June 2005
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• Persian cats
• Weight management program graduate
• Cat communication
• Prize winner

The Persian Cat
The Persian cat is the most popular breed worldwide. While its actual history cannot be known with certainty, one thing that we can be fairly sure of is that it originated somewhere within the Persian Empire. The country known as Persia is Iran today but the Persian Empire covered a much larger area. Somewhere within this region lay the origins of the Persian cat. The first longhair cat didn’t arrive in Europe until the 16th century, but quickly became a favorite among European aristrocracy. In July of 1871 the world’s first cat show was held and “early” Persians were among the contestants. At that time competitors were grouped by length of coat and color. Since then, cat fanciers have bred to achieve specific characteristics such as the flat face. Today’s Persian cat must meet strict standards in order to compete.

The flat face is achieved through a perfect alignment of forehead, nose, and chin. Their large round eyes are wide set and expressive. Their legs are short and one gets the impression that Persians are heavily boned. Their coat is long, generally around four inches and as much as eight inches on the ruff (around the neck). It is silky, fine, and dense, and according to research by a nationally known pet food manufacturer, a Persian cat has 230 miles of coat! A shorthair cat has 70 miles. Not surprisingly, the coat does require regular brushing to prevent matting. The Persian comes in an astonishing number of colors. For show purposes these colors have been grouped into seven color divisions, but there are actually 315 recognized colors.

As a pet, the Persian is a quiet, loving pet who is happy to spend hours on their favorite human’s lap – no matter what else might be going on. You may remember a lovely white Persian who was the companion of super-villain Ernst Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. In several James Bond films the cat sat impassively in Blofeld’s lap as he coolly set about his terrible work. In this case, had that cat known what was going on, I’m sure he would have abandoned his owner. The Persian truly has a sweet and gentle personality.

Congratulations to Judy Pfaltzgraf!
All of our clients who had their pet’s teeth cleaned during Dental Health Season here at East Hilliard Veterinary Services were entered into a drawing for a large basketful of dental health goodies and toys. Our winner, Judy Pfaltzgraf, said her Weimeraner, Hawk, will definitely enjoy going through the basket. The cat treats and toys were going to be shared with friends and neighbors. Judy was very surprised saying she never wins anything!

Weight Management Program Graduate
Meet Oscar Johnson. His sister Amber graduated from the weight management program last month and he just had to keep up. The difference between Oscar’s highest weight of 13.3 pounds and his lowest, 12.1 pounds, may not seem like much but, as we’ve said many times, you need to look at percentages. He was about nine percent over what was considered his ideal weight. Maintaining a healthy weight will enhance and lengthen Oscar’s life. Our congratulations to Oscar and his family. Good job again!

Cat Communication
“Though they lack language, cats have become very skilled at managing humans to get what they want…” said Nicholas Nicastro after his 2002 evolutionary psychology study at Cornell University. Every cat owner will agree that cats have no problem letting their human family know just what they want and when they want it.

Cats have a variety of forms of communication: pheromones, purring, body language, and vocalizations.

• Pheromones are for cat to cat communication. They are aromatic markers that establish and help maintain a cat’s territory. Cats have several glands that are used for scent marking. The ones located near the cheeks are the most commonly used as they rub on practically every vertical surface in the house and yard, including the family.
  
• Purring is most often associated with happiness and contentment. However, purring is also seen in ill or anxious cats. We see it often in the veterinary clinic. This is believed to be self-comforting and might possibly be a form of self-healing. Research on humans has shown certain frequencies of vibration can reduce or relieve pain. Researchers have reported surprising findings in vibration therapy in humans including: reduction in inflammation and swelling, improvement in circulation, bone growth/repair, better joint mobility, even an inhibition of bacterial growth!
  
• Body language is a universal language. It is present in all species all over the world and is easy to comprehend for others members of that species. Knowing the body language will help you understand your cat at a deeper level. Scent marking is a part of body language. If one cat watches another cat scent mark, the meaning will be understood even without the scent. Also, watching a cat’s tail and ears is a great way to understand their mood and intent.
  
• Except in aggressive or defensive situations, vocalizations are rarely used from cat to cat. They are saved for “talking” to their human family. They are associated with requests (often demands) for food, water, affection, and distress, among others. The research done at Cornell found that longer and lower frequency sounds indicated more urgent or demanding requests. Shorter higher pitch sounds, often descending in tone, were more simple requests. They found that cat owners understood the meaning of the sound better when it was heard in context. That is when the cat is standing at the door and meowing, the owner knew that meant “Please let me outside.” When that same sound was played back to the owner in the laboratory situation, they rarely recognized the meaning.

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