First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘cat breeds’

If your cat knowledge is limited to the essentials, at best, the process of choosing which breed of cat you want to add to your family can become quite a chore! When considering which breed of cat you like best, you must be sure to choose a breed that will best suit your lifestyle. While certain cat breeds require a great deal more grooming than others, you can also find breeds that need a lot more exercise–it’s all a matter of traits specifically belonging to certain breeds. Listed below, you will see the most popular cat breeds. Not only will we discuss the personality type of each breed, but also the grooming responsibilities required.

The Oriental is one of the most popular cat breeds around. This breed tends to develop very deep bonds with its family, and is very loyal and bright. It has large, pointed ears, and although its body is very sleek, it is still quite a muscular breed.

One of the most popular cat breeds for a family is the American Shorthair. The American shorthair originally was a working breed, mostly for mouse hunting, which explains the agile muscular structure and short hair. They do need a little exercise, but most are quite content being a lap cat.

The Birman breed is thought to have originated from Burma. It is most popular for its coloring, consisting of a white body, brown face, ears, tail, legs, and blue eyes. Birmans possess a long, sturdy body structure with extensive, mat-resistant hair. They love to play and are quite gentle. They are affectionate without being too needy.

If you’re looking for a very loving, snuggly cat, then a Sphynx may be the breed for you. Although they look like they have no fur, they actually have a peach-like fuzz all over their body. As they don’t have much hair to protect their skin, they should strictly be kept indoors. Extra care may be required to keep a cat of this breed nice and toasty, as the lack of a furry coat allows them to become too cold.

The Ragdoll breed got its name due to its tendency to fully relax when picked up–similar to a floppy ragdoll. If you love a cat that accompanies you from room to room, this breed would likely be a wonderful match for you. They are very gentle when playing, keeping teeth and claw use to a minimum.

{Now that you have a better idea about the most popular, yet very different, cat breeds out there, hopefully you find choosing a cat to be a little less daunting than before. Be sure to remember that lifestyles are important factors to consider; so if you aren’t very active, you probably shouldn’t choose a cat that requires a lot of activity, and vice versa. Hopefully you have a better understanding of which type of cat would be best for you. Just keep in mind the requirements that each breed can demand, and be sure that whichever cat you choose, you are up to maintaining it. The best rule of thumb to go by is to choose a cat whose activity levels and lifestyle best match your own.}

Over the last thousands of years, cats have pretty much handled their breeding themselves.  In the beginning, they were used for one purpose – hunting and killing rodents.  As the years progressed, we began to breed cats more to our liking.  Now days, there are several different breeds of cats – which you can tell if you look closely.

These days there are over 70 distinct cat breeds, which are recognized through cat registries.  There are several registries that will recognize around 40 breeds or so, as they exclude the more domestic breeds such as tigers.  There are also many variations as well, including wild cats that have longer hair.

There are some cat breeds who have roots going back quite a bit in history.  Some Japanese breeds, such as the Japanese Bobtail, can be traced back more than 1,000 years in history.  These cats were very common and well known throughout Medieval Japan.  Now days though, they are all but a myth throughout Japan and the entire world.

The more common cat breeds that are found in North America include the alley cat, long haired cat, and Persian cat.  Siamese cats are also common, although they are well known to be destructive and to have a foul temper.  Persian cats are very popular, proving to be loving companions.  Persian cats can be very expense, depending on where you get it and what type of Persian cat it is.

Alley cats are the most common in North America.  There are actually several different breeds, although most of us just refer to them as alley cats.  They make good pets, although there are literally thousands of them in existence.  Cats are known to breed more than any other pet, and they will continue to breed until they are stopped.  Alley cats are among the most bred, as there are hundreds of thousands of cats that are homeless – and have nothing to do but breed.

The look of the cat is the easiest way to tell what breed he or shemay be.  Some people choose to go by color, although color isn’t as easy to identify.  Different breeds of cats have different looks, such as the Siamese and Persian cats.As a rule Siamese cats are always black with very few exception, it can easily be recognized by color of eyes and fur color.  Persian cats on the other hand, are easily identified by their body type and their hair.

Over the years, there has been quite a few breeds come along.Cats are among the most ancient pets, and surly one of the most popular.  Millions of people around the world own cats, with many people preferring a cat over any other pet – including dogs.  No matter breed of cat you get – you’re sure to get a pet who make for a great companion for years and years to come.

The exotic and somewhat mysterious Siamese cat hails from the country of Thailand.  They had always been a popular breed of cats, some even residing in royal palaces.  Siamese cats, in the past, were trusted to protect royal palaces and monasteries from evil spirits.  These cats were also thought of as bringing good fortune to their owners as well.

During the year of 1884, the very first Siamese cats began to make their way to England, when they were given as gifts to a British general.  After that, they eventually made their way over to America.  Now days, Siamese cats are one of the most recognized of the breed.  Siamese cats are without a doubt the most popular short haired cat and among the top 3 in the entire breed of cats.

Even though there are several different colors to this breed, some questions what makes a cat a true Siamese cat.  These cats have always been known for their bodies which are lighter in color, with darker areas throughout.Darker areas on the cat’s body is normally near the tail, feet, legs or face.  They can weight anywhere between 6 – 16 lbs, with bright eyes that are normally slanted – which is another clue that the cat is a true Siamese.

Traditionally, Siamese cats are robust, with round heads and a truly muscular build.  They are well known throughout the world for their color points and unique personalities.  Unlike other breeds, Siamese breeds have a talent for communicating with people.  If you are looking for a cat that is nice and quiet, you wouldn’t want a Siamese cat.  These cats love to play, love to make noise, and they also happen to be the most social breed of cats out there.

