Cats and Kittens

A naturally occurring breed of cat the Munchkin has rather unusually short legs. The Munchkin looks much like a Dachshund, and they had a spontaneous change in genetics that gave them a gene like one seen in a Basset Hound, Corgi and Dachshund. They are no afflicted by the same spinal problems that are found in the Dachshund.

Long before World War II in Stalingrad, Germany and in Great Britain, there were reports of them being scene. In 1953 they got the nickname of “Stalingrad kangaroo cat” due to being seen so often sitting in such a way as to give them the appearance of a rabbit. It seemed to disappear for a while from Europe; in 1980 Sandra Hochenedel found it again in Rayville, Louisiana while she was trying to get her three children a pet cat.

Blackberry was a pregnant female living in a rural area under a truck. When she got her home Sandra realized she had never seen a cat like Blackberry before. She moved like a ferret and had extremely short legs. Every little she had contained both long and short legged kittens. Then one day Blackberry was gone. The gene remained in a kitten belonging to Kaye LaFrance.

Toulouse was a son from one of Blackberry’s litters and Ms. LaFrance used him to set up a colony of sorts of the Munchkin breed on her Plantation in Louisiana.

Since this a natural mutation in the Munchkin breed there is nothing to indicate that the shortness of the legs interferes with the cats surviving or the quality of life. Cats carrying the Munchkin gene will have kittens that have short legs as well.

The International Cat Association registers the Munchkin breed as show-able in the new breed or color class while they are show-able in championship with the United Feline Organization. They are currently trying to become recognized with the TICA in championship competitions.

The Munchkin is a cat of medium size with a thick semi-foreign type of body with a chest that is well rounded. The male of the breed is usually bigger than the female of the breed. Litters of these cats will have kittens with short and long legs both.

All colors and lengths of hair are available in the Munchkin breed. The coats have a silky appearance thanks to plush coast that work well no matter what the weather is. Longhair Munchkins have a plumed tail that is gorgeous in appearance. Medium large, walnut looking eyes come in a variety of color though most prefer those with more vibrant eyes.

They are intelligent animals that prefer to find easy ways to get where they wan to go although they possess amazing ability when it comes to climbing. The Munchkin breed can run amazingly fast even with its tiny legs. They love adventure and are so intelligent that they are easily trained for walking on a leash. This amazing cat breed is also smart enough to obey verbal commands, in addition to leash training they will fetch as well.

The adorable kitten act is one they will continue their entire lives.

Munchkins are currently being bred with Siamese, Persian and Abyssinian breed by various breeders. Right now the only distinction is still the short legs. Due to the variety of the Munchkin gene pool the personality of these adorable cats is dependant upon the pedigree of past ancestry, although the treatment they receive will play a role in the way they act and react to people and surroundings.

While the short legs do not affect the ability of the Munchkin breed to climb they have affected its ability to jump. So if you want an adorable, intelligent breed of cat then the Munchkin is for you.

Sources:

http://www.catsinfo.com/munchk in.html

http://www.moggies.co.uk/breed s/munchkin.html

As a cat owner, you have a responsibility to protect the cat. One of the things you’ll need to do is to have the cat vaccinated.

6-8 weeks old

The first vaccination will need to happen when he is about six to eight weeks old. Before now, his mother’s antibodies are helping to protect him. But, once he is weaned from the mother, he needs his own antibodies to protect him.

The vet will give your kitten a physical exam which will likely include a fecal exam to insure that the cat doesn’t have worms. Before vaccinating them, they will do a blood test to insure that the does not already have Feline Leukemia or Feline Infectius Peritonitis. These tests don’t take long to be done, likely only minutes. The first vaccine to be received will likely be Feline Leukemia and FIP vaccines. Cats that never leave their home may not need these vaccines.

But, all cats are likely to receive FVRCPC vaccine even if he never leaves home. This vaccine is actually a combination of several vaccines. FVRCPC protects kittens from rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleudopenia and chlamydia.

