There are different cat types especially the breed they belong and what gene they are going to produce. Furthermore, in this type of cat, they have a unique feature that everybody loves to have as pets. In this article, you will know the detailed information regarding this type of cat.

You will know the different features of this kind of cats and why some people want to have them as pets. You will also learn those hairless cats are very affectionate as well as they are the best companion to have as well. Know the facts behind this and you will surely love the hairless cat.

WHAT IS HAIRLESS CAT?

Hairless cat or in other terms is called Sphynx or Canadian Hairless cat, was originated from Canadian cats in which the condition is due to a recessive genes that comes from both parents. Furthermore, hairless cats are not completely hairless; instead they have very short fuzzy hair that lies close to their skin which gives them a hairless appearance.

Since Sphynx have no hair to keep them warm, they clump themselves against other animals or people in order to get some warmth. Otherwise, they tend to sleep together with their masters under the bed covers to keep themselves warm. On the other hand, the features and characteristics of a hairless cat are:

• Their whiskers and eyebrows may be present; sometimes it is whole or broken, or else totally absent.
• Hairless cat have wedge-shaped heads, with have full round abdomen and have sturdy heavy bodies.
• You notice that the skin of a hairless cat has marking patterns.
• Sphynx have strong loyalty towards their masters and are very affectionate as well as they make the best companion to have.
• They have extrovert behavior and are very intelligent, have strong curiosity and have high level of energy.

That is why; most people want to have hairless cats because of these beautiful characteristics they display. Aside from that, when you love and care for them like the way you treat your family members, they will also love you in return. It is very amazing to have this one of your pets because they have excellent features which will attract people to care for them.

PROPER CARE OF HAIRLESS CATS:

When you decide to have a pet whether it is a cat or dogs or even birds, you should know how to care for them. You do researches and learn their characteristics so that you will understand their behaviors and can care for them correctly. Aside from that, when you show to the animals how much you cared for them, they will appreciate it and in return they will also care for you and love you that way you loved them.

Isn’t it amazing? Care is very important to them, especially to the hairless cats, because they will certainly give you their loyalty and trust. In order to have proper care of hairless cats, you should give them their basic needs. You should:

• Since hairless cats have no or limited hair, you should limit their length of exposure from sunlight because direct exposure of sunlight can prevent the development of sunburn and other skin diseases just like humans.
• Give the hairless cats a regular cleaning like bathing at least one bath a week.
• Never allowed your Sphynx to go outdoors unattended because they haven’t have the ability to conserve heat that is why, you should wear them pet-sized cloths and dresses especially during winter season in order to help them conserve energy. Additionally, careful observation of your Sphynx will help them avoid from danger since their curiosity can lead to this.
• You need to clean carefully the ears of your hairless cats, since they have more ear wax than an ordinary cat have. This is due to less hair present in the ears which can limit their protection against impurities in ears such as skin oils, dirt’s and ear wax. Moreover, cleaning of ears on a weekly basis before bathing is the best recommendation.
• Also, clean the areas of your hairless cat are surrounding skin folds and nails because the dirt easily accumulates in these areas due to lack of hairs. Always do the cleaning during bathing time with a weekly nail clipping basis.

This type of cat requires a lot of effort in daily hygiene and cleaning compared to other domestic cats. This is due to the limited numbers of hairs they have in which they prone to dirt accumulation because there have no skin protection. So, as their masters you should have the responsibility to take good care of your Sphynx.

COMMON HEALTH ISSUES OF SPHYNX:

Just like any other animals, there are health issues that hairless cat usually encounter. During their younger years, hairless kittens are typically vulnerable to respiratory infections due to lack of hairs. This is why; the mother of these hairless kittens or those breeders won’t allow the kittens to go alone without being on its mature age.

If the kitten is at least 12 weeks old, they are already mature to cope in a new environment. Another problem that a hairless cat will encounter is digestive system issues. Aside from that, long exposure of sunlight for hairless cat can bring skin diseases to them and even skin cancer, remember that Sphynx have no protective hair which gives them protection have the radiation of the sun. And lastly, most hairless cats are commonly encounters the typical feline diseases, so, it is very important to have them immunized against this disease causing bacteria.

Proper protection of your hairless cats will geared them against diseases. Remember that immunizations will give your cat strong protection that they can’t do, especially fighting against some diseases that will make them vulnerable because of their features which have lack of hair. This will give them limitation in protecting themselves from outdoor pathogens, which is why; complete immunizations are big help to their immune system.

CONCLUSION:

Having a hairless cat as pets plays a big challenge for you because they are not like the ordinary domestic cats that have fewer needs to tend. These kinds of cats are very expensive and require a lot of effort to care. You need show them how much you cared for them and loved them because this kind of cats shows great loyalty towards the person who cares for them.

The cats have different behavior that usually humans find it difficult to handle if not controlled. Their behavior only indicates their characteristics as cats and they only want to play to humans, that is why, certain instances if cats are not controlled with the way they move inside the house, sometimes they will create damages inside the house like the furniture, carpets and other household things.

