We travel all around Australia installing our SecureaKat Cat enclosures and because of the way that we operate, it won't cost you an arm and a leg!

We recently travelled to a small town in Victoria to build a cat enclosure for Hollie the kitten.

We know a lot of things about our cats. We know that their fluff gets on everything, we know that they are affectionate, and we definitely know that they will tell us when they want attention from us! 

There are many thing though that you might not know about your cat so below, we have compiled a list of interesting facts about cats for you. 



Cat Biology

• Similar to a human fingerprint, the nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique.
  
• A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute.
• 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.
  
• Cats have 290 bones in their bodies and 517 muscles.
  
• There are three body types for a cat. Cobby type is a compact body, deep chest, short legs and broad head. The eyes are large and round. Muscular type is a sturdy body and round, full-cheeked head. Foreign type is a slender body, with long legs and a long tail. The head is wedge-shaped, with tall ears and slanting eyes.
  
• A cat's normal body temperature is slightly warmer than the human body temperature at 38.6 degrees C.
  
• A cat has 30 muscles in each ear. This allows them to pivot 180 degrees which is part of the reason for their great hearing and why they always hear you coming.
  
• An adult cat has 32 teeth.
  
• Cats are partially color blind. They have the equivalency of human red/green color blindness. (Reds appear green and greens appear red; or shades thereof.)
• Cats don't see "detail" very well. To them, their person may appear hazy when standing in front of them.
• Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. This gives them fantastic night vision.

Cat Behaviour

• Cats knead with their paws when they're happy.
• During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.
• 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!
  
• A kitten will meow at its mother, but an adult cat will almost never meow at another cat. The sound is reserved solely for humans.
  
• Cats are more active during the evening hours.
  
• Cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
  
• A cat's tongue may feel rougher than sandpaper, but it's actually an amazing piece of kit. When the cat drinks, it turns its tongue into a spoon by curling the tip backwards to create a hollow shape. Not only that, that cat can change its tongue into a washcloth, comb or towel to tackle whatever grooming job it needs to do.
  

Cat Life Cycle

• One human year is the equivalent of 7 human years. That means if your cat is 3, it is 21 in human years. If your cat is 8, it is 40 in human years. If your cat is 14, then your cat is 70 in human years.
• The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years, while the average age for an outdoor cat is only 3 to 5 years. That means that having a SecureaKat Cat Enclosure can extend the life of your cat by keeping them safe and away from the dangers of the outside world. 
• The color of a kitten's eyes will change as it grows older.
  
• At birth, kittens can't see or hear. Cats open their eyes after five to fifteen days and begin to develop their eyesight and hearing at approximately 2 weeks. They begin to walk at 20 days.
• Kittens begin dreaming at just over one week old.

Random Cat Facts

• There are two species of wild cats in African and Europe that still hunt. These two species both resemble the domestic tabbies.
• Ginger cats are most likely to be male, but the chances of finding a male tortoiseshell is 200 to one.
  
• In ancient Egypt cats were worshipped as gods. Historians think this was because of their grace, poise and ability to control vermin which protected vital corn supplies. Killing one even by accident incurred the death penalty. As befitting their status, cats were mummified after death and their Egyptian owners would shave off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning for their feline chums.
  

If you haven't seen grumpy cat yet, he is this unfortunate guy with a permanently grumpy look on his face. This being the internet, it was only a matter of time before his photos went viral and grumpy cat started popping up everywhere in memes.

Here are some of our favorites. Click on the images to open the grumpy cat memes up in full size.

Have you ever wondered whether your cat is left pawed or right pawed? You might be able to find out as a veterinarian in the USA has developed a test that can help determine this'. 

Researchers have been studying right brain-left brain connections in dogs and cats and are also investigating horses and their preference to lead with a particular leg in the canter. You can read more about the research here.  

How to find out if your cat is a 'leftie' or a 'rightie':

·        Fill a toy with something delicious and put it in front of your cat. Which paw does he use to touch the toy first? 

·        Put something sticky on your cat's nose. Which paw does he use to remove it?

·        Place a treat under the sofa, just beyond reach. Which paw does he use to try and get it out?

·        Dangle a toy over your cat's head. Which paw does he lift to bat it?

Happy New Year to everybody celebrating Chinese New Year.

This year is the year of the snake so we thought it would be a good time to show you our snake proof netting.

Cats and snakes obviously don't mix. If you live in an area where there are a lot of snakes around and you are thinking of getting a cat enclosure but are worried about snakes getting inside. We can help!

Snakes can often fit through 20mm netting. This isn't a problem if you live in an urban area because the chances of it happening are next to none. We often install cat enclosures in more rural settings where snakes can be an issue so we developed a solution to the problem.

In areas where snakes reside, we can install UV stabilized, 10mm, deterrant netting around the base of the cat enclosure. Not only is this mesh size too small for most snakes to fit through, but the netting is also rougher than our regular cat enclosure netting. Snakes don't like to slither over the rough netting so this stops them from moving up and over it towards the regular netting.

This combination of smaller mesh size and rougher netting protects your cat enclosure and the cats inside from the dangers posed by snakes and you can happily give your kitty the freedom of being outside without having to worry about a snake bite.

Remember, SecureaKat™ is a Division of Advanced Nets and Ropes Australia's leading netting company so you can rest assured that SecureaKat™ netting, materials and installations are of the highest standard and are safe for you and your cat whilst remaining strong and secure. 

In case the unthinkable does happen, do you know what to do? Be prepared, check out our post about First Aid for your Cat.

