Small cat managed to raise in the numbers of these giants, politicians and show business stars. But do not be discouraged if your pitomitsy not reached such heights.

It is able to attack and defend, love and hate, be gentle lump of wool and violent fury. Get accustomed to their favorite - a unique creature, the crown of nature, the present perfect, amazing and beautiful animal. What can tell us her appearance?

The cat is a predator and feeds on nature, hunting mice and birds .  It requires skill and ingenuity in order not to starve to death, but even more it needed sophisticated weapon attacks .  In addition, it is necessary to defend themselves against larger predators, no less hungry than herself .  Guns her attacks are well known to us all - long claws, preserving the sharpness due to the finger pad and sharp teeth (at the distant ancestor of our favorites, the saber-toothed tiger, they reached 15 centimeters) .  The cat is not the collarbone, so its front paws spring: they are attached to the skeleton of the trunk muscles and tendons only .  In addition, nature has provided the cats simple but effective way to "passive protection" .  For example, between the eyes and ears of the cat hair is shorter and less frequent than on the whole body .  When viewed from above, this area has the effect of open eyes, even when sleeping Murka tenth dream .  But the cat has unique guard and conductors - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste .

Cat's eyes have long admired the people and led them to the horror .  Remarkable have their size - in relation to the total area of ​​the body in cats biggest eye in the animal kingdom .  For example, I can only say that a person possesses the eyes of the same size, they would be twenty centimeters in diameter .  Not surprisingly, the cat sees six times better than humans .  In addition, due to bulging eyes, the angle of view of a cat is 205 °, which allows her to see great things on the side, without turning his head .  It was long thought that the cat does not have color vision, that is, sees the world in gray, about the same as on the screen in black and white TV .  Recently, however, this view has been refuted .  Cat's eyes really are very sensitive to gray (the difference of about 25 shades of color), but cats are distinguished, and six primary colors .  Most cats Favorite color - Red .  Another surprising feature associated with the cat's eyes, is that they have nerve cells, enabling them to listen and transmit acoustic information to the brain .

But, of course, like other mammals, the main part of the sound information gets through the cat's ears, which are even more advanced than the eye. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the cat does not see in total darkness, but confidently guided with the help of hearing, sense of smell and touch.

Cat ears - a wonderful sensitive instrument. Each ear is controlled by 27 muscles, and independently of the other may be sent to the sound source. At the base of each ear has a leather crease - some scientists believe that this is nothing more than a resonator. The cat huge range of hearing - she hears sounds in the range of 3,000 to 45,000 Hz, (man - only to 20,000 Hz), and scientists believe it is due to his phenomenal ear cat is able to overcome the vast distances to return home.

Smell the cat is much better than a man, but worse than a dog. But much more cats picky regards the taste of food. It is known that these small predators extremely picky eating habits. Often they are real gourmand and prefer to starve, just not to have what they do not like.

Special mention should be on the cat's organs of touch. The cat is very sensitive skin - which is why she hates when her stroked against the grain). However, if a long time to iron even the cat hair in the right direction, the cat is likely sooner or later express dissatisfaction: it will annoy constant contact with her precious skin. The cat has a special and unique, organs of touch - tactile hairs whiskers. Especially a lot of them on the muzzle, above the eyes and on the upper lip (the past we used to call a mustache). These hairs are a kind of antennas that can not only catch the slightest movement of air, but also to establish the exact distance to the subject. They are of great importance: if they cut or pull out, the cat will not only lose orientation in space, but in general can get crazy.

Cat accuracy has long held man .  However, this desire for purity is not so much cosmetic habit as a vital necessity .  The cat hunts from an ambush, and it is very important that the victim was not able to smell her scent as long as possible .  In addition, only carefully licked fur protects your darling from the cold and moisture: by saliva cat hair becomes virtually waterproof .  Scientists have recently discovered that, licking, cat fur leaves a special substance which sunlight is converted into vitamin D it needs .  And besides, this way the cat underlines your individuality .  Thanks to daily washing, cats can get to know each other, because their saliva has a special smell, Another amazing property of cats - to issue specific sounds, which we call purring .  By the way, purring cat is the exclusive privilege, and scientists are still not developed a consensus, why and how to publish these sounds cats .  It is generally considered that purring cats is the result of generating electrical impulses in the brain, which are transmitted through the central nervous system, resulting in a reduction of certain muscles located near the vocal chords .  The vocal cords resonate, therefore, from the nose and mouth come audible sounds .  This not only vibrate the vocal cords, but the whole body, although, fortunately, we hear the sound coming from only one source .

Previously it was thought that the purring cat - one of the ways of communication. So, cats purr quiet when asked, loudly - when, thanks. Indeed, purring - evidence of happiness, gratitude and complacency. But recently, scientists have been able to find a connection with the purring efficiency of blood circulation and cell regeneration.