In addition to this, proper training with your cats will manage their behaviors accordingly. Moreover, a good training ground with your cats will give you assurance that bad behaviors will be controlled and prevented in the future. Remember that it is the best way to train your cat as young as possible in order to correct the undesirable behavior that they manifest.

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS OF CATS:

There are certain behaviors that your cats will typically display their unwanted behavior in which it can bring destructions in your house things. These behaviors are:

• Unwanted scratching of cats can be a problem in you your home if this involves furniture, appliances and other things that can ruin the beauty of it. Sometimes, they make fond of the furniture behind and like to scratch it frequently. That is why; you need to protect your furniture and other appliances once you have cats inside the house.

• Furthermore, the proper way of preventing unwanted things to happen is to train your cat according to their right behavior and to the proper place to do scratching. This way, the cats will know the right from the wrong doings and correct whatever unwanted behaviors they will demonstrate. The best things to be done when it comes to scratching are:

§   You can apply on your furniture and other things inside your house some pepper or double sided tape in order to discourage their unwanted scratching.

§   Also, you can provide your cats some alternative things to scratch instead of the furniture at home. You can give them approved scratching post and provide them good rewards once they have done good in their scratching behavior as well as no if they scratch on not approved things.

• Some cats want to play along with your furniture by climbing and jumping from one to the other. This is the common behavior that a typical cat will demonstrate. The best way to prevent your furniture from destruction is to cover it with aluminum foil if you leave your house. This can be very effective among furniture protection against your cats.

• If you have fresh plants at home, a cat sometimes attracts playing with houseplants. They frequently do digging the soil, chewing the legs or urinating on the plant soil. This kind of behavior can ruin the beauty of your plants at home and it can mess up your floor. Which is why, the best way to prevent your cats from demonstrating this kind of behavior is to spray the leaves of your plants with bitter orange or dusting cayenne pepper this way, it can prevent the cat from chewing the leaves. On the other hand, for urinating and digging up soils, cover the soil with gravels or aluminum foils in order to hide the soils which can prevent the cats from digging up. Also, put some vinegar unto the soil in order to neutralize the ammonia odor of the cat’s urine.

• Climbing along with the curtain is sometimes displayed by cats. These kinds of blind are usually vertical stripes of plastics and can cover with different fabrics. In order to prevent injuries to cats or ruining your curtain, you can use vertical blinds instead, because cats cannot shred them, climb on them and cannot bend them. This kind of décor can add beauty in your house at the same time is indestructible by your cats. It is better the best option instead of using curtains.

• Other behavior that the cats usually display is cord chewing. They typically destroy the electrical cords at home because of constant chewing and biting, that is why it is prone to electrical accidents and fire if not easily resolve. In order to prevent the cord biting and chewing, all you have to do is to put something that is distasteful on the cords; this is to discourage destructions of the cord by cats. You can put substances like cayenne pepper, bitter apple, orange or lemon peel, tobacco sauce and nail polish. These things are very distasteful to the cats, which are why; when you apply it they will never do the chewing and biting of the cords.

These are only some of the common behavioral problems that the cat will demonstrate. And proper trainings and ways of preventions will be a key in protecting all your household things at home from the cat’s unwanted behaviors.

PROPER TRAINING OF CATS:

There are proper ways of training a cat so that they will know how to behave according the preference of their masters, if not completely yet can follow commands. Furthermore, in training a cat, you will require long patient and perseverance in order to achieve your goals. To train a cat you should never discourage them every time they make mistakes in the middle of your training. In the proper way of training:

• Encourage your cats to use stay at their litter box and remind them that it is a good place to have proper elimination. Aside from that, failure to use litter box can bring medical problems like diarrhea, polyuria and polydipsia and urinary bladder inflammation.

This way, you should practice proper cleaning when cats eliminates in their litter boxes so that you can prevent bacterial growth which will develop in that place and thus avoiding infections and other medical problems. And also, properly train cat in their right eliminating place will bring ease with you and they will never spread their waste somewhere else. On the other hand, if the cat won’t obey in the litter box, then probably, there are problems in it.

Try to examine carefully their litter box if there are overcrowding, there is a sudden change of litter box used, there is failure to change the dirty litter box and there is a change in the location of litter box. In this scenario, cats may fail to use the litter box. That is why, in order to be successful in toilet train your cat you need to remember all this things.

CONCLUSIONS:

A behavior can be tame if you know how to train your cats. It needs proper training and a lot of patient as well as dedication in order to achieve your goals.

Cats have odor that are very disgusting if it is not clean properly. Furthermore, they have unpleasant and distinctive odor that can pervade carpeting and furniture. Part of being their masters, you need to develop ways in eliminating cat odors especially their urines and feces waste because they produce strong odors which you will not.

Since they are animals, this are one way of their characteristics go release their waste everywhere, which is why you need to toilet train them very eagerly so that they will follow every instructions you will instruct especially when they need to defecate or urinate. This article will gives you information and tips in proper management of eradicating cat odor.

