125 Most Asked Questions About Cats

The 125 Most Asked Questions About Cats (and the Answers)

John Malone

MJF Books, William Morrow and Company, Inc, 1992

Just like the title says – exactly 125 questions about cats. Oh, and the answers also! The questions run the gamut from feline history, to coloring, to health, birth and death. Here are some of my favorite questions:

How many varieties of tabby are there and where does the name come from?
The striped-and-barred tabby pattern derives its name from a quarter of Old Baghdad called Attibya, which was famous for its production of watered silk with a characteristic wavy appearance.
          As you know, I am a grey tabby and my best friend Toby is an orange tabby (although he prefers orange marmalade).

Why are cats with a tortoiseshell pattern so expensive?
Purebred tortoiseshells are extremely difficult to breed. The markings are due to a lack of an X chromosome. Thus a tortoiseshell cat is a female more than 990 times out of 1,000 and the very few males that are born are almost invariably sterile.
          I included this question because the grandmother of the house is Piper, a beautiful tortie. The author didn’t mention the calico pattern which is related to the tortie but the colors aren’t blended.

Are six-toed cats a deformity that just happens to crop up more in certain kinds of cats, or is this a mutation that is passed on from generation to generation?
Usually it is considered a deformity….however, in the area [of western Massachusetts] six-toed cats have become so common that some experts look upon this feature as an established mutation. It is believed that this mutation first became common in Boston, but it has spread to several surrounding states.
          Something else the author didn’t mention is that ship cats with six toes were considered lucky during the 1800’s and Boston is a harbor, so maybe that’s why the mutation is prevalent there. Also, I am a six-toed cat of distinction!

Do cats know an earthquake is coming before we do?
This used to be regarded as a myth, but it is now fully accepted by seismologists that cats can indeed sense the vibrations of an earthquake before it actually hits.
          My human cousin lives in California – he needs to get a cat! That way he’ll be able to duck and cover when an earthquake hits!

There are many more questions (121 of them!) that I don’t have room for here. All very informative and just plain interesting. This book is really good if you or someone you know is into cats, cat trivia or even someone who is interested in getting a cat.

Rating: 4 paws for promoting the wonder of cats and how great it is to have one in your life!!

Reviewer:Rufus

What a six-toed paw looks like: 

   

Tabbys:

 

  

Tortoiseshell:

Calico:

Thanks Google for the pix!!!