By Jennifer Akre
If you want to be able to save your furniture from the claws and abuse of your feline friends, you need to make sure they have some furniture of their own. Thankfully there is a wide variety of cat furniture on the market that you can let your fuzzy pal romp on day in and day out, knowing your furniture will last longer because of it.
But do you know how to pick out cat furniture? If you haven't taken a look in the furniture area of your favorite pet store you may not be aware that there is a huge market in pet furniture and quite a variety of pieces to choose from. Here are some things to take into consideration when selecting the right piece for your cat or cats.
- Weight - How heavy is your cat? If you have more than one, you need to know the weight of each of them. All pieces of cat furniture differ in what they can handle, some pieces are made for smaller cats, who aren't going to stress the joints, others are heavy duty pieces made for monster cats. Look for the maximum load capabilities before making a purchase.
- Style - while you may not think style is a consideration to make in cat furniture, it really is these days. Gone are the days where cat furniture was just a scratching post. Now they come in various shapes, sizes and colors. From a bed that is as modern as your living room furniture, to a three-tiered tree with perches that are the same color as your living room sofa.
- Materials - Discerning pet parents like to know just what they are putting their pet on. Just like people, animals can have allergies or reactions to some chemicals. When they play on these pieces your cat is likely going to claw and chew the furniture and could ingest some of the materials used in the making of it. Read up on the cat furniture you are looking to buy to see what kind of materials were used in construction and if there were any chemicals used. If possible, look for natural products.
- Safety - No one wants a pet in pain. Once you have selected the cat furniture you are going to have for your feline, make sure it's safe. Feel around on it, inside and under the piece. For those that are covered with carpet or sisal rope, it's possible some of the tacks used to hold it together have not been hammered down and are just waiting for your cats paw to come into contact, or worse, an eye. Feel all the edges and carpeted areas for anything sharp and hammer them down before letting your cat start playing.
Keeping these few topics in mind as you start your shopping for cat furniture will help create a home that is more happy for your cat, and make your home furnishings a lot happier that they are no longer the subject of your cats clawing desires.
As the owner of many online sites, author Jennifer Akre, shares her insight on how to make your pet's living space more comfortable with crazy cat furniture, cozy cat houses and climable cat trees.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Interesting Facts About Tigers
By Omer Ashraf
Here are some interesting facts about tigers:
1. Tigers are the largest naturally occurring specie of cats.
2. Of tiger subspecies, the Siberian Tiger is the biggest cat that can weigh well up to eight hundred pounds.
3. Tigers are very beautiful and their striped coat makes for ideal camouflage.
4. A tiger's stripes are like fingerprints - no two are alike. In fact the stripes' pattern is often used to identify individual tigers in the wild.
5. In India paw prints or pug marks are often used by local wildlife officials to identify individual tigers. However, this technique is now deemed to be flawed since an individual tiger may leave several different types of paw prints depending on its speed and terrain.
6. Tigers are largely solitary cats and are most active between dusk and dawn.
7. Tigers are largely muscular and rely on stealth and power to bring down a prey rather than speed. Like other big cats most tiger ambushes are unsuccessful.
8. Tigers are perhaps the most notorious big cat for man-eating. In fact the single greatest man-eater is history is believed to be the Champawat Tigress who killed over four hundred thirty people in India decades ago until she was finally killed by the great Jim Corbett.
9. Tigers are highly ferocious and unlike the laid back male lion, it's never wise to turn your back to a tiger even in captivity. Even seasoned zoo keepers report tigers assume a stalking position and prepare to strike when they turn their back to them in the cage.
10. Tigers have suffered greatly at the hand of humans for their beauty and majestic appeal - they have been hunted nearly to extinction in most of their former territories - the largest pool is now in India where recent reports suggest there may be as few as fifteen hundred of the Bengal tigers remaining.
11. An adult male tiger in the wild requires around one hundred and fifty kilograms of meat a month.
12. If Chinese traditional medicine makers were to stop using animal parts - tigers, rhinos and many other endangered animals would benefit greatly.
13. One of the best places for watching tigers in the wild is the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh in central India.
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on tiger.
Here are some interesting facts about tigers:
1. Tigers are the largest naturally occurring specie of cats.
2. Of tiger subspecies, the Siberian Tiger is the biggest cat that can weigh well up to eight hundred pounds.
3. Tigers are very beautiful and their striped coat makes for ideal camouflage.
4. A tiger's stripes are like fingerprints - no two are alike. In fact the stripes' pattern is often used to identify individual tigers in the wild.
