Many have experienced the pleasure of owning a cat. Most of us would classify a kitten as "cute." A tiny kitten can leave the mother cat at approximately eight to twelve weeks of age and come to live with its new owner.

Usually the mother cat gives birth to from two to five kittens at a time. The gestation period is eight to nine weeks in length. At birth they will be helpless without nursing and care given by the mother cat. For these reasons the kitten should be left with its mother for eight weeks or longer. As human babies do, the kitten receives antibodies from the milk which protects him from infection later on in life. The newborn kitten is blind for the first seven to ten days of his life. It takes about ten weeks for full visual capabilities to develop.

What we view as fighting among litter mates is part of early development. They play games that simulate hunting and stalking behavior. Predatory nature is intuitive to cats. Before being domesticated cats were skilled hunters of smaller animals regarding them as a food source.

The kittens begin to wean at three to four weeks of age. Complete weaning is usually accomplished by the age of eight weeks. Just as some human children will live at home long after maturity, some kittens stay with the mother cat until sexual maturity. As mentioned, they can be safely separated from the mother at about eight weeks of age. It is however, considered optimal for them to stay with the mother longer. About twelve weeks is best.

In some locations it is illegal to separate them from the mother before the age of eight weeks.

Your new kitten will benefit greatly from vaccinations against:

* Feline viral rhinotracheitis * Feline calicirirus * Feline panleukopenia

Kittens should be wormed at approximately one month of age to eliminate roundworms.

Spaying or neutering is highly recommended both for docile behavior and simply because there are too many unwanted cats and kittens being euthanized. This is an ongoing problem which can be alleviated by a little birth control among cats.

While all kittens are adorable and capable of chasing a ball of yarn around the house, you may choose to purchase a pedigreed breed. Many breeds of cats are registered the same way dogs are, with verifiable blood lines and registration papers.

One special breed of cat is the Persian, characterized by a short muzzle and long luxurious white hair. The typical Persian cat has a sophisticated and somewhat snobby appearance. They do make excellent pets. They love to be taken on your lap and petted for long periods of time. From ancient Persia (which is now of course Turkey) the first documented Persian cats were introduced to Italy in 1620. They were next exported to France then Britain. Originally interbred with Turkish Angoras their appearance has been altered through selective breeding to the modern Persian Longhair. Their short muzzle has become a health problem as their faces grew flatter over the generations. The modern line of Persians have breathing problems because of the structure of their faces and muzzles.

At a purebred cat show you will see winning Persian cats with short legs, a wide head with large eyes and an exaggerated shortened muzzle. The first documentation of Persians being registered with the Cat Fanciers Association was in 1871 when they began to keep records. This pet requires daily care and a monthly bath to keep its long white fur in pristine condition. If you choose a kitten of this breed, plan on setting aside time for daily grooming and giving it lots of petting and affection. You'll be rewarded with a long-time companion since their life span is from ten to nineteen years. They are sedentary and affectionate pets when fully grown.

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Tom Chapman

This article is written by the authors of www.petstuffgalore.co.uk .

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