Friday, October 26, 2007

Cat - Burmese - The Facts Every Owner of this Cat Breed Should Know

The modern Burmese breed has roots muddled in history. It is generally believed that Burmese are a man made breed descending from the crossbreeding of a Siamese and an ancient version of a pure Burmese (that later died out). This Burmese breed had almost died out until a breeder named Dr. J. Thompson brought one of these remaining cats, Wong Mau (who may have actually been a Tonkinese), to America in the 1930s because of his interest in Wong Mau's markings. The doctor wanted to study these markings and bred Wong Mau to a seal point Siamese. The resulting liter was the first Burmese kittens.

Burmese cats tend to be of average height and weight and live approximately thirteen years. Their coats come in a variety of colors: brown (seal brown), blue (soft blue-gray with a silver sheen), chocolate (milk chocolate), lilac (dove gray with a pinkish cast), red (tangerine), cream, brown tortie (brown with shades of red), blue tortie (blue with shades of cream), chocolate tortie (chocolate with shades of red), and lilac tortie (lilac with shades of cream). The coats are shorthaired and tend to shed very little.

Burmese enjoy the company of humans, make a good family pet, and adapt well to any environment. They get along with children and other family pets. Burmese are loyal to their human companions and will move with them from room to room of the house. They enjoy the affection they give and receive in this relationship. Burmese are lap cats and enjoy being pet and stroked. They are also very loving and accepting of strangers - a characteristic that is a plus for an indoor cat but quite dangerous if the cat is allowed to roam the outdoors.

Burmese are quite trusting of everyone and everything and have no instinct to fight or defend itself. Adult Burmese are very nimble cats (despite their stocky looking build) but this may not be apparent when they are kittens. Burmese kittens, attempting new feats, tend to be clumsy. They grow into their agility and age gracefully. Burmese do have some health concerns. They are prone to cherry eye, and corneal dermoids (a surgically correctable attachment of skin or hair to the cornea).

There is a website that has great information on Burmese and most other breeds of cats. It has details that pertain to a cat breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright ? 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

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Cat - Treat Your Cat To Some Homemade Toys

Playing is a fun way to get some exercise, for both you and your cat.

But you don't need to spend a fortune to give your cat a treat. You have most likely observed that your cat seems to get more enjoyment out of playing with the box a toy came in, rather than playing with the toy itself! Even large cardboard boxes are a source of enjoyment for your cat.

Ideas for cardboard boxes:
* Turn one upside down (so the opening is at the bottom.) Cut a small hole in one side, then put something like a catnip mouse inside the box and watch kitty try to grab the mouse.
* Cut a hole at each end and turn the box upside down to make a tunnel for your cat to run through.
* Scrunch up a few pieces of wrapping paper, throw them in an open box and watch the fun.

Other ideas:
Get your cat to help you out here. Take note of the things around the house that attracts him or her, and then think up some ways you can both interact with these things to create your own special game.

For example:
* Plastic rings from milk containers
* Scrunched-up paper - the noisier, the better
* A piece of newspaper tied to a long string
* A large paper bag lying on its side (cut some holes in it for added interest)
* Plastic drinking straws

Have fun and let your imagination go wild - I bet you'll enjoy the treat just as much as your cat does!

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