Cat Breed - Abyssinian

By David Braybrooke

The Abyssinian cat is commonly believed to date back to the 1860s, originating in Ethiopia, yet some people claim that the breed can be traced back to the ancient cats of Abyssinia, now called Egypt.

It is one of the oldest known breeds, the first one being brought to England in 1868. The Abyssinian was officially recognized as a distinct breed in 1882.

They are known for their sharp intelligence, litheness and a refined, pleasant demeanor, often becoming very attached to their owners. Abyssinians are extroverted and willful with a curious and adventurous nature being the norm; they are active, playful and inquisitive!

This cat has a medium length body with well-developed muscles, and short, silky, fine, close-lying coats; their faces have round, almond-shaped eyes, green, hazel or amber in color. They have legs of moderate length; size-wise they tend to weigh between 4-7.5kg (9-16lb).

The tail is fairly long, broad at the base and tapering to a point. Abyssinian's have fine bone structures and their paws are small and oval-shaped.

The cat's ears are alert and relatively large, broad and cupped at the base; they have an M-shaped marking found in fur on the forehead.

The Abyssinian has a "ticked" coat, meaning that each hair, light in color, has several dark bands which are evenly spaced. This coloring results in an ideal camouflage for the dry desert lands of North Africa.

These days, the Abyssinian comes in a range of different colors. Anything from red through fawn, lilac, cinnamon, cream and chocolate, amongst others.

They are a popular cat breed and are generally healthy except for occasional blindness, especially an inherited form called retinal atrophy. Although making good companions they can be suspicious of strangers.

Abys, the term used fondly by owners, are hardy and adaptable as pets and are a popular breed for showing; a good choice for any prospective cat owner!

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Four Common Causes of Feline Vomiting

By D Swain

Occasional incidents of feline vomiting is usually nothing to worry about if your cat otherwise appears healthy. Mild conditions can cause your cat to vomit, but it can also be a symptom of a more serious disease. Some of the common causes include parasites, hairballs, and infections. Let's take a look at some of these causes of feline vomiting.

Parasites

The first main cause of vomiting is an infestation of parasites. There are various species of worms that can live in your cat's stomach or small intestine. You may be able to see them in your cat's feces or vomit. It's best to get your cat on deworming medication as soon as possible as an infestation can open your cat to other complications.

Hairballs

Hairballs are also a common cause of feline vomiting. They form as a result of ingested hair that your cat swallows while grooming. Although hairballs can be a problem with all cats, those with long hair develop them most often. To prevent them from forming, you could give your cat more fiber in his diet and groom him yourself on a daily basis.

Infections

The next reason your cat could be vomiting is because he has a viral infection. These viruses can affect the stomach or part of t he intestinal tract. It is also common for your cat to have diarrhea also. Most viral infections will go away after a few days when the body's defenses kick in.

Diet

Your cat's particular diet can also cause him to vomit. Various things like garbage, chocolate, or onions can also cause feline vomiting. Poisonous chemicals such as antifreeze can also be to blame. You should also make sure that your cat doesn't ingest human medications. Your cat may also be simply eating his food too fast. This can be a problem in a multi-cat household where one cat fears another will eat his food.

As a cat owner, you want to keep your special friend as healthy as possible. To learn more about various cat illnesses such as feline lymphoma, stop by cat-illnesses.com. Your cat will thank you for it.

Blindness in Cats - Five Common Causes of Feline Blindness

By D Swain

Cats naturally have superior vision. However, there are various conditions that can cause blindness in cats. Some of these conditions include hypertension, glaucoma, and cancer. Let's take a look at some of these causes of feline blindness.

Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the leading causes of blindness in cats. If left untreated, the pressure can cause the retina to rupture. This can occur in just a matter of days. Cats that have kidney disease, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism have the highest risk of developing hypertension.

An early sign that your cat is suffering from high blood pressure is the presence of dilated pupils. The pupils won't respond to a change in light, and there also may be blood in your cat's eye. Hypertension is dealt with by treating the underlying cause. Your cat may also need to start eating foods low in sodium.

Glaucoma

One of the next common causes of feline blindness is glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition in which there is too much pressure within the eye. It is also a common problem for humans. If your cat is diagnosed in the early stages, the pressure may be reduced via medications. If it has already progressed, your cat may need surgery to correct the problem.

