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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.194



If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, you will want to keep it indoors
for about a month before you let it out.  Cats have a homing instinct
that takes about a month to "reset".  If you let it out before this
time, the cat may become disoriented and get lost, or make a beeline
for the old home.

E.  Vacations.

When you go on vacation or otherwise will be absent for some period of
time, you must make provisions for your cat.

It is a good idea, whichever solution you use, to inform your vet that
you're on vacation and to take care of your cats in any case that
comes up and you will settle the bill when you get back.  Let the
sitters know, too.

1.  Leave at home

In most cases, you will be able to leave your cat alone for three to
four days with no supervision provided that it has an adequate supply
of food and water.  If your cat does not free-feed, this may not be at
all possible.

2.  Pet sitters

Find a friend (or a company that provides this service) who will drop
by your house at least once a day to feed it, water it, and generally
check up and play with it.  This is the least traumatic method for the
cat since it will stay in familiar territory and has the added bonus
of your house looking occupied.  Check to make sure that the
professional service you use is bonded, and interview the person
beforehand.  Check references that they supply.

You can call the local humane society, animal rights groups or vets to
find a recommended sitter.  These groups can often recommend good
sitters, and just as important, warn you off particular companies that
have had complaints.

3.  Kennels

Experiences have ranged from good to satisfactory to terrible with
kenneling cats.  It will depend a good deal on your cat's personality
and the kennel.  Look for a kennel that is clean and is attentive to
its boarders.  Look for personnel that like playing and otherwise
caring for animals.  Be wary of kennels that are not clean and
cheerful.  Some have reported that their animals came home with
diseases; check the kennel's policy regarding these matters.  Some may
involuntarily dip their clients; check for this also.  Check for
noise, too.

4.  Take Cat With You

See Travel.

5.  Leave with Someone Else

Find someone willing to take your cat in while you are gone.  Your cat
will have to stay somewhere new for a while, but this can be
convenient, and especially if it always stays with that person while
you're gone, its adjustment can be quick.


VIII.  OTHER TOPICS

A.  Removing Urine Odor.

For fresh urine: clean the spot with any good carpet shampoo (Spot
Shot is one).  Then soak it with plain old club soda, leave it for
about ten minutes and blot it up.

If the urine has soaked the pad and the floor below that, it will be
difficult to remove the odor regardless of what you use.

To find spots if you're not sure where they are, get a UV lamp that
has the filter built in (to eliminate any remnant visible light).
Urine fluoresces in "black light."  You can get them at hardware
stores.  There are also UV lamps in hobby stores and places that cater
to spelunkers and rockhounds, but they're more expensive.  The UV
source is safe as long as you use the longwave lamp and not the
shortwave lamp used for tanning.

1.  Enzymatic products

Products that remove odors: Nature's Miracle (carpet, has 800 number);
Simple Solution (carpet and other items); Outright! (carpet); Resolve
(carpet, perhaps other items); Odor Mute (originally for deskunking
dogs, has other applications, leaves white residue, works on
concrete).  Odor Abolish, by Endosome Biologicals, may also be useful.
These products use enzymes to break down the odor causing compounds in
urine and feces, and are quite effective.

When using enzymatic products, it is important to use freshly diluted
enzymes, let it soak in as deeply as the urine has penetrated, and
*keep the area warm and wet for 24 hours*.  Chemical reactions,
including enzymatic reactions, go faster at higher temperatures.
Unfortunately, most enzymatic reactions don't do well much over 102F
(38-39C)-- so not TOO hot.  Try covering the area with towels soaked
in plain water after applying the enzyme, then a shower curtain or
other plastic over that to make sure the area stays moist.

The enzymes in laundry products are the same as those in the expensive
odor-killing products, but they cost less than 1/3 as much.  They work
just as well.  Biz is one product.  You'll find it in your grocery
laundry section with the pre-soak laundry stuff.  Remember, you have
to SOAK the area and then cover it to keep it from drying out.  The
smelly area must be WET with the enzyme for 24 hours or more.

2.  Launderable items

On launderable items: put in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar
and no detergent, then wash again as usual.