WAYS TO CLEAN IN REMOVING CAT URINE AND ODOR:

In removing the cat’s odor, you need to meticulously find ways in eliminating the distinctive odor which can be a big burden with you and with your family. That is why, there are ways in helping you how to clean and removes the cat’s odor in order to free your surroundings from the nasty odor that the cat brings.

• You need to locate the odor

• Cat’s wastes are very difficult to find, that is why patient in locating the waste of your cat have. Furthermore, using black fluorescent light this will aide you locate urine stains which situate on the walls, carpets and furniture of your house. Upon locating the odor, you need to remove the waste and manage the odor carefully.

• Use pet/cat odor remover

• Once you found the waste, remove it by using paper towels or toilet paper and manage the odor by using sprays containing solutions that consist of 15 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 2 tablespoon of baking soda and 2 squirts of liquid hand soap. Certainly apply this solution towards the stain of cat’s waste or around the odor areas then you need to rinse it with warm water. Another solutions which is very helpful in eliminating cat’s odor is the solutions which contains one part vinegar and two parts of warm water, this will use you as a spray solution towards the cat’s waste. These kinds of solutions are proven to be effective in removing both the urine odor and stains that the cat brings. Then after applying the vinegar to cat’s waste rinse the solutions with warm water afterwards. In addition to this, there is also another form of product that are very effective in removing the odor, this solution called Bio-Zet, a kind of enzymatic clothes laundry detergent. This is use when the cat urinates on your clothes or other clothing materials that is in your house. This product removes the odor as well as the stains that cat’s urine brings.

• Remove urine or cat waste from upholstery

• In cleaning the stains and odor from upholstery, you need to use paper towels and sponge with cold water. These are done by blotting away excess moisture and clean the area with solution with combination of vinegar and warm water, this will certainly removes the stain and odor that the cat produces.

• Removal of urine from carpets

• In removing the stain or odor in the carpet, you need to wet the area with paper towels then press the area repeatedly and apply bacterial cleaner which can remove odor and stains. Afterwards, cleanse the carpet, rinse it with warm water and let it dry. This way, the stain in the carpet will easily be removed and the odor is also eliminated.

HOME REMEDIES FOR ODOR REMOVAL:

On the other hand, if you are resourceful in seeking ways in removing odor, you can utilize the use of certain substances and solutions that found in your own kitchen. These are:

§   Listerine mouthwash- this finds to be very effective in eliminating cat odor. This is very more effective if you mixed it with water, peroxide or vinegar solution. Odors are eliminated because of the alcohol content in the Listerine mouthwash or in the vinegar solution.

§   The use of peroxide helps in removing cat’s urine and stains without discoloration on the surfaces especially on the carpets or any clothing materials.

§    The combination of vinegar and baking soda together with a mixture of soap will help in eradicate the odor and stains that cat brings.

These remedies will help you save your money because instead of buying expensive sprays solution, the solutions that are present in your own kitchen can be very useful also in removing the odor and stains. All you need to do is to be very resourceful and find ways to utilize your available resources.

WAYS OF HOW TO PREVENT REOCCURING OF CAT ODOR:

Everybody wants to prevent the reoccurrence of odor to come back, which is why; prevention is the best way to avoid the odor to come back. Remember that cat tends to return to the same area where in they have urinate before and knows where it is located since they have a strong smelling sense, even if their waste are already clean up. Additionally, if not cleaned properly, it can be a means of bacterial growth which can bring diseases unto your cat and also to your family. So, you need to develop some prevention in avoiding future reoccurrences of cat’s odor. This article will give you some tips in how to prevent reoccurrence of odor.

a)      Clean the cat’s litter boxes where they have been urinating and put some food, sandpaper and lemon scent. This way, the cats will not urinate again in that same place if any of these items are placed.

b)      Have your cat toilet train and be patiently waited until your cat knows how to urinate in the correct place. Also, upon training, always rewards and praise your cat in every achievement they achieve if your commands are met. This way, they will learn that urinating in the proper place will make their masters happy and will reward them in every good thing they have done.

CONCLUSIONS:

Therefore, odor elimination takes a process in order to eliminate the said problem. All you need to do is to follow the tips above or else find ways that will effectively remove the odors of cat’s urine and their waste. Most importantly, have your cat toilet train because this is the key to prevent future reoccurrences of odor.

Just like humans, cats have different publications that are very interesting when it comes to information regarding about cats. They give detailed information on how to take good care of this certain species, how to train it, there characteristics, features, and several things those are very helpful in understanding with regards to the behaviors of this kind of animals.

Also, it provides facts regarding cat issues like health, diseases and others. Just like the Feline Advisory Bureau or FAB in short, commit to provides information in the improvements of cat care. This articles show you what the services it renders towards cat takers are.

ABOUT FELINE ADVISORY BUREAU:

The FAB provides services and information regarding the proper care of cats and correct treatment when diseases arise. Aside from that, there are trainings and lectures that conducted by specialized veterinarians in order to provide skills and techniques with regards to cats care.

