Sagarmaity

If you want to become the owner of an exotic, luxurious cat, check out these 20 most expensive cat breeds that cost a fortune. bengal cat Cats are currently the number one choice as household pets in the United States, and why not?! They are compact enough for smaller living spaces and don’t eat a lot. Plus, they can accommodate specific bodily needs in a box should cat parents be away for long hours. STATISTICS OBTAINED FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES (HSUS) show that there are 94.2 million owned felines with only 4% having been purchased from a breeder. No one knows for sure how many stray cats are on the prowl. Every year, millions are euthanized in overcrowded shelters. To Buy or to Adopt a Cat? If you are considering adding a four-legged bundle of fur to your family, please consider jumping on the “ADOPT, DON’T SHOP” bandwagon by visiting your local animal rescue or shelter. Oftentimes, shelter workers got to know the little guy or girl and can share unique traits and habits. In other instances, cats relinquished to shelters by previous owners may come with background history so that you can learn about their personalities and health conditions. Another option is to purchase your new cat or KITTEN from a responsible breeder who can reliably predict the animal’s temperament and provide a clean bill of health. You can find almost any breed at a breed rescue somewhere in the country. However, for fun, we’ve decided to compile a list of the 20 most expensive cat breeds to spend your money on! The going prices vary from breeder to breeder, so below is a range that gives a glimpse into just how costly these expensive cats are. 30 Crazy Rich Pets You’ll End up Envying After Reading This What are the richest pets in the world? From dogs to cats and chickens, these rich pets are the envy of the world. Two breeds barely missed the Top 20: THE SIAMESE AND THE SPOTTED OCICAT. The slender Siamese is a people cat that is curious and talks a lot! The Ocicat was born through interbreeding an Abyssinian, Siamese, and American Shorthair. It is a large, muscular breed resembling his wilder cousins without sharing any of their DNA. The Siamese cat price and the Ocicat price are quite similar, ranging from $200-$800 FOR A PUREBRED. How to Care for the Most Expensive Cat Breeds in the World Caring for expensive cat breeds does not differ much from caring for regular cats. Regardless of where your little bundle of fur comes from, or how much you pay for her when bringing a cat into your home and your heart, be sure that you are prepared to love and care for her throughout her entire lifetime, no matter how much your life changes. You need a budget for HIGH-QUALITY CAT FOOD and STATE-OF-THE-ART CAT FEEDERS, preventive medical care, kitty cat supplies (i.e., litter, box, brush or comb, collar, bed, WATER FOUNTAIN, AMUSEMENT TREE, etc.), cat accessories, and of course, veterinarians on contactfor those unexpected emergencies. Keep in mind that most any un-pedigreed breed can be adopted or purchased for considerably less than you see on this list of the 20 most expensive cat breeds to spend your money on. However, these prices are the ones that breeders demand and receive for purebred cats. The 20 Most Expensive Cat Breeds to Spend Your Money on 20. Norwegian Forest Cat (aka Skogkatt) norwegian forest cat PRICE RANGE: $500 – $800 The Norwegian Forest Cat loves her people, but on her own terms. This means she likes to decide when, and if, to get on or off your lap! A wooly undercoat and sharp claws (make sure you have a sturdy scratching post and cat tree for this one) help this feline adapt to the cold winters of her native Norway. cat sleeping on cat tree 10 Best Cat Trees for Spoiled Felines | 2022 Reviews Everyone knows cats deserve to be spoiled and worshipped. Buy your furry friend one of these 10 best cat trees that scream luxury. What Else Should You Know about this Cat Breed? Moderately active, with sudden bursts of energy, the Norwegian is very likely the cat that Vikings kept on their ships to keep down the rodent population. The breed, however, almost disappeared due to mating with free-roaming domestic shorthair cats, but Norwegian cat fanciers came to the rescue. The Norwegian Forest Cat came to the U.S. about 40 years ago, so it is relatively new to our shores. Therefore, U.S. breeders often make multiple trips to Europe to obtain queens and sires for their breeding programs. This, coupled with preferred markings, keeps the Norwegian Forest Cat price tag high. 19. Egyptian Mau egyptian mau cat PRICE RANGE: $500 – $800 The Egyptian Mau is the only naturally spotted breed of the domestic feline. Because of this, colors are limited to those that occur naturally, increasing the cat’s price and possibly causing you to wait patiently when hoping to bring home a Mau. Bronze, smoke, black, and silver, along with muted versions of these hues, and a sheening spotted coat, will make your Mau well worth the wait if an exotic cat for sale is what you seek. Their spots, however, appear only on the tips of the fur. With widely spaced ears and gooseberry green eyes encircled with dark eyeliner, these cats dazzle cat fanciers and pet parents alike. What Else Should You Know about this Cat Breed? Friendly to most, Maus cats are wary of strangers and choose their special human. The breed was worshipped as both a god and a treasure by Ancient Egyptians. She has kept a few gifts handed down by his wilder ancestors: A loose flap of skin from the flank to the hind legs that allows the Egyptian to twist and jump with grace and agility, and run very fast, up to 30 mph. A ROTATORY GALLOP that mimics the stride of a Cheetah, where only one paw hits the ground at a time, and hind paws impact ahead of wherefore paws took off the ground. It’s easy to look at the Mau and figure out why Ancient Egyptians venerated it: it has a thoroughly graceful and almost royal appearance, summoning visions of sleek, lithe, and hairless dun panthers.

