New Cats On The Blog

... your One-Stop about the happenings in Asian cat fancy

Your cat goes for your ankles when you’re just walking past or suddenly bites you while you’re cuddling her, for no apparent reason. I’ll explain the motivations behind aggressive feline behavior and how to address them.

Play aggression
Play-motivated aggressive behaviors are commonly observed in young active cats less than 2 years of age, that live in 1-cat households. Play incorporates a variety of behaviors such as exploratory, investigative and predatory and provides young cats with opportunities to practice skills they would normally need for survival. For example, kittens like to explore new areas and investigate anything that moves, and may bat at, pounce on and bite objects that resemble prey.

Playful aggression often occurs when an unsuspecting owner comes down the stairs, rounds a corner or even moves under the bedcovers while sleeping. These playful attacks may result in scratches and inhibited bites that don’t break the skin. People sometimes inadvertly initiate aggressive behavior by encouraging their cat to chase or bite at their hands and feet during play. The body postures seen during play aggression resemble the postures a cat would normally show when searching for or catching prey. A cat may freeze in a low crouch before pouncing, twitch her tail, flick her ears back and forth, or wrap her front feet around a person’s hands or feet while biting. Most play aggression can be successfully redirected to appropriate targets.

Outlets for play
The first strategy is to provide many opportunities each day for your cat to play in an acceptable manner. Have toys available that are interesting from your cat’s point of view and allow your cat to show her own individual style and favorite ways to play. You may need to experiment to see which toys your particular cat prefers. It is also helpful to provide new toys (or at least rotate the availability of the ones you have) once their novelty wears off.

Owners should avoid wrestling or using their hands and feet as toys for playfully aggressive cats. This type of play only encourages the cat to grab and/or bite your flesh as part of its normal play. Try using a stuffed sock, fishing pole type toys or catnip mice to encourage your cat to re-direct her playful energy.

Remote forms of punishment may be used as a means of discouraging inappropriate play only if the cat also has opportunities for acceptable play. Some methods for remote punishment, which startle the cat but do not involve you physically interacting with the cat include using a squirt bottle filled with water, using noise making devices such as horns from a bike or giving the cat a puff of air in the face from a can of compressed air.

Hitting or slapping a playfully aggressive cat is NOT acceptable. This approach seldom corrects the problem and can have some nasty results. Your cat may become more aggressive, afraid of you or both. Punishment alone is never an effective treatment.

Stop petting me now
Some cats will suddenly bite while they’re being petted. This behavior isn’t well understood even by behaviorists. For whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously enjoying apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat’s signal that she has had enough petting. Cats vary in how much they’ll tolerate being petted or held. Although often people describe their cats as biting ‘out of the blue’ or without warning, cats do generally give several signals before biting.

You should become more aware of your cat’s body postures and cease petting or stop any other kind of interaction before a bite occurs. Signals to be aware of include restlessness, the tail beginning to twitch, the ears turning back or flicking back and forth and your cat turning or moving her head toward your hand.

When you observe any of these signs, it’s time to stop petting your cat immediately and allow her to sit quietly on your lap or go her own way, whichever she prefers. Any kind of physical punishment almost always makes the problem worse because your cat is more likely to bite either because she is fearful or because petting becomes even more unpleasant if it’s associated with punishment.

If you want to prolong the amount of time your cat will tolerate petting, try using more food rewards. When your cat first begins to show any of the behaviors described above (or even before she does so) offer her a special tidbit. At the same time, decrease the intensity of your petting. Continue to lightly pet her a little longer each time using the food as a reward. Be sure to stop the petting before she shows any aggression. If a display of aggression results in the petting being stopped, then you are telling you cat that her unacceptable behavior has worked.

Other types of aggression
Defensive, territorial, redirected and idiopathic (with an unknown cause) forms of cat aggression can be quite serious and usually require professional help to resolve. Cats who are fearful may display body postures, which appear to be similar to canine submissive postures – crouching on the floor, ears back, tail tucked and possibly rolling slightly to the side. Cats in this posture are not submissive; they are fearful and defensive and may attack if touched.

Any cat that suddenly becomes aggressive should be taken to your regular vet for a complete examination. Certain kinds of diseases, illness or physical conditions such as abscessed bite wounds can cause cats to show aggression. Medical causes for the behavior should be evaluated before the problem is assumed to be behavioral. If the aggression is due to a behavioral problem, ask your vet to refer you to a professional who is knowledgeable and experienced in working with cats.

