Purring is good for what ails ya
Most of us are drawn to a purring cat. The sound usually means the cat is content and open to being lavished with affection. Some cats purr so loudly they can be heard from a distance, while others are barely audible. The sound has been proven to create contentment in humans beings as well.
      While purring is associated with contentment, cats purr when they are injured, sick, frightened, and anxious too. Female cats are known to purr while giving birth.
      Domestic cats heal from broken bones faster than dogs and doctors think it is because of the purr. Studies have been done on the frequency of the cat's purr and the vibrations used to heal, such as those used in ultrasound therapy. A cat's purr is within the range of frequencies used to improve bone density and encourage healing.
      Purring was a mystery for a very long time. Recently researchers figured out that cats do not have an organ that creates purring, but rather it is a signal in the brain that makes the diaphragm and larynx work together in to create a special vibration. Anatomically humans have a diaphragm and a larynx, but we are missing the special intermittent signal from the brain that creates the purr.
      Pumas, cheetahs, ocelots, and servals are known to purr. Large cats such as lions, leopards, and tigers can only purr while exhaling, unlike domesticated cats who can purr continuously. Many experts think that large cats cannot purr continuously because they possess the capability to roar.

Pet First Aid--The Mile High Chapter of American Red Cross offers a practical, informative, and inexpensive pet first aid class. The class is surprisingly similar to the first aid class offered for humans. Some of the topics covered include, rescue breathing, cardiovascular pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), care for burns, how to treat an impalement, poisoning, drowning, broken bones, the Heimlich Maneuver, and more.
      Did you know, your cat or dog's heart is closest to their left side? The class shows you how to take your pets pulse and what the standard heartbeat rates for dogs and cats. Just like a human you can feel on their wrist or the inside of their leg, you can also feel on for a pulse at the spot where their elbow touches their chest. Students practice finding a pulse and performing rescue breathing (mouth to snout resuscitation) and CPR on stuffed dogs and cats with plastic lungs and mouthpieces. (Remember Resusci-Annie?)
      Did you know, the best way to stop bleeding is with a pressure? The Red Cross does not teach tourniquet use anymore. Applying direct pressure to the wound is the best method to stop bleeding.
      The informative class comes with an indispensable paperback guidebook. Packed full of instructions, it is small enough to fit in a glove compartment or back pack. Pet first aid kits are for sale too at a modest price. The class is four hours and is usually taught at their 4th and Sherman location. They even have a boot camp Pet First Aid class for families in September.
       Check out the registration dates for August and September.