by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society

Did you know National Cat Lovers’ Month is celebrated every year in December? You would if you were a cat lover. Having grown up with dogs and ducks, I didn’t become a cat lover until I fostered an infant kitten and failed foster care when I couldn’t give her up. I did cat sit once for a neighbor when in my teens. She was a Siamese who bit my younger brother on the nose when he innocently cornered her. Lesson learned.

As anyone who has ever owned a cat can tell you, they are their own breed. Some can be very dog-like in their demeanor, yet at their core, they are cats. Here are few very interesting facts about these amazing creatures:

~ House cats share 96.5% of the genetic makeup with tigers. “God made the cat to give man the pleasure of stroking a tiger.” — Joseph Méry

~ A cat’s tongue can lick meat completely off the bone.

~ People with cat allergies are not allergic to the fur but to the protein found in the cat’s saliva, urine, and dander (tiny bits of microscopic, dried skin that flakes off of the cat’s body and becomes airborne which contain a protein responsible for allergies).

~ Cats walk with both right feet and both left feet oddly like giraffes and camels.

“There are no ordinary cats.” — Colette

~ Cats may be the only mammals that do not taste sweetness.

~ According to research, a cat’s purr has the power to selfheal. They purr in contentment, for self-calming and stress reduction and to self-medicate. It also reduces human stress, lowers blood pressure, decreases heart attack risk, promotes bone and wound healing, reduces pain and swelling, and even improves breathing. Another words, cats are good for you. “Cats aren’t special advisers. They advise us all the time, whether we want them to or not.” ― Tamora Pierce

Some cat people have a color or sex preference while others look more for that individual personality. Some want a lap cat, others like the independent feline.

It’s interesting to watch a potential adopter choose their next family member going from room to room. Little do they realize that the conniving cat is doing all the choosing for them.

So, Lily, my very first feline turned me into a lover of cats after being a dog person my whole life. It only takes one. I continued to foster and ended up adopting three other young adults, despite Lily’s protests. Eventually they all got along and one by one passed. Today our family consists of one adopted dog, two adopted cats and one inherited deaf feline. I am a cat convert and proud of it. “I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” — Jean Cocteau