Why we need "cat clinic"?
Since cat's needs are different from dog i.e. vaccination program, diseases and natural
behavior and habitat, at iVET, we have veterinarians who are specialized in cat
diseases so that our customer can consult when they face with some problems raising
their cats. Several questions can be raised from cat lovers, but this is normal because again cat is
different from dog. Now, we will start from knowing the nature of cats, so we can raise them naturally.
1. Cat is a worm-blooded animal having very sensitive ear and nose. Cats are able to hear some voice that we cannot hear and its whiskers can also detect some objects instead of eyes. They are also can see in dark light since they have a sensitive eye structure. Cats have an elastic motility because they have a low
body weight, strong bones and flexible muscle, which makes them jump higher and farer other animals. Moreover, they are capable of jumping from high rise, turning over in the air and using their tail to make balance in order to land properly on its feet. (Do not test this theory at home)
2. Reproductive system; Siamese cats will have the first estrus (period) at the age of 4 months. This may make some owners puzzle since they are still very small. However, male cat will reach maturity at the age of 8 month. Normally, cats have pregnancy period around 60 days and would have 1-5 kittens per litter. Kittens will open the eyes around 10-14 days of age and wean at 2 month old, but some cats may feed their kittens until 4 months. When they reach maturity they may have the weight around 2-3 kg in female and 3-4 kg in male cats. Female cats could have estrus cycle every month even while lactation period. If the owner wants to control a cat population in their house, neutering is recommended because giving contraceptive medicine to female cats can lead to pyometra. Castration for male cats to reduce aggressiveness and territorial behavior should be conducted after 8 months of age, for female cats we can do it earlier at 6 months. On the other hand, if the owners want to breed their cats, it is necessary to wait until their cats reach 1 year old or at the second estrus cycle.
3. Natural behaviors; generally cats is an independent animal and think that they are higher than human
because cat is in Felidae spp. which is similar to tiger. With the predatory behavior, do not need to depend
on human and in the past humans are baits of tiger, so in their eyes we are not their boss. Therefore, do
not expect loyalty, reliability and abiding by rule and regulations from your cat since you will be
disappointed. Cats will not follow you all the time and sometimes do not like to stay home, but they are
also can remember their owner and territory and willing to protect their territory just like dogs. Cats have
the mean to locate their territory by urinate small amount of urine and pheromone on a bush or wall and
that smell can be last for 2 weeks. We usually see that cats always scratch trees, bench or paper and the
reasons are to make their nails always sharp and to show their territory as at their nail bed also have sweat
gland secreting smell when they scratch. Sometimes, when your cat snuggle on your legs that means they
also show that you belong to them. Thus, if you love cats and manage your cats well, they will certaily be
your lovely pets.
4. Cats need various kind of nutrients which differ from dogs and contain only in cat foods. Remember that
cat is not a small dog that you can feed with small amount of dog food. One important thing is cats need a
lot of protein and meat, but dog can eat everything both meat and vegetables. With these reasons, we
normally see cats fed with dog food for a long time have cardio-respiratory diseases or eye diseases.
Therefore, if you think about raising a cat, you need to learn about its nature so that you can raise
them properly and happy together.
