Cats, Their Names, Health & More

By Catherine Olivia
A cat can touch your heart like no other animal. Unlike dogs, cats tend to be choosy. They love very selectively. Dogs like everyone, you need to earn a cat's trust. When you are loved by a cat you are loved. It doesn't matter the cat breed you may pick.There are so many to choose from, and each seems to have it's own temperamental characteristics as well as it's own look. Some of these breeds have names like York Chocolate Cat and Norwegian Forest Cat. Breeds are broken down by hair type. Longhair and semi-longhair and short hair. Then there are breeds "based on mutation" and "breeds derived from crosses with wild felids" that actually look like tigers and lions.

I personally like big cats and prefer breeds like Maine Coon cats and lovely long haired Persian cats. However, my heart belongs to a rescue classic orange Tabby cat named Norman, and to a beautiful black Sphinx-like cat named Hana.

Choosing the perfect cat name is a big responsibility too. Norman was named when we rescued him. Hana I brought back from the island of Anguilla in the Caribbean with help from the Anguilla Animal Rescue Fund. The word Malliouhana is Arawak for Anguilla. The Arawaks were the original Anguillians. I decided to name her Hana in honor of her birthplace. It also was a name that seemed to suit her. My friend and I tossed many different names back and forth before I chose Hana.

As a cat owner you have many responsibilities. Aside from the obvious of loving your pet and enjoying it's company, your cat's health comes first. As strong and nimble as your cat may appear he or she still has a very delicate chemical system that can be thrown out of wack very easily. One of the first ways you'll know your cat is feeling off is by a change in your cat's behavior.

One of the first ways a cat may say he or she isn't feeling well is by urinating in spots other than the litter box. If you car does this and there hasn't been a change in his environment then you should take you cat into the vet for a check up. If you cat does start urinating in your home this brings on another aspect of cat ownership, and an unfortunate one, learning how to clean cat urine. If you've a male cat you have a whole different problem. The smell of male cat urine is unmistakable and strong and although there are dozens of cat urine cleaning products on the market none of them work perfectly and you may never really get rid of the smell. If you've still a hint of male cat urine smell it can cause new males cats in your home to urinate in the same spot as a way to mark territory.

If you need any cat supplies you'll have more to choose from than you can imagine, and you have many places you can get them. From the pet "superstores" like PetSmart and Petco, and catalogs like Drs. FosterSmith you can get any cat supply you need from food to medicines, from bedding to toys and beyond.

To learn everything related to cats their health, care, and Cat Breeds please visit catmaestro.com

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Some Common Health Problems in Cats

By Jack Moundon
Any cat owner must consider cat health a topmost consideration. S/he must have basic knowledge and understanding on the prevention of certain types of cat health problems. After all, a healthy cat makes a happy owner. Here are some common health problems in cats and how you can prevent them.

Hairballs. When cats groom by themselves, they tend to swallow loose hair that naturally comes off their tongues. This hair can clump into a ball and may get stuck in his digestive tract instead of passing through the body. Cats usually don’t have a problem getting rid of hairballs, as they can just cough and hack it out. However, hairballs may pass into his intestines and cause blockage, which can cause serious complications. If your cat experiences loss of appetite, is constipated, sluggish and has a dull coat, then your cat’s blockage can be serious. When this happens, visit your veterinarian immediately. You can prevent hairballs by frequently grooming your cat to get rid of loose hair as well as feeding him certain types of food that help control hairballs.

Worms. This is but a common, recurring problem among many cats. These worms can be hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and even in some cases, heartworms. Your cat may be infected with any of these worms if it does not seem to gain weight, has white specks that resemble rice grains in his stool or is infested with fleas. If you suspect your cat for presence of worms, take him to the veterinarian. Your vet can prescribe some medication to kill off the worms. Remember that worms can be fatal when left untreated.

Urinary Tract Infections. Another health problem that is common among cats, urinary tract infection usually affects male cats that have not undergone neutering, although female cats may also acquire this problem as well. Your cat may have urinary tract infection if your cat’s urine smells strong or if it suddenly stops using the litter box. Consult your veterinarian for treatment of this health problem.

These are just some of the most common health problems among cats. While some diseases are hereditary, many can easily be prevented. By regularly taking your pet cat to the veterinarian for check-up and following vaccination schedules, you can keep cat health problems at bay. Keep in mind that prevention is your first and still your best line of defense for cat sicknesses and disease.

Jack Moundon is the owner of http://www.the-cat-central.com, Helpful information about cats health problems and meanings about their common behavior. Great gift for cat lovers and helping you cat stay healthy.

