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From: wu@uwmacc.UUCP (peter wu)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: fingers as cat food?
Message-ID: <2052@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 22-Mar-86 00:32:01 EST
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.2052
Posted: Sat Mar 22 00:32:01 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Mar-86 21:17:04 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center
Lines: 19

*** 
A few articles back somebody mentioned that his wife stick her
fingers with food in a cat's mouth and got chewed on. 

What I like to know is exactly how good a cat is in distinguishing
human parts from food. Is this a born instinct or does it have to
be taught to recognize fingers?

I always tried to be careful when hand feeding a cat or just playing
with it after I touched some food. So far, none of the cats I played
with had mistaken my fingers for food even though some will lick the
food off my fingers. I suppose if my whole finger is 'wrapped' in
tuna the cat will probably bite in. But I like to know how much
food on the finger is safe and how much is not. And, does the cat
not bite my fingers because my fingers don't smell like food
or is it because it knows fingers are part of the person who is
feeding it and therefore should be respected?

peter