We all know that moving house is stressful but it can just as stressful for your cats too, if you do not plan your move with them in mind. Here are some suggestions to minimize the moving headaches for both you and your cats.

Planning the big move
Most of us will move house at least once or twice in our lifetimes. What can be an exciting new start for humans often terrifying and disorienting to cats. Some people just toss their cats in the car and go. But if you really want to make the move smooth for your cats and aid their adjustment, communication and preparation are the order of the day.

Your animals will see you box all your belongings and disassemble rooms. As the familiarity goes, insecurity and fear can set in. Will they be gong too? To reassure them that they’re part of the deal, make them part of the process. Taking time to communicate will help ease your cats’ anxiety. And even if you don’t believe in this sort of things, it doesn’t hurt to go over your plans with your cats anyway to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.

When planning the placement of your furniture in your new house, don’t forget the locations of your cats’ things such as water and food dish, bed, litter box or play pen. Travel arrangements on your actual day of the move would also have to be on your agenda. Whether you are hiring someone to sit your cats while you are busy tasking the movers or you are shifting them yourself, your cats need to be your responsibility. If you feel that your household is counting on you to oversee the move, it would be wise to pass that responsibility to someone who has less duties but at all times do know where your cat is on the actual day of the move and their condition.

Cats are notoriously suspicious of charge within their environment, so imagine how a house move might affect your cats. If your cat is particularly sensitive and it is convenient for you, you may choose to board him at a reputable cattery for a few days over the moving period.

What To Pack?
Cats may become distressed or anxious during the upheaval of packing, so confine them to a quiet room where they can rest and be safe. Begin packing non-essential items several weeks in advance, leaving your cat’s possessions alone until you are close to the move date. Try to minimize the impact of their routine. Do not wash bedding until a couple of weeks after the move, so that they will have something familiar smelling in the new house.

When it is time to pack up your cat’s items, keep them all together. When you arrive at your new home, you can quickly unpack all that they know and love to help ease their transition in their new space.

Moving Day!
Confine your cat to one secure room with its toys and bed so that escape and injury cannot occur whilst people are going in and out of the house. Make sure your cat is safely secured in the car or vehicle that they are to be transported in to the new house with a travel crate or car harness on the back seat.

Cats are notorious for getting into trouble during the moving process since they are particularly sensitive to stress. Put a notice on the door to remind family members and the removers that the door should remain shut.

When it’s time to go, put your cat in their carriers with a familiar blanket and transport them, properly secured with a seat belt in the car – either wedged securely in the back or in the well behind the seats. Don’t put them in the removal van or the boot of the car.

Settling In
Try to unpack the essentials before introducing your cats to the new house so that they can see familiar items with then unfamiliar house. If possible, place furniture and items in similar places to those in the old house. Be patient with your cats in the new home and make allowances for ‘accidents’ on the carpet if they should happen. Quietly pick up the mess and clean the area to properly remove the smell. Once your cat has settled in, the accidents should stop. Always praise them when they go to the toilet in the correct spot.

Some cats walk into a new house, curl up in a favorite chair and never look back. Others take time to adjust to their own surroundings but you can help them to settle in. Cats will rub their heads and bodies on furniture, walls, doors etc to lay down scent from glands, which are situated mostly on the head. Rubbing their own scent around house increases their feeling of security. You can help this process by rubbing a soft cotton cloth gently around the cat’s face to pick up its personal profile. Then dab this, at cat’s height, around the rooms where he will initially be exploring. Repeat this daily, widening the areas where you impose his scent. Use food and a regular routine to help during the adjustment period. Small frequent meals will give you more contact initially and help to reassure your cat that all is well.

The transition from old to new will not happen overnight. There will be times when you will fear that they will never forgive you for uprooting them. But they always do. That’s the beauty of animals.

Is your cat driving you mad meowing non-stop for food? Or is she waking you at 3am with her special song? Read on!!!

Be Patient! It takes time for cats to learn behaviors, and often takes even more time to unlearn them. In order to make a change in your cat’s meowing, you need to be very consistent and give your cat time to adjust.

Although cats have a reputation for being solitary animals, they have developed an elaborate system for communicating with each other. Scent, body language, touch, and sound help one cat learn about another. Your cat will use the same tools to communicate with you.

