We love our pets don’t we? Choosing the right family pet is a serious project. The pet you choose will be part of the family for years to come and will likely always be remembered. For children, a pet is an important part of their life. They learn a lot from pet ownership, including responsibility, caring for others, relationship skills, and more.

Whatever pet you choose, keep in mind the impact a pet has on every member of your family. If you are planning to add a cat to your family, you should consider a Maine Coon Cat (often incorrectly spelt Mancoon cat). They are one of the oldest breeds of cats in the United States and make a great addition to any family.

Next to the Siamese cat, the Maine Coon Cat is the most popular breed of cat there is. These cats were the only cat breed native to the United States, but now there are Maine Coon Cat in every corner of the world. Harsh winters in the Northeastern part of the US caused this cat to evolve as a breed that can withstand the cold.

There is a myth about the origins of the Maine Coon Cat. It’s bushy tail has led people to believe that it was originally the result of a cat mated with a raccoon. The Maine Coon Cat’s coloring also adds to the myth. That’s how it got the name Maine Coon first, then Maine Coon Cat afterwards.

Amateur historians have their own myth about the Maine Coon Cat. They say the cat originated from pets that Marie Antoinette sent to the US. That story says a Captain Clough rescued her long-haired cats and was preparing to rescue her from the guillotine as well, but was only able to save the cats.

Real historians have their own theory. They say Maine Coon Cats are likely a cross breed between short-haired cats here and long-haired cats from overseas that were brought here by the Vikings or New England seamen.

Whatever the origin of the Maine Coon Cat, it is one of the most loved breeds in the US and beyond. Why else would there be so many legends behind this breed? People love their Maine Coon Cats and help add to their mystique through speculating on their origins.

The breed almost disappeared in the early 1900’s after being very popular in the 1800’s. In the first part of the 20th century Persian, Angora, and Siamese Cats, along with other exotic imported cats became all the rage and the Maine Coon Cat was only popular among a few breeders.

You will recognize a Maine Coon Cat when you see one, but especially if you get the chance to pet one. Their coat of hair is water-resistant and thick and has a feel like no other cat’s coat. The Maine Coon Cat is built for survival in harsh climates. It’s hair is longer on the undersides while shorter on the top of the neck and back to keep them from getting tangled in bushes.

Maine Coon Cats tend to be long, broad and muscular with larger bones than other cats. Their large round paws enable them to walk on snow similar to a human with snowshoes. The Maine Coon Cat’s tail is as long as his or her body and bushy. To keep warm they wrap their tail completely around themselves like a fur coat.

These huge cats are very loyal to the family that adopts them and they have a personality that belies their great size. They are good-natured and fun-loving pets that are good around children. The voice of the Maine Coon Cat is something you will have to get used to. It’s a high-pitched squeak that doesn’t seem to fit such a large cat.

I hope this article has helped you to learn more about Maine Coon Cats and that it will encourage you to adopt one as part of your family.

Many people feel that feral cats cannot be kept indoors as pets. This is not true. In fact, feral cats are happy being kept as indoor only pets if you don’t attempt to treat them exactly like tame cats.

What are Feral Cats?

Feral cats are cats that haven’t been properly socialized. What this means behaviorally is that feral cats are not tame toward humans. Very often, feral cats result from the offspring of cats that were once owned and then abandoned. As a result, the kittens are not properly socialized to humans and become feral.

There is a critical period during kitten development in which kittens must be exposed to human caretakers, otherwise they will be feral or at least semi-feral. This critical developmental period is generally from birth to 8 weeks old. If the first human exposure occurs past the age of 8 weeks this usually results in a feral or semi-feral cat. Sometimes older feral kittens can be tamed toward one or two human caretakers.

What to do if You Find a Feral Cat or Kitten

Many well meaning cat lovers will find feral kittens and take them to their local animal shelter. Unfortunately, feral kittens aren’t very adoptable and most of the time animal shelters will destroy the feral kittens to make room for tame kittens that are more likely to be adopted.

Fortunately, there are some shelters that will spay or neuter the kittens and then return the kittens to their natural environment. This at least gives the feral cat a chance to live without the ability of producing more feral cats. This program is called Trap-Neuter-Return, and it is being implemented in many areas to control the outdoor cat population without having to kill the cats. It generally works like this: The kittens are caught in a humane trap, such as Havahart live animal traps. The animal is unharmed. Then the cat is taken to the vet or the shelter that participates in Trap-Neuter-Return and the animal is spayed or neutered and is usually given some vaccines. When the cat has recovered from the spay or neuter surgery the cat is returned outdoors in the same location where it was found. Trap-Neuter-Return is a much more humane way of dealing with feral cats and kittens than euthanasia.

