that colored Turkish Angoras were allowed to be shown, making deafness an issue in that breed. Commercial Revenue including the sale of advertising and sponsorship. ^[21] Some breeds however, such as the Turkish Angora are based on all white cats and produce a higher percentage of deaf cats as a results. This money is collected by An Post on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Marine, and Natural Resources. Many people believe that deaf white cats should not be used for breeding as it is not ethical to propagate such a disability, and instead deaf cats should be spayed or neutered to avoid passing the trait to their offspring. All owners of television sets in the State must pay a fee of €155 in order to legally possess any piece of equipment capable of receiving television signals (not necessarily RTÉ). Very few survive in the wild because of all the hazards that they cannot avoid as easily as other cats would in the same situation.

The television licence fee. Around 5% of all cats are completely white, of which 10%–20% are deaf. RTÉ Young Peoples Programmes mainly on RTÉ Two, including The Den. Humans with common albinism, white skin and blue eyes generally suffer from visual problems, but in Tietz syndrome they suffer from deafness. RTÉ Sport covering the Irish sport and such foreign events as the FA Premier League and Six Nations Rugby. This may diminish the cats' visual acuity, but the extent is not known. RTÉ News & Current Affairs see RTÉ News. ^[20] Often, blue eyes will lack a tapetum lucidum and thus will not reflect like colored cat eyes.

RTÉ Music all types of music, including Classical, traditional Irish and pop/rock. ^[19] However, blindness in cats has not found to be associated with the W gene. RTÉ History documentaries on Eamon de Valera and the Irish Press, Lord Haw-Haw, Kevin O'Higgins, Women of the Goldrush and Secret Sights; and The Colony, a reality show where an Irish family will live as early 19th century colonists in New South Wales. This also occurs with dogs if they have white coat and blue eyes, and in the case of dogs, it can be equally common for them to be born blind. RTÉ Factual documentaries Legal Eagles looking at the Law Library, Maybe Baby, which follows couples as they try to conceive through IVF and Desperately Seeking Surgery about cosmetic surgery. Blue eyes can also result from the form of albinism characteristic of the siamese breed; white cats from this genetic background, sometimes called Foreign whites or Oriental Shorthairs may not have a problem with deafness, but it can happen if the cat inherits the W gene. RTÉ Entertainment chatshows The Late Late Show and Tubridy Tonight, and gameshows You're A Star and Winning Streak. ^[18] Any cat that receives even one W from one parent may exhibit this.

RTÉ Education programmes aimed at students and adults, including Read Write Now, an adult literacy aid. Blue irises can result, and they are linked to deafness. RTÉ Drama the flagship of which is the soap opera Fair City. This gene produces a white coat because it completely masks any other color or pattern the cat has. RTÉ Diversity religion, disability, Irish language and minority programming. The deafness is an effect of the W gene. RTÉ Arts producing documentaries on such Irish arts figures as Seán O'Casey, John McGahern, Patrick Kavanagh, Eileen Gray, Spike Milligan and Rory Gallagher, and a weekly magazine show, The View, presented by John Kelly. Completely white cats (not due to albinism, but white because of the dominant epistatic white (W) gene) with two blue eyes have a forty percent probability of being born deaf.

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (the Irish language station targeted at the gaeltacht, the Irish language speaking community of Ireland). Kittens are weaned at between six and seven weeks, and cats normally reach sexual maturity at six months (females) to seven months (males). RTÉ Lyric FM (classical music plus jazz, world music and arts). The size of a litter averages three to five kittens, with the first litter usually smaller than subsequent litters. 2FM (formerly Radio 2, the RTÉ rock and pop music station). The gestation period for cats is approximately 60 days. RTÉ Radio 1 (music and speech based broadcasting). Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, meaning different kittens in a litter may have different fathers.

TG4 (formerly called Teilifís na Gaeilge, "Irish language Television".TG4 is operated separately from the rest of RTÉ and its management reports directly to the Director General rather than as part of RTÉ Television.). Because of this, females are rarely impregnated by the first male with which they mate. RTÉ Two (known from 1988 to 2004 as Network 2). The female needs this stimulation for ovulation to begin. RTÉ One (launched in 1961 as Telefís Éireann, or simply RTÉ when there was just one station). Upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina. The male cat's penis has spines which point backwards.

