Cats - Pet Food and Pet Supplies

Selecting Your Cat

Originally, cats were just wild creatures with no association with man. However, after humans in the Middle Eastern areas started to cultivate grain crops which attracted rats and mice, wild cats started to move from forested areas to hunt these rodents thereby coming in contact with humans. Eventually cats were accepted and adopted by farmers to help protect their harvests and a symbiotic relationship was established. They were not kept indoors. Instead, they roamed freely, and they were free to come and go as they pleased. At a later date, cats were taken from the Middle East to Europe, and during the expeditions of Christopher Columbus, they were introduced to the Americas.

The commercial cat food industry which provides canned food and dry food is less than one hundred years old - prior to that if cats were kept indoors, they had to be fed fresh food - fish and meat daily - this was expensive and unaffordable. The introduction of commercial cat food helped make it more affordable to keep cats indoors. This provided a big boost to adopting cats as house pets. Also the discovery of clay cat litter made it more convenient to keep cats indoors.

Over one hundred years or so ago, man started to make them house pets whereby they would all live under the same roof. Today there are between seventy to one hundred different cat breeds which have become house pets. Although all domestic cats descended from the Middle Eastern wildcat, there is wide variety from which to choose one as a pet. Unlike dogs, they do not vary greatly in size, and they are very well suited to live indoors. Cats come in a variety of breeds, colours and coats. Some are hairy, some are woolly, some are furry and some have no skin cover at all. Read up on them and choose one that suits you the best.

Food For Your Cat

Cats are not vegetarians. Your cat is first and foremost a carnivore. They like a meat-based diet. Ensure that the starchless variety is chosen. This will help in weight management and the preventing diabetes. Whether you select wet cat food or dry cat food, it should contain the essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. These will promote a good immune system and support a shiny and healthy coat.

Careful thoughts about the nourishment of your cat can be very beneficial over their lifetime, and can prevent them from agonizing ailments. An increasing number of veterinarians suggest the feeding of canned cat food rather than dry cat food. The latter is highly processed and subject to high temperatures which destroy some of the nutrients in the food. Very often, when dry food is stored for a long time, it get contaminated with bacteria and different types of fungi. The fats contained in the food tend to degrade and become rancid especially while stored in warm surroundings. This can result in more proliferation of bacteria. Feeding cats dry food can cause intestinal problems and other diseases. What is most striking about dry food though is that the water content is low, and there is more carbohydrate and plant-based instead of animal-based protein.

Cats need food with animal-based protein more than plant-based protein because they can metabolize it better and derive more nutrition. They lack the necessary enzyme to break down plant-based protein. That is why they are natural carnivores. In addition, animal-based protein contain the full complement of about twenty five types amino acids while plant-based-protein do not. Taurine is one of the most important nutrients present in meat but it is missing from plants.It is essential for cardiovascular function, development and function of skeletal muscle, the retina, and the central nervous system. Taurine deficiency will cause blindness and heart problems in cats. The protein in dry food, which is often heavily plant-based, is not equal in quality to the protein in canned food, which is meat-based.

They need to eat water-rich cat food. Cats do not normally feel as thirsty as other animals, and thus do not drink as much water as they need. If they are fed dry food, their body is under a constant state of water deficiency or chronic dehydration. In the wild, cats obtain about eighty percent of their water from their prey food. Dry food provides only up to ten percent of their water needs. Canned food contains over seventy-five percent of the water they need. This is very comparable to them being in the wild. Although cats on dry cat food drink more water, they do not drink enough. As a result, their total water intake is only half as much as those that consume canned food. Ample water intake is very important in preventing kidney and bladder problems. Canned cat food help flush out a cat's bladder several times a day, and this is very good for the cat's overall health.

Feeding cats any type of carbohydrate is not recommended. They cannot metabolize carbohydrates because they lack the enzymes to do so. Many types of commercial food including canned cat food will describe the food as grain-free. However, this is misleading because potatoes and peas may be included in the ingredients. These type of food are more profitable for manufacturers since they are cheaper to produce than a complete meat-based cat food. It is very important to select a meat-based food with meat, fish and fortified with vitamins and minerals and with adequate water content. It may cost a little more but it will be more enjoyable and healthy for your cat in the long run.

