October 3rd, 2008 at 10:54am
Under Breeder's
By Patricia Craggs
What should I be looking for in a cat breeder and which
questions should I be asking them to make sure that they are the
best for my needs?
Make a list of cat breeders in the areas you are willing to
travel to.This information can be gleaned from the internet,
telephone directories,local papers, pet magazines and cat
groups.If you are set on a particular breed, then a quick phone
call to each will eliminate those that offer other breeds.To
further shorten your list,ask other cat owners for their
recommendations and experiences,both positive and negative.
Once you have your shortlist, you need to visit each cat
breeder and ask questions.Reputable cat breeders should be happy
to answer your questions and show you around their premises. If
not, you have to ask yourself if they are hiding something.
Most,however are passionate about cats and will love talking
about them.
Recommended Questions To Ask Each Cat Breeder;
Does the breed have any congenital defects to watch for? If
so,how do they avoid breeding them into their stock. If the
answer is that the breed is perfect, with no congenital defects,
be wary! No breed is perfect and a reputable breeder should tell
you about any possible faults.
Do they offer a health guarantee if the kitten turns out to be
in bad health?
How long have they been breeding cats? How many breeds do they
have? Do they show their cats? The answers to these questions
should give some indication of their expertise. Concentrating on
a couple of breeds,along with showing the cats, means that they
are more likely to be careful about the bloodlines than breeding
lots of different breeds.
How large is their breeding business. Try to avoid someone who
is overwhelmed and stressed by trying to breed too many cats at
one time,or who is just in it for the money and so uses
mass-production.
Does the breeder give adequate care and attention to the
kittens? Ask for a tour to see the kittens’ living conditions.
Are they handled so they are used to humans?
Have the cats been tested for infectious diseases? A reputable
breeder should have records to support his answers. Any cat can
become ill but it is how the breeder deals with it that is
important. Sick cats should be separated from the healthy ones.
Asking these questions should give you an idea of the honesty
and integrity of the cat breeders and help you with your choice.
When you have made your choice of breeder and kitten, it is a
good idea to have a vet do an independent health check.A breeder
with nothing to hide should not object - especially if you are
paying!
About the Author: For information on cat care, cat gifts and
products, visit All About Cat Care at
www.all-about-cat-care.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: www.isnare.com/?aid=128538&ca=Pets
By Fred
December 7th, 2007 at 01:11pm
Under Cat Care+ Cat Health+ Feline Health+ Pet Care
By Moses Wright
Cats seem independent and self-sufficient, but cats need just
as much care and attention as other pets. Cats are prone to a
number of serious diseases and it is extremely important to
ensure that your cat is vaccinated from an early age. Further
prevention from diseases is necessary to maintain your cat’s
health with annual booster injections.
Anyone who has seen a cat in pain and distress because of a
condition that could have been easily prevented by adequate care
will understand why vets are so keen to promote preventive
vaccination for all cats. This not only helps to prevent the
development of the disease to a terminal stage but also limit
the spread of these infectious diseases to the surrounding
feline population.
Vaccinations are important as almost all catteries will only
permit cats that have past records of vaccinations. This measure
serves to protect your cat as well as to ensure other cats in
the cattery are not infected should your cat be ill. Even cats
that have been vaccinated can sometimes contract a variant of
the disease and the less risk there is to the cattery as a whole
the better.
Travel restrictions for pets can be stringent for most European
countries. If you are considering traveling with your pet you
will need to carry all available documentation concerning your
pet’s health and vaccination record, and you may need to show
evidence of feline veterinarian treatment including deworming
schedules. Without these documents, your cat may have to be
quarantined for up to six months, thus it would be import, so do
check with your travel agency to make sure you have all the
documentation you may need.
Kittens should be vaccinated from the age of nine weeks. They
are then vaccinated again at 12 weeks, and then go on to a
program that would include annual booster injections.
Your vet would also advise you on the necessity of giving your
cat a rabies shot, particularly if your cat has contact with
other feral cats in the neighborhood and gets into scrapes. A
point to note is that the rabies shot is a requirement if you
are traveling to any country within Europe.
The four main vaccinations a cat can have from the age of nine
weeks are the following:
Feline infectious enterovirus (FIE, also known as the feline
panleukopaenia virus.
Feline herpesvirus (otherwise known as feline calcivirus, or
cat flu)
Feline leukaemia. A vet will test a cat’s blood to see if there
is already an immunity built up from previous contact, and if
the test shows negative i.e. there has been no contact and
therefore no immunity built up the cat should be vaccinated.
Feline Chlamydophila, which causes conjunctivitis. Again your
cat may already have built up an immunity so your vet can check
for antibodies in the bloodstream and vaccinate if the test
comes back negative to previous contact.
Vaccination may save your cat’s life should it get into any
contact with any horrifying diseases. Although vaccines do hold
risk for a small minority of cats who received them, proper
vaccination is still the best solution and protection your cat
can have against infectious disease.
About the Author: Moses Wright is the webmaster of
www.CatCustomer.com. He provides more information on Cat
Health, Cat Veterinary Diseases and Cat Nutrition that you can
learn in the comfort of your home. You are welcome to reprint
this article if you keep the content and live link intact.
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: www.isnare.com/?aid=112240&ca=Pets
By Fred
