Male or Female?

If you are going to breed from your caryou wili have a clear idea of whether youwant to raise kiftens or set up a stud. Ifnot and your cat is to be a per, then itshould be neutered and the question ofthe sex of the kitten becomes much lessimportant. Males may grow a little largerand be slightly more aggressive, but inthe neutered cat there will be very littledifference - no more than the differencethat occurs befween individual cars.

in a male kitten, the tip of the penis is hidden in an opening 1 cm below the anus, with the scrotal sacs in between (above)


in a female kitten, the vulva is vertical slit almost joined to the anus like a letter"i" (above)

Where to find a pet?

Unless you know a friend or neighbourwith a cat who needs a home, the firstplace to look for a cat is your nearest animal refuge. A number of animal charitiestake in stray or unwanted animals and others confiscated from cruel owners, and are always in need of ndw homes forthem. There will be kinens and marurecats and, especially if you prefer a moreplacid pet, you might consider giving afinal home to one of those elderly catswho are sometimes more difficult toplace. While refuge cats are mainly animals of unknown pedigree you may findcats of many different breeds and mixture to choose from. Vith a refuge cat, aswell as finding yourself a pet, you have the added pleasure of knowing that youhave probably saved a life, for many unwanted animals still have to bi putdown. The refuge may want to check you out to ensure that you can provide aproper home and will usually charge a small fee as a contribution rowardstheir costs. If you have set your heart on a pedigree cat of a particular breed then youshould seek out a breeder to obtain one. Breeders will usually only have kirtensfor sale but they keep in touch withenthusiasts for the breed and may knowof someone with a mature cat that needsrehoming. The best place to see lots ofpedigree cats and kirtens is at a largeChampionship Cat Show. Most majorcities have at least one such show each remember that ionghairs will requiremuch more grooming and will aiso causemore probiems for anyone allergic to catfur. Orientals tend to shed less heavilywhile Rex and Sphinx breeds produceeven less fur in the air. Rigorous grooming will minimize random shedding.What is certain with a pedigree cat isthat you know what it will look likewhen mature. Some pedigree cats can beexpensive to obtain, especially if they arerare and in demand. If you do not wanrto breed, you may find kittens which arenot quite of show quality available aspets. These are not so expensive to buy,or you could choose a crossbred kittenfrom an accidental mating or one notsuited to a breeding programme couldbecome available. In such cases thebreeder may insist that the cat is neuteredso that you cannot breed from it.

Choosing a Cat

The first Questions to ask in choosing a cat are ones to ask yourself. Why do you want a cat? Are you really prepared for the demands in time,effort and money which caring for it willmake on you? Cats live for upwards of 14, even 20 years and you will be responsible for it all that time. You must provide food and regular grooming, change toilet trays, meet veterinary bills,be available for play and company and find others to do all these things if youhave to be away from home. If you take alot of holidays or your work involvesfrequent trips away from home whathappens to your cat? If you are preparedto take all this on the pleasure a cat willgive you will make it all worthwhile.Think then whether you might rake onnot just one cat but two, if there are notalready other pets for company. Cats willbe much happier with a companion,especially if you are going to have roleave them alone for many hours. Twocats brought up together usually becomeinseparable friends. Never think of givinga cat or kinen as a present unless you areabsolutely certain, not only that this iswhat the recipient wanrs, but that theyare prepared and can afford to provideall that the cat requires throughoutits life. Such considerations may seemobvious but animal welfare organiza-rions still have ro cope with thousands ofabandoned animals which rheir ownersfelt unable to care for.