Tabby
SUMMER 18
A GREAT TIME TO SPEND WITH YOUR CAT !
BRUSH UP YOUR SKILLS 10 simple ways to draw a cat
understand your cat’s language What is your cat trying to say DISPLAY UNTIL JAN 31‘19
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be the best owner
what food can your cat eat
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contents Be the best owner..........................................14 what food can your cat eat
understand your cat’s language..............24 what is your cat trying to say
no ideas of your new cat’s name?.........42 10 name ideas of both female and male cats
BRUSH UP YOUR SKILLS......................................48 10 simple way to draw a cat
All reasonable effort has been made to ensure the images used do not breach copyright. This magazine is purely as part of student work and is not for sale or used commercially.
editor’s letter SPRING SUMMER 2018 Publisher Tabby Inc.
Editor-in-Chief Connie Wilson
Editor & Creative Director Jennifer Nosek
We’re so excited to unleash the latest issue of Tabby! We hope you find this issue as lovable and entertaining as your best friend-and we’re pretty darn certain you will. It’s packed with adorable cat photos (first thing first after all), expert behavioural advice, must-haves for you and your cat, and so much more. It’s our goal to improve all the cat-person relationships out there by advocating for cats and helping you understand your little “wild cat” better. One of the reasons cats so beguile us is that they retain, to a large degree, their wild nature. This, however, means that to have a great relationship with your cat you need to understand the feline psyche. By getting into minds of your cats and understanding the why’s behind their sometimes-mystifying behaviour, you can deepen your bond and better provide for their needs-and at the same time curb unwanted behaviour. Rounding this out is more essential expert advice, like what to do if your cats don’t like each other, adorable adoptable cats (find a new best friend!), how to grow cat greens, and more. It’s my hope that you curl up with your cat and enjoy the issue as much as we loved putting it together for you! With Love,
Connie Connie Wilson, Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief
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Audience Development & Digital Marketing Director Lauren Cheal
Social Media & Events Coordinator, Subscription Services Taryn Cheal
Assistant Art Director Natalie Gagnon
Sales & Marketing
Juila Klymenko, Jacqueline Lowndes, Nav Nagra
Accounting & Subscription Services Celine Benipayo
Copywriter & Administrative Assistant Rebekah Chotem
Controller
Cecilla de Roca Chan
Honourary Editor-atLarge Jytte Wilson
contributors Darcy Matheson is a television journalist, pet blogger, and founder of PetFundr, a crowdfunding site solely dedicated to helping animal welfare projects. This proud mama to two sassy terriers is passionate about environmentally-friendly animal care. Her new book, “Greening Your Pet Care”, released April 1st, is a terrific guide for safe and sustainable pet care - from nutrition to habitat to activities – designed to minimize your pet’s environmental “paw print.”
Photographer Jenilyn Sheppard has melded her lifetime love of animals and the arts to become one of Ontario’s leading pet photographers. She has been photographing pets since attending school during the days of film and has received numerous awards, working on projects from photographing celebrates to national corporate projects. Jenilyn has settled into Brights Grove, a beach community near Sarnia, Ontario, where she lives with her eight-year-old son and two rescue dogs and operates her pet photography company, LimeHippo.
Tabby contributor Pooja Menon is an animal lover, an animal welfare professional, a writer, and an avid traveller, having lived in Dubai, England, India, and Los Angeles prior to moving to San Francisco SPCA as a fundraiser/advocate/ storyteller on behalf of shelter cats, dogs, rabbits, and mice looking for loving homes. One of her favourite ways to spend her time is to educate people on what amazing pets shelter animals make.
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What It Means to Be a Tabby Cat
Although cat lovers can all agree on their love for the tabby cat, many aren’t quite as clear as to what “tabby” really means.
It’s common to talk about tabbies as if they represent a cat breed. But they don’t. In fact, the word tabby denotes a coat pattern. And they don’t represent just one breed; the tabby pattern is common to many breeds. The origin of the word tabby has an uncertain history. Some claim the name is associated with a type of striped, patterned silk called Atabi made in Attabiah in the Middle East. Others claim that it comes from the translation of the French phrase “striped silk taffeta,” the root of which is tabis, meaning “a rich watered silk.”
