Meyer David - The Total Cat Manual: Meet, Love, and Care for Your New Best Friend

THE TOTAL
CAT
MANUAL

David Meyer, Abbie Moore, and Dr. Pia Salk

Welcome to the wonderful world of cats. If you have never really known a cat, you are in for an amazing journey! If you have cats, you will find tips and insights here that will help you have a great life with your feline friends.

Cats and humans have been living together since ancient times. Much like dogs, cats have entertained us, given us companionship, and even at times worked for us (keeping rodents out of our homes). Some people say cats are social, and others say they are solitary. Some say they are highly engaged and playful like dogs, and others say they are aloof. Some say they are brave predators, and others say they are shy and quick to run away. Like so many things with cats, all these can be true, given the situation. Cats are affectionate, social, independent, playful, curious, smart, clever, and loving. They are mysterious to those who do not understand them, and wondrous family members and best friends to those who do.

Whether you have one cat in your home or many, we have worked hard to give you all the information you need to understand your cats behavior and needs. With the tips in this book, you will learn why cats do what they do, what they need to remain happy and healthy, and how to have a wonderful and fulfilling relationship with your own cat. Once you have really known a cat, you will forever be a cat lover. This is the magic power of the felinelet them into your world and you will enter their worldand an amazingly fun world it is! So sit back and enjoy.

Wishing you perches, pounces, and mostly purrs,

David, Abbie, and Pia

Adopt-a-Pet.com is the worlds largest non-profit homeless pet adoption website. Thousands of animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, and animal rescue groups post hundreds of thousands of pets for adoption, and millions of potential adopters use adopt-a-pet.com each month to search for pets to adopt. Our service is entirely free, and is made possible by the passionate pet lovers at Nestl Purina PetCare Company, the Petco Foundation, and Bayer Animal Health.

Our mission is to ensure that every companion animal has a safe and loving home. This means that

every pet that is born has a loving home,

the human/animal bond is strong and people have all the knowledge and resources they need to have a happy life with their pets, and

when a situation arises where a pet really does need a new home, a new and loving home is found.

Our prime tool to help animals is technology. We use the internet to get homeless pets seen and adopted, and to deliver information that allows people to have happy and successful relationships with their pets. We also support animal shelters and companion animal protection organizations of all types by providing technology to help them work faster and smarter.

Technology, however, is not the only tool we use to help companion animals. We also conduct real-world events and publicity campaigns, such as our annual Pooch Smooch around Valentines Day, to raise awareness of companion animal issues. Additionally, we conduct campaigns in various cities, featuring local sports stars championing our cause. Those campaigns involve media events, printed billboards, and local radio and TV.

Our team is made up of a small dedicated group of animal lovers, who themselves are often volunteers for local animal shelters and pet-rescue organizations, fostering pets in their homes and helping with weekend adoption events. Our staff played a key role in rescuing many thousands of animals who were stranded in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and are often involved in important issues when we see a way to help animals.

Please visit Adopt-a-Pet.com to learn more and find a pet to adopt near you today.

