Cat Lovers

The Bengal is a hybrid, resulting from the crossing of a domestic cat with an Asian leopard cat. The name Bengal doesn’t apply to the cat until the fourth generation, when they are considered to be the most stable and domesticated. Most pet Bengals are wild only in looks, not in personality. This breed is muscular, energetic, active, alert and intelligent. They get along wonderfully with other family pets.

Today Bengals are about the size of a large domestic cat. Female Bengals average from 7 to 11 pounds at maturity, while the more heavily muscled males can average from 11 to 18 pounds at maturity. They are known for their beautifully spotted or marbled coats with high contrast between the pattern and background colors. Bengals come in two coat patterns, spotted and marbled. The spotted should be formed in a random and horizontal pattern rather than vertical. Rosettes are preferred over plain spots but good contrast is more important. The marbled pattern should flow horizontally, and should resemble marble. Their colours come from the wild–black, brown or rust on bright shades of tan, gold or mahogany. Like its wild counterpart, an ivory version of the Bengal is called a snow. The preferred pattern is leopard spots, not tabby stripes, on legs and ribs. Ivory-to-white undersides and small, rounded ears also are desirable.

Temperament is of primary concern, both to breeders and to pet buyers. Modern-day, carefully bred kittens have loving, outgoing personalities. The instinctive suspicion of the wild cat has been bred out through careful selection. The two main things breeders look for are sweet temperament and a beautiful, wild appearance. First-cross (F1) hybrids are often shy, nervous, untouchable cats, much like their wild ancestors. Like mules, first-generation hybrid Bengal males are infertile, but their F1 sisters can reproduce. In subsequent generations, males are fertile so out crosses to domestic cats are no longer needed. In fact, they are undesirable because breeding back to domestics dilutes the wild inheritance.

Well-bred Bengals are affectionate, purr enthusiastically and are exceedingly intelligent, a trait probably inherited from the wild cat’s natural selection for jungle survival. They use the litter tray, like to climb and run, and are quick and curious about everything. Bengal owners report that their cats retrieve, learn tricks and love water, sometimes coming right into the bath or shower to play with human toes. When Bengals are excited, their tails fluff up into massive raccoon-like tails. Even as adults, Bengals are entertaining and playful, but as in other breeds of domestic cats, they vary greatly in appearance and behavior. In general, skittish, fearful kittens seldom become affectionate pets, but they may bond to certain family members. Bengal kittens often go through an ugly stage of fuzzyness between 2 and 6 months of age in which the clearly contrasted markings are spoiled and blurry.

This muting is probably nature’s way of protecting the young; baby cheetahs go through a similar fuzzy stage. Then, depending on the seasons, the fuzzy coat falls out and the coloration returns, unless, of course, the kitten was gray (tawny) at birth. All Bengals must have a black tail tip, regardless of body color. The marbled has no counterpart in the wild, and in captivity no two marbled Bengals are alike. The pattern may be sharply defined patches of color; reminiscent of a stained glass windows, or flowing, twisting streams of clear color. Domestic Bengals are no different than any other domestic cat when it comes to care and feeding.

Some parents are happy for their children to sleep with the cat curled up at the foot of their child’s bed. Other parents are horrified by the thought of all the dirt and germs, not to mention the thought of suffocation. Who is right? Are kids and cats a good mix?

From a health point of view, the exposure to a little bit of dirt and a few germs is actually good for your children. Studies done on infants found that 19% of infants brought up in a home with pets developed allergies where 33% of infants bought up in homes without pets went on to develop allergies.

Doctors believe the exposure to small amounts of dirt and germs helps to strengthen the child’s immune system. This makes them less likely to catch illnesses and if they do, they are better able to overcome the illnesses.

Naturally, if you keep pets in your home you will keep them free of fleas, worms and other parasites. These can be very uncomfortable for your pet and the diseases they carry can harm you and your children. There are many easy to use preparations available to treat your pet so there is never any reason for your pet to have any parasites.

Not only is a pet good for your child’s physical health, it is also good for your child’s emotional health. Sometimes children feel unnoticed and unloved. A cat can help your child to feel loved and appreciated just by snuggling into his lap. Stroking a cat releases hormones that make people feel relaxed and happy. When he wakes up at night, the cat sleeping on the end of the bed reassures him that all is well.

Cats can teach children responsibility. If your child is given the task of feeding the cat, he will learn that others depend on him. It will help him develop a sense of responsibility. Naturally, you need to supervise in case the child forgets. In the case of a younger child, perhaps their job could be to see the cat always has a bowl of clean water.

Whenever children and animals are together, an adult should supervise the child. Some children would not intentionally harm their pet but they can still hurt them. Babies should never be left with any pet. They pinch, pull hair and bite pets. Toddlers too need careful supervision around pets.

