Whizz (Cats in General)

Member Name: Whizz11

Product:	Cats in General
Date:	12/02/09 (213 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Love her

Disadvantages: She scratches

Cats (Felis Catus)

I never was and still am not one of those people who go crazy over everything "Cats." I don't really have mugs with cats on them, little cat figurines, cat note paper etc but that said I do love having my little cat! According to an article I read humans have had a close relationship with cats for thousands of years as cats became domesticated for help in pest control, hunting, and companionship. This relationship is said to have started over 9,500 years ago. Cats are probably the most popular pet in the world, with over 600 million in homes all over the world. I think this is because unlike a dog or other large animal it's quite easy to have a cat as they are fairly self-sufficient. That said, I believe in giving a cat all the love you can possibly manage.

My cat is called Whizz and she's 5 human years old now. As a kitten she used to run back and forth in my apartment so quickly that we gave her the name Whizz. I adopted her whilst I was living in California. I wasn't actually planning on getting a pet but my cousin worked in an adoption centre and I went there one day with her and saw four of these beautiful 3 month old tabby kittens and just fell in love. I picked Whizz due to the fact that she was the most playful and cuddly with me. I would recommend adoption to anyone because you really feel like you are making a difference in this small creature's life. The state of California actually gave me money back if I had her neutered which obviously is a benefit to them for their cat population and to me of course!

When I moved back to England I brought Whizz with me. She didn't have to go and stay in quarantine but for 6 months before we came back she had to have injections on certain days to make sure she was ok to travel. Then she flew back to England with Virgin Atlantic (I actually got 1,000 airmiles for her to go). She got a little backpack full of goodies, like a toy mouse with Virgin Atlantic written on it which was very cute.

According to another article I read, for cats, life in close proximity with humans (and other animals kept by humans) amounts to a "symbiotic social adaptation" which has developed over thousands of years. It has been suggested that, ethologically, the human keeper of a cat functions as a sort of surrogate for the cat's mother, and that adult domestic cats live their lives in a kind of extended kittenhood, a form of behavioral neoteny.

For me life with a cat is great. There is always someone to meet you at the door when you come home from work, someone who will always listen to your problems and not complain and be there to give you lots of cuddles. Of course, most of the time the cuddles come on Whizz's timetable, not mine. She will pester and pester me whilst I am cooking dinner for a cuddle and then when I am sat down, all snuggled up on the couch she is no one to be seen. Most of the time though in the evenings she comes and sits on my lap and lets me stroke her for hours and I find it really relaxes you and makes you calm which is great.

I also think cats are very intuitive. When I was sick a few weeks ago I was laying on the floor trying not to be sick and Whizz came over to me and just put her pawn on my tummy and rested it there as if to say, "I know you're sick and this is my way of making you feel better," and you know what, it did!
I love just watching Whizz sometimes, she is just so cute and funny and it's a marvel to me to be able to spend time with such a beautiful creature. I really like to watch her eat because I think it's fascinating. She normally eats Whiskas but sometimes if she is lucky I let her lick the salt off a crisps which is her all-time favourite thing to do.

One problem I have with her is that she likes to scratch and often does this on the carpet much to the distress of my husband. I have tried a scratching post (she ignores it), lemon scent (she licks it) so if anybody has any good suggestions to stop her I would greatly appreciate it. I know it's a natural thing for a cat to do but a little less would be great

I would recommend cats to anyone; they will bring you a lot of joy and love!

Summary: Whizz the Cat