Cat Husbandry Flashcards
What are the 5 key feline resources
Food Water Litter tray High resting places Hide hole/escape route
How many of each of the 5 resources should be available
1 per social group +1
What hairs is the coat made up of
Down
Aww
Guard hairs
Are Sphynx cats bald
No, they have a sparse down coat
Why are hairless cats not hypoallergenic
It is due to a glycoproteins in the saliva, skin and fur of certain cats
What are vibrissae
Long thick hairs involved in special awareness eg whiskers
What are the 4 forms of tabby
Mackerel
Ticked
Classic/blotched
Spotted
What is a colour point cats special feature
The darker points are temp dependent (coldest parts) hair clipped comes back darker but eventually returns to normal
Natural diet
High protein
Low carbs
Rodent
How often do they eat
10-20 small meals through the day
Why is smell of food important
Fewer taste buds than humans or dogs
How do you best avoid food aversions
Varied exposure throughout weaning of flavours and textures, if they haven’t tried it, it’s likely they’ll not eat it
What is a mouses nutritional composition
50% PRO
40% fat
5% carbs
5% uneaten
What do they drink
Water NOT milk (no lactase)
Water away from food bowl
Can prefer a running source
What is a cat
A small solitary desert hunter
What do they do with their faeces
Outdoors - bury it
Indoors - litter tray, should allow digging/ burying. 1/cat + 1
What is middening
Uncovered faeces deposition to mark territory or if in inappropriate location it may signify a behavioural issue
Urination v spraying
U- onto floor, digging usually before hand
A- tail up, onto vertical surface, territorial, contains felinine
Signs of a problem
Inappropriate urination/defication
How is their hearing special
4x better than human
Hear broader frequency range
Ears rotate rapidly to id sound source
Noisy enviro stressful
Why can they see better in dim light
Higher rod count
See poorly developed colour
Short sighted
What is their optimal vision distance
2-6m
