2008年9月16日星期二

The Most Important Things You Need To Know Before Adopting A Cat Part 1.

Are you prepared to become a pet owner?
Adopting a cat is a joyful event in every family. But cats bought at first glance can cause a big surprise and unfortunately sometimes a great disappointment, too. Many unwanted cats end up in the streets or animal shelters because of people’s irresponsibility or inconsistent pledge.

It is not only joy but also a great responsibility
It is important to know that if you buy a pet, you will have to take responsibility for it. You should never buy a cat as a result of a sudden resolution. As a pet owner you are required to take responsibility for an adopted living creature, you must take care of it not only when it is fit as a fiddle but also when it is ill for the rest of its life. The following guide is for those who are to become cat owners for the first time in their lives.

Where should you get your kitten?
It is very important where you get your cat because it does matter what experiences your future cat has gained during the very first part of its existence. If you would like a pedigree cat then it is worth the trouble to look for a breeder who will kindly show you his or her animals and can provide you with information on the advantages and disadvantages of the different varieties.

You can buy cats in pet shops, too. You can buy healthy, well-bred, well-kept kittens in some of the better pet shops. Kittens are catered for their special needs in these specialised shops, for example, they are provided with runways, toilet boxes, and things to climb on and to play with.

But it is more common to adopt a cat from our friends or to pick up a stray cat from the street. It is also worth visiting the nearest animal shelter for kittens, but enthusiastic animal rights activists can pick up an abandoned kitten from the street. In this latter case you should also take into account the different parasites such as vermin, flees, ticks or the appearance of latent diseases.

How old the cat should be that we intend to adopt?
It is not simple to place an animal in a human’s habitat and it is also true for cats. Kittens should stay with their mother and siblings until they are 7 or 8 weeks old, because it is essential for their sense of safety and it is essential for their healthy development. During this time they can learn what things can be dangerous for them such as dogs, strangers, cars, etc. The fact that they have accustomed way too much to their original surroundings can cause problems for those cats that are older than 9 or 10 weeks. They can have hard time getting used to their new environment, they often wander off or run away.

Would you prefer a female cat or a tomcat?
You should make a decision about your cat’s sex well in advance because a she-cat and a male cat can cause totally different problems.

Keeping of a mature male cat involves many unpleasant things because by the time a tomcat becomes sexually mature he gets into the habit of spraying. You can prevent this if you have your cat neutered in time. Due to their instincts, tomcats often wander off, fight with the other male cats of the neighbourhood and by doing this they get wounds, bruises and parasites easily. They can acquire or pass on incurable diseases such as FIV or leucosis. If you forbid him to go out, he will meow desperately. Female cats are smaller, gentler, they like petting and cuddling much better than male cats but they can also cause a lot of problems when they become sexually mature. Around the time when they become 5 or 6 months old, they become sexually active, which recurs in 14-week periods. During this time, they run away and look for a partner if they have a chance to do so. They give birth to 2 or 3 litters of kittens a year. To prevent the inconveniences that are due to this frequent labour and to avoid certain diseases it is recommended to neuter female cats, as well. Animal protection associations also suggest that you should have both girl and boy cats neutered. Nowadays these operations are considered routine procedures and they are absolutely painless.

Would you like to adopt a pedigree or an ordinary domestic cat?
Rare, registered pedigree cats are sold for hundred or thousands of dollars while you can put your hands on mixed cats for free. There can also be significant differences among the different varieties concerning intelligence. For instance, there can often be deaf cats among the white ones and there are the so-called over-bred silly varieties and those types that require special treatment. You are not recommended to keep such cats even if they are award winning and you can afford them. Although crossbreeds are wilder and harder to domesticate than pedigree cats, they are better to keep as hobby pets since they are tougher and more resistant to diseases. And last but not least their character is more similar to real cats.

(Continued in Part 2)

2008年9月4日星期四

Pigs Swallows

Pigs were domesticated thousands of years ago. They are farmed for their meat and hides. There are still many wild pigs, like the wild boar, the warthog, and the bushpig. Pigs are found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

Names: Pigs are also called hogs or swine. The adult female is called a sow. The adult male is called a boar. A baby is called a piglet.

Anatomy: Pigs vary in color from brown, black, white, to pinkish. Some wild pigs have large tusks, overgrown teeth used for fighting and digging for food.

Diet: Pigs are omnivores . They eat a variety of plants and small animals.

Classification: Class Mammalia, Order Artiodactyla, Family Suidae.

A pig has a snout for a nose, small eyes, and a small tail, which may be curly, kinked, or straight. It has a thick body, short legs, and coarse hair. There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used for walking.

pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Pigs will scavenge and have been known to eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, and even other pigs. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. Occasionally while in captivity, pigs may eat their own young if they become severely stressed. A typical pigs has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special bone called the prenasal bone and by a disk of cartilage in the tip.The snout is used to dig into the soil to find food and is a very sensitive sense organ.

Pigs have a full set of 44 teeth. The canine teeth, called tusks, grow continually and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other.

Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent sense of smell, they are used to find truffles in many European countries. Domesticated pigs are commonly raised as livestock by farmers for meat , as well as for leather. Their bristly hairs are also used for brushes. Some breeds of pigs, such as the Asian pot-bellied pigs, are kept as pets.

Breeding occurs throughout the year in the tropics, but births peak around rainy seasons. A female pigs can become pregnant at around 8-18 months of age. She will then go into estrus every 21 days if not bred. Male pigs become sexually active at 8-10 months of age. A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 piglets. After the young are weaned, two or more families may come together until the next mating season.

Pigs do not have functional sweat glands,so pigs cool themselves using water or mud during hot weather. They also use mud as a form of sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn. Mud also provides protection against flies and parasites.

Categories: types of pigs
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