Pets Smile Plus

Why paint your cat? After all cats are beautiful creatures if you want to appreciate the appearance of a feline, you look at the cat not at a painting.

Some of the reasons that you may want to paint your cat are:

To capture your pet at a particular age, in a particular pose, in a particular place. To have a permanent reminder of your companion when she has moved on to feline afterlife. To give as a gift to a fellow cat lover.

So you figure how hard can it be to turn out a pleasing semblance of your moggy? You are no Van Gough, but you know how to handle a paint brush. You have all the materials that you need in order to paint your cat, the paints, brushes, stuff for cleaning, you even have a home made easel. Boy, it sure is going to be fun to paint your cat.

There she is, curled up asleep by the window, a look of cat contentment upon her face and the sunlight giving her coat an extra gloss. What a magnificent painting of your cat you are going to produce. Quietly you set everything up, you have your canvas propped on your easel and your paintbrush in hand. You turn to face your subject, and…

She’s gone. Your little darling had been snoozing in that spot for most of the morning and now that you are ready to produce your masterpiece, she decides that someplace else is where she needs to be! Well, she is not going to get away with it, you have decided to paint your cat, and that is just what you are going to do.

You search for her. Eventually you find your feline subject siting at the top of the stairs without a care in the world. Scooping her up, you carry her back to the sunlit window so she may cooperate with you and resume her pose. But cats don’t cooperate. She paces up and down, and you know that the only thing stopping her from making a bolt is the fact that you are betwixt her and the door. The fact that you want to paint your cat is of no importance, the only thing that is of any concern to your cat is what she wants!

You consider for a moment the possibility of restraining her, like Guliver lashed to the ground by the little people. No chance, no chance whatsoever. So what to do? Of all the creatures on this earth the cat is the last one to be told what to do.

You conclude that the only thing that you can do to paint your cat, is to forget about producing a detailed precise painting. You will paint your feelings about your cat. This will not be a long drawn out process, get it on the canvass, let your subconscious communicate the essence of the feline! Looking at your cat and not your canvass, you start to paint. Rapidly you slash with your brush, you don’t worry about the colors that you use corresponding exactly to those of you cat, it is the feelings that they represent that is important.

Meanwhile, your cat looks on bemused.

At last you are finished. Time to inspect your art work, you turn and look and your jaw drops. Well it could be some kind of animal, those lines in purple do seem to represent a tail. And that is an eye, no mistake about that, but whatever eye it is, it’s not your cat’s eye!

Ah well! At least you tried to paint your cat. Don’t think of it as a failure, after all you did produce something, and who knows, your cat at least, may have enjoyed the experience! Meanwhile, your cat has resumed its perfect pose, asleep by the window.

About The Author

Larry Chamberlain is a lifelong cat lover and webmaster of http://www.best-cat-art.com - Cat art posters, art prints, cat calendars and cat collectibles. Great cat gifts for yourself or your cat loving friends; Larry@best-cat-art.com

Pregnant cats have to eat for two, three, four, five, even six cats. So her regular meal is just not enough. What should you give instead?

Pregnant and lactating queens need more calories than normal. However, you won?t have to force her to eat. Cats are very intelligent animals. They know when they have to eat and how much.

Don?t get worried if your cat?s appetite decreases in the very early stages of pregnancy. Soon her appetite will increase, and this time dramatically.

The quality of the food is essential. Of course you should always give your cat a nutritionally balanced meal, but this time it?s even more important than usual. You are not feeding one cat anymore, but a few (soon-to-be) kittens as well!

It?s recommended to buy food from a pet store. Most experienced breeders agree that kitten food is the best for your pregnant cat ? yes, even when the kittens are not there yet. Why? Because kitten food contains more calories and protein, and that?s just what your queen needs.

Gradually start mixing your cat’s regular food with this high-quality kitten food you found in your pet store. Add more kitten food every week. During the week of birth your queen should eat only kitten food.

Some breeders also serve raw meat and say that?s good for a pregnant cat as well. However, there is some controversy about this.

About 24 to 48 hours before delivery a pregnant queen will refuse food. Her appetite should return within one day after she gave birth.

Keep her on a kitten food diet until the kittens are weaned.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Journalist Marc de Jong is a long-time cat lover and owner of a popular web site on cats. More in-depth information about food for kittens and pregnant cats is found in his ebook How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat, available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com.

Playing reinforces the bond between you and your cat.