10-12 weeks old

Two to four weeks later, you cat will need to visit the vet again. This time he will get his second FVRCPC vaccine and his second FIP and feline Leukemia vaccines as well. He may get a second worming too if he had one at his first visit. When they reach twelve weeks old, those cats that spend time outdoors will also need their first rabies vaccine.

The next visit will happen at ten to sixteen weeks old. The third FVRCPC vaccine will be given. And some cats will get their rabies shot now too.

1 year old

At one year old, the cat will need Rabies and FVRCPC vaccines again. If the rabies shot is given within one year of the first one, it will be good for up to three years. The cat will return though for FVRCPC vaccines each year. He’ll also receive boosters of FIP and Feline Leukemia as well.

Your pet needs these vaccines to stay healthy. Although they are meant to help your pet stay healthy, the cat may develop a reaction to the injection itself. Although rare, the cat can develop a cancer from the Leukemia vaccines and that is why they are not recommended for cats that do not need them. Also, cats can develop lumps or tumors as well. It is important that you make sure to let the vet know if there are any signs of these things with your pet.

When you follow these simple steps your kitten should be assured a happy and healthy future.

Unlike most breeds of cats a Manx is a breed of cat you can usually recognize on site. The key characteristics of a Manx is their short pointed ears, short length of body, back legs that are much longer than their front legs and cause the cat to hop similar to a bunny when it runs, a thick double coat of fur whether they are long or short haired, and in most cases the complete lack of any tail or a small wiggly stub where a tail would normally be. Sometimes you can find kittens born without tails because of a birth defect, but if they do not have the other characteristics of a Manx than it is not a Manx. However, some genuine Manx can have long tails which will be explained later.

Because of its appearance there is a popular urban legend that Manx were created by interspecies breeding between cats and rabbits. This is in fact untrue. Another much older legend is that Noah accidentally cut the cat’s tail off when he closed the door to the Ark during the great flood depicted in the Bible. In reality it is believed that the Manx is distantly related to other cat breeds, such as The Cymric and The Japanese Bob Tail. These are other breeds of cat with missing or abnormal tails. The current theory is that these genetic changes were caused by inbreeding of the species in the distant past.

The Manx breed was actually first discovered off the coast of Great Britain on the Isle of Mann. It is believed that several cats survived a ship wreck off the coast of Britain and were close enough to swim or wash ashore on the Isle. Living in isolation the cats would all be inter-related within a couple of generations and therefore all breeding after that would have been inbreeding. This inbreeding caused a genetic mutation and a new gene in the cats’ DNA. This gene is what caused the cats to become born tailless, and is a dominant gene, therefore making most of that cats children tailless as well.

Rarely when the right combination of parents comes together a Manx cat can be born with all of the other characteristics of the breed, but without the tailless gene, therefore being born a Manx with a regular cat tail. This is important because the tailless gene will also cause other mutations and mental problems in the cats if bred over multiple generations. One generation of tailless Manx will not exhibit any of these problems, but if tailless Manx are bred together for more than three generations deformities and mental problems will begin. This is believed to be caused by

Years in the animal sheltering business have taught me many things. One of the most important to me, being a cat lover, is how to take care of a new found friend. Stray kitties are often scared, wormy and sometimes sick with upper respiratory. Be prepared to put some money and elbow grease into saving this wonderful, fuzzy little being. Through time, patience, and diligence you may create a lifelong bond with your new little transient. Every second will be worth it when you end up raising a happy, healthy cat.

First, definately take your new found friend to the vet. There they can age and access your baby. If your kitty is six weeks or older, definately get him/her tested for feline leukemia and feline aids. This is especially important if you have other cats in your household because both illnesses are contagious. Feline leukemia is transferred through contact and shared litterboxes and food bowls. Feline aids is transferred through mating and fighting. If the kitty is positive you need to make the decision whether or not to euthanize it. Caring for an felv/fiv positive cat requires quite a bit of work, money, and patience. If the kitten is negative for these illnesses then follow your vet’s recommendations of what types of vaccinations to start with and when. Kittens usually need feline distempers starting at six weeks, in three week intervals until the set of three shots is complete. At ten weeks your vet will want to vaccinate you baby for Felv, which will also be repeated in three weeks. A good worming is very important to also do in this visit because you don’t know what your kitten’s eating habits were prior to meeting you. Hookworms can become very severe, causing kittens to become anemic. Sometimes it can even kill them. Flea prevention is also important to discuss with your vet in this visit. If your pocketcat is too young for a topical treatment, fleas can be killed by washing the kitten in Dawn dishwashing liquid.

