The Ragamuffin is a very large cat, males are heavier than females. Male can weigh between 15 and 20 pounds while females cat weigh on average between 10 and 15 pounds. They tend to get fat especially around the belly but the numbers of pounds are also due to the heavy bones the cat has in its structure. They can live very long periods of time and they reach adulthood at about five years old. Because they are not hybrids they do not suffer from any genetic disease, they are generally healthy and strong.

The personality of this cat resembles with that of a dog who loves to stay on your lap. Because they are very calm and tempered they can adapt to almost any situation or environment but with one condition: they need to be surrounded at all times by people. They may seem lazy due to the fact that they like sitting in ones lap or watch TV but they can be also active.

As far as grooming is concerned you need to brush its hair once a week, feed it quality food to maintain it healthy and with a shinny coat and take it to the vet when you purchase it and after that on a regular basis to have all its shots done. While you are at the vet ask the doctor about worming and the ideal flea product.

The price of the Ragamuffin differs according to the size of the cat, the type and also its bloodline. The kittens of Ragamuffin are usually put out for sale when they reach 6 weeks. It is an excellent cat if you are not so active in your life and if you live in an apartment. Because they are so calm they get along well with children so you do not need to worry that you are putting your child in danger.

Ragamuffin Cat Pictures Gallery

To make sure that your cat has lost its hearing take you’re companion to the vet to confirm it. By doing this you will also find out the cause which led to this problem.

One way of communicating with your cat is tapping your toes on the floor, if they are somewhere near you they will be able to sense the vibration and come to you. If the cat is not close to you bang your hand on the steps and it will come to you.

Deaf cats are very sensitive and they get scared easily which is why you should be careful when you try to wake them up. You should try patting them on the back or switching on the light just so it will not get scared.

If your cat is looking at you should make a sign to make her come to you and pat the floor. All cats love patting so you will not have a hard time making it come to you. To make your cat be receptive to all your signs all you have to do is practice.

If a cat cannot hear it needs a lot of attention so make sure you pet it and play with it as much as possible. You will make them very happy. Also if you notice that your cat is a bit lonely you should consider buying another cat to fill that void but be careful what pet you are buying. When you are looking for a new companion for a deaf cat you should be looking for a calm and non aggressive animal.

Do not let your deaf cat outside because they cannot avoid danger. They cannot hear cars or other animals.

There are two ways in which a cat can get cold: the first one is staying in the cold weather with its fur wet and the second one is leaving your cat outside for long periods of time when the temperature is very low. Another possibility is leaving your cat outside if it has very short hair or of it is sick.

Make sure that you dry your cat’s fur if you have given it a bath of if you notice that its fur is wet. You should pay great attention to this especially is it is winter or if you live in an area with small temperatures.

Before you can stop the process of hypothermia you must first know the symptoms. When you experience hypothermia the temperature of your body drops so low that your vital organs stop functioning. When a cat experiences hypothermia you will notice that it will shiver, it will have trouble breathing and will have trouble moving.

If your cat shows this signs the first thing that you should do is warm it gradually, do not do it quick because it is very dangerous. The first thing that you should do is take it into a warm room and wrap it with a towel or blanket. You can also use a hair dryer if your cat is not scared of it. After your cat has stopped shivering and warmed a bit you can give it a warm bath to continue the process.

Make sure that when it is cold outside you do not live your cat outside for too long because it’s not good for their health. Watch the door when you have visitor going in and out just to make sure that your cat does not snick outside the house. Never leave a cat outside if its fur is wet because that will trigger hypothermia faster that if it were to sit outside for a long period of time.

The first thing that is absolutely necessary to do is taking your elder cat to the vet at least twice a year. Unlike young cats that are young it is a must to respect the regular visits to the vet because old cats are more sensitive. You can have a sick cat without even knowing because there are some disease which do not manifest such as diabetes and hyper thyroid. You will increase the chances of healing if you go to checkups on a regular basis.

As they grow old they need vitamins which is why you should purchase them from your vet and mix the with their food, it must be wet food. The body of the cat needs extra vitamins. A lot of old cats have hairballs and this vitamin helps them eliminate them quicker.