5. In India paw prints or pug marks are often used by local wildlife officials to identify individual tigers. However, this technique is now deemed to be flawed since an individual tiger may leave several different types of paw prints depending on its speed and terrain.
6. Tigers are largely solitary cats and are most active between dusk and dawn.
7. Tigers are largely muscular and rely on stealth and power to bring down a prey rather than speed. Like other big cats most tiger ambushes are unsuccessful.
8. Tigers are perhaps the most notorious big cat for man-eating. In fact the single greatest man-eater is history is believed to be the Champawat Tigress who killed over four hundred thirty people in India decades ago until she was finally killed by the great Jim Corbett.
9. Tigers are highly ferocious and unlike the laid back male lion, it's never wise to turn your back to a tiger even in captivity. Even seasoned zoo keepers report tigers assume a stalking position and prepare to strike when they turn their back to them in the cage.
10. Tigers have suffered greatly at the hand of humans for their beauty and majestic appeal - they have been hunted nearly to extinction in most of their former territories - the largest pool is now in India where recent reports suggest there may be as few as fifteen hundred of the Bengal tigers remaining.
11. An adult male tiger in the wild requires around one hundred and fifty kilograms of meat a month.
12. If Chinese traditional medicine makers were to stop using animal parts - tigers, rhinos and many other endangered animals would benefit greatly.
13. One of the best places for watching tigers in the wild is the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh in central India.
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on tiger.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Get Your Outside Cat Ready For Winter
By Ernie Carroll
With cold weather setting in for the winter, it's time we prepare our cats that are relegated to being outside.
Cats, like dogs, are sometimes for one reason or another, kept outdoors. No matter what the reason, they should be prepared for the experience. For example, a cat that is used to staying indoors should not suddenly be thrust out in cold weather. You first must acclimate the cat/kitten to weather change.
If you purchase a cat/kitten in winter, you should start by putting them out in increments. Start out by letting them out for no more than 1 1/2 hours at a time 3 or 4 times a day, then increasing the time over a period of one to two weeks, depending on the outside temperature. Do not leave them out overnight until they are staying out on their own at least 12 hours during the day.
You will find that once they start spending more time outdoors, they will find more things to keep them occupied, hence, they are more willing to stay out.
Now that your cat is staying outside, you will have to keep food and water for them. In cold weather this can be a chore. I have found to save time from thawing water out constantly, keep two metal coffee cans. (plastic splits when it freezes) Keep one with water outside for your cat, one inside handy (or already filled), and replace as needed. Take one out, bring the frozen one in to thaw.
Now that your cat is acclimated to the cold weather and has fresh water to drink, he also has to eat. By all means, do not give your cat dry food and then put warm water on it. This causes more problems when the water freezes. Choose a good quality dry cat food, and keep it dry. This way you do not have to worry about the food freezing. We like to use a styrofoam plate placed on the front porch out of the weather, held down by a thumbtack to keep the wind from blowing it away.
Now your cat must have a place to call home when he needs some warmth on those cold days and nights. Here is what I do! Take a cardboard box, preferably not much bigger than your cat (this keeps the heat in better), Open one end, put some straw or other bedding inside (this may have to be changed occasionally if it gets damp). You can also use old towels or other throwaways for the bedding. I like to place the opening to the box facing a wall or something large enough to keep it out of the wind.
I hope now you and your cat are ready to face the winter!
Information supplied and written by Ernie Carroll of Cat Care
Your Complete Cat Care Solution.
With cold weather setting in for the winter, it's time we prepare our cats that are relegated to being outside.
Cats, like dogs, are sometimes for one reason or another, kept outdoors. No matter what the reason, they should be prepared for the experience. For example, a cat that is used to staying indoors should not suddenly be thrust out in cold weather. You first must acclimate the cat/kitten to weather change.
If you purchase a cat/kitten in winter, you should start by putting them out in increments. Start out by letting them out for no more than 1 1/2 hours at a time 3 or 4 times a day, then increasing the time over a period of one to two weeks, depending on the outside temperature. Do not leave them out overnight until they are staying out on their own at least 12 hours during the day.
You will find that once they start spending more time outdoors, they will find more things to keep them occupied, hence, they are more willing to stay out.