In addition to this, they organized lectures, meetings and other gatherings that conducted information drives which will enhance the care and provide proper disease prevention that will avoid danger among your pet especially cats. The Feline Advisory Bureau offers:

• Training schemes especially for those who wants to open and own boarding cattery, they teach on how to successfully run a cattery. In this way, they are train on how to conduct correct vaccination procedures for those cats who enters a boarding cattery. Aside from that, they will provide boarding cattery manual in which it emphasizes a comprehensive guide on having or producing a quality boarding cattery. In this way, the person who wants to run a boarding cattery will have a bright understanding or insights in coming up a successful business. Also, they are train to treat cat diseases and what are the proper ways in handling severely ill cat. On the other, in building a boarding cattery one should have proper planning especially in creating principles of a good cattery design, also they provide you insights in choosing the good type and site of cattery, planning carefully the excellent accommodation for cats especially their comforts upon boarding, others provides proper management of cattery, they teach on how to have good relationship among clients, they also provides proper training with regards to appropriate grooming, handling and the tender loving care among cats. Additionally, they provide assessment skills among cats who want to board on a cattery and proper collaboration of veterinarians as well as the right referrals if problems occur later on.

•  There are information drives regarding on the proper way of handling life threatening illnesses and destructive behavior. A train veterinarian will discuss various first aid treatments in dealing with serious health problem that are experiencing by your pet which is the cat as well as proper referral to veterinarians when problems are not controlled.

• FAB also arrange and conducts meetings, conferences which covers subjects like breed specific diseases and the techniques on how to manage this certain situations. Just click on the site where in FAB’s conference schedules are available so that you can come and attend to their conference and know the correct management in caring your cats.

•  The feline advisory bureau will provide their members a magazine in which it provides details regarding the latest medical treatments and feline information. In joining in this kind of organization, be sure that you have big interest among cats and you know by heart that proper caring is very important, and most of all, you will have an idea from veterinary surgeons on how to manage certain conditions that will manifest by your cats. As member of FAB, you have the opportunity to receive current publications, conferences and catteries which will give you certain details regarding cat care.

• FAB organizes charity that will help in raising funds regarding the funding of conferences, lectures and other information drives which will help in emphasizing proper cat care in general as well as helping a number of abandon cats and provides security especially in giving their basic needs. The members on FAB encourage having contributions on their charity and also, encourage other cat lovers to make donations in order to help other cats who are in needs of tender loving care.

The Feline advisory bureau also helps other cat lovers in training their pets, educating them in correct vaccinations on their cats, proper management when they are suffering illnesses and the right way of giving tender loving care. These organizations will surely a big help in among cat lovers for they provide a huge range of information when it comes to cat care.

That is why, your support to this organization is highly encourage and appreciated because millions of cats needs help like the FAB do. Remember that cat are like humans, they have life that needs to be preserve, value their lives and love them earnestly so that they will live a secure life away from danger.

CONCLUSIONS:

Cats have unique characteristics as pets; they are very lovable and easy to bond with. Their unique characteristics make them distinctive among other animals. That is why, proper care among cats are highly encourage, you need to undergo proper training like disease prevention, cat care and vaccination so that your cat will be strong in fighting disease causing bacteria.

Also, through this organization, cat lovers will have an opportunity to develop their skills in cat caring as well as can attend conferences in order to promote the health and welfare of cat. Therefore, this organization centers on the rights of the cat to live normally in this world and provide them an environment that are harmful-free.

Aside from that, information regarding cat care also adds to the understanding of humans especially to those who wants to care for cats. So, the FAB encourages you to support their advocacy on promoting the welfare of cats, learn more regarding the mental and physical needs of cats, need to fight against diseases, promote preventions of cats illnesses and showing the right love as well as care among cats.

Cats are very lovable creatures that everybody loves. Indeed they are one of the best pets that humans enjoy taking care of. Cats are very adorable and are very cute especially if they will play with humans. Aside from that, they are not difficult to train and handle with. That is why, most people loves to have cat at home because cats relieves their stresses of their masters and they have the ability to be protective towards their master. Also, they are adaptable creatures that are found in wide variety of habitats.

Just like dogs, cats have the ability to take care of their young ones and feed them eagerly, since they belong to mammals, they care for their young ones until they will be able to fend themselves. So, it is important to take good care of cats by loving them in return. As pets, be sure that you need to know the ways of how to care properly your cats, know their characteristics, allergies, proper food intake, etc. This way, you will learn how to adjust to them and will enjoy playing with these lovable creatures. This article will show you the dangers if your cat will suffer allergies and will teach you how to manage them carefully, because allergies can be put the lives of your cat into danger.

DEFINITION OF FELINE ALLERGY:

Feline allergy is an immune system reaction from foreign substances such as antigens or allergens to which the cat is exposed or encounters. Just like humans who suffers allergy, the common manifestations that the cat will manifest are:

• Respiratory system reactions like wheezing, sneezing, coughing and nasal discharges.
• Itching in localize or generalized area of the cat.
• There is reaction in the digestive system like diarrhea and vomiting.