3.  Concrete

If you have concrete (eg, in the basement) into which urine has been
soaked, this can be difficult to remove, as unsealed concrete is very
porous.  You will have to neutralize the urine and then seal the
concrete properly.  A specialty cleaning service is probably the best
way to properly neutralize the urine in the concrete.  Vinegars and
other cleaners may help, but only temporarily.  Odor Mute is reputed
to work on concrete.  Improving the ventilation may also help.  In
extreme cases, pouring another 1/4-1/2 inch layer of concrete over the
original concrete will solve the problem.

4.  Hardwood floors

Hardwood floors that have been stained with urine can be difficult to
clean.  First treat with an enzyme-based product such as Nature's
Miracle to remove the odor.  You can find wood bleaches and stains at
your hardware store: you may want to consult with one of the employees
on what is available.  You will need to remove any varnish or
polyurethane from the area, sand it down a bit, bleach and/or stain
it, and then apply the protective coat.  There are also professional
companies you can consult.  In severely stained cases, you may have to
replace the wood.

B.  Cat Owner Allergies.

In general, keep the cats out of the bedroom.  If cats can be trained
to keep off the furniture, that also helps.  Substances like Allerpet
C can be used on cat's fur to dissolve some of the dander and protein
from the saliva that people are allergic to.  Long haired cats have
more area to deposit their saliva on and they have to be brushed
(putting more dander in the air), so short haired cats are better for
people with allergies.  Clean and vacuum often; groom and brush the
cat (outside if possible) often so its hair-shedding around the house
is minimized; and bathe the cat regularly.

1. Kinds of allergies

Some people are simply allergic to new cats.  This kind of allergy
means that it will diminish with repeated exposure.  Thus you will not
be allergic to cats that you are exposed to regularly; and actually
become allergic to your own cat if you're away from it for some time.
Washing hands frequently helps with this type of allergy.

Other people are allergic to the saliva on the cat's fur.  A remedy
for this is to bathe the cat once a month.  No soap is needed, merely
soak the cat thoroughly.  Done on a monthly basis, it seems to keep
the saliva levels down to a tolerable level.  This was reported in a
scientific journal somewhere; Cat Fancy covered it a few years ago.
[exact reference?]

You may be allergic to cat hair, in which case you may want to get one
of the breeds of cats with short, little, or no hair.  There is a
hairless cat, the Sphynx, and there are breeds of cat which are
entirely lacking in the kind of hair (cats have four kinds of hair)
most people are allergic to.  These are the Cornish Rex or Devon Rex
breeds, and their fur is short and curly.

You could go to an allergy specialist and get shots to help you with
specific allergies.  This can be expensive, but worth it, especially
if you have other allergies as well.  They'll test you for the things
you're allergic to, and then give you periodic shots to help you
develop an appropriate immunity to them.

The magazine _New Woman_ (October 1992) has an interesting article
about a cat-allergy vaccine.  Catvax is being developed by the
Immulogic Pharmaceutical Corporation (I.P.C.)  in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and is now being tested on humans at Johns Hopkins
University.  Tests on animals indicate that Catvax is different from
traditional cat-allergy shots in two ways. First, unlike conventional
allergy therapy, which involves biweekly or weekly injections for up
to a year, the vaccine may be able to completely prevent allergic
reactions after just a few injections.  Second, studies suggest that
the vaccine will not produce allergic side effects, such as asthma,
that traditional shots often do.  I.P.C. hopes to complete its human
studies and have the vaccine on the market by 1996 or 1997.

There is an informative article "When Humans Have Allergies: Ways to
Tolerate Cat Allergies," in _Cats Magazine_, April 1992.  The August
1992 issue of _Cat Fancy_ contains an informative article; the
September 1992 issue will have a survey of people's experiences with
allergies (what works for them).

C.  Cats and Water.

There are breeds of cats with an affinity for water.  There have been
reports from rec.pets.cats readers about cats getting into showers
with them; other anecdotes have been very entertaining to read.

Most cats, whether or not they like to get wet, will be fascinated
with watching water drip out of faucets or drain out of tubs, sinks,
and toilets.

Reports of cats drinking from the bottom of the shower, from the sink
and other unlikely places are common.  Some cats can be fussy
about water; they seem to like it as fresh as possible, preferably
still moving.  You may be able to stop some of this behavior by
changing the cat's water every day and moving it some distance away
from the food dish.  In general this habit will not hurt your cat,
however unpleasant it may look to you.  Toilet water drinking *should*
be discouraged, but this is easily done by leaving the lid down.

