Puppy Guarantee

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Puppy Guarantee Bullies 4 The Brave, Inc. PUPPY GUARANTEE I ________________________________________________ have read the below information (First Name/Last Name) regarding the puppy guarantee and agree to all within,____________________. (Date) Please copy, print and sign that you have read and understand the below Health Guarantee. It must be mailed or emailed to us before your puppy leaves. REGULAR MONTHLY VET CHECKS WILL ALLOW THIS GUARANTEE TO BE DOCUMENTED BY YOUR VET- YOU MUST HAVE A PAPER TRAIL FOR YOUR PUPPY'S HEALTH GUARANTEE INCLUDING VET WORMING & SHOT RECORDS. WEIGHT AND HEIGHT OF YOUR PUPPY MUST BE DOCUMENTED AS WELL AS VETS COMMENTS FOR HIS/HER OVERALL HEALTH. YOU MUST KEEP AND FURNISH REGULAR MONTHLY VET VISIT RECORDS AND FOOD RECEIPTS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE. IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE THIS THE HEALTH GUARANTEE IS NULL AND VOID, WE WILL NOT COVER YOUR PET BECAUSE IT IS THAT IMPORTANT FOR A HEALTHY PUPPY THAT THESE THINGS BE DONE. WE ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL YOUR VET AND VERIFY INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PUPPY IF THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT ARISES. Health Guarantee The Olde English Bulldogge is quickly becoming well respected in many working venues such as weight pull, therapy training, obedience and several others. They have become excellent breathers and do not have to be kept in an air conditioned environments on most days; as with any breed heat stroke can happen if proper care is not taken with your pet. The Olde English Bulldogge may be a healthier breed of dog than many modern Bulldog breeds; HOWEVER, the Bulldogge has been recreated using its counterpart the English bulldog and certain genes can pull from generations long ago so it is important to read and understand about these types of bulldog defects. We strive to provide a very healthy family pet/battle buddy the whole family can enjoy for years to come. You can view the breed standard health stats here: http://www.bulldoginformation.com/Olde-English- Bulldogge.html http://www.worldbulldoggealliance.com http://www.bulldoginformation.com/english- bulldog.html http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/oldeenglishbulldogge.htm http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bulldog.htm 1 of 4 If your puppy would have a Genetic health issue other than what is deemed "standard" in this breed (see below paragraph) we require two vet exams from two different clinics by two different licensed Veterinarians stating the exact descriptive health issue, diagnosis can very from vet to vet and sometimes they can be wrong so we require two separate exams for your protection as well as to get the true issue at hand. If the puppy in fact has a health issue we will replace the puppy with a puppy from an available litter or the next available litter. Under no circumstances will we ever give a cash refund on any puppy at anytime for any or all unforeseen reasons, if we can not furnish your replacement puppy as promised due to unforeseen circumstances we will give you the first available replacement of equal value. IF you use a chargeback instead of working with us for a replacement and are denied we will not replace your puppy. If you are purchasing a future litter and the breeding does not happen we will offer you a new puppy from a different breeding or litter of equal value at your choice at no additional cost to you. Shipping is at buyers expense if returning a puppy, the puppy must be shipped by a USDA Certified and Insured transporter, Bullies 4 The Brave or transported by the Purchaser at the Purchasers expense. Battle Buddies will be retrieved by B4TB. Explanation for the phrase above ( deemed "standard" in this breed ) We do not cover cherry eye, entropion, or skin allergies or loose hips . WE DO NOT COVER any dysplasia if the dog has been allowed to be overweight, offered a high calorie high protein high calcium level puppy food ( ALL FOOD RECEIPTS MUST BE SHOWN), or allowed to do excessive jumping including jumping on and off furniture, exposed to regular climbing of stairs, rough housed or played with over extensively the first year of his/her life. This does not mean you can not play with your puppy. Falling or overly rough play can hurt any pet, any puppy, its best to use care when playing with a puppy as the bones are not yet formed much like that of a baby. Because the breed derives from the English Bulldog certain traits can come