Guide to Catkeeping

Humans can be roughly divided into two types: people who love cats and people who don't have the nature to love cats. The love of cats is deeply engraved in the human soul, and it has a long history. Cats have been of great significance to human beings for centuries. As a symbol of good luck, cats were revered and cherished by human beings, and were once regarded as the incarnation of the devil, and were massacred in large numbers.

when did cats become pets?

around 3111 BC, in ancient Egypt, the earliest domesticated cats were used to control rodents, and gradually became popular family companions, even being worshipped as gods. The Egyptians were very impressed by this kind of flexible, robust and secretive hunter, who could kill mice, and began to treat them like sacred objects. The Egyptians called these gods "MIW". When meow dies, the owner will hold a mourning ceremony, coat the cat with antiseptic sesame oil, put it in a coffin, and send it to the Bastian Temple in Bastis. The ancient Egyptians mummified a large number of dead cats, and scientists studied these cat mummies, thus proving that domestic cats originated from African wildcats. (See "the closest relative of a domestic cat", * 41-42). In ancient times, cats were domesticated in the Far East, but later than in Egypt. Some authorities believe that China started to keep cats in 2111 BC, while others believe that China didn't start to keep cats until 411 AD.

Domestic cats spread from Egypt to Italy, and then gradually spread throughout Europe, winning "admirers" in many countries. But in the Middle Ages, cats suffered bad luck. Unwilling to be associated with pagan idols, the Christian church launched a campaign to persecute cats. Perhaps because cats are incredibly agile, superstitious people believe that witches can transform into cats. This view has led to the unfortunate consequences of cats-they are often burned alive by Christians because they believe that cats are the embodiment of the devil. However, when the use of cats was recognized again, the phenomenon of not welcoming cats gradually disappeared. In the 8th century, cats became common animals in the family again. In the 9th century, keeping cats became very popular. By the end of 2119, at the first cat exhibition, early purebred cats were exhibited (see "What is a cat exhibition?" ，*178)。

what is the value of a cat as a pet?

there is not much money to buy cat flowers. You can also get a non-purebred cat from a friend or charity for nothing. Even if you buy a purebred kitten from a cat breeder, compared with other pets such as dogs or ponies, the cost of feeding cats can be said to be negligible.

Although it doesn't cost much to buy and keep a cat, a cat is priceless to its new owner. People can tease cats for fun, keep them company, and add elegance to their homes.

you can have a cat in a small house. Cats are still the best pets when their owners have to go to work, because cats don't need to be looked after all day. The elderly benefit greatly from the company of cats; Young people can increase their knowledge by taking care of their pets. It's not difficult to raise a cat: it doesn't need to be led to outdoor activities like raising a dog, and it doesn't need a set of expensive technical equipment like raising fish in a fish tank.

Establish a good relationship with cats

Unlike dogs, cats don't want to be "possessed" at all, and their independence can never be deprived. To establish a good relationship with a cat, you should not treat it as property, but try to treat it as a guest living at home. The cat is willing to kill time with you. It doesn't ask for any reward except simple food (see "Cat Feeding"). You must cultivate feelings with cats. Unlike dogs, cats don't stay with poor owners out of blind loyalty. But on the other hand, if the owner understands and appreciates it, it can be accepted and will be treated with affection and respect. In order to win the affection of your cat friends, you must understand the habits of cats and treat your cat friends accordingly.

Cat's Habits

A cat can be regarded as a perfect animal. Nature has arranged it perfectly: a cat is good-looking, conscientious, independent, independent of its owner, and contributes more and takes less. A cat's sensory organs are extremely perfect, and it can always make a keen response to its surroundings. All cats are born noble. The family of domestic cats is proud of having the most secretive, sensitive, dangerous, beautiful and brave mammals on earth. Compared with the puma, the cat is very docile, but unlike other domesticated animals such as dogs, the cat is also slightly wild and independent.

indeed, compared with other domestic animals, cats were domesticated much later. Cats are stubborn by nature and never fawn on others. If you want your pet to be a obedient slave, you should not choose to keep a cat, but a dog.

Although both cats and dogs are typical carnivorous sports, cats are more suitable for hunting. Generally speaking, wild dogs hunt in groups, while wild cats, except some lions, venture out to hunt alone. Like wild "distant relatives", domesticated cats are also solitary. Because of this characteristic, cats are especially suitable for individualists' pets.