Tabby cat coat colours and patterns 6 tabby summer 18
Tabbies come in many different colours, including brown, gray and a variety of red shades often called orange, ginger or marmalade. Some have stripes and others spots and many a combination of the two. You can tell what color a tabby is by looking at the colour of his stripes and tip of his tail. The tabby pattern is determined by the agouti gene, which causes the individual hairs to have bands of light and heavy pigmentation, and the tabby gene, which denotes the type of tabby patterns, namely stripes, blotches or spots of hairs of solid color. Research done by feline geneticists Carlos Driscoll and Leslie Lyons at the beginning of this millennium confirmed five genetic clusters, or lineages, of wildcats from various parts of the world (such as Africa, Europe, China, Central Asia and the Middle East) and dating back some 10,000 years to be the ancestors of today’s ubiquitous domestic tabbies. And, it’s easy to understand how a coat with stripes and spots could camouflage well into natural surroundings.
tabby coat patterns 1.
The classic tabby coat, sometimes called blotched, has wide, dark stripes curving over the flanks and the shoulders and three large stripes running from the shoulder blades to the base of the tail. It’s often likened to a marble cake.
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The mackerel tabby has either continuous or broken stripes running perpendicular to the spine, like a fishbone.
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The spotted tabby has distinct round spots against a background of lighter fur.
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The fourth tabby coat pattern is called ticked or agouti. The coat on the body has almost no stripe. However, the legs, tail and face sport very thin stripes.
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“A lie is a cat: You need to stop it before it gets out the door or it’s really hard to catch.” 8 tabby summer 18
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Facial features of tabbies
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nother distinguishing feature common to tabby cats is their facial markings that include a distinctive M on their foreheads and expressive pencil-thin striped markings around the eyes affectionately referred to as “eyeliner.” This is where legend pushes genetics aside with these intriguing notions as to how these markings came about. The prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was an acknowledged cat lover. It is said that the M marking on the forehead of the tabby cat was created when he rested his hand on the brow of his favourite cat. Christians believe that when newborn baby Jesus wouldn’t stop crying, a cat climbed into the manger and started to purr, sending him off to sleep. In gratitude, the Virgin Mary marked the cat’s face with the first letter of her name. A non-religious version suggests that the M is a set of frown lines, the result of a cat staring at a mousehole in concentration, waiting for a mouse to emerge.
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Tabby cat personality traits
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hen it comes to personality traits, tabbies are considered friendly, happy-go-lucky cats, intelligent, sassy, very affectionate and wonderful companions. Red tabbies, often called orange, ginger and marmalade, can be feisty and bossy. But this trait is linked to coat color (as in fiery red) and not to the tabby pattern. No matter the science behind the tabby, if you’re a cat person, you’ve undoubtedly been enchanted by a tabby cat, whether it’s your own fabulous feline, a tabby that “works” in a local store or even a cartoon tabby such as Garfield who identifies with the very human trait of hating Mondays.
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Be the best owner
what food can your cat eat?
Thinking about giving your kitty some of the extras off your plate? Make sure you know what foods are okay for your cat, and which aren’t. Remember, each cat is different and may need different food or diet requirements, so you should contact your veterinarian before changing their diet.
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Most of your kitty's diet should be a nutritionally complete cat food, but you can give her a treat from your plate every once in a while. You just need to know how to choose feline-friendly snacks with nutrients she needs.
HUMAN FOOD FOR CATS: A BASIC GUIDE PROTEINS THAT ARE SAFE FOR CATS
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they need meat to live. Meat is a great source of protein for your cat. However, too much fat can give your cat a stomachache, so make sure to trim off any excess fatty portions beforehand and to cook all meat thoroughly before you feed it to your cat*.
* If you are considering a raw diet because of its health benefits, consult a veterinarian beforehand.
Proteins your cat can enjoy: Skinless Chicken (The best!) Lean Beef Liver Lamb Lean Deli Meats Cooked Eggs
VEGETABLES THAT ARE SAFE FOR CATS
Like we said, cats are carnivorous, so you don’t want to feed them too many veggies – but they can make for good snacks, and can even help with digestive issues.
Veggies you can give your cat to snack on: * Don’t feed your kitty spinach if it has had any urinary or kidney problems because spinach can cause crystals to form in the urinary tract.
Pumpkin/Squash Peas Cucumber Cooked or steamed Carrots Broccoli Asparagus Green Beans Spinach
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GRAINS THAT ARE SAFE FOR CATS Cats are experiencing an obesity problem in the United States, so make sure not to give your furry friend too much of these highcarb foods! However, a little bit as a treat every once in a while is okay! Some cats won’t like to eat certain grains or foods, so try giving them a sample before giving them a full snack.
