Cats good 4 the Heart

Feb. 21, 2008 (New Orleans) -- Your cat may bring you a lot more than unconditional love after a tough day.

A new study shows that cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases than people who have never had a pet cat.

The findings emerged from an analysis of data on nearly 4,500 men and women, ages 30 to 75, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. All were free of cardiovascular disease when they entered the study in the 1970s.
Over half, 55%, reported having a pet cat at some point in their lives.

Compared with cat owners, people who never had a pet cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack over the 20-year study period. They were also 30% more likely to die of any cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart failure, and chronic heart disease.

The results held true even after the researchers took into account other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, including age, gender, race, blood pressure, and smoking.
The researchers found no such link for people who had a pet dog.

The findings were presented here at the American Stroke Association's (ASA) International Stroke Conference.

Cat's Cloud

Daily Grooming

Unlike the shorthaired cat that uses his rough tongue to groom his coat, longhaired cats can't groom their coats themselves. Longhairs should be groomed, starting as a kitten, from 10 to 30 minutes a day. If not brushed or combed daily their coats become matted. Then you'll have to pay the vet or professional groomer a price for neglecting your longhaired companion. Special combs and brushes can be found at the pet store. Another plus of daily grooming is the fact that shedding of the coat will be reduced considerably. Daily combing because you will notice the amount of fleas on your animal during the grooming can reduce flea infestation.

Daily grooming also reduces the amount of hairballs your cat's digestive tract has to contend with. Cats usually shed their coat in cycles brought on by the length of daylight. If a cat is exposed to natural light only, he will shed in the spring and the fall. Other things that can cause a cat to shed its coat are fleas, an allergy, ringworm, or diet deficiencies. If an unusual amount of shedding is noticed, consult your veterinarian.

Bathing your cat is a no-no. If you frighten or make it nervous by trying to bathe it it can severely hurt its owner's face, hands, or eyes.

Cats have 5 toes on the forefeet and 4 on the handset. These need to be kept clipped or eventually you will find the cat using your furniture to wear down his claws. You can buy a scratching post or preferably get it a good size log with bark. Cats love to play with these and either item will keep the claws at a good length. Clipping can be tedious if you've never cut them before. Make sure that you don't cut the vein in the claw. If you do snip the vein don't expect your cat to let you clip them again. Vets and some pet shops will provide this service.

Toys are a big deal for a cat, so we'll consider toys an essential. Cats can be easily entertained if they want to play with you. Pet shops keep a large selection of toys on hand.

Mountain Climbing

Which Cats?

A cat's personality is more related to body shape than it is to breed.

The Siamese is the most active, curious, vocal, and intelligent of cats. Being a slim and elegant cat, it shares these traits with other breeds like the Cornish Rex, Oriental Shorthaired, Abyssinian, and Balinese.

The Persian is the easiest going of the breed cats. Others with this trait are the stocky breeds like the British Shorthaired, Exotic Shorthaired, and the Sacred Cat of Burma.

In the middle of the spectrum for body type and personality is the pedigreed American Shorthaired. It has a middle of the road personality.

Domestication of all the breeds will inhibit the development of the cat's behavior. They seem to never grow up. That is part of their appeal.

The domestic shorthaired, in other words, the alley cat; the mixed shorthaired or longhair breeds are usually free. These cats are not of show quality but they are every bit as adventurous and loving.

All cats are natural hunters. Don't try and change this trait, it's useless. It is instinctual and cannot be unlearned.

Cats usually are solitary animals. They could survive in the wild easily, as long as there is prey. Kittens are abandoned as soon as they are weaned. Half grown, they find themselves alone and on their own. In the wild this is a do-or-die situation and the kitten meets the challenge well.

Hunting is a three-step process for the cat, stalking, pouncing, and bites. The killing bite must be learned; the first two are instinct. The bite is learned by watching its mother kill prey and by having to kill a prey early. If the mother has not taught the kitten how and where to bite, it will complete the first two steps, then play with it then let it go. Both their hearing and their sight have developed for hunting. The cat's ears are tuned for ultrasound, able to hear the slight rustle of the grass where a mouse might be walking.

Lion's Cat

Things to Consider

The following are some things to look for when buying a kitten. Did the kitten seem alert when it was in a group of other kittens? Is the nose a little damp and cool, as it should be? Are the eyes shiny and clear? Is the area around the tail clean? If not it's probably a sign of diarrhea which may be a sign of bad health. Check its gums for signs of inflammation. The kitten with a warm nose or runny eyes should be avoided. Its ears should be clean and free of wax. Its fur smooth, shiny and soft with no patches of missing fur and absolutely no fleas. The skin should be scabless with no scratches. If there are scabs or baldness it could be ringworm. When buying a new kitten you should always get a money-back guarantee. At least a 5-day guarantee that way you'll have time to take the kitten to a veterinarian for a checkup. If the vet should find a serious problem you should be able to get a refund. Most cat breeders are reputable but you just might come across one that isn't, so get a money-back guarantee in writing. Many breeders will send a sales contract before shipping a kitten. Read it carefully. Always question any part of the contract you don't understand. If the kitten hasn't been registered yet you should get it in writing that the litter will be registered within 60 days and that you will receive the registration within that time. Never buy a kitten until it has been weaned. If you get a kitten that is not weaned you may very well have a lot of problems with it. So wait! The kitten should have at least one visit to the vet before you buy it. This is a precaution that should be high on your list. It will pay off in the long run. All kittens should have their vaccinations before the 3-month period.

