May 6, 2007
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May 5, 2007
The 2 surviving kittens
Here are the 2 survivors today, a month later. The smallest kittens I EVER had, but health. They are using the litter box already, but don't eat solid food yet:
Apr 26, 2007
Apr 25, 2007
Why cats have no sweet tooth
The taste buds of mammals bear complexes of molecules designed for sensing specific flavors, called receptors. “Sweet” receptors consist of two protein molecules hooked together, said Joseph Brand, senior author of the study and associate director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Penn.
Brand and his co-researchers said cats don’t produce one of the proteins, because the gene that codes for its production doesn’t work in cats.
The gene probably lost its functionality because it has no use given the felines’ carnivorous behavior, the researchers said.
“We took a behavioral question and answered it molecularly,” Brand said.
Cats can’t recognize any carbohydrates, a class of substances that includes sugars, according to Brand. They therefore eat a meat-and-fat only diet similar to the “Atkins” diet popular in the United States.
The findings raise key evolutionary questions, Brand noted. One is “when and why did cats lose the ability to taste sweet things?” Another is a chicken-and-egg question: “Which came first, the carnivorous behavior or the inability to taste sweets?”
Brand added, “I said jokingly, no wonder cats are cranky—not only do they have to hunt for their food, but they also can’t enjoy a sweet dessert!”
The study is published in the July 25 issue of the research journal PLoS Genetics.
Apr 23, 2007
Kitty Updates
there are only 2 left from the litter of 6 newborns. My guess is that they were premature, because they were so tiny and the 4 of them didn't have much of a chance. We tried hard though.
The good news:
the remaining 2 kittens, including the red male, are strong and growing and pooping just fine!
Yes, kitty poop can get me ecstatic LOL. It does tell you a whole lot about the kitten's condition though. My husband said that I am the only person he knows that jumps up and down clapping her hands about a piece of kitten poop! hehehehe
I am keeping a close eye on the lighter colored calico of the litter of the 4 girls. She only weighs half of what her sisters weigh and is not eating as much as I would like her to. But she looks ok, is not dehydrated and her digestion appears to be ok too, except she seems to have no control over her bladder, while her sisters are using the litter box for almost a week now.
The 3 sisters are almost ready to go up for adoption. One more week the most!
Apr 21, 2007
Apr 19, 2007
The Rainbow Wildlife Rescue is open again
The Rainbow Wildlife Rescue is open again, limited, but open!! As of now we can ONLY accept nongame species (incl. Cottontails - a more detailed list will follow soon) as well as small exotics in need.
Please read MY STORY to find out why we can't rescue all the animals we would like to.
Below you will find valuable information on how to find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and emergency care instructions for orphaned or injured urban wildlife:
Did you find a:
Many baby birds are found by people and taken in to be cared for. People believe the baby bird is rejected by its parents, lost, or can not get back into the nest. The fatality rate of baby birds that are taken in by kind-hearted individuals is very very high. Many people ask if a baby bird will be rejected if a person handles the baby and the bird parents smell the human. This is just an "old wives'" tale. Baby birds are NOT rejected by their parents if a person handles them. In fact, most birds have a very poor sense of smell. |  |
DO NOT TRY TO RAISE INFANT OPOSSUMS IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! THEY WILL DIE!!! IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL IN MANY STATES! FIND A WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR HERE! Most opossum babies end up orphaned, because their mother was hit by a car (their only real defense is to play dead...) or killed by dogs. |  |
Baby squirrels sometimes fall out of a nest that has been damaged in a storm or by an aggressive male squirrel. The squirrel may not be an orphan at all, but may have just fallen from its nest. If one squirrel has fallen from a damaged nest, others may have fallen out as well. It is recommended that you warm the baby squirrel in your hands or by holding it close to your body and then place it at the base of the tree. Given time, the mother will return and retrieve her baby. |  |
If you found a Cottontail Rabbit in the Stephenville, TX (Erath County) area, please call me, Birgit, at 968 - 4626 This is the time of year when people find wild baby bunnies during the day and think they have been "abandoned", when in all likelihood, they have not. Before you try to save a wild baby bunny, know the facts. |  |
U.S. Wildlife Rehabilitator Contacts
Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator HERE
or by State
A-M States
N-W States
