What is the difference between fur and hair? What is hair?
What is fur?
Basically, the words hair and fur can be used interchangeably: both are comprised of keratin, a protein that also forms horns, nails, quills, claws, hooves and feathers. But why mammals, like cats, have fur while humans have hair, partly because fur covers the entire body, and hair doesn’t. So, cat hair gets on our clothes, and is from the fur on our cats.
Guard hairs comprise the outer coat. According to The Montana Trappers Association, these are long hairs that protect the skin from harmful UV rays and moisture. It’s also the main source of color, and patterns for those cats that have them.
Awn hair
The middle layer of fur is the awn hair. It’s thicker and usually shorter than guard hair. It displays less of the cat’s coat color and it protects the undercoat.
Down hair or undercoat
This layer is soft and barely visible. The down hair is closest to their skin and helps keep our cats warm by trapping heat. Breeds like the Sphynx cat has a single layer of down hair, which is why their fur is actually referred to as hair. If your cat’s fur gets matted, it’s this layer that does it and is often caused by insufficient brushing.
Whiskers, or Vibrissae
Whiskers are specialized hairs, found not only on both sides of a cat’s nose, but above their eyes, and even some on their lower legs. Whiskers have nerve endings as sensitive as our fingertips, enabling them to sense the width of an opening or passage. They also help them navigate in darkness.
And hair?
That’s what we have, and it’s a single layer. Although tiny hairs may cover our bodies, and patches of hair are prominent in specific areas, it’s all still a single layer. There’s nothing complicated or sensitive about our hair. We just don’t like loosing it on our heads.
Traveling with cats usually involves a cat carrier. If flying, as far as my kitty care is aware, all airlines require a soft carrier that can fit under the seat in front of you.
Sometimes cats may not completely pee on the pad, always unintentionally (we assume) so some pee may get on the carrier. The tell-tale smell will let you know if that happens. So what’s the best way of cleaning your cat carrier?
Use dish liquid
Use vinegar. It works!
Don’t use ammonia, because cat pee has a similar scent and will encourage your cat to pee in that spot.
My Kitty Care soaked the carrier, bottom tray and blanket in dish liquid and vinegar overnight. The smell is gone!
A little reminder: each airline has specifications about the size of your cat’s carrier, so always check with the airline you and your cat are flying with.
my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.
The holidays are a great time to share good food, cheer, laughter and Christmas cat movies with family, friends and cats. Although many Christmas movies are targeted for kids, not all are.
A Gift from Bob, 2021 (1 hr. 32 mins.)
also known as A Christmas Gift from Bob, is a British Christmas biographical drama film.
the synopsis Christmas gifts come in all shapes and sizes. For James (Luke Treadaway), a struggling street musician, a very special one arrives in the form of Bob, a strong-willed stray cat who wanders into James’s tiny flat. Bob enriches James’s life, giving him companionship, purpose, and a large, new audience. When Animal Welfare officers threaten to take Bob, the local community rallies to help James and Bob — sparking a journey that takes the pair to places they never imagined in this heartwarming, spirit-lifting movie for the whole family. from Rotten Tomatoes
Batman Returns, 1992 (2hrs. 6 mins.)
Batman Returns occurs during Gotham City’s Christmas celebration
the synopsis Directed by Tim Burton (Edward Scissor Hands, Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factor, with Johnny Depp). Batman Returns is a the popular superhero (Michael Keaton as Batman) in action, during the Christmas season in Gotham City. The creation of Catwoman (Michelle Pfeifffer) is depicted, and hence, cats are in the movie, too. This Batman is played by Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, and villain wealthy businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) who considers himself The Santa Claus of Gotham. But Santa Shreck intends to take over the city. With MAX subscription.
Santa Claws, released December, 2015 (1 hr. 26 mins.)
