Manekineko Snowprincess Angel
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Cats make wonderful pets and most will easily adjust to a variety of lifestyles and living spaces. Every cat is a true individual, though, so it's important to take the time to choose a four-footed friend who's right for you.
A cat's personality, age, and appearance, as well as the kinds of pets you already have at home, are all things you should keep in mind when making your selection.
In choosing a new kitten or cat, you should be careful to look for several things that indicate good health and temperament.
Please check and ensure that:
The cat or kitten should be friendly and comfortable with people. A physically sound individual is active, bright, responsive, rambunctious, and eager to join in play. Beware of a cat that frequently runs and hides or sleeps more than normal.
Once a kitten has been weaned from its mother (usually at about 8 weeks of age), it is ready for adoption. Before accepting the new cat, a prospective owner should ask questions about vaccinations, nutrition, parasite control, and grooming.
What to feed, how much to feed, and how often to feed are common concerns of first-time cat owners. First, you should find out what the new cat has been eating. Even if you don't expect to stay with that diet, you should continue feeding it some of its old food as you gradually switch it to the new.
Balance and Variety
A balanced diet means one that contains all of the following major ingredients, in the ratios needed to ensure maximum growth and health:
Variety means supplying foods in a range of forms that will maintain and stimulate the cat's interest in the meals.
In order to meet the specific needs of a kitten, there are specially formulated food available. These contain the higher protein levels needed by a growing kitten.
Food intake is influenced by many factors. These are the cat's age, activity level, the ambient temperature, the cat's breeding state and the quality of the food.
Grooming is much easier if you begin the procedure when your cat is still young. This way, the cat will grow to accept grooming as a pleasant routine rather than as a desperation-based chore.
A good brush or a steel comb is a necessity for any cat owner. By brushing or combing your cat regularly, you can keep its hair coat clean, shiny, and sleek. Any loose fur removed during grooming will not wind up on the furniture, and your cat will have fewer problems with fur accumulating in the gastrointestinal tract. An extra benefit is that by regularly grooming your cat, you have an opportunity to examine the skin for parasites or disease.
A second necessity for any cat owner is a good set of nail clippers. Trimming the nails regularly reduces the likelihood of damage caused by sharp claws, and lessens the possibility of a nail growing into the foot pad and causing infection. Again, if you start the routine when the cat is young, you will find the task easier as it gets older. Ask your veterinarian for a lesson on how to trim your cat's claws.
Traditionally, cats have been spayed or neutered at six months of age or older. However, many veterinarians recommend performing the procedure at an earlier age to further insure against unwanted pregnancies.
Spaying (ovariohysterectomy) is the surgical removal of the female reproductive organs (ovaries, oviducts, uterus). It is a recommended procedure for all female cats that will not be used in a breeding program. The removal of the reproductive organs eliminates the behaviors associated with the heat (estrus) cycle (i.e., kneading, howling, restlessness); greatly reduces the incidence of mammary cancer; and helps to decrease overpopulation.
Neutering (castration) is the surgical removal of parts of the male reproductive organs (testes, epididymis, parts of the vas deferens). The benefits, besides preventing impregnation of a female cat, include the reduction of excessive aggressiveness, urine spraying, and the pungent odor of intact-male urine.
And PLEASE keep your kitties indoors!