A heat period lasts about 4 to 7 days if the female is bred; if she is not, the heat period lasts longer and recurs at regular intervals. Cats are seasonally polyestrous, which means they may have many heat periods over the course of a year. If a cat is continually exposed to water from a very young age, often it will develop a fondness for it; however, this rarely if ever occurs naturally. Most cats dislike immersion in water, but one exception is the Turkish Van cat.

Although certain breeds such as the Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine Coon have developed more protection than others, they have little resistance against fog, rain and snow and struggle to maintain their 39 °C (102 °F) body temperature when wet. Being closely related to desert animals, cats can withstand the heat and cold of a temperate climate, but not for long periods. People start to feel uncomfortable when their skin's temperature gets higher than about 44.5 °C (112 °F), but cats don't start to show signs of discomfort until their skin reaches about 52 °C (126 °F). Cats like to be a lot warmer than humans do.

Cats enjoy heat and solar exposure, often sleeping in a warm area during the heat of the day. In North Africa there are still small wildcats that are probably related closely to the ancestors of today's domesticated breeds. They are able to remain motionless for long periods, especially when observing prey and preparing to pounce. Their feces are usually dry, and cats prefer to bury them in sandy places.

Wild cats are native to all continents other than Australasia and Antarctica. The wild cat, ancestor of the domestic cat, is believed to have evolved in a desert climate, as evident in the behavior common to both the domestic and wild forms. One popular, relatively inexpensive alternative to declawing is the application of vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks). In Britain, where the prevailing style of ownership is indoor/outdoor, shelters find it difficult to rehome imported cats that had previously been declawed.

Some cats that are not declawed and cannot be retrained are either abandoned or turned in to animal shelters, where they may be euthanized. However, many American cats are still declawed, often when the owner finds that it is the only option for keeping the cat (sometimes it is mandated by landlords). If a cat is not declawed at an early age, it becomes too dangerous to declaw them when they are older. Additionally, some experts believe that declawed cats are more inclined to bite.

Declawing surgery requires anesthesia, which carries with it a small risk of death. Some doctors believe that a loss of the cat's claws causes a loss of its ability to balance on thin objects, such as rails or balconies. Other experts mention difficulties with the cat's typical stretching and exercise habits, which can lead to muscle atrophy. Where it is legal, some cat veterinarians refuse to do this type of surgery because it deprives the cat of its main defense ability, although cats usually learn to donkey kick or rake with their hind claws in defense.

^[17]. In Germany and Switzerland, declawing cats is explicitly forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals.^[16] In many other European countries, it is also forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless "a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of any particular animal". This operation is rare outside of North America. Declawing is not a simple procedure; serious complications can arise, such as an increased risk of infections, or life-long discomfort in the cat's paws.

Some people are opposed to declawing, claiming it is inhumane. This major surgery removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat's forepaws. Some cat owners choose to have their cat declawed (onychectomy). Indoor cats will also benefit from being provided with a scratching post so they are less likely to ruin furniture with their claws.^[15] Nails can be trimmed, but care should be taken to avoid cutting a vein in the quick of the claw.

^[14]. When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by perching over the bowl. For a short time, an adapter, such as a bowl or small box, may be used to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl. Training involves two or three weeks of incremental moves, such as moving and elevating the litterbox until it is near the toilet.

In addition, some cats may be toilet trained, eliminating the litterbox and its attending expense and odor. Transmission risk may be reduced by daily litterbox cleaning. Litterboxes may pose a risk of toxoplasmosis transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals. ^[13]) A litterbox is recommended for indoor-outdoor cats as well.

It should be cleaned daily and changed often (depending on the number of cats in a household and the type of litter—clumping litter stays cleaner longer, but has been reported to cause health problems in some cats. This arrangement serves the same purpose as a toilet for humans. Indoor cats may be provided a litter box containing sand or similar commercial material (litter). Cats expend nearly as much fluid grooming as they do urinating.

Hairballs can be prevented with certain cat foods and remedies that ease elimination of the hair. Longhair cats are more prone to this than shorthairs. Some cats occasionally regurgitate hair balls of fur that have collected in their stomachs as a result of their grooming. Many cats also enjoy grooming humans or other cats.