Grains your cat can nibble on: Cooked Corn/Polenta Couscous/Millet (Many cats like the tiny texture of these grains) Carrots Bread/Breadcrumbs Oatmeal (Plain oats are high in protein!) Mashed Sweet Potatoes
FRUIT THAT IS SAFE FOR CATS
Some cats don’t enjoy the “sweet” flavor, but if your cat does, you can make some fun treats with fruit! Fruit can also help if your kitty is having digestive issues.
Fruit your cat can enjoy: Bananas (Can be frozen and blended to make a creamy texture) Blueberries (Raw or frozen) Watermelon/Cantaloupe/Honeydew (No seeds!) Peeled Apples
DAIRY THAT ARE SAFE FOR CATS
As they age, cats may become lactose intolerant, so make sure to only give small amounts of dairy foods to your cat.
Dairy items your cat can try:
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Hard Cheeses (Cheddar, Gouda, etc.) Low Lactose Cheeses (Cottage Cheese) Yogurt (Plain, Low-Fat)
FISH THAT ARE SAFE FOR CATS
Your cat will flip for a fish treat, but make sure to only give it in small quantities. Too much fish can deplete your cat’s Vitamin E.
Types of fish your cat can enjoy: Cooked Salmon/Tuna Canned fish Fish oil (In small quantities, fish oil can help your cat’s dry skin in the winter.)
WHAT CAN CATS NOT EAT?
Here’s a list of some foods you should steer clear of when you’re feeding your cat: Fat Trimmings Garlic/Onions Coconut Milk Alcohol Caffeine/Coffee Grapes/Raisins Seeds Raw Fish Bread Dough Nuts Chocolate Cooked Bones Milk Chives Candy/Gum Human Medications/Supplements Xylitol (artificial sweetener) If you are using human food as a treat for your cat, make sure to only give your cat about 20 calories a day, so they won’t start to gain excess weight. We hope this guide helps you understand which human foods can be safe for your cat, and which definitely can’t!
EXTRA TIPS Milk
Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other milk-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.
Salt
Large amounts of salt can produce excessive thirst and urination, or even sodium ion poisoning in pets. Signs that your pet may have eaten too many salty foods include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death. In other words, keep those salty chips to yourself! tabby summer 18
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“Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties.�
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Tabby history
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f domestic cats are the most favoured of all, tabby cats are the most popular of the cat color patterns. Tabbies come in stripes, whorls, swirls, dots and dashes, and are also allowed in the breed standards of over two dozen recognized cat breeds. Their colours range from red to cream, to black, blue, silver, brown, and tan. Cato. The mackerel tabby pattern was the first tabby pattern in domestic cats. It is believed to have come from the African Wildcat and the European Wildcat. Both of these wild cats have a pale, striped tabby pattern. But when those breeds mixed, it made a more distinct mackerel tabby coat. At first, the mackerel tabby was common in all domestic cats. But later, other tabby patterns happened because of mutations and selective breeding of the mackerel tabby. All domestic cats have the tabby gene. But the genes of some cat breeds hide the tabby appearance.
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By Tsai-Ju Lin
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“I can’t have cats around me because they try to steal my energy.”23 tabby summer 18
understand your cat’s language
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what is your cat trying to say
ou'll learn a lot when you can interpret your cat's wide vocabulary of chirps and meows. They'll tell you when it's time to get up (at least in your cat's opinion), when they're feeling affectionate and if they're feeling threatened or are in pain. "Meow" is an all-purpose word. Your cat may be saying "meow" as a greeting ("Hey, how ya doin'?"), a command ("I want up, I want down, More food now"), an objection ("Touch me at your own risk") or an announcement ("Here's your mouse"). Some people have watched their cats walking around the house meowing to themselves. Chirps and trills are how a mother cat tells their kittens to follow them. Aimed at you, it probably means your cat wants you to follow them, usually to their food bowl. If you have more than one cat, you’ll often hear them converse with each other this way. Purring is a sign of contentment (usually). Cats purr whenever they’re happy, even while they’re eating. Sometimes, however, a cat may purr when they’re anxious or sick, using their purr to comfort themself, like a child sucking their thumb. Growling, hissing or spitting indicate a cat who is annoyed, frightened, angry or aggressive. Leave this cat alone. A yowl or howl (they sound like loud, drawn-out meows) tells you your cat is in some kind of distress—stuck in a closet, looking for you or in pain. Find your cat if they’re making this noise. However, in unneutered and unspayed cats, these sounds are part of mating behavior (and very annoying). And if your cat is elderly, they may be suffering from a cognitive disorder (dementia) and may howl because they’re disoriented.
