Cats have better hearing and night vision than dogs. They sleep for short periods and are easier to wake than dogs; a suspicious noise wakes them.

Research reveals that cats were domesticated in the Valley of the Nile approximately 5,000 years ago. We have all read how the Egyptians worshiped their cats, even elevating them to the status of gods. In Japan, the Japanese Bobtail cats were common in the medieval era about 1,000 years ago; unfortunately these exotic felines now exist more in memory than real life.

Before cats became domesticated, people were grateful for the cats’ hunting skills in controlling rodents and fed their food scraps to the local cats to keep them around. Eventually, these cats stopped considering every human a threat and “moved in” to enjoy the warmth, food and company of a family.

Today, cats are often a person’s first pet. In fact, cats are considered the most popular pet with millions of people of all ages enjoying the great companionship of their feline friends. People now keep cats for companionship and show and not as much for hunting as they did originally. These loving pets form part of almost 50% of households where they sleep in sunny windows and curl up on their owner’s lap. They enjoy being groomed and playing with the myriad of toys we provide for them.

In addition to changing roles, their reproduction now includes human intervention. We have started to breed cats to develop characteristics that we desire. In fact, there are some 40 domestic cat breeds recognized today. Many cat breeds are recognized by physical attributes such a colour, body type, shape of eyes and length of hair as well as their personalities.

In North America, the most common breeds are:

• ·       the ever popular alley cat
• ·       the exotic and mysterious Siamese, and
• ·       the gentle and sweet long-haired Persian

Watch for a comparison of these popular breeds in our next newsletter. Each has its specific physical features and personalities.  Which one is right for you?

Besides microchipping and de-sexing, every pet deserves good care, regular visits to the veterinarian and vaccinations. Remember that owning a cat can cost $1,000 a year or more, depending on the breed.

We all want our pets to be happy and healthy companions.