Breed review: American Shorthair

American Shorthair is the perfect cat breed for a gentle companion, a playmate for your children, and a full-fledged member of the family. Breeders note that the American Shorthair breed is known for its longevity, good looks, sweet personality, quiet voices, easily trained, robust health, and adapt well to other animals, and children and even dogs. This cats are medium in size, neither too big nor small, neither overly cuddly nor distant, neither couch potatoes nor hyperactive. No wonder the American Shorthair is one of the most popular cat breeds!

Not only beautiful, healthy, easygoing, and affectionate, American Shorthairs are low-maintenance cats. These cats are very easy to take care of. American Shorthairs often continue to grow until 3 or 4 years old. Males are usually weight around 11 to 15 pounds, while females may weigh 6 to 12 pounds. With a quality diet and plenty of tender loving care, they can live up to 15 years or longer.

The two little kittens that live on top of 7Eleven ♪♪♪ (=^･x･^)人(^･x･^ =) ♪♪♪

Have you ever seen a cat that climb up its owner’s feet to beg for food, run so fast it is a blur to the human eye, or flip and tumble better than any Olympic gymnast? Well, I get to hang out with one every day after class. Two, in fact. Last month, my housemates and I adopted two little kittens that were abandoned by their mother. These two kittens, Blue (also known as Bulan) and Orange are totally sweethearts, but not for long.

At one glance, no one would have thought they were siblings because of their different appearances. Blue is a female kitten that has a pure white coat with some grey patches here and there while Orange is a male kitten that has an orange coat. Blue is more to the playful side, always running around the house as fast as her short legs could go. While Orange is the shy one, hiding around the corners and surveying the places with his beady eyes before he crawls out. The two of them are so different, yet no one can separate them. Where Blue goes, Orange will follow and vice versa. 

4 Human Foods That Cats Can Eat

Searching for a healthy snack for your feline friend? Before you share your food with your cat, you need to know how to choose feline-friendly snacks with nutrients your cat needs. Even though there is not much snacks in your pantry that you can share with your cat, here are 4 expert-recommended, feline-friendly human foods that are save for you to feed your furry friend.

Meat

Cats are meat eaters, plain and simple.  They can eat all kinds of lean meats, including chicken, boneless fish, liver and beef. Meats provide them with protein for a strong heart, good vision, and a healthy reproductive system. According to some folks, it is better to feed your cat with raw or partially uncooked meat. However, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advises cooked beef, chicken, turkey, and lean deli meats are a great way to give them that because raw and uncooked meat can make your feline sick. It is also a good idea to cut up meat into small pieces to prevent your cat from chocking.

Fish

Canned or cooked fish is fine for a treat. But don't share your sushi.  

Canned fish, like tuna, (but not sushi!) is fine to share with your furry friend in small portions. This is because fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help your cat's eyes stay sharp. Though your cat will probably try to beg for a bigger bite, it is important to keep it small. This will prevent your cat from ingesting too much mercury, fatty acids and magnesium, which can cause health problems. So, if you're preparing a nice tuna sandwich, it shouldn't do any harm to sneak your cat a bite.

Eggs

Eggs are great for both human and felines because they are rich in protein and B vitamins. In fact, there are lots of books that recommended eggs as natural cat diets and egg can be found in many cat foods In wild, cats would occasionally raid the nests of birds to eat their eggs. In order to reduce the risk of food borne diseases, be sure to cook any eggs you feed your cat. Vets agree that cooked eggs, such as scrambled or hard-boiled, make an excellent and nutritious treat for a cat.

Veggies

Cat is classified as an obligate carnivore, meaning it needs meat to survive and. So unlike humans, cats don't derive much nutrition from vegetables. But Dr. Colleran assures that carbohydrates aren't inherently bad for cats. While not all cats like vegetables, and even fewer like fruits (felines can't taste "sweet"), vegetables are rich source of vitamins, and they're loaded with fiber and water to help with digestion. Spinach and steamed broccoli can help your pet relieve tummy troubles. Some other recommended vegetables are include baked carrots, steamed asparagus, green beans, winter squash, or chopped greens. However, make sure to wash veggies thoroughly and avoid anything that might be indigestible, like uncooked carrots.

Breed review: Siamese

Siamese cats are they are extremely talkative and wish to voice out their opinion for every single thing. They will tell you exactly what they think, in a loud, raspy voice like a baby cries, and they expect you to pay attention and act on their advice. To some cat lovers, who prefer their felines to be seen and not heard, the Siamese rasp (some would say yowl) can be a bit annoying. But nahh, how could you hate this snuggly creature?

Siamese come in four or more colours, mainly seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac point. The colour is restricted to the face mask, ears, legs, and tail, while the body remains a lighter colour (white or light grey). The concentration of colour is kept to the point areas by a temperature-controlled enzyme that creates greater depth of colour at the parts of the body farthest away from the cardiovascular system. The cooler the environment, the darker the colour becomes. Kittens are born white as they rely on their mother’s heat and they develop the colours as they grow older.

