Your Pet Guide

Cultural Depictions Of Cats

2010-06-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, historians tended to think that ancient Egypt was the site of cat domestication, due to the clear depictions of house cats in Egyptian paintings about 3,600 years old. However, in 2004, a Neolithic grave was excavated in Shillourokambos, Cyprus, that contained the skeletons, laid close to one another, of both a human and a cat.

The grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old, pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly. The cat specimen is large and closely resembles the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), rather than present-day domestic cats. This discovery, combined with genetic studies, suggest that cats were probably domesticated in Cyprus and the Near East, in the Fertile Crescent around the time of the development of agriculture.

In ancient Egypt cats were sacred animals, with the Bast often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the warlike aspect of a lioness. The Romans are often credited with introducing the domestic cat from Egypt to Europe; in Roman Aquitaine, a first or second century epitaph of a young girl holding a cat is one of two earliest depictions of the Roman domesticated cat.

However, it is possible that cats were already kept in Europe prior to the Roman Empire, as they may have already been present in Britain in the late Iron Age. Domestic cats were spread throughout much of the rest of the world during the Age of Discovery, as they were carried on sailing ships to control shipboard rodents and as good-luck charms.

Several ancient religions believed that cats are exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, that they are all-knowing but are mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans. In Japan, the Maneki Neko is a cat that is a symbol of good fortune.

Although there are no sacred species in Islam, some writers have stated that Muhammad had a favorite cat, Muezza. He is reported to have loved cats so much that "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".

Freyja—the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility in Norse mythology—is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by cats. Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. An example would be the belief that a black cat "crossing your path" leads to bad luck, or that cats are witches' familiars used to augment a witch's powers and skills. This led to the widespread extermination of cats in Europe in medieval times.

The Black Plague was spread by fleas carried by infected rats, and the killing of cats ostensibly caused an increase in the rat population. The killing of cats in Medieval Ypres is commemorated in the innocuous present-day Kattenstoet (cat parade).

According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives, but in some Spanish-speaking regions they are said to have seven lives, while in Turkish and Arabic traditions the number of lives is six.

The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations. Also lending credence to this myth is that falling cats often land on their feet because of an inbuilt automatic twisting reaction and are able to twist their bodies around to land feet first, though they can still be injured or killed by a high fall.

Feral Cats

2010-04-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

Feral cats are wild cats that are unfamiliar with humans and roam freely in urban or rural areas. The numbers of feral cats are not known, but estimates of the US feral population range from 25 to 60 million.

Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called feral colonies, which occupy a specific territory and are usually associated with a source of food. Famous feral cat colonies are found in Rome around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, with cats at some of these sites being fed and vetted by volunteers.

Public attitudes towards feral cats vary widely: ranging from seeing them as free-ranging pets, to regarding them as vermin. One common approach to reducing the feral cat population is termed trap-neuter-return, where the cats are trapped, neutered, immunized against rabies and the feline leukemia virus, and then released.

Before releasing them back into their feral colonies, the attending veterinarian often nips the tip off one ear to mark the feral as neutered and inoculated, since these cats may be trapped again.

Volunteers continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives, and not only is their lifespan greatly increased, but behavior and nuisance problems, due to competition for food, are also greatly reduced.

Waste

2010-03-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Cats bury their urine and feces. Indoor cats are usually provided with a litter box containing litter, typically bentonite, but sometimes other absorbent material such as shredded paper or wood chips, or sometimes sand or similar material.

It should be cleaned daily and changed often, depending on the number of cats in a household and the type of litter; if it is not kept clean, a cat may be fastidious enough to find other locations in the house for urination or defecation.

This may also happen for other reasons; for instance, if a cat becomes constipated and defecation is uncomfortable, it may associate the discomfort with the litter box and avoid it in favor of another location. Daily attention to the litter box also serves as a monitor of the cat's health.

Bentonite or clumping litter is a variation which absorbs urine into clumps which can be sifted out along with feces, and thus stays cleaner longer with regular sifting, but has sometimes been reported to cause health problems in some cats.

Those with toxoplasmosis-infected cats living in habitat areas of sea otters may wish to dispose of droppings in the trash, rather than flushing them down the toilet. Some cats can be trained to use the human toilet, eliminating the litter box and its attendant expense, unpleasant odor, and the need to use landfill space for disposal.

Training may involve four to six weeks of incremental moves, such as moving and elevating the litter box until it is near the toilet, as well as employing an adapter such as a bowl or small box to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl. When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by squatting on the toilet seat over the bowl.

Indoor Scratching

2010-03-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

A natural behavior in cats is to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards. This marks territory, exercises their legs, as well as cleaning and sharpening their claws.

Indoor cats benefit from being provided with a scratching post so that they are less likely to use carpet or furniture which they can easily ruin.

Commercial scratching posts typically are covered in carpeting or upholstery, but some authorities advise against this practice, as not making it clear to the cat which surfaces are permissible and which are not; they suggest using a plain wooden surface, or reversing the carpeting on the posts so that the rougher texture of the carpet backing is a more attractive alternative to the cat than the floor covering.

Scratching posts made of sisal rope or corrugated cardboard are also common.

Although scratching can serve cats to keep their claws from growing excessively long, their nails can be trimmed if necessary. Another response to indoor scratching is onychectomy, commonly known as declawing.

This is a surgical procedure to remove the claw and first bone of each digit of a cat's paws. Declawing is most commonly only performed on the front feet. A related procedure is tendonectomy, which involves cutting a tendon needed for cats to extend their claws.

Declawing is a major surgical procedure and can produce pain, infections and permanent lameness. Since this surgery is not performed for the benefit of the animal, it is controversial and remains uncommon outside of North America.

In many countries, it is prohibited by animal welfare laws. Although widely practiced in the US, declawing is ethically controversial within the American veterinary community. Both the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals strongly discourage or condemn the procedure.

Effects On Human Health

2010-03-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

Because of their small size, domesticated house cats pose little physical danger to adult humans. However, in the USA cats inflict about 400,000 bites per year, with 90% of these bites coming from provoked animals; this number represents about one in ten of all animal bites.

Many cat bites will become infected, sometimes with serious consequences such as cat-scratch disease, or, more rarely, rabies. Cats may also pose a danger to pregnant women and immune suppressed individuals, since their feces can transmit toxoplasmosis.

A large percentage of cats are infected with this parasite, with infection rates ranging from around 40 to 60% in both domestic and stray cats worldwide. Allergic reactions to cat dander and/or cat saliva are common.

Some humans who are allergic to cats—typically manifested by hay fever, asthma, or a skin rash—quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to cats in general.

Whether the risk of developing allergic diseases such as asthma is increased or decreased by cat ownership is uncertain. Some owners cope with this problem by taking allergy medicine, along with bathing their cats frequently, since weekly bathing will reduce the amount of dander shed by a cat.

There have also been attempts to breed hypoallergenic cats, which would be less likely to provoke an allergic reaction. As well as posing health risks, interactions with cats may improve health and reduce physical responses to stress: for example the presence of cats may moderate increased blood pressure.

Cat ownership may also improve psychological health by providing emotional support and dispelling feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness. Indeed, their ability to provide companionship and friendship are common reasons given for owning a cat.

Cat Coat pattern

2010-02-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

Colorpoint

The colorpoint pattern is most commonly associated with Siamese cats, but may also appear in any domesticated cat. A colorpointed cat has dark colors on the face, ears, feet, and tail, with a lighter version of the same color on the rest of the body, and possibly some white.

The exact name of the colorpoint pattern depends on the actual color, so there are seal points (dark brown), chocolate points (warm lighter brown), blue points (dark gray), lilac or frost points (silvery gray-pink), red or flame points (orange), and tortie (tortoiseshell mottling) points, among others.

This pattern is the result of a temperature sensitive mutation in one of the enzymes in the metabolic pathway from tyrosine to pigment, such as melanin; thus, little or no pigment is produced except in the extremities or points where the skin is slightly cooler.

For this reason, colorpointed cats tend to darken with age as bodily temperature drops; also, the fur over a significant injury may sometimes darken or lighten as a result of temperature change. The tyrosine pathway also produces neurotransmitters, thus mutations in the early parts of that pathway may affect not only pigment, but also neurological development.

This results in a higher frequency of cross-eyes among colorpointed cats, as well as the high frequency of cross-eyes in white tigers.

White cats

True albinism (a mutation of the tyrosinase gene) is quite rare in cats. Much more common is the appearance of white coat color due to a lack of melanocytes in the skin. A higher frequency of deafness in white cats is due to a reduction in the population and survival of melanoblast stem cells, which in addition to creating pigment producing cells, develop into a variety of neurological cell types. White cats with one or two blue eyes have a particularly high likelihood of being deaf.

Cat Coat patterns

2010-02-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

Bicolor, Tuxedo and Van

Cat Varieties

2010-02-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Cats are a common companion animal in Europe and North America, and their worldwide population exceeds 500 million. In 1998 there were around 43 million cats in Western Europe, 33 million in Eastern Europe, seven million in Japan and three million in Australia.

A 2007 report stated that about 37 million US households owned cats, with an average of 2.2 cats per household giving a total population of around 82 million. This is slightly more than the 72 million pet dogs in that country.

Although cat ownership has commonly been associated with women,a 2007 Gallup poll reported that men and women were equally likely to own a cat.The ratio of pedigree/purebred cats to random-bred cats varies from country to country. However, generally speaking, purebreds are less than ten percent of the total population.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, as well as being kept as pets, cats are also used in the international fur trade. About 24 cats are needed to make a cat fur coat, although cat fur is also used in gloves, hats, shoes, blankets and stuffed toys.This use has now been outlawed in several countries, including the United States, Australia and the European Union.

However, some cat furs are still made into blankets in Switzerland as folk remedies that are believed to help rheumatism. It has long been common for cats to be eaten in some parts of China and in some other Asian countries. According to the Chengdu Business Daily, people in southern China's Guangdong province ate 10,000 cats a day. Animal People estimates that 4 million cats are killed and consumed in Asia every year.

The concept of a cat breed appeared in Britain during the late 19th century. The current list of cat breeds is quite large: with the Cat Fanciers' Association recognizing 41 breeds, of which 16 are "natural breeds" that probably emerged before humans began breeding pedigree cats, while the others were developed over the latter half of the 20th century.

The owners and breeders of show cats compete to see whose animal bears the closest resemblance to the "ideal" definition and standard of the breed. Because of common crossbreeding in populated areas, many cats are simply identified as belonging to the homogeneous breeds of domestic longhair and domestic shorthair, depending on their type of fur.

In the United Kingdom and Australasia, non-purebred cats are referred in slang as moggies (derived from "Maggie", short for Margaret, reputed to have been a common name for cows and calves in 18th century England and latter applied to housecats during the Victorian era).

In the United States, a non-purebred cat is sometimes referred to in slang as a barn or alley cat, even if it is not a stray. Cats come in a variety of colors and patterns. These are physical properties and should not be confused with a breed of cat. Some original cat breeds that have a distinct phenotype that is the main type occurring naturally as the dominant domesticated cat type in their region of origin are sometimes considered as subspecies and also have received names as such in nomenclature, although this is not supported by feline biologists. Some of these cat breeds are:

F. catus anura - the Manx
F. catus siamensis - the Siamese
F. catus cartusenensis - the Chartreux
F. catus angorensis - the Turkish Angora

Impact on Birds

2010-01-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

The domestic cat is probably a significant predator of birds. Current UK assessments indicate that they may be accountable for an estimated 64.8 million bird deaths each year.

Certain species appear more susceptible than others; for example, 30% of house sparrow mortality is linkmd to the domestic cat. In the recovery of ringed robins and dunnocks, it was also concluded that 31% of deaths were a result of cat predation.

On islands, birds can contribute as much as 60% of a cat’s diet. In nearly all cases, however, the cat cannot be identified as the sole cause for reducing the numbers of island birds, and in some instances eradication of cats has caused a ‘mesopredator release’ effect; where the suppression of top carnivores creates an abundance of smaller predators that cause a severe decline in their shared prey.

Domestic cats are, however, known to be a contributing factor to the decline of many species; a factor that has ultimately led, in some cases, to extinction. The South Island Piopio; Chatham Islands Rail; the Auckland Islands Merganser; and the common diving petrel are a few from a long list, with the most extreme case being the flightless Stephen Island Wren, which was driven to extinction only a few years after its discovery.

Some of the same factors that have promoted adaptive radiation of island avifauna over evolutionary time appear to promote vulnerability to non-native species in modern time. The susceptibility inherent of many island birds is undoubtedly due to evolution in the absence of mainland predators, competitors, diseases and parasites.

In addition to lower reproductive rates and extended incubation periods. The loss of flight, or reduced flying ability is also characteristic of many island endemics. These biological aspects have increased vulnerability to extinction in the presence of introduced species, such as the domestic cat.

Equally, behavioural traits exhibited by island species, such as ‘predatory naivety’ and ground-nesting, have also contributed to their susceptibility.

Cats Impact On World

2010-01-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

Cats are a cosmopolitan species and are found across much of the world. They are extremely adaptable and are now present on all the continents (including Antarctica) and on 118 of 131 main groups of islands.

Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas, agricultural land, scrublands, urban areas and wetlands. Their habitats even include small oceanic islands with no human inhabitants. However, this ability to thrive in almost any terrestrial habitat has led the cat's designation as one of the world's worst invasive species.

Despite this general adaptability, the close relatives of domestic cats, the African Wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and the Arabian Sand Cat (Felis margarita) both inhabit desert environments, and domestic cats still show similar adaptations and behaviors.

To date, there are few scientific data available to assess the impact of cat predation on prey populations. Cat numbers are growing annually and their abundance is far above the ‘natural’ carrying capacity, due to their population sizes being independent of their prey’s dynamics – i.e. cats are ‘recreational’ hunters.

Population densities can be as high as 2000 individuals per km2[155] and the current trend is an increase of 0.5 million cats annually. Even well-fed domestic cats may hunt and kill, mainly catching small mammals, but also birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates.

Hunting by domestic cats may be contributing to the decline in the numbers of birds in urban areas, although the importance of this effect remains controversial. In the wild, the introduction of feral cats during human settlement can threaten native species with extinction.

In many cases controlling or eliminating the populations of non-native cats can produce a rapid recovery in native animals. However, the ecological role of introduced cats can be more complicated: for example, cats can control the numbers of rats, which also prey on birds' eggs and young, so in some cases eliminating a cat population can actually accelerate the decline of an endangered bird species in the presence of a mesopredator, controlled by cats.

In the Southern Hemisphere, cats are a particular problem in landmasses such as Australasia, where cat species have never been native and there were few equivalent native medium-sized mammalian predators.

Native species such as the New Zealand Kakapo and the Australian Bettong, for example, tend to be more ecologically vulnerable and behaviorally "naive" to predation by feral cats. Feral cats have had a major impact on these native species and have played a leading role in the endangerment and extinction of many animals.

Cat Reproduction

2010-01-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

Female cats are seasonally polyestrous, which means they may have many periods of heat over the course of a year, the season beginning in January or February and ending in late October. Heat periods occur about every two weeks and last about 4 to 7 days.

Multiple males will be attracted to a female in heat. The males will fight over her, and the victor wins the right to mate. At first, the female will reject the male, but eventually the female will allow the male to mate. The female will utter a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her.

This is because a male cat's penis has a band of about 120-150 backwards-pointing spines, which are about one millimeter long; upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina, which is a trigger for ovulation. After mating, the female will wash her vulva thoroughly.

If a male attempts to breed with her at this point, the female will attack him. After about 20 to 30 minutes, once the female is finished grooming, the cycle will repeat. Because ovulation is not always triggered by a single mating, females may not be impregnated by the first male with which they mate.

Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, with the result that different kittens in a litter may have different fathers. The gestation period for cats is between 64–67 days, with an average length of 66 days.

The size of a litter averages three to five kittens, with the first litter usually smaller than subsequent litters. Kittens are weaned at between six and seven weeks, and cats normally reach sexual maturity at 5–10 months (females) and to 5–7 months (males), although this can vary depending on breed.

Females can have two to three litters per year, so may produce up to 150 kittens in their breeding span of around ten years. Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks old, or when they are ready to leave their mother. Cats can be surgically sterilized (spayed or castrated) as early as 7 weeks to limit unwanted reproduction.

This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as aggression, territory marking (spraying urine) in males and yowling (calling) in females. Traditionally, this surgery was performed at around six to nine months of age, but it is increasingly being performed prior to puberty, at about three to six months. In the USA approximately 80% of household cats are neutered.

Cat Hunting

2009-12-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Cats feed on small prey, primarily birds and rodents. Feral cats and house cats that are free-fed tend to consume many small meals in a single day, although the frequency and size of meals varies between individuals.

Cats use two hunting strategies, either stalking prey actively, or waiting in ambush until an animal comes close enough to be captured. Although it is not certain, the type of strategy used may depend on the prey species in the area, with for example, cats waiting in ambush outside burrows, but tending to actively stalk birds.

Most breeds of cat have a noted fondness for settling in high places, or perching. In the wild, a higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt; domestic cats may strike prey by pouncing from such a perch as a tree branch, as does a leopard.

Other possible explanations include that height gives the cat a better observation point, allowing it to survey its territory. During a fall from a high place, a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. This is known as the cat's "righting reflex".

It always rights itself in the same way, provided it has the time to do so, during a fall. The height required for this to occur is around 90 cm (3 feet). Cats without a tail also have this ability, since a cat mostly moves its hind legs and relies on conservation of angular momentum to set up for landing, and the tail is in fact little used for this feat.

One poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human owners. Ethologist Paul Leyhausen proposed that cats adopt humans into their social group, and share excess kill with others in the group according to the local pecking order, in which humans are placed at or near the top.

However, anthropologist and animal scientist Desmond Morris, in his 1986 book Catwatching, suggests that when cats bring home mice or birds, they are teaching their human to hunt, or helping their human as if feeding "an elderly cat, or an inept kitten". However, this proposal is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also bring home prey, despite males having no involvement with raising kittens.

Domestic cats select food based on its temperature, smell and texture, strongly disliking chilled foods and responding most strongly to moist foods rich in amino acids, which are similar to meat.Cats may reject novel flavors (a response termed neophobia) and learn quickly to avoid foods that have tasted unpleasant in the past.

They may also avoid sugary foods and milk; since they are lactose intolerant, these sugars are not easily digested and may cause soft stools or diarrhea. They can also develop odd eating habits. Some cats like to eat or chew on other things, most commonly wool, but also plastic, paper, string, or even coal. This condition is called pica and can threaten their health, depending on the amount and toxicity of the items eaten.

Life Style

2009-12-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

Cats are known for their fastidious cleanliness, spending many hours licking their coats.The cat's tongue has backwards-facing spines about 500 micrometres long, which are called papillae. These are quite rigid as they contain keratin. These spines allow cats to groom themselves by licking their fur, with the rows of papillae acting like a hairbrush.

Some cats, particularly longhaired cats, occasionally regurgitate hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs from grooming. These clumps of fur are usually sausage-shaped and about two to three centimeters long. Hairballs can be prevented with remedies that ease elimination of the hair through the gut, as well as regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.

In domestic cats, males are more likely to fight than females. In feral cats, the most common reason for cat fighting is when two males are competing to mate with a female: here most fights will be won by the heavier male.

Another possible reason for fighting in domestic cats is when the cats have difficulties in establishing a territory within a small home. Female cats will also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Spaying females and neutering males will decrease or eliminate this behavior in many cases.

Fighting cats make themselves appear more impressive and threatening by raising their fur and arching their backs, thus increasing their apparent size. Attacks usually comprise powerful slaps to the face and body with the forepaws as well as bites, but serious damage is rare; usually the loser runs away with little more than a few scratches to the face, and perhaps the ears.

Cats will also throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake their opponent's belly with their powerful hind legs. Normally, serious injuries from fighting will be limited to infections of scratches and bites, though these can occasionally kill cats if untreated.

