Cats

Keeping Your Cat's Weight Under Control Excess weight contributes to many serious health problems and shortens life, in cats as in people. Except in very rare cases, overweight is the result of overeating. Several factors determine the amount of...

Your Cat's Claws Cats have retractable claws. When the cat is relaxed, walking, or playing gently, the sharp claw is retracted into a sheath. When the cat needs a weapon or a tool, she unsheaths her curved claws by extending them forward and dow...

Indoor or Outdoor Cat? Which is better for a cat, staying indoors or being let outside? It's an emotional, never-ending debate, and I'll admit to mixed feelings. There's no question that cats are much safer indoors. Their risk of exposure to inf...

Typical Cat Behaviors Some behaviors seem supremely feline, and cats modify others to make whatever they do seem feline-specific. Let's take a closer look at a few of these. Purring Cat Nip Stress often causes cats to purr during veterinary exam...

Bringing Your New Cat Home Remember the adage about first impressions being important? The same principle applies to your cat's first encounter with his new home. His experiences as you remove him from the environment he knows and introduce him ...

Kitty-Proofing Your Home Many kittens and adult cats love to perch up high, squeeze into small places, run, pounce, and play with all sorts of things. All these actions are based on instincts that help your cat's wild relatives survive. In a hum...

Choosing an Adult Cat Kittens are cute, but, like all babies, they require time, effort, and patience. Besides, the cute little fuzzball stage lasts only a few short weeks out of a lifetime of more than a decade. For many people, a grown-up cat ...

Choosing a Kitten If you're getting a kitten, try to choose one you can see with her mother and siblings. If you can, meet the father, too, although this is often not possible. Every kitten differs somewhat from his parents and siblings, but man...

Cats and Allergies Many people are allergic to proteins in the cat's saliva (not to hair or dander, as commonly thought). Can you have a cat if you or a member of your household is allergic to them? Possibly! Of course, it would be unfair to the...

Choosing the Right Cat for You Whether you decide on a Domestic or a purebred, the next step is to become an informed consumer. Let's look at some of the general choices you have when seeking a feline friend—coat length, sex, age, energy, and ...

Purebred vs Domestic Cats Nonpurebred and purebred cats alike make excellent companions. In fact, about 98 percent of cats fall outside the purebred population. Although they are often called “mixed breeds” for convenience, this term is misl...

The Benefits of Living with a Cat Your child wants a pet, and you think pet ownership is a good way to teach responsibility. Besides, you're getting tired of the whining and pleading. How much trouble can a little cat be, anyway? More: 4 Bene...