Any symptoms that manifest by cats should be treated immediately because it can cause sudden death towards your pet. Immediately upon observing several manifestations of feline allergy should report as soon as possible to their veterinarian, a doctor who specialized in treating animals, in order to manage immediately the allergy that is experience by cats. Remember that prompt action will help your cat survive from death. It is your responsibility, as masters that proper management of any injuries that brings into your cat will be immediately reported to their vet so that immediate care will be implemented.

TYPES OF FELINE ALLERGY:

Allergies to cats come in various types. They have unique features as well as manifestations that it brings towards the cat. These are:

1. Food allergy

• This kinds of allergy is not typically develops for a short period of time, in fact it develops when cat eats it for a long period of time. Furthermore, this kind of allergy develops in response to the protein component of that certain foods such as pork, beef and chicken, aside from that cereals like corn, soya, and wheat as well as eggs are most common allergens to cat. On the other hand, the exact cause of food allergy towards cat are not yet known, however, researches shows that there is a sudden change of the cats immune system that reacts to food ingredients that is recognize as foreign then later on, will initiate inflammatory mechanisms to fight off the intruders in the cat’s body. Moreover, the common manifestations of cats suffering from food allergy are itching, respiratory distress including ear infection, sneezing, coughing, there is also a digestive disorders like vomiting and diarrhea. These symptoms usually appear in any age of the cats, it also depends on how long the cat is exposed to those foods. Additionally, the best management for any food allergy that the cat is experiencing is through meticulously monitors their diet in order to avoid burst out. Also, the veterinarian may prescribe certain medications like corticosteroids and antihistamines which help in alleviating the manifestations of food allergy.

1. Flea allergy dermatitis ( flea bite hypersensitivity)

• This is the common allergy that happens among cats. This is a skin disease that produces severe itch production reaction on cats skin due to flea’s saliva which is deposited in the skin, a single bite may cause extreme itching that they constantly scratch themselves and later on result to removal of their hairs. This usually leads to skin baldness; there are open sores or wounds on the skin which are prone to skin infection which is another problem. In order to get rid of this, the main treatment of fleas is to strictly control the fleas, this is done by applying topical products on the cat’s skin which can kill fleas and prevent the chance of flea attack. Also, daily washing and vacuuming especially on their bed and surrounding areas that will reduce flea population. If hypersensitivity is not control, the vet may prescribe antihistamine, essential fatty acids and corticosteroids that relieve the irritation on the cat’s body. Additionally, warm water baths for your pets together with anti-itching shampoos and conditioners can be a helpful and preventable treatment towards fleas since there is no cure with regards to flea allergy dermatitis. That is why, flea prevention is very important to avoid worsening of the problems.

1. Inhalant allergy or Atopy

• This is an allergic reaction to environmental and airborne substances like dust mites, molds, animal dander and pollens. When these substances will encounter by cats, hypersensitivity reactions occur and this will manifest by itching around feet, face, belly and the lower chest. Also, skin infections will usually develops once there are infected wounds. The treatments of this kind of allergy involves anti-itching therapies which includes medicated shampoos, conditioners and medications, immunotherapy which uses injections to relieve allergic reaction towards cats and the removal of the problem in the environment can help eliminate certain exposure. Aside from that, desensitization treatment can be beneficial and helpful in controlling the allergic episodes by injecting specific antigen towards the cat’s body; this is done by attempting to reprogram the body’s immune system which will later on become less reactive towards allergens that causes reactions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Therefore, you need to prevent these kinds of allergy that will cause severe problems towards your cat because you will not know how much danger it cost to the health of your pet. You need to be very vigilant in observing this so that further complications will be prevented.

History

The long coat of the original Persian was probably a mutation that developed spontaneously to cope with a cold climate, but since this cat became known in Europe in the 1600s, its beauty has been the spur to perfecting it. It is believed that the Persian was among the first breeds to be registered and shown, along with the Manx, Abyssinians and Domestic Shorthairs. Originally, they were called Longhairs rather than Persians, and this term was used until the early 1960s in the U.S. In Britain, they still go by the name Longhairs, and each color is considered a separate breed and may have a slightly different standard.

Today’s U.S. Persian came about from mating between the Angora and the Maine Coon cats. The early influence of the Maine Coon is still very apparent on the show bench, with many silver and tabby Persians retaining the larger and higher-set ears of that ancestor. With selective breeding and crossing only like colors, great advances were made in the setting of the Persian type. Many of the outstanding blues produced in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s eventually became the breeding stock of catteries in the U.S. These blues are still considered the yardstick by which every other color is judged, and any blue Persian being exhibited must meet or excel in its standard.

Description

The ideal Persian is a medium to large cat with a broad, stocky body, cobby in type and low on the legs. The chest is broad and deep, the shoulders and rump equally wide across, with a well-rounded mid section. The muscles are firm and well developed. The head is broad and well rounded when viewed from any angle. The forehead is domed with no vertical ridges. The cheeks are full and the nose is short, snub and broad. There is a decided horizontal indentation between the eyes, called the break. The chin is full and well developed in profile, with the chin, nose and forehead in a perpendicular line. The jaws are broad and powerful and the neck is so short and thick that it looks as if the head is sitting directly on top of the shoulders.