In addition, bites are probably the main route of transmission of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Sexually active males will usually be in many fights during their lives, and often have decidedly battered faces with obvious scars and cuts to the ears and nose.

Cats Sociability

2009-12-04T05:20:00.000-08:00

Free-ranging cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at night. The timing of cats' activity is quite flexible and varied, which means that house cats may be more active in the morning and evening (crepuscular behavior), as a response to greater human activity at these times.

House cats have territories that vary quite a lot in size, in one study ranging from seven to 28 hectares. Although they spend the majority of their time in the vicinity of their home, they can range many hundreds of meters from this central point. Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older.

The daily duration of sleep varies, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term cat nap refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period and has entered the English lexicon—someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a cat nap".

Cats are a social species, and free-living cats tend to form feral cat colonies if there is sufficient food, which are based around groups of co-operating females. Within this group one cat is usually dominant over the others. Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory, with sexually active males having the largest territories, which are about ten times larger than those of female cats and may overlap with several females' territories.

These territories are marked by urine spraying, by rubbing objects at head height with secretions from facial glands and by defecation. Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts.

Outside these neutral areas, territory holders usually chase away stranger cats, at first by staring, hissing, and growling, and if that does not work, by short but noisy and violent attacks. Despite some cats cohabiting in colonies, cats do not have a social survival strategy, or a pack mentality and always hunt alone.

As part of cat sociability they use a variety of vocalizations for communication, including meowing, purring, "trilling", hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting. Their types of body language: position of ears and tail, relaxation of whole body, kneading of paws, are all indicators of mood.

The tail and ears are particularly important social signal in cats, with a raised tail acting as a friendly greeting. Tail raising also indicates the cat's position in the group's social hierarchy, with dominant individuals raising their tails less often than subordinate animals.

Nose-touching is also a common greeting and may be followed by social grooming, which is solicited by one of the cats raising and tilting its head. However, some pet cats are poorly socialized. In particular older cats may show aggressiveness towards newly-arrived kittens, which may include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as Feline Asocial Aggression.

For cats, life in proximity with humans (and other animals kept by humans) amounts to a "symbiotic social adaptation". They may express great affection towards their human companions, especially if they imprint on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection.

It has been suggested that, ethologically, the human keeper of a cat functions as a sort of surrogate for the cat's mother, and that adult domestic cats live their lives in a kind of extended kittenhood, a form of behavioral neoteny.

Cat Health

2009-11-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

In captivity, indoor cats typically live 14 to 20 years, although the oldest known cat, Creme Puff, lived to age 38. Some say that domesticated cats tend to live longer if they are not permitted to go outdoors (reducing the risk of injury from fights or accidents and exposure to diseases).

However, this is not always necessarily true, because a cat kept indoors is more inclined to have a shortened life due to obesity (sometimes leading to heart problems and diabetes) and lack of exercise. Having a cat be neutered, however, is almost universally regarded as a health benefit.

Some benefits of neutering are that castrated males cannot develop testicular cancer, spayed females cannot develop uterine or ovarian cancer, and both have a reduced risk of mammary cancer. The lifespan of feral cats is hard to determine accurately, although one study reported a median age of 4.7 years, with a range between 0 to 10 years.

Cats can suffer from a wide range of health problems, including infectious diseases, parasites, injuries and chronic disease. Vaccinations are available for many of these diseases, and domestic cats are regularly given treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms and fleas.

In addition to obvious dangers such as rodenticides, insecticides and weed killers, cats may be poisoned by many chemicals that are usually considered safe. This is because their livers are less effective at some forms of detoxification than those of other animals, including humans and dogs. Some of the most common causes of poisoning in cats are antifreeze and rodent baits.

It has also been suggested that cats may be particularly sensitive to environmental pollutants. When a cat has a sudden or prolonged serious illness without any obvious cause, it is therefore possible that it has been exposed to a toxin. Human medicines should never be given to cats. For example, the painkiller paracetamol (also called acetaminophen), sold under brand names such as Tylenol and Panadol is extremely toxic to cats: even very small doses can be fatal and need immediate treatment.

Even aspirin, which is sometimes used to treat arthritis in cats, is much more toxic to them than to humans and must be administered cautiously. Similarly, application of minoxidil (Rogaine) to the skin of cats, either accidentally or by well-meaning owners attempting to counter loss of fur, has sometimes been fatal.

Essential oils can be toxic to cats and there have been reported cases of serious illnesses caused by tea tree oil, and tea tree oil-based flea treatments and shampoos. Other common household substances that should be used with caution around cats include mothballs and other naphthalene products.

Phenol-based products are often used for cleaning and disinfecting near cats' feeding areas or litter boxes: such as Pine-Sol, Dettol (Lysol) or hexachlorophene, but these can sometimes be fatal. Ethylene glycol, often used as an automotive antifreeze, is particularly appealing to cats, and as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal.

Some human foods are toxic to cats; for example theobromine in chocolate can cause theobromine poisoning, although few cats will eat chocolate. Large amounts of onions or garlic are also poisonous to cats. Many houseplants are also dangerous, such as Philodendron species and the leaves of the Easter Lily, which can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage.

Cats Physiology

2009-11-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

As a familiar and easily-kept animal, the physiology of cats has been particularly well studied and is generally similar to that of other carnivorous mammals. However, several features of cats' physiology are unusual and are probably due to their descent from desert-dwelling species.

For instance, cats are able to tolerate quite high temperatures, with humans starting to feel uncomfortable when their skin temperature passes about 44.5 °C (112 °F), in contrast cats show no discomfort until their skin reaches around 52 °C (126 °F). Unusually, a cat's body temperature does not vary throughout the day; this is part of cats' general lack of circadian rhythms and may reflect their tendency to be active in both day and night.

As well as being tolerant of high temperatures, cats' feces are usually dry and their urine is also highly concentrated, both of which are adaptations that allow cats to retain as much fluid as possible. Indeed, their kidneys are so efficient that cats can survive on a diet consisting only of meat, with no additional water, and can even rehydrate by drinking seawater.

Cats are obligate carnivores: their physiology has evolved to efficiently process meat, and they have difficulty digesting plant matter. In contrast to omnivores such as rats, which only require about 4% protein in their diet, about 20% of a cat's diet must be protein.

Cats are unusually dependent on a constant supply of the amino acid arginine, and a diet lacking arginine causes marked weight loss and can be rapidly fatal. Another unusual feature is that the cat also cannot produce the amino acid taurine, with taurine deficiency causing macular degeneration, where the cat's retina slowly degenerates, causing irreversible blindness.

Since cats tend to eat all of their prey, they obtain minerals by digesting animal bones and a diet composed only of meat may cause calcium deficiency. A cat's digestive tract is also adapted to meat eating, being much shorter than that of omnivores and having low levels of several of the digestive enzymes that are needed to digest carbohydrates.

These traits severely limits the cat's ability to digest and use plant-derived nutrients, as well as certain fatty acids. Despite the cat's meat-oriented physiology, several vegetarian or vegan cat foods have been marketed that are supplemented with chemically synthesized taurine and other nutrients, in attempts to produce a complete diet.

However, some of these products still fail to provide all the nutrients that cats require, and diets containing no animal products pose the risk of causing severe nutritional deficiencies.

Cat Genetics

2009-11-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

The domesticated cat and its closest wild ancestor are both diploid organisms that possess 38 chromosomes and roughly 20,000 genes. About 250 heritable genetic disorders have been identified in cats, many similar to human inborn errors.

The high level of similarity among the metabolisms of mammals allows many of these feline diseases to be diagnosed using genetic tests that were originally developed for use in humans, as well as the use of cats in the study of the human diseases.

An interesting example of a mutation that is shared among all felines, including the big cats, is a mutant chemosensor in their taste buds that prevents them from tasting sweetness, which may explain their indifference to fruits, berries, and other sugary foods. In some breeds of cats congenital deafness is very common, with most white cats (but not albinos) being affected, particularly if they also have blue eyes.

The genes responsible for this defect are unknown, but the disease is studied in the hope that it may shed light on the causes of hereditary deafness in humans. Since a large variety of different coat patterns exist within the various cat breeds, the cat is an excellent animal to study the coat genetics of hair growth and coloration.

Several genes interact to produce cats' hair color and coat patterns. Different combinations of these genes give different phenotypes. For example, the enzyme tyrosinase is needed to produce the dark pigment melanin and Burmese cats have a mutant form that is only active at low temperatures, resulting in color appearing only on the cooler ears, tail and paws.

A completely inactive gene for tyrosinase is found in albino cats, which therefore lack all pigment. Hair length is determined by the gene for fibroblast growth factor 5, with inactive copies of this gene causing long hair.

The Cat Genome Project, sponsored by the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the U.S. National Cancer Institute Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center in Frederick, Maryland, aims to help the development of the cat as an animal model for human hereditary and infectious diseases, as well as contributing to the understanding of the evolution of mammals.

This effort led to the publication in 2007 of an initial draft of the genome of a Abyssinian cat called Cinnamon. The existence of a draft genome has led to the discovery of several cat disease genes, and even allowed the development of cat genetic fingerprinting for use in forensics.

Cat Senses

2009-11-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

Cats have excellent night vision and can function at only one-sixth the light level required for human vision. This is partly the result of cat eyes having a tapetum lucidum, which reflects any light that passes through the retina back into the eye, thereby increasing the eye's sensitivity to dim light.

Another adaptation to dim light is the large pupils of cats' eyes. Unlike some big cats, such as tigers, domestic cats have slit pupils.

These slit pupils can focus bright light without chromatic aberration, and are needed since the domestic cat's pupils are much larger, relative to their eyes, than the pupils of the big cats.

Indeed, at low light levels a cat's pupils will expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes. However, domestic cats have rather poor color vision and can only see two colors: blue and green, and are less able to distinguish between red and green, although they can achieve this in some conditions.

Cats have excellent hearing and can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies. They can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55 Hz up to 79 kHz, a range of about 7 octaves; while humans can only hear from 31 Hz up to 18 kHz, and dogs hear from 67 Hz to 44 kHz, which are both ranges of about 6 octaves.

Cats do not use this ability to hear ultrasound for communication but it is probably important in hunting, since many species of rodents make ultrasonic calls. Cats' hearing is also extremely sensitive and is among the best of any mammal,being most sensitive in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.

This sensitivity is further enhanced by the cat's large movable outer ears (their pinnae), which both amplify sounds and help a cat sense the direction from which a noise is coming. Cats have an acute sense of smell, which is due in part to their well-developed olfactory bulb and also to a large surface of olfactory mucosa, in cats this mucosa is about 5.8 cm2 in area, which is about twice that of humans and only 1.7-fold less than the average dog.

Cats respond strongly to the smell of nepetalactone, a compound found in catnip, and can detect this substance at less than one part per billion. Cats are also sensitive to pheromones such as 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol, which they use to communicate through urine spraying and marking with scent glands.

Due to a mutation in an early cat ancestor, one of two genes necessary to taste sweetness may have been lost by the cat family. Their taste buds instead respond to amino acids, bitter tastes and acids. To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable vibrissae (whiskers) over their body, especially their face.

These provide information on the location of objects in the dark, both by touching objects directly and by sensing air currents; they also trigger protective blink reflexes to protect the eyes from damage.

Cats ( part 2 )

2009-10-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Felids are a rapidly evolving family of mammals that share a common ancestor only 10-15 million years ago. Within this family, domestic cats (Felis catus) are part of the genus Felis, which is a group of small cats containing seven species.

Members of the genus are found worldwide and include:

Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) of southeast Asia,
African Wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica),
Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis silvestris bieti)
Arabian Sand Cat (Felis margarita).

All the cats in this genus share a common ancestor that probably lived around six million years ago in Asia. Although the exact relationships within the Felidae are still uncertain,both the Chinese Mountain Cat and the African Wildcat are close relations of the domestic cat and are both classed as subspecies of the Wildcat Felis silvestris.

As domestic cats are little altered from wildcats, they can readily interbreed. This hybridization may pose a danger to the genetic distinctiveness of wildcat populations, particularly in Scotland and Hungary.

The domestic cat was first classified as Felis catus by Carolus Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae of 1758. However, due to modern phylogenetics, domestic cats are now usually regarded as another subspecies of the Wildcat Felis silvestris. This has resulted in mixed usage of the terms, as the domestic cat can be called by its subspecies name, Felis silvestris catus.

Wildcats have also been referred to as various subspecies of F. catus, but in 2003 the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature fixed the name for Wildcats as F. silvestris.

The most common name in use for the domestic cat remains F. catus, following a convention for domesticated animals of using the earliest (the senior) synonym proposed. Sometimes the domestic cat is called Felis domesticus, although this is not a valid scientific name.

Cats have either a mutualistic or commensal relationship with humans. However, in comparison to some other domesticated species, such as dogs, cats have not undergone major changes during the domestication process, as the form and behavior of the domestic cat are not radically different from those of wildcats and domestic cats are perfectly capable of surviving in the wild.

Several natural behaviors and characteristics of Wildcats may have preadapted them for domestication as pets. These traits include their small size, social nature, obvious body language, love of play and relatively high intelligence. All the small Felids may also have an inborn tendency towards tameness.

There are two main models for how cats were domesticated. In one model, people deliberately tamed cats in a process of artificial selection, as they were useful predators of vermin. However, some theorists find this implausible, because there may have been little reward for such an effort: cats do not carry out commands and, although they do eat rodents, other species such as ferrets or terriers may be better at controlling these pests.

The alternative idea is that cats were simply tolerated by people and gradually diverged from their 'wild' relatives through natural selection, as they adapted to an agricultural environment.

Cat

2009-10-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felines and felids, is a small carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin and household pests.

It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years and is currently the most popular pet in the world.

A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs and toilet handles.

Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, "trilling", hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting. They are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets.

This hobby is known as "cat fancy". Until recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated in ancient Egypt, where it was a cult animal. However, in 2004, a domesticated cat that was buried 9,500 years ago was discovered in Cyprus, and a study in 2007 found that the lines of descent of all house cats probably run through as few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) circa 8000 BC, in the Near East.

The word cat derives from Old English catt, which belongs to a group of related words in European languages, including Welsh cath, Spanish gato, Basque katu, Byzantine Greek kátia, Old Irish cat, German Katze, and Old Church Slavonic kotka.

The ultimate source of all these terms is Late Latin catus, cattus, catta "domestic cat", as opposed to feles "European wildcat". It is unclear whether the Greek or the Latin came first, but they were undoubtedly borrowed from an Afro-Asiatic language akin to Nubian kadís and Berber kaddîska, both meaning "wildcat".

This term was either cognate with or borrowed from Late Egyptian čaus "jungle cat, African wildcat" (later giving Coptic šau "tomcat"), itself from earlier Egyptian tešau "female cat" (vs. miew "tomcat").The term puss (as in pussycat) may come from Dutch poes or from Low German Puuskatte, dialectal Swedish kattepus, or Norwegian pus, pusekatt, all of which primarily denote a woman and, by extension, a female cat.

A group of cats is referred to as a "clowder", a male cat is called a "tom" (or a "gib", if neutered), and a female is called a "molly" or "queen". The male progenitor of a cat, especially a pedigreed cat, is its "sire", and its female progenitor is its "dam".

An immature cat is called a "kitten" (which is also an alternative name for young rats, rabbits, hedgehogs, beavers, squirrels and skunks). In medieval Britain, the word kitten was interchangeable with the word catling. A cat whose ancestry is formally registered is called a pedigreed cat, purebred cat, or a show cat.

In strict terms, a purebred cat is one whose ancestry contains only individuals of the same breed. A pedigreed cat is one whose ancestry is recorded, but may have ancestors of different breeds. Cats of unrecorded mixed ancestry are referred to as domestic longhairs and domestic shorthairs or commonly as random-bred, moggies, mongrels, or mutt-cats.

Cat Food ( part 2 )

2009-10-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Since the occurrence of BSE infection through contaminated meat and bone meal, the use of meat meal in pet foods has been prohibited in parts of the world (Japan and France) but is still common practice in other parts (USA).

Comparative studies conducted by Japanese researchers have shown that meat meal is superior to the other protein meal sources in terms of dry-matter digestibility and nutritional value for cats, while corn gluten meal is the least nutritional.

The same studies showed that cats fed with these dry food diets excreted alkaline urine. Urine pH has been implicated in the formation of struvite crystals in feline urolithiasis, and many dry food manufacturers address this by adding urine-acidifying ingredients to their food.

However, this practice may lead to the formation of calcium oxalate stones, therefore water intake rather than urine pH appears to be the most crucial diet related factor for the prevention and treatment of feline stones.

Canned or wet food (75-78% moisture) generally comes in common can sizes of 3 oz (85 g), 5.5 oz (156 g), and 13 oz (369 g). It is also sold in foil pouch form by some manufacturers. Owners and veterinarians who recommend a diet consisting largely or entirely of canned, homemade or raw cat food point to higher water content of such food and the increased total water consumption in comparison to a dry food diet as an important health benefit.

Wet food also generally contains significantly less grain and other carbohydrate material. Many foods are made with fish, however an excessive consumption of fish (which contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids) can cause yellow fat disease.

In comparison to dry food, canned food is thought to either help treat or noticeably reduce the likelihood of numerous health issues including urinary tract disorders, diabetes, chronic renal failure, constipation (sometimes leading to megacolon), and obesity.

Canned cat foods in pop-top containers may play a role in the development of hyperthyroidism in cats. This may be due to bisphenol A used in the pop-top can coating leaching into the food, so it is suggested to place unused food in reusable containers to prevent contamination.

Cat Food

2009-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Cat food is formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats. Although cats are obligate carnivores, most commercial cat food contains both animal and plant material, supplemented with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

An important nutrient is the amino acid derivative taurine, as cats cannot synthesize the compound. Cats fed a taurine-deficient dog food may develop retinal degeneration and go blind.

Most store-bought cat food comes in either dry form, also known in the US as kibble, or wet canned form. Some manufacturers sell frozen raw diets and premix products to cater to owners who feed raw.

Dry food (8-10% moisture) is generally made by extrusion cooking under high heat and pressure. Fat may then be sprayed on the food to increase palatability, and other minor ingredients, such as heat-sensitive vitamins, which would be destroyed in the extrusion process, may be added.

Major brand-name dry cat food manufacturers often use primarily grain-based ingredients with animal protein by-products or animal digest to cut cost. Higher end foods offered as 'premium', 'natural' or 'holistic' formulas contain less or no grain, and a higher percentage of animal protein.

However, grain-free dry diets still contain carbohydrates, from sources such as potato or tapioca. The starch in those ingredients allows the kibble to hold its shape. Cats have no metabolic need for carbohydrates as the feline system prefers to create glucose from protein.

Dry cat food has an advantage over wet in convenience and price – besides usually being significantly cheaper, dry cat food can also be left out for the cat to eat at will over the course of several days, whereas canned or raw cat food spoils or becomes unappetizing after several hours.

It should be noted, however, that even dry food, since it is sprayed with fats as noted above, becomes rancid and stale as it oxidizes. Using a free feeding practice can also contribute to overeating, and ultimately obesity. Dry food is recommended by some based on the idea that cats break apart dry foods with their teeth, which causes the food to scrape off dental calculus. The degree of benefit this provides has been disputed in recent years.

Protein For Your Cat

2009-09-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

Protein is one of the basic building blocks of any body, whether it's a cat's or a human's. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. It's used to build and repair tissues as well as make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals.

Along with fat and carbohydrate, protein is a "macronutrient," meaning that both animals and humans need relatively large amounts of it to provide the bulk of their energy. Vitamins and minerals, which are needed in smaller quantities, are called "micronutrients."

But unlike fat and carbohydrate, the body does not have a store of protein that is readily available, and therefore has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply.

As carnivores, cats have developed dietary needs that are different from other species. They require a high-protein diet to maintain lean muscle mass, bright and healthy eyes, stronger immunity, a healthy skin and coat, high energy levels and overall healthy weight.