Felines are carnivores and have adapted to animal-based diets and low carbohydrate inclusion. Kittens are categorized in a growth life stage, and have high energy and protein requirements.[23] When feeding a kitten, it is often recommended to use highly digestible ingredients and various components to aid in development in order to produce a healthy adult.[24] In North America, diets certified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) are accepted as adequate nutrition, thus kitten diets should be AAFCO approved to ensure full supplementation.[25] Key components of the diet are high fat content to meet caloric requirements of growth, high protein to meet requirements for muscle growth as well as supplementation of certain nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid to benefit the development of the brain and optimization of cognition.[26] Pre-weaning nutrition Establishing immunity Part of the kitten's immune system is the mucosal immune system, which is within the gastrointestinal tract. The mucosal immune system is largely responsible for coordinating proper immune responses by tolerating innocuous antigens and attacking foreign pathogens.[27] In order to optimize kitten health and increase chances of survival, it is important to optimize the link between the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. Lasting health and longevity can be accomplished partly through proper nutrition[28] and establishing a healthy gut from birth through utilizing colostrum.[29] A litter of kittens suckling their mother Within the first 2 days after birth, kittens acquire passive immunity from their mother's milk.[30] Milk within the first few days of parturition is called colostrum, and contains high concentrations of immunoglobulins.[30] These include immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G which cross the intestinal barrier of the neonate.[29] The immunoglobulins and growth factors found in the colostrum begin to establish and strengthen the weak immune system of the offspring.[31] Kittens are able to chew solid food around 5–6 weeks after birth, and it is recommended that 30% of their diet should consist of solid food at this time.[32] The kitten remains on the mother's milk until around eight weeks of age when weaning is complete and a diet of solid food is the primary food source.[23] Post-weaning nutrition Fat Until approximately one year of age, the kitten is undergoing a growth phase where energy requirements are up to 2.5 times higher than maintenance.[33] Pet nutritionists often suggest that a commercial cat food designed specifically for kittens should be offered beginning at 4 weeks of age.[28] Fat has a higher caloric value than carbohydrates and protein, supplying 9 kcal/g.[34] The growing kitten requires arachidonic and linoleic acid which can be provided in omega-3 fatty acids.[23] Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is another vital nutrient that can be supplied through omega 3 fatty acid. Addition of DHA to the diet benefits the cognition, brain and visual development of kittens.[28] Protein Cats are natural carnivores and require high amounts of protein in the diet. Kittens are undergoing growth and require high amounts of protein to provide essential amino acids that enable the growth of tissues and muscles.[30] It is recommended that kittens consume a diet containing approximately 30% protein, on a dry matter basis, for proper growth.[35] Taurine is an essential amino acid found only in animal tissue; the mother cat cannot produce enough of it for her kittens.[36] As it is an indispensable amino acid, it must be provided exogenously through the diet at 10mg per kg of bodyweight, each day.[37] Kittens deprived of taurine can experience poor growth[36] and can result in retinal degeneration in cats.[38] Carbohydrates Felines are natural carnivores and do not intentionally consume large quantities of carbohydrates. The domestic cat's liver has adapted to the lack of carbohydrates in the diet by using amino acids to produce glucose to fuel the brain and other tissues.[39] Studies have shown that carbohydrate digestion in young kittens is much less effective than that of a mature feline with a developed gastrointestinal tract.[40] Highly digestible carbohydrates can be found in commercial kitten food as a source of additional energy as well as a source of fiber to stimulate the immature gut tissue. Soluble fibre such as beet pulp is a common ingredient used as a fibrous stool hardener and has been proven to strengthen intestinal muscles and to thicken the gut mucosal layer to prevent diarrhea.[41] Diet composition Amino acids The lack of readily available glucose from the limited carbohydrates in the diet has resulted to the adaptation of the liver to produce glucose from the breakdown components of protein—amino acids. The enzymes that breakdown amino acids are constantly active in cats. Thus, cats need a constant source of protein in their diet.[24] Kittens require an increased amount of protein to supply readily available amino acids for daily maintenance and for building new body components because they are constantly growing.[24] There are many required amino acids for kittens. Histidine is required at no greater than 30% in kitten diets, since consuming histidine-free diets causes weight loss.[25] Tryptophan is required at 0.15%, seeing as it maximizes performance at this level.[25] Kittens also need the following amino acids supplemented in their diet: arginine to avoid an excess of ammonia in the blood, otherwise known as hyperammonemia, isoleucine, leucine, valine, lysine, methionine as a sulfur-containing amino acid, asparagine for maximal growth in the early post-weaning kitten, threonine and taurine to prevent central retinal degeneration.[25] Vitamins Fat-soluble vitamins Vitamin A is required in kitten diets because cats cannot convert carotenes to retinol in the intestinal mucosa because they lack the necessary enzyme; this vitamin must be supplemented in the diet.[24][42] Vitamin E is another required vitamin in kitten diets; deficiency leads to steatitis, causing the depot fat to become firm and yellow-orange in colour, which is painful and leads to death.[42] Also, vitamin D is an essential vitamin because cats cannot convert it from precursors in the skin.[24] Water-soluble vitamins Cats can synthesize niacin, but their breakdown exceeds the rate that it can be synthesized and thus, have a higher need for it, which can be fulfilled through an animal-based diet.[24] Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) is required in increased amounts because it is needed to produce amino acids.[24] Vitamin B12 is an AAFCO-recommended vitamin that is essential in the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein and maintains a healthy nervous system, healthy mucous membranes, healthy muscle and heart function, and, in general, promotes normal growth and development.[42] Choline is also a AAFCO recommended ingredient for kittens, which is important for neurotransmission in the brain and as a component of membrane phospholipids.[24] Biotin is another AAFCO-recommended vitamin to support thyroid and adrenal glands and the reproductive and nervous systems.[24] Kittens also require riboflavin (vitamin B2) for heart health, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and folacin.[42] Metabolism aids Since kitten diets are very high in calories, ingredients must be implemented to ensure adequate digestion and utilization of these calories. Choline chloride is an ingredient that maintains fat metabolism.[42] Biotin and niacin are also active in the metabolism of fats, carbs and protein.[42] Riboflavin is also necessary for the digestion of fats and carbohydrates.[42] These are the main metabolism aids incorporated into kitten diets to ensure nutrient usage is maximized. Kitten playing in a Tokyo pet shop Growth and development A combination of required nutrients is used to satisfy the overall growth and development of the kitten body; there are many ingredients that kittens do not require, but are included in diet formulation to encourage healthy growth and development. These ingredients include: dried egg as a source of high quality protein and fatty acids, flaxseed, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acid and aids in digestion, calcium carbonate as a source of calcium, and calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5) that acts as a coenzyme in the conversion of amino acids and is important for healthy skin.[42] Immunity boosters Antioxidants help support the development of a healthy immune system through inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules, which are essential for a growing kitten.[24] Antioxidants can be derived from ingredients, such as: carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, vitamin E and vitamin E supplement, and zinc proteinate.

The domestic cat has a smaller skull and shorter bones than the European wildcat.[60] It averages about 46 cm (18 in) in head-to-body length and 23–25 cm (9–10 in) in height, with about 30 cm (12 in) long tails. Males are larger than females.[61] Adult domestic cats typically weigh between 4 and 5 kg (9 and 11 lb).[44] Skeleton Cats have seven cervical vertebrae (as do most mammals); 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have 12); seven lumbar vertebrae (humans have five); three sacral vertebrae (as do most mammals, but humans have five); and a variable number of caudal vertebrae in the tail (humans have only three to five vestigial caudal vertebrae, fused into an internal coccyx).[62]: 11  The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached to the spine are 13 ribs, the shoulder, and the pelvis.[62]: 16  Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones which allow them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.[63] Skull Cat skull The cat skull is unusual among mammals in having very large eye sockets and a powerful specialized jaw.[64]: 35  Within the jaw, cats have teeth adapted for killing prey and tearing meat. When it overpowers its prey, a cat delivers a lethal neck bite with its two long canine teeth, inserting them between two of the prey's vertebrae and severing its spinal cord, causing irreversible paralysis and death.[65] Compared to other felines, domestic cats have narrowly spaced canine teeth relative to the size of their jaw, which is an adaptation to their preferred prey of small rodents, which have small vertebrae.[65] The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently shears meat into small pieces, like a pair of scissors. These are vital in feeding, since cats' small molars cannot chew food effectively, and cats are largely incapable of mastication.[64]: 37  Although cats tend to have better teeth than most humans, with decay generally less likely because of a thicker protective layer of enamel, a less damaging saliva, less retention of food particles between teeth, and a diet mostly devoid of sugar, they are nonetheless subject to occasional tooth loss and infection.[66] Claws Shed claw sheaths Cats have protractible and retractable claws.[67] In their normal, relaxed position, the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the paw's toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the fore feet are typically sharper than those on the hind feet.[68] Cats can voluntarily extend their claws on one or more paws. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, kneading, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Cats shed the outside layer of their claw sheaths when scratching rough surfaces.[69] Most cats have five claws on their front paws, and four on their rear paws. The dewclaw is proximal to the other claws. More proximally is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws, on the inside of the wrists has no function in normal walking,but is thought to be an antiskidding device used while jumping. Some cat breeds are prone to having extra digits (“polydactyly”).[70] Polydactylous cats occur along North America's northeast coast and in Great Britain.[71] Ambulation The cat is digitigrade. It walks on the toes, with the bones of the feet making up the lower part of the visible leg.[72] Unlike most mammals, it uses a "pacing" gait and moves both legs on one side of the body before the legs on the other side. It registers directly by placing each hind paw close to the track of the corresponding fore paw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for hind paws when navigating rough terrain. As it speeds up walking to trotting, its gait changes to a "diagonal" gait: The diagonally opposite hind and fore legs move simultaneously.[73] Balance 13:37 Comparison of cat righting reflexes in gravity and zero gravity Most breeds of cat have a noted fondness for sitting in high places, or perching. A higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt; domestic cats strike prey by pouncing from a perch such as a tree branch. Another possible explanation is that height gives the cat a better observation point, allowing it to survey its territory. A cat falling from heights of up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) can right itself and land on its paws.[74] During a fall from a high place, a cat reflexively twists its body and rights itself to land on its feet using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. This reflex is known as the cat righting reflex.[75] A cat always rights itself in the same way during a fall, if it has enough time to do so, which is the case in falls of 90 cm (2 ft 11 in) or more.[76] How cats are able to right themselves when falling has been investigated as the "falling cat problem".