Persian Pet Facts

• Thorough daily combing, brushing is essential
• Can tolerate cool climate
• Double coat, very long, dense, thick, lively
• Loving companions, calm, gentle, relatively quiet

DID YOU KNOW that Persians…?

Although they may look helpless Persians can be able hunters.

The eyes are large, round, brilliant, set level and far apart, and the color must conform to the coat color. The eyes should be cleaned daily as part of the grooming routine. The ears are small, round-tipped, tilted forward and set wide apart. They should not be unduly open at the base, and should fit closely into the rounded contour of the head.

The legs are short, thick and straight with heavy boning. The feet are firm and well rounded, and long tufts between the toes are desirable. The paw pads should harmonize with the coat color. The tail is in proportion to body length, with considerable fullness.

The thick coat can be up to 6 inches (15 cm) long, and is soft, dense and full of life. There should be a long, full ruff. The main drawback is that the coat must be groomed every day because it sheds year-round and the cat will have problems with matting and hairballs if the dead hair is not removed regularly. Use a metal comb or a brush with long wires or natural bristles for the task. Many owners like to bathe their animals, and there are specific instructions for the care of different colors and coat types for show purposes.  Learn the tricks from enthusiasts at shows and from professional groomers.

Varieties

In Britain, each Longhair color has a slightly different standard for head and body type. In the U.S., all colors of Persians must compete to the same exacting dictates of the standard, which puts some colors at a disadvantage. It is not as easy to produce a silver Persian with the same head type and ear set as most of the other colors. In the U.S., pointed colors are called Himalayan Persians in most associations, although in some they are still classified solely as Himalayans and judged as a separate breed. In Britain, they are called Colorpoint Longhairs.

As well as being classified by color, Persians are further separated into divisions in each of which most of the colors can be found.  The solid division comprises the whites (blue-eyed, copper- eyed and odd- eyed), creams, blacks, blues, reds, lilacs and chocolates. All, except the whites, must have brilliant copper eyes.

The star of the shaded division is the chinchilla silver. This is a pure white cat with delicate black tipping on the ends of the hairs, brick red nose leather, and blue-green eyes. In the U.S., there is also a Shaded Silver class that calls for heavier black tipping and dark mascara markings on the face, but in Britain, there is only one class of silvers. Other lovely colors in the shaded division include goldens, cameos (white cats with red tipping), as well as chinchilla and shaded versions of the entire solid colors. Eyes must be copper, except for the silvers with blue-green eyes, and the goldens with green to hazel eyes.

Next comes the smoke division, with such colors as cream smoke, black smoke, blue smoke, cameo smoke, lilac smoke, chocolate smoke and tortoiseshell smoke. This class calls for a solid white cat so heavily tipped on its outer hair with one of the above colors that it looks like a solid colored cat. The breathtaking beauty of the smoke is apparent when you blow softly down the back and the hair parts to reveal the snowy white undercoat. The smoke usually has copper eyes and a luxurious white ruff framing its face.

The tabby division consists of cream tabby, brown tabby, blue tabby, red tabby, chocolate tabby, lilac tabby, silver tabby, cameo tabby and tortie (patched tabby). Each of these comes in four tabby patterns, classic (or blotched), ticked, mackerel or spotted. The tabby patterns should be clearly distinguishable from the ground color and, except for the silver tabby, all eye color must be copper. These cats are quite striking in appearance.

The tortoiseshell division is the smallest and is composed of blue creams, lilac creams, chocolate creams and tortoiseshell (red and black). The pattern is comprised of the two colors randomly splotched over the cat. A dividing mark down the nose and under the chin (called a “blaze”) is desirable. The eyes should be copper colored.

The particolor (also called bicolor) division is made up of calicos-a white cat with red and black splotches-that are also called tortoiseshell and white, as well as a lilac calico, a blue calico, a chocolate calico, and any of the solid, smoke, tortoiseshell, shaded or tabby colors with the addition of white. The eyes should be a brilliant copper to orange color.

The newest division (in most associations) is the Himalayan. This covers colorpoint Persians that are lilac point, blue point, chocolate point, seal point, red point, tortie point and lynx point. The tortie and lynx points may be seal, blue, lilac or chocolate. All Himalayans must have blue eyes.

Temperament

Calm and gentle, the Persian is a lovable and appealing animal. It is hard to resist that little face, almost lost in fur, and fortunately, this cat enjoys being admired. It will pose, draping itself on a windowsill or chair almost like a piece of art. It has a quiet, melodious voice and responds to stroking with delighted little chirps and murmurs. The large eyes are also most expressive of contentment. The Persian enjoys company but is not demanding in this respect and is quite capable of entertaining itself while you are out of the house for a few hours without tearing the place apart. It has a quality of great stillness and serenity and will sometimes sit for long periods doing absolutely nothing except looking beautiful.

History

Siberian Forest Cats are not common outside Russia, but in their homeland, they are an ancient breed. The first cats of this breed were imported to the USA from Russia in 1990 and they are already attracting a great deal of attention. They have also been shown in championship competition in Europe. At present, they are not accepted in the USA by the Cat Fanciers association, although they can be shown in the other associations.