Cancer

Another cause of blindness in cats is cancer. Tumors can grow in or around the eye. In most cases, the eye will need to be surgically removed. However, it is usually replaced with a prosthetic eye to give a more natural look.

Atrophy

Progressive retinal atrophy is an untreatable condition that leads to feline blindness. Most cats suffer from this condition because they inherited it. The disease progresses slowly over time, but will lead to total blindness.

Kidney Disease

One of the final common causes is kidney disease. It is common for older cats to suffer problems like chronic renal failure as they age. Unfortunately, chronic renal failure leads to hypertension. As stated earlier, hypertension can easily cause sudden blindness in cats if the retina ruptures.

As a cat owner, you want to keep your special friend as healthy as possible. To learn more about various cat illnesses such as feline constipation, stop by cat-illnesses.com. Your cat will thank you for it.

Cats and the Single Woman

By Cindy Novak

How is it that cats have evolved as a woman's choice of pets? Although far from the truth-- many women are die hard dog fans as are many men cat lovers-- the cat has always been associated with the female sex. Let us take a good look at why.

First of all, let's face it, cats are sexy. They slink around, they have a sensuous walk, and they remain aloof yet seek attention. Their stare is mysterious and they are independent yet love to be caressed. With the exception of Garfield, most women consider it an asset to have certain feline qualities. Although the neighborhood "cat woman" is considered to be an elderly outcast who surrounds herself with cats and open tuna cans, Batman's nemesis Catwoman certainly gave a hot, new twist to that image as well.

In ancient Egypt, the cat was taken in as a wild, untamed creature used to kill off vermin. She slowly became domesticated and eventually worshipped for her grace and poise. In the mind of a woman, not only would she want to be associated with such a creature, but she most certainly would want a man to view her that way as well. Thus, the concept of a woman aligned with a feline creature became desirable. Even the soothing purr of a cat is enticing compared to the harsh bark of a dog.

So, are men really attracted to "cat-like" women? The answer is a resounding: Yes! What man wouldn't want a beautiful, delicate creature swooshing up next to him, begging for attention with the unspoken promise of making it more than worth his while? How could he resist the swaying of the hips, the soft, delicate gait in those steps? And of course, how could he resist the gentle purring in his ear? That is until he realizes that his feline is an independent creature that does as she pleases, will tease him then leave him, and can oftentimes be devious and underhanded in order to get what she wants. At that point, he realizes that, although not as beautiful to look at, he 's best off coming home to a dog.

Tips For Hiding the Cat Litter Box

By TC Thorn

You love your cat, but you're probably not all that keen on your cat's litter box.

Unless you're one of those patient owners with a talented cat whose been taught to use the toilet (yes, it is possible... you can find videos on YouTube), then you've got to deal with the litter box. Fortunately, there are some ways to hide it or disguise it, so guests won't even notice you have a cat (of course, if the cat comes up and uses your visitor's pants leg as a scratching post, this could be a give away...).

There are a couple of ways to hide the cat box. Most obviously you can stash it somewhere most people don't go, but you can also get a box that is designed to look like another piece of furniture, so people won't even notice it.

First off, if you're trying to hide the box where guests won't notice it, just think of out-of-the-way spots, such as laundry rooms, back bathrooms, basements, or mudrooms.

Do be careful about having the box in a room with carpeting as accidents do happen from time to time (especially if you've been remiss in cleaning the box... Spot might just leave you a "message" at the box's doorstep), and it's easier to clean up the mess if it's done on a hard surface.

In addition to the rooms mentioned, you could even do what my neighbor does (we live in a condo complex, and there aren't a lot of rarely used rooms to hide a litter box in!)--she keeps it in the hall closet. When nobody is visiting, she leaves the closet door ajar so the kitties have easy access, and she simply closes it if guests are going to come over for a couple hours.

Note--if you are keeping the box near a main living area, you will want to be doubly sure to clean it every day, so odors aren't noticeable. That's a dead giveaway that you've got cats.

Okay, now about those litter boxes I was talking about that don't actually look like litter boxes? They're my favorite way of "hiding" the cat box.

If you don't mind investing a bit of money (these definitely cost more than a simple litter tray), then they are a great idea. You can find lots of cat litter box ideas online, so just browse around and see what you like.

Some of the ones that have caught my eye have been shaped like cedar chests (with a cat hole on the side and an actual lid on the top that opens for access), washroom stands for the bathroom (the box is in a cabinet with a cat hole, and there is a table top and a shelf, and even a spot for the toilet paper holder on the side), and potted plants.