Once you are sure that your kitty has a clean bill of health, it is important to settle him/her in. Name that poor baby something other than kitty! Cats are extremely smart animals and deserve well thought names. Next create an area that is all his/her own. Kitties love to hide in cat trees and shoe boxes with blankets. Put the litterbox in the room but away from the food and water. Cats are very clean animals. Think about it, would you wanna eat in a dirty bathroom? Not likely. Balls with bells and toy mice always are a big hit when it comes to kitty playtime so be sure to scatter some around. If you don’t kitty will find his/her own toys….like a roll of toliet paper!

What you feed your friend is just as important as vet care. Kittens have very high metabolisms and require quite a bit of calories throughout the day. Dry kitten food is ideal for your kitten until he/she is about a year old. Some people give wet food also. This can help with putting weight on, but creates a very picky adult cat. If you do choose to feed wet food, make sure that your baby’s stool is not getting runny. If it does, back off the wet food or at least lessen the amount so that the cat doesn’t get dehydrated from excessive diarrhea. It is also a good idea to purchase a vitamin tinic from you local pet store as a supplement. This will help higher the kitty’s iron level and boost their immunity.

Raising a kitten can be one of the best things that you have done this year if approached correctly. Through love, healthcare, food, and comfort, you can yield a well adjusted friend. Cats don’t ask alot, and what they give you is so much more.

Cats and their people often have very different taste when it comes to their choice in cat toys. How many times have you bought a cute, detailed, expensive cat toy, only to have your feline friends ignore it? Ten minutes later, when you explore a strange noise in the kitchen, they’re going crazy, batting around a discarded plastic bottle cap.

How do we humans choose toys for our cats? Usually, by sight. A bright color, sparkly trim or detailed embroidery in a favorite color catches our eye first, because we’re visually oriented. Then the shape is appealing, “It looks just like a real mouse!”. (Only if mice were 6 inches long and had shaved polyester fur.)

Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing the battery operated, remote controlled, oversized mouse with rubber wheels will look “just like the real thing” because it has eyes, ears and a tail, and moves. My cats love watching me play with them, but to them, a remote controlled mouse is a spectator sport.

Remember, play is practice for hunting, to a cat and the prey cats hunt can be quite small. We think they hunt mice and birds, but feral (undomesticated) cats usually hunt and eat far more bugs than anything else, simply because they’re more plentiful. Kittens, especially, like to hunt for small, bug-sized things to play with, like a wad of paper or a plastic breadbag clip. There are some wonderful small, plastic squiggle cat toys on the market, bright colored for the benefit of the person retrieving them from under the fridge.

What cats often notice first, whether they’re hunting bugs, mice or birds is the sound their prey makes. Sensitive feline ears can hear the subtle scraping of a cricket under a board, or the tiny chirp a baby bird makes. As they freeze motion, and listen intently to locate their prey, their pupils dilate in preparation for the signal its time to pounce: Movement.

A toy dragged across a cat’s field of vision will trigger them to stalk, or pounce, far more frequently then if the “prey” is moving directly away from them. Some cats prefer to chase prey only as long as it stays on the ground. Others can’t resist something suddenly taking flight, swooping back and forth over their heads, then landing up high before it flies again.

When you’re choosing cat toys, pick them up and shake them to see if they have any sound when they move. Then put the toy on the floor and bat it, to see if it makes a scraping or crackling. Almost any type of sound is good, although a timid

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The cat food you choose is just one item on your shopping list, and may not seem like a big decision. However, the cat food you buy is the total diet offered to your furry friend. If your choice does not provide adequate calories, or any specific nutritional component…. well, what do you suppose that kitty can possibly do to fix it?