Siamese cats demand a lot of attention, because in their minds, they believe that the world revolves around them.  For this very reason, they can tend be quite dependant on their owners.  They love to play, and crave interaction.  If you leave them alone for too long, they won’t like it.They are fond of attention, enjoy playing, and do not appreciate to be left alone.

Even though Siamese cats are emotionally high maintenance, they don’t need a lot of maintenance They need a minimum amount of grooming, which involves bathing every once in a while, and brushing maybe once or twice a month.  If you like cats with minimal maintenance, Siamese cats are perfect.  Their hair is short to their skin, so a gentle brushing is all you need.  They can get sick however, which is to be expected with any breed of cat.

Siamese cats are at par with other cat breeds when it comes to life span averaging about 17 years. As long as you feed him on a daily basis and take him to the vet for his regular checkups and shots, he will be around for years and years to come.  Most people who have their Siamese cat for over 10 years, find the cat to be more like a child than a pet.

No matter how you look at it, a Siamese cat is a great pet.  Although the Siamese breed does require a lot of attention, they are excellent pets that you can spend a lot of time with.  They are great for kids as well, simply because kids can spend a lot of time with them.  As long as you give your pet the attention he craves – he will be your life long friend for as long as you have him.

Cats are wonderful pets; low maintenance, as you don’t have to walk them daily for exercise or do any of their needs and they are extremely loving and intelligent, which makes them enjoyable as well as a gratifying pet.

The Appearance And Origin Of The Siamese Cat

Siamese cats are an Oriental breed and even though the exact place of origin is not precisely known, it is believed to be Thailand, which shelters the sacred temple called Siam today; however, the Siamese cats are called ‘Wichienmaat’ in Thailand, which translates to ‘moon diamond’.

All Siamese cats have a grayish, creamy body coat with the ends of their feet, tail, ears and mouth in dark shades of brown and/or black. However many consider the eyes as the most prominent feature, often the blue color eyes create a pleasant looking contrast against the coat colors of the cat.

The Personality And Maintenance

Siamese cats are very loving and demanding when it comes to being pampered and loved back; they are intelligent and if you take the time to train them as kittens you will be surprised of the amount of commands and tricks a cat can learn such as, opening the doors; respecting your privacy if you train him or her not to enter a particular room such as your bedroom and your cat can even be trained to be taken for walks on a leash.

Siamese cats are very clean and they will soon learn where the litter box is and always use it however, they shed huge amounts of hair, which you will find all over the house should you not groom her or him daily.

A nutritious diet as per Veterinarian recommendations is always helpful however some amount of dry food helps in keeping the teeth clean of your cat. To keep your kitten fit and fine vaccinations and regular check ups are few of the most important aspects.

Siamese cats are very possessive and when the matting season will come you will experience the male will want to mark his territory by urinating in the corners of you house and sometimes on the sofas; it is important to decide as soon as you acquire your cat pet if you would like to send it for matting further or spay/ neuter him or her.

Helpful Tips

Siamese cats makes some of the best pets, which if groomed and trained from an early age can make it to cat shows, where they almost always excel because they are exquisite looking and extremely intelligent, which usually puts them ahead of most other cat breeds.

Your first line of defense when keeping cats out of your garden is to make sure that you have your boundaries secure.  If there are any gaps in your fence, you should make sure that you block them to prevent any low access.  Cats are very agile animals, and can jump very high.  Normally they can jump a fence, which is why you should also invest in string or taut wire across the top.

If a cat has made his way into your garden, it may be hard to get him out.  Most people choose to use dogs, simply because dogs are known to dislike cats. There are several dog breeds out there that completely dislike cats, such as pit bulls and Dobermans.  Cats are completely fearful of these breeds, and will flee if they see them around.

All cats are known to despise water as well.  If you spot a catin your garden, water almost always gets him out.  All it takes is a bucket of water or a well aimed squirt with a garden hose to make him run away.After you have splashed water a number ot times on your cat, it comprehends your intentions and refrains from coming back.  If he comes back, simply squirt him or throw more water on him until he gets the idea.

Protecting your plants is a different story.Mothballs are among the most effective agents for this purpose, as cats do not favourable perceive it’s smell.You can employ mothballs near your plants, border of you garden, or as a matter of fact even along the fence.  There are other repellents that you can use as well, such as cayenne peppers, tobacco, lavender oil, citronella oil, mustard oil, and even lemon grass oil.

If you visit your local hardware or lawn store, you can find motion activated sprinklers.  They work great in keeping cats out of your garden.  Once you install the sprinkler system and a cat comes into the area, the detector will pick up the cat’s presence and immediately shoot out a jet of water that will douse the cat.  In most cases, all it takes is a few times of exposure to the sprinkler before a cat learns to stay out of that area.

Sound devices that feature high frequencies are also a great way to scare off cats, although they aren’t annoying to humans.  You can find several different models, such as those that stay on all the time, and those that are motion detected.  To use this type of device, you’ll need to make sure that the model you have is strong enough to cover the entire area.  If you model you are using is strong enough to cover your entire garden, it should suffice in scaring off any unwanted animals.

You can also use commercial repellents as well.  Commercial repellents use scents to keep cats away, and shouldn’t be used near any food crops.  Due to their high chemical content, commercial repellents can pollute your crops.  You can find them at your local department store, with several varieties to choose from, many of which will fend off other animals from your garden as well.

If you have a garden, it can be very annoying if cats and other animals decide to make your garden their home.  If you stick to your guns and do your part, you can prevent them from bothering your garden or your crops.  Once you have secured your boundaries around the garden, you should try using water first.  If water doesn’t seem to work, you can look into another method, such as commercial repellents.