Angry Cats HD Wallpapers

About Angry Cats

Just as humans can be bad tempered, so can cats. And unsurprisingly, much anger in cats derives from fear, so placing a cat in any situation where his fear emotions arise will often result in an angry cat. Knowing how to minimize and remove such situations is an important part of calming an angry cat, and keeping him that way.

Understand the behavioral drives behind the angry cat. Cats are not as domesticated as dogs and easily revert to their wild state. This means that cats are one step away from being a wild animal still and many wild animals live in a constant state of alertness for danger, including a fear of people.Top of the list for inducing fear is strangers, simply because a cat doesn't know what that person is all about until they've had time to observe and trust that the person is cat friendly. Moreover, a cat that witnesses violent behavior from a human being may go on to associate that behavior with all persons who look similar and may slink away or become enraged with any person exhibiting similar features. However, beyond fear comes anger and what starts out as fear can soon turn to anger, as a cat's small frontal lobes (the brain's emotional brakes) means they're fast to anger and slow to cool down. 

Know what an angry cat looks like. An angry cat is probably fairly obvious to many a cat owner but it is important to know how to distinguish between a cat that is afraid and one that has become angry. A cat that is angry will puff out his fur, arch his back and spit, while a cat that is afraid will not puff up his fur or attack. Be aware that a cat can turn from being calm to afraid or angry in a matter of seconds. 

Take care of your own safety before all else. If your cat is angry with you or is experiencing redirected aggression, then you are a possible target for an attack, which can result in scratches, bites, cuts and the like. If you actually need to handle the cat, wear protective clothing. However, the best approach is to not handle the cat at all until he has calmed down; he doesn't need love and hugs while he's getting over a tense experience, he needs space. 

Give the cat space. Leave your cat alone for 10 to 20 minutes to have some time to calm down. However, do whatever you can to remove the threat to your cat. This may include removing another cat to a different part of the house, asking a stranger to leave or having anyone or anything that appears to be upsetting the cat move elsewhere. Provided the cat cannot see the source of the threat, this will give him a chance to start calming down.

Approach your cat slowly and with caution. After you have given your cat time and space to calm down, approach him cautiously. You need to be sure that all visible signs of anger are gone, including the raised fur, hissing and arched back. However, even with these visible signs gone, your cat may still be harboring feelings of anger and be flighty and afraid, so taking it slowly is important. 

Use food. Shake the biscuit box or open a can of favorite food and place it in his bowl. This might be enough to bring him around to feeling normal again. Be sure that there is plenty of fresh water available as he may be very thirsty after such high emotions. However, don't force food or drink on your cat; he'll come if he's interested and if not, he knows it's there for him when he's ready.

Remain calm, loving and move slowly. While the cat is calming down, anything sudden or loud might reactivate his emotions. Talk to him lovingly, be reassuring with your gestures and ask other members of the household to keep noise and movement down for a few hours.

Deal with any source of aggravation for your cat. After your cat has been angry, it can be a very harrowing experience for you as an owner or companion. Seeing your dear little moggy spitting and biting can be distressing, especially if you've never experienced an angry cat before. The best thing you can do now is to find ways to ensure that this doesn't repeat. If it's obvious to you what set your cat off, deal with as best you can. This might mean shutting your cat away before answering the door to strangers or when receiving strangers. It might mean blocking off an outdoor scene that seems to frighten your cat. Or perhaps you've introduced a new cat to the household recently and your cat is jealous; in this case, careful handling and time will be needed to gradually introduce the two, as well as reassuring your first cat that he is not forgotten. If you don't know what set off your cat, spend time observing him to try and pick up subtle signs of fear or irritability. 

Banker Pony Mare HD Wallpapers

About Banker Ponies

 For more than 400 years, the most enduring – and endearing – residents of the Outer Banks, the Banker ponies, have called this sliver of land between sound and sea home. They’re Spanish mustangs descended from a herd brought here by explorers as early as the 1520s, and are recognized as the state horse of North Carolina. How they got here is a bit of a mystery. It’s said that some swam ashore from shipwrecks while others were castoffs of failed settlements, left to flourish on these untouched barrier islands for hundreds of years.

Today, the largest herds of Banker ponies are found at the extreme ends of the Outer Banks. Corolla, to the north, and Shackleford Banks, the southernmost of the barrier island chain, have herds of around 120 stallions, mares and foals that call their beaches and dunes home. A smaller, more domesticated herd lives on Ocracoke Island. The horses are wild, but adventurous visitors can get a close-up view of them by taking one of many guided tours offered at both Corolla and Shackleford Banks.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF) has managed and protected the herd and its habitat since 1989. From its office near the Currituck Lighthouse in Old Corolla Village, the CWHF offers children’s programs on the Banker ponies, as well as an interactive museum and store. Members of the CWHF can accompany the herd manager on a ride-along for a day of stunning photo opportunities and insight into the herd from someone who knows the herd intimately.

You can also rent a Jeep and drive on the beach into the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge on a self-guided tour. Or, instead, rely on experienced off-road drivers and arrange a tour through one of the outfitters in Corolla. Wild Horse Adventure Tours offers two-hour family expeditions into the heart of the horse’s territory for groups of two to 14. Corolla Wild Horse Tours also offers two-hour tours for groups with guides certified by the CWHF.

The herd on Shackleford Banks lives on the southernmost island of the Outer Banks in the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Since the island is three miles offshore and only accessible by private watercraft or passenger ferry, seeing these horses really is an adventure. Self guided tours and photography are a popular option, and the Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Visitor’s Center on nearby Harker’s Island offers advice, tips and safety reminders for your trip to see the horses.

Guided tours, and ferries to Shackleford Banks, are available in Beaufort through Shackleford Wild Horse & Shelling Safari. Tours are two hours, and ferries return to the mainland every hour during the afternoon, so you are free to spend the day exploring the beach, photographing the horses or gathering some of the best shells on the Carolina coast. Don’t forget to bring your hat, sun block and plenty of water for your trip to Shackleford Banks.

The Foundation for Shackleford Horses (FSH) is a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the horses and their habitat as one of North Carolina’s ecological and cultural treasures. It funds herd management plans, genetics research, health studies and more. Through its solo efforts and work with other conservation groups and the National Park Service, FSH is ensuring a safe and healthy future for the Shackleford Banks wild horses.

On Ocracoke Island, the herd is smaller in number, though larger in stature, thanks to regular feedings and veterinary care. The Ocracoke ponies, as they’re sometimes called, live in a 180-acre enclosure to protect them from Highway 12. Viewing platforms give visitors a glimpse into the paddocks and the daily life of these horses, which is far removed from their wild cousins.

The Corolla Wild Horse Protection Act (H.R. 306) is under consideration in the North Carolina House of Representatives during the 2012 legislative sessions. If passed, the act would cap the herd at 130 horses, encourage adoptions and auctions of Banker ponies, introduce new mares from Shackleford Banks into the herd and would turn over care for the herd to the CWHF.

The Banker ponies are considered a critical conservation priority by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and are protected. Remember they are wild animals, and you should always maintain a safe distance of 50 feet from the horses. While photography of the horses is encouraged, feeding them is not.