out in the dogs gene pool. We also do not cover the sounds a dog makes when they breath. All of our dogs breathe freely, however in the past generations of ancestors there could be a dog that had a "sniffling"sound or a "snorting" sound when breathing . We do not cover Mange as it is been proven to be a stress related curable parasite, we can not control your home environment and we can not control the stress level your dog has from his environment. Things that can cause a dog stress are moving, changes in home, bad food, flees ticks or worms, violence, abandonment, illness or food allergy. These are family pets and like humans they have feelings, they need to be loved. We take special precautions in our selections of breeding dogs to assure they have none of these listed above, however, no matter how careful in our selection, we can not insure the condition of previous generations in our bloodlines that may of had those listed above. Therefore we can not guarantee against something we have no knowledge of. - We do not guarantee fur color or eye color. These can change as the pup grows. To be eligible for a year guarantee you must schedule a vet exam in the first 72 hours business hours (3 days) of having your puppy to validate your guarantee. No exceptions. You will have a weeks advance notice of delivery to schedule with your veterinarian. We will not give a guarantee if you can not show us a copy of his first health report. Vaccinating pets is the pet owners responsibility and you owe it to your loved ones and your pet to keep up with your shot schedule and worming. Nothing can be more devastating to a family then to loose their beloved pet because of lack of vaccinations. We wish to spare you the heart break so please Vaccinate your pet!! Your puppy will come UTD on age appropriate vaccinations and worming. 2 of 4 MORE - STANDARD IN THE BREED - PLEASE READ BELOW AND TAKE PRECAUTION FROM OVER PLAYING OVER EXERCISING YOUR BULLDOGGE ITS FIRST 2 YEARS. All this is very common sense things that can help you understand your puppy dogs Growth. PLEASE SEE A VET THAT UNDERSTANDS THE GROWTH OF A OLDE ENGLISH BULLDOGGE - CALL AROUND, TAKE SOME TIME SO YOU GET THE RIGHT VET FOR YOUR PUPPY. COMMON AILMENTS THAT AFFECT THE BULLDOGGE 1 year old anyway. Diet plays a large role in bone development, The same applies to calcium, don't give your new puppy any extra calcium - find a good well balanced puppy food at 1.2% and stick to it. We have listed some below.. Lastly we do require you feed your puppy a higher quality pet food for the warranty period.. We do require and will ask you to furnish receipts of the dog food you have fed to your dog. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT WHAT YOU FEED YOUR BULLY PUPPY. What you feed your dog is how well or not your dog will grow in general health. We ask for the first 2 years of his/her life he/she is fed a high quality large breed puppy food (low calcium) for his/her full growth potential. It has been proven time and time again that low cost low end dog foods will cause health defects in most all breeds of dogs. Dog FOODS to stay away from: SCIENCE DIET - IAMS - Puppy Chow - Beneful. Other cheap brands with high calcium or corn products that say calcium is 1.2 MIN. that usually means it is much higher. We recommend Victors Brand Adult and Puppy. There are 4 kinds in this line we will advise on and your puppy will come with a 5 lb bag. You can give a milk bone dog treat daily, that is good for teeth and breath and they love it. It is that IMPORTANT for the health and life of your pet. If you can not furnish the receipts of the dog food you have fed for the first year you will forfeit your guarantee. Bulldogge's do not digest grains well, corn or soy. Check the ingredients of your dog food, stay away from those that have corn or by product as the first ingredient. If you have a food in mind we are always available to answer questions and research the food for you. We want you and your puppy to have a life time of enjoyment together. Please do not feed your puppy bones with marrow that butcher shops give as an every day treat, YOU can give him a treat once in a while but remember your adding more calcium to his food when adding the marrow. It is high in fat and calcium. After 2 years old you can give them more often. The bulldogge is considered an adult at 2 years old. 3 of 4 Vitamins We know breeders and pet stores like to push nuvet and other vitamins in your puppies life. We are not vets this is strictly our opinion. Most dogs have in them a good immune system to fight off most bacteria and colds.