Playing with your cat is the best possible way to build up a bond between the two of you. Do you want your cat to think of you as more than someone who is there to provide food, shelter and warmth? Then regular play sessions will go a long way to ensuring that your feline friend sees you as an object of his or her affections, that you are someone to greet when you arrive home.

Do not let your cat think that your hands are playthings. If your cat gets the message that it is OK to scratch at, or bite your hands, you will have the devils own job of curing him of the habit.

Playing will help preventing your cat from becoming overweight.

The best way to ensure that your cat does not become overweight is by feeding him correctly with a balanced diet, but exercise also plays a part in keeping your kitty healthy. If yours is an indoor cat, then playing with you may be his only opportunity for exertion and staying trim. Don’t overdo it though, limit play time to about 15 minutes.

Playing will help your cat to become confident.

Kittens learn how to relate with their siblings and other cats through play, it is their social education, how they learn their place in the world. Help you cat to continue this enlightenment by playing with him.

Also regular play periods, coupled with petting sessions, will get your cat used to human interaction, he will be less likely to shy away and hide, when visitors call.

Playing will help your cat develop his hunting abilities.

Hunting is a natural instinct for all cats, a cat confined to indoors usually has little chance to express and develop this instinct. Enjoy some of your play times using an interactive cat toy, the kind with a catnip mouse on the end of a cord are good. Encourage kitty to chase the toy mouse, allow him to pounce for the ‘kill’.

Have a selection of cat toys but use only three or four in one session, next time amuse your feline with a different choice. Keep some toys only for play sessions, put them away between times, so that they remain interesting to your cat. Toys like catnip mice can be safely left out for kitty to amuse himself with, but be aware that small objects can, and do, get swallowed by cats. Never encourage playing with buttons, pieces of string, small bells etc. Plastic bags are as dangerous for cats as they are for children, and are not playthings.

Playing will help your cat release aggression.

Cats often display aggressive traits through boredom. Tutor your cat not to scratch, bite or attack you with play sessions. Use praise to reward your cat for playing gently, as soon as he shows any sign he is about to use his teeth or claws - end the play session. This will teach your cat that aggressive cat behavior is best directed to his toys, and not you!

Playing is ‘Fun’ for your cat!.

Cats need fun in their lives, just like humans need it. Relieve the monotony of eating, snoozing and using the litter tray by putting a bit of fun in your cats life. You will have a happier, more confident and less aggressive kitty.

Playing is ‘Fun’ for you!.

And finally, it is fun for you to play with your cat. A cat is a wonderful pet just to have around the place to admire its beauty and for its company. But how much better for you to enjoy a little fun by playing with your cat. Cat playtime, good for your cat, good for you!

About The Author

If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-breeds.html

Information about your favorite cat breed.

Did you ever wonder if cats love? Are you ever curious about their origin, about what they dream of, about the way they communicate?

Cat Facts by Marcus Schneck and Jill Caravan is a great book to answer these and more questions about cats, their history, their behavior, their care, and then some. Filled with interesting facts, anecdotes, and information, this is a great reference book for a pet lover’s collection.

This isn’t, by any means, the ultimate guide to caring for your cat. There are much better books on actual pet care on the market, and your vet would be the best person to recommend a good one. This book is meant to be fun and informational, to give you more of an insight into your cat’s breed, behavior, and background.

A fun book to flip through, the pages are filled with photos and color illustrations. Boxes on many pages present assorted cat care and cat watching tips as well as common myths and the truths behind them. What’s nice about this book is that it isn’t a book you need to devote a large chunk of time to in any one sitting. A minute here or there can provide you with entertaining tidbits and digestible chunks of information. There’s also an index in the back for quick reference, something I always find particularly useful in any reference book.

An entire section of the book is dedicated to detailing the individual breeds of cats. Though it doesn’t cover every single exotic breed that’s out there today, I particularly like this section. It’s informative, entertaining, and easy on the eye. For each breed, there are photos and/or illustrations, maps detailing where that particular breed originated, information about the breed’s characteristics and personality traits, special care for the bred, and other assorted information. In a short amount of space, there’s actually a wealth of information and it’s presented in a reader-friendly manner.

Though it’s obvious that this isn’t an expensive coffee-table book — there are obvious flaws in the book’s binding and the pages, though slightly glossy, have an odd feel to them — it’s still a fun piece to keep out for conversation with other pet lovers.

For a cat owner, or anyone interested in learning more about the world of cats, this book is a worthwhile purchase. Fun and filled with interesting bits of common and not-so-common knowledge about cats, it’s a great addition to any cat lover’s book collection.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of your cat is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings and their actions are not based on emotion. Changes in his behavior are not stemmed from any repressed anger with you; your cat is not trying to get revenge on you for being away from home too much or bringing a new baby into the house.

