In USA, a cat is sold from cattery at cost any where upto US $ 20000. In USA alone people spend more than four billion dollars every year for cat food. People of USA spend more money for buying cat food than buying their baby food. Cats need balanced diet consisting of proteins, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates. People also spend large amount of money for buying cat beds , cat furniture, cat clothes, litter box, cat bathing soap, cat carriers, cat toys, catnip, apparel, collars leash harness, cat identification tags, cat sleeping baskets, cat toys, cat flap, scratching posts, articles of cat grooming, cat bathing articles, skin remedies, cat combs, cat brushes, cat shampoo, cat tooth paste, cat medications, vitamins and cat vaccinations. Many types of cat litter boxes and cat food are now available in the market. For information about cat articles available in India visit the website www.indiapets.com/cats/index.htm. There are many grooming centers for cats in USA and other countries. Grooming of a cat includes combing, brushing, bathing and nail trimming. The articles of cat grooming includes combs, brushes, rakes, pet shampoo and nail trimmer. Cats can become ill, if they are not provided with clean food and clean water. Cats are very susceptible to various diseases. Cats need protection from germs. The cats are extremely sensitive to slight variations in the taste of water. Some cats can refuse to drink tap water due to presence of Chlorine or other minerals in the tap water. In this case, bottled water should be provided to these cats. House cats do not dislike water but react adversely to being chilled or doused with cold water. Cats with white fur are very prone to sunburn. Frequent sunburn can cause skin cancer in cats. Cats are susceptible to a variety of viral and bacterial diseases. The most common cat diseases are Feline Distemper, Coryza, Feline Leukemia, Toxoplasmosis, Disorders of eye and ear, respiratory diseases like Feline viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus and Chlamydia, Feline infectious Enteritis, cat flu, Feline infectious Peritonitis, Feline Dysautonomia, Leptospirosis, common cold, Dirrhoea, Furballs, Cat Allergies, Cat Scratch Disease, Pneumonia, Rabies, Scabies, Cancer, Diabetes, Abscesses, Acne, Arthritis, Anal prolapse, Asthma, Allergy, Constipation, Diarrhoea, Eczema, Fits, Feline Infectious Anaemia, Kidney Infections, Kidney Stones, Heartworms, formation of furballs, Internal Parasites like tapeworms, lungworms and roundworms, External Parasites like ringworm, ticks, fleas and mites. Fleas and Ticks causes Allergies, skin irritation and Anaemia. Cats can get infested by internal parasites like tapeworms and roundworms through contaminated food and water. Cats can also get infested by tapeworms from eating mice and flea. These worms can cause frequent vomiting in cats. Cats often vomit soon after eating, which is most often caused by the accumulation of fur balls in the stomach, although a food allergy, Feline Leukemia, or other organic cause may be involved. When a cat is sick then there is a drastic change in its habits, behaviour, appetite, a different way of walking, resting in different positions, excessive restlessness, disinterest in things that it normally likes, spontaneous fasting, vomiting, eating grass or plants and licking and wetting its wounds with saliva. When a stray cat is sick or wounded, it attempts to cure itself. The sick or wounded cat will go to a quiet spot and use its saliva as a good ointment for all ills. But for infectious illness, neither saliva nor individual resilience will help. When a cat is ill, the cat unhappily accepts medicines, but often prefers to search for itself in the garden, field or forest for the correct herbs that it instinctively knows to be necessary to cure itself. Often acting as its own veterinarian, the cat proves to be right. Cats are subject to gum diseases and to dental carries. The skin of cat, composed of dermis and epidermis, regenerates and fights off infection quickly. Cats should have their teeth cleaned by veterinarian or cat dentist. The ears of cat should be properly cleaned by a cat doctor or veterinarian. Cats require combing for the removal of mats and tangles. The nails of cat should also be trimmed by cat doctor or veterinarian. Bone cancer also occur in cats. Older cats mainly die due to cancer. Deficiency of Taurine can cause blindness and heart disease in cats. Cats cannot be feed on milk because milk can cause Dirrhoea in cats. Cats must be feed on cheese, egg yolk, milk products like cheese and ice cream, boneless fish, prawn, Lobster, sea food, chicken, meat, liver, brain, cod liver oil, chicken soup, mutton soup and vegetables. The cat tongue's taste buds prefer salty and sour tastes, more than sweetness and bitterness. Cats and kittens can quickly recognize flavors. A one day old kitten can distinguish a salty liquid from a bland one. Lack of nutrition can damage the development of brain of a cat. Many common household plants and many outdoor plants are poisonous to cats. The common plants which are poisonous to cats are Castor Bean, Lily-of-the-valley, Christmas tree, Oleander, Pine tree, Azalea, Primrose, Hydrangea, Mistletoe, Cherry and Rhododendron. Flowers such as Hyacinth, Honeysuckle, Amaryllis, Iris and Daffodils are also poisonous to cats. Cats love plants and they like to eat plants. Eating plants can cause vomiting, liver failure, seizures and even death in cats. In case of cats, plants are the second most common toxins. Grooming of a cat minimizes the formation of Hairballs. Cats are not able to properly digest the milk. Cats need fat in their diet because their bodies are not able to synthesize fat. Cats need five times more protein in their diet as compared to dogs and hence a pet cat should not be feed on Dog food. Aspirin is poisonous to cats. Chocolates are also poisonous to cats. People who are allergic to cats are actually allergic to cat saliva or to cat dander. Many books on cat care are available at http://www.amazon.com/. Cats have three blood group types A, B and AB just like human beings. There are many specialized cat hospitals in USA and other countries.
About the Author
I am owner and webmaster of website http://www.catswelfare.org.I am working in SPCA Mumbai for the past seven years.I am also a cat dentist.