CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The cat as a useful hose pet. Part 2.

     There have been and still are numerous examples of cats being most successfully employed, as it were and budgeted for – by city and government bodies, port authorities, on ships, in businesses, etc. It has been estimated that approximately ten tons of grain are saved from destruction by keeping one mouse-catching cat. The contribution of the cat towards health maintenance came to be appreciated amidst the rubble of ruined European cities at the end of World War II.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The cat as a useful hose pet. Part 1.

     Whereas, as mentioned earlier, the importance of cats as mousers and ratters has diminished considerably – at any rate in urban areas – it is nevertheless worth noting the findings of studies which show what cats eat when left to fend for themselves. These were frequently cats that had been wantonly abandoned and had become semi- or entirely feral. The customary disparagement of cats as ‘bird-killers’ appears a trifle absurd in the light of the following statistics. Is the cat really such a great enemy of birdlife and small game? Various investigations undertaken by one university institute yielded the following findings: the stomachs of more than 60 semi-feral cats were found to contain 93.8 per cent voles, and 6.2 per cent mice, field-mice and harvest-mice. In only three cases were the remains of small birds found, and likewise in three cases, squirrel remains. In two instances there were fish remains, which came from kitchen refuse. Only 49 per cent contained any wild prey at all, about 30 per cent contained some domestic food. The stomach contents of 171 cats consisted predominantly of rodent remains, i.e. 89.1 per cent; 4.4 per cent contained bird remains, while 3.8 per cent contained insects, and 2.1 per cent worms and snails.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Why have a cat?. Part 4

    The question of a cat’s attachment to a human remains essentially of a mystery. It is more a matter of the individual relationship between the cat and its owner. Very carefully raised cats that live in constant close contact with their owner understandably become thoroughly trusting, and develop a much closer and affectionate relationship. This is even more marked in the case of pedigree cats, which require far more attention than ordinary house cats. The cat expresses its deep attachment to its owner through a variety of particular actions, such as by giving mating sounds or certain cries usually directed towards its young. Cats that do not have such a firm attachment usually have a more pronounced home or territorial fixation. For these cats the house and territory are decisive, while the owner comes second. Such cats adhere firmly to one place, and to move them to a new home is a much more difficult and complicated undertaking than with owner-fixated cats.

    As a rule, cats do not like being accompanied on walks. Unlike dogs, they will usually stop at their ‘territorial frontier’ and sit there waiting for the return of their owner. Their ‘homing instinct’, too, is usually inferior to that of a dog.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Why have a cat?. Part 3

    The genuine friendship that can develop between different animals never ceases to affect the owner afresh each time as a very special experience. There are many examples involving cats. The innumerable cases of friendship between dog and cat will be related in detail later in this book. Even friendship between cats a great variety of birds are by no means uncommon. All this is simply a matter of habit, and the right training – there is nothing unnatural about it. In the Magdeburg Zoo, there is nearly always a cat in the breeding section, which will from time to time take over as a wet-nurse for raising other breeds. She is on such trusting terms with all the different birds that are kept there, that they quite literally hop about on her head. Cats have even been known to foster mice and rats, while continuing go hunt mice and rats living wild – this, too, is not unusual. There are known cases of cats having reared martens, squirrels, skunks, hedgehogs and many other animals.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Why have a cat?. Part 2

    Animals have a profound effect on the development of children’s characters. Living with them gradually promotes a sense of responsibility and consideration for animals, which in turn leads to consideration for other people. Many children, who do not come into contact with animals early enough or have them to care for and look after, develop an attitude towards them as a result of which they retain a life-long fear of animals.

    Mouse- and rat-catching used to be the reason for keeping cats, but nowadays they are primarily kept as pets, except on the land and in institutions, factories and large store places. Often this task has been superseded by the use of chemical agents (which may sometimes endanger the cats themselves).

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Why have a cat?. Part 1.

