Author: Bridgitte Williams
Persian cats have always been a favorite breed with cat owners.
They make wonderful pets and have their good points and bad points.
On the Pro list, they are very beautiful to look at and generally have a sweet disposition, a quiet manner and regal character. They usually tolerate everything and walk off if bothered.
They are very gentle, by nature. Another Pro is the variety of colors they come in.
You have silver, white, black, red, multicolored and golden shades, just to name a few.
They are an ornament to your life and home. They make attractive pets to look at.
They have lovely fur and are not usually prone to be destructive in any way.
Persian cats usually adjust quite well to new surroundings quickly although some can be shy around loud noises.
There are some other things you need to know. This will help you adjust to possible problems of owning that may occur.
The Cons of owning a Persian cat are the shedding of hair, the possibility of runny eyes, as Persians seem prone to this and they may also have some grooming problems.
Usually only older Persian cats have a tendency not to groom themselves.
Some owners have their Persian cat shaved by the vet occasionally if grooming becomes a problem.
It is always best to be aware of all these facts before owning a Persian cat.
Persian cats make delightful pets and will bring you much joy.
They tend to live long lives and get very attached to their owners.
In summary, this breed will make a wonderful addition to your family and a great pet as long as you are prepared for all of these things.
About The Author
Bridgitte is retired and a persian cat owner. Her webpage can be found at http://All4Webs.com/i/3/bridgitte/home.htm
Save Your Furniture, Sanity and Your Cat Claws!
Author: Mary Amos
New cats and kittens are a fantastic addition to any family. But after you’ve bought the litter tray it’s time to worry about the furniture. You see cat’s love to scratch. They actually need to scratch and if you’re not careful they can quickly ruin your prized furniture. But before you give up hope there are things you can do to protect your furniture without having your cat de-clawed.
You need to encourage your cat to scratch a scratching post rather than your furniture. An understanding of why cats scratch will help us here!!
Cats scratch for many reasons. They scratch as a way to exercise and to tone their muscles. They also scratch as a way to stretch. They have scent glands in their paws so cats scratch to scent and mark their territory. They love to dig their claws into the post, (or your furniture!), not because they want to ruin it but as a way to clean and sharpen their claws. Oh we almost forgot they scratch and claw because it feels sooooooo good!!
So you can see that scratching is a cat’s natural behavior and should be supported and encouraged to keep your cat fit and healthy. If your cat is scratching the furniture you’ll find that physical punishment does not work and will alienate your cat. Sometimes a stern word or a loud clap will stop kitty while you’re there, but what happens when you’re gone?
For a happy cat and a harmonious household with intact furniture the following tips may be of use:
The most important thing you can do is to buy a scratching post BEFORE you get the cat. This way the post will be an integral part of the cat’s environment when it arrives. Once a cat has established a behavior it’s very hard to break.
Ideally buy more than one post and place them in the areas that you think the cat will use most often. At a minimum place one near where the cat will sleep. Cats love to stretch when they wake up – who doesn’t.
Buy a stable post, one that doesn’t wobble and feels very sturdy. Cats really dislike instability and if the post falls over its very unlikely the cat will ever use that post again. Look for a good solid base and the post should feel well made – not flimsy.
Place a post in your main family area. Your cat wants to be part of the family spend time with you. There’s nothing nicer than a cap napping in your lap on a winters day. After a hard hour or so sleeping in your lap its time to stretch. I hope there’s a post nearby or there goes the furniture!
At the outset you will need to encourage the cat to scratch the post. You don’t need to show your cat how to scratch – it already knows!! Try rubbing some cat nip on the post, or tie toys and string on the post. Play with the cat around the post so that it gets used to clawing the post. Trailing wool or string up the spot will encourage clawing and is my favorite method!
Make sure the post is big enough. Your cat should be able to fully stretch on the post, so look at a minimum height of 3 feet. Cats love to dig in their front claws and arch their back to stretch their front legs. This is difficult to do if the post is too short. Beware, if the post is too short then your cat will find out that human furniture is an ideal height!
Play with your cat. Keep it happy and entertained, especially around the posts and it will be less likely to take it out on your furniture!
Finally get a post that is course and can be destroyed. Cat’s love rough surfaces. They will happily pull and tear at their post and enjoy watching it deteriorate. Nylon backed carpet makes an excellent post covering, as is sisal rope. A cat can really get its claws into both these materials. If you currently have a cat which is scratching and clawing the furniture then look for a post made from similar material. If you can’t find the ideal post try making your own.
About The Author
Mary Amos is a cat lover and long time cat owner. Find more articles and resources on cat furniture at http://www.catfurnitureweb.com.
New cats and kittens are a fantastic addition to any family. But after you’ve bought the litter tray it’s time to worry about the furniture. You see cat’s love to scratch. They actually need to scratch and if you’re not careful they can quickly ruin your prized furniture. But before you give up hope there are things you can do to protect your furniture without having your cat de-clawed.
You need to encourage your cat to scratch a scratching post rather than your furniture. An understanding of why cats scratch will help us here!!
