Even though cats my generally be a low-maintenance animal (relatively speaking), they nonetheless do need some time and care from their owners.
Though may not have to be taken out for a walk per say, they still need a substantial commitment from you so always keep that in mind when you are planning on adopting one.
It is easy to make an emotional or impulsive choice here because Baby animals, and particularly a innocent-eyed kittens, may be virtually impossible to pass up.
If you happen to be looking at a kitten you should certainly consider that it is a stimuli-seeking little bundle of energy, which is somewhat of a contrast from the rather composed demeanor of certain adult cats.
That is just the reality here, but I personally love adult cats too so it ultimately depends on your expectations.
But of course, even an adult cat will need a considerable amount of attention. All felines are avid scratchers so it is very important to provide natural type surfaces so that this normal, instinctive behavior does not turn out to be a destructive and irritating one.
Also note that different types of cats bring different attributes to the mix.
For example, Persians cats are usually more laid back while Orientals a lot more active as well as being vocal.
Purebreds are sometimes prone to have certain genetic disorders, so be sure to ask questions if using a breeder. As a general rule of thumb, pet stores are not the best location to buy a cat due to possible genetic complications, not to mention the relative lack of socialization that most felines obtain in pet stores.
Also be aware of the fact that Purebred kittens can be every bit as expensive as their canine counterparts, usually from between five and eight hundred dollars. An adoption is considerable less expensive at about fifty dollars or so. But keep in mind that these starting costs are actually quite small when compared to the long-term
expense of food, grooming, toys, kitty litter and eventual veternary visits. In fact any planning about bringing a cat into your household should realistically keep in mind the recurring costs of pet ownership.
if you happen to live in the northern parts of the United States, cats will breed during the spring & summer months, therefore late summer and fall is an ideal time of the year to adopt an animal.
Also keep in mind that you can cut down on veternarian visits later if you feed your cat a premium grade cat food from the outset.
The recent pet food recalls have highlighted just how bad mainstream brands can be. I recommend a holistic brand such as Premium Cat Food from Life’s Abundance and Dr. Jane.
And finally, it is vital to be very patient if you are truly looking for that special friend to bring into your household and be part of your family.
According to a story which ran in ‘The Gateway’ (from journalist Allison Graham),
the latest research seems to suggest that cat memory is largely molded not so much by sight but by action.
This is a discovery of profound performance.
Canadian researcher Keir Pearson analyses the way in which our brains control how we know where an object is in relation to our physical bodies.
The experimental concept of testing
whether a cat has to perform an action or can merely see an object to remember it is one of the primary emphasis of Neurophysiology as a discipline.
The initial experiment which she attempted was composed of a cat stepping over an object with its front legs. It was then distracted with food for as long as possible while straddling the barrier. She then removed the object in question while the cat was eating,
and then got the cat to continue to move forward. Each time this test was performed, the cat moved forward by raising its hind legs as if stepping over the obstacle in the experiment.
Later on the feline was brought to the object so that it could see it but not step over it. If the cat was distracted for a shorter time span, it would still remeber it and lift its hind legs as done in the initial experiment.
Because of the results in these particular tests, researchers have additional ideas regarding how these discoveries will benefit individuals. She explained that this study aids us in comprehending certain things about our own behaviour. For example, how we can go down stairs without actually needing to see them,
to being able to find where we parked our automobiles in a big parking lot, and so on.
Much more relevent, perhaps, are the possibilities of what this research may do for our own wellness generally. Individuals with cognitive disorders, for instance cannot keep track of objects in their environment.
They ” might be able to develop some sort of test to see whether there’s a memory decline in these patients to do with knowledge of where objects are”.
Ann Bryat, a journalist of the ‘Sun Journal’ reported in her recent article that
the authorities in Wilton, Arizona are investigating who shot the mother of 5 kittens.
According to the report, Ralph & Sheila Giffin stated that their cat, named Bob (evidentally for her bobtail), was let out Wednesday morning,
returned later in the day and then went to a neighbor’s yard, who tried to catch her.
