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Kitten development

Having a kitten is a big responsibility. A cat baby, like a human child, needs love, affection and care. The first year of life is especially important: significant changes occur in physical form, behavior, and nutritional needs. To create all the conditions necessary for the healthy growth and development of a kitten, you need to know the main stages of maturation of cats day by day and their characteristics. We will talk about this in our article.

How to transport a kitten on a plane, train or other form of transport?

Cats are homebodies and do not like to travel. But almost every owner sometimes has to transport their pets. Traveling to the vet, visiting friends on vacation, or moving to a new home can all be stressful for an animal. Even a small kitten quickly gets used to the house. Any new environment seems unusual and dangerous to him.

About cats and cats

Alexander Meshcheryakov “Trinity Option - Science” No. 24(318), December 1, 2021

Alexander Meshcheryakov with his four-month-old cat Nyusha. Photo from personal archive

By the way, I love cats for their beauty, independence and uselessness in an apartment household. This love is pure - it does not bring benefits and does not imply reciprocity. Love for a dog is feminine, cozy, a priori shared, doomed to be reciprocated, secretless.

My American friend Linda Docherty, a cheerful and rich descendant of German Jews who escaped from the Nazis, somehow certified me not as a Christian, but as a “pagan.” She readily confirmed this: “I know. You're a cat-worshipper." Linda knew what she was talking about. In old age, her aunt, who was a big cat lover, fell away from the church: when asked directly whether she would be able to see her beloved cats in heaven, the pastor answered negatively. “And why the hell do I need such a paradise?” - Auntie was indignant and stopped going to church. That's it, Orthodox.

***

Once upon a time I had a cat named Ushanya. Everyone liked him. So a drunken mechanic came in and, looking at Ushanya, said with a faint expression: “I wish he could have some valerian now!” Ushanya looked at him condemningly, for he had not drunk a single gram. The mechanic couldn’t cope with the job - he had to call another one, not so friendly and more sober. He said to the cat, “Scatter!” and promptly eliminated the leak.

Wushanya was gray and scholarly. I proved this with an absolutely honest experiment. I left one paper bow for the cat game blank, and wrote “mouse” on the other. He tied both of them to exactly the same ropes and began to move them one by one in front of the cat’s nose. The result of the experiment was amazing: the first bow left Wushan completely indifferent, but he chased the second one with frenzy! And this went on for more than a day or two.

Unfortunately, however, the reading skill of cats, unlike people, is not inherited, and therefore numerous children of Ushan grew up completely illiterate.

***

Once upon a time, two cats happened to be in my house. Mother's name was Shunka. When I adopted her as a kitten, I thought she was a future cat and named her after the famous ancient Chinese Emperor Shun. However, it soon became clear that the cat turned out to be a cat, and then they had to attach a suffix to the name - it turned out to be Shunka. As befits cats, she became pregnant at the dacha and gave birth. I gave the rest of the kittens into good hands, but I decided to keep the black Liska - she was painfully beautiful. But she turned out to have a bad character, she grew up and began to offend her mother: she would arch her back, hiss and hit Shunka in the face. To reduce her aggression, I decided to sterilize Liska.

This was a long time ago; private veterinarians had just appeared who could be called to your home. Let me, I think, take advantage of the fruits of democracy and progress. I call the clinic, a gentle female voice promises that their highly qualified specialists will do everything in the best possible way.

For some reason I thought there would be two veterinarians, but only one arrived. A prominent man with hairy arms. It's okay, I think it'll work out. Call me Gavrila. He asks: “Have you equipped a place for the operation?” The dining table did not satisfy him - it was too low for his height. Under Gavrila’s guidance, I empty the contents from the bookshelf, place the shelf on the table, and drive four nails into the back to tie my Liska. Gavrila sits on a chair nearby, smokes and commands: this carnation is too small, but this one is too big. The thought is stirring: what if now he forces me to do the operation myself? No, Gavrila injected the cat himself. We wait. Liska seemed to have fallen asleep, and Gavrila shaved her stomach. The appearance of an animal without fur is much more defenseless than that of a recidivist with a shaved head. Gavrila touches the bluish skin with a scalpel and twitches. I injected again. With the same result. I added a cube - it doesn’t take it. “Not a cat, but a beast! - speaks. “Maybe then we’ll sterilize the other one?” I refused.

