The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care FEED A VARIED DIET Once you have evaluated the commercial foods available as to their suitability as basic parts of your cat’s diet, the next step is to actually formulate a diet for your cat. Complete foods that have undergone feeding trials should be adequate alone, but because … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care CHOOSING A CAT FOOD Commercial rations for cats are sold as dry foods, semimoist (soft- moist) foods, and canned foods. Each type of product can provide complete nutrition for your pet if it is formulated correctly. DRY FOOD In general it is most economical to use dry food … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care NUTRITION For many years little was known about the domestic cat’s nutritional requirements. Now, however, nutritional research has revealed that cats have distinctive nutrient needs that probably arose in concert with their development as true carnivores. Despite research efforts, minimum requirements for all the necessary food substances have … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care GROOMING Whether you will need to follow a particular grooming schedule with your cat will depend greatly upon the length and density of his or her coat, whether he or she spends the majority of time indoors or outdoors, and whether he or she self-grooms well. In general, … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care TRAINING The training necessary to make a cat easy to live with is minimal when compared with what the average dog requires in order to become a pleasant companion. Training for many cats includes only housebreaking (housetraining) and teaching them to come in response to their names, but … Read more
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE CALENDAR Daily: Feed a balanced diet. Groom cat as demanded by coat type and cat’s habits. Observe cat’s general external appearance, attitude, activity, and appetite. Any change may indicate a need for complete physical examination. Clean litter pan, observe cat’s stool, and, if possible, also observe the urine. For outdoor cats, look for … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS Integrating the functions of the various parts of the body is the main function of the nervous system and of the endocrine system. You cannot normally see or feel any of the components of these systems when you examine your cat. Nonetheless, if one … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care LYMPHATIC AND IMMUNE SYSTEMS The lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes and a network of thin- walled, permeable lymph channels and collecting ducts distributed throughout the body and associated with localized lymph nodes. The lymph nodes filter the tissue fluids (which constantly bathe all body cells), removing foreign … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care HEART AND BLOOD (CIRCULATORY SYSTEM) Your cat’s circulatory system is similar to your own. It consists of a four-chambered heart that serves as a blood pump, arteries that carry blood away from the heart to the capillaries where molecular exchange occurs, and veins that return blood to the … Read more
The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Cat Care RESPIRATORY SYSTEM The cat’s respiratory system consists of two lungs, the air passages leading to them (nasal cavity, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi), the diaphragm, and the muscles of the thorax. The system’s main function, as in humans, is to supply oxygen to the body and to remove … Read more