Purring ordinary house cat takes place in a very narrow range, that is, all the cats urchat on the same frequency (between 22 and 44 Hz). Surprisingly, this vibration frequency accelerate cell regeneration, so that it lies in one of the rumbling clues cat's vitality. In addition, this improves the frequency of human bone tissue, so close contact with cats in some way beneficial to health.

Actually, if an adult healthy man decided to have a cat at home, and the only decisive criterion for it it is aesthetic: Do nice kitten muzzle and beautiful fur there. But a little differently this question is for pregnant women and families that already have children.

A common misconception is that cats are not safe for pregnant women, their fetuses and infants by distributing a plurality of incurable diseases and dangerous .  Following the advice of well-wishers and even maloprofessionalnyh doctors expectant mother often detaches from the heart of his beloved cat, and only later finds out that this was not necessary .  Most feline diseases are not transmitted to humans, in addition, many cats live in a clean apartment, without going outside, and then the risk of infection from them is minimal anything .  The biggest danger to the pregnant woman is the possibility of contracting toxoplasmosis from cat - a disease that is common in cats and is not dangerous for adults, but can adversely affect fetal development .  In humans, long time having a cat at home, usually produces immunity to the disease, and only a blood test to find out whether your cat is for you to danger .  However, even if the expectant mother is not imunniteta to toxoplasmosis, in order not to fall ill, it is only necessary to wash your hands often and clean the litter box only rubber gloves, especially in late pregnancy .  Keep in mind also that with the same success can be infected with toxoplasmosis by eating steak Cooking steak   with blood or digging in the garden beds.

It does not represent any danger for cats and babies. Scary stories about cats being strangled children, lying on the face of it, are without the slightest reason. Most likely the cat will love the kid and take care of him as well as his mother. But still, to completely protect the baby, just enough to avoid a cat in the nursery and not to leave her alone with the baby. However, these rules apply to all pets. However, very different challenges confronting parents, whom he had not occurred to have a pet as long, until one day their child is not stated categorically: I want a cat.

Often, such a request the parents refuses. As a rule, it is enough problems without a pet, the more that the main burden of caring for a kitten newcomers likely will fall on their shoulders. Many attribute the request of a child just a whim, that it is not necessary to indulge, so as not to spoil the child, and other earnest believe that a cat can come in the form of a potential risk of fleas, worms and other infection. But is the neighborhood with pet harms your baby?

First of all, a child whose parents categorically refused to have the house favorite, is likely to seek friends among stray cats and dogs, communication with them would bring him immeasurably greater harm, while the well-kept house cat is perfectly safe. Moreover, in recent years scientists have discovered that the presence of cats in the house can have a beneficial effect on the health of your baby. It turned out that if in the first year of life of a boy or girl living in the house pets, the frequency of positive reactions to allergens is reduced by half. That is, allowing the child to deal with a domestic cat, you reduce the possibility of his allergies. But even more beneficial effect on the presence of the cat's mental state of children.

Communicating with animals child learns to respect the people around them, he begins to realize that you can not constantly pull and caress the cat, she will not give him more attention than it would be desirable to herself, and that she gladly will take part in his games when her good mood Good mood: Secrets positive . On the child lie certain responsibilities to care for animals that develop in children responsibility and gives them confidence in their abilities. Playing with a cat, a child develops certain mechanisms of communication. Caressing your pet, baby gets a psychological discharge, because the cat listens attentively to his words, and never interrupted. The presence of an animal in the house creates the environment for the child's psychological comfort, causing positive emotions. These emotions stimulate "pleasure hormones", which, in turn, creates favorable conditions for the functioning of the brain. Moreover, by diverting the attention of the adults, the cat does not allow them to indulge particularly children, which is also a beneficial effect on the psyche of children. Cat for children - a partner in the game, each source and the object of gentle caresses. The children are so fond of warm cat fur Fur - Luxury is timeless So excited when cats purr in response to scratching behind the ears!

In order to make full harmony in relations pet and the child need not so much: to explain to the kid that cat - not a toy, but a living creature, that it can not pull the tail and whiskers that she does not like it when it continuously pat and squeeze. And then the cat would be the best friend of the child, and bring to the house of joy and comfort. Statistical studies of American scientists have shown that families where a cat lives, happily, they rarely occur conflicts and, therefore, the children grow up in an atmosphere of psychological comfort and love.

But friends do not buy and do not assume that a cat will love and respect you only for what you feed it. Do not forget that an animal so well adapted to the wild life, completely exposed in a modern city with its environment, machines and ever-busy people. She needed attention, communication and caring, she immediately feels the insincerity and treachery will not forgive you. But the most important thing in a relationship with a cat - love. Love this little beauty, such an independent and vulnerable, and she will bring into your home world, peace and health.

Daria Nedelina

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