The Cat Handbook. Karen Leigh Davis

Balance and the Righting Reflex

       Sleeping Habits

       Hunting Habits

       Territorial Marking Behaviors

       Handling House-soiling

       Social Behaviors in Multicat Households

      9. How Cats Reproduce

       Spaying and Neutering

       The Feline Facts of Life

       Preparing for Birth

       Delivering Kittens

       Trouble Signs During Birth

       Kitten Development

       Basic Feline Genetics

       Professional Breeding Strategies

       Registering a Purebred Litter

      10. Showing Your Cat

       Breed Standards

       How a Cat Show Is Organized

       Types of Shows and Classes

       Getting Started in Cat Shows

       The Day of the Show

       Traveling to Shows with Your Cat

       Responsible Pet Ownership

       Useful Addresses and Literature

       Index

       Preface

      Cats enrich our lives in many ways. They provide companionship and unconditional love. They satisfy our need to nurture and care for something other than ourselves. Their playful antics make us laugh, and their contented purring can help us feel relaxed and at ease. In fact, experts say that taking care of a cat, or any pet, can be good for us.

      So in return for all cats give us, we owe it to them to provide the best care possible. Within the pages of this book, you will find answers to many questions you may have about selecting and caring for a cat, such as

      • where to find the right cat for you,

      • how to keep your cat healthy,

      • what to feed your cat,

      • why cats behave the way they do,

      • how to get involved in showing your cat.

      This book is intended to be a general reference and guide to cat care and selection; however, it should never serve as a substitute for the advice of your veterinarian. While every effort has been made to help ensure that the information contained herein is accurate and up-to-date, please keep in mind that medical opinions and treatments can change over time as more advanced scientific knowledge becomes available. So when you have questions or concerns about your cat’s health, nutrition, behavior, or overall well-being, always consult your veterinarian.

      In addition, read as much as you can about cat care. There are many reference books and magazines available, and some of them are listed in the back of this book. Frequent reading on the subject of cat care also will help you stay up-to-date on the latest findings in the field.

      Finally, responsible pet ownership requires knowledge and commitment. With proper care, your cat is likely to share your home and your life for at least a decade or more. A good way to prepare yourself for such a long-term commitment is to learn as much as you can about what you’re getting into beforehand. To that end, this book aims to be a useful reference.

       Chapter One

       A Brief History of Cats and Cat Breeds

       Where Cats Came From

      Charming and intelligent, cats have been humankind’s companions for centuries, long before feline enthusiasts began to selectively breed and develop purebred bloodlines. All domestic cats, from the fanciest purebred seen in show halls to the random-bred alley cat, have common origins, descending from just a few wild progenitors. Most experts agree that the modern cat, Felis catus, likely descends from a shorthaired wildcat, called Felis lybica, that roamed the plains of ancient Africa and western Asia. Many of today’s tabbies still retain the distinctive striped markings, and the lithe, muscular body of this wild ancestor.

       Domestication

      Unlike most wild animals, Felis lybica often chose to live near human settlements and hunt the vermin that would inevitably seek out and raid the food stores. As a result, the cat gradually accepted domestication as a reasonable trade-off for the privilege of staying close to an easy and stable food source. However, the cat was one of the last of our modern-day animals to be domesticated, lagging far behind the dog, which became man’s hunting companion some 16,000 years ago.

History generally credits the Egyptians with being among the first people to domesticate the cat approximately 3,500 to 5,000 years ago. Astute agriculturists, the Egyptians most certainly recognized the cat’s inestimable value in protecting their grain stores from rats and mice. One might imagine that the Egyptians began enticing these prowling wild felines to stay close to their settlements, perhaps by leaving scraps of food near their grain stores. As a result, taming or domestication of wild cats gradually took place. So valuable was their natural pest-control service that cats enjoyed an extended period of elevated status during this early era of human civilization. In fact, archaeological discoveries suggest that Egyptians worshipped cats as representatives of household gods. The Egyptian goddess, Bast, was often depicted as a woman with a cat’s head. So revered were these animals that symbolized their religious beliefs that