Education

When our puppy arrives home it is necessary to make him find everything he needs: the toilet, bowls for food and water, preferably a fountain that stimulates the cat to drink more, a place to sleep comfortably, a nice scratching post ...

The cat is a territorial animal that loves to live in its territory, with its smells, its markings, its play-hunting areas, food, toilet for needs, places to sleep.

The cat does not tolerate closed doors, should be able to access the whole house, generally sleeps or dozes up high to control the situation and allows other animals and / or humans to live in its territory. The cat marks the territory with scratches (which must be directed towards destructible things such as the scratching post), rubbing of the muzzle and urine in the male (which is why sterilization is carried out in both sexes).

 

The kitten acquires the main knowledge in the first 3 months of life with its mother and siblings. From the mother she learns self-control in the game (learn not to bite, to use her nails well, learn to use the toilet ...), she learns to socialize with other members of the family (including the human one) for this reason a kitten must not be adopted. before 3 months.

 

We remind you that the game is synonymous with hunting so it is important to have a stimulating home with various games (mice, cardboard boxes, canes with colored feathers, laces hanging from chairs ...), the cat must play a lot and we must stimulate this attitude. otherwise we will have a bored and grumpy companion. The kitten sleeps a lot until it reaches about 16 hours a day when it is an adult, however it will always sleep with the senses attentive and alert to what is happening around him, often interspersing sleep with wakefulness.

 

Food

 

... Have you wondered what the cat eats in nature?
The cat, unlike the dog, is a strict carnivore, which means that it necessarily needs meat. In nature it feeds on meat and vegetables, it assimilates everything from the prey: internal organs, meat from which it draws everything it needs as well as a percentage of water.
Our friends at home, if fed with industrial food, on the other hand, receive food that has very little natural.
If we analyze the content of some crunchies we realize that the meat is present in the form of flour which is deprived of that biological property present in raw meat, following the cooking to which it is subjected; in addition to this, a large amount of cereals is added which serves as a filler for the production (cereals are certainly not part of a cat's diet!)

In all these years our friend has had to adapt to this diet with many problems such as allergies and intolerances.
The carbohydrates that come from cereals are badly metabolized by raising insulin and overloading the internal organs with all possible consequences, predisposition to obesity, pancreatitis, imbalances of the intestinal flora etc.
To overcome these nutritional deficiencies, minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids are added and moreover to be palatable it will take a flavoring that is responsible for a sort of olfactory drug to which the cat becomes addicted.

But are we sure that that product has acceptable nutritional value? Not to mention the possible bacterial and fungal contaminations that can undergo during storage ...

For this reason the diet of our Ragdolls is natural and Barf, which consists in the use of red meat and / or white meat and fish, both cooked but just blanched or raw with the addition of supplements if only muscle meat is used. and without the addition of vegetables, calcium and taurine essential for a balanced diet.

You can also prepare a complete meal without adding the supplement and in this case we invite you to view some pages where they specifically deal with natural or Barf-type nutrition where you will find many recipes on the subject: (link: BARF )

For more information, we advise you to deepen the page of dr. Alessandro Prota click here

Language

 

The cat speaks with facial expressions, with body movements and with various sounds, from an early age.

 

- Ears:

- Erect: neutral attitude;

- Straight turned to the side: angry or frightened cat;

- Lowered: aggressive cat;

- Open on the forehead and half-closed eyes: happy cat.

 

- Body:

- Rub your head on your legs: marking, its properties;

- He makes the "dough" : intense pleasure… like when he sucked the milk from his mother;

- He rolls on the ground as soon as you get home: submission, but with people with whom he is completely comfortable;

- He moves his tail with nervousness: irritation ... if you are stroking him it is better to stop because he is not enjoying your attention;

 

- Sounds:

- Purr: submission and contentment;

- Blow: intimidation of the opponent;

- Meow: sound with various meanings, only by carefully observing your kitten will you be able to associate them with very specific requests;

Finally, having a cat is as satisfying as a dog, it is enough to have the ability to understand its needs and ways of life .... the cat has always deserved the place among the best pets! :)

 

"God created the cat to give man the opportunity to caress the panther" (ancient proverb Danakil)

 

Reproductive activity

The female reaches sexual maturity around 6-9 months, depending on the breed, her cycle depends on the photoperiod, ie there must be sufficient hours of light to be able to go into heat (at least 10-12 hours of light); generally the periods in which the heat occurs are included between January - March and

May - August.

 

How do I know when the cat is in heat?

The cat becomes very boring, meows, stops eating, rubs itself on the owner and if we scratch it on the back it arches its back and raises its tail. The heat lasts about 6 - 10 days and ovulation occurs only if it mates otherwise it enters a phase called "interestro" which lasts 1-3 weeks, after which it returns to heat ... Pregnancy lasts about 60-62 days with a variability 57 to 67 days.

 

How to check reproductive activity?  

Neutering becomes mandatory for pet cats (within 7-8 months), as each sexual cycle increases the probability of developing mammary neoplasms, generally very aggressive in females and the use of the "pill" is not recommended because it could cause problems breasts and / or uterus.

The male cat, on the other hand, is generally neutered (orchiectomy) because if he lives in the house he tends to mark the territory with a very smelly liquid, or if he lives free he tends to be more quarrelsome for matters of territory and cats ... so more to risk of contracting viral and non-viral diseases.

 

Why sterilize your cat?

The cat is now a DOMESTIC animal and its ecosystem in nature no longer exists, the conditions for which it can feed independently no longer exist. Neutering is the only way to stem overpopulation in the case of stray cats and it is an act of civilization. In females, it reduces the stress and discomfort they are subjected to during the heat period, eliminates the risk of uterine cancer and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. It makes males less quarrelsome, prevents them from testicular cancer, prevents them from being injured in fights with other cats. For both, it avoids dangerous escapes from home, which are often without return, and the contagion of even fatal diseases. The sterilized cat, both male and female, lives in complete serenity: no other component of its character is altered!

Chemical contraception IS NOT A VALID ALTERNATIVE TO STERILIZATION.

It is in fact directly responsible for the breast cancer of the cat as well as for the infection of the uterus (pyometra) which often appear many months or years later even after a single administration.

Even if your cat lives in an apartment and is unable to mate, there is a specific organic reason that recommends sterilizing the female even if the heat is mild and does not bother you.

Cats have induced ovulation: that is, if they do not mate, the ovarian follicles that are formed with each heat do not burst freeing the ovum, but slowly regress until they disappear. Or at least they should ... in fact in the long run it happens that some of them become persistent turning into ovarian cysts: these cysts however continue to produce hormones, and can cause both uninterrupted heat (if they produce estrogen) and the absence of heat (if they produce progesterone).

In both cases the hormonal stimulation on the uterus and breasts is incorrect, and breast and uterus tumors are just around the corner !!!

Male cats that can go outside, and therefore do not spray indoors, are often left whole by their owners.

Too bad that, in addition to filling the whole neighborhood with kittens, there are also bite wounds that form abscesses, wounds and fractures due to falls or investments, incurable diseases such as leukemia and feline immunodeficiency that are transmitted with mating and with bloody fights.

These cats have an average life span ranging from 2 to 5 years, against the 15-18 that we wish instead to an indoor cat; sooner or later they are found dead or simply disappear.

The male cat that stays in the house must be neutered for the simple reason that the smell of the urine of the whole male is very pungent and indelible, and the sexual need to mark the territory makes living together in an apartment very problematic; castration resolves odor and behavior.

If you fear that once you have sterilized your cat will gain too much weight, all you have to do is decrease the daily food dose without listening to the complaints of your beloved who will surely not approve of being on a diet !!!