Post on 14-Dec-2015
transcript
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
About A Cat
Kitty History
• Domesticated 4,000 years ago
• 2,500 years ago -Egyptians
• Romans used cats for rodent control
• 1347-1348 - cats were thought to carry the Bubonic plague - ordered to be killed.
• 1871 - first cat show in London
• 1895 - first cat show in US - New York
Cat Breeds
• 330 recognized breeds
• Shorthair group - 26 breeds
• Longhair group - 13 breeds
Cat Factoids• Independent and self-sufficient
• clean, self-grooming
• don’t require a lot of house training
• sleep 16-18 hours a day
• life span of 15 years
• need to scratch front paws
• bathing - minimum - they usually take care of this themselves!
• Female cats like to live in groups
• Male cats are territorial
• Check for ear mites
• Cats have sharp teeth and claws - 2nd dirtiest mouth.
Don’t feed my kitty…• Toxic Plants
-Poinsettias
-Lilies
-Begonias
-Philodendrons• Chemicals
-Tylenol (acetaminophen)
-Advil (ibuprofen)
-Anti-freeze
-Chocolate
Cat Colors• 4 Solid Colors - color evenly distributed the
entire length of hair shaft.
-Black -Dark Brown
-Orange -Light Brown
• 4 Dilute Colors
-Gray/blue -Cream
-Lilac/lavender -Fawn
• Tabby is the natural hair coat pattern of cats.
•Calico cats have 3 colors: black, white, and orange or red.
-almost all calico cats are female -genetic trait
• White cats have genes that mask
all color.
-All white cats have blue
or green eyes
•Tortoiseshell cats are black and red
-usually female
• Pointed cats
-color pattern of dark markings on “points” of the cat.
What are you trying to tell me?Cat Communication
• 3 ways
-vocal
-body language
-visual and scent markings
VOCAL
meowing - vowel sounds
purring - caused by repeated rapid opening and closing of vocal folds.
• Hissing - a sign to stay away
BODY LANGUAGE
• Tail up - “I am happy”
• kneading - “I am trying to get comfortable”
• front paws wrapped - “I am comfortable”
• ears back - “I am not happy - watch out”
VISUAL AND SCENT MARKING
• Scratch marking
• Scent marking
-feces uncovered
-urine spraying
-head rubbing (sebaceous glands around head)