The potted plant box may be my favorite. The plant is on top, and the litter box is stored in the "pot," which has a hole around back so your cat can enter to do its business, but from the front, all guests will see is an innocuous house plant.

If you can't find a cat box that suits your d้cor or your tastes, you can also have pieces custom made. Of course, any piece of custom furniture gets expensive, but there are definitely woodworkers out there who enjoy making pieces that are for pets.

Just start browsing around online, and you will be amazed at what's out there in the cat box category!

The author has a fun Squidoo lens on litter box ideas, and also writes on handy pet home improvements on her blog.

Make a Hanging Cat Scratching Post

By Robert Hampel

Some cat furniture can be intimidating. The shear size of some cat scratching posts can threaten to take over an entire room. For people with both cats and small spaces there is an answer - make your own high quality and compact cat furniture.

It's easy and inexpensive to make a very nice scratching post that hangs on any door knob. It takes up no floor space, it's easy to move from door to door, and best of all, your cat would rather use his own scratching post than your furniture.

All you need is a 1x6 board and some sisal rope. Start with a 2 foot long 1x6. It can be any kind of wood, plywood, or particle board. Cut the ends square, sand, and paint or stain it to match your home's decor. At the top edge you'll drill a 3/8" hole Through at both corners about an inch in from each edge. Drill one more hole centered from side to side about 2" from the bottom edge of the board.

You're going to need about 100 feet of ผ inch, non-oiled, sisal rope. Make sure to get the non-oiled variety. Sisal rope is readily available at most hardware stores or home centers. It's really inexpensive, too. Start by threading an end through one of the top holes Tie a knot about 15" from the end. Bring the end back through the other hole. Tie a knot at the very end so it won't pull out. If you did it right you'll have a knot on each side of the board. This is the loop that hangs over the door knob.

Now start wrapping the rope very tightly edge to edge around the board heading for the bottom. About every 10 to 12 wraps you are going to have to compress your wraps by tapping a piece of wood with a hammer. Do this on each side of the board. Maintain tension on the rope as you tap. You want to squeeze the wraps together. If you omit this step your cat will compress the wraps with his claws as he uses the scratching post and it will gap at the top. When you get to the bottom feed the rope through the hole and tie it off or tack it with a couple of small nails. It will also help if you tack the last wrap every 2" or so all around the board. This will act as a stop and help keep the wraps from sagging.

Depending on the type of door knobs that you have the scratching post should hang very nicely. As an alternative, you can just lean the scratching post against a wall. Since the board is wrapped with rope any noise from your cat's use will be muffled. Spray your new scratching post with catnip extract and you cat will go wild over his new cat furniture.

Bob Hampel has been kept by contented cats for 35 years. He has some standing in the feline community having built cat furniture for it's members. He currently owns http://www.katsrule.com and invites you to browse for serious cat furniture for serious cat lovers.

Socializing Cats With Other Pets Like the Experts

By Paul Kramer

Cats are very territorial and may have highly resent other animals moving into their home. If you have dogs, birds or small animals, you will have to make special arrangements for them to coexist with your new pet.

If you have a dog, your new cat or kitten will probably be terrified by him especially if the cat has never lived in a home with dogs or has seen dogs before. Introduce him to the dog gradually. Let the dog sniff the cat under a door so that they become accustomed to each other's scent. After a day or two, place the cat in his carrier so that he can see and smell the dog from a safe place.

When you feel the time is right, bring your cat out and let the two animals meet. Do not leave them alone together until you are sure that there is not going to be a fight. Some dogs and cats learn to live together, while others have problems establishing territorial boundaries and prefer to live in separate areas of the house. You can best determine if your dog will accept a cat and if your new cat will like living with a dog.

If you have small animals, reptiles, birds, or fish, you might not want to introduce them to your cat. Because cats are natural hunters, they may see your guinea pig or bird as prey or toy.

The other pet may feel threatened and develop stress if he comes into contact with the cat. If you allow your cat access to the room in which you house other pets, make sure that the cages or tanks are secure and that the cat cannot get into them.

To learn more about the different types of pet meds for your dogs, cats, horse, etc., and how to get discount and cheap pet medications, make sure to visit http://www.callpetmeds.com where you will find everything on getting quality yet affordable pet medications as well as tips on how to take care of your pets like the experts.