Proteins consist of amino acids, most of which are essential nutrients that the body cannot create. Therefore cats are only able to create the amino acids that they need by consuming a high protein diet.

In fact, a diet high in protein and lower in carbohydrate is one of the best ways to prevent obesity and can even help overweight cats slim down.

So, you can keep your cat healthy by feeding them a premium pet food rich in essential nutrients and the optimal balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate.

Healthiest Cat Food ( part 2 )

2009-09-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

3. Fats, Oils and Preservatives

LOOK FOR: Named fats from quality sources like--chicken fat, lamb fat, sunflower oil, herring oil, etc. Natural preservatives like mixed tocopeherols and Vitamin E from whole foods are preferable.

WHY?

Fats and oils from named, nutritious animals and plants provide a rich source of essential fatty acids that help produce healthy skin and lustrous coats. The natural quality preservatives in proper balance to your cat's foods ensure they get all the necessary nutrients for life and good health every day.

AVOID:

Fats from non-specific sources like--animal fat, poultry fat, vegetable oil. Also stay away from synthetic preservatives like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin.

REASON:

Because the standards for pet foods are much less than for human food, pet food manufacturers are allowed to use rendered animal fat, vegetable fats and oils that have been rejected as inedible for humans. They can include rancid oils and fats or used restaurant grease, which have been disguised with flavor enhancers made from processed by-products.

Plus synthetic preservatives like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ethoxyquin can cause liver and kidney damage or even cancer. They are used solely for a longer shelf life, not nutrition.

4. Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements

LOOK FOR:

Antioxidants from natural sources like fruits and vegetables. Vitamins like Ascorbic Acid, Beta Carotene, Biotin, etc. Chelated minerals may also be added like iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, etc.

WHY?

These are all natural or food sources of quality nutrition and supplements ensuring your cat stays healthy and lives longer.

AVOID:

Artificial flavors and colors. Another common additive is propylene glycol, a less toxic version of antifreeze used in cars.

REASON:

The flavors and colors are added by the manufacturers to make them look more appealing to pet owners and taste more appealing to cats (and dogs). While propylene glycol adds a sweet taste to the food, it should NOT be part of your cat's daily food fare.

Healthiest Cat Food

2009-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

If you've ever felt confused about how to choose the healthiest cat food for your feline companion, you're not alone. The pet food recall sent many spinning.

Most pet owners are aware that pet food manufacturers are required by law to list all of the product ingredients in order of weight. While that is helpful, an organized checklist is more useful when shopping. Here are some guidelines from top animal food experts.

Cat Food Ingredients in Order of Importance

1. Proteins

LOOK FOR: Meat or fish named on the label with words like--chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, herring, salmon, etc. Also acceptable are concentrated named meat proteins like--chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, herring meal, etc.

WHY? Cats are what scientists call "obligate carnivores". This means that they are designed to eat a meat diet. When you're choosing a food for your cat, you want it to have all the available nutrients to provide for good energy, strong muscle tone and a
stable immune system so the meat protein source should be primary.

AVOID: Unnamed food ingredients with words like--poultry by products, meat and bone meal, meat meal, poultry meal, animal digest, etc. Also avoid protein fillers like--corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, egg product meal, soybean meal, wheat germ meal.

TIP: If you look at a cat food label and group all the grain ingredients together, they are often more primary than the meat pictured by manufacturers. This disguises protein ingredients that are inferior, portraying them as nutritious.

REASON: Cat foods containing by-products, meat and bone meal or non-specific, generic meat meals are often rejected leftovers from the human food chain. That means they can contain "4-D" nutrient-deficient animal protein sources such as:

* Dead animals (including meat with sodium pentobarbital, the most common euthanasia drug though industry sources deny they use dead dogs and cats, however there are no laws or regulations against it).

* Dying animals (including those that FDA meat inspectors reject for the human food chain plus dying animals from zoos and pet farms).

* Diseased animals (according to federal meat inspection regulations, fuel oil, kerosene, crude carbolic acid, and citronella can be used to denature diseased meat before rendering).

* Disabled animals (including those who are too weak to walk due to disease or malnutrition).

2. Carbohydrates and Vegetables

LOOK FOR: Whole grains like brown rice and barley or starches like whole potatoes or sweet potatoes. Whole fruits and vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, alfalfa, apples, cranberries, etc.

WHY? These whole grains and starches are actually digestible by cats providing a good source of energy. The whole fruits and veggies provide an excellent source of fiber plus natural occurring vitamins and minerals.

AVOID: Vegetable proteins and gluten, which are indigestible and cause allergies for cats, are made from refined flours, wheat, mill runs, brewer's rice, etc. Also watch out for processed fruits and vegetables like dehydrated potatoes, tomato pumice and alfalfa meal.

REASON: Vegetable proteins, especially soybean meal protein, have become favorites of pet food manufacturers because they are cheap sources of protein, giving them bigger profits and making it appear that cats are getting good protein. Glutens made from flours are merely cheap binders or "glue" in pet foods. Both sources can result in severe nutritional deficiencies.

Cat's food

2009-09-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

You may not know it but nutrition is a very important factor when it comes to keeping your puss healthy. Their complex bodies require certain things to be able to perform general everyday tasks. Just like us, cats need plenty of food and water but it's what is in their food that counts.

The most part of a cat's diet is protein. Protein supplies them with amino acids. Amino acids are needed in order for the body to manufacture antibodies, enzymes, tissues and a proper PH balance.

Protein is found in foods such as meat and fish, so it is ideal to give your cat meals that contain ingredients such as these. Fat is also required in your cats diet as it gives them an energy source for all that climbing and running around they do!

Along with fat and protein, minerals and vitamins also play a big part in their diet. Minerals and vitamins go hand in hand with having a healthy body so make sure that you pick out a good quality cat food that has all of the nutrients your cat requires.

It's also a great idea to feed dry food as it keeps their teeth healthy and hopefully gets rid of any built up tartar! If you have any concerns or questions regarding nutritional requirements for cats, make an appointment with your vet to obtain a greater insight on this topic.

Protecting Your Indoor kitty

2009-09-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

The other day I was walking my dog in our favourite off-leash beach, and I noticed a strange-looking baby stroller go by. It was completely covered and had a window screen at the front to allow its occupant a view. Not quite.

To my surprise, it turned out the occupant wasn’t Bubble Boy, but a large tabby cat.

I’d seen elderly dogs wheeled around, but a cat? For cat owners, there is no controversy more ongoing than the question of whether or not to allow one’s favourite feline outdoors. Some will go to great lengths to make up for indoor confinement, such as the owner of this tabby did, wheeling her big guy around in a covered stroller to get his fresh air and entertainment for the day.

It doesn’t stop there.

The owner of an indoor cat can purchase cat-proof fencing, outdoor cages, runs, pens and harnesses to keep their little prowler properly contained while outside. The belief is that an indoor cat is kept safe from getting lost, stolen, or killed by another animal, or becoming the target of cruelty or an accident, as well as health hazards such as poison, disease and parasites.

The Humane Society of the U.S. estimates the average life expectancy of an outdoor, roaming cat to be 3 to 5 years, while the indoor kitty averages 17-plus years. Though my cat, Mrs. Peel, lived to the ripe old age of 20 and enjoyed moseying around the great outdoors, I can understand the fear.

If anyone has ever seen an animal suffer from ingesting anti-freeze fluid, you’d probably quite happily push your pet around in a stroller for the rest of its life.

Some people even keep their cat indoors to protect other living creatures from their cat, such as the estimated millions of birds that become kitty bait each year. In her wild youth, Mrs. Peel was also a rather skilled and relentless menace to the bird population.

The reasons for denying one’s cat the not-so-great outdoors are therefore plenty. The only argument against it, really, is that it’s worth the risk if kitty’s happiness is at stake. In other words, an indoor life is not a life worth having for a cat, or so goes my own logic. It’s also something of a hassle, especially in summer months when you’d like to leave your doors and windows open.

But let’s say you want to wean your cat off the roaming life and keep her happy indoors? Make the inside of your home appealing, for starters. Create inviting places to lie in the window and bask in the sun; ensure there are scratching posts and clean litter boxes (one per cat) available; keep toys and cat nip around.

And if it becomes impossible for your cat to adapt to the shut-in life, consider all the outdoor options out there for runs, pens, fencing — and of course, the stroller.

Cat Vaccinations

2009-08-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

Being a cat owner carries certain responsibilities other than making sure your pet is well fed and has a warm place to sleep. As well as these basic essentials, the health of your cat and protecting them from various feline diseases should also be high on your priority list as a cat owner.

Cat Vaccinations work exactly the same way as vaccinations for humans do. They help to boost the cat’s immune system by producing antibodies for various different diseases that can then fight off attacks from any potentially fatal illness that they may come into contact in the future.

The vaccine also prevents the cat from becoming a carrier of these diseases and in doing so is also providing protecting for other cats in the neighbourhood.

Kittens receive their first natural defences from illness via their mothers milk, which will protect them for the first seven to ten weeks of their life, However after this time these first defences become less effective and this is when some vaccinations should be given for the first time. Usually the first vaccinations are administered in two separate doses one around 9 weeks old the second at around 12 weeks old.

During this time and for several weeks afterwards, it is recommended that kittens be kept away from strange cats to enable the vaccines to take effect fully. Some vaccines require that a booster injection be given every year, however individual vets will decide if and when these are required.

There are many different kinds of vaccines available for your cat that can protect them from many different types of serious illness. Which ones are administered will largely depend on where you live in the world i.e. some countries are still prone to rabies where others are not, whether or not your cat will be an indoor or outdoor cat and your Vets recommendations for your particular cat. The most common vaccines given are to protect against:

Cat Flu – this can be quite a nasty illness and in severe cases can be fatal or cause disabilities such as blindness.

Feline Infectious Enteritis (FIE) – this is a rather nasty infection in the cat’s guts, which leads to severe diarrhoea and can also be fatal.

Feline Leukaemia virus (FeLV) – this is a fatal illness affecting the blood cells.

Feline Chlamydophilosis – this causes conjunctivitis in cat’s eyes and is often prescribed for cats that live with lots of other cats.

As with all vaccinations there are sometimes some small ill effects after the vaccination has been administered and cat owners should be aware of any changes in the cats behaviour and keep an eye open for any illness in their pet for a few days afterwards.

Often any ill effects are short lived and quite mild, such as slight tenderness in the injected area or a small swelling. However some cats also may develop flu like symptoms and tiredness for a few days afterwards. This is not serious and will pass after a few days.

In some very rare cases some cats develop a cancer at the injection site, this may occur weeks, months or even years after the injection. If any swelling remains or grows larger after a few days after the injection, it is recommended that the cat is returned for a check up by the Vet.

However cases of cancer due to a vaccine are rare and your cat is far more at risk from the diseases the vaccines protect them against, therefore it is widely agreed that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh any adverse reactions which may occur.

Rabies is still prevalent in the United States and is passed on via bites. It attacks the brain and causes the animal to behave in an aggressive manner towards real and imaginary objects. Other symptoms of this distressing disease is: difficulty in swallowing, weakness and sometimes paralytic. It is always fatal to both animals and humans and so it is recommended that all pets in America be vaccinated against it from an early age and regular booster shots given.

Any unvaccinated cat that receives a bite from a rabid animal will have to be euthanized and their brain tissue will have to be examined for the disease. A rather unpleasant experience, which could be so easily avoided by vaccination.

Homemade Kitten Food

2009-08-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Do you need a cheap, healthy alternative to store bought kitten food to help wean your kittens off their mother's milk and transition them to traditional canned kitten food?

More than likely, they have shown little interest in regular canned food, preferring the milk to anything you might put in their bowl. Dry food will also be too hard on their developing teeth. The best option would be to start them on a food that reminds them of what they prefer, but can be mixed with traditional wet food to help transition them over.

This recipe is simple to make, and kittens find it delicious. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and mix in one envelope of unflavored gelatin. Be sure to mix thoroughly, and do not boil the gelatin. If the water tastes bad or has a heavy chlorine taste when it comes out of the tap, consider using filtered water instead.

Pour this mixture into a blender along with half of a 12 ounce can of goat's milk. Blend just long enough to combine thoroughly. Do not substitute cow's milk because cats tend to be lactose intolerant. Using cow's milk can lead to discomfort, diarrhea, and worse if fed to kittens. Add the following ingredients one at a time. After each addition, blend briefly to combine before moving on to the next.

You will want to use the lowest setting to avoid overmixing. Add: 3 tbsp full fat yogurt, 3 tbsp real mayonnaise, 3 tsp light corn syrup, and 1 raw egg yolk. Concerning the egg yolk, raw eggs carry a small risk of salmonella poisoning. To eliminate any risk of accidentally passing this on to your kittens, use eggs that have been pasteurized in their shells

You can serve the completed homemade kitten food the way it is, or you can store it for use later. To store for later usage, cover the mixture tightly in a small container. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to ten days or in your freezer for up to three months.

If U are going to use food that you have prepared in advance, you will want to warm it up before serving, especially if it is coming from the refrigerator or freezer. Cold food causes severe stomach upset in kittens. Warming it up will also make it more aromatic, and thus more appetizing to the kittens.

Everything your cat knows

2009-08-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Everything your cat knows, good or bad, she learned in the first weeks of her life. Further, even though she is trainable as she leaves kitten-hood and grows into an adult, it becomes more difficult for her to change the way she does things as she grows older.

Is that the reason older cats seem to be crotchety ole' grouches? And why they won't move off of your favorite chair without a lot of grumbling? Maybe. But, it's well documented that the first weeks of a kitten's life is where they develop all the critical elements of their physiology and personality.

Physical Development and Growth:
The first weeks of a kitten's life is the most dramatic, growth-wise. At birth a kitten will weigh around 100 grams (3.5 oz). Normal weight gain is about 7-10 grams a day and their weight should double in 14 days. A healthy kitten is plump, firm and vigorous and they will nurse every 1-2 hours. They prefer one teat to nurse and find it by smell. When they're well fed their stomachs are round and they sleep quietly.

If they are crying and moving around, they are not getting enough to eat and may be taking in air when they nurse. Before, during, and after nursing, the queen will lick the stomach and perineal area (the area just above the tail) to stimulate urination and defecation. She'll do this for the first 2-3 weeks of her kitten's life.

At 3-4 weeks the kittens will begin to imitate their mom's eating and drinking habits. Keep a shallow dish for water available for them and you can also allow them to taste a kitten mush mixture of high quality kitten food, kitten milk replacement and hot water blended to the texture of infant cereal. Start off with 3-4 meals a day of this mixture.

At first the kittens will explore it, walk in it, and eat some. After that mom may finish the meal herself. Each week decrease the amount of milk replacement, water and time of blending. Weaning will be complete by 7-8 weeks when the kittens should be eating dry food and drinking water on their own.

This growth schedule matches what wild kittens will experience. Mom will nurse them for a while after birth. Then, she will hunt her territory for prey, bring it home and teach her kittens how to eat it. Later she will catch the prey and bring it home alive so that she can teach them how to kill.

Kittens need to learn fast because, being easy prey themselves, they are susceptible to predators . They also need to learn fast because mom's territory is not going to be sustainable for providing food indefinitely. As they grow they'll eat greater amounts and more often. So, they need to grow up, get out on their own, find their own territory and fend for themselves.

Personality and Socialization

Though cats are solitary creatures, they are not completely loners. Young kittens do not have a developed sense for personal space or territoriality. They'll snuggle in a ball with themselves or with mom in order to maintain normal body temperature. Conversely, they'll spread out a little if they're too hot. As they grow and their bodies develop the ability to maintain itself, they'll begin to find their own private spaces for resting or sleeping, but still play with each other. In the wild mom will stop providing food for them eventually.

She'll resume protecting her territory, causing her brood to leave or chasing the now adult kittens off. Now they'll need to establish their own territories and begin the cycle all over again. Domestic kittens may seek their own private space, but since food is readily available, they'll display less protective territoriality instincts with each other. They'll include your house as part of their territory, but exclude neighbor cats or other animals from the property.

While they're still kittens, they'll stalk and play to develop their balance and coordination. This is the training ground for learning predation and the basic survival techniques that has perpetuated the presence of cats for thousands of years. As cute as the play seems, this play is critical to the survival of the species.

Kittens will learn many things while they are young. For example:

The food they learn to eat as a kitten, either in the wild or as domestic progeny, will be the food they prefer as an adult. If you feed a variety of foods (quality kitten food, but from different sources such as chicken, beef, seafood, lamb, etc.) they'll tend to be less picky as an adult. Wild kittens fed only mice will hunt mice as their main source of food as an adult.
They will learn how to set boundaries in order to identify territory and private space. Kittens raised in closed places such as a cage will not be able to do this as an adult and will appear fearful; unable to establish or identify where the lines of boundary are. Either theirs or anyone else's. Their personal space will be very small, again making her very fearful, easily threatened and she'll hide or go into defensive postures easily.
As already mentioned, play activities of stalking, wrestling, biting and chasing are all directly related to the development of predation techniques. In the wild, the success of an individual cat depends upon how well she learned these tactics, especially the aggressiveness in the application of these methods, when she was a kitten. The Queen plays an important role when she brings home live prey to teach the kittens how to kill and eat prey. The kittens may at first play with the prey, but soon they'll learn what they're supposed to do and associate the prey with food for sustenance. Domestic kittens, other than barn cats or other kittens who may receive this 'on the job training' come to expect their food to magically appear in a dish from you. Although they'll retain the instinct to apply the predation methods of 'stalk, chase, kill and eat', they may not refine them. Consequently, they may stalk and not catch, catch and not kill, and/or kill and not eat any prey that catches their attention. And since domestic cats develop a kitten/Queen identification with their human counterpart, you might find yourself the recipient of a special gift from them in the form of a field mouse, lizard or squirrel.
Handling kittens born into your home will socialize them with people and other pets in your house. Most Queens will let you pick up her kittens right away. Just don't worry her by walking away with them. Any young children should not handle kittens without adult supervision to prevent injury to the kitten or the child. Stroking, petting, grooming and medicating kittens will acclimate them so that they're tolerant of these things as adults. The presence of dogs, birds, gerbils, fish or other pets in a kittens youth experience will teach them to be un-fearful of other animals (and not think of them as food) when they become adults. Of course, as with all things of this world, the theory is not fool-proof, but, generally true. Careful observation and intervention in a kitten's activities is always useful, with the emphasis on 'careful'.
Punishment is not an option for training a kitten. Cats don't understand punishment and only associate it with the punisher, not the 'bad' act. They'll learn to fear you, and continue any 'bad' behavior. Training is best accomplished when the cat or kitten has an unpleasant experience associated with any particular behavior. For example, placing sticky tape over the end of a couch where the kitten is scratching will be an unpleasant experience and the instinct is easily transferred to a scratch post placed nearby. She'll remember this the rest of her life. If you punish or yell at her, she'll remember this too, and continue to scratch where she's not supposed to. Then hide from you when you come into the room.

Simply put, whatever your cat learns when she is a kitten, you will have to live with for the rest of her life. And there's no real expectation of changing those learned habits or behaviors. It is realistic to expect juvenile and adult cats can be trained. That's your only realistic alternative to change unwanted behavior after kitten-hood is passed. Still, 99% of who and what she is as an adult can be traced directly to her kitten experiences. And if she's a kitten in your home, a lot can be traced right back to you.

Fleas In Kittens

2009-08-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ask any cat owners how to get rid of fleas in cats and you can expect a whole long list of advices on what to do, what flea treatment products to use and what to look out for. However, when you mention about kittens with fleas, expect to get some blank looks on the faces of whom you have approached.

Not surprising though. Why? You’re asking. This is because, kittens, especially very young ones, those that are less than 6 weeks old are extremely "fragile". Their immune system are not fully functional yet and as such, one wrong use of a harmful product on them may very well kill them on the spot.

