Ed Brunner
New member
Anoka: I appreciate the info. I have heard so many cat-tales such as all white male cats are deaf etc that we might need a vet.
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Better days to be,
Ed
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Better days to be,
Ed
Interesting bit about cats........
- Thread starter Bruce from West Oz
- Start date
Calico/tortise-shell cats are predominately female...but not exclusively. My best friend/ex-roomie is a vet and she said its roughly 90% female (she also said that these females are also largely psychotic as well..as exemplified by mine 
...termed one-person cats).
The tortise-shell/calico story is based on Mendelian genetics...excellent for beginning instruction in the concept and principles of genetics, but not so for explaining real life genotypes in higher organisms.
Mendelian genetics assumes a static and simplistic distribution of genes...and doesn't take into consideration of gene conversion, gene translation, chromosomal cross-over and a host of other phenomena that influence gene distribution and subsequent expression. Just as color-blindedness, hemophilia and pattern-baldness can also be found in female humans.
Anoka's explanation is correct as far as the basic event...in terms of dominant and recessive sex-linked alleles. Ol' Gregor was lucky his pea system was so simple. But, in biology, nothing is one hundred percent.
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
...termed one-person cats).The tortise-shell/calico story is based on Mendelian genetics...excellent for beginning instruction in the concept and principles of genetics, but not so for explaining real life genotypes in higher organisms.
Mendelian genetics assumes a static and simplistic distribution of genes...and doesn't take into consideration of gene conversion, gene translation, chromosomal cross-over and a host of other phenomena that influence gene distribution and subsequent expression. Just as color-blindedness, hemophilia and pattern-baldness can also be found in female humans.
Anoka's explanation is correct as far as the basic event...in terms of dominant and recessive sex-linked alleles. Ol' Gregor was lucky his pea system was so simple. But, in biology, nothing is one hundred percent.
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
Since this thread seems to now be about cats in general, I thought I would post one of my favorites - a humorous poem about Schrodinger's Cat that made the rounds of the physics world a decade or more ago. If you have a scientific bent (Rob?), I know you'll enjoy it, if not, I hope you enjoy it. Schrodinger's cat was a thought problem Erwin Schrodinger gave to illustrate one aspect of quantum mechanics. Schrodinger is one of my favorite people of all time, a modern renaissance man. (The "poem" is pretty long, but I figure this thread will be locked soon anyway due to its length.)
The Quantum Mechanics Poem!
Schrodinger, Erwin! Professor of physics!
Wrote daring equations! Confounded his critics!
Win saw that the theory that Newton'd invented
By Einstein's discoveries had been badly dented.
What now? wailed his colleagues. Said Erwin, "Don't panic
No grease monkey I, but a quantum mechanic.
Consider electrons. Now, these teensy articles
Are sometimes like waves, and sometimes like particles.
If that's not confusing, the nuclear dance
Of electrons and such is governed by chance!
No sweat, though - my theory permits us to judge
Where some of 'em is and the rest of them was."
Not everyone bought this. It threatened to wreck
The comforting linkage of cause and effect.
E'en Einstein had doubts, and so Schrodinger tried
To tell him what quantum mechanics implied.
Said Win to Al, "Brother, suppose we've a cat,
And inside a tube we have put that cat at -
Along with with a card deck and a bag of some Fritoes,
A bottle of water, a couple mosquitoes
And, oh, if you got 'em, one vial prussic acid,
One decaying atom, and something that's rancid.
But when the atom finally emits,
A trigger device blasts the vial to bits
Which snuffs our poor kitty. The odds of this crime
Are 50 to 50 per hour each time.
The cylinder's sealed. The hour's passed away. Is
Our pussy still purring - or pushing up daisies?
Now, *you'ld* say the cat either lives or it don't.
But quantum mechanics is stubborn and won't.
Statistically speaking, the cat (goes the joke),
Is half a cat breathing and half a cat croaked.
To some this may seem a ridiculous split,
But quantum mechanics must answer, "Tough sh!t"
We may not know much, but one thing's fo' sho':
There's things in the cosmos we cannot know.