Due to their close relationship with human beings, modern dogs are very different in physique from their wild ancestors. The situation of cats is different. Both the long-haired cats and Siamese cats on the exhibition platform are still similar to their ancestors in terms of physique and personality. The sleepy ginger male cat lying gracefully by your fireplace is a leopard cat in its bones; The female tabby cat standing on the grass and staring at the sparrow, you can see a pair of tiger eyes from its face. Indeed, keeping a cat at home can enjoy a lot of fun, one of which is to observe the rich and varied fighting actions of this fighter who has been deeply skilled in martial arts since ancient times. In fact, it is the cat's basic habit of eating meat that promotes the relationship between cats and humans. When people's life mode changed from hunting to farming and gathering food, they used the bravery of cats to catch mice, which evolved into the domestication of cats.

Cats are good at hunting because they are extremely secretive and agile (see "Hunting prey", * 191-191). When a domestic cat catches mice, it is not necessarily out of hunger, rather it is playing a sport or game. Many people think cats are cruel and find it difficult to understand. For example, when a cat catches its prey, it will not kill it immediately, but rather play a trick on the unfortunate prey before killing it. However, we can't apply human moral standards to animals. Cats do this just to practice their skills. This instinctive behavior should not be punished. In addition, many people use double standards for such a great hunter as cats. On the one hand, I applaud the cat's ability to get rid of mice at home, on the other hand, I criticize the way cats catch birds.

As a hunter, cats have very good eyesight (see Chapter 1 "Eyes", pages 28-31). For most of the day, cats are keenly observing their surroundings. If it becomes "emotionally active", it may be time for it to catch its prey. It will lurk in places that are difficult to find, such as in bushes, behind trees, behind half-closed doors, or in tall grass. If it wants to rest and take a nap, it will choose a favorable terrain that can defend against attacks: outdoors, it may choose walls, roofs or ancillary buildings; Indoor, it feels safer in a chair or bed. Even when a cat dozes off, its senses are still receiving information. When there is any dangerous movement, the cat can jump up immediately to cope with the situation. Therefore, cats are still "on alert" when sleeping, ready to resist intruders at any time.

cats have a strong curiosity. Why is this? Why do cats bother to explore an empty paper bag, get into a cupboard or a shed in the garden? Part of the reason is that cats are always foraging, looking for prey to catch, or finding a warm place where they can curl up and doze off. Part of the reason is that cats are naturally adventurous and have a keen interest in the world around them. For example, a bold cat may wander into a neighbor who doesn't have a cat. If it is popular, it will treat its neighbors as "villas". When you go out, the cat will visit there. Unfortunately, the curious nature of cats does not bring all benefits to cats. As the saying goes, meddling will get you killed. A responsible owner should protect the cat, just as parents protect their children, so that it can avoid potential dangers that are not realized! However, don't be overprotective, because a senior "individualist" like cats doesn't like being spoiled.

to keep a cat, you must first understand the basic characteristics of a cat. If you read the common sense provided in this "A Complete Book of Cats" and follow the suggestions, you and your cat will surely enjoy a long and pleasant friendship.

cat selection

make the right choice

once you have the desire to have a cat, you have to make decisions on many issues, the most important of which is whether to have a pure cat or a non-pure cat.

why do you choose to keep purebred cats?

if you are interested in participating in cat exhibitions or breeding, you should buy a purebred cat. What kind of cat to choose mainly depends on personal hobbies. Remember, however, that long-haired cats need grooming every day (*171), while Siamese cats and Bo Manmao are demanding and noisy, and may mature faster than other cats. Choosing a purebred cat not only requires a health examination for the cat, but also can identify the breed characteristics, quality and the possibility of winning the prize in the future through the eyes of experts. Therefore, you should go shopping with someone who is very familiar with the problem of cat breeds and fully understands what you expect of cats. Unfortunately, purebred cats are very expensive. If you can't afford all the expenses, there are two ways to make a deal: one is to buy a cat with "pet quality", whose characteristics may not meet the standards for participating in the cat exhibition, but in any case, this cat can make a good pet. If you sign a breeding agreement, you can buy a cat with "exhibition quality"; Return the cat to the seller at the scheduled time for breeding. You should agree with the seller who owns the kitten and put the agreement in writing.

why did you choose to keep a non-purebred cat?

generally speaking, the main purpose of keeping a cat is to keep company with people. if this is your purpose, it is meaningless to buy a pure cat. Especially, if you live in the city, cat thieves often aim at stealing Persian cats and Siamese cats, not to mention raising purebred cats. There are often many cheap hybrid cats, which can meet the needs of ordinary families to raise cats.

should I choose a male cat or a female cat?