If such, then can we just leave the fleas on them and wait till they are old enough to use commercially available flea products on them? To answer this question, let me run through some of the harm that fleas may bring to kittens, why it’s not advisable to use commercially available flea treatment products on them and what’s available that are safe for getting rid of flea in kittens

Fleas are blood-sucking pest. They feed on its host blood and if left untreated for a prolong period of time, it’s host will end up with anemia. This is especially so for kittens which are very young and the constant loss of blood to these bloodsuckers will cause anemia to develop very soon. Many deaths from anemia due to fleas infestation have been reported. Fleas also bring along parasites like tapeworm, which would result in malnutrition and weight loss in kittens. As such, it’s important that fleas be rid off from kittens soonest possible.

Commercially available flea control products are plenty. We have flea spray, spot-on topical solutions, and oral de-flea tablet or suspension. These products contain an insecticide that kills off fleas. Often, pet owners assume that products that are available in the market must be safe and hence no problem in using them on kittens with fleas.

This is far from truth. Use of insecticides on young kittens is very dangerous. These chemicals could easily intoxicate them. Their liver, kidneys when affected could be fatal and as such it’s always wise to avoid the use of insecticides on young kittens as much as possible.

This leaves kitten owners not much of a choice but we still have the flea comb. Flea combs are specially made fine-tooth combs that can be used to trap fleas when brushing through the hair coat of cats and kittens. Though not easy as fleas are scrambling around, you can also pick off fleas from the kitten and throw them into a bowl of soapy water to kill them.

Great care must be taken in choosing a product suitable for kitten with fleas. Safety of the kittens should be the main concern and should never be compromised. Learn to read labels to decide on its appropriateness for use on kittens and at all times, use of insecticides should be avoided if possible.

Kitten Development

2009-07-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

The development of a kitten can be quite a rapid one with them going through many different stages within a matter of weeks from birth.

By recognising these stages, we as cat owners will be able to provide for their needs and help them forward in their physical and emotional growth.

Kittens are born both blind and deaf, but do posses a very strong sense of smell, thus enabling them to recognise their mother straight away, which will help guide them toward the nipples for their first feed. During the first week the kittens will do not much else but sleep and feed and by he end of the first week their body weight will have doubled from their birth weight, which is usually around three and half ounces.

By the end of the first week the kittens will start to open their eyes and will be able to hear and will start to move around a little but normally just to jostle for position at the nipple bar and will begin to knead at their mothers stomach to help stimulate the production of milk.

This stage of life will last for about one month when they will start to produce their first teeth and will start to be encouraged by their mother to eat solid food. Kittens need very high quality food that is rich in nutrients to aid their fast growth and will need to be fed lots of small meals through out the day.

The first seven weeks of a cats life is called the "sensitive period" as this is the time when they are most open to new experiences and are likely to learn from them. They also have no fear during these first weeks and so can be exposed to many new experiences without causing any stress to the kitten.

It is during this seven-week window that it is important that they are socialised to humans and other pets, and are exposed to many different noises and experiences. This will produce a kitten which will grow up to be a very confident and friendly cat and will fit in very well in today’s hectic modern family.

Socialisation should include plenty of handling by at least four different people of all sexes and ages. Coming into contact with children at this early stage is very important if they are to live in a family situation consisting of many children. Positive experiences and gentle handling will remove any apprehension later on in their development.

Also contact with other animals like the family dog should be encouraged but always supervised, in case Fido thinks this ball of fur is a new toy to play with. Again this early introduction will help bond the animals and remove any aggression during future encounters.

During the second and third month of life, play hunting and fighting is the main order of the day, with the mother cat supervising and showing the way. Kittens will learn many valuable lessons from their mothers during this time and certain boundaries will be taught which will also help their relationship with humans. For instance the mother cat will teach kittens the difference between play and hunting, by admonishing rough play.

The mother cat will also begin to bring live prey to her kittens to teach them hunting and predatory skills. However, even if a kitten is not taught to hunt they will still develop the skills later on as it is one of the strongest instincts in cats and so can never be untaught by us disapproving humans.

Between the third and six month a kitten’s development starts to really move forward at a rate of knots. They will stop feeding from their mothers completely and will become totally reliant on solid food. They will loose their milk teeth and begin to explore their new world more earnestly. Scenting their new territory starts to become an issue as they move into sexual maturity. A cat can become pregnant from as young as six months old and so it is important that owners arrange to have their kittens neutered around this time.

At six months old the kitten is totally self-reliant and will not look towards their mother for any support. In fact in some cases especially if the other cat is pregnant again she will begin to act aggressively towards her kittens to push them away and encourage them to find new territory. The kitten will continue to grow until they are about a year old at which time their food should be changed from the kitten variety to an adult formula, as they will need different balance of nutrients to maintain good health. Feeding should now be reduced to two or three meals a day to prevent weight gain.

Care For Newborn Kittens

2009-07-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Because of several diverse scenarios it would be essential for us to acquire the position of the mother cat and become the individual health care provider of a newborn kitty or even the whole litter of kittens.

This might be due to the mother cat being ill and consequently unable to give care for the kitties. Or the mother cat could have died while delivery of the litter of kitties. The young kitty might be sick and the mother cat, also known as the queen could abandon the ill kitten. It has also been recognized the mother cat could leave the litter like she was overwhelmed and had to some newborns to take care of by herself.

Only the lowest event is the newborn kitten was dumped off by the owner of the parent cat. This is real sad but it manages to take place rather often. This is as well a real critical time for the newborn.

It is really fundamental for the newborn kitten to be in a dry and warm place. A chilled or wet kitty could die real rapidly. If you discover an abandoned kitty, the action of just containing it draw near to one's body would help to warm it. A cardboard package or almost any container with some unsoiled rags would work. If you have a heat pad or a heat lamp, utilize precaution. The kitty might overheat as well.

A low setting with the kitty having plenty space to be able to move off from the heating is very important. To ward off metabolic shock the temperature of the kitten should not drop less then then approximately 94 degrees F.

Afterwards when the kitty is dry and warm, take a couple of minutes to apply the kitty a quick look over. Checkout the eyes. Are they open or do they possess pus in them or matted closed. How does the ears look?

Are they unsoiled or encrusted in fleas or have wax in them? Is the kitten agile and active? Is it been active around and maybe crying out a little and becoming vocal? If the kitten is real still and non vocal, this could be a signal of distress or illness. Any of these signs would establish the kitten to require of a veterinarian.

Perhaps this is not your kitten and you do not desire to assume duty of the maintenance of the newborn kitty, please make the time to call your localized shelter or perhaps the police. They would help to get someone to come and acquire the abandoned kitten. They would verify that the kitten care is taken care of or if it's needed, and the kitty is too sick, the kitty would be put out of their misery.

If this is your kitty or if you resolve to take care of the kitty, you will need to hydrate the kitten. Some pedialyte, the same as given to humans could hydrate the kitty and preserve it from passing into shock. From the pet shops, you could buy several substitute milk or K.M.R., or it's equivalent. This is substitute milk highly-developed for newborn kitties.

Don't use cow or several other type of milk. The utilization of a may help. The kitty will involve to be feed around the clock, exactly like a newborn infant. Be responsible to observe the instructions on the alternate milk. Verify with the pet storehouse or your veterinarian, they could have a guidebook for kitten care that might be very helpful.

It is essential to recognize the newborn kitten will not eliminate urine or feces waste materials on their own. The really affectionate licking of the mother cat assists another different service for the overall newborn kitten health as well. It stimulates the perineal area and the urogenital reflex. The usage of a warmed cloth or cotton ball may be utilized to achieve these. Also don't forget to utilize a warm cloth to wipe off the whole the kitten to help to keep it unsoiled. Remember that you are immediately the kitties mom.

Kittens for Adoption

2009-07-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

There are various animals that people love to adopt and one of the animals that are wanted is kittens. These cute little mischievous kittens are considered as being suitable for adoption. When you look at kittens for adoption purposes there are various breeds that you will find as being suited for your lifestyle.

The many breeds of kittens for adoption are ones like tortoiseshell kittens, Siamese kittens, Persian kittens, and other varieties. When you are considering adopting a kitten you should first see what the requirements that kittens need for their care are. These various care requirements include a place for your kitten to sleep in the night and one for the day. The foods that kittens need should be seen to before you make any decisions about adopting any type of kitten.

You can ask pet shelter staff and your vet about the various needs of the kittens for adoption that you will see in these places. These needs will include some toys that you can fix in your rooms for the kitten to play with. Some of these toys will need to be impregnated with catnip as kittens and cats go wild about catnip. There should be a scratching post so that your kitten will have place to run their claws over.

Besides seeing to their physical activity level, kittens for adoption need to have a schedule that they can become familiar with. This means that when you take your potential new family member home you should let the kitten become familiar with your home and garden. Let the kitten see you go about your ordinary routine.

For instance the times that you get out of bed maybe leisurely or they may be hurried. In these moments you will have a small amount of time to look after the needs of your kitten. When both you and your kitten are familiar with your routine and there are no real problems developing from the kittens for adoption trial period, you will be able to fill out the forms that will allow you to become the actual owner of these mischievous little bundles of fur.

As there are so many facts to be considered before you become the owner of a kitten you may want some time to think about all of these facts. Once you have made your decisions about looking for kittens for adoption you can see the various ones that are just waiting at animal shelters

Persian Kitten

2009-06-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

A Persian cat is a breed of feline that has long hair and a snubbed nose. There are many different colors for the Persian as well as many different face types but the shorter the muzzle the more valued the cat is.

This characteristic has been pursued to such a point that many cats have difficulty breathing due to abnormalities in the nasal passages or sinuses of the cat. You can expect the Persian kitten to have fluffy hair when it is born, much like any other kitten. As the cat matures, the hair grows longer.

These kinds of cats are seldom put up for kitten adoption or abandoned since they can be valuable and very lovable as well. Cross breeds may be abandoned due to random gestation but purebred cats are valued. The breed is said to have originated in ancient Persia, now known as Iran.

Cons Of Getting A Persian Kitten

A Persian kitten has a long think coat as it matures. This means that the owner might spend an extraordinary amount of time in grooming the Persian kitten since these cats can not cope too well with the maintenance and grooming of their own fur due to the thickness and length. Daily grooming may be the answer to the problem of having long hair for the Persian kitten. Hairballs are something that one can expect from your long haired pet as well as shedding fur during warmer seasons.

The time consumed in daily grooming can be extremely frustrating for pet owners although many tale the necessary time to groom their Persian kitten or send it to the groomers. Bathing too frequently may affect the cat's skin health so keep the baths to a minimum for the right kind of maintenance.

A Persian kitten has a long think coat as it matures. This means that the owner might spend an extraordinary amount of time in grooming the Persian kitten since these cats can not cope too well with the maintenance and grooming of their own fur due to the thickness and length. Daily grooming may be the answer to the problem of having long hair for the Persian kitten. Hairballs are something that one can expect from your long haired pet as well as shedding fur during warmer seasons.

The time consumed in daily grooming can be extremely frustrating for pet owners although many tale the necessary time to groom their Persian kitten or send it to the groomers. Bathing too frequently may affect the cat's skin health so keep the baths to a minimum for the right kind of maintenance.

Pros Of Getting A Persian Kitten

Getting a Persian kitten can be something that your entire family might appreciate especially if they are fond of cats. These breed of cats is found to be intelligent and very resourceful. They are also noted to be docile and affectionate with their human family. Most have a sweet temper but can be naughty at times. The Persian kitten is naturally inquisitive and has its own individuality even when young. They can provide some much needed companionship for some pet owners.

Getting a Persian kitten can change one's life. A Persian kitten can require a lot of work and grooming but these times can be considered bonding time between the pet owner and the pet.

Take Care Of A Persian Cat

2009-06-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

These days, Persian cats are among the most popular breeds of cat. Well known for their gentle and sweet personalities and their long hair, Persian cats have very attractive features. They are great companions for virtually anyone, and not very demanding. Unlike other breeds, such as the Siamese breed, Persian breeds need very little attention.

Although white is the color normally associated with Persian cats, they actually come in a variety of other colors as well. During competitions, they are divided into seven color divisions - solid, silver and gold, tabby, shaded and smoke, particolor, bicolor, and Himalayan. No matter what color of Persian cat it may be, they are best noticed during competitions by their long and flowing coats.

Persian cats should always be kept inside of the house, to protect their coat. If they travel outside, they can easily damage their coat. They will also need to be brushed daily with a metal comb, or their coat can become tangled, which will lead to hairballs. You'll need to bathe your Persian cat on a regular basis as well, to help protect his coat. Bathing works best when the cat is young, as it will get him used to it. Bathing should never be overlooked, as it will keep your cats coat looking clean and healthy. Although some breeds can maintain their coats on their own, Persians can't. Their fur is long and dense and you'll need to groom them daily to ensure their coat stays healthy.

The Persian breed is gentle and sweet, getting along great with everyone - including kids. They have a pleasant voice that is always good to hear. Using their voice and their eyes, they can communicate very well with their owners. They are very playful, yet they don't require a lot of attention. They love attention however, and love being admired. Unlike other cats, they don't climb and jump much at all. They aren't destructive either; they just love being admired and lying around. A majority of the time, Persian cats love to bask in the sun and show others just how beautiful they truly are.

Although most breeds can be kept indoors or outside, Persian cats should always be kept inside and never allowed to go outside of the house. Keeping them inside with protect their coats and also keep diseases and common parasites away from them as well. You won't have to worry about cars or dogs either if you keep your pet inside. To ensure that your Persian pet stays healthy, you should always take him to the vet on an annual basis.

If cared for properly, such as grooming, shots, and checkups, Persian cats can live as long as 20 years. One thing you'll need to be aware of that's common with Persians is their eyes. Their eyes are very big and can sometimes be too much for the cat to clean. This is a common healthy problem with the breed, and should be checked on a regular basis to ensure that it doesn't get out of control.

When you compare Persians to other breeds, you'll notice that the Persians are among the easiest to keep. You don't have to worry about things like jumping or climbing, as Persians don't like to do either. All you'll need to do is feed your cat and groom him or him on a daily basis. Even though grooming can be quite a bit of work in the long run - it's well worth it when you have a healthy an beautiful Persian cat.

History Of Bicolor Persian Cat

2009-06-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

American owners always loved to bicolor, colored cats. In England, vice versa, it is cordial dislike to these colors, which become stronger probably because they are difficult in breeding, though this color make cats more beautiful and sight.

You can seldom meet piebald animals on the exhibitions, they say that they are not in fashion, but it turns out that our owner don't know almost anything about this color.

Gene of white Piebald Spotting is called gene of household, it is the most common among all spontaneous mutations, and is showed in many different forms, concerning to limitation of colored pigment in definite colors. Some form of this gene appears in all varieties of domestic animals, but is absence almost in all wild animals. Under the ruthless methods of natural selection, luxurious white marks would mean death. Known exception is zebra. Her stripes serve as camouflage in habitat. Nevertheless, colorful white marks were appreciated and selected by selectionists for continuation of genus in the breeding of domestic animals.

Where did modern colors of bicolor and calico ( tortoiseshell on white) appear from? Today's Persians are, first of all, progeny of longhaired cats, imported to England and other parts of Europe during the middle - end 1800s from geographical regions countries Persia and Turkey of that time. Gene of Piebald Spotting was widespread then, but often was masked by prepotent white color, which is especially well-known in longhaired cats of Turkey.

If to pay attention in the past, we will see that all longhaired cats were prised together on the exhibitions and iffers of breeds were based more on colors, than on differs of type or the country of origin of given animals. Imagination of cats of american selectionists followed the leading at that time English exhibition rules in this attitude, so that on the earliest American exhibitions, for example, all white cats were valued at one class, and it didn't matter if their pedigree went back to Persia, Turkey or local cats from Man state(having occurred in America with first sailors from Europe). This practice almost lost the type of Turkish Angoras cats, who assimilated into the big breed, which became known to us as Persian.

Unfortunately, earlier herd-books of England and America will not allow to follow ways of development of all colors in full. At the beginning of the century bicolored Persians registered and showed and in England, and in the USA. But they were not popular, because there worked pedigree programs of breeding one colored cats (Solids) in England, and active efforts were spent to avoid white spottiness.

In 1904 in one artical, devoted to the review of cat's shows in the attitude of bicolored colors, were said that '...it is more better to put to sleep such many-colored indiviuals at once or to sell them as domestic nurslings than to keep them as sires, spoiling purity, value, and reputation of colors.'

By the time of devision of longhaired breeds into Persians and half longhaired cats at the begiinning of 1900s there wasn't any need in different indication of breed within the category of longhaired till the appearance of Himalayan Persins as breed in 1950s. Bicolors and Calico in British and Americn herd-books rated as non-recognized colors and had a ban for the participation in shows. CFA was the first who attributed Bicolors to recognized (accepted) for the registration. It was common practice of cat organizations in all breeds, that allowed the registration of cats, which was of pure origin, but non-recognized color.

The exact period of time, when Bicolors and Calico were difficult to show, is difficult to find out, but in 1933 EvelynBuckworth-Herne-Soame have written in his impressions from the exhibition about Tortoiseshell on White cat: 'This is the most vividand charming animal. It is a pity that there is no bigger number of such...' At the same year first white-black individuals, which public liked, appeared on the shows and it was accepted to bring bicolored in any other color.

However, after 1933 Bicolors and Calico were officially removed from the shows in the USA right up to 1955 when by the efforts of Dorothy Anderson Calico was approved anew in CFA. Only in 1971 other bicolored colors were accepted. Herd-books show that these colors is saved in the genotype during these 22 years of oblivion, because the gene of white spottines often masked with white.

The decade of 1980ies made a revolution in bicolored colors and in May of 1991 the article of Anthology of Persian cats was published, devoted to these colors, which embraced many features and requorememts for these variation of Persians. At the first time cats of these colors got to the catalogues of winners.

But 80ies brought not only the flash of Bicolors' popularity, but fixed extreme type, in which bicolored Presians became really amazing.
Fast increasing sccesses of bicolored cats made them popular and enough widespread. Since 1991 Bicolors and Kaliko were singled out into separate exhibition classes and divided from Solids for breeding 'within themselves'.

Leading nurseries and ancestors of Persian breeding, specialized on the colors Bicolor became 'Anz' and 'Pajean', breeded first national winners and hundreds Grand-Champions of CFA. Practically all modern lines of Persian Bicolors go back to these nurseries.

Picking The Persian Cat

2009-06-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

The exotic and majestic appearance of the Persian cat captures the attention of cat lovers everywhere, making it one of the most desirable breeds of cats today. Their dense and lush long-haired coat, short legs and broad head with round eyes and flat muzzle faces are distinct physical traits that make them easily identifiable to just about everyone.

According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, there are seven main categories of Persians. You can check later here for specific information on each group.

1. Himalayans

2. Solid Colors

3. Silver and Golden

4. Calico and Bicolor

5. Smoke and Shaded

6. Tabby

7. Particolor

Within these categories, there are many colors and variations. The many different kinds of Persians that are available permit anyone to pick the perfect companion. However, before running out and snatching up the first Persian you see, there are several factors for purchasing a Persian you ought to consider.

First, give some thought on how this new addition will get along with any pets you already have. Then assess if you are able to take the time to groom this cat properly everyday. The next issue might be the hardest thing to decide. That is narrowing down which of the seven types of Persians you like the most.

However, once that is resolved, you could even settle on the color you would prefer. After that, you may have a partiality for the specific sex of your pet. A significant issue to consider is if you intend on entering your cat in show competitions or if you are just looking for a buddy. A show quality Persian will generally cost more.

Depending on your personality and time constraints, do you want and are you able to raise a kitten? Then you will want to locate a reputable breeder. This is an important matter because the better the breeder, the better your chance of acquiring a strong and healthy kitten. See if the kitten appears to be well taken care of and is being raised in clean surroundings. Has a veterinary done a complete checkup for health problems and is it up-to-date with shots?

Is the breeder aware of any genetic conditions that may run in this kitten's pedigree lineage? Remember to obtain a health contract or guarantee from the breeder. A honest breeder will have no problem supplying you with one. Additionally, you will need the vaccination certificate. If the kitten is registered or you are planning to register it, you will need these papers from the breeder too.

