Saturday, October 18, 2008

Caring For Persian Cats

Caring For Persian Cats

These days, Persian cats are among the most popular  of all the different cat breeds.  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 of cat, 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.

Friday, October 17, 2008

A Look At Cat Breeds

A Look At Different Cat Breeds

Over the last thousands of years, cats have pretty much handled their breeding themselves.  In the beginning, they were used for one purpose - hunting and killing rodents.  As the years progressed, we began to breed cats more to our liking.  Now days, there are several different breeds of cats - which you can tell if you look closely.

These days there are over 70 distinct cat breeds, which are recognized through cat registries.  There are several registries that will recognize around 40 breeds or so, as they exclude the more domestic breeds such as tigers.  There are also many variations as well, including wild cats that have longer hair.

There are some cat breeds who have roots going back quite a bit in history.  Some Japanese breeds, such as the Japanese Bobtail, can be traced back more than 1,000 years in history.  These cats were very common and well known throughout Medieval Japan.  Now days though, they are all but a myth throughout Japan and the entire world.

The more common cat breeds that are found in North America include the alley cat, long haired cat, and Persian cat.  Siamese cats are also common, although they are well known to be destructive and to have a foul temper.  Persian cats are very popular, proving to be loving companions.  Persian cats can be very expensive, depending on where you get it and what type of Persian cat it is.

Alley cats are the most common in North America.  There are actually several different breeds, although most of us just refer to them as alley cats.  They make good pets, although there are literally thousands of them in existence.  Cats are known to breed more than any other pet, and they will continue to breed until they are stopped.  Alley cats are among the most bred, as there are hundreds of thousands of cats that are homeless - and have nothing to do but breed.

The look of the cat is the easiest way to tell what breed he or she may be.  Some people choose to go by color, although color isn’t as easy to identify.  Different breeds of cats have different looks, such as the Siamese and Persian cats.  Siamese cats are almost always black, and easy to identify by their color and their eyes.  Persian cats on the other hand, are easily identified by their body type and their hair.

Over the years, there has been quite a few breeds come along.  Cats were one of the first pets, and easily one of the most popular.  Millions of people around the world own cats, with many people preferring a cat over any other pet - including dogs.  No matter what cat breed you get - you’re sure to get a pet who make for a great companion for years and years to come.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Cats That Bite: What You Can Do

Learning to bite and scratch is a main part of a cat's development. These accomplishments are especially essential for cats that live mainly out-of-doors, as they provide their sole means of defense. These two activities will also form the main staple of your cat's leisure time, playing out conflicts with toys, other cats or humans.

If you do not want to be bitten by your cat, the 1st rule of thumb is to train your cat not to bite your hands. If your cat thinks your hands are play toys, their little talons and fangs will soon find their way to your flesh.

However, if it is too late for that rule, there are some steps you are able to take to minimize the damage done from cat biting attacks.

First of all, as you train your cat to behave in new ways, you should trim his claws (don't declaw, as this is severely painful for the cat). This will take a lot of the razor-sharpness away and make your encounters less painful.

Once your cat latches on to your hand, react with a loud and firm, "Ouch!Do not yell, and don't yank your hand away or the cat will think it is a toy and follow it again. Remove your hand slowly from his mouth after your determined "Ouch!"

Most of the time, your cat is scratching and biting because he is bored and would like to play. Using time set aside to play with a different cat toy should help stop boredom.

Aggression is an inherent aspect of your cat's predatory nature: behaviors like stalking, chasing, leaping, pouncing, swatting, and biting are all common displays, and are always a major component of any play session.

Usually, this does not constitute an issue: it's just how cats like to play, and catering to your cat's predatory whims can be pretty fun. When your finished, your cat will give you a break so you can watch som Animal Planet on Directtv.

Feliway Diffuser Refill

At this point, you are innately aware of Feliway, the cat pheromone formula that makes amazing things for reducing your cat's stress and helping make a crazy cat haven significantly more relaxed and eliminating inappropriate urination, at least on the part of kitties, that is! You've acquired a diffuser and now require a Feliway refill so as to make the system completely operational.

A Feliway refills unit is basically the essential oils condensed in a liquid form in a vial containing the spray itself. These are typically put together in a 6 pack package, for your convenience. When plugged into the diffuser section and plugged into apower socket, the diffusion plate warms up in order to bring about evaporation, moving in the room. Each unit does cover about sixty sq ft. You should make sure they are not placed behind curtains or furniture, because this will not allow the evaporate from circulating throughout the room and preventing the advantage achieved from utilizing them in the first place. Additionally be sure that the evaporator is cleared to the air on account of the fact the heating element can turn out to be quite warm and you want to ensure this does not end up a problem. Used safely, they are quite helpful to for feline health care issues.

Each Feliway diffuser refill vial is good for a length of some month-month and a half. It's a useful method to keep continuous circulation of the easing and relaxing feline facial pheromones constantly circulating in your pet-friendly rooms. Utilizing several diffusers spread throughout the veterinary clinic will help to keep the feline population happy, soothed, and unstressed, which helps keep you the same. For this reason the 6 pack Feliway diffuser refill, which yields 10 fl oz total measure, and makes it more convenient to purchase and have sent. It's much more convenient to purchase in bulk, instead of needing to order solitary packages with shorter intervals.

