Showing posts with label PET ALLERGIES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PET ALLERGIES. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

WHAT KIND OF CAT DO YOU HAVE? TAKE THE TEST

Answer the following fun questions and then add up the numbers to work out your cat's purrsonality type. Pure-breds often have distinctive purrsonalities while mixed breeds have a mixture of traits.

1. When it wants attention, does your cat misbehave or do destructive things?
Always 5 points
Often 4 points
Sometimes 3 points
Hardly ever 2 points
Never 1 point


2. How often does your cat come running if it hears or smells food being prepared (cat food or people food)?
Always 5 points
Often 4 points
Sometimes 3 points
Hardly ever 2 points
Never 1 point


3. Is your cat a fussy eater which only likes gourmet food or is it a dustbin-guts which eats anything on offer (and anything else it can find)?
Not fussy at all 1 point
Sometimes fussy 3 points
Always fussy 5 points


4. Does your cat drag its food from its bowl and play with it or is it a tidy eater?
Very tidy eater 1 point
Usually tidy eater 3 points
Sloppy eater, food goes everywhere 5 points


5. When your cat sees birds or other prey through the window, how often does it get frustrated at not being able to reach them through the glass?
Always 5 points
Often 4 points
Sometimes 3 points
Hardly ever 2 points
Not bothered 1 point


6. Outdoor cats: Is your cat a patient and proficient hunter?Indoor cats: How well does your cat 'hunt' its cat-tease toys?
Very proficient, always catches what it stalks/plays with 5 points
Fairly good, often catches what it stalks/plays with 3 points
What are mice? You mean you want me to chase that toy? 1 point


7. How much does your cat use its tail to communicate its feelings?(For tail-less cats score 2 points and go to next question)
Has an entire tail-language 5 points
Wags tail when happy 3 points
Holds tail up when greeted 2 points
Lashes tail when angry 1 point


8. Is your cat talkative with a wide vocabulary or is it the silent type?
Always talking, complete sentences even, good conversational skills 5 points
Meows and chirrups 3 points
Sometimes meows 1 point


9. Is your cat agile or does it fall off the windowsill/shelf (etc) or into the bath/pond when playing or exploring?
Frequently falls off things or trips over its own feet 5 points
Sometimes falls off things if it is in a hurry 4 points
Very agile and never falls off things/never get on things in the first place 1 point

Now add up your cat's scores and see what purrsonality type your cat is. Remember, this is a fun quiz!
Score
Purrsonality Type
Description
Over 37 points =Frantic Feline
Life is never dull when you have a Frantic Feline. They are intelligent, talkative, hyperactive and easily distracted. They need plenty of stimulation from their owners or other hyperactive cats - but your house might not survive their antics! Typical Frantic Felines are Siamese/Orientals and Devon Rexes.
30 - 36 points=Clever Cat
Clever Cats are lively in body and mind. They need plenty to occupy their minds and they like to think through a problem before taking action. They are often good hunters and retrievers and enjoy playing with their owners. Typical Clever Cats are American Bobtails, Bengals and Burmese/Asians.
24 - 29 points=Magnificent Mog
Active but not highly strung, Magnificent Mogs are well-balanced and easy-going. They display a mixture of purrsonality traits from other categories and make good family cats. Typical Magnificent Mogs are British/America Shorthairs, rugged Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats and most random-bred kitties.
17 - 23 points=Cordial Kitty
Cordial Kitties are cats with New Age philosophies. They are gentle, harmonious souls who waft elegantly around the house. They are easily offended. They would much rather sniff the flowers than wreck floral arrangements. Probably a Buddhist monk in a previous life. Typical Cordial Kitties are Birmans, Balinese and Angoras.
Less than 16 points=Placid Pussycat
True couch potatoes of the cat family, Placid Pussies enjoy snoozing in sunbeams and snuggling up to heaters. They prefer gentle petting to active play and are happy to watch life go by. Elderly cats often fall into this category after retiring from another purrsonality type. Other Placid Pussycats are Persians/Himalayans and their relatives, Exotic Shorthairs.

This is a fun test, it is not intended as a reliable indicator of breed personalities. Not all cats of a specific breed will fall into the suggested category!