Best for little, little kids: sparkling Christmas, adorable kittens and THEY TALK!
the synopsis Tommy, who is unable to celebrate Christmas because his mom says Santa isn’t real, leaves his kittens out for Santa to take back to the North Pole, but after a major allergic reaction Santa can’t fly the sleigh or deliver presents anymore, so the kittens have to deliver the rest of the presents to all the boys and girls before sunrise.
The Nine Lives of Christmas, The Hallmark Channel December 26, 8/7 pm
Christmas, hunky firefighter, romance and a stray cat…what could possibly happen?
the synopsis Zachary Stone (Brandon Routh/Superman) is a firefighter who’s life changes when he takes in a stray cat. Then he meets Marilee, a veterinary student who shows him how to take care of Ambrose, his new cat. Ambrose shows Zachary that companionship has its pluses as a relationship develops between Marilee and Zachary. Maybe, now, Zachary’s ready for commitment.
Based on the book by Florence McNicoll
Finally, My Kitty Care suggests The Aristocats, released December 24, 1970. The Disney movie has nothing in its story involving Christmas, but it’s included because many, many years ago, on Christmas Eve it was aired. Embedded in that memory is a crackling fire, red stockings hanging from the fireplace mantle, and a 6 foot tree decorated with lights, tinsel and ornaments prized as family heirlooms. When the Aristocats ended, embers in the fireplace glowed orange, and the scent of pine filled the room.
The synopsis: When a retired opera singer leaves her inheritance to her cat, Duchess (Eva Gabor), and three kittens, the woman’s butler drugs the cats and abandons them in the countryside in order to inherit the fortune himself. Lost in unfamiliar territory, Duchess and the kittens meet Thomas O’Malley (Phil Harris), an alley cat willing to help them return to their home in Paris. They meet several kooky characters along the way, including two English geese and an alley cat jazz band.
Whatever you do this time of year, Happy Holidays!
my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.
As much fun traveling is, or if your must travel for business or other reasons and can’t bring your cat, it’s a dilemma for cat parents. Even if you have a trusted cat sitter, there might be a time when they aren’t available. So then what?
a luxury cat hotel?
Cat boarding is an option for some and My Kitty Care researched cat boarding in 2015. Since then, there’s a new option: a luxury cat hotel. At this time, November 2023, the lone business claiming to be a luxury hotel for cats exists in Irvine, CA.
Club Cat is the name, and luxury hotels and resorts are the models. The difference between traditional boarding and a luxury cat hotel, beside the cost, are amenities.
Programs that cats like (which are not specified)
Webcams for cat parents to view their cat(s) 24/7
“CatChats” a cat parent’s opportunity to talk with their kitty.
The cats rooms are 8’ high and a minimum of 3.5’ wide, complete with enclosed balconies. They’re decorated with “whimsical cat portraiture” (that means?)
The Cat Club was opened by Shana Martin who hopes to franchise the business. Whether that happens or not, traveling cat parents who must leave their cat(s) behind want options.
If anyone has boarded their cat, or put them up in Club Cat, the luxury cat hotel, please let us know how it went. We always want the best for our cats, and having quality care in our absence can be particularly challenging.
my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.
This book Starter Villain, didn’t get my attention because of it’s prolific author, or that it’s sci-fi (not my favorite genre) but because — surprise, surprise, it features cats.
Starter Villain
In fact, cats are described as”hyper-intelligent, talking spy cats.”
“A light-hearted story with a likable fish-out-of-water protagonist and a lot of very smart cats.”
Rebecca Roanhorse, REview in Goodreads
Who could possibly resist such a premise?
The author is John Scalzi, who might be familiar to those who do have a steady diet of sci-fi. Mr. Scalzi is known for a series, Old Man’s War, debuted in 2005 which was a finalist for the Hugo Award, a sci-fi award presented annually since 1955.
If you want to delay the end of summer, this fun, beach-lounging book, Starter Villain might be a good read. To be released this month (September, 2023).
my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.
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