Fur, Jaws, and Claws

posted by fmoore on Nov 21

Cats LOVE to be touched, stroked, and petted.

They absolutely love to rub their bodies up against their owners in a show of affection and to leave their scent as a sign of ownership. Cats not only derive pleasure from having humans pat them, they also enjoy the company and bodily contact of fellow cats. They exhibit the same behavior with other cats as they rub up against one another, but it is usually only a sign of affection when they do this.

Where cats are living together in harmony, or wherere they have been brought up together, they will often sleep curled up together and also groom one another. They feel a sense of comfort, security, and warmth by sharing their space with another cat and sleeping beside each other. This happens more often with neutered female cats than with male cats, although it is not uncommon to see male cats grooming one another too.

This is one of the reasons why it is well worth considering getting two kittens from a litter rather than one kitten when choosing.

However, keep in mind that male cats will rarely groom female cats. So, if you decide to choose two kittens, pick either two female kittens or two male kittens, NOT one of each. It is a higher probability they will socialize better if they are the same gender.

Often, where there are two cats in the family, each cat will claim ownership of one member of the family. If there is only one person in the household, that person will need to ensure that the amount of time is spent equally with both cats so that one cat doesn’t become jealous of the other. This can, and will,  lead to behavioral problems with one, or possibly both, cats.

If you are in the process of adopting a new cat, or cats, be sure to do your homework on behavior and socialization of that particular breed. Adopting a cat is just like adopting children. You must put the same time and effort into choosing the right kitten, or kittens, so that they can have the best quality of life possible. You are the window into how they see the world. Make sure it is a clear window.

posted by fmoore on Oct 30

Curiosity killed the cat.  This saying has stood the test of time. Partly because, well, cat’s are curious and because people just plain love a great story. Today’s post is to prevent this from happening to your cat.

It is very important that you keep your environment as safe as possible for your cat. They are very inquisitive animals and will get into all sorts of trouble given half the chance in a moment’s glance.

You really need to use your common sense and look about the environment that your cat is living in to determine any areas that could be a danger to it.

Living near a road may become a major concern for any cat owner. Cats love to wander around the neighborhood in search of company from other cats or from other people. It is not uncommon for cats to wander a long distance, particularly at night. The best bet is probably to keep your cat confined inside at night so you know where it will be when you wake up in the morning.

You can either keep your cat locked inside the house or have an external area that is fenced in such a manner that your cat can’t climb out, taking into account, that cats are extremely good at climbing and escaping from any enclosure. Having a cat door that will provide your cat with unrestricted access to the house is essential for any cat that prefers to spend some of its time outside during the day or night.

Your cat needs to be protected from other animals, in particular other cats and dogs, that can become quite vicious in the pursuit of your cat if they have not been properly socialized. In addition, your cat can pick up infections, such as rabies from other animals or from the feces that has been left about by other animals. So, you need to know where your cat is wandering and whether those places could be endangering its health in any way.

If you choose not to keep your cat within a confined area then you will need some form of identification on it should it ever get lost.

By having your cat neutered there is less chance that it will wander about the neighborhood looking for other cats. This issue is always a hot topic of debate. However, if you are not a breeder, neutering your cat eliminates riks to various types of cancer if the reproductive organs are removed. We will claw into this subject on tomorrow to get a better understanding on both sides of this issue.