     A cat lover once put it very aptly and succinctly: ‘Cats are enchanting house companions, good friends and splendidly entertaining.’ A cat often means a great deal to older people in particular.

     To combat the frequent loneliness and enjoy a happy old age, it is essential to have a purpose in one’s later years. All too often solitary people describe a cat as the ‘sunshine of their old age’. For many people the cat provides physical contact, for the cat is an animal that loves being stroked and petted. Once its affection has been won, a cat can enrich the life of a human being and make it far more interesting, while it can also protect its owner from developing psychological problems.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Settling the kitten into its new home. Part 4.

     The attachment of a cat to its owner becomes evident if there is a sudden separation, such as, for example, if the animal has to be hospitalized, or if the owner is unavoidably absent. On the return of the cat, or its owner, the animal will not stir from its owner’s feet. Moving house or even spending the night away from its own home can make the cat very nervous and unsettled Provided the owner is close at hand, however, and reassures the cat with redoubled care and attention, it will soon display curiosity about its new surroundings and begin, albeit cautiously, to explore. From then on, it should settle back to its normal way of life. The young kitten should not be allowed out in the garden or the neighborhood too soon. Not until the tie to its owner has been firmly established should this be attempted. If the cat is used to being attached to a lead, the first exploratory walks in the garden should be taken together. The settling-in of the kitten will undeniably be facilitated if, right from the start, a regular daily routine is adopted with a set time for feeding, grooming, play and resting, etc. By this means the cat’s ‘internal clock’ will quickly and surely establish itself.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Settling the kitten into its new home. Part 3.

     Apart from a suitable healthy diet, ample fresh air and sunshine are the best ways to make the kitten thrive. Every available opportunity should be used to the full, particularly for animals restricted by urban flat-life. A balcony, a safe window ledge, or even a place on the floor that catches the sun through an open window can provide beneficial doses of the sunshine they enjoy. Damp and draughts should be avoided. But although kittens adore warmth above all else, they should not be  unduly coddled, as this can be detrimental to their health.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Settling the kitten into its new home. Part 2.

     If there are already other animals in the house the new arrival can first be put for a short time in a secure pen and the established family pet allowed into the same room, so that the two can sniff at each other undisturbed. With an older kitten can be rubbed with a little of the used litter from the litter tray to transfer the smell of the older cat to its fur and aid the kitten’s acceptance.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Settling the kitten into its new home. Part 1.

     Having acquired a young kitten, its owner is quite likely to find the first few days a fairly noisy business, depending on its temperament. The kitten may try to call its absent mother and siblings by meowing pitifully. However, this will very soon stop. In the first few hours the animal should not be handled, but just observed. A cat needs considerably longer than a dog to adjust to changed circumstances. Step by step it takes possession of its new surroundings. In a large apartment, it should first be allowed to explore one room thoroughly before being introduced to the remaining rooms. Only then should you play with it, and encourage it to race about. A ball, such as a ping-pong ball, which is neither so small that it can be swallowed, nor so big as to make it awkward to play with, is an ideal toy. But even a screw of paper dangling from a length of string will entice the cat to lively play. The string should not, however, be left for the cat to play with, as it can itself tangled up or even be strangled while playing. Plenty of attention lavished on the kitten at this stage will soon make it forget its earlier playfellows.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Male or female. Part 3.

     The sex of young kittens is plainly visible for only two to three days after birth. If the evidence is missed at that time it may be some weeks or months before the novice can be absolutely certain of a kitten’s gender. The easiest guide is the distance between the anal opening and the genitals, which is greater in a female, while the anal opening lies closer to the tail of the tom.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Male or female. Part 2.