As your child gets older and shows more responsibility and understanding, they can be supervised less. By the time a child starts school, they should be able to be left with the family cat. They should understand how to hold the cat and when to let him loose. They should be quiet so the cat will come and sit with them.

I think that as long as a child and a cat are taught to understand each other, there is no better friend for a child than his pet cat; likewise, no better friend for a cat than his pet boy.

Just as humans can, cats can suffer from fatal health issues. One of the commonest and most deadly cat diseases is feline Leukaemia.

It is often thought that feline leukaemia is a cancer but it is actually a virus and highly infectious, which can cause cancer. In fact it is a retrovirus known as FeLV which means that as a cat disease, it can only affect cats and cannot be passed to humans or dogs.

FeLV is estimated to infect one to two percent of normal, healthy cats. Cats which regularly go outside are at far greater risk than cats which are kept inside and males contract the infection more often than females and kittens even more so.

This cat disease is commonly transmitted in saliva, through communal food and water bowls, nose to nose greetings and bites. Other means of transmission are urine and faeces so shared litter trays can be a risk. There are additional risks of a pregnant cat passing the disease to her kittens.

If a cat is infected with FeLV the virus will be detectable in the bloodstream about two to four weeks afterwards. However, the infected cat may not display any symptoms; if it does, these are likely to be fever, lethargy, diarrhoea and swollen lymph nodes.

Some cats will not develop the infection because exposure was slight, others will develop an infection which is latent in other words it is suppressed by the cat’s immune system and is usually not infectious. Yet others will be permanently infected with FeLV and will carry and pass on the virus. These cats will almost certainly develop other cat diseases within a couple of years and these could be related to immunodeficiency and consequent infections, anaemia, enlarged lymph nodes or platelet disorders or cancer. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there are likely to be many other manifestations.

There are vaccines against feline leukaemia and cat owner should have all their cats vaccinated annually. However, these vaccines are not one hundred percent effective, so animals which go out a lot and share a house should be tested for this cat disease.

How fun is it to clean the litter box? Unfortunately, if you own an indoor cat, it’s a necessity to keep up with this chore otherwise, it will become an uncomfortable reminder that you do indeed own a cat and anyone that comes into your home will know it to. Cats make wonderful pets but you don’t necessarily want the strong ammonia smell that stagnant urine brings to be clouding the air you breathe. Not only is it unpleasant but it can actually make you sick not to mention all the little rock formations that crowd your kitties sand box and leaves no room for more deposits. Some cats simply decide it’s too dirty and go somewhere you don’t want them to go.

Cat’s are extremely clean and intelligent animals and somehow instinctively know what a litter box is and how to use it. When we first got our kitty, she was about 6 weeks old and the tiniest little thing. We went out and got her a small disposable box and larger hard plastic litter box. One to use while she was small and one to transition to as she grew. When we got home, we filled the disposable one with litter and decided to go ahead and put the rest of the litter in the big box and save it until later. Our little 6 week old kitty too a huge leap inside the big box, did her thing, covered it up, and jumped right out as if she’s been doing it for years. We were all amazed just how intuitive she was.

So, how often should you “scoop” the litter box? Once a day, once a week, once a month? And, how often should you change the litter completely? I guess that all depends on how strong a smell you’re willing to live with. Here’s another consideration; when you don’t clean the litter box on a regular basis, your cat is spreading feces and urine via his paws all over your house. Everything he touches with his feet; your bed, your couch, your chairs, everything is being contaminated by his paws. So, here’s my advice, scoop your cats litter box daily, and change the litter completely weekly. This should ensure that the box and your kitties feet stay nice and clean.

There is one alternative that you could do if you really hate cleaning the litter box. Somebody invented a self-cleaning litter box that does the work for you so you don’t have to. It’s actually very ingenious and works with a sensor to detect when your cat has used his litter box. When the cat exists the litter box, the automatic self-cleaning mechanism kicks in and sweeps a rake-like device under and over the entire length of the box. When it gets to the end, it lifts up out of the litter and scoops the little rocks of urine and feces into a receptacle that you just pick up and dispose when it becomes full. Your cats box always stays clean and fresh instantly after using it.

If you want to give your indoors only cat a taste of freedom a cat enclosure is a splendid way to do it. Freedom! How can something that encloses a cat allow it freedom? Well it doesn’t of course. But it does allow a cat a taste of fresh air while at the same time protecting the cat from many of the dangers that lurk outside.

Many cat lovers keep their cats permanently inside their home. That way they are safe from wandering into the roadway and being hit by a car or truck, safe from attack by other animals and safe from picking up many feline health problems. Also of course, indoor cats do not get lost.