Many cats use their litter box for a while and then stop doing so. This could be a medical issue or a behavioral issue but most of the time it is simply down to having a dirty litter box... After all, you don't like using a dirty toilet do you? Having a dirty litter box doesn't only look bad but it smells bad as well. Below are some hints and tips for keeping your cats litter box clean and smelling great!

The obvious way to keep your cats litter tray clean is to CLEAN IT!! Clean out clumps of litter every day then once a week change the remaining litter. Make sure the area where the box is kept is well ventilated. 

Does the Type of Litter Matter?
Clumping cat litter allows for easy removal of solids and liquids which keeps the litter tray smelling fresher. Some cat litter has perfumes and other additives which help cover the smell but cats cat be repulsed by this and many vets advise against using these for various reasons.

How Do I Stop The Cats Litter Box from Smelling?
One trick you can try which is more natural than using a perfumed cat litter Is to add a little baking soda to the litter tray. When combined with clumping cat litter and regular cleaning, this can help minimise smells. You can also add an automatic air deodorizer to the room to help with the smell.

Does the Type of Box Matter?
Almost any easily cleaned plastic container can be used as a litter box but it is always a good idea to choose one that is BPA free because BPA is harmful to animals as well as humans (why is BPA bad? Click here to find out). As for size, you should try and get something that is at least twice as long as your adult cat and as wide as the cat is long. This is because cats are clean animals and don’t want to step or dig in already soiled areas. You should try to avoid covered boxes.

Are Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes Any Good?
Some cats, especially skittish and large cats, may dislike self-cleaning litter trays. But if your cat doesn't mind, it’s an option for people who are away from home for longer periods.

What are your thoughts about cat litter boxes? Let us know in the comments.

Cats are always trying to get into places they shouldn't and they love trying to squeeze themselves into tiny spaces. Its always funny to watch cats playing with boxes! Take a look at this video to see the different small boxes that this guys cat tries to fit himself into.

Does your cat try to fit into strange places? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Its Christmas time again and if you have your decorations up you might find yourself spending the next month trying to keep your cat from climbing the Christmas tree!

The advice here is not only effective for stopping your cat climbing up your Christmas tree but can also be put to use in stopping your cat from climbing other objects that you want to keep them away from.

For some reason, cats think that the Christmas tree is their place to lay and the orniments are their toys. This can be cute at first but be warned that is your cat tries to eat the toys, chew on the lighting wires or chew on tinsel (which can cut up a cats insides if swallowed) then you might require some cat first aid, so its best to stop your cat from climbing the tree altogether.


Try distracting your cat
It sounds obvious but it might work. Try enticing your cat with new toys to bring attention away from the Christmas tree.

Behaviour Modification
First of all avoid spraying your cat with water... Water and electrics dont mix so if you have lights on your Christmas tree, spraying your cat with water is not the best idea! Also, don't hit your cat, all that this will do is teach your cat not to like you and this may lead to more serious behavioural problems in the long run. Cats are pleasure driven animals so if something unpleasent happens they will avoid doing that in future.
 
Wrap foil around the base of your Christmas tree
Wrapping layers of foil around the base of the tree can act as a barrier to stop the cat from climbing since its difficult for them to get their claws into the foil. Many cats also dont like the feeling and noise that the foil makes, so this can be a very effective solution to stopping your cat from clibing not only the Christmas tree but other objects as well.

Spray something on the base
You can buy sprays that repel cats. Try purchasing sopme of that and spraying around the base. It is best to choose a more natural product as opposed to a chemical one.

Put something in the tree that cats dont like
You can hang mothballs or citrus in the tree. Cats don't like this so they can be an effective cat repllant. Hide the objects near the trunk where you wont see them and also near the bottom.

Shake something loud
Remember that if something unpleasent happens when your cat does something then your cat will avoid doing that behaviour... Try filling a metal tin with coins or something similar. Wait until your cat goes to climb the tree then shake the tin. Do this every time the cat goes to climb the tree to reinforce the behaviour.

Bribe your cat to do what you want
Reinforce positive behaviour. When your cat is in the tree get a treat and say "down". Praise your cat when he gets down and give him the treat. If he starts to climb the tree again afterwards then shake the can.

Do you have any other ideas about how to stop cats from climbing things? Let us know in the comments.

Article from AdelaideNow Wednesday 14 November 2012 Read full article here. 

Dozens of kittens are being dumped at the Animal Welfare League each day, sparking calls for people to adopt a fluffy feline.

Animal Welfare League spokesman Peter Sellen said the Wingfield shelter already had more than 100 kittens, and staff were bracing for more in coming weeks.

He said the number of unwanted and abandoned kittens usually increased by about 200 per cent as the breeding season peaked each November.

"The sheer volume of the increase is quite staggering," Mr Sellen said.

The kitten influx has prompted the organisation to launch an urgent appeal to raise $10,000.

Donation tins are being placed at businesses across Adelaide as part of the We Need Your Help Fur Real campaign.

"Hundreds of animals will need to be fed and cared for as we try to find them a new home," Mr Sellen said.

To cope with the increase in numbers, the shelter will also hire another staff member.

Shelter hand Laura Higgins said the Animal Welfare League was already "overwhelmed" with kittens.

"We're hoping people will help out where they can by either donating their change or adopting an animal," she said.

Those willing to help the Animal Welfare League by hosting a donation tin at their workplace should phone 08 8348 1300 (South Australia).

Visit www.animalwelfare.com.au for more information