Negative changes in cat behavior are typically cause by stress or anxiety for the cat. It is easy to see why pet owners tend to conclude that the cat’s feelings toward them are causing the behavioral differences; it is human nature to correlate two unrelated events. In reality, there is a missing link: your behavior may cause the cat physical anxiety, thus the cat’s behavior alteration is based on physiological changes in his body.

One common complaint among cat owners is that their cat has suddenly chosen a new favorite place to deposit wastes instead of his litter box. This could be a result of a few factors.

First, it may be a medical problem. Cats are prone to urinary track infections that make it extremely painful to urinate. Cats then associate the pain of urination with the litter box, so they do not like to visit their designated urination station. If your cat has stopped using the litter box, your first step should be to take him to the vet and have a thorough check-up run on him. Cats also have natural preferences for certain textures and smells, so if you have recently changed the type of cat litter you use, the cat may be showing that he does not care for the new feeling or smell of his litter. In avoiding the litter box, the cat may have become attached to new textures and locations around your household, perhaps the soft living room rug or bedroom closet.

The best strategy is not to punish the cat; he will not understand. Rather, have a medical check up, switch litters, and continuously reintroduce the cat to his litter box. Reward him for using it, just like he was a kitten again.

To relieve any anxiety your cat may be feeling, carefully analyze any changes that have occurred in his life as of late. If a new baby or roommate comes into the house, your cat may feel threatened, so be sure to give him extra attention. If you suddenly have to spend more time away from home than normal, consider getting a second cat so that your cat does not spend his days alone. Although the cat is not having emotional reactions, his body feels different due to changes around him.

Be in tune with what may be causing your cat to feel anxious, analyze the situation, and do the loyal owner duty of relieving his stress.

Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice on cat health, cat supplies, and cat names

How can my child benefit from having a pet?

1.Social skills and self-esteem. Feelings and positive experiences with their pet can help children feel good about their own. Loving a pet can also help kids to love and trust other people.

2.Exercise. All pets need to exercise, and playing with their pet is a fun way to incorporate some physical activity to your kid?s lifestyle.

3.Responsibility and respect. To learn how to take care of their pet can help kids develop empathy, concern and responsibility towards other beings. On top of that, during the life cycle of the pet, parents have the opportunity to talk to their kids about birth, sickness and death.

4.Parent interaction. Kids and their parents can spend more time together playing and taking care of their pet.

How can my child help take care of the pet?

1.A small child can help out by feeding or providing fresh water to their pet (portions must be measured by you).

2.The child can help walking the pet, not alone of course, but just another time to spend together with your kid.

3.Children can help you in bathing and grooming the pet.

4.Assign to your child small, simple tasks that can be performed under your supervision.

How can I keep my child healthy and safe around a pet?

1.Choose your pets wisely, if you don?t already own a pet, study and learn from the different breeds and species, you will find that some are specially ?kid friendly?.

2.Consider any allergies a family member could have, before acquiring a pet. Consult with your kid?s pediatrician about any allergies that may be present.

3.Take your pet to the veterinary to a general check up before you bring it home.

* Always supervise interaction between pets and kids.

* Teach your child not to touch any pet, unless you say it?s OK to do so.

* Never leave pets and kids unattended. Kids tend to play rough and that could provoke an attack or harm a small pet.

* Make sure your child stays away while the pet is eating, sleeping or taking care of its own offspring.

* Teach your child to keep a good hygiene, not to touch the pet droppings and wash his hands after playing with the pet.

* Treat immediately any scratch or bite caused by a pet. Consult with your child?s pediatrician if the scratch or bite tears your child?s skin.

Mariangie Gonzalez has a major in Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary and runs the day-to-day operations of her home-based business and website in which you can learn how homeopathic remedies could prolong and improve your pet?s life. She can also help you start your own home-based 100% natural pet supplies business, you can visit online at: http://www.MindBodyAndPaw.com

Every year, many cat owners decide to get their cat spayed or neutered. This decision is made for several different reasons, all of which illustrate why it is such a good idea.

The many problems caused by un-spayed or un-neutered pets each year are part of what has prompted numerous humane societies to require that any adopted animals be promptly spayed or neutered as a condition of adoption. Many of the problems that are listed below would be alleviated if more people took the time to get their pets spayed or neutered.

With that kept in mind, here are the top seven reasons to have your cat spayed or neutered.