Unlike dogs who do their business outdoors, cats are limited to more indoor living, and hence less physical activity. This is a real setback for them. They tend to become overweight and obese. We must be aware of this aspect of the lives of cats, and make sure we monitor what kind of food they eat. Fresh water should also be provided every day. Water intake plays a vital role in their metabolism especially if dry food is used. It helps to flush their kidnes and bladder and keep them clean.

Grooming And Caring For Your Cat

Cats love to constantly groom themselves, and they can take care of almost all their grooming needs. They have a rough tongue which is their main grooming tool. They are clean animals, and once they groom themselves, they do not wish to be touched by anyone or else they will re-groom themselves. They also groom themselves when they are under stress. This helps them relax.

After giving birth, a mother cat will lick the kittens to clean them up and to stimulate them to do their business. As the kittens grow, they will start to lick and groom themselves and each other. They are social animals and this is a social activity which helps them to bond with each other. Sometimes they will lick their owners to show affection and a sense of trust.

Although most cats do not like to be touched, it is not easy for them to groom their face and their head. As a result, they do not mind if you brush their head or face. However, it has to be done in a very gentle manner especially as you approach their eyes. They love to be scratched gently just above the eyes, around their ears, on their whiskers and under their neck. They like for you to play with their ears and pretend to pick fleas or ear mites from within using very gentle touch.

From time to time, it is healthy to give them a 'head to toe' bath using soap and water or an appropriate shampoo. Everyone should have a good cat grooming kit including a brush and a comb. Your cat should be be given a thorough brushing and comb over on a regular basis. This will serve very well. It will remove loose hair or fur and reduce shedding in the house. It will also reduce the chance of them creating and swallowing fur balls when they groom themselves. Grooming keeps their coats clean, gets rid of parasites and stimulate the hair root glands to produce to necessary oils to make the coat water-proof.

Instinctively, after they are finished doing their toiletting business, they will try to cover it up, and during the process, their paws can get dirty. Also, when they go outdoors, their paws may get messed up. It is important to wipe their feet with a damp warm rag after these occasions. If they lick a dirty paw, they are susceptible to getting sick. They will always be constantly licking and grooming their paws. They lick their paws to put saliva there which they in turn use to clean their face and head.

An essential aspect of their grooming is to also trim their nails regularly. This is good for healthy walking and will minimize damages within the home if they are prone to scratching.

Cats like to curl up and sleep and they prefer dark places. It is important to provide nice soft bedding or a 'cat' house with similar materials. Cats should be chipped, spayed and neutered just in case they get lost and become wild. Cats in the wild are increasing by leaps and bounds and they are taking a toll on the bird population wherever they are. There are many species of birds that have become extinct over the years on account of this.

Exercising, Playing And Socializing With Our Cats

Unlike dogs which are always waiting for an invitation to go out and play, cats are more laid back in nature. You have to be very creative in setting up an exercise program for them. By their nature, they are natural hunters. Some of their happiest moments are when they are hunting. If you provide cat toys like a stuffed rats scented with catnip, they will spend endless time doing pretend stalking and hunting. There are many other toys which they will be happy to play with including balls, rubber bands and hair tiers. They love to climb and be in high places. If you have a strong artificial tree indoors or a regular tree outside the home, then this could ideal for that purpose. When the weather is bad outdoors, they can be taught to walk on a treadmill where you can monitor them and set a ideal speed for them to keep up with.

They like to hide. If you have empty cardboard boxes or empty shopping bags, they will run back and forth into these to hide. Because they love to chase, if you use a laser pen with a coloured light, you can get them to run endlessly to catch the light as you point and move it around the house. There are aslo some very goodwith gadgets aser lights that work automatically.

Cats love to scratch. Providing them a suitable scratchpad can add to their physical activity while saving furniture destruction at the same time. A very good outdoor form of exercise is to train your cat to wear a harness, and then you hook a leash onto the harness and take the cat out for walks. A treat can be given on the way out and then on the way in to encourage and to foster the the cat to look forward to this activity. Since cats generally spend their time indoors, they tend to put on extra weight which eventually leads to diabetes. Exercising will help alleviate this problem and make for a healthier and happier cat.