D.  Indoor and Outdoor Cats

1.  Pros and cons

There are a good many arguments for keeping them inside.  They will
live longer since the chances of being hit by a car, hurt by other
people or animals, or infected with contagious diseases from feral
cats will be minimized.  On the other hand, cats derive much pleasure
from exploring around outside.

2.  Compromises

Often, a satisfactory compromise is to allow the cat out under
supervision.  This can be done by either letting them out into a
fenced yard (although if you leave them out there, they will probably
eventually climb the fence), or using a harness and leash.  To use the
latter, accustom them to the harness first, in the same way as a
collar.  Then accustom them to the leash by leaving it on for short
periods of time.  Then take them outside, and follow them where they
go (do not try to take them "on a walk").

2.  Pet doors

Pet doors are a good solution for people tired of letting cats in and
out.  There are many kinds of doors, including those that fit into
patio doors without requiring a hole cut through the wall or door.

You may have trouble with other animals coming in the door, or want to
let your dog but not your cat use the pet door.  The solution is an
electronic pet door. The door has a lock that is deactivated by a
magnet that selected pets wear on their collar. Look under Pet
Supplies in the yellow pages. If you can't get one locally, call
"America's Pet Door Store" toll free at 1-800-826-2871 for a catalog.

Electronic pet doors are installed much like a regular pet door, but
you plug them in.  The door itself needs a firmer push to open than
most.  A great feature is the 4-way lock. The lock can be set so the
cat can 1) go both in and out 2) go in only - great if you want to
catch them 3) out only 4) totally locked.  Doors cost about
US$80-US$90.

E.  Catching Feral Cats.

On occasion, you may want to catch feral cats.  They can be very
difficult to catch.  When it seems to be impossible, call your local
humane society or SPCA to see if you can borrow a humane animal trap.
Some places allow you to "check out" such traps, just like books from
the library.  A little food for bait, and you've got 'em.

F.  Finding A Home for a Cat.

For whatever reason, you may need to find a home for a cat.  List
everywhere: newspaper, bulletin boards, computer bulletin boards,
newsletters, anywhere you like.  But limit sharply: don't adopt out if
they don't meet standards.  Minimal standards: will neuter as soon as
the cat's old enough, committed to a 20 year responsibility, they have
a home or apartment that permits pets, knowledgeable about cat health
and behavior or committed to become so.  Do charge a nominal fee, at
least US$10, unless you know the adopter well; this keeps away those
collecting animals for research.  (You can donate all or part of the
money to animal causes if you like.)

G.  Dealing with Landlords.

A number of landlords initially say "no pets" but change their minds
when assured that the cat was well-behaved and assured of an extra
damage deposit if necessary.

Also, it seems like many landlords are more likely to approve of a cat
if you make it a condition of signing the lease, rather than if you
ask if it's OK to get one after you've already moved in, or if you try
to sneak one in without asking.

Try to prove that you are a responsible owner (photos of last house,
references, vet records, etc.) to help win your case.

For more ideas and tips, look up
    Dog Fancy, Volume 22, No. 8, August 1991, "Breaking Barriers:
       How to find an apartment that allows dogs," by Amanda Wray.

H.  Pet Insurance.

In the August issue of Cat Fancy, there is an article discussing
health maintenance plans for cats that is set up between your vet
and yourself and then administrated by this HMO company.  The
company is called RLI Planned Services in Peoria, Illinois.

The article included a sample plan.  For $75 a year, your cat
receives:

BASIC HEALTH CARE:
    1 physical exam, no charge
    1 FVRCPC booster, no charge
    1 Rabies booster, no charge
    1 FeLV test, no charge
    50% off FeLV series
    Fecal analysis, ear flush, worming, no charge
    1 Pedicure, no charge

MAJOR ELECTIVE PROCEDURES:
    Spay or Neuter, 40% off
    Declawing, 20% off
    Dental Prophylaxis, 50% off
      (anesthesia included)

HEALTH SURVEY:
    Radiographs, 20% off
    EKG, 20% off
    Chemistry screen profile, 20% off
    Complete blood count, 20% off

All other medical, surgical and hospital services (except
prescriptions and diets) are 10% off.

(All of these things are included in this HMO for $75/year.
OR $125 for two years.)

