All categories
    • All categories
    • Cats
    • Cat accessories
    • Cat services
    • Events

    Pet-iquette: A cat’s tongue is strong

    Articlegeneral cat adviceMonday 05 March 2012
    Pets - cats & dogs
    Should cats be bathed? Or is it enough for them to lick themselves clean?
    Cats hate being bathed and it is a hideous experience to bathe them so if you absolutely have to do it make sure you are in a small locked room so that they can’t escape or run about.
    Get gloves if you don’t want to be clawed. However, cats bathe themselves pretty frequently. A cat uses her rough, sandpaper-like tongue to run through her fur coat and clear it of dirt and foreign objects. She distributes saliva throughout the fur, which helps draw out the dirt the same way that water and shampoo draws dirt and product out of human hair. A cat’s saliva also helps stimulate the glands of the skin to distribute natural oils to the cat’s skin and fur. Any matting of the hair is cleared up quickly with a few licks. A cat’s tongue is strong, long, and versatile enough to reach into the depths of the fur and clean the skin as well. So when it comes to keeping clean, cats seem to have this all covered. But if you notice that your cat smells, has visible dirt in his hair, or has a matted coat, you should definitely bite the bullet and give him a bath. If your cat is not grooming himself properly, see a vet as this could be a sign of a problem.
    I have a pet goat. He responds to me like a gentle dog. What is a good diet for a goat?
    Goats can consume a varied diet. Grain and hay are usually staples. Hay should never be damp or mouldy, but hay with some weeds growing in it is actually healthy for goats. Alfalfa cubes soaked in warm water can be used with hay. Kitchen scraps are an acceptable addition, including things such as orange and banana peels and various vegetable ends. Treats that can be fed in moderation include bread and corn chips. Goats also eat flowers, shrubs, saplings, tree bark, and herbs.
    In my neighbourhood there is a group of dogs who attack and chase people. What can I do to make them stop?
    If the dogs growl, snap, snarl, lunge or otherwise threaten passing dogs or people on walks perhaps, they have had a bad experience. While this is frightening, dogs that chase people rarely bite. Aggression is also a very common reaction to pain.If you can interact with a shelter, see whether one or more dogs can be picked up and examined by a vet. And get the dog sterilised as this calms them down. When the aggression has not continued long enough to become a habit, curing or controlling the physical cause will, in some cases, immediately stop the aggression. Dogs have a survival instinct to hide their pain. Showing any sign of weakness in the wild could get them killed.
    If there is no physical injury, then the time has come to make friends. Make sure the dogs are fed at the same time and place every day and that a few people are nearby so they know that they are being fed. Let everyone in the area carry biscuits and throw them gently at the dogs so that they start associating people with good things. Give them names and stand still and talk to them in a voice of command saying stop if they show aggression. This will take time but it will work.
    Subscribe to our newsletter