Training Your Cat

Unlike dogs, cats are not the best candidates for obedience training. By their nature, they are very stubborn and they have a very independent spirit. However, they can be put through some very basic training, and some techniques can be used to discourage them from doing certain things that you do not want them to do. Litter box training is basic and essential. It is simple and easy to do. Cats are generally clean by nature, and have a natural inclination to bury their waste. Provide an appropriate size litter box with fine grained clumping particulate in a confined area, and introduce your cat to it. Within a day or two, your cat will be an expert in using it. make sure you clear it up at minimum on a daily basis.

By using cat treats as an award, you can train your cat to 'sit' or 'come here'. Make sure you give the treat after the cat has completed the desired activity. If you are going to want your cat to go walking outdoors with you, then harness training is required. Once you have obtained a comfortable and suitable harness, keep it close to where your cat dwells. You may scent it with a trace of catnip. When you are ready to put it on, offer a small treat. Make sure you connect the harness with a long enough leash as you take your cat for a walk outside. When you return home and you are removing the harness, offer a small treat to complete the activity. After a while, your cat will remember the routine and will look forward to the activity.

There are times when your cat may do certain things that you do not like. It is not easy to train this away. Instead, a deterrent action can be used. Keep a spray bottle with some water inside for such occasions. If the cat is scratching on the furniture or couch or doing any other untoward activity, then a gentle spray from the water bottle onto the cat's face is all you need. The cat will cease from doing that in a hurry, and will scurry away. A couple of reminders will be all that you need.

Health Of YourCat

The health of your cat is very important. Weight management should be on the top of the agenda. Encourage physical activity by whatever creative effort possible, and change the food and diet if required. Dental care is also very important. Keeping your cat's teeth clean may prevent serious dental disease. Learn to recognize the symptoms of potential problems.

Your cat will suffer from different type of ailments as it gets older. You have to be attuned to their body language, and any unusual behaviour when they 'call' for help. It is recommended that a qualified veterinarian be consulted when the need arises. Pet insurance will also come in handy at times like these.

Relationship With Your Cat

Dogs are our best friends but cats are like little our children. They follow us around the house just like toddlers do, and they love for us to constantly talk to them. They can gauge the tone of our voice to determine if we are happy or unhappy with them. They may not learn all the words we say to them but they have a way of remembering and understanding keywords that we use. Cats like to snuggle up and sleep with us. They especially like to snuggle close to our chest so that they can hear and feel the beat of our heart. You can tell how happy your cats are by how much they purr and how loudly they purr.

When cats meow, it is their way of communicating with you. They may do this for a number of reasons to get your attention. If they are happy, it could be a very brief meow just to say 'hello' or to ask you to play with them. If they are hungry, there may be a series of lower tone meows. If they want to go out of the house, they will walk towards the door and utter some silent meows to request a favour to please open the door. If they meow repeatedly in a higher pitch than normal, they could be in some sort of stress or pain or medical condition in which case, you have to attend to their needs. When cats confront each other in any form of territorial fight, the one that needs help would meow in a very high-pitched tone repeatedly. As cats get older, they vocalize much more. A cat that vocalizes and meows shows a warm and healthy relationship with those around him. This is a very good thing.

When cats are happy and they come to be near to you, they may start to paddle or knead with their paws against you. This is a left over habit from when they were in the wild and they wanted to press down the materials around them to make a bed to sleep. They probably just want to lie down and sleep besides you. It could also be a left over habit from when they were kittens and they used to paddle their mother's breast to stimulate milk production. In any case, it indicates relaxation and happiness, and indicates a warm relationship with you..

Sometimes, when a cat is walking past you, it will tilt its tail to the side where you are, and it will rub up against you. It is a silent greeting to just say 'hello' or like a handshake or an invitation to play. These are all very subtle relationship a cat will establish with you. You will have to pay attention and learn how to read your cat's body language.

Services Cats Provide

Cats perform many useful and essential functions to people. On the farm and at barns and grain storage facilities, the barn cat provides a very necessary and essential service to keep rodents in check. In regular homes and urban communities, they provide companionship, therapy and emotional support to people. Those who suffer from anxiety, depression or various mental conditions benefit greatly by the presence of cats in their lives. Their stress levels decrease significantly, their loneliness disappear, and they become much happier.

