Posted on 07/16/2009 1:54:51 PM PDT by dragonblustar
Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.
Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food. Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.
The team said cats have "tapped into" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Actually I think they exploit humans by doing stuff like this.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg&feature=channel
Milk is probably one of the worst things you can give your cat. Most cats are lactose intolerant so it gives them a heck of a stomach ache, along with GI problems and the runs. Why do they still drink it you may ask? They can’t make the connection between the milk and why they get sick, of course.
Hmmm...in all the 18 years of her life, she’s never gotten sick from drinking it.
lol.... now that’s funny
This is why I avoided giving milk to my cats when I had two. The times when one would drink a few drinks of my cereal milk, they’d get sick later.
I was told they are intolerant, so I avoided it. I’m pretty sure they are too. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that some aren’t. Maybe some even gain a tolerance for it if they are given enough. But the runs and vomiting wasn’t worth it to me to try and make them tolerant.
Especially since they don’t need it anyway.
Our tortoiseshell had two purrs - one soft, low, and steady, showing general contentment.
The other was loud, like someone snoring or waking out of a snore. It usually came on as she began `nabbing’ at our bare toes. Sometimes to be fed, or more often it was “I feel like teasing someone right now”.
She was proof that cats have a sense of humor.
Cats are evil!
That’s why we have two....to remind us of evil.
Anyone’s who’s ever owned a cat could have told you the exact same thing, probably charging you a lot less in the process.
While milk might seem like a natural choice for your cat, the truth is that cow’s milk offers no nutritional value for cats, and it can cause digestive problems in many. The reason is that most cats develop intolerance to lactose shortly after they are weaned. This means that they are unable to digest the sugars that occur naturally in milk. This causes problems that include diarrhea and other unpleasant digestive problems.
Some people think that cats need to have milk in order to get all the necessary nutrients. This is not true. In fact, cow’s milk does nothing to meet a cat’s nutritional needs. If a cat was fed only milk, it would not be able to survive. Feral cats provide proof that cats do not need milk to be healthy, as wild cats do not usually have the opportunity to drink cow’s milk.
As long as your cat is eating a high quality food, and has access to clean fresh water, she is getting all that she needs. Milk alone is not a sufficient diet for any cat, and should never be given in place of food OR in place of water. Replacing a cat’s food or water with milk can cause your cat to become malnourished.
Many cats do seem to enjoy milk, and this causes a dilemma for many cat owners who love to give their cat treats that they enjoy. While most cats are lactose intolerant, some are not. For these cats, milk as an occasional treat is fine. The only way to know how your cat will react to milk is to feed her some. If she does not develop diarrhea then it is safe to assume that she is not lactose intolerant, and you can continue to give her the treat she loves. Again, milk should never be given in place of food, but as a treat.
If your cat IS lactose intolerant, but still seems to crave a bowl of milk now and then, there is a way to satisfy her without upsetting her digestive system. Milk substitute that is specially formulated for cats is sold in most pet food stores. Like regular milk, it should only be given as a treat and not as a replacement for meals. Even if you feed this "cats milk" on a regular basis, a high quality cat food and fresh water should always be available. Another option for lactose intolerant cats is to give lactose-free milk. This milk is available in the same aisle as regular milk in most grocery stores.
Please read reply #29
Oh, and by the way, may cat is 24 years old, she is still in very good shape and is still trying to eat me out of house and home.
She doesn’t get any milk.
Well there’s an Oh duh moment. Where is Captain Obvious?
Hmmmmm...a “soliciting purr”....sounds kind of....never mind.
I believe that cats can also tolerate goats’ milk. Goats’ milk is sometimes called the “Type O” of milks, since a lot of different kinds of orphaned animals can be raised on it.
Yeah, I’m exploited and manipulated by all three of my cats. I fall for it every time, too, since they’re too cute.
I don’t think it’s anywhere near “most” cats that are lactose intolerant. The majority of cats I’ve had liked milk and had no digestive upset from it. One finished the milk from a human’s cereal bowl *every* morning for years (and sometimes got lucky when more than one human had cereal with milk for breakfast).
My cat doesn’t purr for his dinner or a cuddle. He definately yells and loudly.
I just lost my almost 19 year old in May.
Please read post 29
There are many articles about the subject if you want to research a little. Just google "should cats drink milk" or anything along those lines and you can find out from the experts.
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