Description

A large, strong, well muscled cat, the Siberian differs from the Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest Cats in that the general impression is one of roundness and circles rather than wedges and angles. Its body is moderately long and substantial, with the back slightly curved or arched. The mature body should have an overall sausage shape with tight muscles and large bones. The head is a modified wedge of medium sized with well rounded contours, broader at the skull and narrowing slightly to a full, rounded muzzle and a well rounded chin.

The cheekbones are neither set high nor prominent. The top of the head is flat and the nose curves slightly in a gentle slope. The nose pad is a color that harmonizes with the coat. The eyes are large, expressive and almost round. They are set wide with the outer corner angled toward the inner base of the ear. Although the eyes are usually golden green, any eye color is allowed and it need not conform to the coat color. The medium large ears are broad at the base and set far apart. Tufts of hair on the tips of the ears are desirable.

The legs are moderately long with heavy bones. The paws are large and rounded and toe tufts are desirable. The paw pads are a color in keeping with the coat. The tail is medium length, wide at the base and blunt at the tip, with abundant hair.

On the body, the double coat is moderately long to long, with a dense, paler undercoat and full ruff. The thick coat is quite specialized to protect the animal from extremes of cold in its native land and the oily guard hairs make it water resistant and able to shed snow easily. The coat does not mat, but light, regular grooming is recommended, especially during spring and summer, when the heavy winter coat is shed. This will help to prevent hairballs.

Varieties

The Siberian Cat comes only as a longhair. Although brown tabby is the most common color, it may be any pattern or color or combination of colors, except colorpoint, solid lilac or solid chocolate. The longer hairs are pale near the skin, darkening toward the outer end. This makes the coat shimmer as the cat moves.

Temperament

The Siberian cat has a sweet personality to go with the sweet expression on its face. It is robust, and makes a loving, gentle and faithful companion.

“Hi, I have a snoweshoe male 7months old got neutered 2 weeks ago, he has been limping (hind leg) ocassionaly. I asked the vet when I followed up and he said it is growing pains? I was thinking maybe he was injured during surgery or could it be something more serious. I am really concerned info greatly appreciated.
Thank You
Lily”

Neutering is the removal of an animal’s reproductive organ, either a large part or all of it. Neutering is often reference to males, while spraying is usually sprayed for females. Both terms often referred by vets as ‘fixing.’

Neutering is the most basic and common sterilizing method in animals, and most animal shelters and rescue groups urge pet owners to have their pets neutered or sprayed to avoid unwanted pregnancies, which is the primary reason for overpopulation. Traditionally, both male and female cats are neutered at six (6) months old. The main purpose of neutering is to help cats for better socialization, health and control their population.

The most common concern among cat owners in neutering and spraying is the use of anesthesia to their beloved pets. Though, veterinary anesthesia today is safe, there are also some risks and side-effects, especially when the procedure cause some complications.

Understanding Anesthesia

There are two categories of anesthesia: the local anesthesia (numbs the nerves and relaxes the muscles of a specific body part) and the general anesthesia (where cats should induce unconsciousness to relax the entire body and hinder all pain sensations.

Recovery from Anesthesia

Most cats with healthy body who receive general anesthesia, will start to wake-up shortly after the administration of the drug, usually no longer than 24 hours to return to their normal behavior.

Advantage of Neutering

Neutered cats in cat shows, both male and female, are categorized as “alters.” Though a bit unfair, there is more competition in this class.

So why are neutered and sprayed cats in a different category? Neutering and spraying affect the cat’s appearance and behavior. As a matter of fact, one reason for the process is to alter the behavior of these animals, making them a better fit in the lifestyle of their masters.

Neutered cats no longer have predatory aggression and significantly reduce male dominant mentality and territorial aggression.

Neutering also hinders that male cat’s secondary characteristics, such as the developments of bulked up muscles and thick necks. Male cats become more hygienic, friendlier to other cats inside the house, tolerate more handling, they become more affectionate, playful, less vocal and demand more attention. Female cats on the other hand, become slightly more playful, friendlier to other cats, easier to handle, become more affectionate than males and less active.

Though the procedure gives a lot of benefits for you and your cats, there will always be risks and side-effects due to complications. Common concern of most cat owners after neutering their cats is the limping of their cat’s legs. Some soreness is to be expected, but not on the basis that your cat is limping.

If you think the condition is getting worse each day, then it’s time to take your cat to its vet. Your cat may have had an infection. The usual cause of this is their long hair down there, which can easily cause infection, as they normally lick their fur.

Call your veterinarian with your concerns. Any swelling in the operated area may be causing your cat to feel uncomfortable as he walks. If this is the case, then your cat might just need antibiotics and some post-operation pain medicine. If you’re not sure about your vet, then take some second or third opinions from other vets in your area.

“I’m having trouble figuring out the breeds of my cats. I have a few ideas, but would you be able to help?
(If so, should I describe, or send pictures??)

Thank You!!”

Unlike dogs, where there’s a significant percentage to identify the mix of two breeds; there are only about 3% of cats that are purebred. Thus, your cat is unlikely to be an actual breed. However, all cats show some characteristics which you will find in one breed or another.

