Domestic Cat Breeds
Have you always wanted a cat, but heard some breeds make better pets than others? Maybe you have always wanted a cat, but do not know anything about them? There are plenty of ways to learn about cats and what breeds fit your personality. The choice can come from having an indoor, outdoor or indoor and outdoor cat. The tough and smart survive in the out of doors. Small cats are often pray for birds and other wildlife and should be kept indoors. Tomcats, a mixed breed, are great at surviving outdoors and mousers. So let us look at a few breeds of cats and then you will be able to choose which one may be right for your lifestyle.
Siamese: The Siamese cat can be a fickle creature. They often require a lot of attention when they determine it is necessary. They tend to meow quite a bit and can tear up a home if left alone for too long. These are the downsides. Siamese can be great pets, especially when raised from infancy. They are often white with brown ears and blue eyes. You may recognize them from Lady and the Tramp? Those two were a little mean and not the typical portrayal of a Siamese. Siamese are generally very affectionate. They are also one of the most intelligent of the cat species. They tend to be very social, which is why they meow or “talk” a lot. A sign for attention is usually a very vocal meow much like a babies cry. Siamese typically bond to one person very strongly and are territorial of that person.
Persian: The Persian cat breed is one of the oldest cats around. They are longhaired cats with beautiful shinny coats. They are very soft and friendly; however, they are prone to health problems such as allergies. The Persian does not always play as much as other breeds, but they do enjoy a bit of fun for exercise especially in a social situation. They love to have other cats around to play with as well as have a lap available when they are in need of a lap. Persians are a variety of colors from solid black, white or a mix of white and browns around the face. A popular Persian is the Himalayan.
Manx: The Manx is known for its stubby tail or having no tail. The downside to Manx cats is the lack of tail. Often a Manx can suffer from worms and other parasites due to improper cleaning and not having the protection of a tail. This does not mean you should discount the Manx as a breed. The Manx breed is extremely intelligent and playful. They are a lot like dogs in the play area because they can fetch when you through toys and bring them back to you. They are very social animals and depend on human care. They don’t like to be left alone for too long, so it is wise to have other cats to play with when you are gone during the day. The best home for a Manx is one filled with children.
These are just three of the more popular breeds of cats. There are over a dozen cat breeds to choose from and finding the one to fit your lifestyle is important. Cats are very social and intelligent, but some breeds can be loners. Most often, a cat chooses when the time is right and what type of attention they want at the time. The phrase “you do not own a cat it owns you” is very true.
Care for Aging Cats
Aging cats are going to take a little more maintenance as they get older and visits to the vet should become more regular to ensure that any problems are dealt with before they become a bigger worry.
Older cats will need a little more comfort as they are not as limber as they once were and giving them a nice soft surface to sleep on, away from drafts and in the warmth, will ensure that they remain in good health for longer.
Quite often cats will find a favorite place to sleep and as they are very clean animals, this place will need to be cleaned on regular basis or they will tend to move to other sleeping areas after a while.
There are some excellent cat beds available on the market designed to be very comfortable. They are relatively cheap and most of them are designed to wrap around the cat as they lie in their natural curled up sleeping position.
This gives the cat support and also a sense of security and the good beds are made of materials that can be easily washed and dried to help maintain cleanliness and ensure that your cat stays in that same place most of the time.
One of the biggest problems that you need to consider as your cat ages is to have its teeth checked on a regular basis as teeth problems are one of the biggest causes of ill health in older cats. In fact it is often said that cats that live longest are those that don’t have any teeth left.
They can get a buildup of plaque on the teeth and this can cause gum problems. These gum problems can cause infections that lead to the deterioration of their internal organs and reduction in the quality of life and the length of their life so try to get your cat’s teeth checked at least once every six months as they get older. Some breeds of cats and more prone to teeth problems than others and a lot of this depends upon the type of food you are feeding them and also the way that they eat as some cats like to chew more than others, with the chewing helping to clean plague off the teeth.
Cat Travel in a Vehicle
If you need to travel with your cat it will be necessary to do a little bit of preparation work beforehand to ensure that the trip is comfortable for your pet.
A cat can become quite excited the first time it travels in a vehicle and you need to do all that is possible to help it remain calm time as they will react differently when they become excited.
If it is a kitten or a younger cat then it might be necessary to put it inside a cage to stop it from running about the vehicle while it is traveling. It might be wise to take a litter box with you as sometimes when cats get excited they need to go to the toilet and if there is nothing available for it to use it is likely to hold on and feel sick or go somewhere that you don’t want it to go to the toilet.
Always carry water with you and stop regularly to see if it needs a drink, particularly in hot weather.
It is preferable the first few times it goes for a trip in a vehicle to have eaten nothing beforehand as food can sometimes make cats feel sick.
If the cat seems calm then it is possible to let it out of the cage provided it sits quietly on a seat. Don’t leave any windows open where it might be able to get out and particularly when you stop the vehicle make sure it doesn’t jump out the door and go somewhere where it could be endangered.
If you do have windows down make sure there are no drafts that could be affecting your cat and don’t let it sit up in the back window of vehicles in direct sunlight where it might get overheated and become ill.
Generally if the cat has been in a vehicle as a kitten it won’t mind travel all that much and it will generally only become frightened if it associates travel with some unpleasant event.
They can find comfort in having a favorite blanket or bed in the vehicle with them and also a comforting hand from the owner beside them. Consider their feelings and treat them as you would a young child and you shouldn’t have too many problems.
