Cat sitting...

David our French neighbour has gone to visit family in Paris for the weekend and asked us to look after his cat 'Rikiki'. This does not entail much other than putting some food out as she (the cat) like most of her species is very independent. When she is too late on returning from a 'night out' and it's past her curfew time she has taken to sleeping in our barn,not his, anyway so it will not be too traumatic a time for her.

 I had thought she was quite fond of me but her response at being told that I would be responsible for her, now has me doubting this!

We used to have cats and they were all different in the way they behaved. One 'Fluffy' who must have had a hard time out with his mates with a name like that, used to follow me down the road and sit by me as I waited for a lift to work, much to the amusement of my travelling companions. We had another 'Jasper' who thought he was human and demanded the same attention as the baby at the time -strange but lovely cat!

They are an interesting breed - we also have a cat in the village who has at least three different names and homes - it must be a mood thing.

Here is some cat trivia for your amusement (or not!)

Ailurophilia is the "love of cats."

There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with 33 different breeds.

A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute.

25% of cat owners blow dry their cats hair after a bath.

The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking.  All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.

During her ‘productive life’, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.

A single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.

Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of the principles of gravity, also invented the cat flap.

A cat will amost never "meow" at another cat.  This sound is reserved for humans.

The weirdest cat on record was a female called Mincho who went up a tree in Argentina and didn't come down again until she died six years later.  While treed, she managed to have three litters with equally ambitious dads.

People who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks.

The greatest number of mice killed by one cat?  28,899!  Towser, a tortoise-shell tabby in charge of rodent control in Scotland*, killed 28,899 mice in her 21 years.  This is about four mice per day, every day, for 21 years.  Towser died in 1987. *Don't think they mean the whole of the country!

The most popular names for female cats in the U.S. are Missy, Misty, Muffin, Patches, Fluffy, Tabitha, Tigger, Pumpkin and Samantha.

In French, cat is "Chat."  In German, your cat is "katze."   The Spanish word for cat is "gato," and the Italian word is "gatto."  Japanese prefer "neko" and Arabic countries call a cat a "kitte."

The Giraffe, Camel and Cat are the only animals that walk by moving both their left feet, then both their right feet, when walking.  This method of walking ensures speed, agility and silence.

A group of kittens is called a "kindle." (must be a nightmare trying to read)

A group of grown cats is called a "clowder."

Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals.   They spend 16 hours of each day sleeping.  With that in mind, a seven year old cat has only been awake for two years of its life!

Each year Americans spend four billion dollars on cat food.  That's one billion dollars more than they spend on baby food!

All the above must be true as I got them of the 'net - Mmmmm...