Perhaps you are leaning toward an older cat. Adopting from a shelter or rescue could be a rewarding experience, not to mention saving a life. Just realize that this cat might have been abandoned due to a major health or personality problem. Ask a lot of questions and spend as much time with the cat as you can to determine if it will be a good pet for you.

No matter what cat you ultimately select, by doing your homework and being honest with yourself on your particular personality and situation, picking the perfect Persian can be a fun experience that later grows into a long loving relationship.

Should You Give Milk To A Cat

2009-05-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

In the movies, cats love a bowl of cold milk. In the real world, giving a cat milk can do more harm than good.

While milk might seem like a natural choice for your cat, the truth is that cow’s milk offers no nutritional value for cats, and it can cause digestive problems in many. The reason is that most cats develop intolerance to lactose shortly after they are weaned.

This means that they are unable to digest the sugars that occur naturally in milk. This causes problems that include diarrhea and other unpleasant digestive problems.

Some people think that cats need to have milk in order to get all the necessary nutrients. This is not true. In fact, cow’s milk does nothing to meet a cat’s nutritional needs. If a cat was fed only milk, it would not be able to survive. Feral cats provide proof that cats do not need milk to be healthy, as wild cats do not usually have the opportunity to drink cow’s milk.

As long as your cat is eating a high quality food, and has access to clean fresh water, she is getting all that she needs. Milk alone is not a sufficient diet for any cat, and should never be given in place of food OR in place of water. Replacing a cat’s food or water with milk can cause your cat to become malnourished.

Many cats do seem to enjoy milk, and this causes a dilemma for many cat owners who love to give their cat treats that they enjoy. While most cats are lactose intolerant, some are not. For these cats, milk as an occasional treat is fine. The only way to know how your cat will react to milk is to feed her some. If she does not develop diarrhea then it is safe to assume that she is not lactose intolerant, and you can continue to give her the treat she loves. Again, milk should never be given in place of food, but as a treat.

If your cat IS lactose intolerant, but still seems to crave a bowl of milk now and then, there is a way to satisfy her without upsetting her digestive system. Milk substitute that is specially formulated for cats is sold in most pet food stores. Like regular milk, it should only be given as a treat and not as a replacement for meals. Even if you feed this "cats milk" on a regular basis, a high quality cat food and fresh water should always be available. Another option for lactose intolerant cats is to give lactose-free milk. This milk is available in the same aisle as regular milk in most grocery stores.

In addition to cat’s milk, there are a lot of other ways to treat your cats to special food.

If your cat normally eats dry food, give her some wet food once or twice a week as a special treat. Many makers of dry cat food also make wet food, so you can stick with your favorite brand if that is important to you.

Another way to treat your cats is to find ways to make their dry food special. Pet stores sell special gravy that can be poured over dry food. Several flavors are available, so you can offer your cat a variety to keep her from becoming bored with her food. Another version of this is to pour the water from a can of tuna over the dry food. You can also feed your cat some tuna, in place of wet food, as an occasional treat.

Take a trip down the treat aisle at the pet store, and you will see row after row of treats. While most of them are fine for your cat, keep in mind that treats should be given as such, and should not be fed to your cat in excess as this can cause an unhealthy weight gain.

Kittens, unlike full grown cats, DO need milk, but the milk they need is their mother’s. The mother’s milk is full of all the fat, protein and antibodies that a kitten needs to grow and survive. Until a kitten is weaned, approximately four weeks after birth, a kitten should have only milk. NEVER give a kitten cow’s milk.

Obviously, the ideal milk is that from the kitten’s mother. If this is not possible due the kitten being abandoned or orphaned, you will need to feed a substitute that should be available at your local pet store. The kitten will need to be fed this milk substitute several times a day. While the pet store personnel can probably answer most of your questions about caring for abandoned kitten, you should consult a veterinarian to be sure that the kitten is getting exactly what it needs.

The bottom line is that milk is not necessary for a cat, but as long as she seems able to tolerate it, an occasional bowl isn’t going to hurt.

Most Popular Cat Breeds

2009-05-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

There are about 100 million pet cats in the Western world. The most popular is a combination of different breeds - the domestic shorthaired cat.

The Cat Fancier's Association (CFA) holds the largest registry of pedigree cats in the world. A pedigree is the product of two parents from the same breed.

Let's take a look at the top ten most popular cat breeds of 2006, according to the CFA.

1. THE PERSIAN

Number one since the CFA first started keeping records in 1871! Although Persians are high-maintenance and need grooming every day, this is more than compensated for by their affectionate and loyal personality.

2. THE MAINE COON

This enormous all-American cat has been in second place since 1992. Maine Coons are one of the biggest domestic breeds. Males average 12 to 18 pounds in weight and females are usually 10-14. They are hardy, gentle and loving with long fur but don't need as much grooming as a Persian.

3. THE EXOTIC

These are also known as exotic shorthairs and are rounded and solid in appearance. This cat is like a Persian but with short fur. Some people call them 'a Persian in pyjamas'! They have the sweet personality of the Persian but only need combing twice a week.

4. THE SIAMESE

These cats are very communicative, yowling in a rasping voice for attention or just to chat! They are slim and athletic with large ears. Their fur is short and lies close to their skin. They love to be stroked, and are extremely loyal and close to one person. They are very intelligent and loving.

5. THE ABYSSINIAN

It is said that these pretty cats are descended from those worshipped by the ancient Egyptians - but no one knows for sure. Their coat is ticked with colors. Abyssinians are very active, busy and playful, and they love people.

6. THE RAGDOLL

Ragdolls, or 'Raggies' are extremely cute cats. They are called Ragdolls because when you pick one up, it goes completely limp in your arms! They are another large breed with males growing anything up to 20 pounds and females 15. They have blue eyes and mid-length, silky fur. They are extraordinarily affectionate and will follow you everywhere.

They are so docile that it can be dangerous for them to go out as they wouldn't defend themselves if another animal attacked them.

7. THE BIRMAN

This blue eyed cat also glories in the name of the Sacred Cat of Burma! They have characteristic white paws, making them look as if they are wearing little white boots. They have even temperaments, and are known for adjusting to your daily routine. A Birman will often be waiting for you when you get home from work (as do Siamese and Orientals). Although their fur is long and silky, they don't require much grooming.

8. THE AMERICAN SHORTHAIR

These look like regular tabbies but true American Shorthairs are pure-bred. These cats originally arrived in America on the "Mayflower" with the pilgrims. They are good hunters, have a loving nature, general good health, a quiet temperament, and they are great with children. They come in a multitude of color combinations, the most popular being silver. More than a third of all American Shorthairs have this coloring of black 'stripes' on a beautiful silver background.

9. THE ORIENTAL

This breed looks and behaves just like a Siamese but is available in two different hair lengths and over 300 different color combinations. They also have very sweet natures, and have many of the characteristics of Siamese, though they don't quite talk as loudly. But they are very affectionate and loyal, very people-oriented.

10. THE SPHYNX

This extraordinary naked cat has a rather bizarre appearance. Strangely, they are available in a multitude of colors, albeit skin colors rather than fur! They are lively and athletic, and enjoy climbing. They are loyal, loving and constantly demand attention.

Want a Cat

2009-05-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Bringing a cat into your home is a big decision. That needs to be stated right away, because so many people do not think this decision through carefully which is why there are so many homeless cats out there.

Though cats are cute, fluffy, and overall one of the best companion animals out there, you need to take a number of factors into consideration before adopting or buying a cat or kitten. Here are just a few things you should keep in mind before you bring a cat into your home.

Do I have time?

Despite what many people think, cats do require that their owners have time for them everyday. From feeding to playtime, many cats will feel very lonely if their owner is gone most of the day, especially if there are no other cats in the home.

Do I have the money?

On top of the money you spend on the cat itself, the food, the kitty litter, the litter box, and all of the other accessories, you must take into consideration the possibility of veterinarian bills. Your cat should get a yearly check up with your local vet.

Do I adopt?

YES. Please, look to your local animal shelter for a cat or kitten first before buying from a breeder or an "accidental litter". There are thousands of abandoned or homeless cats out there that would make excellent pets for you and your family. The biggest plus to adopting is that most shelter cats are spayed or neutered before they're adopted out so you don't have to worry about the expense of having it done yourself!

Do I get a kitten or an adult cat?

Kittens are cute, but keep in mind that they will only stay kittens for a short while. There are more adult cats than kittens looking for homes in animal shelters. Look at the adult cats first before considering a kitten. If you find a kitten you fall in love with, though, don't let that stop you! Just be prepared for the usual "kitten behavior", though; younger cats are not as well behaved as older cats usually are.

Do I declaw the cat?

It's really up to you, but I wouldn't recommend it. Many people don't realize that when a cat is declawed the entire first joints of the toes are removed. Imagine if your finger tips were cut off how uncomfortable you'd be! Some cats develop psychological problems after undergoing this procedure.

It's not legal in many other countries, like England, because it's considered cruel. If you have a concern about furniture scratching or having small children around the cat, I recommend adopting a cat that's already been declawed by a previous owner. These cats need loving homes just as much as any cat and they've already undergone the procedure so there's no going back. This is what I did when I adopted my kitty and it worked out great for my household.

What should I feed it?

Again, this is up to you. Ask your veterinarian which variety of cat food they recommend. I personally use Purina Cat Chow as that's what the animal shelter recommended to me.

Persian cat grooming

2009-04-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Whether you bought your Persian cat as a show cat or simply as a house pet, the fact is that Persians need more grooming than the average cat and that responsibility falls upon you.

Persian cats are not particularly easy to maintain, although the trouble is worth it when one considers their beauty. There is a whole host of merchandise available when it comes to pet grooming these days and you are free to buy as much as you like. Generally though, the bear essentials needed for grooming and bathing your cat include a brush, blunt ended scissors, toothbrush, shampoo, sponge or wash cloth and a few towels.

Before you begin grooming your cat its important to be organized. This will help you to relax and be in control of what you re doing during the whole process. Cats, like all other animals are sensitive to the emotions we give off. If you are nervous it is likely to make your cat feel the same way which in turn will end up making the whole bathing and grooming process a lot more difficult.

If you've just bought a Persian kitten you should aim to have it in the bath tub at the latest by three months of age. This allows your cat to get used to the process as it gets older making things easier for you. Once you've established a routine stick to it, that way your cat knows what to expect and will remain calm throughout the grooming process. You should try to give your cat a complete bath and trim at least once a week although with a Persian if you want to keep its coat in great shape then you really need to set aside a few minutes each day to comb out any matts in the hair.

Perhaps the hardest part of the grooming process, especially at the beginning is getting your cat in the bath. The sound of water gushing out of the tap in combination with the feel of being plunged into water can be enough to your cat into a nervous mood. The key is to do everything gently and slowly giving your cat ample time to become familiar with its surroundings. When you turn the tap on let it trickle out slowly so as not to make a loud sound.

Let your cat see the water before putting it in the bath tub and also make sure the water temperature is right. Ideally it should be lukewarm. Once in, you need to make sure that the water really gets worked into the hair so it becomes soaked. This can be done with your hands or with a sponge or wash cloth. The next stage involves applying the shampoo and working up sufficient lather to clean ant dirt from the hair of the Persian. Again this can be done with a sponge but be careful not to be too forceful in washing the cat. Finally the rinsing process is best done with a hose on low setting and you should start rinsing the cat's hair out from the head and work your way down to the tail end of the cat.

An ordinary hair dryer is sufficient to use when drying the hair of your Persian cat, although you should make sure that the setting is on low as otherwise you could cause unnecessary discomfort to your cat or even burning. Those willing ot spend the money will find that most pet stores sell dryers especially for cats which are generally lower in power.

Once thoroughly dry you are ready to place your cat on the grooming area and begin cutting away excess hair. The face, ears and back side of the Persian tend to be the three places where the most excess hair appears and consequently where the bulk of your concentration needs to be focused. Be especially careful when doing the ears however as it is easy to accidentally cut into the ear leather of your cat if you aren't careful. One way around this is to slightly wet the ears making the leather more easily distinguishable from the hair.

The next step in the grooming process is to trim the nails of the cat. This not only helps the cat look good but is also important for hygienic reasons. This part of the process needs to be done on a specially designated grooming space that is comfortable for both you and your cat. You have to be particularly careful when trimming the nails as in general Persian cats are very sensitive about having their feet touched especially for any prolonged period of time.

In general it is easier to clip the nails of a Persian cat while they are still wet, so you may want to run a damp wash cloth over their feet before you begin to clipping. The same is also true for trimming excess hair of the ears as when the hair is wet you can more easily distinguish between where the hair ends and the leather begins.

Persian Cat

2009-04-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

There are numerous breeds of cats for a cat-lover to choose from, but the most popular of all of the breeds is the Persian cat. The long fur and the regal persona of the Persian are the two main reasons why so many people seem to adore these affectionate and laid back cats.

The History of the Persian

Persians came to North America in the late 1800s and it didn't take long for them to become the favorite breed of cat lovers. At the same time, the cat was very popular in the UK and was the most commonly represented breed at the London Crystal Palace's first cat show. In the early 1900s, the Persian was already the most popular cat breed in the UK.

Before being introduced to North America and gaining popularity in the UK, however, the ancestors of the modern-day Persian were part of the Roman and Phoenician caravans that traveled to Europe. While traveling from Turkey and Persia, the cats were introduced to Europe in the late 1500s. These early ancestors later developed into the Persian and Angora breeds that are known to cat lovers today.

Recognizing the Persian Cat

Persians are one of the most easily recognizable of cat breeds, thanks to their long and full fur. The fur of the Persian tends to be quite thick and glossy, which helps it stand off from the cat's body and gives its body a rounded look. While many think of Persians as having white fur, the breed can actually be found in a variety of different colors.

One of the other distinctive features of the Persian is its face. The breed actually has two different facial types, but both include rounded ears that are small and set low on the cat's head. Persian's also have round, wide eyes and their chins are well-developed. The cheeks of Persian's are also full. Depending upon the face type, some Persians will also have a flattened look to their face. With these Persian's, the nose will be almost as high as the cat's eyes.

The Persian's Personality

Persian's have a very laid-back personality and are not as active as many other breeds. In fact, they tend to be lap cats that are very sweet-tempered and gentle. Still, they do enjoy playing for short periods of time. In addition, they crave attention and love to be cuddled and pet by their owners. They also tend to be very devoted, but demand a great deal of attention. For most pet owners, providing attention to these gentle cats is not a problem. Maintaining proper grooming, on the other hand, can be difficult!

Grooming the Persian

Persians have long and pretty fur that can be up to 8 inches long, which means it can easily become knotted and problematic if it is not properly cared for. If a pet owner neglects the Persian's fur, it can form into tight mats that need to be shaved. In order to prevent this, it is important to groom your Persian's fur for ten to fifteen minutes every day and to perform a more thorough grooming once a week.

Cat Breeds

2009-04-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

When you decide to get a cat for a pet, then there will surely be a number of things that you will have to consider. One of these pertains to cat breeds. This is because there are various cat breeds in the market, and choosing amongst the many choices can be confusing altogether.

Thus, it would be better do some research on the different cat breeds so that you can choose the best one for your family. This is because cat breeds do differ in terms of shapes, sizes, and demeanor.

One of the popular breeds is the Abyssinian, also known as the Aby cat. If you want to have a playful cat, then you should consider this breed because the Aby cat is very energetic and has quite the personality. The great thing about this cat is that it is also very loyal to its owner and it is also very attentive.

Another popular breed is the Balinese cat. Back in the day, the Balinese is known as the Longhaired Siamese cat simply because the markings on Balinese cats are quite the same as that of the Siamese breed. The only difference is that the tail of the Balinese is actually more plumed in appearance.

If you want a cat that is particularly attentive to you, then you should consider getting the Balinese because it does not feel any inhibition about giving attention to its owner. This is because the Balinese also enjoys having the attention of its owner. And since this cat is particularly energetic, make sure to leave it with a chew toy or a plaything when you go off to work. This way, your cat will be able to keep himself entertained.

The Manx is another breed that deserves mention. In appearance, you will definitely say that the Manx is just like any other cat. However, do not be surprised to see a Manx that does not have any tail. Because of certain mutations in this breed's spine, most Manx cats have very short tails, and some do not have any tail at all. Moreover, if you want to get a cat that you and your family can play fetch with, then the Manx is definitely the breed to get.

These are just some of the top cat breeds that dominate families today. If you are still not too sure which breed to go with, you can ask the help of your vet. This way, your very can help you decide which breed is the best for your family.

7 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Boas

2009-04-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Boa constrictors are becoming more and more popular as pets, but how much do you really know about them? Here are the top boa facts I get asked about again and again...

What is the difference between a common boa and a red tailed boa?

Common boas (boa constrictor imperator) are a medium to large snake from Central America. Red Tailed Boas (boa constrictor imperator) are a slightly larger snake, with similar markings but a brighter, deeper red coloration on the tail. Both species are commonly kept as pets, but the true red tails are generally considered more desirable and thus are more expensive.

How big do boas grow?

Some boas can reach over 12 feet in length, while species such as the rosy boa only reach 24 inches as adults. The most commonly kept boa constrictor species tend to reach 8 - 9 feet in length as adults, with the males being a foot or so shorter than the females.

What should I feed my boa?

Boas are pure carnivores. They eat a selection of rodents and other mammals, birds and lizards. In captivity they can be fed exclusively on rodents such as mice, rats, and even rabbits for very large specimens. Most captive snakes are fed on frozen and defrosted prey.

How often should I feed my boa?

An adult boa should be fed every 12 - 14 days while new born snakes need feeding weekly. It is a fact that snakes are very prone to obesity in captivity so care should be taken not to overfeed.

Do pet boas need heating?

All snakes are ectothermic, which means they control their body temperature by using their environment. Since most boas come from tropical climates, you will need to provide heating to keep them successfully in captivity. A 'thermal gradient' where one area of the enclosure is warmer, while another is cooler, allows the boa to maintain an optimal body temperature. This is achieved with the use of one or more heat sources controlled by a thermostat.

Do pet boas need special lighting?

While many reptiles need broad spectrum ultra violet lighting to simulate sunlight, boas are mostly nocturnal and do not require it. Some keepers provide a small light for the purpose of better viewing their snakes, but this does not affect their health.

Why does my boa soak in his water bowl?

All reptiles shed their skin periodically. When about to shed, snakes need a higher humidity and will deep out damp places, or even water. Soaking like this is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about if your boa sheds a few days afterwards. Other possible reasons for soaking however are overheating and a mite infestation. Be sure to check your thermostats to ensure that the temperature is correct. Then check for mites which are small spots which may appear to move, and will be more prominent around the head. Mites can be treated quite easily but it is advisable to consult a vet before commencing treatment.

Exotic Pet Snake For Beginner

2009-03-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Having exotic snakes as pets is becoming common nowadays. This is primarily because many people who have been taking care of one assert that snakes are attractive and can be quite tame, contrary to popular belief.

In spite of this, snakes remain to be not for everyone as care of snakes is quite complex. Just like in the case of having other types of exotic animals, commitment is very essential.

Thus, prior to acquiring one, it is best to have the right information about them such as behavioral characteristics, dietary and habitat requirements, and other pertinent details. Only after which should you decide if you really are capable of having one.

There are several snakes species may be considered as pets but the most common are garter snakes and pythons. For first-time owners that are inexperience with snakes, corn snakes, king snakes, and ball pythons are, in fact, most suitable as these are gentle and meeting their diet and environmental needs is not as difficult as for some other species. These snakes are relatively small. Ball pythons tend to difficult to feed, because sometimes they stop eating for months at a time. If you are interesting in acquiring a ball python, make sure it is captive breed, and used to feed with killed prey.

