Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Cradle her upside down in your arms, like a baby, and again, see how
she reacts. If you are looking for an affectionate cat, and the one you are
testing will not let you hold her for more than a second, you may want
to reconsider your choice or plan to do some work on gaining the cat's
trust and training her to relax.
Two to seven weeks of age is the period considered to be critical to
a kitten's socialization. Kittens who are handled by many people and
interact with other cats and animals during this time tend to adjust bet-
ter socially as adults. Ask about a cat's early experiences when you are
considering her for adoption.
The next test is to touch the animal's ears, gently open her mouth
and touch her toes. Again, the more the cat is willing to let you handle
her, the more likely she is to be trusting of you in general. If you put
the cat down and walk away, is she interested in you? Does she follow
you? I do think there is chemistry between certain cats and certain
people. Is the cat alert, responsive and playful? Test this by throwing a
small toy, or even make one from a ball of paper.All these little tests will
give you some idea of what the cat's personality is like.
Even with a very healthy kitten, the health care costs for a kitten for
the first year are generally higher than they are for an adult cat. Kittens
have less well-developed immune systems than adult cats, so they are
more susceptible to infections. They also require more routine health
care during their first year of life than older cats do. This includes ini-
tial vaccines, viral and fecal testing and spaying or neutering.
THE LOWDOWN ON ESSENTIAL CARE
Now that you have your cat and have brought her into your home, you
need to make sure you adequately provide for her essential needs. In the
wild, cats adapt to their environment by hunting for food, seeking safe-
ty by climbing trees and finding shelter against the elements. Confined
to our homes, cats need help to live harmoniously in our environment.
If you provide the basics of good food, water and shelter, you will
be starting your cat off right. Monitoring the ways in which the cat uses
these basic provisions will give you a good idea about the animal's
health. Cats are creatures of habit, so any changes in their habits war-
rant investigation.
Privacy is very important to your cat. Even the most sociable cat
needs some time alone. Cats typically like privacy when they groom
and when they eliminate. Some cats like privacy when they eat, but
others eat more readily when their owners are around.
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