Make sure that it always has a bowl full of fresh water. They need to drink a lot of water which is why you should encourage them. You can even buy a water fountain because it will attract the cat to water.

As cats get old they become fussy when it comes to eating time. The most important thing in the cat’s day becomes their meal which is why you should stick to those particular periods of the day. You should include a diet with softer food, this also helps if the cat has lost its teeth.

You should cut the cats nail once a month. They do not use them as much as they used to on your furniture but they still need cutting.

Make sure that you play with your cat because they still have this desire. The difference now is that they do not need toys because they are too crazy for them, a simple flash light or laser will do just fine.

Make sure you play with your cat because most unhealthy behaviors develop when the cat gets bored. The amount of time that you should spend playing with your cat needs to be about 30 minutes. Do that and you will notice that the destructive behavior will gradually disappear.

Develop a feeding schedule, this is needed because the cat’s stomach works like clockwork. If you design a regular feeding plan you will also create a regular pooping time. If you know when it needs to go to the bathroom you can also make sure that it uses it.

It is very important that you clean the litter box as often as possible because cats tend not to use the box because they think that they are dirty. Scoop the poop and replace the sand just to make sure that you will not have any accidents around the house.

Until the cat learns to use the litter box make it sit in a room with fresh food, water and the litter box. You will see that in time it will learn to use the litter box. Once it has done that you can let it go into other rooms but leave the litter box where you put it.

Your cat probably loves to sink its claws into your furniture so what you need to do is to make it an unpleasant action. What you can do is place some tape on your furniture so when it want to shred your couch or drapes it will be a sticky experience.

Training your cat not to do some things must have a positive side for the cat to. If you do not want it to scratch the furniture buy it a post spiced with catnip. If you cat learned to use the litter box you can boots up its confidence by praising it for doing such a great job. Whatever you do training should be a calm and healthy process for you and your cat.

Specific male behavior

The male will begin to show mating behavior when they reach the age of 9 months. They will manifest themselves by marking their property with urine. The urine which they spray on contains a substance called pheromone which has a strong smell. When they are in heat they will frequently get into fights for their territory and for their female companion. The process of mating is very interesting, when a male find a female cat it will smell her and if they sense that the cat is in heat it will start crying and checking her out until she gives him access to mate. If you are trying to keep your cat in the house while it is in heat you are wasting your time because it will do anything to escape.

Specific female behavior

According to the type of breed your female cat is it will reach the mating season somewhere between 5 and 10 months. If they are left outside when it’s the mating season they will become pregnant and give birth to up to 8 kittens. If they are left unneutered they can become pregnant to up to five times a year. The mating period of the cat starts from February and end in October. During this period the cat will search for a male every other two weeks until she become pregnant. You will notice their specific miauing which is very loud and a great deal of attention directed to you. It is no use to try to keep it inside because it will escape eventually.

Medical problems

A urine issue can affect both females and males and it affects the lower urinary tract. If you do not treat this issue as soon as possible the cat will die. At male cats this condition develops through the crystals which form in the urine leading to the impossibility of the cat to urinate. A condition which is specific to female cats in mammary cancer.

As soon as you start noticing bad behavior in your cat such as scratching and biting you should stop petting it and say no till it stops. Do not force your cat to play if you see that it does not want to. If you notice that it flickers it tail or the ears are flatten then that is a sign to back off. Do not touch the cat is places where they do not like, you will learn with time where those places are. If you do not stop petting them where they do not like you risk getting scratched or bitten. Reward your cat when it does something good just to encourage that behavior.

If you want it to stop begging while you are trying to eat serve its meal just before you start your. By doing this it will distract it from your food and it is known that cats get sleepy after they eat. Whatever you do don’t give it food from your table because that will lead to an unhealthy behavior. When the cat’s starts to beg simply ignore it or say no.

All cats are used to catching mice or birds and bringing them into your house. To prevent that from happening make sure that the bird house are out of the cats reach and that you provide it with a lot of toys that simulate the same excitement they have when they hunt.

If you do not like the cats sounds when it want to mate have it neutered but in return make sure that you give it a lot of affection. Some sound can be made by the cat if they are ill or injured, just to make sure take it to the vet.