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Cat Body Language Explained

By: Idham Effendi
Cat behavior is often misunderstood because of our inability to read their body language correctly. Cats, just like us humans, use body language to communicate and broadcast information about their feelings and moods, desires, likes and dislikes. Understanding the meaning of various body signals can help you understand your cat’s behavior better, build a better relationship and even predict its behavior in the future.
Cat's feet are useful items and not just for walking and body support. For example, cat's paws knead when happy, or sometimes, if they're really nervous. Kneading goes back to when they were happily nursing close to their warm mothers. Their paws also are able to transfer their scent when they knead or rub them on things. The pads on the bottoms of their feet help to absorb the shock of landing after jumps or falls. Claws extend to attack or can extend when they need to be sharpened.
Vocalizations vary from cat to cat. Some breeds, like the Siamese, are known for being chatty, and will often "talk" to their family. Other breeds are mostly quiet. As you get to know your cat over time, you will learn what the different sounds mean. Your cat may meow when she is hungry, content, or playful. Purring generally indicates contentment. Hissing, spitting, and snarling are expressions of fear, anger, or dissatisfaction. Yowling is a cat-to-cat communication, and is often a cry of the female in heat
Rapid blinking can show anxiety in some situation but it can also be a sign that a cat has friendly intentions and does not pose a threat to another cat. Half-closed eyes or slow blinking is generally a display of contentment. Some cat owners believe that blinking at their cat, if the blink is returned, is the feline equivalent of giving and receiving a little kiss. Like humans, large pupils (dilation) indicate interest, while smaller pupils mean that your cat isn’t very alert or attentive.
A cat that is ready to fight will try to make herself seem as large as possible. The fur along her spine will stand on end, and she may arch her back. Her eyes will be narrowed to slits and her ears will lay flat back. Her whiskers will stretch forward.
By misreading your cat’s body language and by responding to its signals in wrong way your cat could develop certain unpleasant behavior problems, he could loose trust in you, become timid, aggressive and unpredictable. If you already have troubled relation with your cat then observing and understanding his body language can provide important information about his feelings and reasons and can be very helpful in solving your cat’s behavior problem.

Idham Effendi Email: chip_arm@yahoo.com Website: http://cat-world.50webs.com

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CFA - Cat Fancier's Association, The Largest Purebred Feline Registry1

By Moses Wright
The Cats Fancier's Association, or CFA, as it is commonly known as, is the largest purebred feline registry in the world. For a cat to be considered as pedigree, the cats need to be recognized by the association. CFA, however, only recognizes forty one breeds of pedigree cats.

This association came into existence in order to maintain breed standards and to register kittens from pedigree cats. The CFA pays close attention to the breeds to maintain the standards of the cats, checking that the cats comply with the standard specific traits when showcasing them at the annual cat shows.

In order to better the breed characteristics, a breeder must register a litter of purebred kittens with the Cat Fancier's Association. At this time, it is the breeder's decision as to whether these kittens will be allowed to breed or not. The only method to ensure that future descendants of the cat are able to be registered, is to get a pin number for the cat's application form. New owners should note that they would have to personally register the kittens of this particular cat, as their pets after this registration.

There are three specific categories into which each breed is placed by the Cat Fancier's Association; they are the Championship Class, Provisional Class and the Miscellaneous Class. The forty one breeds of pedigree cats recognized by the CFA are grouped stringently according to one of the following three categories. In order to show the cats, that particular breed must first clinch the top prize of its specific classification before it can be deemed to be eligible to be in running for the title of Best in Show.

Breeds that are only beginning to be acknowledge and are undergoing further scrutiny to ascertain that they comply with the new benchmarks are grouped under the Provisional Class while pedigree breeds that already have approved and long historical backgrounds are grouped under the Championship Class. Cats, who are still working on a set of standard specifics, are placed in the Miscellaneous Class. However, being placed in in this class cannot be eligible or be in the running for the title of Best in Show.

The CFA is not the only cat registry in the world. In Canada, cat owners may register their purebred felines with the Canadian Cat Association. Native Canadians who desired to register their pedigree cats within their own homeland started this association.

Another cat registry found around the world is The Traditional Cat Association. This registry doesn't take into consideration the popular fads in traits and will stick to the original specifications of the breed stringently. There are other registries which are the Fédération Internationale Féline, the association for cats in Europe and the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, a registry in United Kingdom.

With the variety of feline breeds being many, they all share one commonality; they are all considered either long hair or short hair. Common breeds found in the shorthair classification include Abyssinian and the British Shorthair. For the long hair classification, breeds such as the Norwegian Forest Cats and Turkish Angoras are represented.

Moses Wright is a cat lover who loves to help new cat owners with cat ownership issues. He provides more tips and guide on pet cat problems for free here: http://www.petquery.com/cat.htm

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