Following Their Noses
Odors are one of the most important ways your cat learns about his environment and other cats that live in it. If your cat lived outside, he would use urine to scent-mark his territory, backing up to an object, squirting urine on it, and leaving a pungent odor for any feline passers-by to smell. While not having the effect of keeping other cats away, urine marks alert other cats to the presence of the marking cat. If you’ve had your cat neutered before he began spraying, he should not urine mark inside your home, but he may use his sense of smell in other ways to identify his space. Depositing facial pheromones by rubbing his cheeks on objects increases your cat’s comfort level and helps him navigate around his environment. If you have more than one cat, you will notice them butting heads and rubbing their cheeks on the other. Only cats comfortable with each other will engage in this mutual rubbing. Once they have determined that it is safe, cats will approach each other and raise their tails, each allowing the other cat to sniff their rear end – a sign of mutual acceptance.

Body Language
About 70 percent of human communication is nonverbal, resulting from changes we detect in the way a person sits, walks, or changes expression. Your cat also uses body movements and facial expressions to let you and other cats know what’s on his mind. To determine what your cat is thinking, observe his body language as a whole rather than simply one aspect of it.

For example, if your cat’s pupils are dilated, it may mean that your cat is becoming aggressive and wants to fight, it may mean he’s fearful, or it may mean his eyes are accommodating to low light. A relaxed, contented cat points his ears forward, half closes his eyes, and purrs. When he becomes more alert, his eyes open widely and his whiskers stand straight out. If your cat is afraid, he draws his ears back and begins to fold them flat on his head. His pupils dilate. An agitated and aggressive cat has completely dilated pupils, flattened ears, taut facial muscles, forward sweeping whiskers, and may open his mouth to bare his teeth. He is ready to either scare off an intruder or to fight with one.

To a cat, staring is intimidating behavior, and your cat will stare at another cat he wishes to challenge or threaten. To prevent your cat from feeling menaced when you gaze at him, slowly blink your eyes to indicate that the look is benign rather than belligerent. A defensive cat will be poised for action. He may arch his back and puff up his hair to appear larger. If your cat feels totally relaxed with another cat or with you, he will roll over and bare his belly – a sign of total submission. Be careful, though. Just because he shows you his belly doesn’t mean he wants it rubbed. Some cats enjoy belly rubs while others don’t and forcing the issue may make your cat aggressive. He may claw your hands.

Moving his tail is another way your cat sends non-verbal signals. A tail held high above a cat’s back is a sign of dignity and self-respect. A cat holding his tail in a lowered state says that he is relaxed and content. A rapidly flicking tail indicates annoyance and ambiguity.

Cat Talk
Your cat will tell you what he needs through vocalization as well as body language. In the wild, cats have two sets of language – one to communicate between mother and offspring and another to communicate with other adults within their territory. The pitch, intensity, frequency, rapidity, and volume of the meowing reflect your cat’s different emotional states and physical needs. The more rapid, intense, and loud are the vocalizations, the more panicked, scared, and anxious your cat may feel. Conversely, the slower and less intense the vocalizations are, the more confident or potentially assertive your cat is being.Your cat’s vocal patterns will fall into three categories. The first is murmur patterns, including purring, that indicates a calm, friendly state. Vowel patterns indicate a need for food or other needs and desires. Loud, strained, intense sounds, including hissing, growling, and screaming, are associated with mating or aggression toward a human or other animal.

As a cat finds his way around his environment, the concept of extrasensory perception takes on a whole new meaning. Almost all of a cat’s five senses have a heightened sensitivity when compared to those of humans.

Smell
Your cat’s sense of smell is superior to your own and one of the most important ways in which he receives feedback about his environment. Sense of smell helps him communicate with others of his own kind and assess the potential risks and pleasures associated with every waking moment. Cats have 200 million odor-sensitive cells in their noses compared to about 5 million for humans. Because of astonishing olfactory acuity, your cat can detect the presence of other cats even outside the home and can identify any strange animals you’ve contacted simply by smelling your clothing. Your cat will deposit its own odor by urine marking and deposition of skin secretions to mark its territory and important objects in its environments. He will also use his olfactory ability to smell, as opposed to taste his food to determine whether the food you’ve offered him is appealing.

