Unless you have already reserved a kitten from the litter of a mother cat whose owner you know, your first port of call when looking for a cat to adopt should be your local vet’s. Most veterinary surgeries display notice boards on which people whose cats have produced kittens, or those who sadly can no longer keep their older cats, can ‘advertise’ felines in need of a good home. (more…)
A successful hunter needs to be fit, and cats keep themselves trim by strolling the perimeters of their territory on their regular inspection tours, climbing trees or other lofty vantage points from which cats can monitor any interesting goings-on and, of course, pouncing at potential prey. (The reason why many indoor cats occasionally career around the house at top speed is both to let off steam and to indulge in the type of hunting exercise that outdoor cats more regularly enjoy.) (more…)
Apart from its sense of taste (and as a carnivore it has no need for the luxury of a gourmet’s appreciation of the delicacies of flavour — fresh meat is, after all, fresh meat, although shrews must taste really disgusting because it appears that only the most ravenous cat will consume them), the functioning and powers of the feline’s senses are generally far superior to ours. They need to be, for in its natural state the cat relies on them for its very life. (more…)
As well as offering considerable advantages, the cat’s body does, however, have its drawbacks, the inevitable consequence of the compromises that nature was forced to make when designing Fells catus. Because the wildcat was — and remains — an opportunistic predator that could not rely on a regular supply of food, for example, the stomach that its descendants have inherited takes up a disproportionately large amount of room at the expense of its heart and lungs. (more…)
Despite such Far Eastern reservations, about the cat’s exact intentions towards humanity, it is considered wise to hedge one’s bets and to treat cats with respect, as in Persia (Iran), where black cats are said to be jinns (spirits that assume feline form) or hemzads (individuals’ guardian ‘angels’). The world over, the cat’s mysterious, far-seeing eyes are considered to reveal its clairvoyant powers, as well as its agility and cunning ingenuity, just some of the characteristics for which it is respected as a totemic animal by many African and Native American peoples. (more…)
Vaccination is the process of preventing disease in animals or people by exposing them to the same disease in a ’safe’ form. This controlled exposure allows the immune system to learn to recognise the disease so that if encountered in its real, dangerous form in the future, a rapid immune response can be mounted before serious effects of the disease are seen. (more…)
Chemical substance from which the remedy is prepared: arsenic trioxide
Arsenic is of course the ‘archetypal’ poison and if anyone is asked to name a poison it is likely that they will mention this chemical. Arsenic’s potency as a toxin means, of course, that it can also be an extremely potent and valuable homoeopathic remedy, with wide-ranging constitutional effects in the body. There is of course no danger of toxicity in homoeopathic preparation since there are so few, or no, molecules of arsenic present in the prepared remedy. (more…)
Choosing a puppy appears to be rather a haphazard affair, and when you consider how many different breeds there are to choose from and how human nature varies, it’s not surprising we sometimes end up with the wrong dog. So, let’s approach the subject of buying a puppy from a completely different angle—the puppy’s. For a long-lasting and fruitful relationship, you need not only the right breed, but also the right temperament. First of all, we must sweep away all the old sayings about buying dogs: for example, if you have a large house you can have a large dog; if you live in a flat you must have a small dog. As far as I am concerned, the size of your living accommodation is irrelevant to the size of your dog. A Great Dane will be quite contented living in a flat if he’s given the right amount of exercise and attention from his owner, and let’s forget the nonsense about little dogs requiring little exercise. Unless you’re thinking in terms of a Chihuahua, every dog needs to be exercised daily. (more…)
The most important thing when choosing a puppy is that you must be honest with yourself in assessing not only your capabilities and physical fitness for dog ownership, but your character. The best ‘way I can describe to you how to match yourself to a dog is to explain how I match with Labradors, and how various friends I know match with their breeds of dogs. I am going to try and be as honest with you as I can about my own temperament. Firstly, I am basically idle, so if I chose a breed with a heavy coat I am sure I would occasionally miss the daily grooming sessions. Although I love walking and being out in the country, the faster type of breeds would not suit me. I need a slower-moving dog who I can keep within my sight-range. (more…)
Having answered all these questions, you will know whether you still want a dog or not, and can now turn your attention to the type of dog which would fit in best with you and your way of life. Don’t just look at the different breeds of dogs. Do a little research into their background and what they were originally bred for. This will give you a far better idea of the temperament your dog will grow up with. Every breeder will be tempted to tell you of the virtues of his favourite dog. Not many of them will tell you of their faults. Obviously, I can’t go through every breed for you here, but I will try to take a cross-section, to show you what you’re looking for.
The Labrador, the dog I am most familiar with, was bred to retrieve game birds. Therefore, he’s been bred to sit steady to the sound of gunfire, go out quietly and retrieve and to return to his owner. Nevertheless, he’s a very active dog and can work an eight hour day in the field and still look as fresh as a daisy: so he will want plenty of exercise. Here I can tell you how to read between the lines and find the faults of the breed. (more…)