It is a big, strong cat, similar to the Maine Coon breed, with long legs, a bushy tail, and a sturdy body. It is very good at climbing, partly because of strong claws. The lifespan is usually 14 to 16 years. Kidney and heart diseases have been reported in the breed. Specifically in this breed, complex rearrangements of glycogen branching enzyme (GBE1) can cause a perinatal hypoglycaemic collapse and a late-juvenile-onset neuromuscular degeneration in glycogen storage disease type IV.[citation needed] Eighteen-month-old Norwegian Forest cat. History Edit The Norwegian Forest cat is adapted to survive Norway's cold weather.[2][3] Its ancestors may include cold-adapted black and white British shorthair cats brought to Norway from Great Britain some time after 1000 AD by the Vikings, and longhaired cats brought to Norway by Crusaders c.14th century. These cats could have reproduced with farm and feral stock and may have eventually evolved into the modern-day Norwegian Forest breed.[4][5][6] The Siberian and the Turkish Angora, longhaired cats from Russia and Turkey, respectively, are also possible ancestors of the breed.[4] Norse legends refer to the skogkatt as a "mountain-dwelling fairy cat with an ability to climb sheer rock faces that other cats could not manage."[7] Since the Norwegian Forest cat is a very adept climber,[8][9] author Claire Bessant believes that the skogkatt folktale could be about the ancestor of the modern Norwegian Forest breed.[7] The name Norse skogkatt is used by some breeders and fancier organisations for the modern breed. Most likely the ancestors of the Norwegian Forest cat served as ships' cats (mousers) on Viking ships.[10] The original landrace lived in the Norwegian forests for many centuries, but were later prized for their hunting skills and were used on Norwegian farms,[11] until they were discovered in the early twentieth century by cat enthusiasts.[12] In 1938 the first organisation devoted to the breed, the Norwegian Forest Cat Club, was formed in Oslo, Norway.[13] The club's movement to preserve the breed was interrupted by World War II. Owing to cross-breeding with free-ranging domestic cats during the war, the Norwegian Forest cat became endangered and nearly extinct until the Norwegian Forest Cat Club helped the breed make a comeback by developing an official breeding program.[14][15] In the 1950s, King Olav V declared them the official cat of Norway.[16] Since the cat did not leave Norway until the 1970s, it was not registered as a breed in the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe), the pan-European federation of cat registries, until Carl-Fredrik Nordane, a Norwegian cat fancier, took notice of the breed, and made efforts to register it.[13] The breed was registered in Europe by the 1970s, and in the American Cat Fanciers Association in 1994.[17] In 1978, it was recognized in Sweden as an official breed,[18] and in 1989, they were accepted as a breed in the United Kingdom by the Norwegian Cat Club of Britain.[19] The Norwegian Forest breed is very popular in Norway and Sweden. Since 2003, it has been the fifth most popular cat breed in France, where there are about 400 to 500 births per year.

Any pet owner has, from time to time, been charmed and entertained by their furry critters. And that's a good thing! But the empirical question of whether or not animals in general (and dogs in particular) can engage in pretend play was particularly interesting to me. More precisely, does Happy understand that the toy frog isn't really a frog, but instead is an object that represents a category of agents (frogs) - and then, is she pretending that the toy really is a frog, even though she knows it isn't? Pretend Play in Human Children Young children do this with ease. They know that a banana isn't a telephone, for example, but since bananas share some common characteristics with telephones, they can pretend that one is the other. In other words, in addition to the primary mental representation of the true identity of the object (banana), they also represent the object's pretend identity (telephone). At what age are humans able to engage in this sort of play? Young infants try to grasp the objects in pictures, but by nineteen months, their grasping is replaced by pointing - this suggests that by that age, human infants understand that a picture is a representation of something, rather than the thing itself. However, another study found that three year-olds, but not four year-olds, believed that a balloon represented on a TV screen would fly to the ceiling of a room if the top of the TV was removed. So, children between the ages of 18 months and three years might be able to pretend, but they seem to be limited in their ability to fully understand the concept of pretending. Many developmental psychologists would argue that the child need not have the meta-awareness of pretending in order to pretend in the first place; they don't need to know that they are pretending. Can Animals Pretend? ADVERTISEMENT Empirically investigating pretend play is exceptionally hard, because pretend play is by its nature spontaneous. It's only through direct observation and case studies that we have any evidence for pretend play in animals at all - and so far, only really in apes. Even still, the scant evidence that exists for pretend play in non-human apes is fairly consistent. In 1993, primatologists Jensvold and Fouts analyzed fifteen hours of video footage of five chimpanzees, specifically looking for instances of "imaginary play." These particular chimpanzees (including the famous Washoe - pictured left) had been trained in the use of American Sign Language, which must have helped the researchers in understanding their actions. In the fifteen hours of footage, six instances of imaginary play were documented. Several of them were actions in which the chimps gave living characteristics to an inanimate objects. For example, the chimpanzee Dar signed "tickle" to a stuffed bear. Similarly, Washoe used a natural action called a "hit away," which is usually used with other chimpanzees. The researchers note that "when Washoe made the gesture she had a play face which also indicated the playfulness and nonliteral nature of her actions." The rest of the instances of pretend play in these chimps featured substitution, in which one object was treated as if it was something different. For example, Washoe treated as brush as if it was a book. This was confirmed by the fact that "Washoe often had been observed placing a book under her arm and holding it there which was the same action she used with the brush. Thus her actions and her signing of "book" afterwards were indicative of her substitution." And Mosha treated a purse as if it was a shoe, including signing the word "shoe." Another researcher described a chimpanzee using a shell first as a cigarette, then as an earring. Jensvold and Fouts recount Hayes's 1952 description of the actions of a home-reared chimpanzee named Viki:

At first, puppies spend the large majority of their time sleeping and the rest feeding. They instinctively pile together into a heap, and become distressed if separated from physical contact with their littermates by even a short distance.[5] Puppies are born with a fully functional sense of smell. They are unable to open their eyes. During their first two weeks, a puppy's senses all develop rapidly. During this stage the nose is the primary sense organ used by puppies to find their mother's teats, and to locate their littermates, if they become separated by a short distance. Puppies open their eyes about nine to eleven days following birth. At first, their retinas are poorly developed and their vision is poor. Puppies are not able to see as well as adult dogs. In addition, puppies' ears remain sealed until about thirteen to seventeen days after birth, after which they respond more actively to sounds. Between two and four weeks old, puppies usually begin to growl, bite, wag their tails, and bark.[6] Puppies develop very quickly during their first three months, particularly after their eyes and ears open and they are no longer completely dependent on their mother. Their coordination and strength improve, they spar with their littermates, and begin to explore the world outside the nest. They play wrestling, chase, dominance, and tug-of-war games. File:Puppiesplaying-tokyoarea-jan7-2020.webmPlay media A puppy Chihuahua (right) and puppy Toy Poodle playing in a Tokyo pet store, 2020 Socialization Puppies are highly social animals and spend most of their waking hours interacting with either their mother or littermates. When puppies are socialized with humans, particularly between the ages of eight and twelve weeks, they develop social skills around people. Those that do not receive adequate socialization during this period may display fearful behavior around humans or other dogs as adults. The optimum period for socialisation is between eight and twelve weeks; professional animal trainers and the American Kennel Club advise puppies should be introduced to "100 People by 12 Weeks" and have encountered a wide and varied selection of people and environments.[7] Docking and declawing The practice of docking began primarily as a preventive measure for injury among working dogs. Docking is now primarily performed for purely cosmetic reasons, and some breeds traditionally have their tails cropped anywhere from slightly to almost entirely.[8] Many countries now ban cropping and docking for cosmetic purposes, including Australia, parts of Canada, the majority of the European countries (Austria, Greece, Finland, Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland, Slovakia, England, Scotland, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway and Sweden), while others, such as the United States, permit it. As of 2008, the practice is opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association.[9] Some breeders also prefer to declaw the dogs to prevent future injuries caused by scratching, or in the case of dewclaws, ingrown and ripped-off nails. Docking and declawing procedures are usually performed within the first few days after birth, by a veterinarian, or by an experienced breeder.