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Chattering, chittering or twittering are the noises your cat makes when they’re sitting in the window watching birds or squirrels. Some experts think that this is an exaggeration of the “killing bite,” when a cat grabs their prey by the neck and works their teeth through the bones to snap them. Wondering if your cat is happy, meditating or having a bad day? Here's are some tips: Content: Sitting or lying down, eyes half-closed, pupils narrowed, tail mostly still, ears forward and purring—a really happy cat will often knead on a soft surface.
A Key to Your Cat’s Moods
Playful: Ears forward, tail up, whiskers forward and pupils somewhat dilated—playing is hunting behavior; your cat may stalk their prey (a toy, a housemate or you), then crouch down with their rear end slightly raised. A little wiggle of the butt, then…pounce! Your cat will grab their prey, bite it, wrestle it the floor and kick it with their hind feet: Their toy is now dead. Irritated or over-stimulated: Pupils dilated, ears turned back and tail twitching or waving—your cat may growl or put their teeth on you as a warning to cease and desist. Intense play can quickly turn into overstimulation in some cats, resulting in biting and scratching. Nervous or anxious: Ears sideways or back, pupils dilated and tail low or tucked between legs—your cat may slink through the house close to the floor, looking for somewhere to hide. They may turn their face to the wall to shut the world out. Frightened or startled: Think Halloween cat—ears back and flat against their head, whiskers back, back arched, fur standing on end and tail erect or low. They may yowl, growl, hiss and spit. Defensive: Crouched, ears flattened, whiskers back, tail between their legs or wrapped around their body, and pupils dilated—they may meow loudly, growl, hiss and spit.
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How Long Do Tabby Cats Live?
Genetics Many factors influence longevity in cats, but some genes are recessive in certain breeds or they have been manipulated through controlled breeding to produce or dilute distinctive traits. Color and pattern are among the genes that sometimes mutate and produce unusual effects, so even a pure black cat, for example, is a tabby with its pattern hidden within the color. Often you can see such underlying tabby markings on a black cat sitting in bright light. With selective breeding, some cats have lost many of the genes their original ancestors possessed and they are now further from the tabby archetype, exhibiting characteristics -- including other colors and patterns -- not associated with what we call a tabby. All cats have the tabby gene, but "tabby" today refers only to those domestic cats that outwardly retain the markings of the tabby. Those cats, being genetically closer to the original wild cats from which domestic cats spring, generally have longer lifespans than named breeds, such as Persians or Siamese, that are more specifically manipulated away from the tabby archetype by humans.
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Diet and Exercise Most cats – including those with tabby patterns – live as long as 15 or 20 years, some older. Just as with humans and other animals, diet and exercise have a great deal of influence on lifespan. A cat that eats too much or gets a nutritionally inadequate diet or less than optimal exercise is at risk for health problems like heart disease, arthritis and diabetes, which could contribute to an early death. Give your cat the longest life his genetics allow by feeding proper amounts of a healthy, veterinarian-recommended diet and ensuring he gets plenty of indoor exercise to keep him fit even when you cannot be there. Offering him things to climb on or play with will stimulate his muscles and brain – helping him stay physically and mentally fit.
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Indoor vs. Outdoor Indoor cats live longer – period. Outdoor cats live only two or three years on average compared with about seven times that length for indoor cats. The reasons are simple, though varied. Outdoor cats face hazards indoor cats seldom or never encounter, like traffic, communicable feline diseases, predation, traps, extreme weather, dog attacks and pet theft. The more of these potentially life-threatening dangers you can avoid, the longer your pet will live. Given a stable, interesting and loving home environment, an indoor cat will thrive.
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Non-Tangibles Contributions to Longevity It is relatively easy to list the variables under which a pet will ideally live a long life, but often the factors contributing the most to our beloved cats' lifespan are those we cannot see or readily define. All pets thrive in an atmosphere of calm and loving care. Giving your cat your attention and companionship, will stimulate her mental and physical health in not so subtle ways. Playing interactive games forces your cat to move – providing necessary exercise. Good emotional health contributes to long life too – talking gently to or merely petting her sends positive signals that reduce stress and benefit health.
