Now that we've chosen whether we want a kitten or an adult, lets more on to our next step. "Where should I get my new pet from?"
There are many choices out there, you could always rescue a pet from a shelter, there are the pet classifieds, pet shops, even breeders. It all depends on what age and breed of cat you've decided on. If you've chosen to get a kitten for your home, you can find many pet shops, classified ads, breeders, and even shelters that have kittens for sale or even for free if you're lucky, it's all a matter of research. (Note, pet shops, breeders, and shelters will all charge a nominal fee for any animals.)
If by chance you've decided you didn't like the idea of a kitten, you can occasionally find adults in pet shops, classified ads, and sometimes breeders will sell their adult animals once they're out of their prime for breeding. The most likely place to find an adult cat though honestly is your local shelter. The animals in these places are generally strays, but sometimes, unfortunately, family pets are given up to the local shelters due to a move or new addition to the family. If you've decided an adult cat is more appealing to you than a kitten, give your local animal shelter a try before anywhere else. Most shelters anymore charge about the same price as the local pet shop, but in exchange you'll recieve an animal with its shots up to date, plus you'll have no worries of offspring, since most if not all of the animals are altered before leaving the shelter. It's definitely a good feeling rescuing an unfortunate animal from a shelter, there are so many put down everyday it's sad to think that some people still allow their pets to breed without restrictions.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Friday, December 15, 2006
Which to choose... kitten or adult?
Kitten or Cat?
Kittens are curious, playful, and full of energy, while adults are more relaxed and less mischievous. Kittens also require more time to train and feed. Cats are only kittens for a few months, though, so the age of the cat you adopt really depends on the environment you're bringing the cat into and if you're willing to kitten-proof your home.
Everybody loves kittens! They're adorable--soft and fluffy, adventuresome and playful, comical and crazy. They are irresistible, but a kitten may not be the right choice for you. Even long-time cat owners sometimes forget that having a kitten in the house is much like having a toddler live with you. Suddenly your home is a new found kitty playground. From the kitten's point-of-view everything is created for their enjoyment. Curtains are made for climbing (as are legs--with or without pants), cords and wires are made for batting at and chewing on, everything is meant for tasting, and moving targets (including feet and ankles) are made for pouncing on and biting. Replacing all that furniture can get costly. Still sound like a good idea?
If the answer is yes and you are willing to kitten-proof your house, then a kitten may be a good choice for you. The kitten will be healthier and happier if he has a playmate, so get two! Believe it or not, there will be less wear and tear on your house and on you if your kitten has a friend to chase around. Kittens that enjoy playing with each other quickly learn to control their playful aggression. Bite too hard and you lose your playmate--a valuable lesson and one that you will appreciate when they get their grown-up teeth.
The playful mischievous kitten stage is short-lived, and by six months Kitty will be looking like, and acting in many ways, like an adult. For some the best idea is to by-pass the kitten stage all together and to adopt an adult.
If there is an elderly person living in your home or a child under the age of five, an adult cat, rather than a kitten, is the better choice for your household. Kittens have a way of getting under foot and their playful attacks can easily pierce the skin of a senior citizen or young child. They learn to retract their claws and to inhibit their biting as they mature, but until that time, Grandma and your little one(s) can sustain considerable damage.
Young children usually don't have the maturity to handle kittens responsibly, and can easily hurt a young kitten. Naturally children want to pick up and hold the only living creature in your house that is smaller than they are. When the kitten squirms to get away, they tend to squeeze harder to keep the kitten in their arms. The kitten may sustain internal injuries and the child may be bitten or scratched. Constant supervision is necessary to prevent such tragedies.
Families with small children would be better off selecting a cat who's at least four months old, an adult, neutered male with a laid-back personality for their family pet is a wonderful choice. Males generally tolerate handling better than females and if the cat is over 18 months old, the personality and temperament are already well established--"what you see is what you get". Another plus is you won't have to worry about your feline companion becoming pregnant and having to care for more than you bargained for. Often pet owners adopt a friendly, cuddly, kitten only to discover that as they mature, the personality may also change.
Kittens are curious, playful, and full of energy, while adults are more relaxed and less mischievous. Kittens also require more time to train and feed. Cats are only kittens for a few months, though, so the age of the cat you adopt really depends on the environment you're bringing the cat into and if you're willing to kitten-proof your home.
