Choosing the Perfect Pet Cat

Are you thinking about bringing home a friendly feline friend? If so, there are several things you should keep in mind when deciding upon the type of cat you want to join your family. By giving it some thought before you bring your new pet home, you will be more likely to be happy with your decision and to enjoy its companionship for years to come.

Check Out the Personality

Just like humans, cats come in a variety of different personalities. Some cats are very playful and friendly while others simply like to lounge around. Similarly, some cats are always on the move while others prefer to relax in their owner’s lap. Therefore, you will need to decide whether you want a cat that is playful and energetic or if you want one that will curl up on your lap and let you pet it all night.

Of course, you can spend some time with the cat in order to get a better idea of its personality. You can also often get an idea of the personality type simply by looking at the cat. Cats that are heavier, shorter bodied, and broader tend to be more laid back. Those with more slender bodies and longer legs, on the other hand, tend to be more active.

Consider the Age

While kittens are certainly cute and cuddly, they aren’t necessarily the best choice for a pet cat. Taking care of a kitten can be a lot of hard work. In addition, kittens tend to be quite destructive, which can be very frustrating at times – particularly if your favorite furniture gets destroyed along the way. Getting a new cat while it is still a kitten can be a good way to bond with your new pet from early on in its life, but getting an adult cat can be less frustrating and can give you a better idea of the personality you will see after you bring your new pet home.

Choose the Right Hair Length

When you explore your options for a pet cat, you will find that there are plenty of longhaired and shorthaired cats to choose from. So, which type is best for you?

While longhaired cats can be quite beautiful, keep in mind that they do require more grooming than shorthaired cats. For some pet owner’s the act of grooming the longhaired cat’s fur is enjoyable and perceived as one more way to bond with the pet. Others find grooming to be a chore. If you are looking for the option that is best when it comes to shedding, longhaired cats are actually a better choice. No matter how long your cat’s hair, it will shed during the summer. Longhair, however, is usually easier to clean out from furniture and clothing than shorthair.

Decide on the Right Number characteristics

If you don’t already have a cat, you might want to consider getting more than one at a time. While research has shown that single cats can be happy in a household, they tend to be even happier when there is more than one cat in the family. Having another cat in the house also helps reduce the amount of trouble the cat gets in because it is less likely to be bored and seek out mischief.

Various cat breeds

Abyssinian Cat
American Bobtail
American Curl
American Shorthair Cat
American Wirehair
Balinese
Bengal
Birman
Bombay Cat
British Shorthair
Burmese
Chartreux
Colorpoint Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Egyptian Mau
Exotic Shorthair
Havana Brown Cat
Himalayan Cat
Japanese Bobtail
Javanese
Korat
Maine Coon
Manx
Norwegian Forest Cat
Ocicat
Oriental Longhair
Persian
Pixie-Bob Cat
Ragdoll
Russian Blue
Savannah Cat
Scottish Fold
Siamese
Singapura
Snowshoe
Somali cat
Sphynx
Tonkinese
Turkish Angora
Turkish Van

Diet and Feeding of a Cat

Cats are classified as obligate carnivores, because their physiology is geared toward efficient processing of meat, and lacks efficient processes for digesting plant matter. The cat cannot produce its own taurine (an essential organic acid) in its own body and as it is contained in flesh, the cat must eat flesh to survive (see Taurine and cats). Similarly as with its teeth, a cat’s digestive tract has become specialized over time to suit meat eating, having shortened in length only to those segments of intestine best able to break down proteins and fats from animal flesh.The trait severely limits the cat’s ability properly to digest, metabolize, and absorb plant-derived nutrients, as well as certain fatty acids. For example, taurine is scarce in plants but abundant in meats. It is a key amino sulfonic acid for eye health in cats. Taurine deficiency can cause a condition called macular degeneration wherein the cat’s retina slowly degenerates, eventually causing irreversible blindness.

Despite the cat’s meat-oriented physiology, it is still quite common for a cat to supplement its carnivorous diet with small amounts of grass, leaves, shrubs, houseplants, or other plant matter. One theory suggests this behavior helps cats regurgitate if their digestion is upset; another is that it introduces fiber or trace minerals into the diet. In this context, caution is recommended for cat owners because some houseplants are harmful to cats. For example, the leaves of the Easter Lily can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats, and Philodendron are also poisonous to cats. The Cat Fanciers’ Association has a full list of plants harmful to cats.[23]

There are several vegetarian or vegan commercially-available cat foods supplemented with chemically-synthesized taurine and other added nutrients that attempt to address nutritional shortfalls.

Cats can be selective eaters (which may be due in some way to the aforementioned mutation which caused their species to lose sugar-tasting ability). Unlike most mammals, cats can voluntarily starve themselves indefinitely despite being presented with palatable food, even a food which they had previously readily consumed.

Some cats have a fondness for catnip, which is sensed by their olfactory systems. While they generally do not consume it, they will often roll in it, paw at it, and occasionally chew on it.

History of Cats

The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small carnivorous species of crepuscular mammal that is often valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.

A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting. With 69 million of them present in American homes, cats are the most or the second most popular pets in that country. They are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the “Cat Fancy“.

Until recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated in ancient Egypt, where it was a cult animal. However a 2007 study found that all house cats are probably descended from a group of as few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats Felis silvestris lybica circa 8000 BC, in the Near East.