Here's the company's address:
    RLI Planned Services Inc.
    Dept. CF
    9025 N. Lindbergh Drive
    Peoria, IL  61615

The article says to ask your vet about this program.  If he/she
isn't familiar with it, they should contact the company and see
about setting up the HMO plan.

Vets also may be able to direct you to other pet insurance plans that
they know about.  You may want to consider that $100/year over an
expected 15 to 20 year lifetime is $1500 to $2000.  Plus whatever you
have to pay for excluded costs, coverage limits, deductibles.  Pet
insurance will help with major medical problems such as FUS, cancer,
etc, or emergency care.  If your pet is basically healthy, you will
pay about as much either way, for insurance or for preventative care
that keeps it healthy.


I.  Cat Genetics and Coloring.

A cat with patches of red and black is a tortoiseshell, or 'tortie'.
Add white, and you get a calico.  A tortoiseshell that is homozygous
for the recessive 'dilution' gene is referred to as a blue-cream, and
that's what color it is: patches of soft grey and cream.  This is the
same gene that turns black cats 'blue' (grey), and red cats cream.  A
blue-cream and white is generally referred to in the cat world as a
dilute calico.  The pattern of black/red or blue/cream can either be
in big dramatic patches, brindling, or some of both.  Having more
white seems to encourage the formation of the big patches.

Red in cats is a sex-linked color, carried on the X gene.  Therefore,
a male cat whose X carries red will be a red tabby.  A female cat who
carries one red and one non-red X will be a patched tabby, a
tortoiseshell, or a calico (if she also has the dominant gene for
white markings).  A female cat who is homozygous for red (has it on
both X genes) will be a red tabby.  This is why you see more male red
tabbies than females.  This is ALSO why male calicos are so rare: you
have to have two X genes to be a calico.  Male calicos have genetic
aberrations of various sorts, of which XXY is most common.  While they
are most commonly sterile, there *are* documented cases of fertile
male calicos.  However, the generalization that "all calicos/torties
are female" is true 99.999 percent of the time.

The reason red females are "uncommon" is that, statistically, the
number of red males is equal to the number of tortoiseshell/calico,
patched tabby, AND red females.  Red males and tortie/calico/patched
tabby females can be produced when only ONE parent has the red gene,
but to produce a red female, you must cross a red male with a
red/tortie/calico/patched tabby female.  THAT is why red females are
uncommon.  But not "impossible", in the sense that a male calico is
"impossible".

A "solid red" cat will always display the tabby pattern (although it
may be very slight or even undetectable without brushing the fur back
to check).  There's another gene at work which controls "agoutiness"
(whether individual hairs are banded or solid).  Cats who are
non-agouti will not generally display the tabby pattern, except in red
areas.  The non-agouti gene does not affect phaeomelanin, the red
pigment, so red cats always show their tabby pattern.

The red gene "overrides" the solid gene, making the tabby pattern
visible again.  (And on other solid colors, you can sometimes notice
the underlying stripes, especially in strong light.)  Solid red cats
at cat shows MAY or MAY NOT be genetically solid--they are (generally
longhairs) bred for the "blurring" of the tabby pattern, producing a
cat that doesn't have dramatic markings.

Solid        Tabby
-----        -----
black        brown tabby
blue        blue tabby
red        red tabby
cream        cream tabby
chocolate    chocolate tabby
cinnamon    cinnamon tabby
fawn        fawn tabby

The colors a calico will produce depend on the color of the sire.  But
at minimum, she can produce red and non-red sons, and patched
tabby/tortoiseshell/calico daughters, as well as non-red daughters.
Whether she will produce tabbies or not depends on the genetic makeup
of the sire.  And *any* of the kittens could have white markings, or
not.

Basic cat colors:

Color            Dilute form
-----            -----------
black            blue (a grey color)
chocolate        lilac (a pale pinkish-grey)
(chocolate is a recessive gene which changes black to brown)
cinnamon        fawn (a very pale pinkish-tan)
(a light reddish brown, found mostly in Siamese and Abyssinians)

red            cream (ranges from yellowish to tannish or buff)
(red and cream are sex-linked, on the X gene, and mask the previous
colors.  Actually, there's a separate shade of red/cream to match each
of the previous colors, but it's hard to tell them apart, unless you're
dealing with a tortoiseshell or patched tabby, which has the non-red
areas to give you a hint.)

white
(Here we refer to the dominant form, which is masking over the previous
colors.  It has no dilution.)