The word "squirrel", first attested in 1327, comes from the Anglo-Norman esquirel which is from the Old French escurel, the reflex of a Latin word sciurus, which was taken from the Ancient Greek word σκίουρος (from σκία-ουρος), skiouros, "shadow-tailed", referring to the long bushy tail which many of its members have.[2][3] The native Old English word for the squirrel, ācweorna, survived only into Middle English (as aquerne) before being replaced.[4] The Old English word is of Common Germanic origin, cognates of which are still used in other Germanic languages, including the German Eichhörnchen (diminutive of Eichhorn, which is not as frequently used), the Norwegian ikorn/ekorn, the Dutch eekhoorn, the Swedish ekorre and the Danish egern. A group of squirrels is called a "dray"[5] or a "scurry".[6] Characteristics Reaching out for food on a garden bird feeder, this squirrel can rotate its hind feet, allowing it to descend a tree head-first. Skull of an Oriental giant squirrel (genus Ratufa)—note the classic sciuromorphous shape of the anterior zygomatic region. Squirrels are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel and least pygmy squirrel at 10–14 cm (3.9–5.5 in) in total length and just 12–26 g (0.42–0.92 oz) in weight,[7][8] to the Bhutan giant flying squirrel at up to 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in) in total length,[9] and several marmot species, which can weigh 8 kg (18 lb) or more.[10][11] Squirrels typically have slender bodies with very long very bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is soft and silky, though much thicker in some species than others. The coat color of squirrels is highly variable between—and often even within—species.[12] In most squirrel species, the hind limbs are longer than the fore limbs, while all species have either four or five toes on each foot. The feet, which include an often poorly developed thumb, have soft pads on the undersides[13] and versatile, sturdy claws for grasping and climbing.[14] Tree squirrels, unlike most mammals, can descend a tree head-first. They do so by rotating their ankles 180 degrees, enabling the hind feet to point backward and thus grip the tree bark from the opposite direction.[15] Squirrels live in almost every habitat, from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert, avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts. They are predominantly herbivorous, subsisting on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects and even small vertebrates.[16] As their large eyes indicate, squirrels have an excellent sense of vision, which is especially important for the tree-dwelling species. Many also have a good sense of touch, with vibrissae on their limbs as well as their heads.[13] The teeth of sciurids follow the typical rodent pattern, with large incisors (for gnawing) that grow throughout life, and cheek teeth (for grinding) that are set back behind a wide gap, or diastema. The typical dental formula for sciurids is 1.0.1.3 1.0.1.3 .[17] Many juvenile squirrels die in the first year of life. Adult squirrels can have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild. Some can survive 10 to 20 years in captivity.[18] Premature death may be caused when a nest falls from the tree, in which case the mother may abandon her young if their body temperature is not correct. Many such baby squirrels have been rescued and fostered by a professional wildlife rehabilitator until they could be safely returned to the wild,[19] although the density of squirrel populations in many places and the constant care required by premature squirrels means that few rehabilitators are willing to spend their time doing this and such animals are routinely euthanized instead. Stated purposes of squirrels' tails, to benefit the squirrel, include:[20] To keep rain, wind, or cold off itself. To cool off when hot, by pumping more blood through its tail. As a counterbalance when jumping about in trees. As a parachute when jumping. To signal with. The hairs from squirrel tails are prized in fly fishing when tying fishing flies. A special quality of squirrel tail hair is that it is all guard hairs, not undercoat. When the squirrel is sitting upright, its tail folded up its back may stop predators looking from behind from seeing the characteristic shape of a small mammal. Squirrel enjoying in the sun. Squirrel in Chandigarh. Squirrel near Chandigarh. Squirrel on mango tree.

Puppies are highly social animals and spend most of their waking hours interacting with either their mother or littermates. When puppies are socialized with humans, particularly between the ages of eight and twelve weeks, they develop social skills around people. Those that do not receive adequate socialization during this period may display fearful behavior around humans or other dogs as adults. The optimum period for socialisation is between eight and twelve weeks; professional animal trainers and the American Kennel Club advise puppies should be introduced to "100 People by 12 Weeks" and have encountered a wide and varied selection of people and environments.[7] Docking and declawing The practice of docking began primarily as a preventive measure for injury among working dogs. Docking is now primarily performed for purely cosmetic reasons, and some breeds traditionally have their tails cropped anywhere from slightly to almost entirely.[8] Many countries now ban cropping and docking for cosmetic purposes, including Australia, parts of Canada, the majority of the European countries (Austria, Greece, Finland, Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland, Slovakia, England, Scotland, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway and Sweden), while others, such as the United States, permit it. As of 2008, the practice is opposed by the American Veterinary Medical Association.[9] Some breeders also prefer to declaw the dogs to prevent future injuries caused by scratching, or in the case of dewclaws, ingrown and ripped-off nails. Docking and declawing procedures are usually performed within the first few days after birth, by a veterinarian, or by an experienced breeder.

A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh 1–1.5 kg (2.2–3.3 lb), while larger ones can weigh up to 7–11 kg (15–24 lb). All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier. Puppy refers specifically to young dogs,[1] while pup may be used for other animals such as wolves, seals, giraffes, guinea pigs, rats or sharks.[2] Golden Retriever puppy Basset Hound Newborn Welsh Springer Spaniels Development Born after an average of 63 days of gestation, puppies emerge in an amnion that is bitten off and eaten by the mother dog.[3] Puppies begin to nurse almost immediately. If the litter exceeds six puppies, particularly if one or more are obvious runts, human intervention in hand-feeding the stronger puppies is necessary to ensure that the runts get proper nourishment and attention from the mother. As they reach one month of age, puppies are gradually weaned and begin to eat solid food. The mother may regurgitate partially digested food for the puppies or might let them eat some of her solid food.[4] The mother usually refuses to nurse at this stage, though she might let them occasionally nurse for comfort. At first, puppies spend the large majority of their time sleeping and the rest feeding. They instinctively pile together into a heap, and become distressed if separated from physical contact with their littermates by even a short distance.[5] Puppies are born with a fully functional sense of smell. They are unable to open their eyes. During their first two weeks, a puppy's senses all develop rapidly. During this stage the nose is the primary sense organ used by puppies to find their mother's teats, and to locate their littermates, if they become separated by a short distance. Puppies open their eyes about nine to eleven days following birth. At first, their retinas are poorly developed and their vision is poor. Puppies are not able to see as well as adult dogs. In addition, puppies' ears remain sealed until about thirteen to seventeen days after birth, after which they respond more actively to sounds. Between two and four weeks old, puppies usually begin to growl, bite, wag their tails, and bark.[6] Puppies develop very quickly during their first three months, particularly after their eyes and ears open and they are no longer completely dependent on their mother. Their coordination and strength improve, they spar with their littermates, and begin to explore the world outside the nest. They play wrestling, chase, dominance, and tug-of-war games.

