Never attempt to bring a cat or kitten home by leaving them loose in the car or by holding them. This is dangerous, not only to him, but to you as well. A frightened cat will often race around the car, scratch, bite, and could conceivably run down in around the brake and gas pedals of the car, not to mention the fact that car rides quite often tend to make them sick to their stomachs.
The Basics of Cat Training
Cats can be trained to do a number of things. So, whether you want them to stop bringing mice back to your front door, to use their litter tray correctly, or even to just use the toilet instead, cats can be taught how to behave; you just need to know the basics. Training a cat is obviously very different to training a dog. With a dog you teach them things such as ‘stay’, ‘fetch’, and ‘heel’. However, with a cat you are generally just training them to change their behavior slightly. You do not want them to do anything spectacular (though some trainers have been able to teach their cats to perform); you mainly just want to teach them how to behave in a more appropriate manner.
Generally you need to understand your cat before you begin to train them and usually you should find that the following applies:
•Cats Will Continue to Misbehave as Long as There is Reward
Firstly you need to understand that your cat does not know right from wrong. They do things because it is a joy for them to do them. An example would be scratching their claws on the sofa. They continue to do it because it feels good when they do it. They will only not do something if it is unpleasant to do. So this means that if you 
want to train your cat, you have to make the preferred behavior rewarding and any behavior you want to put a stop to, will need to be a negative experience.
•Knowing When to Reprimand the Cat
A very common mistake which many cat owners make when it comes to disciplining their cat, is reprimanding them once the crime has already been committed. More often than not we are not with our cats when they actual misbehave and so we try to reprimand them by showing them the problem. The trouble with this is that the cat has absolutely no idea what you are reprimanding them for and so the punishment is not doing any good.
Overall training a cat to change its behavior can be hard work but it can be done as long as you have persistence and understanding.
Speedy's mother was a stray cat living in a housing development outside of Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA. His mother was keeping her kittens under an overgrown hedge that was owned by an elderly couple. While trimming the hedge, they discovered a cute black and white kitten that could not walk correctly. They realized that his back legs were not normal, and thought it might have an injured spine. They called a local animal rescue organisation to come for him.
At the clinic, x-rays were taken during the first week, and it was discovered that this kitten had been born without a pelvic bone. Some sort of cart that lifted the rear half of his body off the floor seemed like a solution to help him walk. Dr. Jeszenka sketched his plans for a "wheel chair" or a tiny cart, in which the kitten's hind end could be strapped into to facilitate movement around the floor using front-end power provided by the kitten.
Cats have always been a source of fascination for mankind throughout history. Today cats have become one of the world's most popular pets perfectly suited to the lifestyle of our day. They are beautiful, enigmatic and easy-to-care for pets. But where and when did the
domestic cat originate? This page will give you some insight into this question.
It has been about 4000 years since the first cats were domesticated. The Ancient Egyptians were the first to keep and use cats to control vermin and other pests to protect stores of food. In Ancient Egypt, the cat was revered as a hunter and worshiped as gods and goddesses. The ancient Egyptians imposed the death penalty for killing cats and cats were also mummified before being buried.
Other ancient civilisations later began to domesticate the cat and took tame felines to Italy where they slowly spread around E
urope. Eventually, they arrived in the New World with the Pilgrims. The shorthaired domestic cat spread across the world from Egypt while longhaired cats came later from Turkey and Iran. The domestic cat also spread from India to China and Japan.
Except for a short period of persecution in the Middle Ages when cats were associated with the devil, by the eighteenth century cats had become popular household pets world wide.
The wild cats of today such as Lions and Tigers descended from early carnivores called miacids. From there the
modern wild cat developed into three main types; the European wild cat, the African wild cat and the Asiatic desert cat. The domestic cat is thought to have evolved from the African wild cat because of its tabby markings.
Domestic cats today still take many characteristics from their wild ancestors. The arresting eyes, body shape, feeding and grooming habits are the same along with the ability to pounce into action at any given moment. It is this link that makes the domestic cat so fascinating around the world.
The non-pedigree domestic cat, the Moggie is the most popular house pet today with the black and white Moggie being the most popular followed by the black cat followed by the Tabby cat. There are also 36 recognised breeds of pedigree cats around the world with the Siamese cat being the most popular. Most homes today that keep pets have at least one cat in residence.Dr. Dan Christian
is a veterinarian and the manager of veterinary services for Friskies PetCare Company. He helps communicate the importance of good nutrition for pets.
At what age did you choose your career?
Thirteen
Was there a specific event or person associated with that decision?
I realized I had a joint love for both animals and medicine.
What has been the greatest experience of your career?
Helping others to learn about good health care for their pets.
What specialized skills do you need for the job?
A good understanding of medicine and surgery, diagnosing a problem in a pet who can't tell you what is wrong, and good people skills.