1. The most important reason is simply that there are too many unwanted litters of kittens. Millions of cats are euthanized each year. 90% of these animals would be acceptable for adoption into families, unfortunately, there simply are not enough families looking for cats to give these animals a good home. A single un-spayed female cat can produce three litters per year, with an average of four to six kittens per litter.

2. Unwanted cats that are not euthanized or adopted are often abandoned and become feral. It is estimated that the feral cat population is as large as the current number of cats that have homes. Feral cats can carry diseases as well as harm the populations of wild rodents and birds. As a result, a large feral cat population can have a damaging effect on the environment. By having your own cat spayed or neutered, you can ensure that your pet will not contribute to the growing problem.

3. Un-spayed female cats go into heat several times a year. By spaying your cat, you can prevent several unwanted behaviors, including spraying, hours of yowling, and you will not have to confine your cat for several weeks out of the year.

4. Male cats that have not been neutered are also more difficult to care for. Sexually mature male cats often feel a need to mark their territory. Also, the mating instincts in un-neutered cats cannot be curbed or controlled, and often these male cats will wander off for days at a time in search of a female that is in heat. Sometimes when male cats wander they get lost and do not come home. By neutering your cat, you can prevent this.

5. It is better for your cat’s health to be spayed or neutered. For example, female cats that are spayed before their first heat will have a reduced chance of mammary cancer, and will be unable to develop pyometra, which is a serious uterine condition that can cause death. Also, an unwanted pregnancy in an already ill or aging cat can be fatal. Male cats which have been neutered have less chance of being injured in fights over females, or of developing prostate problems

6. Spayed or neutered cats are often more friendly with their owners than they would usually be. Not only are the cats more friendly, but as has been mentioned before, there are fewer unwanted behaviors for their owners to contend with. It’s much easier to have a good relationship with your cat when you don’t have to worry about all of the unfortunate situations that come up after your pet has reached sexual maturity.

7. Getting your cat spayed or neutered will save you money in the long run. First, it can save you money by eliminating the need to replace furniture that has been damaged by a female cat in heat, or a male cat marking its territory. Next, since the procedure is fairly cheap, it may save you a lot of money by preventing health problems in your pets.

Something to remember: You should still get your cat spayed or neutered, even if you don’t think that you can afford the procedure. Look around in your area for cheap or even free services.

About The Author

Larry Chamberlain is the webmaster of www.best-cat-art.com and a lifelong cat lover. He lives in London England.

catarticle@best-cat-art.com

Growing up on a farm back home in Portugal I was always exposed to many animals. We had chickens, rabbits, goats, pigs, cats and dogs. Now living in Canada I cannot have as many pets but I can still enjoy having some.

I currently have two cats with five new acquisitions, a dog and a fish.

My son changes the names on the cats almost on a daily basis so it?s hard to keep track of their names ? don?t ask me I don?t know what they are today. The kittens are just a week old and it?s always an amazing experience with the cat having the kittens, one was breach but managed to be perfectly fine. The kittens are now starting to open their eyes and have their own little personality? pretty soon they will be running around the house and driving me crazy! It will be time soon to start finding homes for the little one?s.

My dog Leah is a black Lab very friendly but still a little to crazy for a three and a half year old puppy, but we love her. I always wonder when she will settle down?. stop eating the furniture and so on.

We had a hampster ?Speedy? she was so cute and friendly I use to put her in her ball and the dog would roll her around the house? not for long or the hampster would get very dizzy. Speedy passed away a year and half ago and we decided to try our luck with a Hermet crab ? not such a good idea? it only lived a week.

My son would love to get a lizard but there is just no way, I would not like to hold or feed it. I could handle it being vegetarian but other than that it?s a big no. It would remind me too much of Fear Factor and the bugs.

One day I would like to have a Monkey .. I don?t know what I would call him, but I sure think they are cute .. I would dress him in a suit like the one on my company logo? they are just so adorable. You should check them out. My Monkey?s are Sales Lead Monkeys, pretty smart they are.

Pets are a lot of work but bring joy to your life and can keep you company when you are alone.

Sandra Valente is a pet lover. Come to her website to see the sales lead monkeys in action… Pretty smart, they are!

There is a lot of talk going on about what to do with the issue of feral cat population.

Some measures have been proposed which will allow residents to kill what they perceive to be feral cats on their property. This suggestion has caused a bit of a stir, and amongst cat lovers, it is quite understandable. Cats are natural wanderers and a treasured feline may make a mischievous dash out of its home only to find itself hunted quarry in a neighboring property.