The British Shorthair is a relatively powerful-looking large cat, having a broad chest, strong thick-set legs with rounded paws and a medium-length, blunt-tipped tail. The head is relatively large and rounded, with a short muzzle, broad cheeks (most noticeable in mature males, who tend to develop prominent jowls) and large round eyes that are deep coppery orange in the British Blue and otherwise vary in colour depending on the coat. Their large ears are broad and widely set.[10] The British Blue variant can often be confused with the grey Scottish Fold, a breed closely related to the British Shorthair. However, the Shorthair can be characterised by having its pointy triangle ears, whereas the Fold has softer, folded ears. They are slow to mature in comparison with most cat breeds, reaching full physical development at approximately three years of age. Unusually among domestic cats they are a noticeably sexually dimorphic breed, with males averaging 9–17 lb (4.1–7.7 kg) and females 7–12 lb (3.2–5.4 kg). Coat, colour, and patterns Edit The British Shorthair's coat is one of the breed's defining features. It is very dense but does not have an undercoat; thus, the texture is plush rather than woolly or fluffy, with a firm, "crisp" pile that breaks noticeably over the cat's body as it moves.[4][10] Although the British Blue remains the most familiar variant, British Shorthairs have been developed in many other colours and patterns. Black, blue, white, red, cream, silver, golden and—most recently—cinnamon and fawn are accepted by all official standards, either solid or in colourpoint, tabby, shaded and bicolour patterns; the GCCF, FIFe and TICA also accept chocolate and its dilute lilac, disallowed in the CFA standard.[13] All colours and patterns also have tortoiseshell variants.[10] The Tabby patterns include:[14] Classic Tabby, Mackerel Tabby, Spotted & Ticked Tabby. The non-tabby patterns include: Tortoiseshell, Bi-Colour, Van patterns Bi-Colour & White, Smoke, Tipped & Colourpointed. British Shorthair's nose color: black, cherry red, brick red; a circle of black nasal line on the periphery. 4-month-old golden shaded male kitten 5-month-old lilac female kitten Blue bicolour adult male 6-month-old silver classic tabby male kitten British shorthair in silver coat octa Temperament Edit A young female cat showing that British Shorthairs prefer to stay near people rather than squatting on laps They are an easygoing and dignified breed, not as active and playful as many, but sweet-natured and devoted to their owners, making them a favorite of animal trainers. They tend to be safe around other pets and children since they will tolerate a fair amount of physical interaction, but as a rule do not like to be picked up or carried. They require only minimal grooming and take well to being kept as indoor-only cats; however, they can be prone to obesity unless care is taken with their diet.[4][11] They are quiet and vigilant, but if they trust their owners, they will silently follow the owners’ activities and stay with them. British Shorthair cats are not lap cats. They are more accustomed to staying beside people than squatting on people’s laps. Similarly, they prefer the feeling of having their feet on the ground. They have low voice and a moderate activity level. When there is no one at home, they will stay at home quietly and wait for their owners to come back.

The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, dense coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, orange eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint. British Shorthair British blue 2009 (cropped).jpg British Shorthair in the classic colour ’blue’. Other names British Blue (legacy) Origin United Kingdom Breed standards CFA standard FIFe standard TICA standard WCF standard FFE standard ACF standard ACFA/CAA standard CCA-AFC standard Domestic cat (Felis catus) It is one of the most ancient cat breeds known. In modern times, it remains the most popular pedigreed breed in its native country, as registered by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). A quarter of all kittens registered with the GCCF each year are British Shorthairs, making the British the most popular pedigree cat in the UK.[1] The breed's good-natured appearance and relatively calm temperament make it a frequent media star, notably as the inspiration for John Tenniel's famous illustration of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. The Cat Fanciers' Association profile reads: "When gracelessness is observed, the British Shorthair is duly embarrassed, quickly recovering with a 'Cheshire cat smile'."[2] History Edit The origins of the British Shorthair most likely date back to the first century AD, making it one of the most ancient identifiable cat breeds in the world.[3] These cats were imported by the Romans who kept them to keep the camps clear of snakes, mice and insects. These cats then interbred with the local European wildcat population. Over the centuries, their naturally isolated descendants developed into distinctively large, robust cats with a short but very thick coat, to better withstand conditions on their native islands. Based on artists' representations, the modern British Shorthair is unchanged from this initial type.[4] An early example of the "English type" Blue Shorthair, from Frances Simpson's Book of the Cat, 1903 Selective breeding of the best examples of the type began in the nineteenth century, with emphasis on developing the unusual blue-grey variant called the "British Blue" or "English type" (to distinguish it from the more fine-boned "Russian type"). Some sources directly credit UK artist, and pioneering cat fancier, Harrison Weir with the initial concept of standardising the breed. Others suggest a group of breeders may have been involved. The new British Shorthair was featured at the first-ever cat show, organised by Weir and held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871, and enjoyed great initial popularity.[5] By the 1900s with the advent of the newly imported Persian and other long-haired breeds, the British Shorthair had fallen out of favour, and breeding stock had become critically rare by World War I.[6] At least partially to alleviate this, British Shorthair breeders mixed Persians into their bloodlines.[7] The genes thus introduced would eventually become the basis for the British Longhair. At the time, any long-haired cats produced were placed into the Persian breeding program.[8] As all cats with the blue colouration were then judged together as variants on a de facto single breed. The Blue Shorthair, outcrossings of the British with the Russian Blue were also common.[4] A young British Blue male showing the copper eyes typical of cats with 'blue' fur After the war, in an attempt to maintain the breed standard, the GCCF decided to accept only third-generation Persian/British Shorthair crosses.[citation needed] This contributed to another shortage of pure breeding stock by World War II, at which point the Persian and Russian Blue were reintroduced into the mix.[citation needed] British Shorthair breeders also worked with the French Chartreux, another ancient breed, which although genetically unrelated to the British Blue, is a very similar cat in appearance. Breeders worked to re-establish the true British type, and by the late 1970s, the distinctive British Shorthair had achieved formal recognition from both the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA).[4] According to the GCCF's 2013 registry data, it is once again the most popular pedigreed breed in its native country.[9]

