What materials should I have if I want to buy/adopt a cat?

What things should you get if you want to get a cat? You might want a cat, and you want to have the right materials before you get a new furry companion!

1. A scratching post.

2. A cat dish. Don’t use a bowl, cats don’t like to feel their whiskers hitting the sides of the bowl.

3. A cat bed.

4. A good cat food brand(do not use dog food, cats won’t get what they need from dog food).

5. Cat toothbrush and toothpaste.

6. Cat brush(for their fur).

7. Cat toys! Lots of them, so your cat can have something to do!

8. A water dish(for your cat’s water).

9. A litter box(no perfumed litter, cat noses are sensitive).

10. Cat nail clippers.

11. A cat carrier/crate to bring your cat to the vet with.

    Some other things you might want:

    1. Cat costumes.

    2. Cat nail caps(so if you get scratched by your cat, it won’t hurt).

    3. Cat blankets or pillows.

    4. A clicker(tool used to train cats).

    5. A collar/ID tag(so your cat will be returned by someone if he/she gets lost, get the breakaway kind, so if you cat’s collar gets stuck on a branch, the collar will break away, instead of choking the cat).

       Now, if you want a cat, you should go shopping for some of these items, because if you want to care for your cat properly, you will need to get some of these things!

    Have a cool, crazy, and great day!
    -Cool and Crazy Cats

Can I make my cat a vegan or vegetarian?

If you are vegan/vegetarian and want your cat to do the same but are not sure if it is healthy for the cat, then this will answer your question!

No, cats can NOT be vegan or vegetarian. Cats are carnivores, remember? A cat in the wild would have a diet of rodents and birds, and look at how big and strong they are! A vegan or vegetarian cat just won’t be like that wild cat. In fact, your cat wouldn’t be having a good diet, and if you don’t have a good diet, you can guess what happens.

Cats have to be carnivores to live. Please do not make your cat vegan or vegetarian.

Feed your cat wet or dry food, and adult food or kitten food, depending on the cat. Too much vegetables or grains won’t make your cat feel good.

Thank you and have a good day!

Cool and Crazy Cats

The 4 types of tabbies

In my Cornish Rex episode, I mention that there are a few types of tabbies. Want to review all types(not all of them were mentioned in my episode)?

1. Classic Tabby

2. Ticked Tabby

3. Mackerel Tabby

4. Spotted Tabby

Do you want to learn more about tabby cats? Read this post to learn more!

Mackerel tabbies have long, slender, slightly curved stripes. These stripes are on the sides of their beautiful bodies. Sometimes the stripes are broken into spots or segments, most commonly on the belly and flank. There is an “M” shape on the Mackerel tabby’s head, dark likes on the corner of his eyes that can cross his cheek, and many lines and stripes on his neck and shoulders. Mackerel tabbies are also known as “fishbone tabbies”, and they are the most common tabby cat.

Classic tabbies are also known as blotched or marbled tabbies, and you will soon find out why! Classic tabbies still have “M” markings on their foreheads, along with swirly, curved stripes and a big blotchy marking on each side or her body. Classic tabby shoulders have butterfly-like markings on their bodies, as well as 3 stripes(the middle one is the darkest, but all 3 of them are beautiful) on their lovely spines. Black tabbies that are Classic tabbies have some beautiful dark browns, lovely olives, and some lighter browns, while orange Classic tabbies have orangey-red parts on their fantastic bodies, as well as more orangey-red on their bodies than Mackerel tabbies. Classic tabby cheeks, tails, and legs have thick stripes on them.

Ticked tabbies have a fur pattern called agouti. What is agouti, though? Agouti is a fur pattern that happens when a cat hair has two or more colors on it. A single cat hair. Ticked tabbies can have a salt and pepper effect with an agouti pattern, or their fur can look like sand. Abyssinians are Ticked tabbies. Listen to my Abyssinian episode to learn more about an Abyssinian cat’s coat! There are either very little(or none) stripes on a Ticked tabby, or ghost striping(faint stripes) on the legs, face, belly, and tail tip of a ticked tabby. But, there is still the “M” and a long, dark stripe(not a ghost stripe) on the adorable spine of a Ticked tabby! Ticked tabbies can come in many colors.

Last, but not least, we will learn about the Spotted tabby! Instead of stripes, this tabby type has spots! Spotted tabbies are similar to the Mackerel tabby, because they have spots in similar places, like the legs, tail, and face, and they have the “M” marking too! Spotted tabbies can have large spots or small spots.

Isn’t that cool? There are 4 types of tabbies AND you know all about them now!
Thanks and have a good day,

Cool and Crazy Cats

Two is better than one

Are you thinking of getting a kitten?

Kittens!

Well, if you want to adopt one(or buy one), please get 2.

But, why should you get 2?