The first decision point in cat food is to consider the age of the cat. This is pretty basic- kittens require more protein, to support their growth and development. They should eat a food formulated for kittens for the first year of their life. On the other end of the spectrum, any cat over 7 years of age is considered “old”. They can benefit from food that is easier to digest, and easier on the kidneys. Some manufacturers offer many variations- hairball prevention formula, indoor cat formula, sensitive system formula, etc but the most important is to provide very young, and relatively older cats a specialized formula.

The next major decision point is whether you prefer dry food, or canned/moist food. Dry food is usually a good choice, as it can be left out free choice. Because the moisture content is low, it’s critical that the cat also have access to clean fresh water. Canned food contains a lot of water, and can be very helpful in certain circumstances, such as an older cat who has trouble with dehydration. One option that can work well is to feed dry food, but offer some canned food as a “treat”.

Once you decide on dry or canned, and the whether you need a formula designed to meet the needs of a kitten or an older cat, it’s time to read the labels. Some packages look better than others, some cat foods are advertised more effectively than others, and of course there are various price points. None of these are a guarantee of quality ingredients.

Those labels are printed with the tiniest print imaginable so you may need to squint or use reading glasses, but do read the label. For canned food, the first ingredient is almost always “water sufficient for processing” so just go on to the next few ingredients. They should be foods that you recognize, and that you think are good for cats. They should be things like “chicken”, “turkey”, “fish”. It should not be a listing of “byproducts”. Think about it… we know what “chicken” is and we would not mind giving our cat some chicken. But chicken byproducts? Honestly, that could be meat, or it could be feathers, beaks, feet! In general, if a company is proud of what they put in a product, they will list it, specifically.

Dry food has a low moisture content, so the first ingredient won’t be “water”. Again, look for the predominant ingredients to be things you would want your cat to eat. Most cat foods do contain corn and/or rice as a filler, but it’s best if it’s not in the top two or three ingredients.

Try to find a couple of options, and buy small amounts of more than one. This way you can let your cat try out their new food to ensure they like it before you stock up.

-PURINA ONE-

“The beauty and behaviour of a cat is a true sign of her overall health. Feeding Purina One, you will see visible results on your cat’s health and her outstanding body condition. Our nutritionists and vets have prepared a complete and balanced diet with a high quality and tasty ingredients your cat will love. Purina One is formulated to noticeably enhance your cat’s health for today and tomorrow”.

I normally feed my cats on IAMS as I have done since they were kittens. They started on Science Plan but seemed to prefer Iams when I tried them on it one day. It is nice to vary their diet every so often so when Purina brought out ‘One’, complete balanced dietary care I bought them a packet for them to try. All the information on the packaging looked promising and I felt sure that my babies would enjoy it.-

-PURINA ONE-

I was first attracted to the packet as it was in a bright shiny foil packagng in an eye catching shade of blue. Sitting at the top of the packet was a picture of a beautiful white pedigee cat looking extremely healthy, with a glossy coat and bright eyes and the words beside the picture which state, ‘Strong immune system’. It seems to be the way these days with the growing popularity of the dried, complete cat food, that the makers concentrate on including ingredients that promote and support a strong immune system, healthy urinary tract and optimal digestion for our furry friends.-

-THE PURINA ONE PRDUCT-

The packet is re-sealable and by tearing the marked strip from the top, the packet snaps together to seal itself. The variety that I have chosen is Adult rich in ‘Chicken and Rice’ which is written within an a bright orange flash. The package weight is 300g and the actual dried cat food is in the form of small hard nuggets which are pale brown in colouring. My cats like the action of crunching this food as opposed to the wet cat food which they lick and then eat easily. Crunching down the dried nuggets must be quite satisfying for the cat and exercises their jaw, gums and teeth. They seem to enjoy the crunchiness of the nuggets and make quite a racket whilst doing so.

-PURINA ONE-

The Purina One complete cat food promotes a strong immune system supported by a special blend of vitamins and antioxidants. It promotes a healthy urinary tract which is aided by balanced minerals. There is high nutrient absorption for optimal digestion which is promoted by superior quality ingredients. PURINA One provides total oral care for the cat,