Ask any cat person, and they’ll tell you why their cat is the cutest. For instance, my cat Margot has the softest, fluffiest fur, and the prettiest, roundest green eyes, and she makes the most adorable little mewing noises for attention. She’s just sooo cute! But it turns out, there’s a reason those particular features make me ga-ga for her. The science of cute (yes, it’s a thing) explains why cats are so cute, and why we want these meowing purring, scratching, pooping creatures to live in our homes. Advertisement Defining Cuteness Before we get into the specifics of cat cuteness, let’s talk about what “cute” means in general. If you look it up on Wikipedia, there’s actually a recognized set of characteristics that determine “cute,” all fitting under the German word kinderschema (source). They are: Big, forward-facing eyes Rounded ears Floppy limbs and unstable movements Soft, rounded body shape A large head compared to the rest of their body Human babies are the original source of these characteristics. Scientists theorize that appearing soft, vulnerable, and loveable is an evolutionary adaptation that ensures survival. In other words, babies are cute so that adults will take care of them! But it’s not just human babies who trigger our caretaking instincts; kittens, puppies, lambs, and other baby animals make us feel the same way. And so do adult mammals who retain their “kinderschema.”There’s a scientific term for that, too: neoteny, or “the retention of juvenile features in the adult animal.” Of course, not all adult cats have big heads or round eyes. But most of them have soft, rounded body shapes. They have fur that’s pleasing to touch. They make high-pitched, baby-like meows and comforting, rumbly purrs. Cats are chock full of cute characteristics that make humans want to take care of them. How your cat’s cuteness affects your brain As explained in this video from National Geographic, when the human brain recognizes the features of “cuteness” (whether in another human or in a cat) two things happen: The orbitofrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for decision making) springs into action, telling you to protect the cute creature The nucleus accumbens (the part of the brain also called the “pleasure center”) is activated and releases the feel-good hormone dopamine In other words, when you see your cat do something extra-cute, your brain simultaneously tells you to protect it and rewards you for doing so. That may explain why I still love my cute cat Margot even when she pees on my dirty laundry. It also explains why kittens, in particular, set off our “squee” response. Just picture a wide-eyed, round-bellied, soft, stumbling kitten. That adorable, helpless little thing! Don’t you just want to cuddle it and keep it safe? Yes, yes you do. Another term for all this: “cute cues.” As explained by the New York Times, “cute cues are those that indicate extreme youth, vulnerability, harmlessness, and need.” And people have a pretty low bar for cuteness, so anything that strikes us as even a little bit baby-like can elicit an “awww” response. How cats got so cute Some people think cats may have evolved to be cuter as they became domesticated in order to make people want to take care of them more. It makes sense, doesn’t it, that cats would become increasingly cute as they became increasingly dependent on human beings to survive? However, if you’ve lived with a cat, you know that sometimes their features can be downright brooding! So why are cats so cute, even if they aren’t wide-eyed and round-featured? One possible answer: conditioning. Humans have been living alongside cats for hundreds of years. At this point, we’re used to thinking of them as cute, even the ones who are less baby-faced. In fact, according to British anthrozoologist John Bradshaw, author of the book Cat Sense, cats’ “rather unexpressive faces” may make humans want to protect them even more. Sound counterintuitive? Bradshaw says it’s all about projection: we humans come up with our own ideas about what a cat is thinking or feeling (source). And for many people, living in a society that values pets and makes cute cat videos go viral all the time, we often project vulnerability. In other words, cats are cute because humans decided they were cute. Cuteness is subjective Beyond the classic “characteristics of cute,” we humans and our brains can see cuteness in all sorts of features. It may simply be that we naturally assume smaller creatures need more care. Or maybe we’re just conditioned to think of cats as cute. Personal taste comes into play, too. After all, some people have different cuteness cues than others; it explains why some of us prefer smush-faced cat breeds and others go for sleek, pointy-eared cats. I’m conjecturing here, but given our brain’s response to “kinderschema” and our innate need to nurture, it seems possible that cuteness isn’t just a list of attributes. Cuteness is a matter of taste. And at the end of the day, you probably don’t need an explanation for why your cat is so cute. They’re cute because they’re yours, and because they’re cats, and because cats are just plain cute, darn it! Need Cat Sitting? Cats seem more independent than dogs, sure, but they need attention, play, and treats when you’re gone, too. Your great cat deserves great cat care. You’ve found the best cat name, so now it’s time to find them the perfect cat sitter.

cats — like aggression and fighting — can come on suddenly or gradually. When they happen, it can be stressful for you and your cat. Any sudden change in your cat’s behavior could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Diseases such as hyperthyroidism, osteoarthritis, dental disease, and central nervous system problems may cause aggression. See a veterinarian to make sure your cat is healthy. If your veterinarian rules out medical problems, you’ll need to identify the cause of the aggression to develop a behavior modification plan with your vet (or other professional)". Types and Causes of Feline Aggression If there’s no medical reason for your cat acting aggressively, one of the following could be in play: Fear aggression. Fear aggression may occur in situations that make your cat feel threatened or trapped. If your cat feels afraid, they may act in aggressive ways to defend themselves. Maternal aggression. Maternal aggression may happen when an animal or person approaches a mother cat and her kittens. The mother cat may growl or hiss, swat at, chase, or even try to bite another cat who gets too close, even if they typically get along. Maternal aggression usually goes away after the kittens are weaned from nursing. If a female cat is maternally aggressive, consider spay ing to prevent any more litters.

Cats need play sessions to engage their minds and exercise their bodies. We all know cats enjoy a good catnip-filled mouse now and then, but those stuffed toys can get old fast. If you want to shake things up a bit, here are some fun new ways to play with your cat. Play hide-and-seek. Hide one of your kitty’s toys under a blanket and watch her try to uncover the hidden gem. Try attaching the toy to a string so you can wiggle it under the blanket. Have a singing contest. When she meows, try to respond with the same sound. She’ll most likely meow back. Keep echoing her as she meows back and forth with you. Teach her a trick. Cats really can learn tricks! Get some treats ready, let her sniff them, and issue a command (like shake). If your cat does what you ask, give her a treat. Repeat. If she is still interested, try to get your cat to do the trick 5-10 times in a row to reinforce the behavior. Make her work for her food. Place a treat under an upside-down plastic cup. Your kitty will have to figure out how to knock over the cup to get to the treat. Give her an empty box. You know how everyone says toddlers enjoy the box their expensive new toy came in better than the toy itself? Cats are the same way. Open up a box and place a ball inside for her to bat around. Blow bubbles. Take your cat outside in an enclosed area and blow her bubbles to chase using a non-toxic bubble solution. Your cat will have fun trying to catch the bubbles and popping them instead. Set up a treasure hunt. Hide treats in safe, but hard-to-reach spots throughout your home. You could place them on top of a tall sturdy shelf, or wherever else your cat might look. Then watch her as she goes on the hunt! Start a game of tag. Chase your kitty around the house in a fun and playful way. When you catch up with her, “tag” her and see if she’ll chase you back. To make sure she’s enjoying the game (and not running in fear), watch that her tail stays up, not down. Use your smartphone. Go online and download a fun cat app. Then set the phone down on a flat surface and watch your cat start pawing away. Don’t get stuck in the ‘same mouse, different day’ routine. Make things interesting when you play with your cat to keep her healthy and happy.

Understanding your kitten's behaviour Kittens can't speak, but they will communicate with you in a number of ways. Reading body language and listening to the sounds they make can tell you a lot about what they need from you. Your kitten's body language Your kitten will give you a number of behavioural cues using their body language to indicate their mood. By understanding each change in behaviour, you can learn to provide your kitten with what they need, whether it's space, playtime or food. Maine Coon kittens jumping in a living room Calm Interested Relaxed Worried Fearful Calm A calm posture is your kitten's neutral state from which all other body language develops. It's important to know how your kitten behaves when they are friendly so that you can recognise even the subtle changes. 1122334455 1.Posture Standing straight with their head raised. Guiding behaviours A kitten's behaviour is highly influenced by others. In their early weeks and months, your kitten will have adopted a number of behaviours from their litter-mates and mother. When they arrive at your home, it's up to you to reinforce the positive behaviours they exhibit and minimise any negative actions. slide 1 of 2 Bengal kitten sitting on a grey blanket being stroked by owner Kitten sitting indoors on a wooden floor playing with a red ball Maine Coon kitten waking along the back of a sofa What causes unwanted behaviour in kittens? Cats are creatures of habit, and particularly appreciate an established routine. Behaviours such as scratching furniture, biting or refusal to use the litter box can often be signs that your kitten is unsettled or disrupted. As well as continued positive reinforcement, if you notice an increase in destructive behaviour, think about whether there could be a hidden cause. Your kitten's grooming habits Cats are well known for their cleanliness and kittens are no different. Self-grooming isn't just about removing loose hairs and dirt, however. This action also serves an emotional function for your pet.