Recommended publications
  • Characteristics of a Good Breeder
    WHAT CHARACTERIZES A GOOD BREEDER? By Carissa Kuehn Looking for a German Shepherd puppy? It can be a daunting task; there are endless numbers of “breeders” out there with all sorts of claims to fame: “specializing in blacks and black sables”, “top-rated show line dogs”, “top- rated working dogs”, “specializing in huge „Old World‟ German Shepherds”. How does one make sense of it all? fter spending a total of six years A searching for and investigating my GSD breeder—and finally getting a puppy from her that I have since taken all the way from BH to IPO3 at the Regional and National championship levels as a first time handler—I have learned many things about good breeders that I wish to share. There are several key characteristics and attributes that set a GOOD BREEDER apart from all those other “breeders” out there. My hope is that this article helps guide you in selecting a good breeder who works tirelessly to produce good German Shepherd Dogs that are all a German Shepherd should be. I hope that it also helps you avoid those breeders who are either just in it for the money, or have no real knowledge about and experience in breeding good German Shepherd Dogs. The author with “Axel”, competing at the 2013 USCA GSD IPO3 National Whether you want a stable, well-bred Championship (first National event as a first-time handler with her first GSD German Shepherd Dog for a companion, ever. A combination of a good breeder, a good dog, and a good training team!).
    [Show full text]
  • Insights Into Breed Standards Written by Dr Al Grossman and Reprinted with Permission
    Breeders’ Briefcase by Amy & Bonnie Insights Into Breed Standards Written by Dr Al Grossman and reprinted with permission We have all heard a variety of finish its championship. references to soundness. It may be, “I It is practically impossible to divorce don’t care for so and so’s dog but he type from soundness completely, is sound”, or “isn’t so and so lovely, for it might be said that soundness and so sound too.” Various words have is the cause and type the effect. I been used to define “sound.” Some have always used the analogy from of them are (1) free from flaw, defect home building that soundness is or decay, undamaged or unimpaired, the basement and framework of (2) healthy, not weak or diseased, the building. Type is the goodies robust of body and mind. Continuing, added on to make it a livable house. there are flawless, perfect, sturdy, Expression, coat, etc. define your dependable, reliable, etc. Are you final impression of the dog. beginning to get the picture? It should be pointed out that a sound Most breeds have been bred for a dog is not necessarily championship purpose, and as such, is required to material, since the word “show” have the stamina and traits necessary itself connotes that a little more is to perform its function, coupled required. with the necessary instincts. Thus, soundness should mean that the Generally speaking, when a breeder animal is able to carry out the job for describes a sound specimen, he which it is intended. It should mean means a dog without a major fault.
    [Show full text]
  • A Growing Problem Selective Breeding in the Chicken Industry
    A GROWING PROBLEM SELECTIVE BREEDING IN THE CHICKEN INDUSTRY: THE CASE FOR SLOWER GROWTH A GROWING PROBLEM SELECTIVE BREEDING IN THE CHICKEN INDUSTRY: THE CASE FOR SLOWER GROWTH TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................. 2 SELECTIVE BREEDING FOR FAST AND EXCESSIVE GROWTH ......................... 3 Welfare Costs ................................................................................. 5 Labored Movement ................................................................... 6 Chronic Hunger for Breeding Birds ................................................. 8 Compromised Physiological Function .............................................. 9 INTERACTION BETWEEN GROWTH AND LIVING CONDITIONS ...................... 10 Human Health Concerns ................................................................. 11 Antibiotic Resistance................................................................. 11 Diseases ............................................................................... 13 MOVING TO SLOWER GROWTH ............................................................... 14 REFERENCES ....................................................................................... 16 COVER PHOTO: CHRISTINE MORRISSEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In an age when the horrors of factory farming are becoming more well-known and people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from, few might be surprised that factory farmed chickens raised for their meat—sometimes called “broiler”
    [Show full text]
  • Definition of Terms
