Stray cats. We’ve all seen them, petted them, fed them or even took one home. I even have a bunch of photos with stray cats that i’ve found years ago when looking for some pictures of cats on the internet.

But what do we actually know about stray cats?
People are more likely to abandon their pet cats because they think cats can take care of themselves. According to a recent research, cats are one of the “things” most people forget or leave behind when moving. Actually i think they made it to top ten on this list. NO# 8 or something like that.

Stray cats are previously owned, pet cats who need human help for food and shelter. You can see them on the street running after you pet them, or they find you in the park hoping for something to eat or a friendly face.

Stray cats usually roam around hoping that some nice person will feed them or maybe even provide them home. Feral cats on the other hand are usually scared of humans. They are the descendants of stray cats, and usually were never handled by or associated with humans. It’s possible to tame feral kittens but the older they are the longer it will take to tame them. As for the older cats I wont say it’s impossible, because I actually took one home several years ago, but examples of them being successfully socialized with humans are very rare.

“I love how independent and self-contained they are. I always feel it’s an honor when one decides to let you into their world with a rub against the leg or a quick jump into your lap.” ~ Tina Lifford

I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. She kept on asking “Why are they doing that? Why are they doing that?” and sounded so freaked out that I had to go over and prove to her there is nothing wrong with her two tabby cats.

Some experts say that this is pure and simple frustration because they see the prey they can’t get to. On the other hand some think that the “chatter” simulates the cat’s behavior at the time of attack. All I know is those funny cat sounds are not a sign of a seizure or a sign that your pet cats have gone crazy like my friend thought.

“The reason cats climb is so that they can look down on almost every other animal – it’s also the reason they hate birds.” ~ K. C. Buffington

This is probably my favorite one of all pictures of cats. I’ve always loved Bengal cats. Especially the way they play with water. This one always reminds me of my tabby cats who adored water. As soon as they hear the water running, two of them would come straight to the bathroom. I don’t really have to mention water bawl tipping, paw dipping, splashing and kicking the water around, right?

I personally love cats who like water, but the rest of the house is not to keen on wet floors and little puddles in the kitchen. The funniest thing for me was seeing their little paw prints all over the floor after they are all done “drinking” the water. I love the way my funny cats would dip their little paws into the bawl and then suck them dry. I was so determined to figure out how come my pet cats love water so much, that I spent whole summer bugging our vet to tell me everything he knows about this, and of course dried the Internet in search for answers.

Cat health is very important to all cat owners and, as we know, a clean, fresh source of drinking water is vital to cats’ health and well-being. Moving water is always more appealing than still water. It smells more fresh and tastes’s better than still water. Water in the bawl can feel stale to you cats. That’s why they prefer to drink running water from faucets in the kitchen or bathroom.

Despite the common belief, cat are natural swimmers. In the wild, a cat will swim to cross a stream or lake. Some wild cats in Asia even enjoy fishing. Start with yourself. Being sprayed or squirted with water isn’t fun at all. Neither is being forced into a bath. Cats just like to meet new situations on their own terms.

“Cats hate water only when it is dumped on them, as who wouldn’t? Given the opportunity, they will fish diligently in the neighborhood fish ponds.” ~ Eric Temple Bell

While I was looking for some pictures of cats I found this photo of a cat with a very very very weird toy. Which reminds me. Have you ever found any toys for cats in you’re cat’s food or water bowl? My friend is going crazy over it. Her funny cats are putting everything in the water bowl. I had two tabby cats who used to stash their toys like this, but lucky for me they were putting them in their bed.

Why do our pet cats do it? Well, the way they see it the food area is part of their territory. One that usually doesn’t change very much from day to day, since there’s always water and food waiting for them there. Your pet cats are putting their favorite toys away in a “safe” place. Just like wild cats bring their prey back to a nest to hide it from other predators.