Some people who are allergic to cats - typically manifested by hay fever, asthma or a skin rash - quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to cats in general. Their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent, but it can provoke allergic reactions in humans. They groom themselves by licking their fur. Cats are known for their cleanliness.

In some cases, cats have contributed to or caused extinctions — for example, see the case of the Stephens Island Wren. Cats can be destructive to ecosystems in which they are not native and whose species did not have time to adapt to their introduction. Because of their small size, domestic cats pose almost no danger to humans—the only hazard is the possibility of infection (or, rarely, rabies) from a cat bite or scratch. Some people discourage the use of laser pointers for play with pets, however, because of the risk of eye damage and the loss of satisfaction (especially for cats) associated with the successful capture of prey.

This is because, if the string is ingested, it can be caught in the cat’s stomach or intestines causing illness or, in extreme cases, death. However, string is more often being replaced with a red dot laser pointer. This propensity is probably related to their hunting instinct. This notorious love of string is often depicted in cartoons and photographs, which show kittens or cats playing with balls of yarn.

Many cannot resist a dangling piece of string, or a piece of rope drawn randomly and enticingly across the floor. Domestic cats, especially young ones, are known for their love of string play. Many "people foods" are not good for cats; chocolate, for example, can be fatal due to the theobromine found in chocolate (see theobromine poisoning). Additionally, cats have been known to develop a fondness for "people food" such as barbecued chicken, bread, french fries, pepperoni pizza, ice cream, tomato soup, carrot juice, olives, and carnitas burritos, as well as cat diet exotica such as corn kernels and diced cantaloupe.

This mostly happens when the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's, organ becomes sensitized to a specific food, at which point the cat will reject any food that doesn't fit the pattern it is expecting. Cats can be fussy eaters. ^[12]. Eating vegetation in this way may aid the cat's digestive system and can prevent hairballs.

They do not eat a lot in one sitting, but prefer to have it as a snack. Cats are also known to munch on grass, leaves, shrubs and houseplants. Some vegetarian owners feed their cats a vegetarian diet containing supplemental taurine. Despite this, however, the majority of brand-name cat foods are primarily grain based, often containing large amounts of corn or rice and supplemented with meats and essential vitamins.

This contrasts with domesticated dogs, which commonly are fed a mixture of meat and vegetable products and have been adapted in some cases to a vegetarian diet. Lactose-free milk is perfectly safe, but still not a substitute for meat. Cow's milk is a poor source of taurine and adult cats are generally lactose intolerant. This condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD).

Specifically this applies to taurine, the absence of which causes the cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness. In captivity, cats cannot be adapted to an unsupplemented vegetarian diet because they cannot synthesize all the amino acids they need from plant material. Cats, including the great cats, have a genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting sweetness ^[11], which is probably related to their meat-only habits. Whereas bears and dogs commonly supplement their diet of meat with fruits, berries, roots, and honey when they can get them, cats feed exclusively on meat, usually freshly killed.

Unlike most carnivores, cats eat almost no vegetable matter apart from that found in the digestive tracts of their prey. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin and assist in their grooming. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae, designed to retain and rip flesh from a carcass. While this is present in canines, it is highly developed in felines.

The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. Cats have highly specialized teeth and a digestive tract suitable to the digestion of meat. An exception is the leopard, which commonly hunts rabbits and many other smaller animals. Although, theoretically, big cats can kill most of these species as well, they often do not due to the relatively low nutritional content that smaller animals provide.

The domestic cat can hunt and eat about one thousand species—many big cats will eat fewer than 100. They ambush and dispatch vertebrate prey using tactics similar to those of leopards and tigers by pouncing; they then deliver a lethal neck bite with their long canine teeth that severs the victim's spinal cord, or asphyxiate it by crushing the windpipe. Relative to size, domestic cats are very effective predators. The scent glands on the underside of their paws release small amounts of scent onto the person or object being pawed, marking it as "theirs" in the same way they would urinate to mark their territory.

Pawing is also a way for cats to mark their territory. As a result, cats that are hand-raised by humans may lack this reflex. It is instinctive to cats, and they use it when they are young to stimulate the mother cat's nipple to release milk during nursing. The action is often referred to as paddy-pawing, making muffins or treading paws.

