Cats For Dummies. Gina Spadafori

show their lovely cats but not breed them.

After cats are altered, is one gender then a better pet than the other? The answer depends on whom you ask. Some people believe males are a little more outgoing; others suggest that females are smarter. Still others think that color or markings matter more and that, for example, variations of the genetic dice roll that produce orange cats — tabbies, calicos and tortoiseshells — also create a cat who seems a little more crazy than others. Others think these cats are super affectionate and playful. As we said, it depends on whom you ask.

      Perhaps the biggest reason some people prefer one gender over another we can sum up by using the word always — they have always had males (or females), have always been happy with their choices, and see no reason to change.

      

If you’re thinking about adopting a pedigreed kitten, you may not have a choice about the gender: Males may be all that the breeder is offering for sale, especially if the breed is rare or in development. That’s because the females are held back to remain part of the breeding stock or shared only with those the breeder believes are willing to show and breed the kitten as she recommends.

      

Both male and female cats make good pets, and we can’t really steer you in one way or another. If you have a personal preference, go with it. If not, make all your other decisions and then go with the kitten that best fits your criteria, male or female.

Let the Fur Fly

      We need to get one thing straight up front: Almost all cats shed. The “almost” is there to apply to those cats who haven’t any fur — such as those of the Sphynx breed, who still manages to carry a little down that rubs off on your clothes.

      

Cats can have three kinds of hair in their coats — down, awn, and guard. The down is the shortest, finest, and softest hair. The awn is the coarsest, and the guard (sometimes called the primary hairs) is the longest. Not all cats have all three varieties. The Sphynx, as just noted, has only down hairs, and few of these. The Cornish Rex has only awn and down. The awn hairs are usually shorter than the guard hairs (and longer than the down), but when awn and guard hairs are the same length, as in the Russian Blue, the cat is called double coated.

      Some cats, such as the kinky-furred Rexes, shed very little. Some longhaired cats shed a lot — or seem to, because the hair they drop is longer. Even the ordinary garden-variety domestic shorthair is going to lose enough fur to drive the overly fastidious person nuts. If you really can’t stand the thought of cat fur on your sofa, your sweater, or even in your food from time to time, give this cat thing some serious thought.

In considering a cat’s coat, think about three things:

       Aesthetics: Some people like the sleek look and feel of a shorthaired cat; others adore the flowing softness of the longhairs. The shorthairs have about them the air of a tiger: You can see their muscles move as they walk, see the coiled promise of power while they sleep. In longhairs, the power is even more subtle, hidden by lush thickets of lovely, long fur. Do you prefer to rub your hand down a sleek pelt or bury your fingers in a longhaired one? This preference is the first of your decisions.

       Fur levels: Here is where the trade-offs start to come in. Although nearly all cats shed, the difference in shedding levels between short- and longhaired cats can be dramatic, especially in cats that are prized for the volume of coat, such as with Persians, Maine Coons, or Ragdolls. Are you prepared to live with a lint roller in your bathroom, your glove box, and your desk drawer at work? Would you be appalled to have a friend pick one of those glorious 4-inch pieces of fur off the back of your sweater? If you’re on the low end of fur tolerance, you’d better stick with shorthaired cats.

       Time and money: Longhaired cats require extra care. They mat easily and need to be combed out every other day or so and brushed thoroughly on a weekly basis. Hairballs, or clumps of fur caught in the cat’s digestive system, can be a constant problem with longhaired cats, requiring medical attention. If your cat’s mats get out of control, you need to have her professionally groomed — most likely shaved — and that costs money. (Yes, you can do that at home, but you need to learn the skill, buy clippers, and, most importantly, have a tolerant cat.)

      Longhaired cats are more challenging to live with in other ways, too. Their urine and feces can get caught in their coats (which is why many owners generally prefer to keep those areas of their cats clipped short), and litter may catch on the tufts of fur in their paws and get tracked all over the house.

      Your cat’s coat also has a bearing on whether you can consider letting him be an indoor-outdoor cat. The sparse coats of some of the Sphynxes and the Rexes offer no protection against sun or cold; on the other end of the scale, although the hearty coats of the Maine Coons, Siberians and Norwegian Forest Cats stand up to the elements, the silkier coats of the Persians may need to be protected from the elements.

Although coat length, type, and color are truly a matter of personal preference in terms of picking out a cat, you do need to watch out for one thing that’s related to coat color: White cats with blue eyes have a high probability for deafness. Some of these cats have eyes of different colors and are deaf only on the side with the blue eye. (You can check for deafness by snapping your fingers or clapping your hands behind a cat or kitten’s head.) Though a deaf cat can still be a good pet — indoors only, for her own protection — you’ll still want to know what you’re getting into before you adopt.

Should You Consider a Pedigreed Cat?

      You should consider everything! Although pedigreed cats make up a very small percentage of the overall cat population — less than 5 percent, according to some sources — some people would never consider having anything but a pedigreed cat of their particular favorite breed.

      

One fan of pedigreed cats is the late Lilian Jackson Braun, whose best-selling The Cat Who … mysteries charmed cat lovers for years. Braun’s breed of choice was the Siamese, and so, too, is her detective’s. In fact, if not for that very first Siamese cat, a gift from her husband, there would probably be no such mystery series at all.

      Although the development of dog breeds has been going on for as long as dogs have been around, the interest in purebred cats is a relatively recent phenomenon, starting in the 19th century. Probably the most compelling reason for the difference is that people needed dog breeds to perform various tasks — herding, hunting, and guarding — whereas the cat walked in perfectly suited to the needs of humankind: Then, as now, no more efficient hunter of rodents could be found. Why mess with perfection?

      Some people have always appreciated cats as much for their beauty and companionship as for their hunting skills, and some of these folks have worked to preserve and develop cat breeds and to nurture the development of new — and ofttimes controversial — varieties.

      What are the benefits of owning a pedigreed cat? Predictability is probably the main one: If you buy a pedigreed kitten from a reputable breeder, you know in large part what you’re getting. Size, body type, coat color, and levels of activity and vocality are imprinted on each kitten at the time of conception. Although each cat is still an individual, you can rest assured that your individual Siamese is going to have more in common with other Siamese in terms of looks and personalities than it does with any Persian ever born. The Siamese is active and talkative; the Persian is calm and quiet. If your tastes in a feline companion run to either of these extremes, choosing an appropriate pedigreed cat is the most likely way to have your wish.

Pedigreed cats also