    If a tom is to be kept in an apartment, neutering is really the only course open to the owner and a responsible owner will neuter any tom not being kept deliberately for stud . If this were more commonly done the misery of unwanted and abandoned kittens might gradually disappear. As a result the domestic cat might become something of a rarity, and accordingly be more valued appreciated. A neutered cat becomes more affectionate and will roam less. Given sufficient opportunity for exercise, which can also be provided by playing with the animal, the neutered  tom need by no means become fat, lethargic and lazy. If the young tom is neutered early enough, its sexual instinct will be destroyed. If alteration is left until after puberty, the tom’s sexual drive will gradually abate. A female can also be sterilized by an operation, or spayed, removing its ovaries. It is difficult to keep sexually mature cats shut indoors while they are on heat. The queen (female) will become increasingly over-stimulated, which will result in her heat periods occurring in more and more rapid succession. This can produce a change in the temperament of the animal, making her difficult and aggressive and even unclean. It may also lead to serious medical problems. Sterilization of the tom or queen will in no way adversely affect the characteristics that endear them to us. There may be a slightly higher incidence of some geriatric skin conditions and other problems of hormone balance but they can be treated and these cats would probably have suffered from them anyway. They are negligible compared with the other problems avoided.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. Male or female. Part 1.

     If you are acquiring a new cat the question of which sex to have arises immediately. Tom or female – both have their advantages and disadvantages. Their vigorous sexual urges cannot be repressed and when a female is on heat she cannot be held in the house, or males prevented from trying to reach her, unless all doors, windows and other apertures are kept closed. The almost nightly ‘concerts’ of caterwauling can be a severe test of nerves. It is usually the owner of the female who suffers most, since she remains in the vicinity of the house, while the toms from the entire neighborhood converge upon her. The owner of the female also has to cope with the results and becomes responsible for putting down at birth those of the litter which cannot be accommodated. (See chapter on sexual life and reproduction, section unwanted offspring.) Yet there are many cat-lovers who would not miss the experience of the birth raising of a litter of kittens. When a female is on heat the tom cat will spray strong, unpleasant-smelling urine around the house, making himself extremely unpopular, and will mark his home territory in this way right through the year. The only tom worth keeping as a stud is a purebred. It should be kept in a stud enclosure, to which visiting females (queens) may be brought.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 9.

     When buying a pedigree cat, make certain that you obtain application for registration or, in the case of a cat already registered, a transfer form, which, in both cases, should be signed by the breeder. If you have a cat as a kitten you will be able to guide its training and enjoy the very positive experience of watching the kitten develop and mature into a young cat.

     Make sure that it is healthy and without deformity. It should be lively and playful, have a smooth, glossy coat, pink membranes and bright clear eyes. With an older cat the adjustment to a new environment and retraining may be difficult if it has habits that you wish to change but an older cat may suit some people who would find the havoc which a kitten can wreak all too disruptive.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 8.

     Certain breeds are often described as ‘gentle and withdrawn’, ‘very shy’, ‘very affectionate’, ‘requiring lots of love’ and so on, but in my view such characteristics are not necessarily associated with particular breeds, as cats tend to be highly individual and vary from one to another.

     If you have decided on a pedigree cat, then the Governing Gouncil of the Cat Fancy will supply a list of breeders of particular varieties. A good breeder will not usually part with a kitten under ten weeks old, and will already have had it inoculated against Feline Infectious Enteritis. If a certificate of inoculation is not provided with the cat you should arrange for this to be done immediately. With any new cat a veterinary check-up is always a good idea.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 7.

      As nowadays domestic cats are seldom kept as working animals to catch mice and rats - at any rate, in toens - its hunting prowess is unlikely to be a relevant consideration affecting the choice of cat. Nevertheless, given the opportunity, 75 per cent of all house cats are mouse-catchers but among pedigree cats the long-haired varieties seem to be less interested or accomplished as mousers. Another fundamental difference is in the temperament of the cats. Long-haired cats are often considerably quieter, even phlegmatic, compared with short-haired cats. Orientals usually want considerable attention from and involvement with their humans, whilst long-haired cats require a great deal more grooming care, the fur requiring daily attention.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 6.