Shine light on electrons - you'll cause them to swerve.
The act of observing disturbs the observed -
Which ruins your test. But if there's no testing
To see if a particle's moving or resting
Why try to conjecture - pure useless endeavor!
We know probability. Certainty? Never.'
The effect of this notion? I very much fear
'Twill make doubtful all things that were formerly clear.
Til soon the cat doctors will say in reports,
"We've just flipped a coin and we learned he's a corpse."
So said Herr Erwin. Quoth Albert, "You're nuts.
God doesn't play dice with the universe, putz!
I'll prove it!" he said, and Lord knows he tried -
In vain - until fin'ly he more or less died.
Win spoke at the funeral: "Listen, dear friends,
Sweet Al was my buddy, I must make amends.
Though he doubted my theory, I'll say this for the saint:
Ten-to-one he's in heaven - but five bucks says he ain't."
The Quantum Mechanics Poem!
Schrodinger, Erwin! Professor of physics!
Wrote daring equations! Confounded his critics!
Win saw that the theory that Newton'd invented
By Einstein's discoveries had been badly dented.
What now? wailed his colleagues. Said Erwin, "Don't panic
No grease monkey I, but a quantum mechanic.
Consider electrons. Now, these teensy articles
Are sometimes like waves, and sometimes like particles.
If that's not confusing, the nuclear dance
Of electrons and such is governed by chance!
No sweat, though - my theory permits us to judge
Where some of 'em is and the rest of them was."
Not everyone bought this. It threatened to wreck
The comforting linkage of cause and effect.
E'en Einstein had doubts, and so Schrodinger tried
To tell him what quantum mechanics implied.
Said Win to Al, "Brother, suppose we've a cat,
And inside a tube we have put that cat at -
Along with with a card deck and a bag of some Fritoes,
A bottle of water, a couple mosquitoes
And, oh, if you got 'em, one vial prussic acid,
One decaying atom, and something that's rancid.
But when the atom finally emits,
A trigger device blasts the vial to bits
Which snuffs our poor kitty. The odds of this crime
Are 50 to 50 per hour each time.
The cylinder's sealed. The hour's passed away. Is
Our pussy still purring - or pushing up daisies?
Now, *you'ld* say the cat either lives or it don't.
But quantum mechanics is stubborn and won't.
Statistically speaking, the cat (goes the joke),
Is half a cat breathing and half a cat croaked.
To some this may seem a ridiculous split,
But quantum mechanics must answer, "Tough sh!t"
We may not know much, but one thing's fo' sho':
There's things in the cosmos we cannot know.
Shine light on electrons - you'll cause them to swerve.
The act of observing disturbs the observed -
Which ruins your test. But if there's no testing
To see if a particle's moving or resting
Why try to conjecture - pure useless endeavor!
We know probability. Certainty? Never.'
The effect of this notion? I very much fear
'Twill make doubtful all things that were formerly clear.
Til soon the cat doctors will say in reports,
"We've just flipped a coin and we learned he's a corpse."
So said Herr Erwin. Quoth Albert, "You're nuts.
God doesn't play dice with the universe, putz!
I'll prove it!" he said, and Lord knows he tried -
In vain - until fin'ly he more or less died.
Win spoke at the funeral: "Listen, dear friends,
Sweet Al was my buddy, I must make amends.
Though he doubted my theory, I'll say this for the saint:
Ten-to-one he's in heaven - but five bucks says he ain't."
Shucks. After reading the thread topic, I thought you were going to say "...they taste like chicken." Ahhhh, so many cats; so few recipes.
Actually, I like cats a lot, just not as much as dogs. What annoys me is how they leave just a few morsels of their food left in the bowl - totally inefficient/ill-adaptive in the wild - if you don't scarf it up, you lose in nature.
I read that cat people have "X" personality, dog people have "Y" personality (forget the details now), but point being that people who like both have complex personalities. Interesting that most on TFL seem to like both.
[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited August 16, 1999).]