Some cats will put away their toys when they are done playing with them, some just do it when there’s a visitor in the house to “hide” the toy in their safe place. You can try putting your cat’s toys in a small basket near the food area and eventually they will start doing it for them selves. We are training my friends Siamese cats to do this now. Hopefully there’ll be no more wet toys every day over there.

“Anything on the ground is a cat toy. Anything not there yet, will be.”

Have you ever found toys for cats on the floor of your room in the morning or maybe a whole mouse or a bird ( in case you’re cat is allowed to go out )? If you have, I have to congratulate you, now you know your pet cats love you. Yes I know finding a dead animal next to your bed in the morning is disgusting but in your cats eyes there’s no greater present it can give you. My funny cats used to bring little birds, mice, lizards one of them even brought a snake freaking my mom and my grandma out of this world.

It’s in their nature to hunt and just like wild cats they are bringing their prey to their den where it’s safe to eat. Of course domestic cats rarely eat their prey, but just because they don’t have to hunt doesn’t mean they dont have the instinct. One of the reasons your pet cats bring you these little “presents” is that cats consider you their family and want to share with you. Most of the time grown up cats are trying to teach you how to hunt or to make sure you have fresh food. Just like they do with their own kittens.

Don’t shout at your cat or trow it’s present when it can see you. It’s a show of trust and recognition and your action can confuse and disappoint it. Just thank her for a present by petting her once and trow it away when you cat is not looking.

“Okay, cats will never bring you pictures they’ve drawn in school, but they may give you a dead mouse. What parent could resist that gift?” ~ Terri L. Haney

I was always amazed by curiosity of cats and their endless interest in people who don’t like them or are afraid of them. Have you ever noticed how your cat really wants to check out the person who’s running away from it? My friends cat is always following his girlfriend around the house. Now it’s not that she doesn’t like cats she’s just afraid of his cat. I’d be scared of her too if I don’t know her from when she was a few weeks old. That is one mean kitty. Probably the meanest of all tabby cats I’ve seen. This photo that I found in my pictures of cats kind of reminds me of it. She’s always sniffing around, exploring.

Why all the interest I thought, when she can play with the rest of us?
Sense of smell plays a very important role in cat’s health. It’s fourteen times stronger than a human’s, and cat uses it to sniff out food, partners, enemies, and to seek out his own previously marked territory. Since visitors smell different than you or anything it the house pet cats are trying to get to know them and make them belong to it’s house by giving them their scent.

As we know In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats. That’s why it will rub against any visitors, or you if you have been out where there were other cats or animals.

Now most of us are pretty happy to play with a cat which gives her enough time to lick our fingers and rub it’s head against our legs or hand while we are petting it. Once the cat rubs her own scent on us and get to know us, she can ignore us for the rest of our visit.

But, people with cat allergies, or people who don’t like cats for any reason will try to avoid the cat. So of course the cat will keep on trying to get close to them.

“There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten. He makes perilous voyages into cellar and attic, he scales the roofs of neighboring houses, he thrusts his little inquiring nose into half-shut doors…he gets himself into every kind of trouble, and he’s always sorry when it is too late.” ~ Jules Champfleury

I found this in pictures of cats, and it reminded me of endless discussions about whether cats are capable of love. Well I cant claim all cats are, but of course neither are all humans. All I know is that cats give their love back to people who love them. One of my grandmothers funny cats knew the sound of my car and she would rush back home to greet me no matter where she is. She would climb up my clothes, wrap her little arms around my neck, lick my face while rubbing her head against mine.

A friend of mine calls this “iams cat food syndrome” and keeps on telling me how pet cats only show you affection if you give them food. As someone who adores cats and someone who has been loved by a cat I know that’s not true. Cat’s affection does not depend on treats and iams cat food like my friend said. Clinical evidences show that mere presence and/or touch of a preferred person have been shown to reduce the heart rate of these animals – which is a sign of bonding.

Cats who live with humans since they were born often consider themselves almost human or their humans almost cats. They are known to bring dead animals as proof of their love and care. They follow their “owners” around the house and wait for them when they are gone. My funny cat used to sit on a table next to the window for hours waiting for me to come home. If that is not love I don’t know what it is.

