Cats: Expert Guides and Resources

Online, cat content reigns supreme — but their internet popularity doesn’t seem to translate into real-world adoptions. According to the Human Society of the United States, just 35 percent of households own cats (versus 54 percent for dogs). So if you’ve been thinking of adding a furry friend to the family, why not consider the kitty?

While we wish we lived in a world with kitty cops, sadly, this blog is only an April Fool's Day dream from your friendly Dummies.com team.Ever wonder if your cat has the right stuff to make it as a member of the force? Police work requires a certain temperament from its kitty cops that may not be present in all cats.

Who can resist a kitten — a fuzzy bundle of mad antics and big, winsome eyes? If you’re contemplating getting a kitten, you need to know what traits to look for, what supplies to have on hand, and what to watch out for — both in your home and in your kitten’s behavior — so that your feline friend stays happy and healthy.

Caring for a cat takes more than just the love you have for your feline friend. You have to make the effort to learn about and prepare for health-related issues that you may encounter. You also need to get in the habit of practicing preventive care, and you must be ready (and have the means) to take your cat to your veterinarian when emergency care is required.

We hate to tell you this, but you can’t always have your cat (or cats!) with you. We two-legged beings generally have to go to work, to school, run errands and other activities for which our feline companions are typically not well-suited or allowed.So, what is a cat lover suffering from feline withdrawal to do?

Some signs of a healthy cat or kitten are obvious to anyone; others require a veterinarian’s help to pinpoint. Before you settle on a promising kitten or cat, perform your own health check, and be sure to follow up with your veterinarian within a day or so.Don’t fall in love with a sick cat. With so many kittens and cats available for adoption, it just doesn’t make sense to take a chance on one who may cost you a great deal of money in veterinary costs—and may not be with you long, anyway.

Veterinarians see every imaginable problem a cat can get into. Although every animal lost is a tragedy, some of those are a little harder to take than others. Into this class falls those cats whose deaths were the results of something an owner could have done to protect them but didn’t know about.We want you to know about them, so we’ve assembled in this list of the most common household dangers your cat may face.

Pedigreed cats are roughly divided by experts into two groups that are distinguished by body type and activity level: Oriental and non-Oriental.The breeds in the first group, the Oriental, are notable for their long, sleek bodies and active participation in the world around them. They’re not happy unless they’re supervising dinner, climbing to the top of the bookshelf, teasing that dopey dog, or seeing what every member of the household is up to.