Sight
Your cat can see in only one-fifth of the light intensity that you need to make things out at night, but even cats cannot see in total darkness. That eerie glow you see when your cat’s eyes reflect light is due to a layer of cells, called the tapetum lucidum, that lies beneath the visually sensitive layer (retina) at the back of his eyes. These light-reflecting cells enable a cat to see form and movement in very low light intensity, at illumination levels that would leave humans – well, blind. For example, it has been calculated that a night that appears black as pitch to us may seem, to a cat, like a bright, moon-lit night. This particular feline aptitude is of biological importance because it helps cats (and, more relevantly, helped cat ancestors) to hunt for prey at night. Although your cat’s ability to distinguish separate objects (visual acuity) is only one-tenth that of yours, he can discern movement at a much faster rate than you can. This ability to see movement, even where there is very little, is what attracts cats to television screens. On TV, even slow-moving images appear jumpy to a cat because of the way signal is displayed.

Hearing
Your cat’s ears function like mini-satellite dishes, rotating to pick up sounds and funneling them to the brain. Observe your cat listening to a conversation in your home or some commotion outside. His ears move back and forth as he listens and his ability to pinpoint the source of the sound is exceptional.If you’ve ever wondered how your cat could find a mouse in your house, sound may be part of the explanation. The upper range of hearing in cats is about 60 to 65 kilohertz (kilocycles per second), which enables cats to hear their kittens’ ultrasonic vocalizations and the ultrasonic calls of small rodents. Humans hear about 8.5 octaves whereas a cat hears about 10, which is why some high-pitched noises, such as certain types of music, may agitate your cat.What appears as two separate sounds to you may seem like one sound to a cat. In spite of your cat’s ability to hear a broader range of sounds than you, his hearing ability has some limitations. For example, he requires about five degrees of separation to distinguish between two different tones whereas you can differentiate sounds merely 0.5 degrees apart.

Touch
Your cat’s sense of touch encompasses his entire body, just as yours does. One of the most important components of your cat’s touch-sensing apparatus is his fine collection of special whiskers. These whiskers appear on his cheeks, lips, and above his eyebrows. Special sensory whiskers (vibrissae) act as fine-sensing, object detection devices, and they contribute to your cat’s ability to navigate and hunt in low light. A cat with no whiskers is like a blind man without his cane.Your cat will benefit from being touched. Stroking or petting your cat evokes certain physical and emotional responses. His heart rate will slow and his body will relax as he starts to purr like an engine and slowly slides into euphoric, tactilely-induced oblivion. When your cat rubs against your leg, he is depositing scents and marking you as part of his domain – the feline way of saying, “You’re mine.” When you’re petting him the reverse is probably true.

Taste
In spite of their reputation for being finicky eaters, cats have less ability to differentiate between various tastes than humans do. While you have about 9,000 taste buds on your tongue, your cat has a mere 473. Your cat’s taste buds are found in the form of mushroom-shaped papillae at the tip and sides of his tongue, and in cup-shaped papillae at the back of his tongue. Your cat’s appreciation of food is more closely related to his ability to smell rather than to his sense of taste. Your cat’s taste will respond to flavor and to food’s texture and temperature. Food that is below room temperature is a turnoff to most cats. This particular fastidiousness seems genetically programmed and may have provided some survival benefit for cats’ ancient ancestors. Perhaps eating recently killed prey was more healthful than eating it when it was stone cold. That would make good biological sense.

In urban and suburban areas throughout the country, a typical scenario plays out. A young female cat slips into a garage or under a porch and has her litter of kittens. The residents are understandably not very happy with this situation and gather up the kittens to take them to the local shelter. If the mother cat can be approached and lured into a crate, she might go, too. If not, she will abandon her nest once the kittens are gone, but she’s likely to stay on in a neighborhood that has provided her with food, shelter and water. In a remarkably short period of time – as little as nine weeks – she may be back with yet a new litter. Somewhere between the pampered pet cat and the self-reliant feral (which may, in fact, be vaccinated and neutered/spayed by the local humane society) is the most maligned, least understood of all the felines: unowned cats for whom no one takes responsibility.

Happily, millions of these unowned cats have been adopted over the years and have become loving and beloved house pets. A remarkable 49 percent of pet cat owners report that their pet cat was adopted as a stray.