As far as I can see, it is ok to choose a castrated male cat or a ovariectomized female cat. Because both kinds of cats can also be considerate and good pets. I suggest not to keep an castrated male cat, because it will pee everywhere and give off a pungent and unpleasant smell; It often goes out to wander, often fights, and will be injured or infected. For the same reason, a female cat without ovaries should not be kept. This kind of female cat often goes into heat at certain times of the year. If you don't keep it at home, it may not be pregnant according to the owner's wishes. Cats with ovaries removed do not have these shortcomings, and may also make cats closer to people.

should I choose a kitten or an adult cat?

when choosing a pet, the petite and weak kitten is very cute. But it needs a lot of care, and it must be trained to develop hygienic habits. On the positive side, kittens usually adapt to the new environment quickly. For many people, it is a wise choice to develop an adult cat. If you work outside all day, or feel that kittens are too noisy or difficult to train, you should develop adult cats. If you have bought an adult cat, keep it indoors for the first few days, otherwise it may try to go back to its original owner's house.

should I buy a cat or a pair of cats?

if your income is limited or your residence is small, it is impossible to buy a few cats. However, if every member of the family goes out during the day and only one cat is at home, it may be very lonely, so you can choose two cats so that they can keep each other company.

Buy healthy cats

There may be many sources for buying cats. It's a good idea to be recommended by others, but what kind of cat to buy depends on which one you have decided to buy and how much you want to pay. Never buy a cat back in a hurry before investigating its source.

Buy cats from breeders

If you have decided to buy pure cats, you'd better buy them from breeders. Although this is likely to be expensive. Perhaps the local cat owners' club can also provide you with the name and address of the breeder. Otherwise, you would rather visit the cat exhibition, and you will meet many people who breed cats. Although some cats may be sold at the cat show, it is best to go to the cat seller's house and see the whole litter of kittens. There, you can observe the environment where kittens grow up and how kittens behave when they leave the cat show.

Buy a cat from a pet store

If you have other ways, I'd like to advise you not to buy a cat from a pet store. Because kittens are particularly prone to illness and infection, and diseases and infections can easily spread in pet stores. If you are sure you want to buy a cat there, be sure to have a thorough examination of the cat. The price of cats sold in pet shops is usually reasonable.

buying cats from animal protection organizations

Charity life-saving institutions are another convenient source for providing non-pure cats. Usually you can get a cat for a little money or even nothing.

health certificate and vaccination

before buying a cat, it is an ideal way to ask a veterinarian for examination. If you want to buy expensive purebred cats, it is more necessary to ask a veterinarian to check them. Please check with the veterinarian you know and issue a written health certificate. If you get a kitten or an adult cat from a life-saving association, the veterinarian will usually check the cat before handing it over to you. However, no matter where you get the cat, it is urgent to arrange a veterinarian to examine the cat as soon as possible after you get it. If you buy a kitten, make sure that the kitten has been vaccinated against cat enteritis and cat influenza at least one week before the purchase (*238, 229). If you buy an adult cat, you should find out whether it has been vaccinated when it is young, and whether it has been injected with auxiliary drugs to enhance its efficacy regularly in the future. You must have a written certificate from a veterinarian if you have injected preventive vaccines and auxiliary drugs. In addition, if you have other cats, in order to prevent them from being infected with leukemia (*259), you should ask the veterinarian to test the blood of the newly bought cats to prove that the results are negative.

purebred cat registration

All purebred cats who have reached the age of five weeks should register these cats in the owner's personal name, together with their coat color, parents and other details. If you don't register, you will not be allowed to participate in the pure cat exhibition in the future.

Check whether the cat's habits are good

When buying a cat, you must find a cat that is smart, friendly, naughty and willing to be disciplined. If you buy a kitten, you'd better choose a cat that is physically strong, courageous and born first; Don't choose the smallest and most timid kitten in a litter of cats, because the youngest cat is often prone to illness, and you may be sad because of the early death of the cat.

check the cat you want to buy

no matter what kind of cat you want to keep or where you buy it, there is a golden rule that you must follow: you must study the health of cats. Never buy sick cats or cats that are not up to standard. Don't buy a cat if you are rejected when you ask to check it, because any responsible seller will understand that it is reasonable to ask for a thorough inspection of the newly bought pet.

Wash your hands before checking the cat, and play with the cat for a while to relieve the cat's nervousness. During the whole inspection procedure, hold the cat firmly and gently.