Are you also fascinated by the beauty, intelligence, and strength of character of these cheerful, playful companions? Wonderful! Then we have some tips for you.
People often joke about whether someone is more of a dog person or a cat person. There are actually a few ways cats and dogs differ as pets: Most cats decide for themselves, often on the fly, when they want to be close, while dogs are more people-oriented. Cats are also often way more independent than dogs and don't do as well as dogs when they're stuck in one spot.
With a cat, you don't have to take it for regular walks. However, your feline friend may well decide to turn night into day – and wake up everyone who would rather be sleeping.
Getting a cat means taking on responsibility. Before you bring a furry friend into your home, you should check whether you can offer the cat good living conditions.
Before you get a cat, make sure that you or any family members who live in your home or spend a lot of time there are not allergic to cats. Nothing is worse than having to give a cat away shortly after getting it.
Then take a look at your living situation. Start with your living conditions: Is there enough space for the animal? If you live in a rented apartment, make sure your landlord has no objection to a furry friend.
What about outdoor access for the kitten? Is the neighborhood safe and quiet? If you live near busy roads, the area is not suitable for an outdoor cat. In that case, you can check whether you can create other opportunities for the cat to get some fresh air. Perhaps you can make a balcony cat-proof with special nets?
For outdoor cats, a cat flap must be installed in a door or a suitable window, which also needs to be prepared in advance.
Ask yourself how much time you want to spend with your pet. If your cat would be home alone a lot, it might be a good idea to get two cats so they don't get bored.
Also think in advance about whether someone can look after your cat when you are on vacation. Is there anyone else who can take care of the animal in an emergency?
What else to expect: vet visits, grooming, feeding, time to cuddle... All this and more for 15 to 20 years, because cats can live to a ripe old age. Last but not least: cats shed hair. You will probably find this hair on all your furniture. Is this a burden for you or are you more relaxed about it?
You've thought everything through and still long for a velvet-pawed roommate? Then go for it—and enjoy the adventure!
If you decide to welcome a furry friend into your home, there is a list of things you should purchase or prepare in advance. Here is a suggestion for basic equipment:
A cat needs time and love – and keeping a cat also costs money. To start with, you will need some initial equipment, the price of which varies depending on the products you choose: a cat bed, scratching post and similar items can easily cost between $200 and $250. Installing a cat flap also costs a few hundred dollars.
The cost of high-quality cat food is around $40 per month. Even though this is relatively expensive, please don't skimp on food. After all, it is the foundation for keeping your cat fit and healthy for as long as possible.
For indoor cats that need to use the litter box, you will need to buy cat litter regularly. This costs around ten dollars a month.
Plan between $80 and $200 per year for regular vet visits, vaccinations, and preventive care. This does not include the cost of treating any serious illnesses. In this regard, you can take out health insurance for your cat to cover high veterinary costs in case of an emergency. Depending on the scope of the insurance, you can expect to pay between $100 and $200 per year. There is also liability insurance for cats, which costs around $80 per year.
When choosing the right purring roommate, it's not just a question of breed or domestic cat, but above all of age. Should it be a cat that has already been socialized and has a history? Or should it be a young creature that still has a lot to learn?
Both have their pros and cons: An older cat will certainly be house-trained and know certain rituals that a human has established with it. It will have its own habits and probably be able to spend time alone. A young cat is better off not alone. If you work outside the home every day and want a young cat, it probably makes more sense to get two kittens who can keep each other company.
When you adopt an older cat from a shelter, it is often unclear what the cat may have experienced in its life. However, it may be that this cat is particularly grateful to finally have a loving home.
Phlebitis is an inflammatory change in the vein wall. In horses, the jugular veins, which are located on either side of the neck in the jugular groove, are often affected. These veins transport blood from the head to the heart. Due to their location and easy accessibility, they are most commonly used for injections, infusions, or the insertion of intravenous catheters.
In order to truly understand this disease, which has been known for 2000 years, it is first important to understand the structure of the hoof roll. Riders often say, "My horse is lame, it has hoof roll." Strictly speaking, however, every horse has a hoof roll; this term refers only to the anatomical structure consisting of the navicular bone, bursa, and deep flexor tendon. The navicular bone is a small, elongated bone shaped like a shuttle, which lies transversely at the back of the hoof joint under the deep flexor tendon. Between the tendon and the navicular bone is the navicular bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that prevents pressure and friction between the tendon and the bone. Only the term navicular disease or podotrochlose describes the actual condition, which can affect all three components.
Mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a chronic degenerative disease of the heart valves. It is the most common heart disease in dogs and mainly affects older dogs of smaller breeds. An exception is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which often develops the disease at the age of 1.5 to two years.
As in many other sports, doping plays an important role in equestrian sports when it comes to competitions and performance comparisons. Unlike in athletics, however, it is not the human being who tries to enhance their own performance by taking certain substances, but the animal whose performance is to be enhanced by administering these substances. Since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the issue of doping in equestrian sports has also come into the public spotlight due to numerous proven cases of doping, which has resulted in considerable damage to the image of equestrian sports.
Rabbit plague, or myxomatosis in medical terms, is a dangerous viral infection of domestic and wild rabbits that is widespread throughout Central Europe. The disease is highly contagious and can take on epidemic proportions in unprotected populations. An effective vaccine is available as a preventive measure. Hares, on the other hand, are virtually immune to the pathogen.
The horse's mouth is a sensitive area. Healthy teeth are important not only for eating, but also for riding with a bridle and bit. Many instances of head shaking or restlessness under the saddle can originate in the horse's mouth.
Since the liver has a very high regenerative capacity and functional reserve capacity, most liver diseases in horses initially progress without visible signs of disease and are only diagnosed at an advanced stage.
Kissing spines is a condition that causes the vertebrae to grow into each other. It is a change in the horse's spine. This results in a significant narrowing of the spaces between the vertebrae in the thoracic and lumbar spine, often in the saddle area. The diagnosis requires riders and owners to be vigilant and provide the right training.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is also known as aseptic (= without the involvement of pathogens) femoral head necrosis (= death of the femoral head) and describes a non-inflammatory growth disorder in young dogs. It mainly affects miniature dog breeds and small dogs between the ages of three and ten months.
Kidney disease is relatively rare in horses, but its symptoms are often nonspecific and therefore not always immediately recognized, meaning that treatment is often delayed. In many cases, kidney disease is a concomitant or secondary condition of other diseases.
This disease, often mistakenly referred to as feline leukemia, is caused by the feline leukemia virus. However, since the virus causes many other serious symptoms in addition to malignant tumors of the lymphatic tissue, the name is somewhat misleading
They are cute, lively and can provide lots of fun. But first, a word of warning: ferrets are not for people with sensitive noses. There are not many ways to mitigate the strong smell of these cute and sometimes cheeky pets.
