Cat and Kitten Source

Cat-Kitten News

2010Tabby Cats Picture Gallery

Because Mother Earth comes alive in the Spring, when the earth is rich with promises of things to be, we celebrate tabby cats in our March Cat Picture Calendar. Tabby cats are so ubiquitous that many people think of them as a breed. Not so; tabby cats are a color pattern, actually a variety of color patterns in stripes, whorls, spots, and combinations of the three. Tabby cats are almost as old as Mother Earth herself, and are the epitome of Catness in all its wonder and glory.You'll find dozens of tabby cat pictures here, each with its own special beauty.

All of these tabby cat pictures were submitted by readers. Katie Kat, pictured here, is one of those darling tabbies featured in this new gallery. You may submit your own favorite tabby cat photos for consideration, by following the Photo Submission Guidelines. With your very best tabby picture and a detailed compelling story, your tabby cat might end up as Cat of the Week some Saturday in March.
_{Photo of Katie Kat Credit: © Heidi Grundeland}

2010Tabby cats Picture Gallery originally appeared on About.com cats on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 03:21:26.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Is Your Female Cat is in Heat?

If your female cat has not been spayed, chances are that she is either in heat or will be in a matter of weeks. It's hard to miss the signs. Female cats in oestrus, commonly called "heat cycle" are unabashedly provocative during that period, and their sole goal in life is to mate. They will sidle up against your leg, rub their bodies lovingly against furniture, stuffed toys, or male cats.

This YouTube video of Sadie, a young cat experiencing her first oestrus, gives an intimate picture of the gyrations of a cat in heat. The male cat in this video was more annoyed than enticed by Sadie's come-hither posturing, because he was neutered, as were all of Ron's rescued cats. Had Ron not spayed Sadie soon after her heat cycle ended, she would have gone through it again as soon as two weeks. You will notice that Sadie licked her genitals several times. This is likely because heat cycles are very uncomfortable. Please read this article and learn the other signs and symptoms of a female cat in heat.

Kitten season is upon us, a season cat rescue groups and shelters dread, because litter after litter of kittens are dumped in their laps, pushing out the senior cats and special needs cats, who so richly deserve to be adopted. If you have an unspayed cat, I beg you to do the responsible thing and get her spayed immediately. Do your part in breaking this cycle. It's the right thing to do. If you delayed, your cat is pregnant already, and you are not an accomplished cat midwife, please consider enrolling in my free email course, Care of a Pregnant Cat.

Is Your Female Cat is in Heat? originally appeared on About.com cats on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 03:00:53.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Review: Clicker Training for Cats Fun Kit

Clicker training for cats is widely accepted as the ultimate training tool for cats, belying the sometimes held assumption that it is only used for "teaching tricks." Practitioners of the clicker training method for cats overwhelming report that it is an exercise that cats thoroughly enjoy, and that clicker training has brought them closer than ever to their cats. Karen Pryor, a behavioral biologist, is an acknowledged leader in clicker training for cats.

The kit includes a metal clicker, a 5-chapter book, and a sample of liver treats. I have long admired cat lovers who practice clicker training, and was eager to learn how myself. The first lesson is "click - treat," a simple enough concept, and one which my cats quickly conquered. Alas, because of time constraints, I never made it to the second lesson.

Amy Shojai, CABC, among her many other talents, is also a clicker-training expert. Amy has clicker-trained her Seren to perform several "tricks," and even more importantly, to enter her carrying case. This can be a life-saving tool in the case of a veterinary emergency or an emergency evacuation situation. Amy will include a series of clicker training features for her cat behavior section on this site, and I am determined to master the "get in the carrier" training for all four of my cats.

While we wait for Amy's clicker training series, interested cat caregivers may wish to look into the Clicker Training for cats Fun Kit. My review provides a detailed synopsis of each chapter in the book.
_{Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber}

Review: Clicker Training for cats Fun Kit originally appeared on About.com cats on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 02:26:32.

Permalink | Comment | Email this