| Most people have owned cats all their lives, with | | | | from their canine cousins, which vary from being |
| childhood memories of various cats and their | | | | smaller than cats to the size of small ponies. |
| character, and they usually feel that home is not | | | | Another reason why we may not be so well aware |
| complete without a resident furry 'frfiend'. To some | | | | of cat breeds is the way we sometimes acquire our |
| others, owning a cat can be a pleasure discovered | | | | kittens, many of which are given us by friends |
| much later in life. It is quite well known that we do | | | | relatives whose 'mummy' cats have 'accidentally' |
| not really 'adopt' a cat, but are 'adopted' by them, as | | | | given birth to 1 litter too many; through magazines |
| have been demonstrated so many times in my own | | | | and newspapers advertising 'free' kittens; or from |
| family and as well as neigbours of ours when they | | | | animal shelters. These are perhaps the more common |
| ended up having a couple of strays wondering into | | | | methods in which we acquire our kittens. |
| their lives, and subsequently becoming part of their | | | | When you do decide to have a kitten, it is a great |
| families. | | | | deal of fun to have 2, instead of 1, and you will see |
| Mention that you have a cat, and most people will | | | | much more of their feline behavioural repertoire as |
| envisage a non-pedigree type. As a matter of fact, | | | | they play. Kittens enact the whole gamut of body |
| only about 10-15 percent of 'adopted' cats as pets | | | | language in their daily frolics, and this provides a |
| are pedigree animals. In general, though there are | | | | wonderful opportunity to see just how much they |
| many people who can easily name a wide variety of | | | | can contort their agile bodies, or erect their fur on |
| dog breeds, they remain quite unaware of the | | | | various parts of their bodies in their play fights. It |
| extensive range of cat breeds that are available. | | | | does mean that kittens do often shoot around the |
| There are perhaps several reasons for this. The first | | | | house, and sometimes up the curtains together, and |
| being that cats a very personal pets, they are not | | | | this is so pleasureable to watch, but they will also |
| taken out for walks, or for trips in cars like dogs | | | | soon grow out of this phase when they become |
| usually are, so we may not see very many breeds | | | | bigger and heavier. |
| unless we come across them whilst visiting friends or | | | | Having 2 kittens keep them busy, and of course, its |
| relatives who happen to have cats in their | | | | companionship for themselves when you are not |
| households. Then some cat breeds have only | | | | home. Obtaining 2 kittens form the same litter makes |
| recently been discovered or developed. Even when | | | | life fairly simple, but, if you would like to own one of |
| we come across new breeds, we may not notice | | | | the pedigree breeds yet cannot afford twice the |
| the more subtle differences between them, as most | | | | cost, you can consider getting a non-pedigree cat to |
| are roughly the same size and have the same general | | | | go with it. |
| shape and look. In this, cats are also quite different | | | | So enjoy their 'youth'. |