While some cats are perfectly content with never going outside and reigning supreme over their indoor kingdoms, other cats live duel indoor-outdoor lives. This can pose different threats. Maniet says outdoor cats are exposed to more disease carriers. This includes other outdoor cats, feral cats, prey, worms, fleas, ticks, mosquitos, and a plethora of other insects. “All of these carriers have the potential to transmit diseases such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and many other infections,” Maniet said. “Also important to note is that the litter box of indoor cats can also present a risk of disease for humans in the household.” What kinds of diseases? Gastrointestinal worms, giardiasis, ringworm, toxoplasmosis, plague — yes, that plague — and hantavirus infection, Maniet says. This is on top of typical allergens pet dander can create. During the summer months, when ticks and other parasites are more active, pet professionals recommend regularly checking your cat’s fur and skin for potentially disease-spreading piggy-backers. This is good for both feline and human health. The best way to reduce the risks of contracting these health risks from your cat, the CDC recommends, is for pet owners to regularly take their cats to the vet so they’re up to date on their immunizations. What to consider when cuddling with a cat While a cat’s independent nature may make it seem like it will do whatever it wants, many of our furry family members do like a cuddle. Maniet says there are a few things to consider before we do that. The first, again, is the relatively low risk of disease transmission. One way to help mitigate that is to talk to your human doctors, including pediatricians. “Adults and children with a compromised immune system due to certain human diseases may be at a higher risk for contracting diseases from animals,” Maniet said. But, no matter your health status, there are some surefire signs that the cat should be left alone because it may be having its own health issues. “Do not snuggle up to your furry friend if they are showing any signs of illness such as hair loss, skin rashes, sneezing, coughing, lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea to name a few,” she said. In cases like these, take your cat to the vet and make sure they have a clean bill of health before bringing your pet into the bedroom. “Always have your pet checked as directed by your veterinarian to determine your pet’s overall health status and to make sure they remain disease-free,” Maniet said. Whether they’re indoor or outdoor cats, there are many special moments that can be had with our furry family members. Being aware of the risks that can come from sharing our beds with them can help us avoid health hazards and ensure many more purr-worthy moments with our favorite felines.

There are good and bad points to sharing your sleeping space with your feline companion. Health experts weigh in on what you should consider. They say that dogs are man’s best friend, but those who say that have clearly never had solid feline companionship. While every cat is different, they do have some common traits. In addition to being able to scale any object with super-kitty abilities, cats can sneak into our hearts, bringing comfort and joy to anyone they choose to adopt. That can include cuddling up in bed at night. While some cats might not be interested, others want to be as close to their human counterparts as possible. And many humans seem to prefer it that way. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 50 percent of pet owners in the United States allow their pet to sleep in bed with them. Bill Fish, cofounder of Tuck.com, says, without question, there are positives to allowing your cat into your bed each night, including giving both of you a sense of security, emotionally and physically. “Having a guest in bed with you also reduces stress as well as brings warmth and comfort,” he said. “As you feel your cat’s rhythmic breathing, it soothes you and helps you get to sleep more quickly.” But whether your cat sleeps calmly through the night is another question. They can interrupt your sleep and bring a number of other health risks into your bed as well. How cats can affect your sleep Dr. Steve Weinberg, founder of 911 VETS, said it can feel nice and comfy to have your cat sleep on a bed with you — some literally on your head — potentially calming anxiety and night terrors. “The downside is that cats are nocturnal animals,” he said. “The human sleeper may have their sleep interrupted in the wee hours of the night or be woken up at a very early hour.” Because of this, Weinberg says, sleeping with a cat can be counterproductive to a person’s typical wake-sleep patterns. “Many cats like to play and will scratch at or even bite at the human feet moving around under the covers,” he said. “[There are] other problems, such as allergy to cat dander or, if fleas are not under control, the human may receive flea bites.” Cats may also want to cozy up to babies and infants — taking on their own caregiver roles in the house — but experts say cats shouldn’t spend the night with the littlest ones in your home. Dr. Jennifer Maniet, a staff veterinarian at Petplan Pet Insurance, says it’s not safe for cats to sleep with babies because there’s a risk a cat could unintentionally suffocate a baby by sleeping on its chest or face. “If the cat is startled or frightened, the baby can get bitten, scratched, or trampled on as the cat tries to run or jump away,” she said. “Cat scratches and bites are common ways that the cat can transmit diseases to a baby.” You can consult your veterinarian for ways to keep the cats out of the nursery, Maniet says. Then there’s the issue of whether your cat shares the bed with any other animals besides humans. Some cats won’t care, but others could view them as a threat and that could create some unwanted chaos in the bedroom. “Having your cat in your bed can also promote dominance within the animal,” Fish said. “They begin to feel like it is their territory and could get agitated if anyone else enters the bed.”

