Posted by Jeanne on March 11, 2009
The life expectancy of a cat is about 15 years. Indoor cats usually live between 12 and 18 years. Many indoor cats live to be in their early 20s. The oldest reported cat was 28 years old when he died. Outdoor cats usually live between 4 and 5 years of age. They die earlier because of dog attacks, viruses, and getting hit by cars.
The popular notion is that one cat year is the equivalent of seven man years, but like so many human pronouncements about cats it is (1) interesting and (2) inaccurate. According to this scale, the cat would be capable of bearing young at the equivalent of 3 years and of resisting time’s ravages to the age of 154, neither of which have been accomplished by any human lately, if ever.
The usual allotment of 12 years seems to be enough time for the cat to do all she might care, or reasonably expect, to do, and is quite long enough for her to become a fixture in human lives and for sadness to be felt at her departure.
The cat begins life as an appealingly helpless little critter, blind, deaf and toothless. Its four-inch body wears a first thin coat of fur, marked and colored in the pattern which will distinguish it as an adult. Its sleeping kitten face is oddly like a tiger’s, principally because the prominent ears are, at this stage, very small, rounded rather than pointed, and set far back on the head.
For the first few days of its life the kitten rests, bunched up, in the dim light of the nesting place, or crawls feebly among its fellows, conscious of nothing except its mother’s warmth and the touch of the milk it eagerly and persistently sucks.
The kitten is soon able to smell and taste, and then hear. The eyes remain tightly closed, however; sight is still a week or so away. The kitten eats and sleeps — a completely self-centered existence, warm, soft and nourishing.
The opening eyes are blank and blue, and will be highly sensitive to strong light for some days to come. As a rule, the eyes open in anywhere from eight days to two weeks, and are adaptable to extremes of light and dark at a month or five weeks. But the timing in these developments is subtle and very much up to the individual. Once it can see, the kitten naturally seems perkier, although it actually is still very limited in its capacity to support itself and move around.
At a month the teeth begin to grow — a baby set which will be shed and replaced, as in humans.
And at five weeks the kitten enters the stage at which its charm is quite irresistible. It stands, staunch and rubber-legged, peering at the gigantic world with round, blue, button eyes. The inexperienced senses seek to translate the incredible events of each new day. The ears are up, the whiskers a-twitch, the ratty little tail held high.
The innocent face is humorous, the more so for its intense unawareness of the fact. The erect, exclamatory eyebrows and, often, the random accents of color create an expression of perpetual surprise. Altogether the kitten looks like a ferocious pansy.
Posted by Jeanne on March 4, 2009
It’s almost impossible to say how much or how often a cat should be fed. This must be worked out with the individual cat. Try only to avoid the extremes of over- and underfeeding.
This is not so easy as it sounds. Cats are interested in food and eating — yours as well as theirs. No matter how well they may have dined, or how recently, they will sit staring wistfully whenever people eat. The temptation to share with them is strong, but resist it. It is no favor to your cat to let her get fat and flabby from overeating.
At the same time, don’t think that because she has caught a mouse she’s through eating for the day. There is food value in all the creatures a cat catches, but in these civilized times it is difficult for her to snare enough of them to keep herself adequately fed. Remember, too, that hunting is hard work. No cat can do it well on an empty stomach.
Feed your cat at regular times each day, and keep her cat bowl
in the same place. Serve her food at room temperature, and always keep fresh water available to her.
Cats have been known to like, and thrive on, so many unusual items that few foods can be ruled out absolutely. It seems to be agreed, though, that salted or spiced meats are not good; that pork in all its varieties is probably the least satisfactory meat; that a small amount of vegetables goes a long way; that any bone which splinters is deadly and must be avoided; and that candy and cake are less than ideal.
What’s good? Practically anything else the cat will eat.
Lean, raw meat is most attractive. Beef, lamb, veal, poultry are all dandy, if you can afford them. Horsemeat, frozen or canned, is just as healthy — and cheaper. Pork is possible, but should be cooked. Fish is fine, but it, too, should be cooked — and boned.
Perhaps more than anything else cats relish innards — liver, kidneys, heart, lung, gizzard. Unless you are a giblet fancier yourself, these items are a fairly inexpensive way to give your cat a de luxe diet without cutting into your own menu. Beef heart and lung, in particular, are pieces for which most butchers are willing to charge little or nothing. Also chicken heads — if you can stand them. Serve all of these things raw.
Prepared cat foods are nutritious and tasty, although you may have to discover which flavors your cat prefers. The main thing is to avoid monotony. Alternate prepared meat, fish and cereal dishes with horse-meat and innards, or whatever serves as a special treat at your house.
Your cat does not need a different dish at every meal, but she will appreciate variety and, in fact, will probably require it to guarantee that her diet is properly balanced.
She will need a raw egg two or three times a week to brighten up her fur. And an occasional spoonful of green vegetable — spinach, parsley, lettuce — will help keep her vitamin intake up. Again, serve raw, and without seasoning. Ideally, the vegetables should be mixed with a food the cat is very fond of. Normally she won’t eat vegetables straight.
For their medicinal quality rather than their food value, it is wise to include a little garlic and a little mineral or vegetable oil in a cat’s bill of fare. Garlic is insurance against worms in the intestinal tract, and the oil helps prevent the formation of hair bails in the stomach. The garlic — about half a clove — can be mashed and mixed with the cat’s dinner once every couple of weeks. The oil may be mixed or given straight. The oil in a sardine can meets the need very well.
Despite tradition, milk is not necessarily a favorite food of adult cats. They may drink it occasionally or disdain it completely. Either way, don’t fuss about it. Grown-up cats will get the same values elsewhere.
You may discover, usually by accident, that your cat has a taste for something unheard of — perhaps grapes or peanut butter or Münster cheese. If so, indulge her every once in a while. It won’t hurt her.