Feral Kittens Can Also Make Very Rewarding Pets

Some people who find feral kittens take them into their homes as pets. This can be a very rewarding experience as you gain the trust of these special cats. It is also the best option for the well-being of the feral cat or kitten. Taking them into your home as a pet is even better than Trap-Neuter-Return programs. Taking them in as pets generally works best if you catch them when they are relatively young. The younger the better, although some people have taken older feral cats into their homes as pets and they have been fine.

It is also best to take in two feral kittens or cats from the same litter if possible. If this isn’t possible it is best to have at least one other cat in the household because feral kittens and cats really enjoy the company of other cats.

Feral cats need to be kept as indoor only cats. Cats sometimes behave differently once they get outside. Because feral kittens and cats don’t trust humans very much they may be fearful of approaching your house once they are outside and they may get lost. In general, they are very fearful of any humans other than the human caretakers that they have grown to trust.

I have four feral cats that have lived with me for about 2 years now and they have been very happy indoors. Three were caught when they were 10 weeks old and the fourth cat was caught when she was 12 weeks old.

For the first few weeks after I brought them in the house, all of the kittens used to hiss when I walked by them. Eventually they came to trust me and stopped hissing when they saw me. In fact, now they greet me at the door after work. When I wake up in the morning they come up on the bed to greet me the very first thing. They love playing with toys and with each other. They are still semi-feral, but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing how happy they are and knowing that they are indoors where it is warm and safe.

However, they aren’t exactly like other cats. For the most part you can’t pick them up. One of the kittens lets me pick her up and kiss her on top of her little head, but the other kittens don’t allow it (Actually, they are no longer kittens, but they still seem like babies to me). However, they do like to play toys with me, and except for one of them, they do like to be petted and to have their fur brushed.

Feral cats and kittens would not make good pets for children. Basically feral cats that live indoors with humans like to do their own thing most of the time. They don’t want to be held and will usually only let you pet them on a limited basis. Because of this they are likely to scratch a child that attempts to have more contact with them than the cat wants. The key to making a feral cat happy is to only have as much contact with the cat as it wants.

Also, you need to give the shy ones extra space when they are using the litter or eating. Sometimes it is best to keep their litter and food bowls in low human traffic areas so that they can feel safe while eating or using the litter box.

Vet trips can be difficult because they don’t always allow you to pick them up to put them into the pet carrier. However, there are ways to do it. Sometimes you can throw their favorite toy into the carrier and they will run in to get it and then all you have to do is shut the cat carrier door.

Feral cats are well worth the extra work and they are the best pets ever! Also, because they only want limited contact with humans you generally don’t have to worry about them walking on your keyboard while you are typing or laying across you newspaper or book while you are reading.

In my opinion there is nothing more rewarding then gaining the trust of these cats, especially if you don’t mind taking their special needs into consideration. The reward comes in knowing that you are providing a loving, warm, happy home with plenty of food, water, toys, and veterinary care for these special cats.

For more information about feral cats and cat and kitten information please visit About Cats Online.com

Cats are born with claws, the same way that humans are born with fingernails and toe nails. Cats need claws in order to mark or scratch a specific place or territory that they have been in. Humans need finger nails to, scratch themselves or others, or for opening a letter envelope. Cats basically stretch their agile bodies in order to prepare their muscles when they dig their claws deeply into wood perhaps or a tree, and then they pull back from their hold. Scratching is a basic physiological need of cats. 

So do cats need to be declawed? If cat owners truly care for the welfare of their cats, they would have to think twice on declawing their cats. 

Declawing, what is it?

Declawing is done by taking away all the front claws of a cat. In a way this procedure is equal to the amputation of all the finger tips of a human being. For cats this surgery is painful and, for someone who is walking on all fours, terribly unnecessary.

Though the recovery of declawed cats may only take a few weeks or so, its physical and/or psychological effects could last a cat’s lifetime.

The following are the possible results once a cat has been declawed. 

Ouch, ouch and ouch

Immediately after surgery, declawed cats suffer severe pain, though it is quite impossible to gauge how much pain they are experiencing.  Declawed cats could be considered as amputees. Cats usually try to go on with their cat lives even with pain unless the pain eventually becomes unbearable. Although they may look and act normal does not mean they are free from aches.

Complications after the surgery

After the surgery, declawed cats usually experience one of the following post-surgery effects: presence of abscess, feelings of lameness, claw re-growth.  Based on studies performed on declawed cats, it has been found that twenty five percent of them develop various complications. The same result has been found on cats who went under tenectomy. This is also a form of surgery that is currently being offered as an alternative to declawing. It is called this because only the tendons extended on the toes are the ones amputated.