Actually, I like cats a lot, just not as much as dogs. What annoys me is how they leave just a few morsels of their food left in the bowl - totally inefficient/ill-adaptive in the wild - if you don't scarf it up, you lose in nature.
I read that cat people have "X" personality, dog people have "Y" personality (forget the details now), but point being that people who like both have complex personalities. Interesting that most on TFL seem to like both.
[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited August 16, 1999).]
Danger Dave
New member
Futo,
Cats only leave food when they're comfortable about when they're gonna be able to eat again. A cat in a strange location or under stress will generally scarf up all it can hold. It's just part of the wild that even the most domesticated cats keep.
I've also noticed that when cats over-scarf, they have a built-in purge mechanism...so be thankful they don't do it too often.
Cats only leave food when they're comfortable about when they're gonna be able to eat again. A cat in a strange location or under stress will generally scarf up all it can hold. It's just part of the wild that even the most domesticated cats keep.
I've also noticed that when cats over-scarf, they have a built-in purge mechanism...so be thankful they don't do it too often.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
A Wisconsin study of feral housecats (Wildlife Agency + UW Grad students) found that a feral housecat will kill some 100 songbirds per year. A survey of the state indicated a feral cat population of a million or more...
I have observed that feral housecats are intensely destructive of any ground-nesting bird such as quail. They will kill as many of a sleeping covey as they can, and maybe eat only one.
In and around the house, I'm a cat-lover. Out in the boonies, I'm a cat-killer.
Dennis, cats around the house have always been a Good Thing, insofar as snakes and mice are concerned.
Cats would make excellent politicians: Neither has a conscience.
I have observed that feral housecats are intensely destructive of any ground-nesting bird such as quail. They will kill as many of a sleeping covey as they can, and maybe eat only one.
In and around the house, I'm a cat-lover. Out in the boonies, I'm a cat-killer.
Dennis, cats around the house have always been a Good Thing, insofar as snakes and mice are concerned.
Cats would make excellent politicians: Neither has a conscience.
cornered rat
Moderator
<h1>Ack!</h1>
Apologize to cats!
Would you feed a politician, much less pet one!? Would you let one into your home or even past the first meter of no-man's land? Would you feel bad about de-clawing politicos?
I'd take a cat over any public office hold or even seeker that I have seen. Not sure where I stand on folks like L. Neil Smith, but all the critters I met personally lose to cats.
Apologize to cats!
Would you feed a politician, much less pet one!? Would you let one into your home or even past the first meter of no-man's land? Would you feel bad about de-clawing politicos?
I'd take a cat over any public office hold or even seeker that I have seen. Not sure where I stand on folks like L. Neil Smith, but all the critters I met personally lose to cats.
In all my years in the pest control business the only creature I have ever been bitten by was a kitten. I was even trying to save it's life, removing it from a drop ceiling in a building that was to be fumigated. Little bugger tore up my hand, but I still saved him and his sister. Momma cat had her litter in the drop ceiling between floors, place stank to high heaven.
Im definitely not a cat lover, but won't shoot one. I have trapped them when they become a problem, usually take them to the pound. I would like to shoot the jerks who let them loose when they no longer want them, same with dogs.
Geoff Ross
Im definitely not a cat lover, but won't shoot one. I have trapped them when they become a problem, usually take them to the pound. I would like to shoot the jerks who let them loose when they no longer want them, same with dogs.
Geoff Ross
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Well, ACK! back to you! Around the house, a cat is a neat critter. A warm, furry purry. Sit on your lap, rub against your leg. Do "ecstatic kneading" on your kneecap, purring all the while.
But turn your back: No conscience--anything cat-edible and available will be eaten, be it alive or dead. No matter how much you "train" by whatever means, a cat just waits for your back to be turned. He has far more patience than you do. And if you make him mad, he'll pee on your pillow.
No conscience.
But turn your back: No conscience--anything cat-edible and available will be eaten, be it alive or dead. No matter how much you "train" by whatever means, a cat just waits for your back to be turned. He has far more patience than you do. And if you make him mad, he'll pee on your pillow.
No conscience.