About Tigers and Cats

On November 25, two rare Amur tigers were born at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, which is home to their parents, a male, Petya and a female, Changbai. They are part of the Species Survival Plan that is administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. When born these girls weighed 1.7 pounds and seven weeks later they weigh 10 pounds and will weigh over 100 within six months.

Rejected by their mother at birth, Zoo staff has been hand feeding the cubs every five hours; and happily the cubs are thriving. They will not interact with their mother because at this point she would see them either as a toy or as prey, not as her cubs. As they grow and are weaned physical interaction will end. Zoo staff will raise these girls as "tigers" and time will tell if they will be kept together although the hope is they will be together for at least two years. Genetically, they are very important to this rare species.

The girls have been named Reka and Zeya in honor of their Russian heritage. Zeya is a river that runs through the Amur area of Russia and Reka is a city in that area. To watch the tiger girls grow, check out the zoo's Facebook Page. The cubs parents are considered to be in the top ten in regard to tigers by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums because of their genetic diversity.

The Amur or Siberian tiger is a rare subspecies of tiger and the largest cat in the world. There are only 500 Amur tigers left in the wild and genetic diversity is a concern. Male tigers can weigh up to 675 pounds and females can weigh up to 350 pounds. Another difference is that the stripes of Amur tigers are fewer and paler and they have a mane that helps to keep them warm. The public will be able to visit the tigers this spring. The Zoo is raising money to build a special viewing area for the girls.

Cat Toy by SafePet for House Cats!

One of the most popular resolutions of New Year is to get back on or go on a diet! So many of us indulge during the holiday season -- even our cats get extra treats! With this resolution in mind, I was intrigued when I saw a gadget called Slimcat available at www.chewy.com. This clever device is an interactive cat feeder by Petsafe, and, better yet, available @www.chewy.com at a 56% discount! It seems every time I head into the kitchen, so does my gang of five for their treats ! The trouble is I don't want them to gain weight... and with Slimcat they have to "work" for their treats...at least some of the time!

The cool thing about this treat dispensing gadget is that you can load up the treats and then adjust the number of treats that it dispenses depending on the size of the treat and the size of the opening which is adjustable. It is fun watching them bat this ball around that rolls easily on the floor as well as on a carpet dispensing treats along the way! It keeps them all occupied on these cold winter days as well as helping them maintain their weight. I have tried this with several brands of treats from chewy.com including Greenies, Temptations and Party Mix.

Slimcat is made of BPA- free plastic and can be taken apart and washed by hand or in the dishwasher. It holds 2/3 cup of dry food or treats and is compatible with most because the holes in the sides are adjustable. Slimcat comes in a variety of colors and seems to really brighten up these short winter days.