Cats often use this action alongside purring to show contentment and affection for their owners. When cats are happy, they are known to paw their owners, or that on which they sit, with a kneading motion. Touching noses is a friendly greeting for cats, while a lowered head is a sign of submission. Tailless cats, such as the Manx (cat), who possess only a small stub of a tail move the stub around as though they possessed a full tail, though it is not nearly as communicative as that of a fully tailed cat.

A scared cat may puff up its tail and the hair along its back and turn its body sideways to a threat in order to increase its apparent size. A tail held high is a sign of happiness, while half-raised shows less pleasure, and unhappiness is indicated with a tail held low. Cats will twitch the tips of their tails when hunting or angry, while larger twitching indicates displeasure. Shorthair cats are more prone to this problem.

Although this condition can be treated through the addition of a small amount of bran to each meal, it may require veterinary attention. Anal irritation, possibly shown by the cat rubbing its bottom on the floor and frequent licking of the area, can be a sign that the cat's anal sacs are not being emptied when waste passes ^[10]. During moments of excitement or other strong emotions, a cat's anal sac may discharge, releasing a foul-smelling brown liquid. These scent-producing anal sacs are found in all predators; those of the skunk are used for self-defense, for example.

When passing solid waste, cats, like many types of predators, release from anal glands a small amount of liquid that scents their feces, to mark their territory. Since this feline expression often involves a mouth movement similar to the one they would use to kill their prey (their "killing bite"), they may be trying to practice this mouth movement in anticipation. When directed at out-of-reach prey, it is unknown whether this is a threatening sound, an expression of frustration, or an attempt to replicate a birdcall (or replicate the call of a bird's prey, for example a cicada). Cats are also known to make chirping noises when observing prey, or as a means of expressing interest in an object to nearby humans.

Cat scratches can easily become infected, and in extreme cases can result in cat scratch fever. With cats who are improperly socialised and do not know their own strength, this can result in inadvertent damage to human skin. Some may engage in nipping behavior or batting with their paws, either with claws extended or retracted. Most cats growl or hiss when angered or in danger.

For example, cats have been known to purr when hurt. However, purring may also be a way for the cat to calm itself down. In addition to purring, happy cats may blink slowly or partially close their eyes to break any possible stares and communicate their ease in the situation. It is possible for a cat to call out and purr simultaneously, although this is typical only in very vocal cats.

Currently, though, it is believed that purring is a result of rhythmic impulses to the cat's larynx. Until recently, there were many competing theories to explain how cats purr, including vibration of the cat's false vocal chords when inhaling and exhaling, the sound of blood hitting the aorta, vibration of the hyoid apparatus, or resonation directly in the lungs. Cats purr among other cats—for example, when a mother meets her kittens. Cats can also produce a purring noise that typically indicates that the cat is happy, but also can mean that it feels distress.

Some cats, however, do not exercise their voices a lot, so their call may remain similar to that of a kitten through adulthood. A kitten's call first starts out as a high-pitched squeak-like sound when very young, and then deepens over time. Cats are capable of about 100 different vocalisations, compared to about 10 for dogs. Some cats are very vocal, and others rarely call out.

Usually cats call out to indicate pain, request human attention (to be fed or played with, for example), or as a greeting. The cat's pronunciation of this call varies significantly depending on meaning. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, was written as "blert", while the sound made by Bill the Cat in Berkeley Breathed's comic strip Bloom County was generally described as "ack". The sound of an increasingly annoyed cat is transcribed in James Joyce's Ulysses as "mkgnao", "mrkgnao" and "mrkrgnao" ^[9], and the sound made by Pixel, the title character of Robert A.

The unique sound a small cat makes is written onomatopoeically as "meow" in American English; "meow" or "miaow" in British English; "miaou" or "miaw" in French; "miao" in Mandarin Chinese and Italian; "miau" in German, Spanish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish, Croatian, Romanian and Portuguese; "miau" or "מיאו" in Hebrew;"miyav" in Turkish; "mjäu" in Estonian; "mowa'a" in Arabic; "nyaa" or "nyan" in Japanese; "meong" or "ngeong" in Bahasa Indonesia; "ngiau" in Malay; "yaong" or "nyaong" in Korean; and various ways in other languages. Some scientists believe this is related to the cat's diet being naturally high in protein, though it is unclear whether it is the cause or the result of it. According to National Geographic (December 8), cats cannot taste sugary foods due to a faulty sweet receptor gene. Whiskers point forward when the cat is inquisitive and friendly, and lie flat on the face when the cat is being defensive or aggressive.