p1 Sydneymills/Shutterstock.com p2-3 Natalya Chagrin/Shutterstock.com p4 Rita Kochmarjova/Shutterstock.com p9 Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock.com p10 below left Jeff Fielding p10 below center Brian Kuhlmann p10 below right Pia Salk p11 Kseniia Perminova/Shutterstock.com p12-13 everst/Shutterstock.com Basics opener Yoko Design/Shutterstock.com Basics intro Rita Kochmarjova/Shutterstock.com 001 Martin Haas/Shutterstock.com 002 Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock.com 003 Gayvoronskaya_Yana/Shutterstock.com 004 photo_master2000/Shutterstock.com 005 tab62/Shutterstock.com 007 Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com 009 Stefano Cavoretto/Shutterstock.com 010 top left Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com 010 top right Gemenacom/Shutterstock.com 010 center left Obak/Shutterstock.com 010 center ajt/Shutterstock.com 010 center right below Olga Popova/Shutterstock.com 10 below left Nipaporn PanyacharoenI/Shutterstock.com 10 below center WachiraS/Shutterstock.com 10 below right Imageman/Shutterstock.com 11 Maciej Bledowski/Shutterstock.com 12 Chendongshan/Shutterstock.com 13 Ramon Espelt Photography/Shutterstock.com 15 Pixsooz/Shutterstock.com 16 Nipaporn PanyacharoenI/Shutterstock.com 17 Okssi/Shutterstock.com 18 g215/Shutterstock.com 18 panel Only background/Shutterstock.com 19 background tharamust/Shutterstock.com 19 top left viennetta/Shutterstock.com 19 below left absolutimages/Shutterstock.com 19 center Evgeny Karandaev/Shutterstock.com 19 center below Berents/Shutterstock.com 19 center below Dmitrij Skorobogatov/Shutterstock.com 19 below right Anurak Pongpatimet/Shutterstock.com 19 top right nsun41/Shutterstock.com 19 top right Dmitrij Skorobogatov/Shutterstock.com 19 top right underworld/Shutterstock.com 19 top right Fortish/Shutterstock.com 19 center right ThamKC/Shutterstock.com 20 Steve Heap/Shutterstock.com 21 Elya Vatel/Shutterstock.com 22 Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com 23 center IrinaK/Shutterstock.com 23 below right Andrey_Kuzmin/Shutterstock.com 23 below left Photo Love/Shutterstock.com 24 top left Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com 24 below right Anna Hoychuk/Shutterstock.com 24 below left Emanuela Grigoras/Shutterstock.com 25 fantom_rd/Shutterstock.com 26 Suponev Vladimir/Shutterstock.com 27 Komar/Shutterstock.com 28 duvduv/Shutterstock.com 29 top Courtesy Purina 29 below Only background/Shutterstock.com 30 Vgstockstudio/Shutterstock.com 32 Anurak Pongpatimet/Shutterstock.com 33 Andy Crisp 34 Cornel Constantin/Shutterstock.com 35 David Porras/Shutterstock.com 36 Alaettin Yildirim/Shutterstock.com 37 Iasha/Shutterstock.com 38 Poprotskiy Alexey/Shutterstock.com 39 Albina Tiplyashina/Shutterstock.com 40 Lubava/Shutterstock.com 41 thinkingoutsidethecage.org 42 risteski goce/Shutterstock.com 43 vvvita/Shutterstock.com 44, 45, 47 Andy Crisp 48 Okssi/Shutterstock.com 49 AH86/Shutterstock.com 50 Elshina Anna/Shutterstock.com 51 Joseph M. Arseneau/Shutterstock.com 52 top left Dmitry Naumov/Shutterstock.com 52 top center Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com 52 top right Dagmar Hijmans/Shutterstock.com 52 center left, center right Seregraff/Shutterstock.com 52 center, below left Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com 52 below center OmniArt/Shutterstock.com 52 below right pzAxe/Shutterstock.com 53 Mila Supinskaya/Shutterstock.com 55 panels Only background/Shutterstock.com 55 dangdumrong/Shutterstock.com 56 Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com 57 kuban_girl/Shutterstock.com 58 Kachalkina Veronika/Shutterstock.com 60 Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock.com 61 panels Only background/Shutterstock.com 61 Ronnachai Palas/Shutterstock.com 62 Pukhov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com 63 urbazon/Shutterstock.com 64 Fabio Alcini/Shutterstock.com 65 TNPhotographer/Shutterstock.com 66 Francescomoufotografo/Shutterstock.com 67 Lucky Business/Shutterstock.com 68 haris M/Shutterstock.com 69 bmf-foto.de/Shutterstock.com 70 Milles Studio/Shutterstock.com 72 Gamaruba/Shutterstock.com Behavior opener Yoko Design/Shutterstock.com Behavior intro schubbel/Shutterstock.com 73 Arthur Linnik/Shutterstock.com 75 Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock.com 77 Cressida studio/Shutterstock.com 78 Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock.com 79 Mehendra_art/Shutterstock.com 82 Dmitrij Skorobogatov/Shutterstock.com 83 Mettus/Shutterstock.com Grumpy Cat left Jaguar PS/Shutterstock.com Grumpy Cat right Gage Skidmore Grumpy Cat below Jstone/Shutterstock.com 85 below Juan Calles 85 top Yulia_Bogomolova/Shutterstock.com 86 Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock.com 87 Nikolay Bassov/Shutterstock.com 88 Andy Crisp 89 Madlen/Shutterstock.com 90 Diana Taliun/Shutterstock.com 91 Alexander Bayburov/Shutterstock.com 92 Juan Calles 93 Anurak Pongpatimet/Shutterstock.com 95 Tomasz Pado/Shutterstock.com 