Females Siamese weight between 5 and 6 pounds and males between 6 and 7 pounds. Because of their short, fine coat, Siamese only need weekly combing to remove dead hair and distribute skin oils. However, make sure to pay attention to dental care and brush the teeth to prevent periodontal disease. 

Sounds That Cats Make — and What They Mean

You and your cat might speak different languages, but you can still communicate with each other if you try hard enough to understand your cat. Cat meow for many reasons—to say hello, to ask for things, and to tell us when something’s wrong.

The following vocalizations are fairly common to most cats:

Meow: Meow is an all-purpose word. Kittens are much likely to meow a lot more than adult cats because they are born unable to hear and see. As for kittens, they make this noise to alert their mother that they need attention. Adult cats rarely meow at each other, but they may meow at us for the same reason such as a greeting, (Short meow — “Hey, how ya doin'?")

Purring: is a sign of contentment (usually). Cats purr whenever they're happy, even while they’re eating. They also purr as a way to comfort themselves when they’re sick, anxious or injured, like a child sucking his thumb.

Growling, hissing or spitting: Just like a warning, cats grow, hiss or spit to indicate they’re annoyed, frightened, angry or aggressive. It is the cat’s way of saying “Steer clear. I’m angry and I’m not afraid to draw blood.”

A yowl or howl (Drawn-out meows): This tells you your cat is in some kind of distress or trouble—stuck in a closet, feeling hungry, looking for you or generally in pain. However, these sounds are part of mating behavior for unneutered and unspayed cats. And if your cat is elderly, he may be suffering from a cognitive disorder (dementia) and may howl because he's disoriented. Or maybe they just need your attention. 

Breed Review: Munchkin

If you think Munchkin is a slow and laid-back cat because of their short legs, then you need to immediately drop those preconceptions. This breed is an energetic extrovert, ready and willing to play with kids, other cats, and friendly dogs. They love to wrestle and play with other pets, happily unaware that there's anything different about its short legs.

Munchkins can do anything an ordinary cat can do, except leap to the top of the bookcase. At least not in one leap, but Munchkin will get there eventually if they try harder. And do you know that Munchkins are sometimes called magpies because they love shiny things and will store them away? Better keep an eye on your valuables!

Because of their small to medium size, a Munchkin weighs from 5 to 9 pounds and it comes in short-haired and long-haired varieties, both sporting an all-weather coat. Shorthair Munchkins should be combed once a week to help remove loose dead hair while longhaired Munchkins should be combed twice a week to remove the dead hair and prevent tangles or mats from forming.

Introducing Your New Cat to Resident cat

Wouldn't it be easy if all it took to introduce a new cat to your resident cat were a brief handshake and a couple of "Hello, My Name is....”? I wish it is as easy as that, but alas, dealing with cats is not as simple as that because throwing two cats into one environment without proper consideration of their positions is just asking for trouble. You can’t force your pets to like each other, but we do have a few techniques that will increase the chance for your cats to get along together.

Step 1: Controlling First Impressions

Just like human, first impression is important. If two cats display aggression during their first meeting, it is the best to separate your resident cat from your new cat. The two cats should be able to smell and hear—but not see or touch each other. Feed the cats near the door that separates them so they learn that coming together even though they wouldn’t be able to see each other. This will result in a pleasant experience.

You can also try to get your pets to interact with a toy. Tie a toy to each end of a string and place it so there's a toy on either side of the door. Hopefully, they’ll start batting the toys around and maybe even batting paws.

After two to three days, switch the cats’ locations so they can investigate each other’s smell. You can change their food and water bowl, scratching post and towels so they can get used to each other’s’ scents.

Step 2: Letting the Cats See Each Other

After a week or so you can introduce the cats together if there are no signs of aggression at the door such as hissing and growling. One of the methods is to replace the door with a temporary screen door or two baby gates so that the cats can see each other. The key to a successful new cat introduction is to give the cats a reason to like each other. The best way to do this is with food and treats. Food is a powerful motivator!

Ask a friend or family member to help you with the introduction. Have one cat and one person on each side of the door, and start the introduction by setting each cat down a few feet away from the screen or gates. When the cats notice each other, say their names and toss treats to them, aiming the treats behind them. However, don’t offer too much food during each training session as it might affect the cat’s health.

Step 3: Letting the Cats Spend Time Together

The next stage is to let your new cat and resident cat to spend time together without a barrier between them. Supervise these initial face-to-face interactions carefully and make sure to keep a squirt bottle handy in case the cats begin to fight.

Remember: Do not rush

Cat introductions shouldn’t be rushed because you cannot force them to like each other. Some cats take only a few weeks to get used to each other while some take months. Remember to be patient and to treat both your cats with equal amount of love.