It may happen that a cat chooses to come and live with you. That is how it has been for me on a number of occasions. It begins with trial visits in the style of a Good Food Guide inspector; your establishment, the cat’s possible future home, is given the once-over – more than once usually!
And, in the manner of a food inspector, close attention is paid by Master or Miss Felix (without, of course, announcing its identity) to the quality and ready availability of meals, but also, and very importantly, to the warmth of the reception given and the comfort of the place. If you are “picked” in this way by a cat, and are no tone of that bizarre minority of folk who inexplicably count themselves to be ailurophobes, without a scrap of feeling for felines in their souls, you’ve got your cat, or rather your cat’s got you.
People decide for a variety of reasons that they want to acquire a cat. It may be for companionship, (almost never for rodent control), or, most often, because cats are great to have around. What other domestic animal combines sophistication with friendship, while being able to warm your lap, deter mice, grace any room and give early warning of impending earthquakes? All provided at a highly economical running cost.Your New Cat
There’s more to deciding to share your home with a cat than simply looking up the local breeders in the telephone book. Are you fit to be a cat companion? (read more)
Basic Equipment
Cats are not expensive to house, but they must be provided with certain items of basic equipment, such as somewhere to sleep, a litter tray, feeding and drinking bowls, a collar, a carrying box and basic grooming equipment. Useful, but not essential, extras are items such as a scratching pad or post, a cat flap (is your cat is able to go outside), a playpen and some toys (read more)
Diet
The cat is a creature built to eat meat. This is not to day that cats to not like or need some vegetable matter in their diet. Among wild species, the flat-headed cat of Malaysia and Indonesia has a particular love of fruit and sweet potatoes (read more)
A Cat in the House
Handling your cat
While it is a good thing to handle your pet, remember always to support the full body. Don’t just let it dangle from its “armpits” as the cat will resent this, and may possible struggle or even bite (read more)
Grooming
More fastidious than dogs in keeping up appearances, cats will groom themselves regularly and often. Rows of hooked, horny and backward-pointing scales (papillae) on the tongue form an efficient comb for raking the skin and fur (read more)
Health Care
CHOOSING A VET
Before your cat ill, you should find a veterinarian in your locality who will give your newly arrived feline a thorough check, provide all the necessary vaccinations, and tell you about any preventive medicine or special care that your cat may require. He should also provide a twenty-four hour service that can deal with genuine emergencies (read more)