Stiffness of the joints

Cats that are declawed experience stiffness of the joints since the tendons that manipulate the toes retract because of the surgery. As time goes by, these same joints freeze and ultimately they will no longer be able to extend their toes.

It has been thought though that cats really do not miss their claws since they also “scratch” continually even if they no longer have anything to scratch with. However, this act is really the cats’ way to stretch those frozen joints.

Catarthritis

Believe it or not, research shows that declawed cats immediately shift the weight of their bodies to the back and onto the larger pad in the front of their feet, away from their toes. The result is still evident despite giving these cats strong anti-pain relievers. If such an effect continues after declawing, the cat will ultimately stress its own joints in the leg, its spine and eventually suffer from arthritis. 

Cats who cannot claw, bite

Since the natural instinct of cats is to claw especially when threatened or scared, in the absence of claws cats are forced to resort to another form of defense – their teeth. Declawed cats that are aggressive naturally are more prone to biting.

Declawed cats have no “nine lives”.

There is a serious risk of death for cats that are declawed. Death could be brought on by the anesthesia they received, or any complications in surgery or hemorrhage. 

Declawed cats that resort to biting run the risk of being abandoned by their owners. These cats could then be put in a shelter, and since they turn to biting, the probability of being adopted becomes slim. Usually un-adoptable cats are put to sleep or they are used to train dogs to fight usually as bait. 

In summary, cats are extremely and highly trainable to be taught to use a post for scratching instead of common household furniture, rugs or curtains. Though declawing  cats is one of the options a cat owner can take, it is basically an unkind and a very animal-unfriendly thing to do. It all depends on the cat owner whether Kitty is more (or less than) valuable than that expensive Italian rug. The choice is theirs.

It is estimated that three quarters of the population of the United States has pets. Of the three quarters, more than half have cats as pets.

Cats have dated back to early Egypt; hieroglyphics depict cats lounging next to the pharaoh’s throne. Their stature among the pharaoh’s is shown even as guards to the pharaoh’s tombs. Skeletons of cats have also been found in the tombs themselves, buried with their owners.

Unlike other domestic animals, cats are not sloppy or messy; they are very clean animals that have a lot of love to offer the family that adopts them. Cats, even though very independent creatures, can enrich our lives in so many different ways. They comfort us when we are sick and love to play all day and sometimes all night.

Studies have shown that having a cat can be very therapeutic; results have shown that by simply petting a cat that is curled up in your lap can lead to lower blood pressure.

There are many different places to adopt a pet, however, pet stores have by far, the best selection. In the past few decades, pet stores have become popular in almost every city and town in the United States.

When you first walk into a pet store to choose a cat for your family, you will notice that each cat or kitten has its own distinct personality. Their cute little faces and playful personalities will make the choice difficult for you.

Each will come to the front of the cage and look at you curiously. They will want to play with you and perform all of the tricks that they can so you will choose them. They roll over, play and jump up on the cage to get the attention of the person passing by.

There are a lot of different breeds of cats, it is important that you choose your pet carefully. If you have an active household, you do not want to choose a cat that is nervous or skittish around a lot of activity. This can lead to a cat becoming aggressive and start to scratch or even bite.

You also do not want to choose a cat that is very active if you have a quiet household. Many people choose a cat as a pet so they can have company if they live alone.

If you choose a cat that jumps around all day, knocking things over or tearing at your furniture, you may not have a good experience. It is important that you make your choice based on the type of personalities that are in your home.

When you decide to adopt a cat, it is important that realize that is a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. There are many things that you must do to ensure the health and safety of your cat.

No matter how independent your cat is, your pet will depend on you to take care of him or her for the rest of his or her life.

For more helpful articles about pets and pet care at http://yourhealthypetsonline.com round the clock. We love cats!

My wife and I were in our back yard, when we noticed a Gray striped cat laying on the far end of our yard, just watching us. Beautiful cat, but a stray. Would not let us get near her. I still believe this cat was domestic cat at one time, but was put out to run wild. The cat would appear on a daily basis. And being the soft hearted people we are, started feeding her.

Around the end of May, she appeared with two of the cutest kittens, one gray striped like her and the other a mix of brown, black and gray. Momma Cat, as we named her, stayed with her kittens around an oak tree in our backyard until mid June.