The trouble is that a cat kept inside the home all the time is likely to become bored. Imagine if you were not permitted to leave your home. Each and every day you have the same few rooms to patrol, same old same old. Imagine too, that you never got to breathe the outside air, or to feel the sun on your face. A cat enclosure could change all that. No, not for you but for your cat!

When the weather permits, and you are there to keep an eye on things, a recreation time in a safe kitty enclosure can do your cat the world of good.

Ready made cat enclosures are available in a variety of sizes and styles. The designs made of pliable netting are a boon if you have limited space available, they can be rolled up for easy storage when not in use.

Your Cat’s Own Outside Room.

The solid wire styles are more permanent fixtures, your cat’s own room out in the garden. This type of cat enclosure is usually much larger, with some you can even place a cat condo inside to keep kitty amused. Many have a solid roof, or a solid roof section, this is important as cats need a shaded area when outside to protect them from the dangers of too much sun.

Solid, cat cage, type enclosures can also withstand a large dog, or other animal, jumping on them in an effort to get at your cat.

Most enclosures are expandable. Start with the basic and add areas over time. Want to attach a kitty run? No problem. Want to increase the area your cat has to roam around? Just add another section. With some, you can add a specially designed tunnel that connects to a window of your home. Any time that your cat wants to be outdoors she, or he, simply saunters down the tunnel and into their own outdoor space. Likewise, when kitty has had enough of fresh air and watching the birds, it’s up the tunnel and back indoors to pester you for food.

Whichever style of cat enclosure you choose, you are bound to make your cat happy. After all, although you are not giving your cat freedom exactly, you are enriching your cats life. A nice safe area out in the open air, what more could your cat want.

You can find companies that will create your cat enclosure on our directory. You can also try a handyman service.

The whiskers of a cat are especially important, vital indeed, when the cat hunts at night. We know this from the following observation. A cat with perfect whiskers can kill cleanly both in the light and in the dark. A cat with damage whiskers can only kill its prey cleanly in light.

Whiskers helps a cat to navigate in the dark, and to feel and interpret the flow of air around objects, giving the cat information so that she or he will not bump into things, they can also use their whiskers to feel their prey location just before they execute the final pounce with their teeth and claws.

The cats whiskers are highly sensitive and act like a finely tuned early warning system, picking up vibrations, breeze direction and motion, magnifying even the smallest movements or disturbance in the air. These specialized hair that the cat possess in the form of whiskers isn’t fully understood. They are thought to be something to do with touch, and removing them can distinctly disturb a cat for sometime.

On average, a cat has twenty four whiskers, twelve on each side of the nose arranged in four horizontal rows. They are capable of moving both forward, when the cat is inquisitive, threatening, or testing something, and backward when it is defensive or deliberately avoiding touching.

People often say that cats have eyes that can see in the dark, which is not untrue since their eyes are designed for primarily low light use. However, it is their upper whiskers, which extend beyond their head, as much as their night vision that make it possible for a cat to get around so well in the dark.

Cat kitty litter box problems originate from various sources. One of the most common reasons is a feline Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

Felines endure soreness very effectively. As a matter of fact, we could be misled that your cat is actually feeling very good because she is eating, purring, and also cuddling up to people for human adoration and interest. However at the same time, in the event that she’s demonstrating out-of-cat-litter-box experiences, she could be suffering from from a feline UTI. It’s up to us all to figure it out.

When you know the symptoms, it gets to be clear that kitty has a difficulty. She may well meow in agony at the same time peeing. She might make an effort to pee, but small amount of urine or practically nothing will come away.

Your trusty cat may possibly groom her private parts excessively, and meows while she does this. Yet the biggest pointer to show your cat could possibly be suffering from a feline UTI, is blood in her urine.

In case your kitten has quit using her cat litter box, and she’s urinating over a floor that is white or very light colored, the blood may clearly stand out in the kitty urine puddle.

A lot of cats who suffer from a feline UTI associate the litter box with the soreness that comes from this illness. Their cat reason states if they stop using the cat litter box, perhaps the ache will not come around once again. This is when you start discovering cat pee messes around your home.

If you’re one of the fortunate ones whose cat continues to be using her cat litter box while suffering from a feline UTI, the cat litter coloring and composition may possibly hide the blood. It is usually a good idea to carefully examine your kitty’s deposits frequently to ensure she is healthful.

Feline UTIs may be curable with medicines from your vet. If you suspect a feline UTI, phone your vet
instantly and comply with her guidelines for bringing in your kitty for additional analysis.

After the feline UTI is actually diagnosed and taken care of, your kitty should take back her excellent litter box routines once again. If not, a short period of confinement for cat litter box re-training can be quite successful.

Feline UTIs are usually preventable with a permanent change in your cat’s eating habits. Consult with your vet regarding how to safely move forward on this.