Now that your cat is staying outside, you will have to keep food and water for them. In cold weather this can be a chore. I have found to save time from thawing water out constantly, keep two metal coffee cans. (plastic splits when it freezes) Keep one with water outside for your cat, one inside handy (or already filled), and replace as needed. Take one out, bring the frozen one in to thaw.
Now that your cat is acclimated to the cold weather and has fresh water to drink, he also has to eat. By all means, do not give your cat dry food and then put warm water on it. This causes more problems when the water freezes. Choose a good quality dry cat food, and keep it dry. This way you do not have to worry about the food freezing. We like to use a styrofoam plate placed on the front porch out of the weather, held down by a thumbtack to keep the wind from blowing it away.
Now your cat must have a place to call home when he needs some warmth on those cold days and nights. Here is what I do! Take a cardboard box, preferably not much bigger than your cat (this keeps the heat in better), Open one end, put some straw or other bedding inside (this may have to be changed occasionally if it gets damp). You can also use old towels or other throwaways for the bedding. I like to place the opening to the box facing a wall or something large enough to keep it out of the wind.
I hope now you and your cat are ready to face the winter!
Information supplied and written by Ernie Carroll of Cat Care
Your Complete Cat Care Solution.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Indoor Cats vs Outdoor Cats
By Sunil Tanna
Of course as a responsible and loving pet owner, you want to ensure that your cat is both happy and safe. In aiming for those goals, one of the most important decisions that you must make is whether your cat should be an outdoor cat or not.
Many people feel that the only truly happy cat is an outdoor cat. While it's certainly true that cats have been domesticated for many millennia, it's also true that they still many retain attributes and behaviors of their wild ancestors. When we see a cat chasing a squirrel or stalking prey, we see the cat performing its natural behaviors, and we assume that as a result it is a happy cat. On the other hand, an indoor cat seems to be deprived of many, if not all, such opportunities.
The other side of the coin is that, from a safety point of view, provided you ensure that your home is cat-safe, indoor would be the only way to go. Outdoor cats face risks that indoor cats do not:
- Outdoor cats can be killed or injured by road traffic.
- There are unfortunately some malicious people out there, who may injure, harm or steal your cat.
- Outdoor cats may get involved in fights with other cats, wild animals such as foxes (including urban foxes), and dogs.
Of course, all of these risks (except perhaps for wild animals) tend to be much higher in urban and densely populated areas.
All of these issues are something that you will need to consider when deciding whether your cat should be an indoor or outdoor cat. The indoor/outdoor choice is not a simple one: you must carefully weight up all the advantages and disadvantages of both lifestyles for your cat.
By S. Tanna. First published at http://www.guide2pets.com/p1_articles_cats_indoor_or_outdoor.php
Discover more pet articles, info and shopping at http://www.guide2pets.com/
Of course as a responsible and loving pet owner, you want to ensure that your cat is both happy and safe. In aiming for those goals, one of the most important decisions that you must make is whether your cat should be an outdoor cat or not.
Many people feel that the only truly happy cat is an outdoor cat. While it's certainly true that cats have been domesticated for many millennia, it's also true that they still many retain attributes and behaviors of their wild ancestors. When we see a cat chasing a squirrel or stalking prey, we see the cat performing its natural behaviors, and we assume that as a result it is a happy cat. On the other hand, an indoor cat seems to be deprived of many, if not all, such opportunities.
The other side of the coin is that, from a safety point of view, provided you ensure that your home is cat-safe, indoor would be the only way to go. Outdoor cats face risks that indoor cats do not:
- Outdoor cats can be killed or injured by road traffic.
- There are unfortunately some malicious people out there, who may injure, harm or steal your cat.
- Outdoor cats may get involved in fights with other cats, wild animals such as foxes (including urban foxes), and dogs.
Of course, all of these risks (except perhaps for wild animals) tend to be much higher in urban and densely populated areas.
All of these issues are something that you will need to consider when deciding whether your cat should be an indoor or outdoor cat. The indoor/outdoor choice is not a simple one: you must carefully weight up all the advantages and disadvantages of both lifestyles for your cat.
By S. Tanna. First published at http://www.guide2pets.com/p1_articles_cats_indoor_or_outdoor.php
Discover more pet articles, info and shopping at http://www.guide2pets.com/
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