Cats scratch for many reasons. They scratch as a way to exercise and to tone their muscles. They also scratch as a way to stretch. They have scent glands in their paws so cats scratch to scent and mark their territory. They love to dig their claws into the post, (or your furniture!), not because they want to ruin it but as a way to clean and sharpen their claws. Oh we almost forgot they scratch and claw because it feels sooooooo good!!
So you can see that scratching is a cat’s natural behavior and should be supported and encouraged to keep your cat fit and healthy. If your cat is scratching the furniture you’ll find that physical punishment does not work and will alienate your cat. Sometimes a stern word or a loud clap will stop kitty while you’re there, but what happens when you’re gone?
For a happy cat and a harmonious household with intact furniture the following tips may be of use:
The most important thing you can do is to buy a scratching post BEFORE you get the cat. This way the post will be an integral part of the cat’s environment when it arrives. Once a cat has established a behavior it’s very hard to break.
Ideally buy more than one post and place them in the areas that you think the cat will use most often. At a minimum place one near where the cat will sleep. Cats love to stretch when they wake up – who doesn’t.
Buy a stable post, one that doesn’t wobble and feels very sturdy. Cats really dislike instability and if the post falls over its very unlikely the cat will ever use that post again. Look for a good solid base and the post should feel well made – not flimsy.
Place a post in your main family area. Your cat wants to be part of the family spend time with you. There’s nothing nicer than a cap napping in your lap on a winters day. After a hard hour or so sleeping in your lap its time to stretch. I hope there’s a post nearby or there goes the furniture!
At the outset you will need to encourage the cat to scratch the post. You don’t need to show your cat how to scratch – it already knows!! Try rubbing some cat nip on the post, or tie toys and string on the post. Play with the cat around the post so that it gets used to clawing the post. Trailing wool or string up the spot will encourage clawing and is my favorite method!
Make sure the post is big enough. Your cat should be able to fully stretch on the post, so look at a minimum height of 3 feet. Cats love to dig in their front claws and arch their back to stretch their front legs. This is difficult to do if the post is too short. Beware, if the post is too short then your cat will find out that human furniture is an ideal height!
Play with your cat. Keep it happy and entertained, especially around the posts and it will be less likely to take it out on your furniture!
Finally get a post that is course and can be destroyed. Cat’s love rough surfaces. They will happily pull and tear at their post and enjoy watching it deteriorate. Nylon backed carpet makes an excellent post covering, as is sisal rope. A cat can really get its claws into both these materials. If you currently have a cat which is scratching and clawing the furniture then look for a post made from similar material. If you can’t find the ideal post try making your own.
About The Author
Mary Amos is a cat lover and long time cat owner. Find more articles and resources on cat furniture at http://www.catfurnitureweb.com.
My Cat's Late Night Visitors
Author: Robert Wilson Alexander
My cat Spike is very laid back . He’s a lover, not a fighter, so it was with surprise that one morning as I was feeding him his daily ration of cat food, I saw two scratches on his nose. He ate the food like he was famished, instead of taking a few bites then going somewhere to think the situation over. Normally he would then come back to his bowl and begin to eat again. At the time I didn't know there were raccoons eating his food at night.
Spike sleeps in the garage. He has a cat door to the outside, so he comes and goes as he pleases. Only on the coldest winter nights does he sleep in the house, preferring the solitude of his own kingdom where there is always silence after dark. His quiet time was shattered one night a couple of hours after dinner. I heard a noise in the garage that sounded like something falling from a shelf. I opened the door to the garage and saw a large raccoon scurrying from the cat’s bowl to the opening in the pet door. He scooted through the door to the outside, then turned around and stuck his head back through the door, staring at me as if I should be sorry for interrupting his dinner.
The next day surveying the damage to my exterior door, where the raccon had scratched and torn at the pet door to get inside the garage, I did some studying about the subject of raccoon removal. I found out that they are nocturnal animals, sleeping all day and feeding and roaming at night. I also learned that there are ways to remove raccoons without shooting them. They are as follows:
Remove their food supply! This sounded like such a good idea that I tried it and it worked. I brought the cat’s dish into the house. That didn’t deter the raccoon in the least. He chewed the lids off the five gallon containers that held the cat food, scattering it all over the garage. This dampened my spirits somewhat, but I was determined to drive him from our house forever!
Play the radio loudly in the areas the raccoon has invaded! They will think someone is talking and stay away! I turned the radio in the garage to a station that played rap music all night rap station and turned up the volume. If that didn’t do the trick nothing would. It didn’t work! Somehow he climbed up a bookshelf onto the top of a refrigerator where I had stored the cat food. He pushed it off onto the floor, dry cat food bouncing on the concrete floor like raindrops on a roof.
Trap the animals. I called the city animal control people and they brought me a trap. This was a big cage that would catch the raccoon without hurting it. The theory is that the raccoons would enter the trap, stepping on the trip mechanism as they ate the bait, (cat food), thus tripping the trap door. The raccoons would be caught, the city would then remove the animal to a safe place, miles away from my house and all would be peaceful again. Wrong! The only thing I caught was my cat Spike! Twice!
