So You Want a Cat or Kitten?
By David the Dogman
A cat or kitten makes a very worthwhile pet, providing that
it is properly cared for. If you have taken, or are about to
take a stray or rescued feline into your home, then you are
actively helping such organisations as The Cats Protection
League in their work. There are many more such cats than there
are homes available. Before you take on the responsibility of
owning a cat or kitten please think carefully about what it
will involve.
- Cost of feeding and veterinary treatment (including the
cost of vaccinations and neutering).
- Making time for play, grooming and companionship.
- Being prepared to accept that it may catch birds and other
prey.
- Ensuring adequate arrangements for when you are away from
home.
- Making sure your cat or kitten will not become a nuisance
to neighbours.
KITTENS
Kittens are old enough to leave their mother at eight weeks.
A pretty, lively kitten can be an attractive proposition.
Remember, however, that he or she will become a cat after six
months perhaps for the next 14 years. A kitten should be yours
for life!
NEUTERING
One female cat can, in five years, be responsible for some
20,000 descendants and many of these must inevitably become
homeless, with a life that offers only misery, hunger and
disease. I strongly recommend neutering of all cats not
required for breeding in order to keep down the number of
strays.
Both male and female cats can be neutered at six months or
older (please be guided by your vet). In the case of the male,
a simple routine operation only is involved. The female
requires a longer operation which, although routine, usually
necessitates a return to the veterinary surgery after seven to
ten days for the removal of stitches.
Neutering produces a much more satisfactory and enjoyable
pet. A neutered male should refrain from spraying about the
house and leaving an unpleasant smell; he should also be
disinclined to wander or to fight. It is not correct that a
female cat should be allowed, on humane grounds, to have one
litter before neutering.
FEEDING
No matter how well we provide for our felines in terms of
warmth, safety, companionship and health care, the one thing
that finally attracts and binds a cat is the food we provide.
Throughout his life a cat will have a variety of of dietary
needs according to its age and state of health. A cat who does
not receive a balanced and varied diet may well move elsewhere!
DAILY LIFE
SLEEP
Cats are great preservers of energy and spend about two
thirds of their life asleep. Provide a basket or cardboard
box, raised from the floor to exclude draughts and line it
with a small blanket.
Give a kitten a chance to sleep for a good deal of the day.
Remember, he is a young animal, not a toy and children should
be taught to respect him as such and allow him to sleep.
TOILET TRAINING
Cats are naturally clean animals but a new kitten needs to be
shown what is required. Provide a litter tray, filled with
commercial cat litter (the wood-based litter is flushable).
Keep it in the same place, easily accessible to the kitten,
and make sure it is cleaned regularly. Take the kitten to the
tray after meals and on waking up from sleep. If there is
access to a garden, introduce him to it gradually and he will
soon learn to make his own toilet arrangements.
HANDLING
Contrary to popular belief, it is quite wrong to pick up a
cat or kitten by the scruff of his neck; this can damage the
muscles. Hold the cat or kitten with one hand under the chest
and with the rest of his weight supported by your other hand.
Kittens particularly must be handled gently as their bones are
fragile.
GROOMING
Regular grooming of your cat is advised, especially for long-
haired cats. Brushing and combing will remove loose hair, dirt
and dust and the occasional flea that he may pick up. Grooming
also helps to prevent fur-balls which can be harmful and form
in the cat's stomach when he constantly licks loose fur. Daily
grooming also ensures time devoted exclusively to your cat,
which is important with today's frantic pace of life. Your cat
can be forgotten amidst the many other demands on your time.
EXERCISE & FRESH AIR
All cats need exercise and, to keep your cat fit and to
protect your furniture, a scratching post is a good
investment; alternatively, you might bring in a log or make a
scratching board to help your cat to keep his claws sharpened.
This will assist him to flex his muscles and to shed old claw
sheaths. Scratching posts also enable the cat to mark his
territory as a scent is deposited (undetectable by humans)
through his claws - this makes him feel at home and usually
stops the need for him to do this on the furniture.
Toys, such as table tennis balls, cat-mint mice or a cotton
reel, are usually acceptable and keep him active.
Fresh air and sunshine are necessary to us all and, if your
cat or kitten is confined to a flat without an enclosed
balcony, fit a wire frame into one window to admit air and
sunshine without the risk of his falling from a height.
White cats however are very susceptible to the harmful rays
of the sun and should be kept out of it as much as possible
especially during the hours when it is most damaging.
It is unsafe to allow cats out on narrow ledges or open roofs
several floors above the street. Many animals are injured and
killed every year through lunging at a bird or butterfly and
missing their footing. It is not true that a cat will 'always
land on its feet'.
YOUR CAT AT NIGHT
Cats should never be shut out at night. Apart from the
callousness of picking him up from a warm, comfortable snooze
on the hearth rug and putting him out in the cold, there are
the risks of road accidents and stealing. Most road accidents
to cats take place during the hours of darkness. Cat stealing,
unfortunately, does go on and mostly at night. Keep your cat
safely in at night and provide him with a litter tray.
You never own a cat!
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Copyright © 1997 by David Klein. Do you have any problems with
your pet? Then why not send your problem to DAVID THE DOGMAN.
David is a Canine Behaviourist who works and lives in Marbella,
Spain. Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388. His web site is located at:
http://www.thedogman.net. David has his own radio and TV shows,
and writes for many newspapers and magazines. David has been
working with dogs for many years and started his career in
Israel, working on the Border Police. He has been involved in
all forms of training, including air sea rescue, air scent
work,and has trained dogs for finding drugs. David has devoted
the past 10 years to studying behaviour and the very passive
approach. He does not use choke chains, check chains, or any
form of aggression.
David The Dogman is available for private consultations in your
home, for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388
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