On the other hand, if you are a beginner, don't think about acquiring Burmese pythons, red-tailed boas, tree boas or pythons, water snakes and other wild caught snakes as pets, as they can really be dangerous especially when not handled properly. If you choose Burmese pythons and red-tailed boas, you may require assistance for handling and feeding, due to their size and strength. Tree boas and pythons tend to have very strict temperature and humidity requirements, and water snakes have very specific care requirements too. Wild caught snakes tend to be nervous, prone to illness, and difficult to feed in captivity.

The appropriate diet and living area vary with different species. Generally, though, in creating an artificial environment for them, take note of security as they tend to get out of any enclosure. Check for gaps and the strength of the habitat itself.

Otherwise, you shall be putting others in danger as well as incurring liabilities. Also, check if there is enough space for them to move around. The size of the space must correspond well to the size of your pet.

As all snakes are carnivorous, rodents like mice and rats are the best food for them. It is recommended to give them pre-killed ones so as to protect them from possible injuries caused by their prey when alive. This especially happens when the prey is given to them while they are not yet hungry and unwilling to attack. On your part, it would likewise be more convenient to have these killed rodents in a freezer than keep another habitat just for them. Snakes like anacondas and reticulated pythons aren't recommended as pets, as these snakes are huge, have poor temperaments and potentially dangerous.

Snakes care, no matter what you choose as your pet, has indeed never been easy. For pet snakes, your responsibility doesn't end when you have chosen the species. You should be familiar with appropriate care and feeding, the behavioral characteristic, and the commitment to keep the pet. It is actually just the beginning of a long-term complex relationship.

Taking Care of Ball Pythons

2009-03-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

Ball pythons or python regius are found along the edges of Western and Central Africa's forest lands. They are either on the trees or grounds. Although they are termed as royal pythons in the European countries, they are referred to as ball pythons in the US because of the curling habits. They tend to curl up and pull their heads firmly in the center when nervous.

Ball pythons are crepuscular, meaning they are more active at dusk and dawn. Similar to most pythons, ball pythons are gentle and curious snakes. They also have anal spurs like the ones found in boas.

These lone claws that appear on the sides of their vents are formerly their hind legs. The snakes lost their legs in evolution millions of years ago. Males possess longer spurs and smaller heads compared to the females.

If you plan to have one as a pet, it is best to buy a captive-born. If not, then go for well-feeding juvenile, adult or sub-adult breed.

In selecting a ball python, select one with a firm clear skin, clean vents, round-shaped body, and clear eyes. When handled, it should actively flick its tongue.

In selecting a housing for your hatchling, a 10 gallon glass tank with a hinged glass top and fixed screens should do the trick. Take note that snakes are regarded as escape artists. Ball pythons are cunning and powerful in breaking out. Hence, for a young adult, you need a 20 gallon glass tank. For a full adult, you need a 30 gallon glass tanks already..

When selecting an appropriate substrate, you can initially use paper towels. It can be easily replaced or removed when soiled. If your Ball Python is imported, you would need to monitor its feces and check it for mites.

Once established, use a fir bark or shredded cypress. Never use aspen and pine shaving because this can lodge in your snake's mouth while it eats. It may cause respiratory and other serious problems.

You need to monitor these shavings closely. When it gets wet and soiled, pull it out immediately, to prevent the growth of fungus and bacteria.

Place a hiding area for your ball python. You can buy a half-log at any pet store. An alternative can be an upside down plastic opaque container or an empty cardboard box.

Keep the tank warm, 80 to 85 degrees F in the daytime. At night, keep it at 73 to 75 degrees F. You can buy reptile heating pads at any drug store. As an alternative, you can buy incandescent light bulbs in metal and porcelain reflector hoods. Never use a hot rock because bBall pythons are prone to thermal burns.

Make sure your snake gets ambient humidity. You can check this using a hygrometer. Get this up to 50%. When your snake sheds, it needs higher humidity. You can increase the enclosure humidity to about 60-65%. By bathing your snake in a warm bath when its eyes clear, they will completely shed in 24 hours.

For hatchlings, you can feed it with a 10 day old mouse. For the larger ones, you can feed them larger pinkie rats or pre-killed mice.

Always provide a fresh bowl of water inside the tank.

Ball Pythons can live for many years. Amidst coming of age, they need to remain active and alert. In captivity, most snakes die for reasons related to their care and maintenance. Some causes include contact with lighting and heating elements, improper temperature, lack of needed veterinary treatment and care, no access to regular water and careless handling among others.

Adopt A Monkey

2009-03-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

There are many stuff to deem when adopting any animals, not just monkeys. If you think of adopting a monkey as a pet, costs sometime to understand more about the requests of monkeys will profit both you and the animals. For indeed, there are responsibilities as a monkey possessor. Sometimes, monkeys are just like little children. They necessary a lot of your time and awareness and to take good heed of them, you just have to place their wants above all moreover.

Nevertheless what are some of these requests? The wants of a monkey are very parallel to the wants of a small little outcome. That's because monkeys, being primates, part many smiliar characteristics with being beings. To be a monkey vendor, it takes more than just feeding the monkey food and providing shelter.

For example, a babies monkey definitely wants education. It needs to be qualified what is the right thing to do, and what is not. And like being beings, they happen practice from a very little age. These routine cultivate to twig with the monkeys as they grow elder. So if undesirable behavior are not corrected early, you as the monkey holder may face behavioral troubles with the pet later on.

Also, shoulder in thinker that although the monkey regularly grows elder and mature, and haughty that it is well skilled, it will still want a carnival quantity of time and awareness. That's because monkeys are by scenery lively animals. And due to this nature, they expect party and plenty of play time to be delighted. And just like a creature being, if they are showered with dearest and are exultant most of the time, they react very differently and they also cultivate to be better. Still, being animals with an instinct for hurt, monkeys still get into agitate every now and then. That means as a monkey owner, if you to be very enduring with them.

Having said that, many people like to own monkeys as pets because they are very jolly animals. They like the company of creature beings. They are active, vigorous, and greatly responsive to people. Most importantly, they have childish actions that can make people laugh. For these reasons, monkey owners are more than willing to forgive and disregard about the wicked stunts that monkeys come up with every now and then. A juvenile incident, a brief laugh, and everything is water under the passage. And being adorable looking little creatures, perhaps that's why it's relaxed to plunge in worship with a little monkey.

In any casing, do remember that there are fun moments and tiresome moments when care a monkey as a pet. Don't just think of the fun moments. Spare a thought for all those wearisome time as well, but don't be scared of a few tiresome moments. For all you know, it's usuall because of these tiresome moments that earn you and your monkey nearer together. Ultimately, it's about developing a great relationship with your pet monkey, and all great relationships doesn't come from all good. There has to be some good, and some bad in any prolific relationship. So don't just be your monkey's warden. Be it's best colleague, and it will indeed reciprocate and be yours as well.

Why Monkeys Pets

2009-03-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

We’ve all seen movies, cartoons, commercials, music videos, etc. in which the main characters are played by these cute, joyful, smart animals. And this may lead us to believe that monkeys would actually make perfect pets.

Although while they are just small babies these sweet creatures, with their big eyes and their fuzzy fur may appear as harmless and innocent, when they grow up and become sexually mature, they can turn into really violent beings. Not to mention that they can pass on to us some extremely dangerous viruses, like the one of herpes B. This disease can be lethal for humans.

The problem is many people think they may adopt monkeys as substitutes for children. And therefore they are willing to pay a rather big amount of money to get such a pet-monkeys may cost thousands of dollars. Nonetheless, veterinarians generally share the idea that monkeys have a complex emotional system, a high level of intelligence, are likely to live a long life, and therefore they feel the need to spend their time with their "own kind" rather than humans, no matter how much we may try to please or spoil them.

Here are the words of such a doctor: "If you try to keep them as pets you're creating a mentally disturbed animal in 99.9 percent of the cases," He also says that "The animal will never be able to fit in any other home. Never learn how to get along with other monkeys. And, more often than not, will end up with a lot of behavioral traits that are self-destructive."

Monkey babies are usually taken away from their moms when they are about three days old, and in exchange for their mothers they are given a cuddly, stuffed toy to play with, a blanket, or other such things. This causes the poor animals to adopt an abnormal behavior: they rock, grasp themselves, or suck their thumbs (so in a way they may remind us of how abandoned children act like.)

Monkeys become of age, therefore reach sexual maturity when they turn 18-24 months old. It is at this point that they can get pretty aggressive and dangerous towards their owners. Because of that, the formerly proud monkey owners decide to give them over to zoos or sanctuaries, where, sadly enough, they get to spend the rest of their lives. Or sometimes they are sent to laboratories for experiments or breeding.

Due to the change in their pets’ behavior as they grow older and stronger, some owners may try to change the unpredictable characteristics of monkeys by chaining them, putting them in small confined spaces, removing their teeth or nails to make them unable to scratch or bite.

Let us not forget that "Primates are wild animals," as said Truitt, from the Primate Rescue Center mentioned. "No amount of surgical mutilation, training, or beating will ever change that."
Monkey pets can really make one’s life more complicated, as they tend to behave like trouble, difficult children. Thus, appart from showing favoritism towards certain family members, growing monkeys are also likely to become more and more aggressive if there are too many people in a house or a room.

Monkeys are happy only when they can fulfill their social and emotional needs. They need other social animals like them, they need to feel loved and protected, and generally long for genuine affection. Such emotional needs may in fact appear as quite similar to the humans’ ones. Nevertheless, there is still a wild side to that, which reminds us of their being wild animals, not domestic pets. Therefore it would be a great mistake to see them and consequently treat monkeys like we would treat a dog, a cat, a hamster, a guinea pig or any other such common pets.

One should try and understand that they do have their very own, specific needs, feelings and emotions, and they are reluctant to change them for our own simple pleasure and entertainment. They are likely to become aggressive when people treat them like toys, this happening especially in the case of human kids who may enjoy controlling them or handling them in a rather harsh manner. Knowing these consequences, think more than twice before you decide for a monkey pet.

Bearded Dragon

2009-03-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in owning a pet lizard, one species you might want to consider purchasing is the Bearded Dragon. Commonly referred to as "beardies" by those who own them, Bearded Dragons tend to be quite tame and are relatively easy lizards to care for.

Since they are generally calm in nature, they are also a good choice for families with children who are looking for an exotic pet, though it is important to be certain to wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap after handling a Bearded Dragon as you should with any reptile. This precaution can protect you and prevent the transmission of salmonella.

Recognizing a Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragons have a very distinctive look, as their heads are broad and triangular in shape. In addition, they have what appears to be many spikes running along the bottom of their chin, though these spikes are not harmful or painful in any way. When the Bearded Dragon feels threatened or intimidated, however, it will expand this pouch in order to look larger and more menacing. Hence, the name "bearded" dragon.

Creating the Proper Housing for Your Bearded Dragon

When creating the proper housing for your Bearded Dragon, it is important to remember that these reptiles are native to dry habitats that are sparsely vegetated. Therefore, care should be taken to recreate this same type of habitat in your home. While a baby bearded dragon will be happy in a 20 gallon long tank, it is best to use a tank that is at least 40 gallons long or more for an adult bearded dragon. This way, your pet will have plenty of room to run around and comfortably explore its habitat.

In addition to having enough room to move about, your Bearded Dragon will also need areas where it can bask and absorb heat. Therefore, rocks and logs should be added to the habitat as well. Finely sifted play sand or calcium sand should be used to cover the bottom of the habitat. These sands can be purchased at nearly any pet store. It is important to never use sand from the beach or from your yard, as this sand can contain parasites and other potentially dangerous additives that could harm your pet.

Finally, you will need to pay special attention to obtaining the proper lighting and heating for your Bearded Dragons. You will need a UVB light such as the Repti-Sun 10.0. Your pet will need to receive 12 to 14 hours of UVB light each day in order to prevent the development of certain diseases, such as Metabolic Bone Disease. It is also a good idea to use a heat lamp to keep one side of the enclosure warmer than the other. This way, your Bearded Dragon can move from one side of the enclosure to the other in order to better regulate its body temperature.

Feeding Your Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat fruits and vegetables as well as insects. Ideally, your pet's diet should consist of about 80% plant matter and 20% insect. Some insects Bearded Dragons enjoy include:

• Butterworms
• Crickets
• Hormworms
• Locusts
• Phoenix worms
• Roaches
• Silkworms
• Superworms

Some vegetables you may want to feed your Bearded Dragon include:

• Cabbage
• Carrot tops
• Collard greens
• Dandelion greens
• Escarole
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Parsley
• Spring greens
• Turnip greens

While fruit can also benefit Bearded Dragons, it is important to stay away from citric fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit as these fruit can be potentially fatal to your pet.

Reptile Pets

2009-03-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

Reptiles are now more popular than dogs as pets, a fact that appeared as a result of a survey carried out in early 2008. guess the most popular reptiles reptile pets. Like many things pet related, you need to make the right choice, and just as choosing a badly suited breed of dog can cause problems, the same is true of reptiles.

The easiest to care for tend to be the most popular also, and as such are great first reptiles, so here they are:-

Bearded Dragon
Bearded Dragon is the name used for any agamid lizard in the genus Pogona. They are native to Australia, and are sometimes the first reptile people get as pets.

Bearded Dragons are popular pets, notably the species Inland or Central Bearded Dragon. These animals are also affectionately called "Beardies" by those who breed or raise them. They are a ideally suited to children, because of their friendly and calm nature, along with the low amount of work they need to be cared for.

Beardies have broad triangular heads and flattened bodies, the adults growto approximately 18 to 24 inches from head to tail with males and females being of comparable size, although males usually sport a larger head and a thicker tail base than the females.

Beardies have a distinctive set of spines running horizontally from the head to the base of the tail. They range in colour from light tan to dark brown, depending on their native soil, often with highlights of black, brilliant red, or gold, and can change greatly depending upon their internal condition, mood or temperature darkening when cool. Some spefically hand reared have been selectively bred for more brilliant colorations.

Beardies are omnivorous, capable of subsisting on a wide variety of food sources, including both insects and vegetable food. A typical diet for captive beardies includes leafy greens and vegetables, and regular meals of feeder insects.

All species are from Australia, but they have been exported the world over and bred successfully in captivity. Beardies live about 8–15 years with proper care in captivity, though some can live up to 20 years old

Corn Snake
The corn snake, or red rat snake, is a North American species of rat snake that subdue their small prey with constriction. The name "corn snake" comes from the fact that they have markings on their underside that looks like corn. They are found throughout the south-eastern and central United States. Their placid nature, reluctance to bite, moderate adult size 1.2 to 1.8 metres, attractive markings, and comparatively simple care make them popular pet snakes. In the wild, they usually live around 10-15 years, but can live as old as 23 years in captivity. Like all rat snakes, corn snakes are non-venomous.

They have a diet mainly consisting of rodents, mostly mice and rats, which they kill via crushing. They are accomplished climbers and may climb trees in search of birds and bats. Pet Corn Snakes are usually fed by their keepers on a diet of commercially available rodents, predominantly mice, while younger and smaller snakes may eat live or dead rat or mouse pups of various sizes. Frozen mice are preferable, as live prey can possibly carry disease or injure the snake if it has not been raised on live prey.

The Corn Snake was one of the first snakes to be kept in captivity by people, and remains one of the most popular. Large volumes are bred annually to ensure that there is a constant supply, lowering the need to collect specimens from the wild. keeping more than one together is inadvisable in captivity, as these are naturally solitary animals.

Owners of Corn Snakes have emphasised a cage with no chance of escape. Corn Snakes are excellent escape artists and will often get out of any home that is not properly secured. More first timers lose their snakes to escapes than death. They are good at climbing, squeezing out of tiny holes, and can also use their bodies to push the lid off of a poorly-fitted aquarium.

Royal or Ball Python
The Royal Python or Python Regius is a non-venomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular as a pet snake. Adults generally do not grow to more than 90-120 cm in length, although some examples have reached 152 cm and even 182 cm, around 6ft, but this is very rare. The build is stocky while the head is relatively small and the scales are smooth.

The colour marking is typically black with light brown-green side and dorsal blotches. The underside is a white or cream that sometimes can include scattered black markings. However, owners and breeders have, through selective breeding, developed many mutations with different colours and patterns.

The name ball python comes from the snakes tendency to curl into a ball when worried or scared. The name royal python is rumoured to have come from the story that Cleopatra allegedly wore the snake around her wrist.

Ordinarily when wild, the diet consists mostly of small mammals, such as African soft-furred rats, shrews and striped mice. Younger snakes have also been known to feed on birds. Captive pets usually do well on domestic rats and mice, either live, pre-killed, or frozen-thawed

There are obviously many more reptile types kept as pets, and no doubt the favourites will change, but any of the three named above will make great pets, and a great introduction to keeping reptiles.

Types of Goldfish

2009-02-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Goldfish are a cultivated form of a silver crucian (Carassius auratus), and it is one of the popular aquarium fishes. The first data about goldfish are received from China and relate to X-XII centuries. The length of a goldfish reaches 30 cm.

The aquarium types of goldfish are usually smaller. Their body is extended, ellipse, with a sharp snout. The back of the fish is commonly red, its sides are golden, and the belly is yellowish. Fins may be red, orange or yellow. There are also kinds of goldfish that are light pink, white, yellow and even dark blue. Due to Chinese and Japanese selectors a lot of types of goldfish are received. Some of them are described below.

The Most Popular Types of Goldfish

Bubble eye
This goldfish is remarkable for its big eyes, which look like bubbles filled with water and hanging on the both sides of the head. The "bubbles" of the best individuals are equal to a quarter of their body. Eyes start to grow after the young goldfish is 3-4 months. It should be noticed that the eyes are very vulnerable. They can be pierced and then fall down, but in proper conditions they are restored within 3-4 weeks. This type of goldfish should be maintained separately or together with calm kinds of aquarium fish.

Crown pearlscale
This type of goldfish was grown in China, and for a long time the exportation from the country had not been allowed. Only in 1926 the goldfish was taken out to Japan. It has a rounded body. Each scale is creamy-white, so that the fish looks covered with pearls. The color of the fish is more often red and white. It is one of the most capricious and gentle type of goldfish.

Comet
The comet is the simplest and the most unpretentious type of goldfish. It is small with a long tail surpassing the length of the body. The longer the tail fins, the higher an individual is estimated. The color of a comet can vary, but those fishes, which have contrasting body and fins colors, are considered to be of high value. In China the most beautiful ones are reputed to have silver body and bright red tail.

Shubunkin
People are fond of this type of goldfish due to its color that represents a combination of white, black, red, yellow and dark blue. The goldfish is mobile, it feels good in the water with low temperature and it is unreceptive to illnesses.

Recommendations on the Goldfish Maintenance

It is recommended to maintain goldfishes in a spacious aquarium with large pebbles. This attractive fish has remained a carp deep in its heart, and like carps the goldfish adore digging in sand, stirring the water up and taking out the plants. Therefore the aquarium should be supplied with a powerful filter, and the plants should have a strong root system. The temperature of the water can change from 15 up to 25 °C for the fish with a long body and from 22 up to 28 °C for the short ones.

The chemical solution is not very important. Neighbors of goldfish should be calm and peaceful. Goldfish is omnivorous fish. It can be fed with seafood, white bread, cooked semolina and porridge. You can also make balls of bread and meat. It is necessary to give salad and nettle, otherwise the goldfish will start eating aquarium plants. They are gluttonous, but you should not overfeed them.

Fish As Wonderful Pets

2009-02-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

If you want something new for your house, think about fish and aquariums... big aquariums, because they go with these times' fashion.

The little golden fish wondering alone around his bowl seems to be long forgotten. Instead of the little bowl, there are now huge aquariums, mounted on the walls or even enclosed in them, containing lots of colored fish, sand, lights, little stones and aquatic vegetation. Optionally you can choose a little castle of house to make the décor unique and fantasy-lie.

This idea has been adopted from restaurants, clubs or other public locations, but now it applies to homes of animal lovers, fish lovers especially.

You have decided to adopt fish because you like them or because you heard they bring prosperity and well-living to your life. Either way, you have to know how to take care of them because they are not just a decorative object; they are living beings that can't take care of themselves.