The presence of cats in nursing homes bring immeasurable happiness and elevated spirits to seniors who live there. Sometimes, they are used as therapeutic cats when people who are recovering from surgeries to regain their motor skills in their arms or hands. Just by holding, touching and petting cats, they make progress in their rehabilitation. Very often, these 'therapeutic cats', are taken to assisted-living facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and detention centers. They provide comfort and support to the residents. Just their presence to help pass the time result in increased happiness for the residents at these facilities.

For those who suffer from severe depression and mental illness, the presence of cats in their lives is simply a life saver. By and large, for the majority of cat owners, cats provide us with steady companionship, help lift our mood and spirits, prevent us from going into a shell and increase our sociability.

Common Things To Know About Your Cat

Most cats will have very similar habits and characteristics. They are intelligent creatures and very independent in nature. They do not make good candidates for 'obedience' training. No matter how well you treat a cat, and no matter what good relationship you have with a cat, you do not cross certain lines with them. You may be attacked if you play with the hind part of their body especially their tail. They are also very protective of their feet and their claws. Do not try to touch or hold them if you do not need to. They do not remember favours. You will not get their attention as much if you are in a standing position. They will respond best to you when you are at their level either by squatting or on your knees.

They do not like sudden and dramatic movements. They get spooked very easily. When they are left outdoors unattended, if a stranger passes by, they may get spooked and run away in the wrong direction. Unlike dogs, they have a hard time finding their way back home and get lost very easily. This is the sole reason why there are so many wild cats in every neighbourhood in almost every city. It is a good idea to chip them, or hang a tag with contact info or a small bell on their neck whenever they are left outside by themselves. This will save a lot of grief from losing them or from spending endless hours looking for them

Cats love to hug each other, and they show and experience this when they roll and 'play' fight with each other. This is more recognizable when they are young. They are always very careful to retract their claws when they do this. They are a very selfish creature. They can be termed ungrateful because they have no loyalty to humans or to other cats. Their selfish personal interest comes first. In this regard they are quite opposite to dogs.

Some of the more uncommon things about cats are the following : They prefer their food at room temperature. They cannot taste anything sweet. They purr when they are happy or slightly nervous. When they walk, they move both of their right feet together followed by their left feet. Few other animals walk this way. When they want to play, they lift their tail high in the shape of a curve like a question mark. Cats can distinguish the tone of your voice when you are happy with them, and thus you will get a better response when you talk nicely to them. They have very good long-term memory. They spend about one third of their waking hours grooming themselves. Their gestation period is nine weeks instead of nine months for humans, and this is why their population explodes in the wild. Cats are the most popular pets worldwide with about ninety millions in the United States. Cats like to climb. They like high places which give them a vantage point to view their surroundings. When they are indoors, they like to sit by a high window and see what's going on outside.

Shop Here For All Your Cat Food And Other Supplies

Food - Your cat is first and foremost a carnivore by nature, and likes a meat-based diet. Ensure that the starchless variety is chosen. This will also help in weight management and diabetes. Whether you select wet or dry food, it should contain the essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids to promote a good immune sytem and also support a shiny and healthy coat.

Toys. Cats are predatory by nature, and they like to climb. They feel safe when they are high up. That way, they can keep an eye on things. A 'Cat Tree' is a ideal addition to a cat's life. When playing with toys, cats instinctively act as if they are hunting. Provide toys that will support that instinct.

Bedding. Cats love soft fluffy materials that remind them of snuggling up next to their mothers when they were kittens.Make sure you provide something soft and fluffy. It will also keep them warm and secure.

Here, at Fuzzy Wuzzy Pet Store, you have a wide variety of cat food and other cat products to select from. If you need any type of food or any other item which is not on our display, then enter it in the Search Box below, using 'key' words starting with 'cat', and describe it as best as you can.You will find plenty of choices for your good friend. Please tell your friends about this site and bookmark it for your next visit. Thanks for shopping at Fuzzy Wuzzy Pet Store.

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