Whiskers are also an indication of the cat's attitude. The whiskers also spread out roughly as wide as the cat's body making it able to judge if it can fit through an opening. It is thought that a cat may choose to rely on the whiskers in dim light where fully dilating the pupils would reduce its ability to focus on close objects. The upper two rows of whiskers can move independently from the lower two rows for even more precise measuring.

Whiskers may detect very small shifts in air currents, enabling a cat to know it is near obstructions without actually seeing them. Whiskers (technically called vibrissae) can aid with navigation and sensation. Whiskers may also be found on the cat's "elbows." The Sphynx (a nearly hairless breed) may have full length, short, or no whiskers at all. Cats generally have about a dozen whiskers in four rows on each upper lip, a few on each cheek, tufts over the eyes and bristles on the chin.

Gaping is the equivalent of the Flehmen response in other animals, such as dogs and horses. This is called gaping. When a cat wrinkles its muzzle, lowers its chin, and lets its tongue hang a bit, it is opening the passage to the vomeronasal. Cats also have a scent organ in the roof of their mouths called the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's, organ.

Cats have twice as many smell-sensitive cells in their noses as people do, which means they can smell things we are not even aware of. A domestic cat's sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than a human's. Cats can judge within three inches (7.5 cm) the location of a sound being made one yard (approximately one meter) away. When listening for something, a cat's ears will swivel in that direction; a cat's ear flaps (pinnae) can independently point backwards as well as forwards and sideways to pinpoint the source of the sound.

Cats can hear 2 octaves higher than humans, and one-half octave higher than dogs. Humans and cats have a similar range of hearing on the low end of the scale, but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds, even better than dogs. If a cat chronically shows the third eyelid, it should be taken to a veterinarian. This membrane partially closes if the cat is sick; although in a sleepy, content cat this membrane is often visible.

Cats have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, which is a thin cover that closes from the side and appears when the cat's eyelid opens. Cats can apparently differentiate among colors, especially at close range, but without appreciable subtlety. Instead of the fovea which gives humans sharp central vision, cats have a central band known as the visual streak. Field of view is largely dependent upon the placement of the eyes, but may also be related to the eye's construction.

As with most predators, their eyes face forward, affording depth perception at the expense of field of view. Average cats have a visual field of view estimated at 200°, versus 180° in humans, with a binocular field (overlap in the images from each eye) narrower than that of humans. Variation in color of cats' eyes in flash photographs is largely due to the interaction of the flash with the tapetum. The tapetum and other mechanisms give the cat a minimum light detection threshold up to 7 times lower than that of humans.

In very bright light, the slit-like iris closes very narrowly over the eye, reducing the amount of light on the sensitive retina, and improving depth of field. While this enhances the ability to see in low light, it appears to reduce net visual acuity, thus detracting when light is abundant. Cats, like dogs, have a tapetum lucidum that reflects extra light to the retina. Testing indicates that a cat's vision is superior at night in comparison to humans, and inferior in daylight.

These along with the cat's highly advanced eyesight, taste, and touch receptors make the cat extremely sensitive among mammals. While a cat's senses of smell and hearing may not be as keen as, say, those of a mouse, they are superior in many ways to those of humans. Measuring the senses of any animal can be difficult, because there is usually no explicit communication (e.g., reading aloud the letters of a Snellen chart) between the subject and the tester.. Thus extending the claws is an involuntary action.

It is only by stretching, such as swatting at prey, that the connecting tendons are pulled taut, forcing the claws to extend. This is done to keep the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground. This is actually a misnomer because in their normal, relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. Like many predators, cats have retractable claws.

They are capable of walking very precisely, placing each hind paw directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimising noise and visible tracks. Cats, like dogs, are digitigrades: they walk directly on their toes, the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the visible leg. Certain breeds that don't have a tail are a notable exception, since a cat moves its tail and relies on conservation of angular momentum to set up for landing. ^[8] It always rights itself in the same way, provided it has the time to do so during a fall.