"That's seven thousand." - "For what?" - “What about anesthesia? Besides, by the way, I came here by taxi.” I called the next day. “Not dead? Here's a healthy one! The other one would have died already. From such and such a dose! Maybe we can at least sterilize the second one? With discount?"

He called three more times with his special offer. Then he stopped. But the problem remained: Liska slept through it, but her character did not improve. But then there was a nice girl who liked Liska so much that she terrorized her parents, and I was relieved to give Liska to them. And she felt good in her new home. She lived for herself and was no longer mischievous.

***

Shunka was a flighty lady, every summer she acquired a new gentleman. I also hung out with outright rednecks. Here, for example, Mishka has a tattered face, red skin, and an insolent look. From the neighboring dacha cooperative "Stalkonstruktsiya". He had the appropriate habits - you want to stick a cigarette in your mustache. He disappeared at night at parties, and during the day he came to see me. He will enter the room like a master, where I am typing on the computer keys, sit down, and yawn. He’s about to say: “And here, by the way, I have the right to living space.” But his children turned out to be excellent.

***

The Japanese consider themselves special people. In addition, their cats are also special. I had to live for some time in the Koishikawa district of Tokyo. Due to the time difference, I woke up early there. I made tea and went out onto the balcony to combine business with pleasure, that is, to smoke. He sipped bitter tea, inhaled and exhaled bitter smoke. And now I see from the height of my third floor how five cats emerge from the morning half-dark, one after another. They march not anyhow - not in a herd, but in a slender single file. They walk with concentration and without looking around. They seem to be walking slowly, but clearly on business. I never found out what it was - they disappeared around the bend.

Russian cats walk on their own and are cool when it comes to discipline. In this they are no different from their owners. But the Japanese learned from the Japanese. The difference, you see, is huge.

***

The stray cats in Koishikawa are of completely normal, Russian size. But they don’t keep normal dogs here—only lap mongrels. The mongrels walk on a leash. They mince along the smooth asphalt and look around cautiously. Still would! Here is a cat walking importantly along the roadway. You can immediately see who is the boss in this alley. In other countries, cats run away as fast as they can when they see a dog. But here it’s the other way around: seeing a cat, the mongrel clings to the owner’s feet and asks to be held. But the cat is not interested in this whim of the dog breed; he generally does not regard this pug as a dog, and its owner as a person. He waddles about his business. He has a powerful patron - a fishmonger who stinks of the ocean, who even today will give him a full bowl of scraps. In the depths of his soul, the cat calls the fishmonger “Mr. Susi,” and the fishmonger, in turn, calls the cat in the same way, but loudly.

How to monitor your kitten's health yourself

A kitten's health is very fragile, so it is extremely important to monitor it carefully. To be sure that your pet is not sick, make it a rule to conduct an external examination at least 2 times a month. It is most convenient to combine such examinations with routine hygiene procedures: nail trimming, combing, treatment for ectoparasites (for example, fleas and ticks), etc. How to properly conduct such an inspection and what to pay attention to?

Are perfumes and aromatic oils dangerous for cats?

Every pet owner tries to create the most comfortable conditions and pleasant climate for the comfort of their pets. However, many do not even know that seemingly the most ordinary and routine things can somehow harm your pet. For example, many people know that cats have a much more acute sense of smell than humans. But even despite this, many people with cats in the house still use things like air fresheners, scented oils and aromatherapy. Let's figure out how smells and aromas affect cats and their health?

There has always been an opinion among pet owners that pets such as cats are capable of healing humans. In particular, the most credence is placed on the idea that pet fluffies can treat mental sadness, depression and apathy. In people, such mental states arise quite often, which in most cases is explained by lifestyle, work and many other everyday issues. Often, many of us have noticed how our mood and general condition immediately change after a pet sits next to us.

When looking at the available assortment of ready-made food in the store, any cat owner can become confused. Making a choice is not as easy as it might first seem. It is important that cat food is nutritious and healthy. You should not rely on advertising and slogans of manufacturers, because their main goal is to sell their product. There are several important criteria that must be taken into account when choosing ready-made cat food.