From Stray to Pet
But how do you help a cat move from stray to pet? Cats that had previously been pets make the transition most easily. Once a cat has indicated her willingness to interact with people, a little food and a lot of patience can induce all but the most wary to become friends and, even better, grateful and loving owned pets. Stories abound of cats marching into a home they have chosen, and announcing by their actions that they are there to stay. Common sense dictates that both the cat and the neighborhood benefit from a trip to the veterinarian. The cat should be neutered or spayed quickly in order to avoid unwanted litters. In the case of a male cat, neutering will discourage him from participating in the noisy nocturnal battles under your bedroom window and from sharing his “eau de tom cat” – a pungent spray of urine. Before you do anything else, do a little investigative work to make sure that the cat does not belong to neighbors. If the cat has been taking regular meals at your house, chances are good that no other owner will be found. Once that hurdle is cleared, a telephone call to a local humane organization or to the community’s animal control department should help locate a low-cost or free neuter/spay and vaccination clinic. If you intend to accept the wandering vagrant into your household, your own veterinarian should be the one to establish a health file and perform the initial work. In either event, make an appointment, and inform the clinic that they might be seeing a somewhat difficult patient.

Vaccinations
Obtaining vaccinations – particularly against rabies – will protect the health of the neighborhood and your own family and other pets. Resident pet cats should be protected from possible transmission of viral diseases fatal to cats, such as the feline leukemia virus (FeLV). There are blood tests to screen for the presence of these viruses in seemingly healthy cats, and vaccinations to provide some level of protection for FeLV. There is no vaccination for feline immunodeficiency virus, also called feline AIDS.

Transporting the Cat
You’ll need some kind of carrier to transport a panic-stricken cat to the veterinarian’s office. Even a cat that will readily approach people for stroking could well panic if confined. A frightened cat, trying to escape, can distract a driver or inflict serious wounds with claws or teeth. If the cat has been accustomed to handling, a regular cat carrier can be purchased inexpensively from any pet supply store and even many grocery stores. A second choice would be a pillowcase, which is more difficult for the cat to escape than a cardboard box. If you’re using a carrier, place some food into it for several days. Then, when the cat is accustomed to entering it, take the next step of latching the door. And finally, spend a little time accustoming the cat to being carried in it. If the cat resists all efforts to accustom her to your form of transport, then a trap obtained on loan (usually at no cost) from a humane organization or Animal Control, is easier on all involved. These traps are made of wire, so the cat’s resistance to entering an enclosed container is lessened. Once trapped, a blanket can be put over the wire, and the cat can be transported without removing it. After the visit to the veterinarian, the cat needs a quiet place to recover, particularly if the cat is female. The spaying surgery is more invasive than neutering a male, and a longer recovery time is needed. Once accomplished, this veterinary visit will provide peace of mind that family and pets are protected from disease, and that the cat is protected not only from disease but from the reproductive drives that people find so annoying. You will have provided the cat with a giant step in the transition from panhandler to pet. And likely, without your even realizing it, the cat will have well and surely adopted you.

“Sit. Stay. Come.” Do these sound like commands you would give a dog? Well, if you are a cat owner who thinks that cats can’t be trained to respond to commands the same way that dogs do, you’re in for a surprise. Basic training for cats involves obedience training just as it does for dogs.

Obedience Basics
Cats often do not respond to commands unless they want to, so the real trick is making your cat want to do what you want. All animals, including humans, are conditioned to respond to cues in their environment. Conditioning is already at work in your home. Your cat has probably already learned to associate mealtimes with certain sounds and your behavior prior to feeding time. She has probably learned that when she hears you flip the top of a cat food can or shake a container of treats it’s time to come running. Your cat knows that she will be rewarded with food when she hears these sounds. When you train your cat, you can reinforce any specific behavior with a food reward, preceding the reward with a sound that your cat will associate with an action to be taken.

Why Would I Want to Train My Cat?
You may question why you would want to train your cat, other than for the amusement of your friends and relatives. But imagine that you are coming home from grocery shopping with your arms full of shopping bags and that you must get inside your home without your cat escaping. Untrained, your cat, eager to greet you, may stick her nose out of the door as soon as you open it. Fearful that she may escape as you bring in your heavy load, you may have to confine her temporarily. Now, she feels as if she is being punished when all she wanted to do was welcome you home. Sound familiar? Just ask your cat-owning friends how often their cats have accidentally escaped when someone has held the door open too long. If this seems like something that just might happen at your house, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to issue a command like “sit” or “stay” and have your cat immediately stop in her tracks? You may not want to train your cat to perform tricks, but training your cat to understand and obey a few common commands will help you to strengthen your relationship with her, help her understand what you expect and may actually help prevent a tragedy.

