DEAR JOAN: Our cat has a wierd behavior. Sprinklers go on in our little backyard space for quarter-hour at 6 every morning, earlier than she goes outdoors.
About an hour later, after consuming a few of her treats, she walks slowly by way of the ivy and punctiliously laps up water on particular person leaves. She does this for five to 10 minutes regardless of the actual fact she has contemporary, cool water in a dish close by.
Now we have by no means used any therapy or fertilizer merchandise on the little backyard space.
Why is she doing this?
J. Nolan, Lafayette
DEAR J.: Why? As a result of she is a cat.
Nonetheless, as with different behaviors we discover unusual in our felines, there’s often a wonderfully good and logical cause.
Though water will not be a favourite with cats, it’s nonetheless essential to their survival and good well being. Cats, nevertheless, don’t require as a lot water as some pets, corresponding to canines. Cats originated within the desert, the place water was briefly provide, so that they advanced methods of benefiting from the fluids they discovered, often getting the vast majority of their water wants from the meals they ate.
That may not be true for at this time’s cat, though feeding your cat moist meals will help stability the scales.
It’s vital to supply your cat with water, however most cats don’t like standing water. A part of the reason being their eyes, that are wonderful for recognizing the slightest motion of prey within the gloomiest of sunshine, aren’t good at discerning the floor of the water. Because of this, some cats will dip their paws of their water bowl to trigger ripples, making it simpler for them to see. You can also use a cat fountain that does the identical factor.
As to why your cat prefers the moist leaves, I believe the reply would possibly lie in each the character of the cat and the kind of water bowl you’re utilizing. Cats have very delicate whiskers that act type of as curb feelers, serving to them choose areas and orient themselves in the dead of night. They'll get one thing referred to as whisker fatigue, in the event that they’re continuously brushing or compressing their whiskers towards one thing onerous, corresponding to the perimeters of a meals or water bowl. Lapping the water from leaves might be refreshing to her.
There’s nothing improper along with your cat ingesting from the ivy leaves, however you possibly can additionally think about getting her a water dish that's wider and shallower.
And as a reminder, don’t depart meals and water on the patio at night time, which is able to entice different animals.
DEAR JOAN: There's a new fowl in my yard. It resembles an immature white-crowned sparrow, besides its head is small.
It has been begging from the opposite, smaller birds. A semi-reluctant feminine junco sometimes feeds it.
I’ve by no means seen cross-species feeding habits. Is that this uncommon?
Sue, Santa Cruz
DEAR SUE: Your begging fowl is probably going a younger brown-headed cowbird.
Cowbirds are outlined as “brood parasites.” The feminine cowbird doesn’t make her personal nest and as an alternative lays her eggs within the nests of different birds that then have the accountability for elevating them.
For a lot of birds, the cowbird is larger and requires extra meals than their reliable offspring.
Contact Joan Morris at jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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