    DEFINITION OF TERMS Definition of Terms used for Purposes of the Montana Certification Program taken from the Terminology of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies. A. Variety The term variety (cultivar) denotes an assemblage of cultivated individuals which are distinguished by any characters (morphological, physiological, cytological, chemical or others) significant for the purposes of agriculture, forestry, or horticulture and which, when reproduced (sexually or asexually) or reconstituted, retain their distinguishing features. B. Classes of Seed Recognized in Seed Certification 1. Breeder - Breeder seed is seed directly controlled by the originating or sponsoring plant breeding institution, or person, or designee thereof. As applied to certified seed, breeders seed is the source for the production of seed of the other classes of certified seed. 2. Foundation Foundation seed is seed which is the progeny of breeder or Foundation seed produced under control of the originator or sponsoring plant breeding institution, or person, or designee thereof. As applied to certified seed, Foundation seed is a class of certified seed which is produced under procedures established by the certifying agency for the purpose of maintaining genetic purity and identity. 3. Registered Registered seed shall be the progeny of Breeder or Foundation seed handled under procedures acceptable to the certifying agency to maintain satisfactory genetic purity and identity. 4. Certified Certified seed shall be the progeny of Breeder, Foundation, or Registered seed so handled as to maintain satisfactory genetic purity and identity, and which has been acceptable to the certifying agency. Certified tree seed is defined as seed from trees produced so as to assure genetic identity.
    [Show full text]
  • As a Responsible Dog Breeder
    • How often is someone at home? • Will they have time to walk and play with the dog? As A Responsible If feasible, it’s not unreasonable for a breeder to make a house call after the puppy has had time to settle Dog Breeder in with its new family. Some breeders require dog buyers to sign contracts indicating specific conditions of care. Important qualities to look for in potential puppy owners are interest and inquisitiveness about you and FOR MORE the dogs you breed. A person or family truly committed to responsible dog ownership will want to learn about the INFORMATION CONTACT: breed and how to care for it. THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS RESPONSIBLE ◆ FOR LIFE. Now comes the best part of being a breeder. 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 100 (No, it’s not putting away the newspaper liners and Raleigh, NC 27617-3390 ◆ puppy food.) It’s having those great families you selected call you with news of puppy’s first tooth, first Customer Service: (919) 233-9767 veterinarian visit, first dog event, first win at an AKC event! It’s getting letters. It’s getting holiday cards. It’s THE AKC IS ON THE INTERNET! getting family portraits with your puppy (yes, it’ll Our World Wide Web home page address is: always be yours) smack in the middle. What’s not to www.akc.org love about being a breeder at these times? But now can come the worst part too. It’s the nice Our e-mail address is: young couple who is divorcing and neither person can [email protected] keep the dog.
    [Show full text]
  • Catahoula Bulldog OR NOT Catahoula Bulldog, That Is the Question -- By: Kacy Hatten
    Catahoula Bulldog OR NOT Catahoula Bulldog, That Is The Question -- By: Kacy Hatten CB Or Not CB, That Is The Question A guide for selecting, breeding, and evaluating the authenticity of Catahoula Bulldogs and their breeders. Beautiful dogs are often destined to fall into the hands of uneducated, inexperienced, or less-than-desirable humans. With the world of cyberspace providing a medium in which lesser known or more rare dogs are becoming more uncovered and advertised, it is now easy for anyone on a Google search to find a unique and attractive canine. In addition, people have a medium to advertise and market the breeding and selling of once rare breed dogs, increasing the population. This, among other things, has increased the popularity and awareness of the catahoula bulldog. Unfortunately with this increased popularity comes increased cases of mistaken identity, and of decreased quality. This is written as a guide to increase the knowledge and awareness of breeders, owners, and prospective enthusiasts of the real catahoula bulldog as well as a few guidelines for choosing a breeder or dog no matter the breed. ------------------------------------ What Is A Catahoula Bulldog A catahoula bulldog is a recognized hybrid between the American bulldog and Louisiana catahoula leopard dog. The cross began with hunting and working dogs down south, for a specific purpose. They were not bred to improve either breed, but rather, to gain certain characteristics that you may not get by leaving the two separate. The first thing you should be aware of is an authentic catahoula bulldog is only a hybrid in which an American bulldog is used, no other bulldog breed or type crossed with a catahoula is a true catahoula bulldog.