Everything else is a modifier!

Modifier            Dominant/Recessive
--------            ------------------
white spotting (paws, etc)    dominant
polydactyly (extra toes)    dominant
manx (taillessness)        dominant
silver (inhibits hair color at roots)    dominant
white locketing (small spots on chest and/or groin) recessive
dilution (black->blue)        recessive
chocolate dilution        recessive
cinnamon dilution        recessive
bobtail (partial taillessness)    recessive
solid (no tabby markings)    recessive
long hair            recessive

Some genes are incompletely dominant to each other, and are part of a
series.  For example, the siamese/burmese genes, from most to least
colored:

Burmese/Siamese/blue-eyed white/pink-eyed white (albino)

The coloring of the Burmese and the points of the Siamese is
temperature sensitive.  The cooler extremities of the Siamese are
darker; a Burmese that has had a fever may grow in lighter fur for a
while!  Such changes are usually temporary, but may take some time to
grow out.

All cats (even those homozygous for solid) have a tabby pattern.  There
are different tabby patterns, from most to least dominant:

Mackerel/Classic/Ticked.  The spotted tabby pattern is thought to be a
variant of the Mackerel pattern, not genetically distinct, but the
jury is not yet in.

Smokes and Chinchillas.  This is the combination of the expression of
the silver gene (a dominant), and the gene for solid color (a
recessive).  Other modifiers account for whether the cat is a referred
to as a smoke, a shaded, or a chinchilla.  From most to least colored:
a "smoke" has white roots, a "shaded" has about half and half white
and color along the length of the hair, and a "chinchilla" has color
only on the very tips of the hair.  If the cat is a tabby instead of a
solid color, that is a silver tabby.  And if the base color is not
black, that would be added to the name as well: blue-cream smoke, red
silver tabby, etc.


J.  Bathing a Cat.

You should not ordinarily need to bath a cat.  Cats are normally very
good about cleaning themselves, and for most cats, that's all the
bathing they will ever need.  Reasons for giving them a bath are:

  - The cat has got something poisonous on its fur,
  - It doesn't take care of its coat as normal cats do,
  - You are allergic and need to bathe it to keep allergens down,
  - The cat is a show cat and about to be shown,
  - You are giving it a flea, tick, or lice dip,
  - It is unusually dirty for some reason (perhaps bad weather).

If you just trimmed your cat's claws, now is a good time.  Having
someone help you hold the cat definitely helps.

If your cat is long haired, groom it *before* bathing it.  Water will
just tighten any mats already in the coat.

Get everything ready.  Warm water, selected bathing place (you might
consider the kitchen sink as being easier on your back and
facilitating control of the cat).  Having water already in the tub or
sink reduces the potential terror to the cat at the sound and sight of
the water coming out of the faucet.  Put a towel or rubber mat on the
bottom of the tub or sink to give your cat something to sink its claws
into.  If you have spray attachments, either to the sink or the tub,
those will help you soak the cat efficiently.  You want to use soap
formulated for cat skin, as human-type soaps will remove all the
essential oils and leave the cat's skin dried out and susceptible to
flea infestations or skin breakouts.  There are some soaps formulated
for allergic pet owners.  Use sparingly and rinse well after working
through coat.

To dry the cat, towel dry first.  You can try hair dryers on low
settings depending on your cat's tolerance.  Otherwise, keep them
inside until they are fully dry.  If your cat is longhaird, you will
want to groom it as the coat drys.  Give the cat a treat after the
bath, this may help them tolerate the process.

If the problem is greasy skin, you may wish to try a dry cat shampoo
instead.

If you are attempting to remove grease, oil, or other petroleum
products from your cat's fur, try using Dawn brand detergent first to
remove it, and follow up with a cat shampoo.  Dawn is used by
volunteers who clean up birds after oil spills.


K.  Cat Safety in the House.

Besides some of the more obvious things like electrical cords, here
are some other things to watch out for:

  * Recliner chairs.  Many cats will go underneath these chairs as a
    hiding or resting place.  Cats that are caught in the mechanism
    when the chair is opened or closed can be seriously injured or
    killed.

  * The dryer.  Many cats find the small enclosed space with warm
    clothing especially inviting.  Check your dryer before turning it
    on; your cat can be killed this way.  A little aversion therapy:
    if you see your cat slip in, close the door and bang on the top of
    the dryer for a few seconds.  Let the cat back out.