How It Works
You may already use sounds, such as clapping your hands or snapping your fingers, to distract your cat from doing something she shouldn’t be doing. Obedience training, fortified by the sound made by a small plastic and metal clicker – a technique referred to as clicker training – encourages your cat to obey commands by associating them with a behavior to be performed, then the sound of the clicker and, ultimately, a reward. To get your cat to associate food with the clicker, give her a food treat and then make the clicking sound. To determine if she has made the association between the click and food, click her and see if she comes looking for a treat or go to her regular feeding station and make the clicking sound. If she responds to either approach, she has made the connection between the click and good things happening. Training can then begin. Schedule the training sessions prior to your cat’s meal times. You don’t want to starve your cat, but a hungry cat is more likely to be interested in food rewards. Keep each session about ten or fifteen minutes long, and select a location that is free of distractions or noise. Don’t force her to compete with other stimuli such as the television or stereo. Give your cat your undivided attention during training sessions. Select something your cat really likes to eat as a food reward, such as tuna or small pieces of cooked chicken. Be consistent with the command words you use. It will only confuse your cat if you say “come” on some occasions and “here” on others.During training sessions, always use your cat’s name along with the command you are trying to teach. Praise your cat when she performs the behavior for which you have called. Teach only one command at a time and repeat the lesson daily until she responds reliably. Once she has learned the first command or signal, move on to the next one. If your cat appears frustrated or impatient, quit and conduct the lesson at another time.

“Sit”
To teach your cat to sit, place her on a table. Hold the food reward over her head. Say her name and give the command, “Sit.” Move the food back over your cat’s head. As her head follows the food, she will naturally sit down.As soon as she sits, make the clicking sound and say, “Sit.” Give her the food reward soon after. If your cat does not sit as you move the food over her head, lightly press down on her hindquarters. As you do, continue to hold the food over her head and say “Sit.” When she sits, make the clicking sound and give her a food treat. Soon your cat will begin to associate the food reward with the command and you will no longer have to use the clicker to make her sit. Simply saying “sit” will be enough.

“Come”
Have you ever tried to get your cat into a carrier when it is time to visit the veterinarian only to find yourself forced into a frustrating game of hide and seek? Teaching your cat to “come” when called makes situations like this one a lot less stressful for both her and you. It’s also very helpful if your cat escapes into the yard and you need her to come back home without a major manhunt (cat-hunt). Once your cat comes to the feeding station at the sound of the clicker, say, “Come,” then hit the clicker. When your cat comes, give her some food and praise her. Continue this process but from other locations around your house. Eventually your cat should come to you reliably when you say “Come!” without you having to click her, though there should always be something worth coming for to reward her.

“Stay”
Teaching your cat to stay is a bit more complex. Place the food down on the floor about ten feet away from her. As she approaches, put your hand out to stop her, say, “Stay,” and if she stops, make the clicking sound and reward her. If she keeps on coming, hold your hand out again and repeat the command, “Stay.” Reward her only when she stops. Repeat the process until your cat knows that “Stay” means she should freeze in her tracks.

Training one command may take anything from one or two days to a week or so, so be patient. Make the training sessions fun for your cat and for you and make them something your cat wants to participate in.

It’s not quite the same decision process as choosing between a Saint Bernard and a chihuahua. After all, domestic cats are all within a much narrower size range than can be found in doggiedom.

Furthermore, dogs have been bred for centuries to perform specific tasks, such as herding sheep or retrieving the hunter’s prey. Cat owners can only counter with the emphatic proclamation that in all these thousands of years, no one has yet invented a better mousetrap. In fact, for someone who didn’t know, it might be hard to explain why cats have taken over as America’s favorite pet. After all, unless a person has a barn or granary that needs protecting from rodent incursion, all that a cat can actually do is to be a pet.

Cats do seem tailor-made as a perfect fit for the human lap. Their grace and elegance is unparalleled, and their play can be a source of entertainment for young and old alike. Above all, they purr – that marvelous, soothing, calming purr. These are characteristics of all domestic cats, so how do you narrow the choices? It is purely a matter of personal taste or preference. The only “wrong” choice is a mismatch that could later lead to severing that bond, with the cat ending up in a shelter. A little thoughtful consideration beforehand can minimize that possibility.