One morning I looked out and saw the kittens in the patio chairs. I looked and looked again at the gray kitten. My heart again sank at what I saw. The kittens left eye was completely swelled shut. I thought, “oh no dear God, not again”. Decision time. Do I let the kitten remain as he is or do I catch him and take him to the vet. I decided, he will suffer horribly if not treated. So I decided to catch him and take him to the vet.

Deep down I knew what the final outcome would be. But I hoped the vet had some magical cure for the kitten. I chased him around the backyard for quite a while. I finally caught him with a towel and placed him and the towel in our cat carrier. In the process, he bite me in the finger.

Away to the vet we go. I had my finger wrapped to keep it from bleeding. The wondeful lady vet looked at the kitten and by her expression I knew it was not good. She told me the eye would have to be removed. She said she would do an exam on the kitten. I said go ahead, but I had to go to the emergency room to get a Tetanus shot.

After I got a shot and my finger treated, I returned to the vet for her opinion. Not good. She said the kitten might be alright, but the quality of life would be not good. My decision. As much as I disliked what I had to do, I consented to have him put down. I had a difficult time making that decision.

To consent to have an animal put to sleep really bothers me. So the vet took the kitten and I went home, feeling like I had failed to help this kitten. Momma Cat and the remaining kitten remained in the backyard until late August. By now the kitten was growing into a beautiful cat.

I named this kitten Zipper, as it was always racing from here to anywhere at a fast speed. I noticed Momma was getting rather heavy around the middle. Then one day she appeared and was the thin Momma cat again. We thought she must have had kittens, but not in our yard. Around the first of September I looked out by the same oak tree and behold, kittens!

At first glance I counted 3. After a second and third, the count went to five. Five of the most adorable, pretty kittens I have seen. One was black with white feet. Three had shorter hair, like Momma and gray stripes like her. The fifth had similiar markings but had long hair growing out of its ears. Long whiskers and eyebrows. And long silky fur all over. The tail was bushy. I think the father was a Maine Coon cat.

I said to myself, I wanted to keep this one for a housecat. We noticed Momma was spending less and less time with the five kittens. She would leave for long periods of time and let Zipper baby sit the kittens. Then one day in late September, she disappeared. We have not seen her again. It is as though she decided the five kittens would be taken care of with us, and she just left. Maybe she could not handle motherhood anymore.

The kittens were living under the covered grill on the patio. When they slept, they all cuddled up together in a circle. It was so beautiful to behold. We decided the kittens had to be taken care of. Our daughter and I caught all five one morning and she took them to an animal shelter, thinking she could drop them off and they would handle adopting them out.

Not so! The kittens had to be 2 pounds and had to be socialized. Kittens born outside are not socialized. Our daughter took them home and put them into her office. She and her friend spent the next month calming the kittens down to a point where she could pick them up and pet them.

They loved it. Purred and cuddled up in her arms and climbed around her neck. She then took them back to the shelter for adoption. A lady from our town did take the Black one and one Gray one. Back to three. The remaining three were named Gigi, Gabby and Gisele. Gisele being the one with long hair. Then they got very sick. Gisele being the worst.

Our daughter and her friend nursed them back to full health. Gave them medication and loads of Love. Thankgiving was the return of the three remaining kittens, Gigi, Gabby and Gisele. We had all three for about two weeks. With three very active kittens, the house was in constant disarray.

We called our daughter and asked if her friend was still interested in two of the kittens. Much to her and our delight, her friend wanted the two kittens. She picked them up and delivered them to her friend. She told us the kittens now sleep on her friends bed with he and his wife.

We adopted our beautiful baby, Gisele. Our hearts went immediately to this precious cat. For me, it was the most cherished gift for Christmas I have received in a long time. She has helped fill the void in my heart when I had to put Bachy, our Morris type cat, to sleep.

And the Zipper cat and I became very close. She stayed close to the house and was still outside. Everyday I would pet Zipper and she gave me little kisses on my fingers and nose. She also has a part of my heart. I was able to catch her and took her to the vet to be sure her health was alright.

By spending day after day, talking to her and her allowing me to pet her and show her I truly loved her, she become a very devoted house cat. We renamed her Lissete, as she is a beautiful, delicate cat, much like her mother.

We had both cats spayed and all the required shots. They have no desire to go outside again. With time and patience we were able to socialize 6 feral kittens and place them in homes where the pet lovers care for and love them.

Through the gift of the two cats, I am dealing with the deep sense of loss I had of Bach, our housecat of 14 years. I have such a feeling of responsiblity of caring for this animals and want nothing harm them. It is difficult to explain to anyone.

I pray I am doing what is best for these cats.

I take it a day at a time. – Alan Grundemeier