Everybody loves kittens! They're adorable--soft and fluffy, adventuresome and playful, comical and crazy. They are irresistible, but a kitten may not be the right choice for you. Even long-time cat owners sometimes forget that having a kitten in the house is much like having a toddler live with you. Suddenly your home is a new found kitty playground. From the kitten's point-of-view everything is created for their enjoyment. Curtains are made for climbing (as are legs--with or without pants), cords and wires are made for batting at and chewing on, everything is meant for tasting, and moving targets (including feet and ankles) are made for pouncing on and biting. Replacing all that furniture can get costly. Still sound like a good idea?
If the answer is yes and you are willing to kitten-proof your house, then a kitten may be a good choice for you. The kitten will be healthier and happier if he has a playmate, so get two! Believe it or not, there will be less wear and tear on your house and on you if your kitten has a friend to chase around. Kittens that enjoy playing with each other quickly learn to control their playful aggression. Bite too hard and you lose your playmate--a valuable lesson and one that you will appreciate when they get their grown-up teeth.
The playful mischievous kitten stage is short-lived, and by six months Kitty will be looking like, and acting in many ways, like an adult. For some the best idea is to by-pass the kitten stage all together and to adopt an adult.
If there is an elderly person living in your home or a child under the age of five, an adult cat, rather than a kitten, is the better choice for your household. Kittens have a way of getting under foot and their playful attacks can easily pierce the skin of a senior citizen or young child. They learn to retract their claws and to inhibit their biting as they mature, but until that time, Grandma and your little one(s) can sustain considerable damage.
Young children usually don't have the maturity to handle kittens responsibly, and can easily hurt a young kitten. Naturally children want to pick up and hold the only living creature in your house that is smaller than they are. When the kitten squirms to get away, they tend to squeeze harder to keep the kitten in their arms. The kitten may sustain internal injuries and the child may be bitten or scratched. Constant supervision is necessary to prevent such tragedies.
Families with small children would be better off selecting a cat who's at least four months old, an adult, neutered male with a laid-back personality for their family pet is a wonderful choice. Males generally tolerate handling better than females and if the cat is over 18 months old, the personality and temperament are already well established--"what you see is what you get". Another plus is you won't have to worry about your feline companion becoming pregnant and having to care for more than you bargained for. Often pet owners adopt a friendly, cuddly, kitten only to discover that as they mature, the personality may also change.
Feline Breed Categories
From what I've learned about cats over the years, there are 3 breed categories. Most information you find online or otherwise, would disagree and say there are only 2, but there are just some breeds that don't fit into the 2 main categories. These breed categories are 1)long-haired, 2)medium-haired, and 3)short-haired. (The medium category is the one that most people would leave out, but I believe it is a plausible category.)
Long-haired
The long-haired breeds, although some of the more beautiful of the domestic felines, are also the most complicated to care for, if you are wanting an easy to care for pet. These breeds require daily grooming, to prevent their fur from becoming tangled and matted. Some of the long-haired breeds include:
Balinese
Himalayan
Norwegian Forest Cat
Persian
Pixie-Bob
Ragamuffin
Ragdoll
Siberian
Turkish Angora
Medium-haired
Medium-haired breeds, are a bit easier to care for, although requiring less time and effort for grooming, still require daily grooming to keep them looking their best. There are very few listed medium-haired breeds, but the known ones include:
American Bobtail
American Curl
Birman
Javanese
La Perm
Maine Coon (Gentle Giants)
Somali
Tonkinese
Turkish Van
Short-haired
Short-haired breeds, are the most popular of the cat breeds, due to the fact that they are the most easily cared for. Although grooming is still required to prevent shed fur from building up around your home, if you're wanting an easy to care for cat, a short-haired is probably the one for you. There are many many more breeds of short-haired cats than any other breeds. A few of the more popular ones are:
Abyssinian
American Shorthair
Bengal (Miniature Leopard/one of my favorites)
Bombay
British Shorthair (Cheshire Cat)
Various Rex Breeds
Egyptian Mau (Another of my favorites)
Ocicat
Oriental Shorthair
Russian Blue
Scottish Fold
Siamese
Sphynx
I have not even come close to listing every known breed of cat, just the more popular ones, that are generally used for show. I hope this short article has been some help in deciding what type of cat you'd choose.