Longhair Or Shorthair?
Perhaps the most basic choice deals with how much grooming is required. Longer hair generally means more grooming. Longhaired cat owners often say that the act of combing their pet is a soothing, satisfying activity, and actually adds to their enjoyment. Shorthaired cat owners appreciate what they believe to be their low-maintenance pet. Oddly enough, if shedding is a major concern, the longhaired cat might be preferable. All cats shed, no matter their coat length, but short hair tends to imbed in upholstery and clothing, while longer hair is easier to remove.

Pedigreed Or Random-Bred?
Certainly the sheer numbers of cats available, and the hundreds of different color and pattern combinations mean that there is a cat for anyone’s taste. The advantage of the pedigreed cat is the predictability of size, appearance and temperament, and you can choose one that seems very likely to fit into your lifestyle by way of activity level, grooming and other factors. The most obvious advantage of a random-bred cat is easy availability and cost. Most pet cat owners now have their pet cats neutered or spayed (87 percent according to several studies) so the number of “free kitten” advertisements and signs are disappearing rapidly. Still, shelters and rescue groups can supply the potential adopter with a nice selection. There is even the occasional pedigreed cat that can be found in shelters, or through purebred rescue groups.

Couch Potato or Whirling Dervish?
Temperament in cats is quite heritable. When choosing a pedigreed kitten, the temperament is relatively easy to predict, and the potential new owner can spend time with the parents of a kitten to determine if there is a perfect personality match. In random-bred cats, though, a general rule of thumb can help. Picture a straight line – a continuum. On one end of that line, place a heavy-boned, “cobby” cat – short-bodied and broad, such as the Persian. On the other end of that line, place a long-legged, slender, “refined” cat, such as the Siamese. All other cats with medium or moderate body traits will range along in the middle of that line from the one extreme to the other. The heavy, cobby cats will generally be the less active, more laid-back cats; the more refined the cat – the more “built for speed” – the more active and inquisitive he is likely to be.

Kitten or Adult Cat?
While a kitten can be absolutely adorable, he also requires a great deal of work, and can be destructive during that “adorable” stage, which lasts such a relatively short time. Some people insist that the early bonding with their kitten is worth the work; others prefer to meet their new pets as adults so that they can better see the mature personality.

One Cat Or More Than One?
In this question lies the key to understanding at least part of the popularity of cats. They are small enough and easy enough to care for, even in urban apartments, that a family can experience the advantages of having a pet for more than one preference. Maybe one child wants a laid-back cat that will tolerate being dressed in doll clothes, and another wants a cat that will be fully interactive in games of chase and fetch. Mom may want a quiet companion, while Dad may want a communicative cat. Behaviorists know that while cats can easily adapt to living as single pets, the “buddy system” can produce happier cats and can even reduce the “mischief” that a single bored cat can contemplate.

Are You Ready For A Cat?
Before adopting a cat, take this test. You’ve decided to get a new pet because:
A) The kids’ whining has finally worn you down.
B) You feel terrible for all the homeless pets in the shelter.
C) That purebred kitten in the pet store window is cute AND orange, which happens to be THE fashion color this fall.
D) You’ve been thinking about welcoming an animal companion into your home for quite awhile, and finally everything is in place. Your heart opens all the way, and you know that it’s time.

Although people have taken in pets for all of the above reasons, the right answer, of course, must be “D.” It is crucially important to consider the impact a new pet will have on your family, as well as the feelings of the animal, before you adopt.

This Time for Keeps
A visit to an animal shelter will prove that acting on impulse or appearance is not the way to welcome a pet into your home. The 8 to 12 million homeless cats and dogs that arrive in shelters each year – 25 percent of them purebreds – attest to that. Celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Isabella Rossellini and Fabio have adopted animals from shelters, but not because it’s trendy. They wanted to save a life, just like you do.You stroll past kennels filled with hopeful animals, young and old, purebred and mixed breed, and must choose just one pet who’ll depend on you the rest of her life. Cards on each cage door tell their stories: This 2-year-old Burmese was brought to a veterinarian to be treated for a broken leg, but his owner never came back to claim him. That tiny, longhaired kitten was abandoned with three brothers.They’ve already seen bad luck. They are all intensely appealing. Do your homework before deciding.

Will Your Home and Life Accommodate a Cat?
First, you, your kids and all the adults in your household should agree that you want a cat. Look down the road for the life of the animal, which could be 10, even 20 years.