The packages are usually listed for sale combined with the diffuser, however it is quick enough to locate them available individually also, if you already bought the diffuser and only must get the Feliway diffuser refill by itself, or of course the six pack packages that are also quite commonly advertised.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Clumping cat litter review

A Review Of Clumping Cat Litter Foes' Arguments

Lately, there have been some people arguing that clumping cat litter is dangerous – even deadly – to our cats and kittens. If this is the claim, should we all instantly change our litter for a different type – maybe a biodegradable one as the articles suggest? What are the real facts in the situation? Let's review the clumping cat litter information. 

The Pet Owners' Claims

Pet owners claim that there are two components of clumping cat litter that cause problems for cats. First, there is the sodium bentonite. This is the “expandable cement” that absorbs the cat urine. It can swell to 15-18 times the dry size. It makes it wonderfully absorbent for a litter box, but the pet owners worry about the litter if the cat ingests it. This is a logical concern, as cats do lick themselves to clean off after using the litter box.

Also, the dust from these litters can give the cats respiratory problems, as they can coat the cat's lungs when they breathe it in. This component, sodium bentonite, is dangerous for humans to ingest, why should we think it would be safe on our cats and kittens?

The other ingredient some pet owners are concerned about is the quartz silica. This substance is a known carcinogen, and not considered safe for humans. It likely isn't safe for the cats, either.

Reviewing these clumping cat litter complaints shows some seemingly valid concerns. What do the opposition say?

The Critics' Rebuttal

The manufacturers of clumping cat litter, upon reviewing the claims of damage, state that they are very careful with their litter, and go to great lengths to keep pets safe. Also, they manufacture some brands of clumping cat litter that are clean, with much less dust. It is wise to choose one of these “dust free litters.

The Scientists Say...

While there are several anecdotal stories and claims, scientists state about clumping cat litter that after review there was “no post-mortum, no hisopathology findings, or any scientific data presented.” They fully believe these clumping kitty litters to be safe. 

Take Home Message

The “take home message” is that each pet owner needs to act in harmony with their gut instincts. If the anecdotal stories scare you, or if you've had a similar situation involving your own pet, you will probably want to change your cat's litter. There are plant-based materials available as kitty litter, made from corn cobs, newspaper, cedar, or pine shavings.
If, on the other hand, reviewing information about clumping cat litter has settled some of your fears, perhaps you don't need to jump ship quite yet.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Buy Kittens and Cat Raising

I happened upon Cat Ownership 101: Secrets of Buying & Raising Cats not long back and was curious to take a look, so I bit the bullet and bought the package.  It turned out to be a outstanding purchase, and by any accounting at $9.99 wasn't much risk.  It is an easy reading but well thought out examination of what you must know about buying kittens and raising a kitten.  It's easy to make critical problems when picking a kitten as friend and turn out grievous when it encounters problems.  Some preparation prior to goes quite a long way towards paving that onward road with wonder instead of troubles.

The book leads off with an overview of some of the more common cat breeds.   Do you want a highly active cat that will run 24 hours at a time?  Do you hope for an affectionate cat that likes to be cuddle?  Do you hope for a shy cat or outgoing one?  After this is a summary of the upsides and downsides of male, female, neuter or no, long hair or short, pure bred or mixed, and the time-honored subject of buying a kitten vs buying cat.  This summary will prepare you on the road to selecting the breed of cat that's perfect for you.

At that, it breaks into some helpful tips on cat-proofing your house, assisting your cat or kitten adjust to your home and family, easing them into the swing of things carefully and in a consistent manner.  Cats can get stressed out with change and newness, so hurrying them along into unfamiliar situations can have terrible effects on the adjustment period.  You will be advised all about what supplies you should have to raise your new kitten and the items you ought to get to make sure everything is safe.

The next insightful and informative subject is the feeding and exercising.   About feeding too little to that energetic kitten to a proper eating regime for the senior cat and plans to keep them fit, you have lots of wonderful hints listed.  We segue into cat health issues there, where you will learn about the expected sicknesses that your cats can suffer from, all about vet visits, shots, spaying and neutering, grooming hints and what helps you to keep them happy and healthy.

The next big topic of the book covers common cat behaviors.  What does a cat's non-verbal cues tell you about it's mood?  Non-verbal cues supplemented by vocal patterns enable you to converse with your felines, and until they learn people's communication it's going to be your means of choice.  For what reason do they knead people?What might clawing indicate?  From here you will read how to help mold the behavior of your cat and help prevent them from problematic acts.

In the end, this book closes with a list of cat related organizations that you must have and a informative dictionary of cat related words and acronyms that refer to felines and detailed explanations you should understand.  Without a doubt, I was much pleased with the book and consider it extremely informative.  I most definitely recommend this convenient and educational book, and it's most certainly a frugal find at only $9.99!  Check out the Cat Ownership 101: Secrets of Buying & Raising Cats website for more details and ordering information. It is an easy reading but detailed primer for what you must grasp about buying cats and how to raise a kitten that you without a doubt must read!