They then took her to the vet to find out that she had actually been shot with a firearm! Only small fragments were able to be removed, he said, but police stated that they thought
it was from a .22-caliber gun. If it was not, the cat
would have likely been dead. The bullet appears to have gone into the chest and came out through the left shoulder, leaving a slight limp while she heals
The cat reappeared on the Giffins’ porch in the evening yet appears to have a left-side injury and some difficulties in breathing.
Then later Ralph stated that he came home and Bob scooted out the door with an open wound, partially shaved body and a special collar to keep her from touching the wound.
According to a story by esteemed writer Mark Robison of the Reno Gazette Journal newspaper
of Nevada, it was reported that some forty percent or so of the animals killed by the Nevada Humane Society are in fact feral cats.
The article went on to state that the NHS is attempting to lessen the quantity of these creatures which are eliminated in the barn cat program.
Essentially, you tell the NHS how many barn cats you want and the organization then sprays-neuters & vaccinates the cats on your behalf.
Pretty nifty program, is it not?
You sign a contract with a relatively large amount of stipulations. A primary requirement is to keep the feline in a confined space
for a minimum of 2 weeks so that he or she will accept this location as home.
Specifically, they need to be contained somewhere such as a cage and feel secure about their food source. This is what really keeps them around once they are released into their new environment.
This relocation effort is perhaps the most importany aspect of the program.
In addition, you have to agree to provide daily food & also water, to acquire veterinary care if required,
to return the animal if you cannot keep it any longer, and several othger health stipulations.
All in all, Feral cats are usually the result of domestic cats which have been abandoned or perhaps lost.
Their offspring are generally unsocialized and grow up to be of the “wild” feral variety of the species.
They are essentially like most other wild animals, being quite able to find shelter,
a steady food source and ultimately survive in their particular environment.
They are very aware of predators in the same way that most wild animals are.
And this specific life experience gives them a far greater rate of survival in a barn type of setting
than a domestic cat who is lost.
ow much water does a cat need? The quantity of water required by cats will vary depending on various issues, like diet, weight and environment, for example. But we do know that when felines hunt in the wild, their prey may have anywhere from 45% to 80% water. This is one of the reasons behind recipes for canned food, which usually has between 76% and 80% water content. Additional information about Cat Nutrition and related Feline matters may be obtained over at The OUR Healthy Pets Cat Blog Even though there is no real formula for feline water intake, we do know that they normally won’t injest enough water on their own to sustain optimal organ functioning for a healthy life. This is due to the fact that cats evolved as desert animals, so their sense of thirst is not nearly so sensitive as that of other animals. As a matter of fact, cats will only drink an average of 2 milliliters of water for every gram of dry food eaten. This is part of the reason why when some cats eat a diet of only dry food, they can form crystals in the urinary tract.Based on the physiology and evolution of the cat, we suggest that cats be fed canned food to make certain they get enough H2o. Water is not only necessary for a healthy urinary tract – the body requires water to metabolize food and for all other chemical processes occurring on a cellular level.
Cats are very proficient at using the water they consume. According to a study by Wolf in 1959, cats can even re-hydrate by drinking seawater!
The problem with eating canned food by itself is that cats require a great deal of protein and nutrients. Since most canned food can only have about twenty percent dry matter, it takes a number of cans of food for the cat to get all of its nutritional needs met. As a matter of fact, in order to fulfill the nutritional requirement of a 7-9 pound cat, most supermarket canned foods recommend feeding 3 cans a day! As any cat owner knows, very few cats are capable of injesting that much food on a regular basis. This is the big question in formulating canned cat food – how to balance the nutritional content and the water that is required to fully hydrate the body. To solve this, Dr. Jane formulated Instinctive Choice. The nutrients in this recipe are almost all-protein, as this is the true source of feline nutrition. And the water in Instinctive Choice is infused with nutrients from meat and fish sources, mimicking the water found in prey – Dr. Jane calls it “biological water”. Think of it as a nutrient-dense broth that delivers both the fluids necessary to sufficiently hydrate the body.