        Mongrel or pedigree? Having decided on a cat, for whatever reasons, now comes the question of whether the cat should be a purebred, i.e. have a pedigree, or whether to opt for an ordinary mongrel moggie. The choice should never be made on the basis of how much money is available. One’s choice may perhaps be influenced by having seen some particularly beautiful creature at a show or in a cattery, or by the desire to go in for breeding. A pedigree is merely a certificate showing parentage. You could produce a pedigree for a mongrel cat but a pedigree is usually a proof of forebears which conform in color, variety and type and show the cat to be purebred – and nowadays the term pedigree has taken the place of ‘purebred’ in general usage.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 5.

      Cat or dog? Deciding on a cat or dog involves essentially different considerations. These two domestic pets have completely different natural life styles. As a descendant of the wolf, the dog seeks a genuine attachment and wants to fit in, in a way akin to its antecedent’s subordination to the hierarchy of the wolfpack. In the majority of cases, the dogs needs a task; the goal in training most breeds was and remains directed towards achievable objectives, whether of watching, guarding, hunting, sniffing out scent, ratting, etc. Dogs require a great deal of exercise, movement and occupation in the company of their master. The cat on the other hand is predominantly a solitary animal, and does not seek subordination, for the most part loving peace and calm, and being petted and stroked – but only when it feels like it. A cat in the house tends to create an atmosphere of calm and well-being around itself, which transmits itself in a beneficial way to the people it lives with.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 4.

     In the following pages we shall set out the essential details of routine daily care, how to overcome training problems, possible complications in illness, and many other eventualities, some of them negative. Readiness to accept the negative aspects of a domestic animal and house companion is a measure of one’s love for animals, which demands a spirit of sacrifice, and a sense of responsibility. However, it cannot be stressed too often: the love of an animal – which is an implicit understanding of the nature and uniqueness of every animal – is not demonstrated by attempts to turn it into a human being.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 3.

     Ask yourself a number of important questions: ‘What do I expect from this would-be house companion? How do I mean to keep it? Shall I be able to devote sufficient time to the animal? Am I prepared to muster the energy necessary daily to care for the animal and train it? Can I provide it with a suitable environment?’

      In most cases it is not enough to want to provide the kitten with ‘a beautiful life’; from the outset it is essential to realize that a cat normally has a life-span of only 12-15 years (though cats have been known, exceptionally, to live as long as 20 years, and ever longer). You must be ready to care for it throughout its life and prepared for the sad day, which inevitably will come, when you have to take leave of your faithful pet.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 2.

      However, the engaging playfulness of a young kitten should not be allowed to entice you into taking on a cat, without first reflecting on how to handle such a house companion. Are you really a cat lover? For that you must be if you are properly to keep and care for a cat. Before acquiring a pet of any kind it is important to consider what sort of animal would suit you best, and to compare the merits of cat and dog, rabbit and tortoise, tropical fish or horse or whatever other creature takes your fancy.

CHOOSING AND CARING FOR A CAT. The problem of choice. Part 1.

         A pet animal can enrich the life of its owner in a great many ways, bringing interest and companionship and, in a surprising number of cases, giving purpose and support where life may have seemed to have lost its meaning. Of all the domestic animals one might choose there is none, except perhaps for certain breeds of dogs and horses, which can aesthetically match the cat. The beauty of its body structure, which is almost unchanged from that of the wild species from which it evolved, the luster and softness of its fur, its coloring, elegance, litheness and sure-footedness, its flattering, yet distinctly independent nature, make the cat an ideal domestic pet for many.

The Naming of Cats.

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
  It isn't just one of your holiday games:
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
  When I tell you a cat must have three different names.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
  Such us Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey;
  All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
  Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
  But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
  A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
  Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
  Such as Munkusirap, Quaxo or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -
  Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
  And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover -
  But the cat himself knows, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
  The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
  Of the thought, of the thought, of the sought of his name:
  His ineffable effable
  Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.