What is the most frustrating part of your job?
Not being able to find good homes for all the homeless pet population.
Any advice for young people who are considering a career in zoology?
Have strong study habits and stay focused.
If you could be any cat, which would you be?
A Maine coon cat.
Teresa Everett
is the senior keeper at the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES) Cheetah Breeding Facility at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. She cares for and feeds the twenty-onecheetahs in the collection, assists in medical procedures, and helps collect data for research projects.
At what age did you choose your career?
I knew that I wanted to work with animals since I was five years old. I wanted to be either a veterinarian, a field biologist, or a big-cat keeper. In my second year of college I heard about CRES and decided that was where I wanted to be.
Was there a specific event or person associated with that decision?
Not really. No one else in my family has a deep interest in animals. For as long as I can remember I have loved animals and have wanted to work closely with them.
What has been the greatest experience of your career?
One year one of our cheetahs had to have a cesarean section. Her cubs were not breathing, and we had to give them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I worked on a little female named Mara who survived and has grown up to be one of my favorite cats. She allows me to sit with her and groom her, and it is very rewarding to see her with her own litters now.
What specialized skills do you need for the job?
A good base in animal behavior and zoology, and a strong "animal sense." Good observational skills and recording skills. Ability to work outdoors in various weather conditions. A dedication to conservation.
What is the most frustrating part of your job?
Even though we are preserving and propagating endangered species such as cheetahs in zoos, the hope of ever reintroducing them into their former ranges are slim. Until we can be sure that the habitats of these species are safe and secure from further destruction, any reintroduction program will be futile.
Any advice for young people who are considering a career in zoology?
If you keep focused on your goal and you study hard, you can fulfill your dreams. Make the most of the resources you have -- the library, educational and animal shows on TV, local museums, schools. and zoos. If you can get access to a computer and the Internet, your learning opportunities are endless. The world needs you to study and to care about the earth; zoology is not the most lucrative of careers, but it is one of the most important. You are young, you are the future, and you can do it.
If you could be any cat, which would it be?
A Siberian tiger. I love their power, grace, and beauty. I wouldn't want to be one in modern times, however, because I would not want to live in constant fear of losing my life to a poacher or to habitat destruction.
Size: Smaller than a bread box when dry. Unable to obtain data when wet.
Cat; felis catus
Habitat: Sofas and dark closets. Sometimes found on stove tops and beside heating vents.
Primary prey: Friskies cat food, of course.
Conservation status: Gradually replacing the dog as America's favorite pet (in accordance with the cat's master plan).
Principal threat: Hairballs.
Distribution: Domestic cats are found wherever there are loving caretakers (i.e., suckers).
Notable features: Occasionally tear madly about for no reason. Emit pleasant rumbling sounds when stroked.
to the family Felidae within the order Carnivora, a diverse group of meat-eating mammals. Like all mammals (ourselves included), cats have hair and nurse their live-born young. All cats are hunters. They have large, forward-facing eyes, excellent hearing, sharp teeth, and strong limbs armed with sharp claws for catching prey. Most often their tails are long and their fur is spotted or striped. All cats move silently, with unusual grace.
Wild species of cats are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica and play an important role as predators in the ecosystem. Sadly, most of the thirty-six cat species are in danger of becoming extinct within the next twenty-five years.
ommel and I live in Scotland, although my mummy tells me grandpa was French - so as you can see I have that certain "ooh la la" about me. I came to live here only one month ago, but my mummy is besotted with me, despite the fact that I have already climbed her curtains twice and got lost under the decking in the garden. Everyone welcomed me (well, ask yourself, why wouldn't they, I am just so handsome!).
o the basement and I shut the
door for twenty minutes of cool-off time. After that he is fine. Needless to say, the other cats are not big fans of his and will sometimes hiss at him even if he is just walking by. Reese has a talent too - every morning as I am fixing their breakfast he sits up on his butt and "applauds" with his two front paws. He has done this ever since he was six weeks old. It's the cutest thing to see.
keeps my feet warm at night and purrs like an engine. Most of all, he makes me laugh.
If your cat has any health problems, this will affect your choice. An overweight cat can benefit from a diet food, but check with your vet before making a switch. If your cat is pregnant or has kidney or heart disease, your vet may suggest a special "prescription" diet available through the clinic. This may be temporary, although in some cases your cat will have to be on this food for the rest of his life.
For the long-term health of your cat, a premium brand is worth the investment; ask your vet for some recommendations. You may want to alternate among a few of the high-quality brands, serving one kind for a couple of months, then changing to another. If your cat becomes so used to one type of food that it's all he'll eat, you'll be in a bind if ever it isn't available. But because cats' digestive systems can be delicate, radical changes of food may cause diarrhea. Introduce new food or alternate brands gradually, adding more of the new food while decreasing the proportion of the original food until the changeover is complete.
