EM4900 4-H CAT PROJECT UNIT 2 AUTHORS Alice Stewart, Yakima County Nancy Stewart, King County Jean Swift, Skagit County ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Reviewed by State Project Development Committee: Laurie Hampton—Jefferson County Cathy Russell, Betty Stewart, Nancy Stewart—King County Kathy Fortner, Cindy Iverson, Vickie White—Kitsap County Sandy Anderson, Dianne Carlson, Jan Larsen—Pierce County Jean Swift, Kate Yarbrough—Skagit County Alice Stewart—Yakima County Word Processing by Kate Yarbrough, Skagit County WSU Cooperative Extension Curriculum Review Jerry Newman, Extension 4-H/Youth Development Specialist, Human Development Department 4-H CAT PROJECT UNIT 2 Dear Leaders and Parents: A 4-H member will progress to this manual upon successful completion of Unit One. There is no age requirement for any of the Cat Project manuals. The 4-H member is expected to do some research beyond this manual. Pictures of the breeds of cats are available in many books, or cats may be observed at open cat shows. The Book Of The Cat edited by Michael Wright and Sally Walters and The Cornell Book Of Cats edited by Mordecai Siegal are the State 4-H Cat Project Committee’s approved resource books. Wherever there is a contradiction between the two books, The Cornell Book Of Cats is the final authority. Chapter CONTENTS 1 Cat Origins ................................................................................................................................... 4 2 Cat Breeds .................................................................................................................................... 4 Cobby Breeds ...................................................................................................................... 5 Moderate Breeds ................................................................................................................ 7 Foreign Breeds ..................................................................................................................11 Breed Identification Worksheet ...................................................................................... 13 3 Cat Characteristics .................................................................................................................... 14 The Cat’s Body..................................................................................................................14 Coat Patterns and Colors ................................................................................................ 14 The Five Senses.................................................................................................................15 Other Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 16 4 Selecting a Kitten or Cat .......................................................................................................... 16 Purebred or Mixed Breed ................................................................................................ 17 What To Look For When Choosing A Kitten ............................................................... 17 Bringing The Kitten Home ............................................................................................. 18 Becoming Friends............................................................................................................. 18 5 Feeding and Nutrition ............................................................................................................. 19 Word Search ................................................................................................................ 22–23 6 Health Care ................................................................................................................................ 24 Diseases ............................................................................................................................. 25 Parasites ............................................................................................................................. 28 Other Common Disorders .............................................................................................. 31 Spaying and Neutering ................................................................................................... 32 Declawing ......................................................................................................................... 33 7 Emergencies and First Aid ...................................................................................................... 33 8 Traveling With Your Cat .......................................................................................................... 36 9 Vocabulary ................................................................................................................................. 37 Websites to Surf ......................................................................................................................... 39 Worksheets................................................................................................................................. 40 Word Search and Crossword Puzzles .................................................................................... 49 — 3 — CHAPTER ONE breeding by dedicated cat fanciers who had a desire to create an unusual breed or wished to CAT’S ORIGlNS improve upon an already existing one. Only since the middle of the l9th century have cat We must go back 40–50 million years in the evo- clubs and cat shows been held. The standards lution of animals to identify the cat’s ancestors. and specification they have set have become The earliest ancestors were called Miacis (pro- popular and widespread. The first country to nounced my-a-kiss). The Miacis were creatures hold a cat show was England in 1871. Cat fanci- about the size of a lynx, with long slender bod- ers in the United States held their first show in ies, long tails, and short legs with retractable 1895 at Madison Square Garden in New York claws that extended from the paws during such City. In 1909, the Cat Fanciers Association be- activities as climbing trees or fighting. Over the gan a registry of pedigreed cats in America. next 10 million years, the Dinictis evolved bring- ing higher intelligence and greater agility to an Cats may be divided into two categories: the animal more like the cat of today. popular house cat of unknown ancestry, or the purebred, (a pedigreed cat), intentionally bred The cat as we know it today probably originated for certain desirable qualities and usually eli- on the continent of Africa and gradually trav- gible for exhibition in the show ring. Show cats eled across Asia and Europe, eventually inhab- are further classified into two groups, the iting all continents except Australia and Antarc- longhaired breeds and the shorthaired breeds. tica. It was about 4000 years ago that the first The various cat associations have prepared evidence of the domestication of cats appeared written standards so that judges might compare in ancient Egypt. The cat gained prominence as the qualities of competing cats with the appro- an object of worship, having gained favor by priate breed specification. A large number of controlling the rodent population. Cats were purebreds do not meet the standards and, there- worshipped as the goddess Bast, who repre- fore, may be obtained at lower prices. However, sented love, fertility and the life-giving rays of they may still be registered and make excellent the sun. Bast is depicted as having the body of a pets. woman and the head of a cat. Owners often shaved their eyebrows when their cat died. Cats The majority of pet cats are mixed breeds. They were usually embalmed and were given ceremo- almost never resemble the standard of any cat nial funeral rites and buried in special cemeter- breed. However, 4-H has acknowledged the de- ies. The cats of today are approximately the same sirability of all cats by allowing household pets size and shape as the ancient cats. They have to be shown. Unlike purebreds, they are not retained their keen hunting instincts and self- judged according to a written standard, but on reliance, make the same purring sounds, display the basis of physical condition, cleanliness, pre- the same aloofness and the same affection. sentation, temperament, and attractive or un- usual appearance. Throughout the world, cats of unknown lineage comprise the vast majority CHAPTER TWO of pets, and most of them are mixed breeds. They are, without a doubt, the most popular cats of CAT BREEDS all. Today there are over 40 breeds of cats. These cats Cats have three body types: COBBY, MODER- have evolved either naturally or by planned ATE, and FOREIGN (or Oriental). Cobby refers — 4 — to a heavy, short legged, compact, broad chested were crossed with other longhairs from Persia body. Moderate refers to all the breeds that are (now Iran), Afghanistan, Burma, China, Rus- between cobby and foreign. The foreign body sia, France, Italy and England, until the mod- is slim, almost tubular in shape, with a firm ern type was developed. Persians are among musculature. the most popular cats in the world and win many of the prizes at important shows. The COBBY Persian body is of cobby type, low on the legs, Persian Chartreux deep in the chest, equally massive across the Himalayan Manx shoulders and rump, with a short, well- Kashmir Cymric rounded middle piece. Persians are large or Exotic Shorthair Burmese medium in size. The coat must be long and British