Monday, October 22, 2007

CALIFORNIA PROPOSED CAT SPAY / NEUTER LAW

AB1634 - California’s Proposed Cat Neutering Law
They’re rioting in Texas! The McAllen, Texas Monitor is adding fuel to the flames by reprinting an article from the Orange County, CA Register - they want nationwide protests. The government is getting into our private business again. What is the big deal? The furor is caused by a proposed California law, AB1634 that requires neutering of animals that come into contact with animal control officers. The owner will be fined (unless they neuter their pet, then). Oh whoa-is-me.
The proponents cite the hundreds of thousands of euthanized animals each year and the cost to catch and house them until they are put down. The detractors say, "It is not the government’s business". The proponents say that an un-neutered female cat can have 100’s of kittens in her lifetime. Actually the number varies depending on your source from 100 to 70,000 (including the offspring of the first cat’s kittens and grandkittens). The opponents say, "It is not the government’s business". No one even mentions the number of kittens that can be fathered by an un-neutered male cat. READ MORE;http://qualitycatresources.com/ab1634-californias-proposed-cat-neutering-law-2007-08-09

Friday, October 19, 2007

YOUR CATS HEARING

Hearing
The cat's outer ear (pinna) is connected by 27 muscles and can rotate 180 degrees to scan the environment or to direct its attention to a particular source of sound. Cats can detect higher frequencies than dogs (e.g., a mouse's ultrasonic squeak). They can discriminate with 75% accuracy between two sound sources separated by an angle of only 5 degrees. The direction of the source of sound can also be calculated by the cat sensing differences in the time of arrival and intensity of sound received by the two ears. Rodents don't have more than a sliver of hope of escape when this little tiger is on the prowl! READ MORE CAT FACTS:http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/senses_and_features/hearing.html

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

ALLERGIC TO CATS ? IT'S THE SALIVA NOT THE HAIR !

Cat allergy is by far the commonest allergy to pet animals and up to 40% of asthmatics are sensitive to cats. The cat allergen is much more likely to cause sensitisation than that of the dog.
The Cat Allergen
A tiny protein particle, the "Fel d 1" allergen is found mainly in the cat skin flakes and saliva. The protein is produced in the cat salivary glands and sebaceous glands of the skin. Cats are fastidious groomers, so they deposit the Fel d 1 protein on their fur by licking themselves.
An allergen is a material, which is capable of provoking an allergic reaction, such as pollen grain, dust mite or animal dander. Cat allergen — the allergy causing material from cats - is not cat hair but a protein present in the dander and saliva of cats. The allergens become airborne as microscopic particles, which when inhaled into the nose or lungs, can produce allergic symptoms.
Although individual cats may produce more or less allergen, there is no relationship between the pet’s hair length and allergen production, and no such thing as a non-allergic breed.
Male cats are more allergic than female cats, because testerone increases Fel d 1 production by the sebaceous glands.
Where is Cat Allergen found?
Cat allergen is present in largest amounts in homes with cats, but has also been found in homes where cats have never been present and in offices or public spaces where animals are not allowed. Cat allergen is particularly sticky and is carried on clothing from places with cats to other locations. It is almost impossible to not be exposed to some level of cat allergen. Of course, levels of exposure will be much higher where cats are present, and these levels are more likely to cause allergic symptoms.
Because cat allergen particles are particularly small (1/10 the size of dust mite allergen), they remain airborne for prolonged periods of time. Cat allergic individuals are more likely to have a rapid onset of symptoms when entering a room with cats, because there is always allergen, which is airborne and can be easily inhaled. Opening windows, using exhaust fans and using high efficiency air cleaners, can decrease the amount of airborne allergen.
Soft furnishings, such as carpets, sofas and mattresses, will hold cat allergen even after a cat has been removed from the home or banished from the bedroom. It has been shown that it can take as long as 20 weeks for levels of allergen in carpets to decrease to levels found in a home without a cat, and up to 5 years for cat allergen levels in mattresses to decrease to such levels. Removal or treatment of the carpet or sofa, and encasing of the mattress, will reduce the continued exposure to these reservoirs of allergen.
Cat allergen is also found on vertical surfaces such as walls. Attempts to decrease cat allergen exposure in a home should include wall cleaning. If the cat is removed to a restricted area of the home, it is important to realise that airflow through the duct system in a hot air heated home could spread the allergen. Efficient vent and furnace filters could help trap the allergens and reduce the spread. READ MORE:
http://www.allergyclinic.co.nz/guides/7.html