During a fall, a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. They do usually, but not always. A popular belief holds that cats always land on their feet. For a cat at rest, the average heart rate should be between 150 and 180 bpm, depending upon level of activity.

A domestic cat's normal heart rate ranges from 140 to 220 beats per minute, and is largely dependent on how excited the cat is. Comparatively, humans have a normal temperature of approximately 37 °C (97 to 100 °F). The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38 and 39 °C (101 and 102.2 °F).^[7] A cat is considered febrile if it has a temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) or greater, or hypothermic if less than 37.5 °C (100 °F). Shorter haired cats tend to be skinnier and more active, while cats with longer hair tend to be heavier and less active.

Cats' temprament can vary depending on the breed and socialization. The term cat nap refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep for a brief period; someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a cat nap". Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. Daily durations of sleep are various, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14 being the average.

Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. (Scottish Folds are one such exceptional genetic mutation.) When angry or frightened, a cat will lay its ears back, to accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Unlike dogs, flap-eared breeds are extremely rare. Most cats have straight ears pointing upward.

Thus a cat can move its body in one direction and point its ears in quite another direction (such as pointing backward toward its owner). Thirty-two individual muscles in the ear allow for a manner of directional hearing; ^[6] the cat can move each ear independently of the other. The oldest feral cat was Mark who was maintained by the British charity Cats Protection and who reached 26 years of age. Feral cats in maintained colonies can live much longer; the British Cat Action Trust reported a 19-year-old feral female.

Spaying and neutering a cat also decreases the risk of testicular and ovarian cancer, and female cats spayed before their first heat or litter benefit from reduced risk of mammary cancer.^[5] Feral cats living in modern urban environments often live only two years, or less. In captivity, indoor cats typically live 15 to 20 years, though the oldest-known cat lived to age 36.^[4] Domestic cats tend to live longer if they are not permitted to go outdoors (reducing the risk of injury from fights or accidents) and if they are spayed or neutered. This is very unhealthy for the cat, and should be prevented through diet and exercise (playing), especially for cats living exclusively indoors. Some have been known to reach up to 23 kg (50 lb), due to overfeeding.

Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg (5.5–16 lb); however, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon can exceed 11.3 kg (25 pounds). . The cat's association with humans leads it to figure prominently in the mythology and legends of several cultures, including the ancient Egyptians, Vikings, and Chinese. Because the domestication of the cat is relatively recent, cats may also still live effectively in the wild, often forming small colonies.

They communicate by calling ("meow"/"miaou"), purring, hissing, and gesturing. They are also intelligent animals: some are able to manipulate simple mechanisms such as lever-handled doors and flush toilets. They are skilled predators and have been known to hunt over one thousand different species for food. There are dozens of breeds of domestic cats, some hairless or tailless, and they exist in a variety of different colors including multicolored.

The ratio of pedigree/purebred cats to random-bred cats varies from country to country. Purebreds are less than one percent of the total feline population; cats of mixed ancestry are referred to as domestic longhairs and domestic shorthairs or commonly as random-bred, moggies, mongrels, mutt-cats or alley cats. A pedigree cat is one whose ancestry is recorded, but may have ancestors of different breeds. In strict terms, a purebred cat is one whose ancestry contains only individuals of the same breed.

A cat whose ancestry is formally registered is called a purebred cat, a pedigree cat, or a show cat (although not all show cats are pedigree or purebred). An immature cat is called a kitten (which is also an alternate name for young rats, rabbits, hedgehogs, beavers, and squirrels). A group of cats is referred to as a clowder, while a male cat is called a tom, and a female is called a queen or quean. The history of the domestic cat may stretch back even further, as 8,000-year-old bones of humans and cats were found buried together on the island of Cyprus^[3].

The cat has been living in close association with humans for at least 3,500 years; the Ancient Egyptians routinely used cats to keep mice and other rodents (mostly rats) away from their grain (and also believed that cats were sacred to the goddess Bastet). Its most immediate pre-domestication ancestor is the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica. The cat, also called the domestic cat or house cat, is a small feline carnivorous mammal of the subspecies Felis silvestris catus. URL accessed on November 29, 2005..

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Domestic longhaired.