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“Just watching my cats can make me happy.”
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“All you need is love and a cat.”33 tabby summer 18
Why Tabby Wears An M: A Christmas Cat Story
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here was no snow that night in Bethlehem. Instead, the small cat watched a star-spangled sky from her perch in the window of a stable. She liked the stable, for it was a warm safe place to raise her furry babies, and the innkeeper sometimes left scraps out for her to nibble. Tabby wasn’t particularly distinctive, and most humans didn’t look at her twice. After all, her short gray/black fur was quite common. But Tabby’s striped coat hid a heart bigger than cats twice her size. This night, though, Tabby was out of sorts, for she’d not been able to hunt and catch dinner. Travelers had poured into town for days, so noisy they disturbed decent cat-folks’ rest. Why, they’d even invaded Tabby’s quiet stable, a place she had before shared only with other furry creatures. Tabby hadn’t minded the human couple—they were calmer than most. She’d left that morning for her usual rounds, but when she returned, the stable was packed with people. From her perch on the window, Tabby watched the last of the strangers leave. She slipped from the window, and padded silently inside—and froze! “Meewwww, meewww, meewww,” cried a tiny voice.
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A kitten? Tabby’s ears turn this way and that to find the sound of the kitten’s voice. It came from the manger, the very place Tabby often made her own bed. A woman knelt beside the manger, intent on the small mewling that arose from within. Tabby was drawn by the kittenish sound, though she knew her own furry babies were grown to cat-hood. She tiptoed forward very slowly, and passed by a wooly burro, a warm cow, and all the other animals. The woman looked up, and saw the striped cat. “Oh, little cat,” she
murmured, “my baby cannot sleep, and nothing calms him this night.” She sighed, and turned back to the manger. “How grateful would I be to anyone able to bring him sweet dreams.” And, as Tabby watched, each stable animal stepped forward in turn and tried to soothe the woman’s baby. But the kittenish sounds continued, and finally Tabby could contain herself no longer. Quickly, she washed herself—paws, face, behind the ears, to the very tip of her tail (so as not to offend the child’s mother)—and then shyly stepped forward. She leaped gracefully to the manger, and stared into the face of the most beautiful baby (human or kitten!) she’d ever seen. He cooed and smiled, waving his tiny hands at Tabby, and she very carefully drew in her claws and settled beside him. Forgotten was her empty tummy; she could only hear her heart calling out to this sweet human-kitten. And Tabby began to purr. The wondrous cat-song filled the stable with overwhelming emotion. The animals listened with awe, and the child’s mother smiled as her baby quietly went to sleep. The child’s mother placed her hand gently on the purring Tabby’s forehead. “Blessings upon you, Tabby-cat, for this sweet gift given to me and my child,” she said. And where she’d touched Tabby’s brow, there appeared an M—the sign of the Madonna’s benediction. From that day forward, all proper tabby cats are honored with an M on their brow for the great service they performed that first Christmas night. And Christmas nights often find Tabby cats staring into the night, purring as they recall a very special child their ancestor once sang to sleep.
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“If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.�39 tabby summer 18
“Having a bunch of cats around is good. If you’re feeling bad, you just look at the cats, you’ll feel better because they know that everything is just as it is. There’s nothing to get excited about. They just know. They’re saviours.” 40 tabby summer 18
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no idea of your new cats name? 10 name ideas of both female and male cats
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Boys • • • • • • • • • •
Billy Brandon Dean Edward Jack Leo Louie(Lou) Oliver Tiger Willie
Girls • • • • • • • • • •
Anna Bella Carly Daisy Georgia Isabelle(Isabell) Nala Sophie(Sofie) Tilly Violet
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The best gift for you is to play with your cat!
The best gift for your cat is to play with them! By Tsai-Ju Lin
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THE STORY OF TIMOTHY TABBYCAT by Cam Illustrated by Cam
Published by John Lane The Bodley Head. 1st. 1947 Very good condition in a almost very good dustwrapper. The story of Timothy and his friend Willie Straw, who find a bright a blue bottle which everybody wants including two witches and a great big dragon! The fourth in this series of picture books. Colour pictorial boards. Wonderful colour pictures every page. Delightful!