Of course there’s a lot more. From cat kisses, squinting, cute cat sounds, rubbing their had against you, kneading and purring to the ultimate sign of trust – lying on their back. This is probably the greatest sign of love and trust from a cat. With it’s stomach exposed your cat is in it’s most vulnerable position.

“A cat, though independent, has a way of letting you know that without you life just wouldn’t be worthwhile.” ~ Sharon Lundblad

There’s an old English proverb that goes: “The cat has nine lives – three for playing, three for straying, and three for staying.” I always liked it, and it always comes to mind when i see my funny cats playing with boxes. One of my pet cats claimed this new cat litter box as her bed, before i even had a chance to use it what it was ment for.

I tried to find why pet cats do that but no answer yet. I guess they like the cosines, security and privacy something that looks like home they were born in. I love seeing them playing with boxes, scratching, running in and out of it, making all those funny cat sounds while pretending they are hunting anything or anyone walking around their little fortress.

Of course toys for cats are nothing compared to a simple cardboard box with holes to jump through or to track and unsuspecting human from. A box can provide fantastic position to hide in anticipation of surprising attacks.

“Buy a dog a toy, and he’ll play with it forever. Buy a cat a present, and it will play with the wrapper for 10 minutes.”

I love tabby cats. Probably because I’ve had more than 5 so far but still, there is something about them. This one reminds me of my funny cat. She used to grab my neck with her front two paws, and kiss my cheek with her sandpaper-like tongue. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture with her doing that, in my pictures of cats, because no one thought it was cool as much as I did. I remember my sister always used to laugh saying “see even your funny cats think you need a bath.”

So what’s the deal with this kissing or licking?
Grooming is a very important part of cat’s everyday routine and they spend a large part of their grooming themselves. Kittens often use their tongue to taste new things. Studies show that the cat’s sense of taste is keener than that of the dog and that use their tongue to learn about things by licking them. Cats also do it to show their affection just like with their kittens. They do it to keep them healthy and to show them they are loved.

For some pet cats licking is a form of comforting behavior and is linked with the cat kneading its paws (paw pressing) on its owner. This is very common for cats that were separated from their mothers before 12 weeks of age. If cat is in pain or dying, she uses this as a method of comforting itself. Pet Cats use pawing along with purring to show their affection and contentment but also to mark their territory. Scent glands on their paws release small amounts of scent onto the person or object being pawed, marking it as “theirs.” Also yawning in front of their owners and blinking behavior is common in cats and may be a sign of trust or affection.

“What greater gift than the love of a cat?” ~ Charles Dickens

I was looking for some pictures of tabby cats and this little fellow made me think about all those “funny” pictures of cats we can see on the Internet. You know, cat pictures where the cat looks totally miserable but we find it funny because it’s on one of the lol cats sites with a witty saying on it.

But what if I tell you that your pet cats can actually get depressed? Cats are very sensitive to the general well being of their owners so if there is something wrong with you your cat will feel it. Also big changes like moving, death or introduction of a new family member, change of cat food or cat litter, both location and brand, play a major role in your cat’s life. On the other hand some pet cats are just bored and that’s where depression is coming from.

Signs of depression can include: loss of appetite, loss of interest in playing and exploring, extended sleeping time, decline in grooming, excessive vocalizing, withdrawal from its owner and not using the litter box. So what do we do when our funny cats lose their funny?

Well, once you rule out a physical cause, you can try spending some more time with your cat, change back to old brand of food or cat litter. Provide your cat some contact with outdoors, some space near the window or mabe a supervized visit to your back yard. New toys for cats are always good idea and if possible consider getting a second cat because maybe your cat is just lonely.

“When my cats aren’t happy, I’m not happy. Not because I care about their mood but because I know they’re just sitting there thinking up ways to get even.” ~ Penny Ward Moser