There are more humane solutions being practiced right now which entail trapping feral cats, neutering and then releasing them back to their environment (TNR). Critics of this method maintain that the problem of cat predation on local small animal populations still exists after neutering, and that a continuous supply of stray cats are finding their fertile way into these feral communities every day. Thus, any positive gains realized by the TNR program are being constantly negated by the actions, or inactions, of irresponsible pet owners.

There doesn’t appear to be any immediate, cut and dry solution to feral cats except to keep employing the TNR program and educating the public about how to be accountable for their cats. Local laws can be enacted to impose fines on owners whose cats are caught wandering on a frequent basis. Social pressure can be fostered in the form of campaigns that suggest it is absolutely not cool and downright irresponsible to have unneutered or unspayed cats wandering around. This, of course, would not be applied to owners of show and working cats where planned breeding is necessary for their specific breed.

It comes down to the fact that over 64% of U.S. households have pets, and the majority of these pets are considered as family members. Cats are the rebellious, independent members of the family unit. They shouldn’t be left to their own devices nor should they be discarded like disposable lighters. Similar to any wayward teenager of a family, special measures and tolerances have to be adopted in order to get the loved ones through a difficult time in their lives and bring them back into the fold of family unity. Cats are a bit different in that they are wayward children for life, however, they can be conditioned to accept a house-bound lifestyle. Having them spayed or neutered (we’re talking about cats now - not teenagers) will help temper their wanderlust a little, and there are some great outdoor playpens and containment equipment designed just for the benefit of felines. Some cats can be trained to walk on a leash for nightly jaunts, however, that may not be particularly healthy for you or the cat if there are too many unleashed dogs in the neighborhood.

Do what you can to help alleviate the problem of cats turning feral. The animal welfare organizations and volunteers are doing what they can to deal with the current populations by using TNR, rescuing and adopting of cats. But the flow of new, fertile, domestic cats into the feral communities must be stopped at the family, neighborhood and regional level. This is accomplished through public awareness campaigns, teaching school children about responsible pet ownership, social pressure and individual involvement. It’s a long uphill road, yet it can be accomplished, one or two kitties at a time.

Cris Mandelin-Wood owns several websites covering domestic animals as well as Web information services and products. Animal welfare issues are of special interest. To sign up for the monthly Critterbytes Ezine, go to http://shelters.theanimalnet.com and select the state you live in. Once there you will find a listing of local animal welfare organizations and a sign up box for the ezine.

Is your cat talking to you?

Many cat lovers claim that their feline pets talk to them. They believe their cats can communicate vocally with them and tell them what they want, how they are feeling, and ask how their day has been! So, can domestic cats talk? Can the meows and trills that emanate from your kitty really be described as your cat talking to you?

Yes it can!, and no it can’t…

Cats can not communicate vocally in the same way that humans can, of course. Cats, in common with other animals, have not developed language as such, they cannot question, debate or describe. But, cats do have extraordinary powers of letting you know what they want, and largely by using their vocal skills.

The vocal repertoire of pet cats is greater than most animals because it draws its range of sounds from two distinct vocabularies. In its relationship with other felines, your cat grows from defensive kitten, to an independent adult, and the vocal sounds used for cat talking changes accordingly. But with human companions domestic cats remain very much dependent kittens, and will look upon their owners as their mothers. A modified variety of kitten sounds is used to talk to humans to communicate messages such as Feed me now!, I want your attention.

It is well known that certain breeds of cats talk more than others. Ask any Siamese cat owner and they will tell you that their pet holds long conversations with them, using its voice to impart an impressive range of meanings. Longhaired breeds, such as the Persian, tend to use their voice more sparingly and are less often heard talking.

Cats use body language to communicate just as extensively as they use their voice to talk. We humans, however are not so bright in picking up on these body messages. The tail is used to convey acceptance, fear, annoyance, contentment, and warnings. The ears too, are often used by the cat to signal warnings of annoyance.

Nonetheless, nothing is as effective for the cat, in getting a message to humans, as its voice. You may not be looking at your cat when it is trying to tell you something, in which case body language, even if you can interpret it correctly, doesn’t do the job. Cats are silent movers, you may not hear your cat enter the kitchen, but you will hear the meeeow! that says get busy with the can opener!, that’s your cat talking!

? Copyright 2004 best-cat-art.com - cat talking

About The Author

If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to http://www.best-cat-art.com

Cat art posters, art prints, cat calendars and cat collectibles. Great cat gifts for yourself or your cat loving friends.