There is nothing cuter than a kitten. But, bringing a new kitten home as a pet can be traumatic. Cats do not appreciate change. Keeping a few things in mind, you can make the transition bearable for your new friend.

Kittens can be easily overwhelmed because they have not experienced much of the world yet. Your new kitty may be terrified when you first bring him home. If you let him go in the house, most likely he will hide. When I brought home my two kittens, I couldn’t find them for several hours. Finally, my husband spotted them behind the furnace. They found the smallest place they could squeeze their little bodies, because that made them feel safe.

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Feral cats are the descendants of abandoned house cats. They are the same animal as domesticated cats, but they live without the support of people. Some people who have feral cats living around their home choose to leave out food and water. This is ok, but be careful that you don’t get overwhelmed. They may start arriving in numbers you didn’t expect.

The best thing to do is to call a local shelter for help. They can trap the cats, neuter or spay them and release them back into the wild. It is not usually a good idea to try to keep a feral cat a as a pet, especially adults. They are unlikely to respond to human interaction. If found as a kitten and socialized properly, a feral cat has a chance at becoming a pet.

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Our cats tend to be clean and healthy pets in general, but cat fights, parasites, and illness may crop up from time to time.  Notice when  your cat withdraws physically and socially.  Instead of telling you he’s sick, and needs to go to the vet, Kitty’s instincts are telling her to hide.  She feels more like the hunted instead of the hunter, so she hides to escape any possible danger.  Kitty doesn’t realize she needs to come tell you when she needs to go to the vet.

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How do you know when your cat is sick?  Unfortunately, cats can be pretty subtle about illness.  Here are some signs that your cat is not feeling his best.

1.  Sleepiness.  This is the most difficult sign of sickness to detect in a cat because they sleep so much when healthy.  Most cats have times of the day when they are always awake and lively.  You should be aware of these times and take note when they sleep through their usual play time.

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If you’re looking for the cat version of a lap dog, try a pure bred Burmese. The Burmese breed developed in Burma (Myanmar), hence the name and originated with sacred brown cats kept in the palaces of this ancient culture. Early on in cat show history, the Burmese was mistaken for a variant of Siamese cats. They look similar, but Burmese have less striking differences in fur color than Siamese.

Burmese are very cuddly and love to be around people. They are intelligent and great with children and other animals. They, do however require more attention than a typical house cat. Burmese will bossily demand attention by shouting. They have a loud, frequent meow, especially the females.

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When you and your cat come to an agreeable arrangement about the litter box, there’s usually something wrong when kitty goes somewhere else. She may be stressed or ill. When my 19-year old feline companion didn’t deposit anything in her box in over a week, we visited the vet and she received a diagnosis that ended in her ultimate demise.

It’s important for a cat’s owner to monitor what’s deposited in the litter box, and how often. You may have no reason to think your cat has worms, but if they’ve consumed raw meat, a.k.a. a slow bird or neighborhood rodent, it’s a possibility. If you feed and manually clean the litter box on a regular basis, monitoring output will come easily. It’s a litter box second nature worth developing.

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Since the beginning of time, the cat’s greatest foe has been none other than man’s best friend-the dog. Canine and feline have spent centuries cracking humans up with their crazy antics. Whether it’s intense chases, resembling those seen on “Cops,” or a cat ferociously swatting a playful puppy across the nose, cats and dogs are consistently portrayed as the greatest enemies. I, however, am here to bust this long-lived myth and demonstrate that our two favorite pets can not only co-habitate in peace, but also form a close bond and friendship.

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After the pet food scare last summer, many pet owners, I’m sure, toyed with the idea of making their own pet food. It may seem like a great alternative to the risks of canned and bagged food, but it isn’t easy. Cat food that you buy in the store contains just the right balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that cats need. To create your own custom cat diet, you have to do the research first.

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Cats, as we know, are generally independent animals. They don’t need a lot of babysitting and coddling. They just want someone to make sure they have food, water and a cleaned litter box. Periodically, they’ll take a little petting, when they want it. After that, they’ll take care of themselves. But when you’re going to be gone all day, or for a weekend, even those simple necessities can become problems. While some cats can be left overflowing cat feeders and only eat what they need, there are other cats that are lacking in feline self-control. These cats will eat and eat until the cat feeders run empty, they get sick, or both. At the same time, you don’t want your cat to eat what you have put in their bowl right after you leave and have nothing for the rest of the time you are gone. The solution is automatic cat feeders.

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All cat owners should be aware of the dangers of poisonous foods.  Fortunately cats are not as likely as dogs to put strange and disgusting things in their mouths, but still, it happens.

The following foods are not good for cats and in large amounts can be deadly.

1.  apple, apricot, and avocado pits

2.  cherries

3.  eggplant

4. mushrooms

5.  onions

6. potato

7.  rhubarb

8. tobacco

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