Cat Furniture The Ins and Outs

By : Ron Smarjess
Cats are notorious for lounging around. They are true connoisseurs of comfort. The more comfy the spot, the better. As the saying goes, "if you want the best seat in the house, move the cat." However, not all cat owners are okay with their feline taking the sofa over. Providing kitty with a cat climbing tower, cat climbing post or cat tunnel can be a great alternative for your furry friend.

If you do not have the room for a tall cat tree, consider a "one story" cat perch. They are small but still offer two areas for kitty to climb up in. For apartment dwellers, or anyone with a small space, a cat cave is perfect. Some come with a built in toy for Fluffy to bat around. Most are made of plush fabric for maximum comfort.

Cat condos are manufactured specifically with cats likes and dislikes in mind. In the wild, cats like to perch up high to stalk their prey. It is a natural instinct for a cat to gravitate toward high areas. A cat tower or cat tree provides kitty with multiple perches for the best view in the house. Many cat towers are designed with sisal cat scratching posts, so that cats can relieve their natural urge to scratch. You will find that cats without claws display this behavior as well. If your cat does have claws, sisal cat furniture is great these are great items to stop.

Another small and easily stored item is a cat tunnel. Again made from enticing plush fabric but with a crackle-noise making material inside for extra enticement. It is a sound cats cannot get enough of!



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Leigh Adams is an avid cat owner and pet trainer. She recommends using a cat products to help keep a happy and well adjusted cat. With just a a few items any cat can be made to feel purrfect.

What Every Master Should Know About Poisonous Foods for Cats

By : Angie Allen
Cats can be just like our buddies. It may be all right to share some couch space or even your bed with your cat. You are not being a good friend however if you start sharing your food with her. It is definitely tempting to let your cat share your table food both to show your affection and to save a bit on expensive cat food. Some food items however may poison and cause death to your cat.

Chocolate

The stimulant caffeine and the component theobromine are the substances in chocolates that may be fatal to your cat. It is obvious that chemical stimulants affect the nervous system and cause increased heart rates and cardiac problems that may lead to coma or death. Keep your kitty away not just from chocolate bars but also from cups, spoons and utensils that you may have used to for a chocolate drink.

Onions and Garlic

Onions are usually considered more toxic than garlic. Both however contain N-propyl disulphide in different amounts. This substance can ruin your cat's red blood cells which will lead to a form of cat anemia. Other than obvious dishes that may contain bits and pieces of onion and garlic, make sure that you also keep your cat away from sauces like gravy and spaghetti sauce which may contain powdered onion and garlic.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are healthy for humans. To cats however, the bitter alkaloid Glycoalkaloid solanine in tomatoes can be dangerous. Your cat could suffer form gastrointestinal problems if they ingest tomatoes.

Milk

Milk is not toxic to cats. What you should be warned against though is that milk cause gastrointestinal discomfort since a lot of adult cats cannot tolerate lactose. You may wonder at this especially since we often stereotypically imagine cats enjoying saucers filled with milk. Milk may eventually cause gas build up and stomach cramps and upsets in your cat. The key is to keep your milk loving pet at bay with very occasional treats of cream. You can also opt to buy lactose free milk products in the market that have been especially formulated for cats.

Dog Food

Your cat is not your dog. This means that they also have different nutritional requirements. Feeding your cat dog food can lead to malnutrition, heart ailments and other serious diseases.

Raw Fish

Aside from milk, it's also easy to imagine cats enjoying a yummy fish treat. Raw fish however is not good for cats if this is the only thing they eat and they eat this regularly. Cats can suffer from thiamine deficiency by eating raw fish. This could lead to seizures and loss of appetite.

Spoiled Food

Spoiled human food is also dangerous to cats just like it is for humans. Cats however may not just get poisoned by chewing on a suspicious meatloaf but also by foraging through an open and accessible trash bin. It is best to keep your garbage cans covered with tight lids and stored under the kitchen sink.



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Are you raising a healthy cat? Learn more about poisonous foods for cats and make sure you are providing your pet the best nutrition.

Is The Persian Cat For You?

By : Paulina Jenkins
The Persian cat is among the most beautiful of the world's cat breeds. It is also generally thought to be one of the oldest breeds. It probably originated in the Iranian plateau, which is the large area of land between the Mesopotamia and the Hindu Kush mountains. In Europe, this area was called Persia, and thus cats from that area were named after it. Owning a Persian cat has been said to be like owning a work of art - they're beautiful, but they also require special care.