Long-haired
The long-haired breeds, although some of the more beautiful of the domestic felines, are also the most complicated to care for, if you are wanting an easy to care for pet. These breeds require daily grooming, to prevent their fur from becoming tangled and matted. Some of the long-haired breeds include:
Balinese
Himalayan
Norwegian Forest Cat
Persian
Pixie-Bob
Ragamuffin
Ragdoll
Siberian
Turkish Angora
Medium-haired
Medium-haired breeds, are a bit easier to care for, although requiring less time and effort for grooming, still require daily grooming to keep them looking their best. There are very few listed medium-haired breeds, but the known ones include:
American Bobtail
American Curl
Birman
Javanese
La Perm
Maine Coon (Gentle Giants)
Somali
Tonkinese
Turkish Van
Short-haired
Short-haired breeds, are the most popular of the cat breeds, due to the fact that they are the most easily cared for. Although grooming is still required to prevent shed fur from building up around your home, if you're wanting an easy to care for cat, a short-haired is probably the one for you. There are many many more breeds of short-haired cats than any other breeds. A few of the more popular ones are:
Abyssinian
American Shorthair
Bengal (Miniature Leopard/one of my favorites)
Bombay
British Shorthair (Cheshire Cat)
Various Rex Breeds
Egyptian Mau (Another of my favorites)
Ocicat
Oriental Shorthair
Russian Blue
Scottish Fold
Siamese
Sphynx
I have not even come close to listing every known breed of cat, just the more popular ones, that are generally used for show. I hope this short article has been some help in deciding what type of cat you'd choose.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
A brief history of feline companions
Ancient Egypt
The exact known history of human interaction with cats is still incomplete. The earliest written records of attempts to domesticate cats date back to ancient Egypt, circa 4000 BC, where cats were employed to keep rodents away from stored grain in order to prevent food poisoning.However, a gravesite discovered in 1983 in Shillourokambos, Cyprus, dating back to 7500 BC, contains the skeletons of a ceremonially buried human and a type of young cat. Since cats are not native to Cyprus, this suggests that cats were tamed or even domesticated at least this early. The cat found in the Cyprus grave was more similar to the ancestral wildcat species than to modern housecats. Statues from Anatolia, created around 6000 BC have also been found depicting women playing with domesticated cats, which implies that cats were domesticated there around the same time period.Ancient Egyptians regarded cats as embodiments of the goddess Bast, also known as Bastet (prononced Bas·tet (bä'stĕt)) or Thet, who was a household goddess and protector of women, children and domestic cats. She was also the goddess of sunrise, music, dance, pleasure, as well as family, fertility and birth. The penalty for killing a cat was death, and when a cat died it was sometimes mummified in the same way as a human. Recently, deep scans of several mummified felines indicated they had suffered broken necks before mummification. It is unclear why, but researchers theorize that some cats may have been sacrificed to honor Bast. Recent research indicates that cats were so popular in tombs that sometimes other animals would be wrapped up in the form of a mummified cat.
Vikings
Vikings used cats as rodent catchers and companions and are sometimes credited with the domestication of the Norwegian Forest Cat, or Skogskatt. The Viking goddess(frā´yä) or Freya (frā´ä) , Norse goddess of love, marriage, and fertility. Her identity and attributes were often confused with those of the goddess Frigg. As a deity of the dead, Freyja was entitled to half the warriors killed in battle, the other half going to Odin. She was the sister of the god Frey and was frequently represented as riding in a chariot drawn by two horse-sized winged cats. Kittens were often given in her name to brides, linking together Freya's influence over both cats and romance.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, cats were superstitiously thought to be witches' familiars or even witches (for example, Greymalkin, the first witch's familiar in Macbeth's famous opening scene), and during festivities were tortured and burned alive as such.The human killing of cats in the Middle Ages has also been cited as one of the main reasons for the spread of bubonic plague - the Black Death, which was spread by the increased rodent population caused by the death of so many cats.
Europe
Superstitions folklore dating back to as early as 1607 holds that a cat will suffocate a newborn infant by applying its nose to the child's mouth, sucking the breath from it. A jury in England once found that a child met his death from a cat sucking the breath out of him; this conclusion was probably reached because of the widespread acceptance of the tale. Many explanations have been given to attempt to support this strange tale, the most common of which is jealousy from the cat towards the infant, as a result of the level of attention that the child receives that the cat may have lost after the child's birth. Another explanation is that the smell of milk from the infant's mouth attracted the cat to do so. However, research has shown that, unless the cat had been raised on milk, they prefer to drink water.