I learned that those traps do work, but raccoons are very intelligent. You have to put concrete blocks or some kind of barrier around the sides of the trap so they won’t put their paws into the cage and grab the food without springing the trap. Raccoons have paws with fingers that enable them to grasp food and stuff it into their mouths.
By this time I realized I had a family of raccooons. By now I had seen five; two adults and three young ones. The young ones let me take their pictures while munching on Spike's cat food. I reward them for allowing me a photo shoot. The older ones wait patiently outside the door until I finish shooting. They’ll finish up the food when I go back into the house. Spike the cat is sprawled in an old chair, yawning at the raccoons.
My wife thinks I’m nuts to have fallen under the spell of the adolescent raccoons. Since one of the young raccoons tries to get into the house every time the Maybe I am, but they are a lot of fun. I’ve ordered a sure-fire raccoon repellant that I know will work. It’s coyote urine. Sprinkled around the area the raccoons frequent, it will scare them away. They’re afraid of coyotes because they are one of the natural predators of raccoons. If this doesn't work, I'll order wolf urine.
About The Author
Robert Wilson Alexander is the author and sole owner of this article.
Bob Alexander is greatly experienced in the art of southern barbequing and leisure activity.
Learn to enjoy yourself with more of Bob's ideas.
Visit: http://www.bluefishbob.com
Visit: http://www.homeandgardenbob.com
My cat Spike is very laid back . He’s a lover, not a fighter, so it was with surprise that one morning as I was feeding him his daily ration of cat food, I saw two scratches on his nose. He ate the food like he was famished, instead of taking a few bites then going somewhere to think the situation over. Normally he would then come back to his bowl and begin to eat again. At the time I didn't know there were raccoons eating his food at night.
Spike sleeps in the garage. He has a cat door to the outside, so he comes and goes as he pleases. Only on the coldest winter nights does he sleep in the house, preferring the solitude of his own kingdom where there is always silence after dark. His quiet time was shattered one night a couple of hours after dinner. I heard a noise in the garage that sounded like something falling from a shelf. I opened the door to the garage and saw a large raccoon scurrying from the cat’s bowl to the opening in the pet door. He scooted through the door to the outside, then turned around and stuck his head back through the door, staring at me as if I should be sorry for interrupting his dinner.
The next day surveying the damage to my exterior door, where the raccon had scratched and torn at the pet door to get inside the garage, I did some studying about the subject of raccoon removal. I found out that they are nocturnal animals, sleeping all day and feeding and roaming at night. I also learned that there are ways to remove raccoons without shooting them. They are as follows:
Remove their food supply! This sounded like such a good idea that I tried it and it worked. I brought the cat’s dish into the house. That didn’t deter the raccoon in the least. He chewed the lids off the five gallon containers that held the cat food, scattering it all over the garage. This dampened my spirits somewhat, but I was determined to drive him from our house forever!
Play the radio loudly in the areas the raccoon has invaded! They will think someone is talking and stay away! I turned the radio in the garage to a station that played rap music all night rap station and turned up the volume. If that didn’t do the trick nothing would. It didn’t work! Somehow he climbed up a bookshelf onto the top of a refrigerator where I had stored the cat food. He pushed it off onto the floor, dry cat food bouncing on the concrete floor like raindrops on a roof.
Trap the animals. I called the city animal control people and they brought me a trap. This was a big cage that would catch the raccoon without hurting it. The theory is that the raccoons would enter the trap, stepping on the trip mechanism as they ate the bait, (cat food), thus tripping the trap door. The raccoons would be caught, the city would then remove the animal to a safe place, miles away from my house and all would be peaceful again. Wrong! The only thing I caught was my cat Spike! Twice!
I learned that those traps do work, but raccoons are very intelligent. You have to put concrete blocks or some kind of barrier around the sides of the trap so they won’t put their paws into the cage and grab the food without springing the trap. Raccoons have paws with fingers that enable them to grasp food and stuff it into their mouths.
By this time I realized I had a family of raccooons. By now I had seen five; two adults and three young ones. The young ones let me take their pictures while munching on Spike's cat food. I reward them for allowing me a photo shoot. The older ones wait patiently outside the door until I finish shooting. They’ll finish up the food when I go back into the house. Spike the cat is sprawled in an old chair, yawning at the raccoons.
My wife thinks I’m nuts to have fallen under the spell of the adolescent raccoons. Since one of the young raccoons tries to get into the house every time the Maybe I am, but they are a lot of fun. I’ve ordered a sure-fire raccoon repellant that I know will work. It’s coyote urine. Sprinkled around the area the raccoons frequent, it will scare them away. They’re afraid of coyotes because they are one of the natural predators of raccoons. If this doesn't work, I'll order wolf urine.
About The Author
Robert Wilson Alexander is the author and sole owner of this article.
Bob Alexander is greatly experienced in the art of southern barbequing and leisure activity.
Learn to enjoy yourself with more of Bob's ideas.
Visit: http://www.bluefishbob.com
Visit: http://www.homeandgardenbob.com