They are going to need your full attention and care, they will totally depend on you. Here is some general advice, general because each species act differently and has different needs:

What do we need?

We need an aquarium, a thermometer, a heating system, a water filter, and plants to oxygenate the water, sand and little stones, and a source of light for the plants.

How do we actually do it?

Before placing the fish in the aquarium, the water needs to be left alone 24 hours and its temperature has to be of a minimum of 22-23 Celsius (it can differ for some species). The water is not changed all at the same time, it needs to be changes in several stages, 20% on each stage.

How do we feed fish?

Twice a day, we give them the dried food, the life food or the frozen one, depending on the species.

How do we treat sick fish?

The most common illness encountered amongst fish has as an exterior effect the apparition of some white pits on the flippers of the fish. In such situations, treatments are administrated in the aquarium to prevent the illness from spreading to the other fish too. For the right treatment, you have to go to a fish heath shop.

Another rule in fish illnesses of any type is to just raise the temperature of the water in the aquarium and to dissolve some salt in it.

House training - Showing Love to Your Pet

2009-02-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

For puppies, giving them instructions is not that difficult to do. But house training a dog, especially during his young adult years may yield some complexities along the way compare to doing it during the puppy years. But then, it pays if you are uncomplaining in performing it together with him.

No matter how cute or cuddly your dog is, if he doesn't know where to put his waste properly, he will surely be labeled by your visitors as a 'bad dog' or worst, 'dirty dog'. Surely you wouldn't like it to be that way, nor do you not want to be blamed for having not trained your dog to do it in the right manner during his puppy years.

To start your dog in the house training process, it is important that you should establish a good working relationship with him. It may sound crazy, but try to talk to your dog by sharing words of encouragement to him. He may not interpret every word that you say, but he can feel the dedication you give to make him a better dog.

For training on his elimination manners, you should try to open the areas at your home, and locate where your dog goes when he has the urge to defecate. Probable he will go to the gardens or any place he considers as private for such an activity to do. Take note of the place, and allow him to go to that place again and again if he feels urges to drop his waste. But if he is littering anywhere around the house, try to transport him outside if you notice his actions at once. Do it for several times until it will stick to his thoughts that you want him to defecate outside the house and not inside the house.

Moreover, when your dog is urinating somewhere else than where you want him to be, it is important to do the same thing as to when he is defecating. He will probably pee in places outside your house, and he will leave a mark on that place instantly. Allowing him to do it in a constant manner will give him the initiative that the right pee place is the one you desired for him. You should also limit your dog's oral fluid intake, so that his bladder contents and movements will be controlled. Doing so will give some adjustments to your dog's urinating time of at least four hours interval. Some dogs that are poorly trained on this aspect will urinate every hour in any place they want to.

It is not advisable to place your dog in a cage that gives him no room for elimination. If your dog is placed on a cage, it is important to let him out at least thrice a day to give him time for defecation and urination. Try to bring him around the park for a walk, and there he will be able to find a perfect place for these activities. Leaving him unattended at his cage will surely result to a stinky smell of your dog's place.

For training him to situate his own area for sleeping and recreation, it is important that you should be able to allot a simple space for this. This is the area he will treat as his own. Place some toys or anything he can chew on that place so that he will not get bored. It may be advisable to place a clean rag, because sometimes your dog is searching for a soft spot where he can place his bone and chew it. Spend some quality time with him in his area. In no time, he will sense that the area you prepared to be his space is his own room. You should also keep it clean at all times.

House training a dog is a very rewarding thing to do. It is considered as a special way of showing love to your pet. You can't just imagine the satisfaction that it brings, especially when you see your dog doing his stuffs on his own. You will surely become a proud person when this happens.

Stop My Dog from Peeing in the House?

2009-01-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

"Recently I caught my dog peeing in the house. He's never done this before, what's going on?"

Dogs do this for any number of reasons. If he has been properly house-trained he should not be doing this. He might have UTI (Urinary Tract Infection), in which case the vet should be your first stop, or he might be scent marking.

"What is scent marking?"

Scent marking is a completely natural thing for your dog to do. By peeing somewhere he leaves his scent telling other dogs that this is his territory. Remember that a dog's sense of smell is much better than our own, so for him a scent marked spot is a very interesting place, while to us it just smells like dog pee!

"Do all dogs do this?"

Yes, they do. Some dogs are more likely to do so than others, males more than females, small dogs more than larger dogs, and so on. Two or more dogs in the same house may regard each other as competition and are then more prone to marking. Small dogs are also more likely to pee inside the house in general.

"Okay, I understand what marking is, but why is he doing it in the house?"

Your dog might be struggling with confidence problems, any sudden change in his home environment can trigger this behavior. For instance; the arrival of a new baby may mean that your dog is now not getting as much attention as previously. Changes such as this engender anxiety, and may cause marking behavior.

"What can I do about it? I want him to stop!"

Firstly, clean any spots where he has peed very well, using a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar. Don't use ammonia - you'll only encourage him! Unless you clean the spots well, it is impossible to stop the dog peeing in the house.

Secondly, don't rant and rave at him. You'll make the problem worse by eroding his confidence further.

Thirdly, observe him closely for a few days and when you see him looking for a place to mark distract him. You could build a shaker can (a soda can with a few coins in it that makes a rattling noise) and use this to distract him. When you have his attention play with him, or take him outside. You could even say "NO PEE" sternly when you see him getting ready. The distraction will be enough to stop your dog peeing in the house, at least until you can take him to a place where he IS allowed to pee. Remember to praise him lavishly when he does so. Dogs learn by positive reinforcement.

Fourthly, be consistent in your approach. You don't want to confuse him.

"He's not ill, and I don't think he's marking. What now?

If he's not ill, and he's not marking, it means that he really needs to pee during a time when he can't get out. Make sure you give him ample time to pee before going to sleep, and don't let him drink too much right before bedtime.

Essential Training Tips

2009-01-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

What is the key to house training your puppy? Patience, persistence, gentle firmness. By correctly house training your puppy, you are setting the foundation for strong and loving relationship with your puppy.

I know that when you think about new puppy training and hear the words "housebreaking" and "potty training," you think endless pooh and mess, but this doesn't have to be the situation when you understand the basics.

Quick news flash: It may take 2 to 3 weeks to house train your puppy to the point where it performs consistently. However, professional trainers advise that training shouldn't be considered complete until the puppy has not eliminated in the house for 2 to 3 months.

The real secret to housebreaking puppies is routine. That is, the persistent and consistent application of an established, rote procedure.

Your Essential Steps to Potty Training Puppies:

Determine a routine and do not depart from it.
Always take your puppy out to eliminate every 1 to 2 hours.
Determine a precise feeding schedule, and never alter it.
Take your puppy outside 10 to 15 minutes after each meal.
Always praise your puppy when it makes its toilet outside.
Never scold your puppy when it has an accident inside.
Always thoroughly clean the spots where the puppy has messed inside.

These steps alone are key to new puppy training. If you adhere to the house training tips set forth above in a firm and loving manner, you will not only successfully potty train your puppy, you will be well on the way to sound relationship with your pet.

Get step-by-step instructions for basic puppy training and understanding dog behavior at Dog Talk Nation. Discover the amazing world of dog training and dog behavior broken down into tasty, understandable "snacks" that both you and your dog will relish and learn from.

Give Your Kids a Puppy as a Gift

2009-01-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

When you’ve finally broken down and made the decision to give your kids a puppy, you might need some advice on how to go about giving an adorable four legged creature as a gift. The following steps will guide you in giving a puppy to your kids while also expecting their help in caring for the newest member of your family.

Step 1: Make sure your kids want a puppy. I know, it sounds crazy; don’t all kids want a puppy? Well, not necessarily. Some kids are afraid of dogs and purchasing one for them is not the cure. Make sure your kids have expressed interest in adding a furry member to the family.

Step 2: Think about your motivation for getting your kids a pup. Some parents think it’s a good idea to purchase a puppy if there’s been a loss, such as death in the family or divorce. Those aren’t necessarily great reasons to purchase a puppy. If you’d like a puppy because you think he’d be a great addition to the family and he’d help to teach responsibility to your kids, then your reasons are probably valid.

Step 3: Research many breeds. Consider how much room you have for a dog, what size dog your kids will feel comfortable with, and which breeds will make a good family pet. Ask your vet for recommendations or talk to dog owners to see which breed will be a good fit for your kids.

Step 4: Purchase books about the dog breed that you’ve chosen. If the books are not written at a kid friendly level, make sure you plan to devote the time to read the books together. Your kids will need to be included in the caretaking of your new puppy and it will be up to you to teach them about the responsibilities involved with pet ownership.

Step 5: Adopt the pet you’ve chosen and bring him home to meet your kids. Wrap a big bow around his neck and surprise your kids by ringing the doorbell with puppy in hand. Be prepared to take in the sheer excitement on their faces; you won’t be disappointed.

Step 6: Once all of the excitement has calmed down, invite your kids to think of names for your new pup. Take suggestions from everyone in the family and decide as a family what you should name your newest member.

Step 7: As a family, read the books you purchased about the care of the dog. Together, decide what supplies you need to make your pup comfortable. Have one of your kids make a list of the items you will need to purchase at the pet store.

Step 8: Visit the pet store and make the necessary purchases. By bringing your kids along with you, they will experience the fun of selecting items for their puppy, as well as the experience of realizing the costs associated with owning a puppy.

Step 9: When you return home, have your kids help you create a schedule of chores associated with caring for the puppy. Just because the puppy was a gift to them, it doesn’t mean you will spend all of your days and nights picking up after it! There needs to be a family schedule for feeding the puppy, bathing the puppy and scooping puppy poop!

With all of these steps in place, you and your family will be able to welcome a puppy into your home. Your kids will be excited and surprised at the gift, but they will also learn valuable lessons about responsibility.

Stop Your Puppy From Jumping

2009-01-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

It's adorable when a little puppy puts his paws on you and begs to be picked up. But encouraging this behavior or leaving it unchecked can cause frustration and injury as your puppy grows. Here are some ways to curtail this behavior before it becomes an issue.

When your puppy jumps up, do you give him attention? Do you reach down and pet your puppy when he paws you? Do you greet him excitedly when you return home? Do you hold his toy just out of reach, causing him to jump for it? All of these things encourage and reward your puppy's jumping behavior. Know when your puppy is going to jump up and be prepared.

When You Come Home
Stay calm and quiet when you come home. Don't immediately greet your puppy. If he is confined and needs to go outside, do this with as few words as possible. If your puppy jumps up on you, don't use your hands to push him away. He might think you want to play.

Instead, give a little “bump” with your leg, say “Off!” in a stern tone of voice and turn away from him. A “bump” is a small movement used to get your puppy's paws off your leg. Never kick or knee your puppy. When he has all four paws on the floor, calmly praise him and continue what you were doing. Repeat this exercise as many times as necessary.

When Guests Arrive
Keep a leash by the front door. When your guests arrive, attach the leash to your puppy's collar. Tell him to “Sit”. Stand on part of the leash, leaving your puppy enough to sit comfortably erect. Hold the other end in you hand.

As guests arrive, ask them to ignore your puppy until he calms down. If he stands or tries to jump up, tell him to “sit” and go back to greeting your guests. This is a very difficult exercise for your puppy. If he sits still at all, calmly reward him.

Once you're seated, have your puppy sit next to you. Loop the leash under your foot and hold the other end. Your puppy will appreciate something to chew on while he waits to be released. When he is calm, have your guests offer him a treat. Keep him leashed so that you can restrain him if he gets too excited.

When You're Playing
All puppies get excited when they're playing. If your puppy jumps up on you, use the “Off!” command as described above. Use “sit and stay” to help your puppy control his urge to jump.

Be aware of any actions that might encourage your puppy to jump up on you during play time. Don't play tugging games. Teach him to fetch and release instead. Don't tease your puppy with his toy. Hold it close to your body, or throw it. Waving it in the air above him teaches him to jump and snap.

Accentuate The Positive...
...so that you can eliminate the negative. We place a lot of emphasis on correcting our puppy's behavior issues. Remember to reward your puppy for good behavior. If he is sitting quietly, or chewing on his toy, say “Good Boy!” and give him a pat on the head. Puppies repeat behaviors that are rewarding.

Tips to name your Puppy

2009-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

You've picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting pups until you find just the right match.
Now what? He needs a name! Over the course of its life, you will use your dog's name more than 35,000 times. So be sure you're picking a name you can live with and love.

With these seven simple steps, the key to finding the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips!

• Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.

• Your puppy's name shouldn't sound like any commands. "Stacy" and "stay" are too close for comfort. Such a name will only confuse the issue.

• Remember, you'll be using your pup's name in public. "Boner" may be cute among your fellow fraternity members, but it won't go over well at the veterinarian.

• Make your kids part of the decision process. Kids like it simple, too, so if calling your Champion Cavalier King Spaniel "Bootsie" works for them, consider keeping the hoity toity name strictly for AKC purposes.

• You may think it's an honor to name your pup after you're favorite Uncle Norbert. Naming your baby after him may keep you in the will, but naming your puppy after him won't.

• If you're bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with the name it already owns. Can't stand it because "Barney" was the first boy who broke your heart? Then stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. "Barney" morphs into "Farley" easily.

• Once you've chosen a name, try it out for a day or so. You'll know right away whether it's a keeper. If not, there's always more puppy names on your list!

Take a look around you. All around are terrific ideas to inspire you.

At first glance, a couple things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy him or her for a day or two and take these into consideration.

• Appearance. What's your dog look like? His color, size, and personal style inspires a variety of name choices. "Stubbs" would be a great name for a dachshund pup. Or you may call a cream colored cock-a-poo "Buffy."

• Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog's personality will really shine through. Try "Cuddles" for the sweet little guy who loves to get cozy or "Puddles" for the pooch who can't seem to find the doggie door.

If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog names or foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.

• Celebrity puppy names. Today, pooches have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on "Lola," a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.

• TV dogs. "Scooby" and "Astro" come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.

• Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke's "Blue" would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs. Or try "Bodie," from the weeper Steel Magnolias.

• Comic dogs. "Snoopy" will always be a favorite, but also consider "Daisy" or "Odie."

• German dog names. For starters, try out "Fritz" or "Kaiser."

• Irish dog names. "Finn" fits well for any pup, as does "Murphy," which just happens to mean "hound of the sea."

• French puppy names. "Pierre" and "Gigi" are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.

The choices are endless. However, with these simple tips and some thought, before long, you'll have found the perfect puppy name!

Getting Your New Puppy

2009-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

Few things bring greater pleasure to a family than taking home a young pup. Even so, there are as well, fewer affairs that can cause a more immense headache at times. Choosing what sort of canine to take home may comprise an extremely difficult task.

You could choose on bringing home a big dog suchlike a Labrador retriever, which is highly popular and is well-known to act as an absolute good household dog. Or you could resolve to take home a little, lap dog as a Shih Tzu or an average sized dog similar to a Cocker Spaniel. As you consider what sort of pup to bring home, you want to consider your life-style and your livelihood arrangements. Do you reside in a flat, where small dogs suchlike the Shih Tzu would match fine, or do you require having a large fenced backyard for your large Labrador retriever ?

A dog such as a Labrador pup would comprise a great alternative for an individual looking for a dog that may work easily with the household members, experience fewer health problems, and offer a life of companionship. Small dogs, similar like the Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso or Chihuahua appear more appropriate for households where they will be allowed indoors and where the owner will be capable to allow for an great amount of interaction and physical contact. These little guys are as well exceedingly lovable, devoting and are outstanding companions, but they're not equally as good, guard dogs as big dogs could be. It is crucial to determine early on about what sort of domestic dog you wish to have. Are you seeking a lap dog, a safeguard dog, a watch dog, a sporting dog, a hunting dog, or a working type dog?

Please think of the fact that your puppy will grow up and mature and will impart you for several years to come, with love, companionship, dedication and a great deal more. Arriving at your dog's pick decision ought to be an intelligent one whenever it suits your life style. Whenever the dog does not fit for your way of living, your dearest companion could become a big headache, and he is not to blame. Therefore, before adopting your new puppy or relocating to a brand-new living space, please be sure that, that it will be fine with your landlord if you rent, and if you own your home make certain that the dog have the space it needs and that he will be safe in the home.

If you want a big dog like a Labrador retriever, do you've the time to dedicate to the dog in order for him to get the proper amount of exercise? Do you have a large backyard where the dog can romp or play games with you? Big dogs, in particularly, necessitate tons of physical exercise or otherwise they'll show behavioral troubles. Labs, for instance, are extremely energetic and active, and are amenable to play catch with a ball or Frisbee for endless periods of time. Whenever they don't get the required physical exercise, they'll become bored and could make a great deal of damage to your home, particularly if the dog remains indoors for a certain amount of time.

The outdoors exercise that a big dog gets is what maintains it in shape. The owner must be ready to to play with it. For a big dog to stay fit and healthy, the owner must be amenable to spend time outdoors with it by playing the dog or taking him for long walks. A Labrador pup, for instance, will have an added up level of vigor and the owner must be gear up for that.

If you choose a small or medium sized dog, are you sure that you are willing to own a dog that might like to be sitting on your lap day in and day out or at a minimum very drawn to you? As a whole, small and medium dogs likewise require physical exercise, though not equally as much as bigger dogs. Will you be able to take your little guy or girl for a regular daily walks? Are you amenable to bring the dog for grooming if you get a long haired dog? Will you possess the time to brush your dog's coating on a daily basis or on a regular basis as a minimum? Will it be okay with you whenever the dog casts off a lot of hair?

These above-named factors and numerous others need to be taken into account prior to acquiring your new fellow. A potential owner must weight down all these dog's traits and decide which the right dog is for his or her, as that will determine the happiness of both the owner and the dog in the long haul.

Before acquiring your brand-new pup you'll like to perform an exhaustive and complete search on the final size of the dog when matured, how much dog grooming and dog training will it require? Will it need professional dog grooming and how often? You would like to know what diseases is the dog inclined to, how does the dog act with other dogs, with cats, with children? These are barely more or less illustrations of matters you must take into account before getting your new puppy.

Bathing Your Puppy

2008-12-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

Most dogs, in the early stages of their life, are afraid of the water or taking a bath. But no matter how hard it is to bathe your puppy, you should still do this to make him clean, healthy and free from pet infestations.

During the first few bathing sessions, you’ll definitely find yourself impatient when bathing your puppy. Like training your dog to obey you, bathing your pup also requires a lot of patience and persistence.

It takes time before your little dog gets used to bathing time. You need to establish a good relationship with him before anything else. One of the most effective ways to make your puppy’s bathing session easier and faster is by establishing a playtime zone which is a specific location where your puppy will become familiar to bathing. This is a good strategy for your pup to associate bathing with playing.

During the first week before giving him his very first pet bath, choose an area where you want to wash your dog. It can be anywhere inside or outside your house, in the bathroom or even the backyard. Bear in mind that you need to make a notion to your puppy that that specific zone is his playtime area. Play with him for a few minutes everyday in that area until he gets comfortable in it.

As much as possible, don’t bathe your puppy if he doesn’t want to cooperate. Don’t rush things. Allow your dog to become accustomed with the playtime zone you created for him. Make sure that you put dog toys or treats within the pet bath tub before introducing water to him.

Bathing your puppy should also not take too long. To make the bathing time even faster, brush your puppy’s fur first. Tangled fur holds water which can result to skin irritation. Remember not to bathe your puppy if he is younger than 8 weeks old. Alternatively, dogs that are under 8 weeks can be cleaned using water and puppy wipes.

If your puppy seems too uncooperative, you can do a dry pet bath for him instead. This type of bathing method involves wiping him with a damp cloth and rubbing him with am towel. Waterless bath sprays can also do wonders for your puppy. By doing this, you’ll surely be amazed how clean your puppy will be!

Dog Food For Your Puppy

2008-12-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

What is your puppy eating?

Have you ever taken the time to find out?