The Persian cat is known for its long, flowing coat of fur. These cats are available in nearly every color. This includes solid color, tortoiseshell, tabby, and even blue. Physical indicators for Persian cats include their round heads and massively built bodies with a short neck. Their eyes are large, round, and wide set, and they have small, rounded ears and short, wide noses.

The body of the Persian is short and wide with a short bushy tail. They have thick short legs and firm round feet. Persians are medium in built weighing between 8 to 15 lbs. With proper care Persians can live up to 15 years and above. The Persian cat has a sweet, melodious voice.

The Persian is very adaptable and can be a single owner pet or a family pet. Persians are not good jumpers because they only have short legs. They are good at interacting with their humans and very responsive to the owners' emotions. Some of them can be aloof and quiet households are more preferable. Persians are people orientated and love any kind of attention from their humans.

It is important to care for a Persian cat properly, like any other pet. Since Persians tend to have short muzzles, they can suffer from genetic problems, including constriction of the nostrils, tear duct overflow, dental malocclusion, and a condition called cherry eye. Other problems peculiar to Persians include polycystic kidney disease, seborrhea oleosa, and entropion.

The Persian is an intelligent, friendly and interactive cat. However, there is a lot of work involved to maintain your pet properly. As Persians can suffer from tear staining you need to wash their faces everyday. Their teeth need brushing, and their coats need to be brushed daily. Persians have such long hair and become tangled easily; therefore, daily brushing is important. When the cat sheds more hair during shedding months you have to give your pet more brushing.

To keep your Persian cat healthy and happy ensure all vaccinations including rabies and check ups are up to date. Do not expose your Persian to toxic plants. Make sure that none of the household plants or garden plants are harmful to your feline. Feed your pet only premium cat food which has all the required nutrients to give your Persian good health.

You can choose to have your Persian groomed regularly by a professional. If you choose to do the grooming yourself, make sure you have the right tools. Grooming supplies can be obtained from all pet stores. These should include towels, mild shampoo, a good pet brush, nail clipper and eye ointment.

Anyone looking for a placid and affectionate cat should give the Persian serious consideration. If you are after a friendly and sweet natured pet then the Persian is a good choice. However, if you are not prepared to give these cats the amount of care needed such as daily and regular grooming then you should not choose the Persian.



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About the Author: Paulina Jenkins has a website where she shares information on all breeds of cats. The Persian Cat is one of the most ancient cat breeds.The Persian Cat is also considered to be one of the most beautiful longhaired cat breeds.

Cats – Working 24/7 Against the Spread of Disease

By : Jenny Cialis Freeman
The City of Angels has a rat problem. Ask the LAPD, they can’t keep the rats out of their lockers, off their desks, out of the walls, they’re as abundant as cockroaches but vastly more menacing – out-numbering the officers 50 to 1.

Remember the bubonic plague/Black Death that hit Western Europe during the 14th Century? Who were the main carriers of an infectious disease that wiped out a thousand people a day and a third of the population in a little over 2 years? Flea-infested rats.

Today, the modern rats are carriers of much more than bubonic plague. In fact, present day rats are hosts to the fatal Leptospirosis and potentially deadly Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.

Who can stop the Willards of the world? The exterminators can’t. Armed with the most deadly poisons and gases, these bipeds that are outfitted in gas masks and tarp overalls from head to toe, ironically are only partially successful against critters a fraction of their size:

The rats that survive the deadly chemicals give birth to an even mightier breed of rat.

So, who you going to call? The real rat-busters with a success record that dates back to millions of years ago: the cats.

But, where were the cats during the Middle Ages? They were goners. Prior to the Black Death, religious extremists did such a negative spin on cats by labeling them Satan, that Western Europe got rid of all their felines. We can always count on the human parasites, the clerics, for their “brilliant” enhancement of human life!

So, without the rat-busters, the rats flourished along with their fleas who gave shelter to the deadly bacterium: the perfect recipe for an epidemic.

Of course, today, we have antibiotics to knock out the bacterium transported by the fleas. But, with antibiotic resistance on the rise, can we really depend upon those antibiotics in an emergency? Or could humanity find itself faced with an unstoppable epidemic?

History doesn’t have to repeat itself. Not if we act now.

The LAPD is doing just that. They’ve “hired” feral cats to drive the rats away. Non-profit animal welfare group, Voice for the Animals is humanely trapping these homeless cats – felines without domestic accommodations. You’ve seen these rat-busters behind grocery stores and restaurants, in parks and parking lots, wherever food and makeshift shelter can be found. Many of them have come from mother cats that were once dumped because a human family upped and moved to another city – couldn’t bother to find their companion animal a loving home; abandoned, the vast majority of these animals die from starvation. How do people justify this abandonment? They rationalize their irresponsible behaviors believing that Nature will take care of her own. For animals in the wild, Nature indeed has already established her imperative; for domestic animals, made possible by human interference via selective breeding, the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of people.

