Cats Are Smarter Than You Think

By Terry Fowler, guest blogger

Meet #3 cat Chester

Regular blogger Valerie and I  currently live with three cats. We have always had at least one, so I feel entitled to pass on observations regarding feline intelligence. If you read scientific publications, you already know that cats are smarter than dogs. Chester, our #3 cat, says that is not saying much. Further, research has indicated that cats are up there with chimpanzees and pigs when it comes to smarts.

Need more proof? Please consider the following. Cats do not wear watches and, as far as humans can tell, cannot tell time. Why then do I face three meowing kitties looking for their dinner at exactly 6 pm every day? Add to that the fact that exactly 6 am every morning the aforementioned #3 cat, Chester, sits on my sleeping head and announces that it time to go out?

Meet #2 cat Sparky

As final proof, I offer the following evidence. Pictured is #2 cat Sparky. Normally a good kitty, Sparky is occasionally overly enthusiastic in her pursuit of moles, voles and chipmunks in our backyard. As a result, she does not come in when she should. To correct this behavior, Valerie confronts Sparky and "grounds" her for a specific amount of time.

When I first saw her do this, I laughed out loud. However, it works! After being "grounded," one of our cats will on its best behavior for the next couple of days. It even works for Chester, who is a bit of a knucklehead.

So, cats ARE smarter than you think and even Tomasina thinks so!.

Meet #1 cat Tomasina

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all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Can't Find Me!

I was looking at the lichen on this tree and then...I noticed this little fellow. 

I was amazed at how well the grasshopper blended into the tree. Look at his colors and patterns. They mimic perfectly the colors of the bark and lichen. When I looked closer, I found another one of these little insects huddled into a groove in the bark. 

It was REALLY cold that morning (I could see my breath). When it is this cold, insects can't move. This makes insects like grasshoppers a perfect breakfast food for predators on a chilly autumn morning. So, if you can't hop away; the next best thing is to hide REALLY well. The grasshopper's CAMOFLAGE is even more effective because most predators see in black and white. This makes the 'hopper virtually invisible. Camoflage means "to blend into the background." It is a very important survival mechanism for many animals including birds, mammals and reptiles.

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

We are operated by

www.nush.org

all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

Year Around Position Open

We have a year around position opening for Summer Camp Coordinator. Please visit our website at www.houseinthewood.org click on "Jobs" for more information.

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

We are operated by

www.nush.org

all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright

It's Fall!

Fall here at House In The Wood is about two weeks early this year. I always think of Fall as a time to get ready for Winter. And I think of Spring as a time to get ready for Summer. I hope to have a series of getting ready for Winter pictures in the next few posts. The first is plants...

The trees change color as the days shorten and the nights get colder. So what happens when the leaves change color? The green is a pigment called chlorophyll. It is essential for producing the food for the tree from sunlight in a process called photosynthesis. The yellows, orange and brown are always there but the green is so much stronger in summer that you can't see the other colors. However, when the days are shorter, the photosynthesis slows down so there is not so much green and the other colors can show through.

The leaves fall to get the plant ready for the long cold Wisconsin winter. The plants are actually drawing all of their food back into the plant and then even further down deep into the roots so there is enough energy for next Spring. Next Spring, the plant must produce buds and then leaves before it gets to eat again! Remember that the sunlight hits the leaves and the chlorophyll helps it turn into the sugar which is the food for plants.

There is a more DETAILED explanation on my favorite nature site EEK including where the reds come from--it is a special process. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/trees/treestruecolor.htm

For more information on House In The Wood please go to our website at www.houseinthewood.com

We are operated by

www.nush.org

all rights reserved 2012 Valerie J Wright