CATS
| Breeds | Acquiring a kitten | Feeding | Accommodation | House-training |
| Grooming | Claws | Inoculation | Parasites | Neutering |
Most pet cats are mongrel but there are many varieties of pedigree cats available from breeders. They fall into three main categories: foreign short- haired breeds, such as the Siamese, Abyssinian and Burmese; British short-haired breeds, including the British blue, bicoloureds and Manx; and long-haired breeds, such as the Angora and Persians.
Between the ages of nine and twelve weeks, a kitten is old enough to be taken from its mother and introduced to a new home. Those kittens which are welcomed into the family and whose needs are understood and provided for, grow into delightful and affectionate pets. Kittens are intelligent and playful -it is inadvisable to leave them alone for too long.
At nine to twelve weeks a kitten needs four small meals a day of suitable protein food, such as flaked fish, minced raw beef, minced cooked chicken, liver and scrambled egg. Milk can give some kittens diarrhoea, but is acceptable if mixed with baby cereal. Tinned cat food can also be introduced at this stage. Adult cats need two meals a day of either meat, fish or offal, with some cereal such as wholemeal bread. Meat can be fed raw as can heart, liver and kidney. However, regular feeding of offal alone should be avoided. A varied diet is always best. Tinned and packet foods if used must be fed exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions. In addition offer a large marrow bone occasionally, as this helps keep teeth and gums in the best possible condition. Clean drinking water must always be available although many cats choose to ignore it and drink from dripping taps and puddles. When dehydrated food is fed to cats plenty of fresh water is particularly vital.
Every cat needs a warm dry bed in the house, to which it has access both day and night. A cat flap fitted into an external door will provide for this quite adequately. The bed which may be a basket, box or manufactured cat bed, should be designed to stand off the ground and be deep enough for the sides to cut off all draughts. A washable cushion or blanket, if frequently laundered, makes excellent bedding.
Kittens, town cats and some older cats need to be given a litter tray to use in the house. Any shallow box filled with sand, dry earth, or manufactured cat litter sprinkled with a handful of earth will serve, provided it is kept clean and positioned in a quiet corner. Cats are far too fastidious to use a soiled tray.
Short-haired cats are able to groom themselves adequately except when they are moulting. At that time they need to be thoroughly combed to remove loose hairs that would otherwise matt with food to form hair -balls in the digestive tract. These balls cause blockages that can be dangerous and often cause ill-health. Long- haired cats, whether pedigree or mongrel, need to be groomed every day. They are unable to keep knots and tangles out of their coat and are dependent on their owner for considerable attention. Although delightful to look at their long hair may make them unsuitable as pets in busy households.
A cat's claws are weapons used in both defence and attack and they are careful to keep them well sharpened. A scratching post should be provided for a kitten before it selects a piece of furniture instead and damages it irreparably.
Kittens are very susceptible to infectious diseases and must be taken to a veterinary surgeon for inoculation between the ages of eight and twelve weeks. Annual boosters are usually necessary.
A Variety of parasites, including fleas, lice, ticks, mites and worms, may affect a cat. Aerosol sprays are available for use against fleas and lice, but mites in the ears require veterinary treatment.
Since it is impossible to control the breeding of pet cats both the males and females should be neutered to prevent unwanted litters. A veterinary surgeon will perform the spaying or castration under a general anaesthetic, preferably before the age of six months, although an older cat that has already bred can still be neutered.
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