One of the good rules of thumb to apply here is to think about having a toddler around, only a toddler in miniature size ? mobile, curious but tiny!  This means that you need to consider your home in terms of potential kitty hazards before the kitten gets too old and “into everything?. 

Although there are some thing that you’d have to do to create a safe home for your toddler that aren’t necessary for a kitten (such as power sockets and drawer locks), there are a few things you should take a look at with a critical eye as to whether or not they present a danger to your kitty.

Some cat breeds are low maintenance, while others require frequent brushing. Cat breeds are not as different from each other as different dog breeds but there are still some mighty different types of cats out there. Some cat breeds are people-pets and there are other cat’s breeds that prefer to be aloof and independent. Some cat breeds are more prone to spells of silence, but sometimes individual cats of the more vocal breeds are also not very talkative.

Cats Are Unique

A Garden for your Pet Cat Cats enjoy roaming around in gardens, investigation and getting into mischief. Why not set aside a piece of garden to bring pleasure to your cat(s).

We have two house cats, a Ragdoll and a Persian Chinchilla, that love to go out and play in the sun. We set aside a part of the garden to the rear of the house which would be 3/4 lawn and the rest a planted raised bed.

Declawing your cat is a subject that is debated widely amongst the cat community. Many people feel that it is inhumane and that it can lead to behavior problems. More and more veterinarians are now educating cat owners that declawing your cat should only be done if nothing else works. With this in mind here are some alternatives to declawing your cat.

One possible alternative is to buy a declawed cat from the humane society. The operation has already been performed, so your cat has already been through the trauma. The only catch is that often times, the reason why a declawed cat is given to the humane society is because of the common behavior problem of biting.

Not all cat food is created equal. Cats respond in a much different manner than do other animals to certain chemicals. These can be in drugs, foods, plants, and other substances where the cat may contact or ingest these chemicals. A cat’s physiological response is quite different than that of other species of animals. This means your cat has to be watched more closely than might other pets.

Taking on a kitten is an expensive investment, you must ensure that not only are you prepared for the responsibility of a kitten but you can also afford healthcare and maybe insurance.

Initial vaccinations are now about £45, microchipping about £20 and neutering is around £28 for a male and £37 for a female, not forgetting the wormers and flea treatments.

You may want to consider a slightly older kitten or cat from a charity such as the RSPCA. They neuter and vaccinate their cats before they are ready for re-homing.

A kitten is not totally independent until about 6 months old. In the wild it would remain with its mother until then, if not longer. A kitten can be fully weaned at about 8 weeks old. It should not leave its mother until then. Pedigree kittens suckle for two weeks longer than non-pedigrees and are not fully weaned until 12 weeks old.

EYES

A kitten’s eyes will open from 8 days old onwards, although, some take up to 3 weeks. All kittens are born with blue eyes, as they grow the eyes change colour. The final colour will be evident at 12 weeks old.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your cat had kittens? Just the thought of having so many kittens underfoot would be enough reason for true cat lovers to swoon.

If your cat is pregnant, here are a few important facts that you should know:

- The average length of pregnancy for cats is 63 to 65 days long. However, it may appear to be a shorter period, because your cat will probably have already been pregnant for 3 to 4 weeks before you first notice the changes to her physique.

If your cat’s ears are bothering her, there can be many reasons. Don’t ignore her if she’s scratching her ears more often than normal, or if she shakes her head a lot. She may have ear mites, which can lead to more serious conditions.

What are ear mites? They’re small parasites that live in your furry friend’s ears. Their bites cause intense itching, which can just about drive her (and you) crazy. If you suspect your kitty has mites, look in her ears. If you see dark brown waxy stuff in there that looks like coffee grounds, your buddy probably has them.

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 ‘frfiend’. To some others, owning 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 neigbours of ours when they ended up having a couple of strays wondering into their lives, and subsequently becoming part of their families.