    [Show full text]
  • Variability in Successive Backcross Generations of Oats Lester Norman Leininger Iowa State University
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1959 Variability in successive backcross generations of oats Lester Norman Leininger Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Plant Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Leininger, Lester Norman, "Variability in successive backcross generations of oats " (1959). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 2584. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/2584 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VARIABILITY IE SUCCESSIVE BACKCRCSS GENERATIONS OF OATS by Lester Norman Leininger A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Subject: Crop Breeding Approved Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. Head of Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. College Iowa State University Of Science and Technology Ames, Iowa 1959 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS 6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 11 Means and Variancea 11 Selection 31 Linkage Study 36 GENERAL DISCUSSION 39 SUMMARY 41 LITERATURE CITED 42 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 45 1 INTRODUCTION Backcrossing is a breeding system whereby the hybrid is crossed to one of the parental genotypes for one or more progeny generations.
    [Show full text]
  • Selectively Breeding Sheep
    Selectively Breeding Sheep Name _________________________ Part 1: Natural Selection and Selective Breeding What is natural selection? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is selective breeding? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are the advantages of selective breeding? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Give an example of selective breeding and describe what trait might be selected for by the breeder. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Part 2: Using Punnett Squares in Sheep Breeding Imagine you are a sheep farmer and there is a strange disorder that is affecting the lambs that are born in your flock. The parent sheep are healthy, but the lambs have
    [Show full text]
  • Crossbreeding Systems and the Theory Behind Composite Breeds
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Range Beef Cow Symposium Animal Science Department 12-4-1991 Crossbreeding Systems and The Theory Behind Composite Breeds James A, Gosey University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/rangebeefcowsymp Part of the Animal Sciences Commons Gosey, James A,, "Crossbreeding Systems and The Theory Behind Composite Breeds" (1991). Range Beef Cow Symposium. 236. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/rangebeefcowsymp/236 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Range Beef Cow Symposium by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Proceedings, The Range Beef Cow Symposium XII December 3, 4 & 5, 1991, Fort Collins, Colorado CROSSBREEDING SYSTEMS AND THE THEORY BEHIND COMPOSITE BREEDS Jim Gosey Animal Sciences Department University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska INTRODUCTION Crossbreeding serves the beef cattle industry as a tool to improve productivity through heterosis (hybrid vigor) and through complementarity (combining different breed strengths) to match genetic resources to various feed resources, climates, management levels and markets. Commercial cattlemen need to understand the principles of crossbreeding so they can adapt crossbreeding to their specific environment and needs. Seedstock breeders must be able to intelligently advise their commercial customers and know where their seedstock best fits into crossbreeding programs. Cattlemen today can be much more sophisticated in their approach to using crossbreeding. They realize many of the crossbreeding mistakes of the past were made because many breeds used were not well characterized and crossbreeding programs were not tailored to individual ranch needs.
    [Show full text]
  • Today's Breeder
    ® Today’s Breeder A Nestlé Purina Publication Dedicated to the Needs of Canine Enthusiasts Issue 74 BREEDER PROFILE Eternal Moon Rottweilers Odyssey German Shorthairs Retriever Trial Seminar Pug Dog Encephalitis Breeders Turned Show Judges old puppy. In April 2010, he went Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Variety (Smooth) at the Tri-County Collie Breeders Show. Vince will soon sire his first litter and continue his Specials career. I owe all his wins and success to Pro Plan and our regimen - Pro Club member Patti Simmons of Reed Creek Labs in Hartwell, Ga., shares this photo of her tal exercise program, which helps recent litter of 10 yellow Labrador Retriever puppies. keep him in great shape. I want to share this amazing Pro Club . All my puppies are raised on Jennifer Zappone photo of my recent litter sired by Pro Plan Chicken & Rice, and I feed Bluwave Collies Torrington, CT Temora Australian Terrier breeder Julie Seaton HRCH UH CH Kerrybrooks Vince, MH Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Shredded is shown with her Best of Opposite Sex winner (“Vince”) out of Ransom’s Alegría Blend to adult dogs. My dogs all I have been an exhibitor/breeder of at the 2010 National Specialty. @ ReedCreek, MH (“Alli”). What a have wonderful, shiny coats, and they Australian Terriers since 1995 and have wonderful litter. These 10 beautiful, eat well, which can be challenging always fed my dogs Purina Pro Plan At our 2010 National Specialty healthy puppies were started on Pro for the “picky” Collie. Performance and my puppies Pro Plan Show under judge Michelle Billings, Plan Selects puppy food, and I sent The first litter I bred produced a Puppy Chicken & Rice.
