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... allowed outside have some degree of freedom and independence, and may enjoy hunting small animals and interacting with other cats; they get plenty of exercise and are unlikely to become bored or lonely. The outdoors, however, poses many hazards to cats, even in rural areas. An outdoor cat may be struck by a car, poisoned by common pesticides, or injured by other animals (other cats, dogs, and, in some areas, wild animals such as coyotes). In addition, the cat may be exposed to the fatal feline diseases that are endemic in the stray cat population. According to some authorities, a cat that is permitted outdoors has an average life expectancy of two to three years; conversely, the average life expectancy of an indoor cat is about 15 years.
Although an indoor cat does not enjoy the same freedom as an outdoor cat, many indoor cats live happy and complete lives. It is easier to keep a cat indoors if it has not become accustomed to going out. Indoor cats need exercise just as outdoor cats do. Some cats can be trained to use a harness leash. Often, the easiest way to provide an indoor cat with exercise and stimulation is to provide a feline companion. Date Diseases Domestic cats are susceptible to a variety of viral and bacterial diseases.
Fortunately, many common feline diseases can be controlled by a regular system of inoculation. Cats may also suffer from external parasites such as fleas and mites, and from intestinal parasites (worms). Cats can contract rabies from infected prey or other infected animals, but such instances are rare. Upper respiratory infections are a common feline illness and can sometimes be fatal, especially in young kittens. Vaccines provide some protection against the following upper respiratory diseases: feline viral rhino tracheitis (FVR), feline calicivirus (FCV), and chlamydia (feline pneumonitis). Panleukopenia (feline infectious enteritis) is a highly contagious, often fatal disease characterized by a sudden onset and severe gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Vaccination is the only effective way to control the disease. Feline leukemia virus (Fe LV) is a fatal, contagious disease that is spread by direct contact. A cat with feline leukemia may have a variety of symptoms, including general malaise, weight loss, anemia, and fever. An infected cat may transmit the disease to other cats before it develops clinical symptoms itself. A blood test can detect whether a cat has been infected. Although a vaccine is available, the most reliable way to prevent a cat from contracting feline leukemia is to keep it from coming into contact with Fe LV-positive cats.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an inflammation of the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen). Although FIP is contagious, some cats appear to develop a natural immunity to it. An infected cat may be a symptomless carrier. Once a cat develops symptoms, the disease is invariably fatal.
There is no reliable blood test for FIP, but a vaccine is now available. E Inoculations Cats can be successfully inoculated against many serious feline diseases. Kittens should be inoculated against rhino tracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and, optionally, chlamydia. Most veterinarians recommend a series of two or three inoculations, given every three weeks starting at six weeks of age. After twelve weeks of age, a kitten may also be inoculated against rabies, feline leukemia, and feline infectious peritonitis. Inoculations should be repeated annually to maintain immunity.
VSHOWING AND JUDGING CATS Many cat owners, even those of mixed-breed cats, enjoy exhibiting their cats at cat shows. Judges at cat shows must be trained and certified. Purebred cats are judged on health, temperament, and how well they fit the official standard for their breed. Mixed-breed cats are judged on health, temperament, and general appearance. All cats are expected to be amenable to handling; a cat may be disqualified if it bites or otherwise injures a judge. ACat Associations A cat association is an organization that registers cats and kittens, selects cat show judges, and schedules cat shows.
There are various cat associations in the United States, including the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), The International Cat Association (TICA), and the American Cat Fanciers' Association (ACFA). The largest of these groups, the CFA, registers more than 80, 000 cats and kittens annually. All of the cat associations operate independently; cat clubs, breeders, and exhibitors choose which associations they wish to join and whose breed standards and rules they wish to follow. But Shows An increasing number of local, regional, and national cat shows are held throughout the year in the United States, with hundreds of cats competing for awards.
Owners show their cats for fun and to gain a reputation among other exhibitors and breeders. Cat shows do not award monetary prizes, and the entry fees and travel expenses can be expensive. Although exact show rules and procedures vary from association to association, the general format is the same. There are four categories of competition: purebred kittens, purebred adults, purebred alters (cats that have been neutered or spayed), and household pets (mixed-breed cats or kittens). A single cat show may have 8 to 20 different judges; usually, a cat is judged by every judge in the show. At cat shows in the United States, each judge has his or her own ring-an area consisting of 10 to 15 numbered cages and a judging table.
Cats wait in cages in another area of the show hall, called the benching area. The owners bring the cats to the ring when called and place them in the judging cages. The judge takes each cat out of its cage in turn, places it on the judging table, and examines the cat carefully to make sure that it is healthy and meets the standard for that breed. After judging each cat within a particular class or breed, the judge gives out preliminary awards, such as Best of Color or Best of Breed.
After judging all the cats in a category, the judge gives top awards to the ten best cats in that category. Each judge works independently, and judges' opinions sometimes differ markedly. VICAT LORE Cats have figured in the history of many nations, are the subject of much superstition and legend, and are a favorite subject of artists and writers. A History and Legend Cats became objects of worship in Egypt because of their ability to keep down the rodent population in Egypt's economically important grain fields along the Nile. The Egyptian cat goddess Bast, or Based, depicted as having the body of a woman and the head of a cat, was the goddess of love and fertility as well. Egyptian cats were also used for sport by their owners.
Attached to leashes, these animals hunted birds for the family table; a boomerang flung by the master brought the birds down and the cats, unleashed, would retrieve them. Because they were economically useful and were believed to ensure many children for a family, cats were so revered that they were mummified and buried either with their owners or in specially designated cemeteries. Despite Egyptian laws that forbade the removal of the sacred cats, Phoenician sailors smuggled them out of the country. Cats were traded along with other treasures from the Middle East and in antiquity could be found throughout the Mediterranean area. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Romans were the first to bring cats to the British Isles.
Throughout much of the Middle Ages, cats were feared and hated. Because of their nocturnal habits, they were believed to consort with the devil. This association with witchcraft has been responsible for many acts of cruelty toward cats through the centuries. The Renaissance, in contrast, was the golden age for cats. Almost everyone had one, from members of royal families and their staffs to the peasantry. The first domestic cats in North America arrived with the colonists and were employed to keep the rodent population under control in the settlers' fields, barns, and homes.
Cats are said to have played an important part in keeping rats out of the California gold mines. In India cats often played an important part in religious or occult ceremonies. In South America the Inca revered sacred cats; cats are represented in pre-Columbian Peruvian artifacts. Cats continue to be worshiped as deities in countries such as Thailand and China. Boats in Art and Literature Egyptian tomb paintings and sculpture are the earliest representations of the domestic cat. Images of cats appear on Greek coins of the 5 th century BC; cats were later depicted in Roman mosaics and paintings and on earthenware, coins, and shields.
The 8 th-century Irish manuscript of the Gospels, the Book of Kells, has a representation of cats and kittens in one of its illuminations. Later artists, such as the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci and his German contemporary Albrecht Drer, are among the many who included cats in their works. Although the Old Testament makes no mention of cats, the Babylonian Talmud tells of their admirable qualities and encourages the breeding of cats "to help keep the houses clean. " Memorable literary cats include the British writer Rudyard Kipling's "Cat That Walked by Himself" (one of the Just So Stories, 1902), the delightful cats of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939) by the Anglo-American poet T. S.
Eliot, and the Cheshire Cat, joint creation of the English writer Lewis Carroll and the illustrator Sir John Tenniel in the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Many contemporary comic strips and animated cartoons also contain feline characters which delight ailurophile's (lovers of cats) of all ages. Bibliography:
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