Before Buying a new Cat

The price of a kitten depends on the breed, demand, supply, geography, and the number of surplus kittens the pet shop or the breeder has to feed. Somewhere between $300 and $400 is the average for the breeds around the country. Prices can be higher on the coasts. Prices for exotic or new breeds can be higher. There is no reason to pay more than $500 for a cat that isn't going to be used for breeding. Unless you just have to have a certain cat. Kittens for show will vary in price due to breed, demand, and potential. Persians tend to be higher. Finding one for less than $1,500 would be questionable. Remember, the more competitive a cat is likely to be, the more you can expect to spend. If you must have the kitten shipped any distance, that cost must be considered. Carriers for transporting the animal may be purchased at most pet shops. Depending on its size you can expect to pay between $30 to $35. The length of the flight determines most transportation costs. Short hops can range from $35 to $40, while longer flights can cost $100 to $115.

Suspect of A Crime

Buying or Addopting a new Cat

There are many factors that should be considered prior to just going out and buying yourself a cat. These factors should not be considered lightly.

Be prepared for a commitment that will last the cat's lifetime. Cats may live as long as 15 or 20 years and prospective cat owners should be prepared to feed, provide shelter, and healthcare for the entire period.

Are you able to afford to take care of a cat? Cats food is not cheap, and often can have unanticipated medical issues and high vet costs.

Do you have the time to care for your cats? Cats need time and attention to be house-trained properly and loved. People who have jobs that involve a great deal of time should consider very carefully their cats. Cause specially kittens, do not adjust well to being by themselves.

If you are living in a flat or an apartment you should make enquiries as to whether your building allows tour cats. Know your residence's guidelines before you get yourself a cat.

Make sure you or no one else in your family or the prospective cats owner has allergies. If you are unsure as whether you or your children are allergic to cats this can easily be done by spending a period of time at the home of a friend with their cats.

You should be able prepared to either spay or neuter your animal. There are far too many cats on the streets and in various animal rescue shelters annually. Spraying or neutering your pet will help allow unwanted animals to find themselves new homes.

Think about older pets, when considering a new cats. They are often easier to train into a home environment as in the most part they will already be housebroken.

Addopt a new friend or family member

Most people have owned cats all their lives, with childhood memories of various cats and their character, and they usually feel that home is not complete without a resident furry ‘friend‘. To some others, owning or addopt a cat can be a pleasure discovered much later in life. It is quite well known that we do not really ‘adopt‘ a cat, but are ‘adopted‘ by them, as have been demonstrated so many times in my own family and as well as friends of ours when they ended up having a couple of strays wondering into their lives, and subsequently becoming part of their families.

Mention that you have a cat, and most people will envisage a non-pedigree type. As a matter of fact, only about 10-15 percent of ‘adopted‘ cats as pets are pedigree animals. In general, though there are many people who can easily name a wide variety of dog breeds, they remain quite unaware of the extensive range of cat breeds that are available. There are perhaps several reasons for this. The first being that cats a very personal pets, they are not taken out for walks, or for trips in cars like dogs usually are, so we may not see very many breeds unless we come across them whilst visiting friends or relatives who happen to have cats in their households. Then some cat breeds have only recently been discovered or developed. Even when we come across new breeds, we may not notice the more subtle differences between them, as most are roughly the same size and have the same general shape and look. In this, cats are also quite different from their canine cousins, which vary from being smaller than cats to the size of small ponies. Another reason why we may not be so well aware of cat breeds is the way we sometimes acquire our kittens, many of which are given us by friends/relatives whose ‘mummy‘ cats have ‘accidentally‘ given birth to 1 litter too many; through magazines and newspapers advertising 'free' kittens; or from animal shelters. These are perhaps the more common methods in which we acquire our kittens.

When you do decide to have a kitten, it is a great deal of fun to have 2, instead of 1, and you will see much more of their feline behavioural repertoire as they play. Kittens enact the whole gamut of body language in their daily frolics, and this provides a wonderful opportunity to see just how much they can contort their agile bodies, or erect their fur on various parts of their bodies in their play fights. It does mean that kittens do often shoot around the house, and sometimes up the curtains together, and this is so pleasureable to watch, but they will also soon grow out of this phase when they become bigger and heavier.

Having 2 kittens keep them busy, and of course, its companionship for themselves when you are not home. Obtaining 2 kittens form the same litter makes life fairly simple, but, if you would like to own one of the pedigree breeds yet cannot afford twice the cost, you can consider getting a non-pedigree cat to go with it.

So enjoy their ‘furry‘ coat :p.

Why cats?