Calculate Your Cat's Stress Levels With This Free Online Tool!

Many owners will know that cats can be easily stressed and external factors such as moving house, change of diet and routine etc. can have a dramatic effect on our feline friends.

Recently I read an article that linked stress to Feline Idiopathic Cystitis  (that's the technical name for a lower urinary tract disorder) which in itself highlights the need to ensure our feline friends maintain a calm equilibrium.

I have written previously about how we can help our cats, by offering a regular routine and giving them the resources to fulfil their daily needs but even with these practical needs met a stressful environment will undo these measures.

Cats that are stressed are likely to withdraw, reduce their food intake and are known to be more likely to run away.

I recently came across a nifty FREE resource that may help owners ascertain whether their cats may be feeling stressed and invite you to try out the Feline Stress Calculator here

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Dog Breeds That Bark The Most...And The Least

I was asked recently my opinion on which dog breeds bark the most and gave the answer that, in my experience, smaller breeds were the most likely to bark randomly.

It set me thinking that maybe my own experiences as a dog walker, trainer and behaviourist were just that...my own experiences and studies maybe showed that in the big canine picture most dogs were given to bark randomly at around the same level.

My research lead me to a book by Benjamin and Lynette Hart The Perfect Puppy: How To Choose Your Dog By It's Behaviour in which the authors had listed the dogs that were most and least likely to bark randomly without justification.

According to the book...

The least likely breeds to bark randomly were...

• Akita
• Bloodhound
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
• Golden Retriever
• Newfoundland
• Rottweiler

And the most likely breed to bark randomly...

• Beagle
• Cairn Terrier
• Fox Terrier
• Miniature Schnauzer
• West Highland White Terrier
• Yorkshire Terrier

I also noted that many of the bigger breeds such as Labrador Retrievers, Great Danes and Malamutes ranked highly as least likely to bark randomly whilst the smaller breeds such as Chihuahua, Pekinese and small Poodle breeds were rated more likely to be 'random barkers'.

Five Cat-Related Things That You May Not Know....

Curious about cats? Below is a short list of less well-known feline-related trivia....

• Many cats love olives - this is because olives contain isoprenoids which are very similar to the active chemical in catnip that drives many cats wild. Although consuming olives doesn't tend to have a detrimental effect on our feline friends it should be noted that frequent consumption can cause stomach upset in some cats.
• A small study has shown that female cats tend to be right-pawed and male cats tend to be left-pawed.
• Think cats lack loyalty? In Montagnana, Italy, a cat by the name of Toldo visited his owner's grave every day for 12 months after he passed away!
• Want to gauge your cat's mood? Check out the whiskers...if they're pulled back then it's likely that your cat is feeling irritated or annoyed and if they're pushed forward and relaxed your cat is likely to be feeling happy and content.
• You may have known that the ancient Egyptians revered cats so highly that it was considered a capital offence to kill a cat, what is less known is that according to the historian Herodotus the Persians actually released cats onto a battlefield leading the Egyptians to surrender rather than risk killing a cat whilst in battle!

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