The World of Animals (5)

PLAYFUL CATS WHO WANT TO BE CHERISHED

Cats are self-reliant animals that live without attachments. They never submit to their owners' wishes as do pet dogs. As you have most probably seen, cats meow when they feel hungry, rub against your feet when they want to be caressed, purr with pleasure when they are patted and convey many similar messages by the way they act.

Do you know that cats have perfect eyesight at night?

Yes, even in a dimly lit place these furry creatures can see. Allah has created their eyes differently from other eyes. In the dark, their eyes' pupils become larger and rounder to receive as much light as possible. This gives them keen eyesight.

This aside, a cat's eye has an additional layer behind the retina. Passing through the retina, light reaches this layer and is then reflected back to the retina. Light passes through the retina twice since this layer reflects the light back. Therefore, unlike human beings, cats can see very well in dimly lit or dark places.

Have you ever thought why cats' eyes sparkle at night?

This is related to the additional layer in cats' eyes we have just mentioned. As you know, this layer reflects the light like a mirror. It is this reflected light that makes their eyes look sparkling.

Do you know the features of a cat's paws?

In moments of danger, these tiny paws turn into predatory claws. What makes them dangerous are the sharp nails they hide in their paws.

Why do they always fall on their feet?

You know that cats always fall on their four feet, even when they fall from a height. The actual reason cats fall on their feet is that they use their tails to maintain their balance while falling and thus adjust the centres of gravity of their bodies and land on their paws.

The One Who has given them such a feature that will ensure the safety of these animals that enjoy climbing trees and wandering on high places is our Mighty Lord, the All Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

THE KING OF THE JUNGLE:
THE LION

The lion belongs to the cat family and is very predatory. With his long trunk, short legs, large head, strong appearance and majesty, he deserves the title "the King of the Jungle" even though lions do not really live in the jungle but in the savannah.

A lion's tail is about three metres (118 inches) long. He is approximately one metre (39 inches) tall and he weighs around 230 kilograms (506 pounds). To put it another way, lions are really big cats that are one and a half to two metres (59 to 78 inches) longer than you.

Male lions have manes. This soft hair surrounds the face and covers the back of the head, neck and shoulders and extends from the chest to the belly. This mane gives the male lion a very imposing appearance indeed. The mane that Allah has given male lions makes them look much stronger and more impressive than they actually are.

Lions spend all day lying or sleeping under the shadow of rocks or trees and wake up at night to hunt. Lions possess perfect eyesight at night and can easily see their prey. There is a special design in a lion's eyes which means that they collect as much light as possible. Pupils and lenses that are relatively larger than other animals' eyes make lions good hunters in the animal kingdom. Allah has given them features which are most appropriate in relation to their environment.

You can hear a lion roaring in particular at night, the time of their hunting, and before dawn. When the lion roars, life on the savannah almost stops; the wolf stops howling and the leopard stops growling. Everybody remains silent and listens to the king while the monkeys climb the top branches of trees, screaming as loud as they can.

WILD CATS: TIGERS

Never think for a moment that they are compliant like a cat! They are very wild and strong. They are the strongest of the cat family.

New-born tigers open their eyes only two days after they are born. Although she is very wild towards other animals, the mother tiger is very sensitive and caring towards her cubs. She suckles them for a period of six weeks. Then, she gradually teaches them how to hunt and find their food.

After this period of education, the young cub grows into a strong adult that can move very fast. At one leap, he can cover a distance of four metres (13 feet). Now, open your arms wide. The distance from the fingertip of one of your hands to the fingertip of the other is about a metre. Four times this is the distance that a tiger covers in only one jump.

Tigers can camouflage themselves - adaptation to environment - a feature of which they are unaware. Their fur, very much in harmony with the natural colours of the environment in which they live, is extraordinarily suitable for camouflage in the jungle. This way, they can secretly approach their prey. Besides, these colours give tigers very aesthetically beautiful and impressive features. The lines on their fur and cheeks as well as the shapes of their eyebrows differ from one tiger to another.

Tigers respect each other's hunting territories. A tiger marks its territory by leaving a scent it secretes on the bushes. This odour warns other tigers of the existence of another tiger's territory.

The unusual features of tigers are not limited to these. Unlike other cat species, these wild-cats like water very much. Furthermore, in spite of their huge bodies, they are great swimmers. Like all other creatures, Allah has granted tigers awe-inspiring characteristics.

Little baby tigers are very cute and thus arouse compassion in us. Despite being very wild animals, Allah has inspired mother tigers to be very compassionate and merciful towards their babies.