Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

About A Cat

Kitty History

• Domesticated 4,000 years ago

• 2,500 years ago -Egyptians

• Romans used cats for rodent control

• 1347-1348 - cats were thought to carry the Bubonic plague - ordered to be killed.

• 1871 - first cat show in London

• 1895 - first cat show in US - New York

Cat Breeds

• 330 recognized breeds

• Shorthair group - 26 breeds

• Longhair group - 13 breeds

Cat Factoids• Independent and self-sufficient

• clean, self-grooming

• don’t require a lot of house training

• sleep 16-18 hours a day

• life span of 15 years

• need to scratch front paws

• bathing - minimum - they usually take care of this themselves!

• Female cats like to live in groups

• Male cats are territorial

• Check for ear mites

• Cats have sharp teeth and claws - 2nd dirtiest mouth.

Don’t feed my kitty…• Toxic Plants

-Poinsettias

-Lilies

-Begonias

-Philodendrons• Chemicals

-Tylenol (acetaminophen)

-Advil (ibuprofen)

-Anti-freeze

-Chocolate

Cat Colors• 4 Solid Colors - color evenly distributed the

entire length of hair shaft.

-Black -Dark Brown

-Orange -Light Brown

• 4 Dilute Colors

-Gray/blue -Cream

-Lilac/lavender -Fawn

• Tabby is the natural hair coat pattern of cats.

•Calico cats have 3 colors: black, white, and orange or red.

-almost all calico cats are female -genetic trait

• White cats have genes that mask

all color.

-All white cats have blue

or green eyes

•Tortoiseshell cats are black and red

-usually female

• Pointed cats

-color pattern of dark markings on “points” of the cat.

What are you trying to tell me?Cat Communication

• 3 ways

-vocal

-body language

-visual and scent markings

VOCAL

meowing - vowel sounds

purring - caused by repeated rapid opening and closing of vocal folds.

• Hissing - a sign to stay away

BODY LANGUAGE

• Tail up - “I am happy”

• kneading - “I am trying to get comfortable”

• front paws wrapped - “I am comfortable”

• ears back - “I am not happy - watch out”

VISUAL AND SCENT MARKING

• Scratch marking

• Scent marking

-feces uncovered

-urine spraying

-head rubbing (sebaceous glands around head)