If you’re suspecting your cat is a Persian/Himalayan (which is a fluffy fat faced cat – at least the show quality ones) or a Siamese (which is a skinny shorthaired cat), then you most likely are drawing attention to your cat’s coat color. If this is the case, then your cat must be a colorpoint – light on the body, dark on the extremities. The color of this kind of gene comes from the Orient, and so your cat (long time ago) does share some common ancestry with the purebred cats which sport this coat color and pattern in show halls today.

Having long hair doesn’t mean your cat is a DLH (domestic longhair), nor it a DSH (domestic shorthair). Also, there are lots of cat breeds that have evolved naturally, making you say your cat meets the standards of a particular breed.

Most of the time, multiple bloodlines is the common problem in determining cat’s identifiable features. Often, most cat owners acquire their cats from adapting, thus they are not quite sure of the exact blood strain of their pet. So if you’re thinking of commercializing cats, proper breed identification is a must.

So how do you really determine the breed of your cat? 

Measure height and weight

Weight holds a strong determinant in identifying cat’s breed. Thus, it is important that you take note of the weight your cat from its birth to its adulthood. Also, consider the gender of your cat in making your calculations.

Next, take note of the average height of your cat up to its withers. Also, measure the entire length of the body of the cat. The height and weight are two good identifiable factors for determining cat’s breed. Again, keep in mind that there are some differences between males and females, even if they’re on the same breed.

Feel the fur

Is it single or double layered? Some cat breeds have close lying single coats that are water-resistant and waxy. While other cats just have very thick fur with protective coat with distinctive layers (this is the double layered fur).

You can also measure the fur of the cat to help determine its breed. However, keep in mind that some breeds have both short and long-haired versions.

The markings

Then, take note of the various markings in your cat’s body. From colors in its body, is it plain colored, marked with stripes, spots or whorls, or is it marked with calico (solid blocks of red, black and white), or marked with tortoiseshell (interweaving colors of red, black and white).

Cat’s Eyes

Lastly, note the color and shape of your cat’s eyes. Normally, the outline, color and shape of cat’s eyes are specific to certain breeds. Siamese cats for example, have medium and almond-shaped eyes slightly slanting towards the nose. Their eye color range from ice to deep cobalt blue.

If you still can’t figure out your cat’s breed, you can always consult your veterinarian for professional opinion.

“I have a siamese cat that is very mean. He has a bond with my husband but everyone else he attacks. We want to get another cat but we are afraid that it will make bella meaner or it will make the two tag team us. We have tried everything to make him nicer and nothing works. Can anyone help with ideas on how to make him nicer or if its a bad decision to get another cat.”

Siamese breed is affectionate, loving, and playful and requires a lot of attention from its owners. Bored Siamese cats ten to find a lot of trouble to get into and may plot an escape route to find some fun outside your house.

Siamese cats are very devoted to its family. They are very sociable and outgoing and will meet and greet anyone at the doorsteps. Elderly people love this beautiful and elegant breed and affectionate nature. Some Siamese can be taught with some tricks, such as coming when their name is called and fetch.

Siamese however, is one of the most moody breeds of cats, and sometimes they can easily decide to ignore their person’s command. They are also very playful, and they can make up their own games to entertain themselves. Two of their most favorite playtime antics are hide and seek and carrying out sneak attacks on unsuspecting guest and family members inside the house.

Cat’s bad behavior often results from owners not understanding how their cat’s behavior is shaped. You can’t train cats the same way as dogs, they can’t be disciplined with violence, as things can only get worse or they often choose to run away and avoid you. Cats also don’t respond with master-servant relationship. However, it is also possible to train cats to be more obedient and docile.

First thing you can do is to bring your cat to the vet to check for any medical conditions that may be causing your cat’s bad behavior. Aggressiveness can be attributed to emotional or bladder problems. Also, boredom can easily change your cat’s behavior for the worse.

Second, reinforce your cat’s good behavior by treating them with food or toys. Positive reinforcement is always better than the negative. Reward your cat when it does something good. To reduce you rewards and treats, you can keep praising and playing with your cat. If you want to use food as a treat, try to give it before it has eaten, they will respond better when they’re hungry. Remember not to underfeed your cat, as this can worsen bad behavior.

Third, ignore your cat’s bed behavior. If your cat is scratching or biting you while you play, stop playing with it and walk away. Continue to walk away until it stops following. Never yell or speak to it, as you will only give it attention.

Also, you can deter your cat with negative response if it’s impossible to ignore its bad behavior. You can use a “hiss” to it from ripping upholstery, biting electrical cords, defecating on carpet or sofa, etc. Never hiss your cat unless it’s intolerable, or it will start to distrust you and feel anxious with your presence.

Fourth, flick some water if all those steps have failed. Never use spray bottle, as this will only associate a negative discipline with the bottle, and not in you. Flick water only when it is unavoidable, and don’t over do it. You may bathe your cat from time to time though, as you don’t want to aggravate your cat’s aversion to water.