Actually, not all cats love catnip. Though the plant, Nepeta cataria, also called catmint, is coveted by many cats. About 30 percent of cats aren’t interested in the herb, but those that are have a wild reaction. Once they find the catnip, they may get very playful, roll around in it, lick it up, become euphoric, and may even look drugged out. After about 15 to 20 minutes of enthusiasm, the thrill wears off, and they will take a nice, long snooze.
Big Cat Rescue decided to do a little experiment to see if big cats like catnip too. The crew placed catnip inside paper bags and threw it over the fence to the ferocious felines. The response was clear. Some of the wildcats took to the catnip with abandon, and a few of the cats were uninterested. Pictured here is Alex resting after a nice romp through the catnip. The cats who relished the treat behaved just like house cats, rolling around, acting ecstatic, and very happy.
Christmas at the Toronto Zoo
Santa did not forget about these snow leopards at the Toronto Zoo! Ena, Kita, and Mylo were good all year, and we enjoyed watching them rip into their Christmas present. The zoo said it was an enrichment gift as part of its 2018 “12 Days of Enrichment” program. Many other zoo animals were included in the festivities.
Cats are curious, and these snow leopards were very curious about the Christmas present sitting in the middle of their territory. They went up to them and gently unwrapped the ribbon and paper, thanked their handlers for the thoughtful gifts, and shared them between themselves. Just kidding, they tore them apart like they would a gazelle and played until the sun went down.
Sleepy Snow Leopard
Awww! Here’s a two-week-old snow leopard hiding out in a blue bucket on the day of his first vet exam at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. At the first exam, zoo vets reported that the cub was female. Upon closer examination, the second visit found a surprise! The young cub was determined to be male, according to the Woodland Park Zoo blog. The community voted to name him Aibek. It means, “will live for many moons” or long-living.
Snow leopards originate from the high mountain ranges of Central Asia and Russia. Populations of the striking wildcat are endangered, with fewer than 8,000 snow leopards roaming wild. In their native habitat, these beautiful beasts are often hunted for their fur and bones, which tribes use in traditional medicines. They also get killed by herders while preying on livestock.
Tiger Taxi
This tiger does not look like a happy kitty. In general, cats abhor rides in the car. Her expression seems to concur, despite the fact she got shotgun. But we wonder, is this tiger named Sara not terribly irritated that she must be inside a vehicle that she can easily outrun?
Just so you know, Sara broke the 100-meter sprint record at just over six seconds in 2009. She's the fastest animal on earth. We have to hand it to this lady for being insanely brave. We've dealt with angry cats in cars before, and to avoid getting clawed while driving, we put the ball of fluff and shards in a box. Sara is getting transported to the Cat Ambassador Program, where it will be on display for local school children. Perhaps there lies the trepidation.
A Thank You Kiss
Apparently, tigers love milk. This zookeeper just poured the contents of the milk carton into the enormous cat's mouth as it sat standing. What's more amazing is that the zookeeper allowed the beast to lick his face. Tiger's tongues contain rows of spikes called papillae. The barbs are scratchy enough to lick paint off of a wall or to lick through the hides of animals they kill. Tigers use them to scour feathers off of birds!
After a few licks on human skin, the papillae will usually draw blood. Don’t let a tiger lick you! If you are afraid he will eat you unless you allow him to lick you, stare him right in the eyes. Direct eye contact makes it less likely a tiger will attack you. On the upside, tigers' tongues excrete antiseptic saliva. So, if you do get licked raw, at least your wound won't get infected.