Surprisingly, it is easier to care for two kittens than to care for one! I know this might sound weird, because you have to buy more food, another cat bed, get 2 vet checkups instead of 1, and pay for the kittens too! This might sound crazy, because you might be expecting your house in flames, or your couch shredded to bits in half the time because there are 2 kittens to ruin your house, not 1. Also, it would be good for your kitten, not just for you. I’m not saying that your couches will remain pristine and untouched(one way you can prevent a shredded couch is to buy a scratching post), so let me give you some reasons on why to get 2 kittens!

Cat and scratching post

Cats love to play. And, if you get 2 kittens, you are getting a playmate for your beloved feline friend(or you can get 3, or 4, etc.). Then, your kitten won’t be so interested in ruining your beautiful couches and scratching up your shiny tables, because he/she will be playing with the other kitten! Now, if you get 2 kittens, they might ruin your home twice as fast, but they probably won’t.

If you listened to my episode Beautiful Russian Blues, then you would know that Russian Blues are very energetic, and you should get 2 Russian Blue cats so they can use their boundless energy to play instead of destroy your house. Abyssinians are very energetic too. If you want to learn more about Abyssinians, then listen to my episode Amazing Abyssinians.

But, please note that the kittens should be around the same age. You don’t want to get a 10-year old cat and a 6-month old kitten, because the old cat won’t have the same energy level as the young cat.

So, please get 2 cats, because it would benefit both you and your cat! Two kittens are better than one!

Adopt a cat!

Yes, when you buy a cat from a pet store, you can choose which breed you get. But, there are so many good cats in the shelters that need to be given a chance, too!

You can buy a cat, who has probably been bred, or given to the pet store by a cat owner, or you can get a cat from the animal shelter(rescued from the streets) who probably would like a forever home, but might not be adopted if everyone goes to the pet store to get their cats.

In fact, my cats Melody and Banjo were from the animal shelter (the Dancing Cat Cafe, to be exact) and they look pretty adorable, don’t they?

Melody and Banjo

So, please get a cat from the shelter if you can. Shelter cats might be mixed breed cats, but they are just as cute and adorable as pet store cats, so adopt one when you can!

Purebred vs Mixed Breed Cats

Melody and Banjo, my mixed breed cats, snuggling.

In my podcast, I have talked about cat breeds, but not mixed breed cats. But, which type is better, purebred or mixed breed? Read this to find out which cat is right for you!

First, what are purebred and mixed breed cats?

Purebred cats are only one breed, so a purebred Abyssinian would be pure Abyssinian. So, purebred means that the cat is only one breed, not a mix of two or more different breeds. Some breeders try to breed purebred cats. But, besides being able to participate in cat shows(mixed breeds can only participate if the owners “prettify” the cats), purebred cats don’t get much advantages.

Mixed breed cats are the opposite of purebred cats, they are cats that are a mix of two or more cat breeds. But, even though they must be “prettified” to participate in a cat show, they are still amazing pets and might not get as many of the genetic health problems that purebred cats get.

Now, you don’t have to have a purebred cat to be a cat lover, I am a cat lover and I have two mixed breed cats. My younger cat, Melody is half Siamese, but I don’t know her other half, and my other cat, Banjo, I have no idea what breed he is, but he is black and white, so I just call him a tuxedo cat. Anyway, they are still very cute, even though they are not purebred. There is a picture of them at the top of this blog post.

Also, I had two purebreds names Mocha and Meyla(they aren’t alive anymore, but they were good cats), and they were sweet and cuddly. They were purebred Persians. I think the price was around $400.

Purebred cats can be expensive, from a few hundred to about one thousand dollars, or even more, but mixed breeds cost less. You probably would find less purebreds at the animal shelter and pet store, so you can buy one from a breeder. So, price-wise, which cat would you get?

Mixed breed cats can be those stray cats on the street, or your neighbor’s cat. They are much more common than purebred cats. But, purebred cats are amazing too, even though they aren’t as common. So if you see one, you should know that you saw a purebred cat, and that purebred cats aren’t as common, so you should be happy that you spotted one.’

So, which one do you choose? Are you still pining for a purebred, or do you want a mixed breed? Have you decided and weighed out the pros and cons of each?

Anyway, I hope you’re feline good(about cats) today!

International Box day

What is International Box Day and what does it have to do with cats? This website is for Cool And Crazy Cats podcast, not holidays about boxes.

Well, International Box Day is a holiday on June 19 (my birthday!) about humans and cats! It is a holiday where you get to spend time with your cat! It is celebrated by people who have cats, so if you don’t have one and want one, you can listen to Cool And Crazy Cats podcast to decide which breed or type of cat you want, and how to take care of it.

Dogs are usually considered man’s best friend, so International Box Day is for celebrating the other animal which is not called man’s best friend but is just as good as one.

But, it is called International Box Day, not spend time with your cat day. Here are some things to do on International Box Day to help you understand why it is called International Box Day:

To celebrate International Box Day, you can build a cat fort out of boxes for your feline friend, cuddle with your cat in a box (it should be a big one, so you can fit!) and much more things with your cat and some boxes.

Have a happy International Box Day with your cat, cat lovers!