Only a handful of people have accepted this responsibility, however. Many of them are single, elderly women living on Social Security checks – they dutifully set out food everyday without fail for these homeless cats and arrange for spaying and or neutering by humanely setting traps. For the cats who survive homelessness, it’s mostly because of this very special breed of humanity.

How come cats go hungry if there are plenty of rats? Rodents are not dumb – they flee when they get wind of felines. Cats only have to make their presence known. These sleek legends of grace and beauty pad about on all fours as they give off an odor, the overpowering “fragrance” of urine. “Once rodents get a whiff of feline presence, like gangsters under a gang injunction, they move on,” writes Carla Hill on staff at Los Angeles Times.

The downtown flower district was swift to enlist the aid of Voice of the Animals’ Working Cats program several years ago. The feline masters of stealth had also demonstrated their success in 2001 at the Wilshire Division of the LAPD when they handled the rats who were inhabiting equipment bags in outside cages and their rodent cousins who were boldly running across desks.
“‘Once we got the cats, problem solved,’” said Commander Kirk Albanese, police captain at the Wilshire Division. When Albanese was transferred to the Foothill Division in 2004, the feral success against the rat infestation was parlayed into further wins for the police department. Devoted and long-standing in his efforts to rid the LAPD of its ongoing battle with rodents, Albanese is now assistant to the director of operations at Parker Center and ready to introduce the ferals to this downtown location. “‘I think it’s a very humane way to deal with a very stubborn problem,’” said Albanese.

Today, the Southeast Division of the LAPD also has six feral cats on rat patrol. The cats at Southeast know who to rely on for their daily meals, Officer Sandra Magdaleno, given the unofficial title of the “cat whisperer” by fellow Officer Mark Miraglia. Magdaleno’s commitment to honoring and protecting the lives of her four-legged colleagues isn’t confined to a 40-hour work week. On Magdaleno’s days off, she drives all the way from her home in Temecula back to the police station in Los Angeles to make sure that her feline work force is well cared for.

Currently, the Central Division of the LAPD is also looking forward to “employing” feral cats to tackle the same challenge.

Kudos to the LAPD for acknowledging feline power and using it to their advantage. Equal praise goes to Voice for the Animals and their establishing of Working Cats program. Let their smart solution serve as a blueprint for the world – specifically for other police departments, city halls, and the business community inclusive of owners of hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, apartment buildings, corporate offices – wherever there is human life.

Ideally, voucher programs will soon be established by local governments employing the community – especially able-bodied senior citizens – to care for this elegant work force that just may hold the fate of mankind in its paws.

Leave it to the cats to teach us a lesson: the greatest power is in not having to use it.



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Fishing Cat

By Omer Ashraf
Fishing Cat is another unique example of the great abilities and diversities of the cat family. Found in a range extending from Indochina, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Java it inhabits mainly water bound areas including rivers, mangrove swamps, creeks and thickets up to a height of five thousand feet.

Somewhat similar to other wild cats of this size, the Fishing Cat has a broad head, short tail and sturdy built. Coat is marked by dark spots that may form stripes over spine. Ears are short and round while the nose is of a flattened appearance. Feet are somewhat webbed that enables the Fishing Cat to maintain a degree of traction on slippery muds, though it is now believed the webbing is not of any extraordinary extent. Claws are semi-retractable - again probably an adaptation for a greater hold on the surface. Size varies according to the distribution of the felid. The Indian Fishing Cat is bigger with length around four feet and weight approximately twenty five pounds, whereas the Indonesian cats, in the southeastern part of the cat's overall global range, are smaller with an average length of three feet and weight nearing twelve pounds.

Prionailurus Viverrinus, the Fishing Cat is a hunter mostly of aquatic animals, specializing in fish, frogs, mollusks and snakes. At the same time it does not spare terrestrial prey including rodents, deer, goats, dogs and even small wild boars! The opportunistic cat has also been known to go after birds and kills of other predators.

Solitary cats, they come in unison for mating primarily. Pregnancy lasts around two months after which a litter of one to five kittens is born. They are weaned off after half an year at the most and gain independence after one year of age. Lifespan is generally around ten to twelve years in captivity.

About the author:
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on fishing cat.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com