Spine bumped at top and tail, minimal rubbing to corners. Endpapers lightly browned, small chip torn from edge of rear free-endpaper. Dustwrappers is slightly browned and edge chipped with very slight loss to top of spine, small brown mark to rear panel. Stock no. 1314384
Price ÂŁ250.00
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“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.�
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brush up your skills
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10 simple way to draw a cat Follow this easy how to draw a cat step by step tutorial and you will be finishing up your cat drawing in no time. With just a few simple to follow steps you will learn how to draw a cute cartoon cat, one that can be quickly drawn both by kids and grown ups.
come and draw with me!
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Tabby Cat Facts Love Tabby Cats? Then You’ll Love These Awesome Tabby Cat Facts! From tabby cat personality to famous tabbies from around the world. You’ll soon be able to impress your friends with your tabby cat knowledge! Stripey cats go back a long way The original tabby fur pattern most closely matches that of the African wild cat (Felis Silvestris Lybica) and the European wild cat (Felis sylvestris sylvestris). These petite wild cats can trace their respective origins back as far as 131,000 years. However, the first domesticated cats appeared only about 10,000 years ago. Scientific researchers say that even today there is very little genetic or appearance variation between the domestic tabby cat and its closely linked wild cat cousins.While the orange tabby cat personality is most closely associated with the “friendly” tabby gene, all tabby cats have developed a reputation for being lovable and socially-oriented.
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Tabby isn’t a cat breed The name “tabby” refers to coat pattern, not to a specific breed of cat. Because of this, any cat that displays the distinctive tabby colorations and patterns can be considered a tabby cat in addition to belonging to that cat’s specific breed. An example might be an Abyssinian tabby cat, where “Abyssinian” is the breed and “tabby” is the coat color.
Tabby Cat genes make the stripes! The tabby coat colors and patterns are produced by how genes (small bits of DNA) from a kitten’s parents combine. Both the mom and dad cats contribute genes that influence tabby kittens coat colors and patterns.
Cats can be Mayors! The town of Talkeetna, Alaska, has a very unique mayor – a 17-year-old orange tabby cat named Stubbs. Stubbs first swept the vote as a write-in candidate 15 years ago and has been presiding over the 900-resident historic district ever since. Residents say they are quite satisfied with his leadership thus far and that he is perhaps their best mayor…. ever. They also say they like that he never raises taxes.
Wild tabbies can be pretty wild! There are still many small wild cats around the world today that look a lot like the domestic tabby cat. However, these cats, such as the African wild cats, the lynx cats, the wild cat of Scotland and the British Isles and similar others, are not tame like the tabby cat. If you see one of these looka-like felines in the wild, you shouldn’t try to approach since this will scare it a lot!
The heaviest tabby ever! Guess how much the world’s heaviest tabby cat weighed? 46 pounds and 15.25 ounces! This Aussie tabby’s name was Himmy and his owner was Thomas Vyse. When Himmy passed away in 1986, he was 10 years old and had a 33inch waist! Even though Himmy won the Guinness Book of World Records for “fattest cat”. After he died the Guinness Book folks stopped offering this award. For fear cat owners would deliberately “fatten up” their felines just so they could topple Himmy’s record. [P.S. If you are wondering how long do tabby cats live typically, the answer is 15 to 20 years. But this depends on ensuring your tabby cat pet eats a healthy diet and gets plenty of exercise – unlike Himmy!]
Tabby cat male to female ratio depends on color Among orange colored tabby cats, there are 80 males to every 20 females! tabby summer 18
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“There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.”
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Tabby cat name facts
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The origin of the tabby cat’s name has some quite colorful legends attached to it. While we may never know which one (if any) of these legends is true, what is clear is that everyone wants to claim the tabby cat for their very own! Some believe that the name “tabby” came from the neighbourhood of Attabiyah in Baghdad, Iraq, where famous silk cloths bearing a similar pattern have historically been produced. The name may have either arisen from the neighborhood, Attabiyah, or the name of the pattern, atabis or just tabis, which was a type of striped taffeta silk. While there are still several theories on how the tabby cat became known as “tabby,” one of the most convincing begins with tabbyappearing cats called “tiger cats” during the Middle Ages. This then became “atabi cats” after the famous patterned silk. Then “tiger” and “atabi” were combined to “tabby cat” – voila!
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Tabby
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