  * Drapery and blind cords.  Most cats love to play with the cords;
    unfortunately it is easy for cats to be entangled and
    strangulated.  Coil the cords up to the top of the window and pin
    it there with a clothes pin or clip.

  * Bags with handles.  Cats can become stuck in the handles and
    panic.  If this happens when you are not at home, the cat may
    injure or kill itself.  Keep such bags out of reach of the cats,
    or cut their handles off.

  * Stove tops.  Gas or electrical stoves can present problems.  One
    preventive measure is to obtain burner covers, available for both
    kinds.  Most cats will stay away from anything that is actively
    hot, but you may wish to train them away from the stove by
    spraying with water, or trying other measures used to keep cats
    off the counters.


L.  Pet Identification

Every cat should wear ID tags. A "strangleproof" or "breakaway" cat
collar with elastic section is safest; tags attached with small
keyrings won't fall off and get lost.

When a kitten gets a new collar, it should be put on tighter than
usual until she/he gets used to it.  You should be able to slip 1 or 2
fingers under the collar, but it shouldn't be loose enough for the
kitten to get its jaw hooked.  Of course, this means the kitten also
won't be able to get the collar over its head if it gets caught on
something, so you need to supervise more closely - especially outside.
Kittens grow fast, so you need to check the fit often.  Once the kitty
is quite used to the collar and no longer tries to play with it or get
it off, you can loosen it up a bit.  It usually doesn't take very long
for a kitten to get used to a collar.

Commonest way to get the tag: mail order services that advertise at
pet shops and vet waiting rooms.  Prices go from $3 to $8 per tag.
The cat's name is the least important thing on the tag.  The most
important is your name and phone number.  Home address and work number
are desirable.  Some areas offer cat licensing; consider it as another
way of getting a tag.  Another alternative is to write the name and
phone number on a flea collar or on a cloth collar.  Don't forget to
update the information on the tag when you move!  Tabby Tags offer a
way to attach information to the cat's collar without dangling tags.
Inquire at Tabby Tags, 4546 El Camino Real, B-10, Suite 340, Los
Altos, CA 94022

ID's should be worn for the following reasons:
  * In case the cat, even an indoors one, gets lost or strays.
  * If your cat is injured outside and a kind stranger takes it to the
    vet, the vet is more likely to treat the cat if it has tags.
  * People won't think your cat is a stray and take it home and keep it.
  * Let your neighbors know whose cat is whose, and what their names are.

You can get your cat tattooed in the ear or the leg and register the
tattoo number with a national registry.  The basic problem with this
approach is that few people will look for a tattoo and know where to
call.  Vets, though, usually know about this.  Microchips are being
increasingly used, but you need a scanner to be able to read this
(although vets and animal shelters will check for these).

If you have found a stray cat that you are not sure is really stray,
put a plastic collar on it and write your phone number and any
message on it.  If it has an owner, the owner may call you or at
least remove the collar.

M.  Do All Cats Purr?

Most domestic cats purr.  But do the big ones?  Most people say not,
but from _The Big Cat_:

  "Assertions have been widely made that the roaring cats above are
  not able to purr, assertions that have now been disproven.  George
  B. Schaller reports purring in the lion, tiger, and leopard, as well
  as in the cheetah, but remarks that in the lion the sound is
  produced only during exhalation and appears to be a much less common
  vocalization than in the domestic cat [160].  Snow leopards purr,
  like the house cat, during both exhalation and inhalation [60].
  Others have reported that tame, young adult tigers, leopards,
  jaguars, and cheetahs purr in response to petting.  Finally, purring
  has even been reported in five species of viverrids, as well as
  suckling black bear cubs and nursing spotted hyenas [36]. These
  observations are interesting when compared with Gustave Peters'
  comment that there is still some question about the occurrence of
  purring, in a strictly defined sense, in the wild cats [178].  He
  questions whether the noise identified as a purr from the big cats
  is pthe same in detail and manner of production as the purr of a
  domestic cat.  Of the seven large cats he studied (he did not
  consider the cheetah), he observed true purring only in the puma,
  but considered it probable that snow leopards and clouoded leopards
  also purr.  Thus there is still some doubt about the distribution of