96 littlekop/Shutterstock.com 97 SJ Allen/Shutterstock.com 98 vvvita/Shutterstock.com 99 Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova/Shutterstock.com 100 cleanfotos/Shutterstock.com 101 cynoclub/Shutterstock.com 102 Yimmyphotography/Shutterstock.com 103 Vitalinka/Shutterstock.com 104 Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com 105 Andrey Khusnutdinov/Shutterstock.com 106 Juan Calles 107 Olga Maer/Shutterstock.com 108 Radu Bercan/Shutterstock.com 109 Deyveone/Shutterstock.com 110 The Len/Shutterstock.com 111 Ekaterina Kolomeets/Shutterstock.com 112, 113 Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com 114 Karpova/Shutterstock.com 115 HolyCrazyLazy/Shutterstock.com 116 Gumpanat/Shutterstock.com 118 Tatiana Chekryzhova/Shutterstock.com 120 Andriy Oleksienko/Shutterstock.com 121 Andy Crisp 122 Arthur Linnik/Shutterstock.com 123 Olleg/Shutterstock.com 124 top right Winai Tepsuttinun/Shutterstock.com 124 top left dsom/Shutterstock.com 124 center right Devil23/Shutterstock.com 124 center left MsMaria/Shutterstock.com 124 below right Jiang HongyanI/Shutterstock.com 124 below left absolutimages/Shutterstock.com 125 Paul Yates/Shutterstock.com 126 Mai Jiggew/Shutterstock.com 127 top Elisa Putti/Shutterstock.com 127 below Juan Calles Health opener Yoko Design/Shutterstock.com Health intro Light Hound Pictures/Shutterstock.com 128 SpeedKingz/Shutterstock.com 130 absolutimages/Shutterstock.com 131 Janis Smits/Shutterstock.com 134 Courtesy Purina 136 absolutimages/Shutterstock.com 137 Popel Arseniy/Shutterstock.com 138 top Olesya Nakipova/Shutterstock.com 138 below left Ysbrand Cosijn/Shutterstock.com 138 below center Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com 138 below right Sandra Huber/Shutterstock.com 139 Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com 139 panel Only background/Shutterstock.com 140 bastetamon/Shutterstock.com 142 VP Photo Studio/Shutterstock.com 143 Mio Jojo/Shutterstock.com 145 Sonsedska Yuliia/Shutterstock.com 147 Stefano Garau/Shutterstock.com 148 Jarun Ontakrai/Shutterstock.com 149 CDC Public Health Image Library 150 Kachalkina Veronika/Shutterstock.com 151 SpeedKingz/Shutterstock.com 152 pema/Shutterstock.com 153 Mind and I/Shutterstock.com 155 top left Jo Walton 155 top right Maciej Walczak/Shutterstock.com 155 below left ptnphoto/Shutterstock.com 155 below right Milles Studio/Shutterstock.com 156, 157 Andy Crisp 158 Alexander Raths/Shutterstock.com 159 Tony Campbell/Shutterstock.com 160 top Sandra Huber/Shutterstock.com 160 below bmf-foto.de/Shutterstock.com Double-O Cat left DreamBig/Shutterstock.com 161 OlliFoolish/Shutterstock.com 162 Anna Hoychuk/Shutterstock.com Care opener Yoko Design/Shutterstock.com Care intro Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock.com 163 MNStudio/Shutterstock.com 164 Clari Massimiliano/Shutterstock.com 165 Faiz Zaki/Shutterstock.com 166 Shutterstock.com 168 Andy Crisp 169 Tanya Little/Shutterstock.com 170 Andy Crisp 171 itakefotos4u/Shutterstock.com 172 Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com 173 Lapina/Shutterstock.com 175 Paul Vasarhelyi/Shutterstock.com 176 Mikhail Starodubov/Shutterstock.com 177 Konstantin Yolshin/Shutterstock.com 179 Lolostock/Shutterstock.com 181 Tashatuvango/Shutterstock.com 182 Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com 183 Stokkete/Shutterstock.com 185 Lolostock/Shutterstock.com 185 panel Only background/Shutterstock.com Nyan Cat top maraga/Shutterstock.com Nyan Cat below Nataa Blagojevic 186 weerapon/Shutterstock.com 187 Andrey Khusnutdinov/Shutterstock.com 188 BsWei/Shutterstock.com 189 Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock.com 190 Dean Drobot/Shutterstock.com 191 Ozgur Coskun/Shutterstock.com 192 Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com 193 a katz/Shutterstock.com 193 panel Only background/Shutterstock.com 194 racorn/Shutterstock.com 195 stocksolutions/Shutterstock.com 196 Kanstantsin Navitski/Shutterstock.com 197 punsayaporn/Shutterstock.com 198 Telekhovskyi/Shutterstock.com 198 panel Only background/Shutterstock.com 199 otsphoto/Shutterstock.com 200 135pixels/Shutterstock.com 201 Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com 202 Andy Crisp 202 panel Only background/Shutterstock.com 203 Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock.com 204 Marcelodlt/Shutterstock.com 205 Andy Crisp 206 cynoclub/Shutterstock.com 207 Creatista/Shutterstock.com 208 Jiri Foltyn/Shutterstock.com 209 Xseon/Shutterstock.com 210 Einar Muoni/Shutterstock.com 211 Pakula Piotr/Shutterstock.com 211 screen topimagesShutterstock.com 212 gary yim/Shutterstock.com 213 disto89/Shutterstock.com 214 Budimir Jevtic/Shutterstock.com 215 VP Photo Studio/Shutterstock.com 216 d1mancrf/Shutterstock.com 217 Jeffrey M. Frank/Shutterstock.com 218 Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock.com Endmatter Chonlawut/Shutterstock.com Credits AnneMS/Shutterstock.com Credits 2 Vicuschka/Shutterstock.com Imprint page svetkor/Shutterstock.com