People who want to have a pet at home or in an apartment very often face a rather difficult choice, which is based on the choice of a specific type of animal, as well as its breed.

After a long winter, we are all looking forward to warm weather. It’s so nice when leaves appear on the trees, flowers bloom and the grass turns green. Everything would seem wonderful, but with the onset of warmth, all kinds of parasites wake up.

Cats are considered one of the most affectionate animals, but there are special breeds that are full of pride and independence. Therefore, when choosing a cat for yourself, you need to carefully study the characteristics of the breeds in order to find the most affectionate animal with whom you will always feel cozy and comfortable. Many people who are planning to get a pet are wondering how to choose a breed that would be as affectionate as possible?

A cat and a dog are considered antagonistic animals, however, with the right approach, they can coexist quite peacefully in the same territory. This raises the question: how to make friends between a cat and a dog so that neither party is disadvantaged or feels discomfort. Things will go faster, and the risk of trouble will be significantly reduced if both pets meet the requirements listed below.

British Shorthair cats are distinguished by good immunity, good health and endurance. But, unfortunately, not a single cat is immune from disease, even if it lives in a house and has no contact with the outside world. After all, the owner can bring a disease with him from the street, and the animal will pick it up by simply rubbing against his legs. Therefore, every owner of this breed should know its characteristics and the main diseases to which it is susceptible.

Among the variety of dry cat foods, low-grain and grain-free foods are considered the “elite” class and are much more expensive than regular ones. What are the differences between this product category? And how are they useful for mustachios?

Orijen food for cats sufficiently reflects the natural diet of obligate carnivores, physiologically very close to their younger brothers - domestic cats. All items in the series are distinguished by a high meat content (85%) and a slight presence of vegetables, berries, fruits and meat, most of which is added raw for maximum preservation of vitamins. Cereals are not included in the recipe.

Evidence of feline vitality is reminiscent of legends. These miraculous animals survive earthquakes and disasters, do not burn in fire, are able to squeeze into any gap, and, even falling from great heights, always land on their paws.

No matter how you look, my cat keeps sleeping and sleeping. When you get up for work in the morning, he’s sleeping in a ball at your feet on the bed. While you are getting dressed, putting yourself in order and having breakfast, he seems to be spinning under your feet. But as soon as you feed him, he immediately goes back to bed. When you leave for work, you look, he has already washed his face and is “sleeping” again. From work - sleeping on the bed again. And then suddenly you wonder if my pet is sick?

In each regional or district center there are special government organizations designed to regulate the population of various stray animals. They catch cats and dogs and then place them in special shelters. But recently, individuals have appeared who are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs and, believing that the authorities are clearly not working on this issue, they themselves decided to bring justice to homeless animals. They call themselves “cathunters” (cat hunters). They create their own websites and pages on social networks, where they share their “successes” in clearing cities of “dangerous” animals. Let's talk about them.

Cats and cats are the favorite pets of each of us. To create comfortable living conditions for them, it is necessary to organize a separate corner where the animals can rest without disturbing you from sleeping on the bed. We will review the most popular selling models that cats like.

So, you have decided to get a cat at home. You wanted your usual way of life to change towards a little chaos. So that fur mice and bows on strings will take up residence in the house, and the degree of love in the atmosphere will immediately jump by several dozen notches.

The appearance of a pet in the house is not only a joyful event. It is worth making sure that the animal grows up in comfortable conditions and receives proper care and nutrition. In the last question, you can go in two ways - feed him natural products or specialized diets. The modern range of food is so large that it can be almost impossible to decide.

You need to buy food for your pet with special care, since the activity and health of your pet depends on the composition and quality of the product. Owners of non-sterilized cats can choose any premium food without fear for the health of the animal. After all, if you give preference to food with a balanced and natural composition, then there will be no harm. The problem of choosing a diet becomes more complicated if you need to find food for cats that have undergone surgery. Standard food is not suitable for sterilized animals and can only worsen their well-being.

Nature has provided the cat with everything necessary - hunting skills, excellent eyesight and hearing, retractable claws, unique flexibility and grace, functional and beautiful fur. Cats are fairly clean pets, but they are not able to maintain a well-groomed and healthy coat on their own, especially long-haired felines.

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