Modern Day
It is a common belief that cats have a "sixth sense" and can sense ghosts, spirits, or evil especially white cats. To date many still believe that black cats are unlucky or that it is unlucky if a black cat crosses one's path or one crosses the path of a black cat, while others believe that black cats are lucky. Black cats in particular are associated with Halloween/Samhain festivities. Because of this, many animal shelters will not adopt out black cats during the month of October because of concerns that the prospective owners are only going along with the season and, as a result, will not make a lifelong comitment to the pet. They are also afraid that the prospective owners will do away with the cat because of its alleged unluckiness. Some animal shelters will not adopt out cats of any kind (or sometimes pets in general) around Halloween because they are afraid, as a result of moral panic claims of believers in Satanic ritual abuse and witchcraft, that the animals will be ritually sacrificed. A far more plausible fear is that they may be used in Halloween-oriented pranks which could harm or even kill them.
The exact known history of human interaction with cats is still incomplete. The earliest written records of attempts to domesticate cats date back to ancient Egypt, circa 4000 BC, where cats were employed to keep rodents away from stored grain in order to prevent food poisoning.However, a gravesite discovered in 1983 in Shillourokambos, Cyprus, dating back to 7500 BC, contains the skeletons of a ceremonially buried human and a type of young cat. Since cats are not native to Cyprus, this suggests that cats were tamed or even domesticated at least this early. The cat found in the Cyprus grave was more similar to the ancestral wildcat species than to modern housecats. Statues from Anatolia, created around 6000 BC have also been found depicting women playing with domesticated cats, which implies that cats were domesticated there around the same time period.Ancient Egyptians regarded cats as embodiments of the goddess Bast, also known as Bastet (prononced Bas·tet (bä'stĕt)) or Thet, who was a household goddess and protector of women, children and domestic cats. She was also the goddess of sunrise, music, dance, pleasure, as well as family, fertility and birth. The penalty for killing a cat was death, and when a cat died it was sometimes mummified in the same way as a human. Recently, deep scans of several mummified felines indicated they had suffered broken necks before mummification. It is unclear why, but researchers theorize that some cats may have been sacrificed to honor Bast. Recent research indicates that cats were so popular in tombs that sometimes other animals would be wrapped up in the form of a mummified cat.
Vikings
Vikings used cats as rodent catchers and companions and are sometimes credited with the domestication of the Norwegian Forest Cat, or Skogskatt. The Viking goddess(frā´yä) or Freya (frā´ä) , Norse goddess of love, marriage, and fertility. Her identity and attributes were often confused with those of the goddess Frigg. As a deity of the dead, Freyja was entitled to half the warriors killed in battle, the other half going to Odin. She was the sister of the god Frey and was frequently represented as riding in a chariot drawn by two horse-sized winged cats. Kittens were often given in her name to brides, linking together Freya's influence over both cats and romance.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, cats were superstitiously thought to be witches' familiars or even witches (for example, Greymalkin, the first witch's familiar in Macbeth's famous opening scene), and during festivities were tortured and burned alive as such.The human killing of cats in the Middle Ages has also been cited as one of the main reasons for the spread of bubonic plague - the Black Death, which was spread by the increased rodent population caused by the death of so many cats.
Europe
Superstitions folklore dating back to as early as 1607 holds that a cat will suffocate a newborn infant by applying its nose to the child's mouth, sucking the breath from it. A jury in England once found that a child met his death from a cat sucking the breath out of him; this conclusion was probably reached because of the widespread acceptance of the tale. Many explanations have been given to attempt to support this strange tale, the most common of which is jealousy from the cat towards the infant, as a result of the level of attention that the child receives that the cat may have lost after the child's birth. Another explanation is that the smell of milk from the infant's mouth attracted the cat to do so. However, research has shown that, unless the cat had been raised on milk, they prefer to drink water.
Modern Day
It is a common belief that cats have a "sixth sense" and can sense ghosts, spirits, or evil especially white cats. To date many still believe that black cats are unlucky or that it is unlucky if a black cat crosses one's path or one crosses the path of a black cat, while others believe that black cats are lucky. Black cats in particular are associated with Halloween/Samhain festivities. Because of this, many animal shelters will not adopt out black cats during the month of October because of concerns that the prospective owners are only going along with the season and, as a result, will not make a lifelong comitment to the pet. They are also afraid that the prospective owners will do away with the cat because of its alleged unluckiness. Some animal shelters will not adopt out cats of any kind (or sometimes pets in general) around Halloween because they are afraid, as a result of moral panic claims of believers in Satanic ritual abuse and witchcraft, that the animals will be ritually sacrificed. A far more plausible fear is that they may be used in Halloween-oriented pranks which could harm or even kill them.
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