Here are the most common health issues of the Somali cat:

1. Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia

If a cat has Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia this means that the immune system attacks the red blood cells from the cat’s body. The result of this attack are not nice at all, the destruction of the red blood cells leads to stressing the production of extra red blood cells and also anemia. Due to this reaction the size of the spleen grows and excessive release of bilirubin. After this the bilirubin causes yellow spots on the cat’s gums and skin. Another effect of this substance in the absence of energy and darker urine. The treatment for this problem consists of steroids and blood transfusion. If the disease is very advanced the vet will resort to removing the spleen. This is an exhausting disease which is why not many cats survive.

2. Renal Amyloidosis

The heredity form of this disease develops when the cats are young. Because the proteins in the body cannot be broken down and processed by the kidneys it can lead to dysfunctions of the kidneys. From that other organs can be affected. The main symptoms of this particular disease are: urination and increase of thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the feet, legs and belly. This health issue is not curable. Once the vet has identified the issue it can only focuses on making the symptoms more bearable for the cat.

3. Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Gingivitis Stomatitis

Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Gingivitis Stomatitis is not such a harsh problem like the first ones are. This disease affects the teeth of the cat and it should be treated by the vet following a special treatment. The signs of this disease are the refusal of the cat to eat or accepting to eat only soft food. The cure consists in a cleaning treatment and extracting the teeth which are sick. After this step has been done your vet will prescribe your cat antibiotics.

Somali Cat Pictures Gallery

If you buy a newborn kitten the first thing that you should do when you bring it home is put it in a quiet room, you could choose the bathroom or the bedroom. A strange home can be very intimidating for any cat which is why you should introduce it step by step into your house.

You should buy soft toys that they can chew, they will love them. Grab them by the scruff of the neck and place them on your lap, they will feel very comfortable because you will be simulating the behavior of a mother cat.

Give your kitten a treat while it sits in your lap and stroke its back. If you cat gets scared and leaves your lap them gently take the kitten and place it back in your lap but do not force it to eat the treat jut continue stroking it gently. They have to learn this gentle touch in order to loosen up a bit.

Introduce your kitten to different sounds such as music. Most cats can become scared when they first hear the sound of music because for them that means danger. To make sure that they do not get scared while playing the music pet your cat just so it can understand that everything is ok.

To reduce the shyness of the cat you should play with it as much as possible. Toys destined for cats are excellent when you have shy cats, you can give them to stranger to play with you kitten thus getting it out of its shell. While they play they have a chance to be around people and loosen up around strangers.

To sum up, if you have a shy cat you should really try this methods because they do work. All you need to remember that it should be fun for you and your shy kitten because at the end of the day you are doing this out of love for your pet.

Body
The body of the Balinese cat is in many aspects the same as the Siamese cat. The differences are: the coat is softer, they are quieter, and their eyes are almond shaped and of an amazing sapphire blue color. They have a muscular neck and overall body, with strong bones and oval paws. They are strong but they are called the ballet dancers in the cat world.

Grooming
Even though the Balinese has long hair it does not get tangled or mat which means that it is very easy to maintain the coat smooth and shiny. They need regular brushing like at cats do and a special diet. They need a lot of exercise and with that a healthy diet which should include chicken and diced raw meat. They need this particular diet in order to keep their muscular body fit and to maintain the healthy look of the fur. Make sure that they do not get overweight because they will start to develop health problems. You should never bathe the Balinese because they can clean themselves like all cats, an exception to this rule is when you take it to a show and they need to look perfect but this should no bet transformed into a routine.

Personality
Balinese cats make wonderful pets; they are always there for you when you need a friend. They are also talkative and you will always find yourself taking to them. They are very active kitties from paying with the broom when you are trying to clean up, to helping with dinner to playing with the newspaper while you read. They like to be kept in ones lap for long periods of time and also they enjoy being held on one shoulder and walked throughout the house.

If you want a cat active in your life and affectionate when you come at home then the Balinese cat is for you. Rest assures that this cat will always make its presence noticed.

Balinese Cat Pictures Gallery