    [Show full text]
  • Recommended Breeding Policy for the Manx
    RECOMMENDED BREEDING POLICY FOR THE MANX CAT LIST OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction………………………………………………………… Page 2 2.0 Origins and History……………………………………………… Page 2 3.0 Characteristics and Temperament ......................................... Page 3 4.0 Genetic make-up....................................................................... Page 4 5.0 The Manx Standard of Points .................................................. Page 8 6.0 Manx Health and Genetic Defects........................................... Page 10 7.0 Breeding System...................................................................... Page 12 8.0 References................................................................................. Page 17 9.0 Acknowledgements................................................................... Page 17 Gallery of Titled Manx cats …………………………........………..... Page 18 Other Manx Cat Pictures …………………………............………..... Page 19 First edition, June 2011 1 MANX BREEDING POLICY 1.0. Introduction This breeding policy accompanies and supplements the Manx Registration Policy and Standard of Points and the GCCF general breeding policy and should be read in conjunction with those documents. The aim of this breeding policy is to give advice and guidance to ensure breeders observe what is considered “best practice” in breeding the Manx cat. The over-riding objective, as with all breeds, is to produce quality, healthy cats with good type and to continue to improve the Manx cat standard. The overall aims of the breeding policy areas are as follows: a) To promote the breeding of healthy Manx cats with sound conformation, good temperament and free from any defects known to be heritable traits. b) To encourage the breeding of Manx which conform as closely as possible to the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) Standard of Points (SOP). c) To further the health, welfare and care of Manx Cats at all times, in keeping with their role as domesticated companion cats with their unique “dog-like” personality.
    [Show full text]
  • Responsible Cat Breeding Guidelines
    RESPONSIBLE CAT BREEDING GUIDELINES Please note: This document will be a base for developing shorter and user-friendly documents targeted at relevant audiences. RESPONSIBLE CAT BREEDING GUIDELINES 1 Endorsed by the EU Platform on Animal Welfare 3 November 2020 - DOC/2020/11982 Rev1. RESPONSIBLE CAT BREEDING GUIDELINES About cats The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) retains many behaviours and needs of their wild ancestor, the African wildcat (Felis silvestris libyca). Cats are both predator and prey, they are lone hunters that exhibit territorial behaviour, preferring familiar territory; they have an acute awareness of their physical and social environment. They are intelligent, playful and agile. They are often more active dusk and dawn when their prey is also active, whilst spending long periods of the day resting. Cats have a complex and flexible social life – they live in groups of related individuals when resources allow. Related females may live in colonies, sharing the care of their kittens. Males may also provide care for related young, but they often live a solitary life on the periphery, occupying larger territories that overlap with several female colonies. Cats prefer to be with familiar (often related) individuals, over strangers; their friendly behaviour towards one another is evident during grooming or rubbing against one another; familiar and socially bonded cats may often be found resting, sleeping and playing together. However, cats are frequently aggressive towards unfamiliar individuals that enter their territory. Cats communicate using visual (body postures, facial expressions, tail carriage) and chemical signals (transmitted through urine, faeces, scratching and rubbing); they have a wide range of calls and sounds that provide information on their emotional state.
    [Show full text]