Many people think that the food available in stores these days are highly processed and full of a lot of preservatives. You should seek advice from your veterinarian on what is the best food for your pet and also do some research of your own. There are a lot of foods that are available for dogs, but try to find out what really is the best for your puppy.

For you to approve a pet food for your puppy it must prove that it can provide sufficient nutrients. The ratio for a dog's food should be 40 % meat, 50 % vegetables and about 10 % grains or other carbohydrates. You should always ensure that protein sources are high on the list such as chicken, lamb and beef. Grains can be a long term source of energy, fibre and minerals. Grains that can be used and considered good for puppies are rolled oats, barley, millet and brown rice.

Dogs are carnivores by nature but they can survive on a vegetarian diet, however, they would not thrive on it. When purchasing food for your puppies look out for the ones that display high protein and fillers in the ingredients. This is because there is usually a lot more in the fillers than can be seen. One way to ensure your puppy is getting the right ingredients is to prepare the food yourself; it's quite simple and recipes are available in book stores and internet sources.

Preparing food for your pet is much cheaper than purchasing from stores and other pet shops. However it is vital that you are careful and know exactly what you are doing, otherwise you could be doing more harm than good.

One way to know whether you are doing the right thing is to always check the outcome in your pet's droppings. It should normally be firm and have no traces of mucus or blood. Choose foods that use vitamin E or C as preservatives and avoid those that use chemical preservatives, such as BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin. Cheap brands of foods are usually not healthy, so choose economy brands instead. Keep in mind that what is not good for you is also not good for your pet. Some people tend to throw sweets and all sorts of foods for the puppy to eat, but bear in mind that it is not good for them.

Just the same as with humans and what we eat, there is not any one brand of dog food that is healthy for all breeds of dogs of different ages and health conditions. Dogs also have food preferences and likes and dislikes, so try to find out which food is best suitable for your pet dog, but make sure it is a healthy one. Your puppy is what they eat, so if you provide them with a healthy and nutritious diet they will live longer with much less suffering, disease or illnesses. Always consider what you feed your pet and you will have a wonderful time with them.

Feeding a Puppy

2008-11-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

You are bringing your new bundle of joy home finally. You have done your research, know you have the right breed and you have complete faith in the breeder of your new pup. You have visited the litter each week to watch the pups develop, bought all the toys and the crate the breeder recommended and you already have her signed up for puppy kindergarten. Now for the most difficult decision - what do you feed her?

Puppies need special diets to grow strong and healthy and thankfully, there are many varieties to choose from that are designed to fit the needs of our furry bundles of joy! There is small dog puppy food, regular puppy food and foods for large and giant breed pups. Each is formulated a little differently - small breed puppy food is calorie dense with a physical size that matches their diminutive mouths.

Large and giant breed dog food is designed to allow for slow, steady growth which helps build strong and healthy bones and joints. Added nutrient are also designed to regulate joint health since so many of these breeds are plagued by hip dysplasia as well as back, elbow and knee issues.

The first person to ask for a recommendation on what to feed your new pup is the breeder. They know their breed best and usually have the best intentions for the health and happiness of both their puppies and their new owners. However, do not take their word as gospel - sometimes they are forced to buy a lesser quality food then what would normally be recommended because of the sheer cost of feeding a litter of pups as well as possibly a full kennel of adult dogs.

No matter what, however, have a small bag of the same food waiting at home for the day the pup arrives – you do not want to make a sudden switch of food ever with a dog but it can be catastrophic for a new pup! House training is almost impossible to start if you are also dealing with a bad case of diarrhea. A change in food should always be done gradually over a number of days with each day decreasing the amount of the old food while simultaneously increasing the quantity of new food. After five to seven days, the pup should be on the new food entirely with little to no adverse affect on their bowels.

All dogs thrive on routine and your new pup is no exception! Young pups should be fed at least three times a day but preferably four if possible, at least for the first couple of weeks they are home with you. Make sure you feed them at the same time each day and once they are finished eating, put them outside for a poop - within fifteen minutes of eating, you will be rewarded with a step towards a perfectly house trained puppy!

How much to feed the pup is the most common question asked a veterinarian. Double check with your breeder before you bring the puppy home and also check the recommendations listed on the dog food bag. Usually it is weight based so make sure you have an overall idea of what your pup weighs now as well as what they will weigh as an adult.

A rule of thumb is to watch your puppy’s waistline and growth spurts. A skinny puppy is a healthy puppy because it puts less stress on the still forming skeletal system. You do not want to see all the ribs but there is no harm in seeing the last one or at least a hint that there could be ribs under a thin layer of pudge and the thick puppy coat. Like human children, pups grow in spurts and stops. Usually they will sleep more and eat ravenously when they are in a growth spurt and our inclination is to feed them until they stop eating.

Don’t! Pups, especially large and giant breeds, are healthiest if they grow at a slow and steady pace and by marginally restricting their food, you are making sure the growth spurts do not get out of hand. Large and giant breed puppy food helps keep the growth spurts to a minimum as well.

The biggest mistake new owners make is leaving the food down until the puppy has cleaned his plate and/or add tasty morsels to the dish until the pup concedes to eat the kibble. This actually teaches them bad puppy manners and no one wants that! Give yourself a break - never add tidbits to the dish and only leave the food on the ground for twenty minutes. If they have not finished their plate after that time, pick it up and do not put it on the floor again until the next scheduled feeding.

They soon learn to finish their plate quickly and that they are not going to get something tastier if they ‘hold out’ for better! No puppy will starve themselves to death and they will eventually eat their entire meal as long as you are strong and not give in to those adorable puppy eyes!

Feeding a puppy is not difficult but it does take a bit of knowledge and some diligence on your part. Keep your puppy at a healthy weight, have them dewormed regularly and make sure you have fun with your new ball of fur - puppy hood lasts only a short time and it will be over before you know it!

Tips For The Puppy Owners

2008-11-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

You've brought your new dog home - now what! This is a question that many new dog owners may not initially think of in the excitement of bringing their puppy to meet its' new family. But it is a question that crops up when owners are confronted with a pet that chews their laundry or shoes. Or insists on relieving himself in the middle of the living room, on that lovely new rug. Or worse - on your bed!

Dogs can develop very frustrating behavior, that can largely be avoided by correcting them straight away, at the time they actually do the wrong thing. Dogs don't relate their actions with time like we do. Thus, coming home to find a mess that your pet created hours ago, then getting angry at him, and trying to correct the behavior then, is not going to work.

Dogs won't associate being in trouble with the reason why. And because they don't understand English, we can't tell them! All they know is that they are in trouble, with no idea what they've done wrong. Worse, if you've just got home from work, they are really happy to see you. Not a very nice situation for a dog that just adores their owner and wants love and acceptance in return.

If you get your dog as a puppy, you have an advantage as you can do more to prevent poor habits forming. Here are Tips :

* Don't scold your dog after you've called him to you. He'll think he's in trouble for actually coming to you, and will associate coming to you with being scolded. So, when you try to train him, he won't come when called.

* Don't try chasing your dog when you want him to come to you. This will seem like you're playing a game with him. It turns the dog into the leader and you into the follower. He'll think that running away from you will get you to follow him - not good for later training.

* Get dogs used to being handled. This covers both grooming, which should be started as early as possible, even when there's no real need to. Start to check him over regularly, look at his feet, eyes, and ears. And when you are spending time with your puppy, get him used to handling different parts of his body, such as his tail, his ear, his mouth. Don't spend huge amounts of time doing this at first, and be gentle. The idea is to get him used to people touching him so that if children or visitors accidentally grab him, he won't be upset and possibly become aggressive.

* When your dog is whining or barking, don't pet them. This reinforces the action, letting your pet think it's alright to do this. Unless you want a dog that will bark for your attention when he's older, don't encourage this now. And remember it's important to praise your dog as soon as he's done the right thing. So, when he stops barking, give him attention, and pet him then.

* Only give your dog toys to chew, otherwise he'll think it's okay to chew everything. He can't tell the difference between your new and old shoes!

* Don't play rough games with your new puppy. This includes wrestling, and tugging type games. It teaches your dog to be aggressive, and this may become a problem when he is much bigger and fully grown.

Puppy care

2008-11-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

To get your puppy off to a good start, schedule a veterinary check-up within the first 48 hours of bringing it home. You can then get a clean bill of health, a schedule for future vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries and advice on food, training, parasite preventatives and trainer recommendations.

What to consider before getting a puppy?

* Investigate the breeds and mixes. * Ensure you are familiar with the breed's adult size & personality traits. * Estimate costs of regular veterinary care, flea/tick and heartworm prevention. * Estimate costs of grooming, food and how it fits into your lifestyle or family life.

How to keep your puppy safe?

* Create a safe environment at your home. A puppy, just like a human baby, finds the tiniest nooks and crannies to get into and they often get into trouble playing with computer cables, electric cords, cleaning products, pantyhose, etc. Hide or contain wires and cables, put baby locks on low cabinets (little paws and noses can pry doors open), pick up stray strings, needles, paperclips, shoelaces, and move valuables, books and breakables to new heights. *

Crate - search for one with enough room for your puppy to turn around, lie down and sleep but not too spacious as this leaves room for it to eliminate in areas where it doesn't sleep. * Until your puppy has finished all rounds of immunization, he should not mix with a lot of strange dogs or be where there is a high volume of other dogs walking, as he needs to be fully protected before venturing in public places.

What are the handy things you need to have to care for a puppy?

* Use non-tipping metal food and water dishes - this helps keep the dishes from sliding.

* Buy some stain and odour neutralizer - your puppy will always be drawn to areas where "accidents" took place, a good neutralizer will eliminate odours from its urine or stool.

* Buy a brush, nail clipper and a comb if your puppy will eventually grow into a dog with a medium to long coat.

* Get an adjustable collar, identification tag and a six-foot nylon or leather leash with a small clip. Try to avoid chain collars or leashes.

How to house-train (potty-train) your puppy?

* House-training a puppy is not difficult if you're consistent and stick to a schedule. You will probably be feeding three times a day. First thing in the morning, take the puppy out of its crate and quickly take it outside to where you'd like it to eliminate. Be patient, and as soon as your puppy starts to eliminate, CALMLY praise it with "Good dog" (or whatever term you'd like to use).

When your puppy has finished all its business, take a few minutes to play or cuddle it. What you want to teach your puppy is the sooner it eliminates, the sooner it gets to play with you. When playtime is over, bring it inside, feed your puppy breakfast and let it have water. In about 15-20 minutes, take it outside again and repeat the routine. Once back inside, if you have time to monitor your puppy, you may let it explore its surroundings. After that, put it back in its crate.

* Never leave your puppy in the crate for more than its limit in controlling its bladder. Usually a puppy can hold it for as many hours as its age in months. For example, a 2-month old puppy can stay in the crate for no more than 2 hours, as long as it has eliminated before being crated. Repeat the feeding, elimination, play routine at lunch and dinner, then no more water or food 2 hours before bedtime. If the weather is very warm, a few ice cubes in your puppy's water bowl will quench its thirst but not stimulate its bladder like water will. Generally, at 8 weeks to 3 months, your puppy will have developed better bladder and bowel control and is capable of sleeping through the night. But remember to take your puppy out first thing in the morning!

* When your puppy pees on one spot, he tends to go back to exactly the same place over and over because your puppy recognizes the smell. Therefore take your puppy to the same spot every time. If your puppy does it in the right spot, lavish him with lots of praises! Use your happy voice, your puppy will soon know he did it right and will want to do it right the next time.

* If your puppy had an accident somewhere inside the house, make sure you clean the floor or the carpet thoroughly to neutralise the smell. A good quality pet odor remover should do the trick.

* Each time you want your puppy to defecate or urinate, teach you puppy a specific word by repeating the same word many times, for example "go poop", "go potty". By repeating the same words each time, it will become another command for your puppy and he will be able to do it when you mention the command.

* Ideally you will have a dog door installed so that your puppy can be trained to go outside when it needs to eliminate. If this is not practical, keep an eye on your puppy, try to observe how your puppy normally acts before he pees, and take him outside as soon as you see the signs. You can also teach your puppy to ask for the door, but that might take some time.

* Establish a routine - for example, after a nap or before play time, take your puppy outside to eliminate.

What are the development stages and behaviors you can expect from a puppy to a dog?

* The Juvenile Stage: 3 to 4 Months

The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and it's during this time your puppy behaves a little more independent - he might start ignoring the commands he's only recently learned and tries to exert his new-found independence with its "I don't have to listen to you" attitude!

You will need to apply firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training at this stage. Your puppy might even start biting you, play biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp "No!" or "No biting!" command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him should take care of this problem.

When you bond with your puppy, avoid games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance - especially if he wins and wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of control. As your puppy's strength grows, he will want to play-fight to see who is stronger - even if you win, the message your puppy receives is that it's alright to fight with you but this is NOT the message you want to send out!

* The Brat Stage: 4 to 6 Months

Your puppy will demonstrate even more independence and willfulness during the Brat Stage which begins at about 4 months and runs until about 6 months. You may observe a decline in his urge to please you - expect to see more "testing the limits" type behaviors. During this time he'll be going through a teething cycle and will also be looking for things to chew on to relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth him during this period.

Your puppy may try to assert his new "dominance" over other family members, especially children. It is common for puppies at this age to ignore commands to return or come to their owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dog's response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place, and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can result - so don't take the chance. Continue his obedience and basic commands training, but make sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless you're in a confined area.

Your puppy will now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought on by his growing sexual maturity and you may see signs of rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you haven't already, you should have your puppy neutered (or spayed if you have a female) during this time.

* The Young Adult Stage: 6 to 18 Months

From 6 months to approximately 18 months, the Young Adulthood stage takes place and is usually a stabilizing time in your puppy's life. He's young, he's exuberant, he's bursting with energy and yet he's learning all the things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog. Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this time, just because he's approaching his full growth and may look like an adult dog, he's not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect.

Slowly increase the scope of activities and training for your dog. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as herding or agility training. Otherwise, extend his activities to include more people and other animals - allow him to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.

Dogs Respiratory Problems

2008-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

One of the most dangerous things that could happen is when someone stops breathing. The truth to this is indisputable and even rather obvious for anyone reading it, but interestingly this is something that dog owners rarely think about in relation to their dog. What would you do if your dog stopped breathing? Or, even began choking? No, panic is not the answer I was looking for!

The most common reason for respiratory problems in dogs is some type of blockage in the airways. For instance, there is a good chance that a dog will swallow his tongue if he somehow knocks himself unconscious. Should this happen, you must clear the airway with first aid for dogs and attempt to get him breathing again.

First aid for dogs pertaining to the respiratory system is, actually, fairly similar to first aid used with humans. Listen to the heartbeat, feel for a pulse and look for any respiration signs. In fact, artificial respiration is something to consider in first aid for dogs. Applying a combination of both a heart massage and the kiss of life can be equally effective in saving a dogs life as it can on a human. For respiratory problems, first aid is fairly similar.

However, you should not attempt artificial respiration when giving first aid for dogs if you suspect poison has been used. Trying to resuscitate your dog when poison has been used puts you in danger. Always take your dog to the vet after you have given first aid for respiratory difficulties. But, when poison could be involved, always take him or her to the vest before administering first aid. Go ahead and try the heart massage technique but stay away from the mouth area.

First aid for dogs has saved many dogs lives and will continue to. Unfortunately, though, the odds are not great once he or she begins experiencing breathing problems. Performing artificial respiration may not save your dogs life, but you must try as it has saved dogs lives in the past.

Dog medications

2008-11-13T06:14:00.000-08:00

In the past few years, the field of health care and medication has undergone a tremendous change and there have also been drastic developments. This not only in the field of human health and medication but also applies to medication for Dogs. In the earlier days, though people used to groom Dogs in their homes, most of them were unaware of the fact that there are medications available for all kinds of pet diseases. But today even the awareness among the pet owners has increased tremendously.

Though veterinary medicine has gained popularity only in the recent past, it is perhaps very old from long ago. Medication with reference to veterinary science includes different things like disease diagnosis, therapeutic and other medical principles which are applicable to both domestic and wild animals etc. However, pet medications are limited to certain applications which are probably suitable only for domestic pets.

Almost all kinds of advanced techniques that have emerged in the field of human healthcare also equally apply to Pet Care also. Some such advanced techniques are cataract operations, root canal treatments and pacemakers etc. Such a drastic advancement hasn't emerged just like that. Rather it is the result of the continuous research in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biology and chemicals.

Similar to the field of general medicine, orthopedics and other medicine related studies, even the field of veterinary medicine provides a wide range of educational opportunities to interested people in different branches of veterinary studies. The courses that are offered in the field of veterinary medicine are veterinary anatomy, animal breeding and nutrition, animal virology, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology and parisitology.

Another interesting point relevant to the study of veterinary medicine is that even that field has got cut throat competition. It is not easy to get an admission into a school that is offering veterinary courses. Exhaustive hands-on practice is one criterion on which candidates are assessed for admission. Sometimes it may so happen that only one candidate is selected out of four or five.

Veterinary doctors are also like doctors who treat human beings. They also treat your dog and prescribe the right medicines depending on the diagnosis similar to the way in which human beings are treated by doctors. Negligence in treating or giving medication to dogs is never good. You should always ensure that your dog is given the entire course of medication as prescribed by the vet completely without fail. Pet medicines are mostly available at a vet clinic. Sometimes the vet may give a prescription. The prescription can be taken to any local pharmacy and the medications can be easily got.

Veterinary doctors sometimes would prescribe curative medicines to your dog and also preventive medicines depending on the condition of your dog. There are also chances and instances wherein some dogs may require taking a particular medicine prescribed by the vet for its entire life time.

Utmost care is necessary when it comes to the dosage of antibiotics to dogs. Even a slightest increase in the dose would be of great harm to the dog.

Pet Care

2008-11-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

The decision to bring a pet into your home for you and your family should not be taken lightly. A pet will become a member of your family and not just a fixture in your home. Pets are not meant to come and go, but to remain as part of your home for years to come. Unfortunately for some, pets are disposable items that will be moved if they are an inconvenience. This should be avoided since unstable homes can make unstable pets.

A checklist for pet care can be an essential tool when you first bring home your new pet. For many people, a new pet is their first experience at being a full-time pet parent, and for those this list will be most useful. Preparing yourself, your home, and your pet for those first few months in a new environment will make the change go gracefully and help everyone adjust easily.

1. The first thing you want to be sure of is that your pet has all of their vaccinations up to date. It is important that your new pet is protected from such outside irritants as fleas, tics, ringworm, or many other ailments such as distemper or rabies. The health of your pet is one of the most important aspects of ongoing care. Wellness exams each year are important for your pet. A veterinarian will perform a thorough exam on your pet looking at such things as their vital signs, ears, eyes, mouth, the heart and lungs, as well as the reproductive organs and their skin. This step is a very important preventative measure for your pet each year.

2. Getting your home ready for your new pet can be a big task, but one that is essential for the big day that your new friend comes home. If it is a small caged animal, a small space that is quiet is fine for them to be used to their surroundings. You will not want to take your new friend out just yet, but let them get used to the sounds and smells of their new home before you start introducing them outside of their immediate surroundings. If it is a larger, self-sufficient animal such as a cat or dog, you will want to make sure that they have their own space, a blanket or pet bed for retreating to, out of the way in case they are too overwhelmed at the beginning.

3. Regular physical routine is essential for any pet. This is their exercise routine since they are not like us and do activity regularly without the help of us. Larger pets such as dogs must be walked every day, smaller animals like cats, ferrets, guinea pigs, and birds can be trained to play with anyone in the family. Toys such as balls, bells, tubes, or even apparatuses are useful in helping your pet achieve physical activity during the day while you are away or even you interacting with them while they are exploring.

If you follow some simple guidelines, your new pet is sure to adapt to his new family in no time at all. Regular checkups, physical activity and preventative measures can not only make your pet more comfortable, but also extend the life of your pet. A pet is an investment so you will want to be sure to take care of him for the benefit of everyone.