- Do you have the patience and commitment to understand your cat’s needs and ways of communication? Some cats seem aloof, but they bond with you for security and company.

- How old are your children? If they’re under 6, pet shelter experts recommend that you wait a few years. Kittens have extra-sharp teeth and claws, and strike back when teased. Some breeds are high-strung.

- Is anyone in the house allergic? Different species and breeds elicit different reactions. Spend time with a similar pet at a friend’s house before choosing yours.

-Is an adult willing to shoulder ultimate responsibility for the animal’s care? Pets can teach a child about loyalty and responsibility, but you can’t expect a child to do all the work of feeding and changing the kitty litter.

- How much time does your family spend at home? Animals like regular schedules. Do you know who’ll take care of your pet when you go on a trip?

- Does your lease or condo board allow pets?

- Can you tolerate some damage to furniture and floors until your new pet becomes accustomed to your home? Will you take accidents, even flea infestations, in stride?

- Do you have the financial means to support a pet? Shelter adoption fees are usually minimal, compared to prices paid to a breeder or pet store. But the costs of medical care, food, grooming, toys, kitty litter and other supplies add up.

The Cost
Both purebred kittens and shelter kittens need some initial care. Whether you do it privately or it is done by the shelter before adoption, your cat will need spaying and neutering, vaccinating and licensing. These charges will add up to at least $100. You must also be able to pay the costs of weekly food and litter bills and yearly vaccination boosters, in addition to occasional unplanned trips to the veterinarian for illness or injury.Food, alone, can cost as much as $1 a day adding up to $365 dollars a year. Litter, depending on the type and quality will run anywhere from $2 to $10 a week. In preparation for the new kitten you will also need to purchase other materials for your cat’s comfort such as food and water bowls, a litter pan, comb, brush, shampoo, toys and bedding.

What Kind of Pet Do You Prefer?
In addition to being a vehicle for rescuing animals, shelter adoptions offer potential pet owners the opportunity to choose from a variety of types and ages. Remember that kittens must be taught how to learn, says Stephanie Frommer, Shelter Operations Coordinator at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Adult animals already know how to learn and have developed personalities. If you think you prefer a certain breed, read up on it before making the commitment. Ask the shelter about local rescue groups dedicated to that breed. Mixed breeds generally have a better, varied gene pool and a sturdier constitution, but there’s never a guarantee. Shelter personnel may be able to conjecture which breed is dominant in a mix by color, coat or face. Purebred or mixed, the average adult cat ranges from 6 to 16 pounds. Although cats have a different way of communicating their temperaments than dogs, reading up on breeds will give you common tendencies: Ragdolls are placid and playful; Siamese, gentle to children and seniors alike; Turkish Angoras, quick-witted and quick-tempered; Maine coons, easy-going.

Time to Visit the Shelter
Before you bring the kids, make sure the shelter meets high standards in staff and cleanliness. Also, consider how your child may react if she ends up leaving the shelter without “rescuing” at least one little creature. The sight of animals in need will be tough to bear. That’s why you prepare yourself with the facts.

- Are personnel knowledgeable? Observe the professionalism and sensitivity of shelter staff. Do they consult with animal behavior professionals and veterinarians?

- Are you willing to answer questions? You may be asked for proof of identity and residence; the name of your landlord or condo board to verify that pets are allowed; the number of children and pets in the household; a history of pets you’ve owned; the name of your veterinarian; if you have screens on apartment windows to prevent cats from chasing birds out the window. Your work and travel schedule help determine if you could manage a kitten that needs socialization.

- Will you agree to have your pet spayed or neutered? Most shelters won’t allow you to adopt unless you do, and the low cost is factored into the adoption fee.

- Shelters try to provide a background on every animal that comes in. In the case of a stray, a trainer or behaviorist interacts with the cat to evaluate his personality. Is he used to people in general? To children? How does he react to other cats and dogs? If a shelter advisor recommends against placing an animal with children or an inexperienced owner, don’t argue.

- Notice how the shelter assesses the health of its animals. Are there veterinary records on the pet? Did he receive his shots? Some shelters provide a list of veterinarians who provide introductory discount services to their patrons.

- Everyone in the household should meet the animal before he goes home. Ask the shelter workers to show you a limited number of animals, to prevent the kids from instantly “bonding” with an inappropriate animal. “Test drive” a few. Hold and play with a few cats before making a final decision.