Cats are common pets throughout the world, and their worldwide population as of 2007 exceeded 500 million.[185] Cats have been used for millennia to control rodents, notably around grain stores and aboard ships, and both uses extend to the present day.[186][187] As well as being kept as pets, cats are also used in the international fur trade[188] and leather industries for making coats, hats, blankets, and stuffed toys;[189] and shoes, gloves, and musical instruments respectively[190] (about 24 cats are needed to make a cat-fur coat).[191] This use has been outlawed in the United States since 2000 and in the European Union (as well as the United Kingdom) since 2007.[192] Cat pelts have been used for superstitious purposes as part of the practice of witchcraft,[193] and are still made into blankets in Switzerland as traditional medicine thought to cure rheumatism.[194] A few attempts to build a cat census have been made over the years, both through associations or national and international organizations (such as that of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies[195]) and over the Internet,[196][197] but such a task does not seem simple to achieve. General estimates for the global population of domestic cats range widely from anywhere between 200 million to 600 million.[198][199][200][201][202] Walter Chandoha made his career photographing cats after his 1949 images of Loco, an especially charming stray taken in, were published around the world. He is reported to have photographed 90,000 cats during his career and maintained an archive of 225,000 images that he drew from for publications during his lifetime.[203] Shows Main article: Cat show A cat show is a judged event in which the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat-registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard.[204] It is often required that a cat must be healthy and vaccinated in order to participate in a cat show.[204] Both pedigreed and non-purebred companion ("moggy") cats are admissible, although the rules differ depending on the organization. Competing cats are compared to the applicable breed standard, and assessed for temperament.[204] Infection Main article: Feline zoonosis Cats can be infected or infested with viruses, bacteria, fungus, protozoans, arthropods or worms that can transmit diseases to humans.[205] In some cases, the cat exhibits no symptoms of the disease.[206] The same disease can then become evident in a human. The likelihood that a person will become diseased depends on the age and immune status of the person. Humans who have cats living in their home or in close association are more likely to become infected. Others might also acquire infections from cat feces and parasites exiting the cat's body.[205][207] Some of the infections of most concern include salmonella, cat-scratch disease and toxoplasmosis.[206] History and mythology Main articles: Cultural depictions of cats and Cats in ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped, and the goddess Bastet often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the war-like aspect of a lioness. The Greek historian Herodotus reported that killing a cat was forbidden, and when a household cat died, the entire family mourned and shaved their eyebrows. Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of Bubastis, where they were embalmed and buried in sacred repositories. Herodotus expressed astonishment at the domestic cats in Egypt, because he had only ever seen wildcats.[208] Ancient Greeks and Romans kept weasels as pets, which were seen as the ideal rodent-killers. The earliest unmistakable evidence of the Greeks having domestic cats comes from two coins from Magna Graecia dating to the mid-fifth century BC showing Iokastos and Phalanthos, the legendary founders of Rhegion and Taras respectively, playing with their pet cats. The usual ancient Greek word for 'cat' was ailouros, meaning 'thing with the waving tail'. Cats are rarely mentioned in ancient Greek literature. Aristotle remarked in his History of Animals that "female cats are naturally lecherous." The Greeks later syncretized their own goddess Artemis with the Egyptian goddess Bastet, adopting Bastet's associations with cats and ascribing them to Artemis. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, when the deities flee to Egypt and take animal forms, the goddess Diana turns into a cat.[209][210] Cats eventually displaced weasels as the pest control of choice because they were more pleasant to have around the house and were more enthusiastic hunters of mice. During the Middle Ages, many of Artemis's associations with cats were grafted onto the Virgin Mary. Cats are often shown in icons of Annunciation and of the Holy Family and, according to Italian folklore, on the same night that Mary gave birth to Jesus, a cat in Bethlehem gave birth to a kitten.[211] Domestic cats were spread throughout much of the rest of the world during the Age of Discovery, as ships' cats were carried on sailing ships to control shipboard rodents and as good-luck charms.[50] Several ancient religions believed cats are exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, that are all-knowing but mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans. In Japan, the maneki neko cat is a symbol of good fortune.[212] In Norse mythology, Freyja, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by cats.[213] In Jewish legend, the first cat was living in the house of the first man Adam as a pet that got rid of mice. The cat was once partnering with the first dog before the latter broke an oath they had made which resulted in enmity between the descendants of these two animals. It is also written that neither cats nor foxes are represented in the water, while every other animal has an incarnation species in the water.[214] Although no species are sacred in Islam, cats are revered by Muslims. Some Western writers have stated Muhammad had a favorite cat, Muezza.[215] He is reported to have loved cats so much, "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".[216] The story has no origin in early Muslim writers, and seems to confuse a story of a later Sufi saint, Ahmed ar-Rifa'i, centuries after Muhammad.[217] One of the companions of Muhammad was known as Abu Hurayrah ("father of the kitten"), in reference to his documented affection to cats.[218] The ancient Egyptians mummified dead cats out of respect in the same way that they mummified people[4] Ancient Roman mosaic of a cat killing a partridge from the House of the Faun in Pompeii A 19th-century drawing of a tabby cat Superstitions and rituals Some cultures are superstitious about black cats, ascribing either good or bad luck to them Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. An example would be the belief that encountering a black cat ("crossing one's path") leads to bad luck, or that cats are witches' familiars used to augment a witch's powers and skills. The killing of cats in Medieval Ypres, Belgium, is commemorated in the innocuous present-day Kattenstoet (cat parade).[219] In mid-16th century France, cats would be burnt alive as a form of entertainment. According to Norman Davies, the assembled people "shrieked with laughter as the animals, howling with pain, were singed, roasted, and finally carbonized".[220] James Frazer wrote that "It was the custom to burn a basket, barrel, or sack full of live cats, which was hung from a tall mast in the midst of the bonfire; sometimes a fox was burned. The people collected the embers and ashes of the fire and took them home, believing that they brought good luck. The French kings often witnessed these spectacles and even lit the bonfire with their own hands. In 1648 Louis XIV, crowned with a wreath of roses and carrying a bunch of roses in his hand, kindled the fire, danced at it and partook of the banquet afterwards in the town hall. But this was the last occasion when a monarch presided at the midsummer bonfire in Paris. At Metz midsummer fires were lighted with great pomp on the esplanade, and a dozen cats, enclosed in wicker cages, were burned alive in them, to the amusement of the people. Similarly, at Gap, in the department of the Hautes-Alpes, cats used to be roasted over the midsummer bonfire."[221] According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives, but in Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil and some Spanish-speaking regions, they are said to have seven lives,[222][223] while in Arabic traditions, the number of lives is six.[224] The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.[citation needed] Also lending credence to this myth is the fact that falling cats often land on their feet, using an instinctive righting reflex to twist their bodies around. Nonetheless, cats can still be injured or killed by a high fall.

The average lifespan of pet cats has risen in recent decades. In the early 1980s, it was about seven years,[156]: 33 [157] rising to 9.4 years in 1995[156]: 33  and about 15 years in 2021. Some cats have been reported as surviving into their 30s,[158] with the oldest known cat, Creme Puff, dying at a verified age of 38.[159] Neutering increases life expectancy: one study found castrated male cats live twice as long as intact males, while spayed female cats live 62% longer than intact females.[156]: 35  Having a cat neutered confers health benefits, because castrated males cannot develop testicular cancer, spayed females cannot develop uterine or ovarian cancer, and both have a reduced risk of mammary cancer.[160] Disease Main article: Feline diseases About 250 heritable genetic disorders have been identified in cats, many similar to human inborn errors of metabolism.[161] The high level of similarity among the metabolism of mammals allows many of these feline diseases to be diagnosed using genetic tests that were originally developed for use in humans, as well as the use of cats as animal models in the study of the human diseases.[162][163] Diseases affecting domestic cats include acute infections, parasitic infestations, injuries, and chronic diseases such as kidney disease, thyroid disease, and arthritis. Vaccinations are available for many infectious diseases, as are treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms, ticks, and fleas.

A dog breed is a particular strain of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on earth, with artificial selection producing around 450 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, body shape, and coat colour. Their behavioural traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hypersocial behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.[1] Montage showing the morphological variation of the dog. A dog breed will consistently produce the physical traits, movement and temperament that were developed over decades of selective breeding. For each breed they recognize, kennel clubs and breed registries usually maintain and publish a breed standard which is a written description of the ideal specimen of the breed.[2][3][4] Other uses of the term breed when referring to dogs include pure breeds, cross-breeds, mixed breeds and natural breeds.[5] Prior to the standardisation of dog breeds, there were different types of dogs that were defined by their function. Many different terms were used to describe dogs, such as breed, strain, type, kind, and variety. By the end of the Victorian era, society had changed and so did the role of dogs. Form was given a more prominent role than function.[6] Different types or breeds of dog were being developed by breeders who wanted to define specific characteristics and desirable features in their dogs. Driven by dog shows and the groups that hosted them, the term dog breed took on an entirely new meaning. Dog show competitions included best-in-breed winners, and the purebreds were winning.[6] Breed standards are the reason the breed came to be, and with those standards are key features, including form, function and fitness for purpose. The Kennel Club in the UK was founded in 1873, and was the world's first national kennel club and breed registry.[7] The International Canine Federation was founded in 1911 as a worldwide organisation. Its objective is to bring global uniformity to the breeding, exhibiting and judging of pure-bred dogs. It now has 99 members countries. An 1897 illustration showing a range of European dog breeds First dog breeds Edit For early depictions of dogs in art, see Early history in art. Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 Tesem, an ancient Egyptian sighthound In 2017, a study showed that 9,000 years ago the domestic dog was present at what is now Zhokhov Island, arctic north-eastern Siberia, which was connected to the mainland at that time. The dogs were selectively bred as either sled dogs or as hunting dogs, which implies that a sled dog standard and a hunting dog standard existed at that time. The optimal maximum size for a sled dog is 20–25 kg (44–55 lb) based on thermo-regulation, and the ancient sled dogs were between 16–25 kg (35–55 lb). The same standard has been found in the remains of sled dogs from this region 2,000 years ago and in the modern Siberian Husky breed standard. Other dogs were more massive at 30 kg (66 lb) and appear to be dogs that had been crossed with wolves and used for polar-bear hunting. At death, the heads of the dogs had been carefully separated from their bodies by humans, probably for ceremonial reasons.[8] Between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago greyhound-type dogs were depicted on pottery and paintings in Egypt and Western Asia. Mastiff-type dogs were kept for guarding and hunting, and short-legged dogs were also bred.[9] Most modern dog breeds are the products of the controlled breeding practices of the Victorian era (1830-1900),[10][11] and the accurate documenting of pedigrees with the establishment of the English Kennel Club in 1873 in imitation of other stud book registries for cattle and horses.[