Two veterinarians, Dr. Carly Fox and Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, debunk common myths about cats. Some of the myths they tackle include:
1. Pregnant women can't live with cats: This is a huge myth. However, pregnant women should take precautions when cleaning the litter box to avoid toxoplasmosis.
2. Cats love milk: Cats are lactose intolerant as adults and can't digest milk.
3. Cats are nocturnal: Cats are actually crepuscular, meaning they're most active at dawn and dusk.
4. Cats hate water: While many cats don't like being bathed, some cats may enjoy water.
5. Cats can see in complete darkness: Cats have excellent night vision due to a reflective layer in the back of their eyes, but they still need some light to see.
6. Human food is bad for cats: Cats require a diet of meat and can't thrive on human food alone.
7. Black cats are bad luck: This is a myth, but black cats are often overlooked in shelters.
8. Cats don't love people or babies: Cats may be wary of babies due to their unpredictable behavior and smells, but it's not that they don't like them.
9. Cats always land on their feet: Cats have a righting reflex, but they can still get injured from falls.
10. Cats and dogs don't get along: This is a myth, and many households have both cats and dogs living together peacefully.
11. When cats purr, it means they're happy: Purring can be associated with pleasure, but also with nervousness, hunger, or warning signs.
12. One human year equals seven cat years: This is a myth, and the aging process in cats is more complex.
The veterinarians conclude that while some myths have a grain of truth, they're often exaggerated or oversimplified.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Dr. Carly Fox is an emergency and critical-care veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.
2. Dr. Ann Hohenhaus is an internal medicine and oncology specialist at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.
3. Cats are lactose intolerant as adults, meaning their bodies cannot digest milk.
4. Kittens have an enzyme called lactase that helps them break down milk, but this enzyme disappears as they get older.
5. Cat milk is available in pet stores and is lactose-free, with added taurine, an amino acid essential for cats.
6. Cats require taurine in their diet.
7. Cats are not nocturnal, but rather crepuscular, meaning they are most active during dusk and dawn.
8. Cats have a reflective layer in the back of their eyes called the tapetum, which helps improve their night vision.
9. Cats cannot see in complete darkness, but can see in low light conditions.
10. Pregnant women can live with cats, but should take precautions to avoid toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can be shed in cat feces.
11. Cleaning the litter box daily and wearing gloves can help prevent toxoplasmosis infection.
12. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they require a diet of meat to survive.
13. Human food is not nutritionally balanced for cats.
14. Black cats are not bad luck, but may be less likely to be adopted from shelters.
15. Cats do not always land on their feet, and can suffer severe injuries from falls.
16. Cats and dogs can get along, but their relationship depends on their individual personalities.
17. Purring in cats is not always a sign of happiness, but can also indicate nervousness, hunger, or warning signs.
18. The myth that one human year equals seven cat years is not accurate, as cats can have kittens at 6 months old, which would be equivalent to 3.5 human years.