Cat Keeping Issues

Kelly Vorhauer, a fitness instructor in Atlanta, Ga., didn?t think twice about the thumping noise coming from her clothes dryer. She had put in a pair of men?s denim overalls, so she dismissed it as just the wet, heavy fabric swirling around inside. It wasn?t, though.

For thousands of years, cats roamed the great outdoors, where their daily survival depended upon interpreting a multitude of sights, sounds and smells.

When cat owner Amy Morgan adopted her second cat, Ruki, it was strictly the result of love at first sight. "A pet shelter had a cat fair set up on a street corner, and I walked by," says the 33-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y. homeowner. "Ruki was so runty and adorable, and I had just had a Bloody Mary at brunch! I couldn’t resist. I filled out the paperwork and took him home."

Air travel of animals is heavily controlled by Federal and State laws, but also by the individual airlines themselves. You must research each airline’s requirements before traveling, and familiarize yourself
with the general rules of air travel with animals.

First, search your property thoroughly. Cats and small dogs can get into some very strange and seemingly inaccessible places. Once you are sure your pet is actually lost (and not hiding!), follow these steps to help you recover him/her.

Taking a cat to a boarding cattery will inevitably cause varying levels of stress for them. Cats are such animals of routine that disturbing their normal habits and surroundings can even affect the entire personality of the cat. Its is therefore very important to choose a cattery carefully.

Your cat sits on her favorite window ledge, staring out into your backyard with a look of intense concentration. If she were a human, you’d say she was thinking about something really profound, such as the meaning of life or how to bring about world peace. But your cat’s just a cat. Cats don’t really think about things… or do they?

A cat will amaze you with her endless curiosity about the world around her and her ability to get into spots you thought were inaccessible. To keep your cat safe at home, remember these tips.

Cats can be mysterious creatures, and when they do something we don’t understand, it’s tempting to say they are reacting in human ways. But while cats certainly do have emotions, they are not always the same emotions we would have in the same situations. Let’s take a look at two common situations in which we often ascribe human emotions to very feline behaviors.

The decision to bring home a new cat or kitten is very exciting, and is not a choice to be made lightly. Cats can live 20 years or even longer, and getting a new pet is a lifelong commitment. When you’re sure you want a cat, the next question is, just where do you find him? In the newspaper, the humane society or animal shelter, your best friend’s cousin’s farm, or at a prestigious cattery? Each of these may contain the feline companion you’ve been seeking. A little more information may help with the decision.

Cats almost always prefer to stay at home in their own territory, even when you are away. Still, sometimes you just have to take kitty along. Here are some tips to help make flying less stressful for both of you.

Whether your are planning a holiday visit to the in-laws or contemplating a long family vacation, traveling with your cat may be in the cards.

How can the harmony of your home be most quickly disrupted? By finding that your beloved, formerly fastidious cat has relocated her bathroom from the litter box to the living room carpet.

At Cat Fanciers’ Association cat shows, each cat is judged according to a common standard for its breed. Color and characteristics of the breed are the two principal designations that set champion cats apart.

One of my cats is large, white and fluffy and is called Sheep. Well actually, she’s called Cindy but mostly she gets called Sheep. Not that this makes any difference to Cindy who doesn’t answer to either name unless food is involved. My friend Kate came to visit us one weekend and saw a large, fluffy white thing on the back lawn. "Ooh look – sheep!" said Kate. Kate was 39 years old at the time, but in her defence she’s the daughter of a sheep farmer and automatically identifies all fluffy white things seen against a backdrop of grass as sheep.

If you have ever lost your cat it can be an upsetting experience. Most cats don’t actually run away or stray from home. We all know cats like to explore new places, sometimes, though, this could end up with them getting trapped.

Moving home can be a traumatic experience for a cat. A frightened cat, unused to upheavals or disoriented by a house move, risks straying during or after a move. Every year, thousands of cats become strays when their owners move house. Make sure your cat isn’t one of them.

Britain has an estimated 7 million pet cats, less than 10% being pedigrees. The United States has around 60 million pet cats, 40% being pedigrees. Around a quarter of British households own cats compared to nearly a third of American households. Many American cat lovers prefer to call themselves ‘caregivers’ rather than owners.

This argument has been raging for years: should cats live indoors or be allowed outdoors? There are many reasons why people allow there cats to go outside: the cats get more exercise, they do not scratch as much inside, cats like to hunt, cats do better, cats hate being inside. But there are many valid reasons for cats to live indoor exclusively and never step foot outside. Talk to five people and you may get five different answers as to the best life for cats. Let’s look at each – starting with outdoor cats.